Baytown is a city in the U.S. state of

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, within Harris and Chambers counties. Located in the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land

metropolitan statistical area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

, it lies on the northern side of the Galveston Bay complex near the outlets of the San Jacinto River and Buffalo Bayou. It is the sixth-largest city within this metropolitan area and seventh largest community (including The Woodlands CDP). Major highways serving the city include State Highway 146 and Interstate 10. At the

2020 U.S. census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, Baytown had a population of 83,701, and it had an estimated population of 78,393 in 2021.

History

White American White Americans are Americans who identify as and are perceived to be white people. This group constitutes the majority of the people in the United States. As of the 2020 Census, 61.6%, or 204,277,273 people, were white alone. This represented ...

settlers first arrived in the now-Baytown area in 1822. One of its earliest settlers was Nathaniel Lynch, who set up a ferry crossing at the junction of the San Jacinto River and Buffalo Bayou. The still-operating ferry service is known as the Lynchburg Ferry. Other early settlers of Baytown included William Scott, one of Stephen F. Austin's Old Three Hundred, and Ashbel Smith, who owned a

plantation A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Th ...

in the area. The city now known as Baytown was originally three separate towns. The first of these was Goose Creek, named for the bayou of the same name where Canada geese wintered and whose name is still reflected in the area's Goose Creek school district, whose establishment dates back to before 1850. With the discovery of the Goose Creek Oil Field, the rival communities of Pelly in the late 1910s, and East Baytown in the early 1920s, developed as early

boomtown A boomtown is a community that undergoes sudden and rapid population and economic growth, or that is started from scratch. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, althou ...

s. The "East" in East Baytown was later dropped because it was west of Goose Creek. Serious talk of merging the three cities began shortly after

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, but the community of Baytown was opposed to this idea. However, in 1947, the three cities finally agreed to consolidate. The citizens settled on the name Baytown for the new combined city. Baytown as it is known today was officially founded January 24, 1948. In 1916, the Humble Oil and Refining Company, founded by one-time Texas governor

Ross S. Sterling Ross Shaw Sterling (February 11, 1875March 25, 1949) was an American politician who was the 31st Governor of Texas, serving a single two-year term from January 20, 1931, to January 17, 1933. Early years Sterling was born in Anahuac in Chambers ...

and his associates, in developing the Goose Creek Oil Field, built the first

offshore drilling Offshore drilling is a mechanical process where a wellbore is drilled below the seabed. It is typically carried out in order to explore for and subsequently extract petroleum that lies in rock formations beneath the seabed. Most commonly, the t ...

operation in Texas and the second in the United States. The company later built the

Baytown Refinery ExxonMobil's Baytown Refinery is a major oil refinery named after and located in Baytown, Texas. It has capacity of . The site first opened in 1919 and was originally operated by the Humble Oil Company. Today, it is the largest employer in the c ...

, which would become one of the largest Exxon refineries in the world. Since then, many other refineries have been built in the area. Exxon-Mobil is still one of the major employers in the city and now runs over 10 plants in the area including a newly announced 2 billion dollar expansion to its chemical facilities in 2019. Following the discovery of oil nearby, the population of Baytown and the tri-cities boomed. Many immigrants arrived in Baytown, among them a number of Jewish families who founded a synagogue, K’nesseth Israel, in 1930. Steel manufacturing in Baytown began in 1970 when United States Steel opened the Texas Works near the city. The plant was officially closed in July 1986, due to a poor economic climate and the decline of American steel in the 1980s. The mill was later purchased by Jindal Steel and now operates as JSW Steel USA, Inc.

