Galveston

Formed May 15, 1838 (30^th county)

Galveston County (291,309), Galveston (47,743), League City (83,560)

2006 was the construction year for the Modern concrete and steel structure.  The latest of seven courthouses for Galveston County was designed by Bay Architects.  The county was organized on May 15, 1838 and all of the courthouses have been in the city of Galveston.  The county was cut from Brazoria County as the 30^th county.  This version is located at 59^th Street and Broadway, north of Texas State Highway 87.    Galveston County and city got their name from the Spanish governor of Louisiana, Bernardo de Galvez. 

Galveston County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  Six District Court Judges and Five County Court Judges serve Galveston County.  The county is situated on the Gulf of Mexico southeast of Houston, Texas.  The mouth of the Galveston Bay and the bay’s southern section are part of the county.  Galveston City is on a barrier island that extends along the coast southeast towards Mexico.  The county center is 14.5 miles Northwest of Galveston in Texas City.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Chambers County and the Gulf of Mexico and Brazoria and Harris counties. 

The area of the county is 873 square miles.  It is 185 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 17 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 333.69 persons per square mile making it 15 out of 254 in the state.  Galveston County has 88.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 45 enters from the north, Harris County, and terminates in Galveston County.  The county is shaped like an ice skate with the blade being Galveston Island.  Since the county is turned 45-degrees, the city of Galveston is on the southeast edge.  League City is in the northwest quarter of the county and extends into Harris County.  Galveston is the county seat and League City is the largest city.  Galveston is 16.4% of the county population while League City is 28.2% of the county population.  This county is in the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown Metropolitan Statistical Area.