Ports
The Port of Galveston is the Port of Everything with cruise, cargo and commercial business development opportunities. Perfectly situated at the entrance to Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel, Galveston Wharves has been a thriving maritime commercial center since 1825. Just 45 minutes from open seas, the 840-acre port has infrastructure and assets to serve growing cruise, cargo and commercial businesses. As the fourth most popular U.S. cruise port and only home port in Texas, the Port of Galveston cruise terminal welcomed more than 1 million cruise passengers in 2019. Statewide, the cruise industry generated $1.6 billion in expenditures and 27,000 jobs in 2019. In addition, the Port of Galveston is one of the busiest cargo ports in Texas, typically moving more than 4 million tons of cargo a year, including roll-on/roll-off, dry bulk, export grain, refrigerated fruit, liquid bulk, general and project cargoes. About Us | Galveston Wharves | Port of Galveston | Port of Galveston, TX - Official Website
Port of Texas City
The Port of Texas City is the 8th largest port in the United States and the third largest port in the state of Texas (Port of Texas City website, n.d.). Over 78 million waterborne tons of material moves through the port annually. It is owned by the Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroads and operated by the Texas City Terminal Railway Company. The City of Texas City acts as a sponsor to the port for situations in which the port requires a governmental entity to act on its behalf. The port is located on the southwestern shore of Galveston Bay, near much of Texas City's heavy industry. In 2009, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded a $61.8 million contract to a New Jersey firm to deepen the channel by five additional feet, which will bring the channel depth to 45 feet. Funding for the project is largely from federal stimulus money, with the exception of about $17 million funded by local industry (United States, 2009).
Port of H0uston
Port Houston owns and operates the eight public facilities along the 52-mile Houston Ship Channel, including the area’s largest breakbulk facility and two of the most efficient container terminals in the nation. The Port has served as a strategic leader for this vital waterway for over a century, ensuring the free flow of commerce throughout the region as well as bolstering national and international trade. Galveston County is located five miles from the nearest Port Houston Facilities and the Port owns over 1,000 acres in Galveston on Pelican Island. Overview - Port Houston.
Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW)
Galveston County has over 50 miles of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) in the County boundary. The GIWW is the portion of the Intracoastal Waterway located along the Gulf Coast of the United States. It is a navigable inland waterway running approximately 1,300 mi (2,100 km)[1] from Saint Marks, Florida, to Brownsville, Texas. The waterway provides a channel with a controlling depth of 12 ft (3.7 m), designed primarily for barge transportation.
Airports
Galveston County is served by several public-use airports: GLS, HOU, and IAH.
Scholes International Airport on Galveston Island is a city-owned, public-use airport. The airport features two 6,000 ft. runways that are long enough to accommodate airplanes as large as the Boeing 767.
William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) is an international airport in Houston, located seven miles from downtown about 10 miles from Galveston County. Hobby is Houston’s oldest commercial airport, and was its primary, until 1969. Houston Hobby is a major focus city for Southwest Airlines, which operates international and domestic flights there. Hobby is classified as a medium-sized airport and has four runways, ranging in length from 5,000 to 7,600 feet.
Houston Intercontinental (IAH) is the world’s 48th busiest, and the 15th busiest in the United States. The airport is also a major hub for United. Galveston County is located 42 miles from Houston Intercontinental.
La Porte Municipal Airport (FAA LID: T41) is a city-owned public-use airport located three miles (5 km) northwest of the central business district of La Porte, in Harris County, Texas, United States. The airport has two runways and the longest is 5,000 x 75 ft. at an elevation of 800 ft. It is located at 10615 Spencer Highway about 10.5 miles from Kemah, Texas in Galveston County.
Pearland Regional Airport is an airport with two runways which are 4,313 x 75 ft. at an elevation of 43.9 ft. and 39.2 and is located 4 miles from the City of Friendswood in Galveston County.
Roads & Highways
Interstate 45
I-45 is 10 lanes wide in the League City area of Galveston County and acts as the major transportation thoroughfare for Galveston County as it stretches from Dallas, Texas and ends on Galveston Island where it turns into Broadway.
State Highway 146
SH 146 connects to State Highway 225 to Kemah and then through unincorporated parts of Galveston county to Texas City. It acts as a major transportation route for the Port of Texas City, the Texas City Industrial Complex and the Port of Houston. SH 146 also acts a major corridor of travel for tourists and vacationers to the Kemah Boardwalk.
State Highway 3
SH 3 diverts from I-45 near the coast and runs to the Texas City Industrial Complex. It continues to run parallel of I-45 where it eventually ends in southeast Houston near William P. Hobby Airport. SH 3 provides alternative travel to I-45 while allowing for direct access to major economic hubs such as the Texas City Port, Johnson Space Center, and the Hobby Airport. The highway is also integral to future construction plans as it will eventually bi-sect the site of the new Grand Parkway (State Highway 99) Grand Parkway | The League City Official Website! (leaguecitytx.gov) and its continuation.