Geography

The city of Baytown is located at the mouth of the San Jacinto River on Galveston Bay, by road east of

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , 2.92%, is covered by water. Baytown is located on the Gulf coastal plain, and its vegetation is classified as temperate grassland and

marsh A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found ...

es. The municipalities have been built on reclaimed marshes,

swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

s, and prairies, which are all still visible in undeveloped parts of the Galveston Bay area. Baytown is bordered by water on three sides. Along the south and west is Galveston Bay. On the east is

Cedar Bayou Cedar Bayou is a salt water channel on the Texas coast that separates San Jose Island from Matagorda Island. The pass serves as a water exchange between the Gulf of Mexico and the San Antonio, Matagorda and Aransas Bay systems. History Cedar ...

. The city is roughly bordered along the north by Interstate 10. Portions of the city to the east of Cedar Bayou lie in Chambers County. Flatness of the local terrain and proximity to the bay have made

flood A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...

ing a recurring problem for the area. Baytown and surrounding communities once relied on

groundwater Groundwater is the water present beneath Earth's surface in rock and Pore space in soil, soil pore spaces and in the fractures of stratum, rock formations. About 30 percent of all readily available freshwater in the world is groundwater. A unit ...

for its needs, but severe land subsidence has forced much the city to turn to ground-level water sources.

Geology

The land beneath Baytown consists of layers of sand and clay to great depths. These layers were created by millennia of river-borne

sediment Sediment is a naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of wind, water, or ice or by the force of gravity acting on the particles. For example, sand ...

s which gradually incorporated plant and animal matter, creating the petroleum deposits for which the Gulf Coast is now known. The region around the city has numerous faults, many considered active, but none have produced significant earthquakes in recorded history. These faults tend to move at a smooth rate in what is termed " fault creep", which reduces the risk of an earthquake. The one significant earthquake that has been reported in the area was the result of an underground water and petroleum extraction.Garcia, T.D. "Subsidence and Surface Faulting at San Jacinto Monument, Goose Creek Oil Field, and Baytown, Texas". ''Field Trip Guidebook on Environmental Impact of Clays along the Upper Texas Coast. Prepared by Theron D. Garcia, Douglas W. Ming, and Lisa Kay Tuck for the Clay Minerals Society, 28th Annual Meeting. Held October 5–10, 1991, in Houston, TX.'' pp. A33-A44. Hosted with National Aeronautics and Space Administration Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, and the Lunar and Planetary Institute.

Climate

Baytown's climate is classified as humid subtropical (''Cfa'' in Köppen climate classification system). Spring supercell thunderstorms sometimes create

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, alt ...

es (but not to the extent found in tornado alley). Prevailing winds from the south and southeast bring heat from the deserts of

Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...

and moisture from the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...

. Summer temperatures typically have highs near though higher temperatures are not uncommon. The city's proximity to the bay and the winds that it generates moderate the area's temperatures and ease the effects of the humidity, creating a more pleasant climate than inland communities like Houston. Winters in the area are temperate with typical January high of and lows are near . Snowfall is rare. Annual rainfall averages exceed . Excessive

ozone Ozone (), or trioxygen, is an inorganic molecule with the chemical formula . It is a pale blue gas with a distinctively pungent smell. It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic allotrope , breaking down in the l ...

levels can occur due to industrial activities; nearby Houston is ranked among the most ozone-polluted cities in the United States. The industries located along the ship channel and the bay are a major cause of the pollution.

Hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Dep ...

s are a substantial concern during the fall season. Though Galveston Island and the

Bolivar Peninsula Bolivar Peninsula ( ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Galveston County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,417 at the 2010 census. The communities of Port Bolivar, Crystal Beach, Caplen, Gilchrist, and High Island are located on B ...

provide some shielding, Baytown still faces more danger than Houston and other inland communities, particularly because of storm surge, as well as severe land subsidence in some low-lying areas of town due to excess pumping of groundwater in the 1960s (see Brownwood subdivision) by area refineries and municipalities. Hurricanes

Carla Carla is the feminized version of Carl, Carlos or Charles, from ''ceorl'' in Old English, which means "free man". Notable people with the name include: * Carla, French singer and former member of the children's music group Kids United * Carla A ...

(1961), Alicia (1983),

Ike Ike or IKE may refer to: People * Ike (given name), a list of people with the name or nickname * Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969), Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II and President of the United States Surname * ...

(2008), and Harvey (2017) were the four most damaging hurricanes to affect Baytown.

Demographics

The 2019 American Community Survey determined Baytown had a population of 77,192, up from 71,802 people at the 2010 U.S. census. In 2010, its population density was 2,025.7 people per square mile (785.6/km²). There were 26,203 housing units at an average density of 802.4 per square mile (309.9/km²) in 2010, and 28,802 housing units in 2019. As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, there were 83,701 people, 26,592 households, and 18,169 families residing in the city. In 2019, the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

estimated that the racial and ethnic makeup of the city was 31.8% non-Hispanic white, 17.2% Black or African American, 0.1% American Indian or Alaska Native, 1.8% Asian, 0.1% from some other race, and 2.0% from

two or more races 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...

. Approximately 47.0% of the local population were Hispanic or Latin American of any race. Of the Hispanic or Latin American population, the largest group was

Mexican Americans Mexican Americans ( es, mexicano-estadounidenses, , or ) are Americans of full or partial Mexican heritage. In 2019, Mexican Americans comprised 11.3% of the US population and 61.5% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexica ...

. At the 2010 U.S. census, the racial and ethnic makeup of the city was 62.9%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 15.5% African American, 0.6% Native American, 1.5% Asian, 14.42% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 43.4% of the population. Of the 2010 population, 39.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were not families. About 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.32. The 2019 American Community Survey estimated the average family size declined to 2.83. In 2019, Baytown's population had a distribution of 95.3 males per 100 females aged 18 and older, and 68.2 males per 100 females aged 65 and older. In 2010 the city's population was distributed as 29.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $48,191, and for a family was $45,346 in 2010, and the median income in 2019 was $57,765. Residents of Baytown had a per capita income of $26,978 in 2019, and an estimated 14.0% lived at or below the poverty line. According to 2010's census, males had a median income of $38,039 versus $25,012 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,641. About 13.0% of families and 15.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.9% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over. The median value of owner-occupied housing units was $133,900 in 2019 and the median monthly cost with a mortgage was $1,360. The median cost without a mortgage was $422. Baytown had a median gross rent of $938. In 2010 the American Community Survey determined the median owner-occupied housing unit value at $101,700. As of 2010, the property crime rate in the community was 4.6% compared to 5.45% for Harris County as a whole. The violent crime rate was 0.5% compared to 1.03% for Harris County.

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...

is the most prevalent religion in Baytown and the Greater Houston area. The

Latin Church , native_name_lang = la , image = San Giovanni in Laterano - Rome.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , alt = Façade of the Archbasilica of St. John in Lateran , caption = Archbasilica of Saint Jo ...

Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

is the largest Christian body in the city, followed by

Baptists Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul com ...

of the Southern Baptist Convention and Texas Baptists, the Assemblies of God USA, and

United Methodist Church The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelica ...

. Other prominent religions include

Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in th ...

and

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...

Economy

The centerpieces of Baytown's economies are three industrial districts the city has created, all outside the city limits but within its extra-territorial jurisdiction. These districts primarily support petroleum and petrochemical processing. The anchors of the business community are

ExxonMobil ExxonMobil Corporation (commonly shortened to Exxon) is an American multinational oil and gas corporation headquartered in Irving, Texas. It is the largest direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil, and was formed on November 3 ...

, Covestro, and

Chevron Phillips Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, LLC is a petrochemical company jointly owned by Chevron Corporation and Phillips 66. The company was formed July 1, 2000 by merging the chemicals operations of both Chevron Corporation and Phillips Petroleum ...