State Highway 6
State Highway 6 is known historically as the Old Galveston Highway as it stretches from the Texas-Oklahoma border to the border of Galveston. Locally, SH 6 diverts from I-45 near the coastline and runs northwest to southeast through Hitchcock and Santa Fe, up through I-10 and West Houston. This highway travels through the western communities of Galveston County along some of its last stretches of untamed land in Galveston County.
State Highway 275
SH 275 forks East from I-45 as it crosses the island and runs along its northern border to SH 87. This highway is integral in that it allows for major traffic to and from the Port of Galveston. This includes transportation of cargo as well as travelers embarking and disembarking from the nation’s fourth-largest cruise ship terminal. Along this highway, you will find a number of industrial sites, as well as the world-renowned UTMB Health - Galveston Campus.
Farm to Market 518
FM 518 runs over 25 miles long from Kemah to the western border of the county, ending in Brazoria County’s city of Pearland. This FM operates as an alternative logistical route for Brazoria County to easily reach either the Port of Houston or the Port of Texas City without the use of a Highway until reaching SH 146 near the coastline. As FM 518 runs through League City, the FM road becomes East and West Main St. in conjunction with I-45. Along this stretch, you can find League City’s historic district and much of the city’s commercial and retail storefronts outside of I-45.
Farm to Market 1764
FM 1764 leads from the heart of Santa Fe to Texas City where it acts as the main thoroughfare for commerce and retail. The road provides access throughout the area to residents traveling from east and west to the College of the Mainland.
Farm to Market 2004
FM 2004 connects Galveston County to Port Freeport, giving the city of Hitchcock proximity to three separate port systems. FM 2004 is quickly developing into an industrial complex and warehousing destination. Along FM 2004 in Hitchcock, you will find one of the region’s only free trade zones in partnership with the Port of Houston. This farm-to-market also provides direct access to Interstate 45 as it passes through the City of La Marque, directing underneath the interstate and into Texas City.
Railroads
Galveston County is served by Class I, main line, railroads Union Pacific and BNSF. Short Line railroads include the Texas City Terminal Railway Company Galveston Railroad (Genesee & Wyoming).
Intermodal
Galveston has two options for intermodal rail transportation. The Union Pacific Houston Intermodal Terminal is located at 6,800 Kirkpatrick Blvd. 77028 about 29 miles from League City in Galveston County.
Additionally, the Port of Texas City and its railroad the Texas City Terminal Railway Company provide rail to ship intermodal opportunities as well.
Public Transit
Gulf Coast Transit District
In FY2019, Gulf Coast Center evaluated the separation of their public transportation division Connect Transit to form a new stand-alone transit district. The benefits of separation included transit-focused governance, administration, management, alignment of vision and mission strategies, elimination of conflicting policies, and reduced administrative complexity. Local transit stakeholders that continue to contribute financially or otherwise to public transportation in Brazoria and Galveston Counties formed a task force to oversee the separation study. The stakeholders reviewed pertinent items centered around the separation which included Connect Transit services, performance data and finances, ongoing capital, and equipment projects. These meetings have been well attended by elected and appointed officials representing jurisdictions in both counties. The Commissioners' Courts of Galveston and Brazoria Counties approved the formation of the Gulf Coast Transit District (GCTD) in May of 2020. The City Councils of Texas City, La Marque, Dickinson, Lake Jackson, Angleton, Clute and Freeport joined in June 2020. The first GCTD Board of Directors meeting was held on July 14, 2020. Services | My Site (gulfcoasttransitdistrict.com).
Island Transit
The mission of Island Transit is to build, establish and operate a safe, efficient and effective transportation system that provides mobility for residents and visitors. Island Transit operates ADA paratransit services, fixed routes, rubber wheel trolley and rail trolley services, providing public transit to more than 12,000 people a month. What we do: Fixed-route services: We provide weekday and Saturday fixed-route bus services, which are distributed throughout the city. Paratransit: We provide door-to-door ADA paratransit service. Trolley service: We provide daily rubber wheel trolley routes servicing Seawall and downtown. We also provide rail trolley service on the weekend.
Houston MetroStar Van Pool
MetroStar Van Pool is a rideshare service that allows commuters who share similar travel patterns to lease a van on a month-to-month basis so they can ride to and from work together. This is especially helpful for riders who live in areas where METRO bus service isn’t available. METRO Star Vanpool operates in eight counties: Harris, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Liberty, Montgomery and Waller. Yes. METRO Star Vanpool will maintain and repair the vehicle when necessary. If it needs to be kept overnight, a backup vehicle will be provided. The cost is calculated according to mileage, the number of riders and the size of the vehicle. The average cost per passenger is just $4-6 a day. That amount factors in the rider's share of the monthly lease (including insurance and maintenance), in addition to: Gas, Parking, Tolls, Cleaning. Some employers offer a transit benefit that lowers the cost even more.