. The ExxonMobil Baytown Complex, founded in 1919, is one of the world's largest industrial complexes. The

located there is the largest in the United States. The Covestro (former Bayer MaterialScience) Baytown Industrial Park is the largest of Covestro's U.S. chemical processing sites producing a variety of petrochemical products. The Cedar Bayou plant, in operation since 1963, is Chevron Phillips Chemical's largest manufacturing site in the United States. It is a newer and growing industrial district which is quickly acquiring new tenants such as Jindal Steel and Power Limited and Samson Controls. In addition to the heavy industry in the business community, Baytown is home to the Cedar Crossing Industrial Park. With a total expanse of 15,000 acres, Cedar Crossing Industrial Park is considered the world's fifth largest

industrial park An industrial park (also known as industrial estate, trading estate) is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development. An industrial park can be thought of as a more "heavyweight" version of a business park or office park ...

and the largest on the Gulf Coast. Cedar Crossing has attracted many top-tier companies with significant operations, including

Home Depot The Home Depot, Inc., is an American multinational home improvement retail corporation that sells tools, construction products, appliances, and services, including fuel and transportation rentals. Home Depot is the largest home improvement re ...

's 755,000-square-foot distribution hub,

Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...

's 4.2 million-square-foot import center (their largest in the U.S.), JSW Steel's plate and pipe manufacturing facilities, and Borusan Mannesmann's $148 million steel pipe manufacturing facility. Other occupants include Exel, S&B Engineers, National Oilwell,

GE Water General Electric Company (GE) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York (state), New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated ...

, TMK-IPSCO, Century Asphalt, Samson Controls, and LS Energy Fabrication. , the largest taxpayers in the city were ExxonMobil Company, CenterPoint Energy, Verizon Southwest, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.,

Continental Airlines Continental Airlines, simply known as Continental, was a major United States airline founded in 1934 and eventually headquartered in Houston, Texas. It had ownership interests and brand partnerships with several carriers. Continental started ...

, Inc., Valero Marketing & Supply, Car Son Bay LP, Memorial NW Pavilion Trust,

Camden Property Trust Camden Property Trust is a publicly-traded real estate investment trust that invests in apartments in the United States. As of November 30, 2021, the company owned interests in 171 apartment communities containing 58,588 apartment homes in the U ...

, and LCY Elastomers LP.

Culture

The Downtown Arts District is home to a plethora of different arts and cultures programs such as the Baytown Little Theater, Lee College Performing Arts Center, Art Gallery of Baytown, and the Baytown Public Art Program. The Baytown Little Theater is a

community theater Community theatre refers to any theatrical performance made in relation to particular communities—its usage includes theatre made by, with, and for a community. It may refer to a production that is made entirely by a community with no outside hel ...

in Baytown run entirely by volunteers. The theater has been in operation for more than 55 years and is one of the longest continuously running community theaters in Texas. The theater typically produces six shows each year from September to August, with each show giving seven performances. The Baytown Little Theater is known for their summer musical. Past performances include The Wizard of Oz and Disney's Little Mermaid. The Lee College Performing Arts Center hosts a number of theater performances, symphony performances, and art exhibits year around. The Baytown Symphony Orchestra, in residence at Lee College Performing Arts Center, performs several concerts throughout the year for the enjoyment of the public. The Art Gallery of Baytown is also in the Downtown Arts District, and houses the Art League of Baytown. The Art League was organized in 1954 and incorporated as a Texas non-profit corporation in 1963. The gallery features works of art created by local artists. There is also a variety of gifts available for purchase such as paintings, pottery, jewelry, stained glass, photos, cards and other unique art. In the Downtown Arts District are the roots of the Baytown Public Art Program spearheaded by the City of Baytown Tourism Division. Overseeing the program is the Public Art Visioning Committee with members from the Art League of Baytown, Lee College Art Department, Sterling Municipal Library, Parks and Recreation Department, and the Baytown Tourism Division.

Tourism and Recreation

Baytown Nature Center, located on a peninsula along the Houston Ship Channel and surrounded on three sides by Burnet Bay, Crystal Bay, and Scott Bay, is both a recreation area and a wildlife sanctuary that is home to hundreds of bird species, mammals, reptiles, and aquatic species. Houston Raceway is a motorsports complex featuring National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) races and a weekly drag racing program. Established in 1988, the venue accommodates 40,000 fans and included a high-banked dirt oval race track that hosts races each year from March through October.

Media

''The Baytown Sun'' serves as the city and urban area's newspaper. Houston television, newspaper, and radio outlets also provide coverage of Baytown as part of the Greater Houston metropolitan area.

Government and infrastructure

Local government

Baytown has a council–manager form of government. Rick Davis currently serves as the Baytown City Manager. Brandon Capetillo is Mayor while council members are Jacob Powell, Chris Presley, Laura Alvarado, Charles Johnson, Heather Betancourth, and Mike Lester.

City services

The City of Baytown operates the Sterling Municipal Library, which has a collection of 300,000 items. The original Goose Creek Library opened in 1925; the first county library in Texas, it was funded by the private donations of Humble Oil and Refining Company president

. The current Sterling Library was dedicated in 1963. The library's space increased to after bond programs in 1975 and 1995. In addition Baytown residents are served by the

Harris County Public Library Harris County Public Library (HCPL) is a public library system serving Harris County, Texas, United States. Since its inception in 1921, HCPL has grown from a system of small book stations in homes, stores and post offices to 26 branch librarie ...

system. The Baytown Police Department has 167 sworn officers and 52 support personnel as of 2014. The department provides all-hour patrol services and has many special units: SWAT, Dive Team, D.A.R.E., Hot Spot, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, Investigations, Police Academy, Bomb Squad, and others. Fire, rescue, hazardous materials response, and EMS are provided by the Baytown Fire Department, an all-professional department of approximately 140 sworn members. The Fire Department is led by Kenneth Dobson and is an ISO 1 rated agency. Baytown Branch

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...

is located in Baytown.

County, state and federal services

The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the ...

operates the Baytown Main Post Office at 601 West Baker Road and the Baytown Post Office "Station A" at 3508 Market Street. The "Station A" designation is a leftover from Baytown's pre-consolidation days. Prior to consolidation in 1948 each of the tri-cities, (Baytown, Pelly, and Goose Creek), had their own post office. After 1948 when the tri-cities consolidated under the name Baytown, Goose Creek's post office became the main post office but they still needed a post office to service the rest of town so the Old Baytown Post Office became "Station A". Harris County Precinct Two operates Baytown Park, a senior citizen sports complex, at 4500 Hemlock Drive.Baytown Park
." ''

Harris County, Texas Harris County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas; as of the 2020 census, the population was 4,731,145, making it the most populous county in Texas and the third most populous county in the United States. Its county seat is Houston, ...

''. Retrieved on November 30, 2008. Baytown Park includes two unlighted baseball/softball fields and toilets.Precinct Two Park Listings
." ''

''. Retrieved on November 30, 2008. The precinct also operates the Baytown Soccer Complex, located north of Baytown at 9600 North Main Street in an unincorporated area. The complex has eight soccer fields; four are lighted and four are unlighted. Harris Health System (formerly Harris County Hospital District) operates the Baytown Health Center in Baytown. The center opened on February 14, 1967. The designated public hospital is Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital in northeast Houston. Harris County operates a tax office at 701 West Baker Boulevard.

Education

Colleges and universities

East Harris County and West Chambers County are served by Lee College, a two-year community college.

Primary and secondary schools

Baytown is served by the

Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District (GCCISD) is a school district headquartered in Baytown, Texas, Baytown, Texas, United States. The district has 16 elementary schools, 5 junior high schools (6-8), 4 high schools (9-12), a care ...

. Based in Baytown, the district has 14 elementary schools (grades K–5), 5 junior highs (grades 6–8), 3 high schools (grades 9–12), a career center, and two alternative centers for education. The district serves all of Baytown, Highlands, outlying areas of East Harris County, and a small portion of western Chambers County. The three local high schools are

Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, towards the end of which he was appointed the overall commander of the Confederate States Army. He led the Army of Nor ...

(opened in 1928),

(opened in 1966), and

Goose Creek Memorial High School Goose Creek Memorial High School is a public high school in an unincorporated area of Harris County, Texas, United States, and is located north of Baytown. Goose Creek Memorial is one of the three public high schools in the Goose Creek Consoli ...

(opened in 2008).

Stallworth Stadium Stallworth Stadium is a stadium in Baytown, Texas. It is primarily used for American football and soccer and is the home field of Robert E. Lee High School, Ross S. Sterling High School, and Goose Creek Memorial High School. All three schools a ...

is the home for varsity football and soccer for GCCISD as well as for the annual

Bayou Bowl The Bayou Bowl is an annual high school football all-star bowl game in which the best graduated seniors from Texas and Louisiana play against each other. It has been played at Stallworth Stadium in Baytown, Texas, since it began in 2003. Bowl h ...

. The stadium seats approximately 16,000 fans, making it one of the largest high school sports venues in the nation. It recently underwent a press box renovation in 2009, as well as an innovation in 2006 when artificial turf and a huge scoreboard were installed. On a campaign stop for the 1976 presidential election, President

Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...

attended a Robert E. Lee High School fall football game. The immediate area has four private schools. These include: Baytown Christian Academy,

Chinquapin Preparatory School Chinquapin Preparatory School is a nonprofit organization, nonprofit private school, private college-preparatory school, grades six through twelve, which serves low-income youth, particularly minorities from the Greater Houston area. The school, ac ...

, Light House Baptist Academy, and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston’s St. Joseph Regional Catholic School.

Transportation

Harris County Transit provides public transportation. The Baytown Park and Ride lot is located on the western side of San Jacinto Mall. Harris County Transit also offers a bus line that runs along Decker Drive, Garth Road, North Main Street, Baker Road, and Rollingbrook Drive connecting most of Baytown's major shopping areas with Lee College. Greyhound Bus Lines operates the Baytown Station at Baytown Travel Express.

Baytown Airport Baytown Airport is a public-use airport located north of the central business district of Baytown, a city in Harris County, Texas, United States. It is privately owned by Raceco Inc. Facilities and aircraft Baytown Airport covers an area ...

is a privately owned

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

airport in unincorporated Harris County located north of Baytown. RWJ Airpark is a privately owned airport three miles (5 km) east of Baytown in Beach City. The closest airports with commercial airline service are William P. Hobby Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in

. Baytown is served by

Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (stylized as METRO) is a major public transportation agency based in Houston, Texas, United States. It operates bus, light rail, bus rapid transit, HOV and HOT lanes, and paratransit service (u ...

(METRO) express route 236 Maxey Road/Baytown during the rush hours, sending commuters to Downtown Houston. Baytown is linked to Interstate 10 (''see map'') by State Highway 146 ( Lanier Freeway) and Spur 330 (Decker Drive). It is also linked by the Fred Hartman Bridge, which crosses into the city from nearby La Porte; the bridge was built in 1995, replacing the Baytown Tunnel, to allow a deeper ship channel.

Notable people

Rocky Bernard Robert "Rocky" Eugene Bernard, Jr. (born April 19, 1979) is a former American football defensive tackle who was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas A&M. Professional car ...

, defensive tackle for the NFL

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisio ...

* Kirk Botkin, former NFL player and collegiate football coach *

William Broyles, Jr. William Dodson Broyles Jr.
Filmreference.com. Accessed November 28, 2022. (born October 8, 1944) is an A ...

, Oscar-winning screenwriter, co-founder of ''Texas Monthly'' magazine; raised in Old Baytown, Robert E. Lee High School graduate * Gary Busey, born in Goose Creek, Texas * Chris Cagle,

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

artist *

Wanda Garner Cash Wanda Garner Cash (born December 21, 1949 in Laredo, Texas) is an author and the event director of the Texas Arts & Crafts Fair at the Hill Country Arts Foundation in Ingram, TexaCash retired in 2016 as associate director of the School of Journalis ...

open government Open government is the governing doctrine which sustain that citizens have the right to access the documents and proceedings of the government to allow for effective public oversight. In its broadest construction, it opposes reason of state an ...

advocate and former publisher of ''The Baytown Sun'' *

Quentin Coryatt Quentin John Coryatt (born August 1, 1970) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Texas A&M University. He is distinguished as being ...

, former NFL player and

Texas A & M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M Unive ...

linebacker; attended Baytown Lee High School * Macey Cruthird, actress born in Baytown * Bobby Fuller, rock musician best known for his single "I Fought the Law"; born in Baytown *

John Hagee John Charles Hagee (born April 12, 1940) is an American pastor and televangelist. The founder of John Hagee Ministries, his ministry is telecast to the United States and Canada. Hagee is also the founder and chairman of the Christian-Zionist org ...

, pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas; born in Baytown * Brian Johnson, former quarterback for the

University of Utah The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...

, now the quarterbacks coach at Mississippi State * "Mean" Gene Kelton, singer-songwriter, blues musician, and band leader of ''Mean Gene Kelton & The Die Hards'' * Bob Lanier, born and raised in Baytown. Mayor of Houston 1991–1997 * Romany Malco, actor/rapper; attended Ross S. Sterling High School *

Fred Marti Fred Walter Marti (born November 15, 1940) is an American professional golfer. Marti was born in Houston, Texas. He played college golf at the University of Houston with Homero Blancas, Dick Crawford, Babe Hiskey, Rocky Thompson, and Kermit Zar ...

, Professional Golfer; 1962 NCAA Champion and All American -

University of Houston The University of Houston (UH) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH is a member of the University of Houston System and the List of universities in Texas by enrollment, university in Texas ...

Leeland Mooring Leeland Dayton Mooring (born June 16, 1988) is an American worship musician, singer and songwriter known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the band Leeland, as well as serving a brief tenure as an ensemble worship leader with Bethel Music. ...

, lead singer for Christian band Leeland. Brother Jack Mooring is the keyboardist for the band, also from Baytown * RaeLynn, country music star and competed on The Voice (TV series) in 2012 * Ell Roberson III, former

Kansas State University Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public inst ...

quarterback; graduated in 1999 from Baytown Lee High School * Howard Sampson, former NFL player * Wayne Smith (born 1943), Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from Baytown since 2003 * Sherwood Stewart, former Pro Tennis player * Clint Stoerner, former

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divis ...

and

University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and the largest university in the state. Founded as Arkans ...

quarterback; 1996 Baytown Lee graduate * Tom Stolhandske, NFL and CFL player * Drew Tate, former University of Iowa quarterback and current CFL member * Joe Tex, popular R&B singer during the 1960s * Buddy Wakefield, champion

slam poet A poetry slam is a competitive art event in which poets perform spoken word poetry before a live audience and a panel of judges. While formats can vary, slams are often loud and lively, with audience participation, cheering and dramatic delivery. ...

, was raised in Baytown *

Henrietta Bell Wells Henrietta Bell Wells (October 11, 1912 – February 27, 2008) was the first female member of the debate team at historically black Wiley College in Texas. She was born Henrietta Pauline Bell on the banks of Buffalo Bayou in Houston, Texas to a ...

, first African-American woman to participate in debate team in Wiley College and to be a lawyer * Glenn Wilson, former

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...

outfielder

Notes

References

External links

*
Baytown Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Cities in Texas Cities in Chambers County, Texas Cities in Harris County, Texas Greater Houston Populated coastal places in Texas Populated places established in 1822 1822 establishments in Mexico