Santa Fe ( en, Holy Faith) is a city in

Galveston County, Texas Galveston County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Texas, located along the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast adjacent to Galveston Bay. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 3 ...

. It is named for the

Santa Fe Railroad The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison and Topeka, Kansas, and S ...

(now part of

BNSF Railway BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that ...

) which runs through the town alongside State Highway 6. The population of Santa Fe at the 2010 census was 12,222.

History

In 1877, the

Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway was a subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway. From its starting point in Galveston, Texas, the railroad eventually extended northwestwards across the state to Sweetwater and northwards via ...

was built through the western part of Galveston county. By the turn of the century, three small, unincorporated towns had formed along the railway: Alta Loma,

Arcadia Arcadia may refer to: Places Australia * Arcadia, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney * Arcadia, Queensland * Arcadia, Victoria Greece * Arcadia (region), a region in the central Peloponnese * Arcadia (regional unit), a modern administrative un ...

and Algoa. The

Santa Fe Independent School District Santa Fe Independent School District (SFISD) is a public school district based in Santa Fe, Texas ( USA) in the Houston metropolitan area. In addition to Santa Fe, the district serves parts of League City, La Marque, Hitchcock, and Dickinson. ...

, named after the railway, was established shortly afterward to serve the area. In the mid-1970s, the neighboring city of

Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

attempted to annex an area in eastern Alta Loma known as the Morningview neighborhood. Amid intense opposition to becoming part of Hitchcock, residents began a petitioning effort to incorporate the area into a new city. On January 21, 1978, a ballot proposal to incorporate Alta Loma and parts of Arcadia passed by a wide margin and the city of Santa Fe was born. Santa Fe has since grown to include all of Arcadia and parts of Algoa, and, ironically, is now twice the size of Hitchcock. On February 14, 1981, the

Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist, right-wing terrorist, and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and ...

hosted a fish fry on a private farm in Santa Fe to protest the growing presence of

Vietnamese Vietnamese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia ** A citizen of Vietnam. See Demographics of Vietnam. * Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam ** Overse ...

shrimpers in the Gulf. During the event, a Vietnamese fishing boat was ceremonially burned.Claudia Kolker, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 September 2000, URL: http://www.sfgate.com:80/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/09/11/MN95611.DTLStill Shrimping: Vietnamese American shrimpers 25 years after the second wave , AsianWeek
/ref> That controversy, as well as similar conflicts in nearby port towns like Rockport, led to a decision of the United States District Court, S.D. Texas, Houston Division '' Vietnamese Fishermen's Association v. Knights of the Ku Klux Klan'', and also served as the basis for the 1985 Ed Harris film ''

Alamo Bay ''Alamo Bay'' is a 1985 American drama film about a Vietnam veteran who clashes with Vietnamese immigrants who move to his Texas bay hometown. The film was directed by Louis Malle, and stars Amy Madigan and Ed Harris. Future Texas A&M and Dallas ...

''. On June 19, 2000, the Supreme Court ruled that the

's policy of permitting "student-led, student-initiated" prayer at football games and other school events violated the Constitution's prohibitions against the establishment of state religion. On the morning of May 18, 2018, a

school shooting A school shooting is an attack at an educational institution, such as a primary school, secondary school, high school or university, involving the use of firearms. Many school shootings are also categorized as mass shootings due to multiple c ...

occurred at Santa Fe High School when 17-year-old student Dimitrios Pagourtzis opened fire in an art classroom, killing ten students including Sabika Sheikh, 17 (an exchange student from Pakistan) and faculty and injuring thirteen others. Students and faculty evacuated the building when a fire alarm was activated. Pagourtzis surrendered after being injured in an exchange of gunfire with school officers. Originally scheduled to stand trial in January 2020 for ten counts of

capital murder Capital murder was a statutory offence of aggravated murder in Great Britain, and Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland, which was later adopted as a legal provision to define certain forms of aggravated murder in the United States. In som ...

, Pagourtzis has been in custody at a state mental hospital since being found unfit to stand trial in November 2019. File:Santa Fe Consolidated High School - Santa Fe, Texas.jpg, Old High School. Now on the National Register of Historical Places File:Hitchcock Depot -- Santa Fe (Alta Loma) , Texas.jpg, Hitchcock Depot – Santa Fe (Alta Loma) – a Recorded Texas Landmark File:Santa Fe Texas City Hall.png, Santa Fe City Hall File:Miller-Brautigam Home -- Santa Fe, Texas.jpg, Miller-Brautigam Home – a Recorded Texas Landmark File:Reclining-Buddha at Linh Son Buddhist Temple -- Santa Fe, Texas.jpg, Reclining Buddha at Linh Son Buddhist Temple, Santa Fe, Texas

Geography and climate

Santa Fe is located at (29.380651, –95.104163) on a low coastal plain that averages between and above sea level. The primary waterways are Highland Bayou and Halls Bayou, which both flow southeastward and empty into West Bay. Being prone to

flash flood A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes and depressions. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, or tropical storm, or by meltwater from ice or snow flowing o ...

ing, the area is lined with numerous drainage ditches, culverts, diversionary canals and reservoirs. 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 the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.10%, is water. It is south of

Downtown Houston Downtown is the largest central business district in the city of Houston and the largest in the state of Texas, located near the geographic center of the metropolitan area at the confluence of Interstate 10 in Texas, Interstate 10, Interstate 45, ...

and northwest of

Galveston Galveston ( ) is a coastal resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a population of 47,743 in 2010, is the county seat of surrounding Galvesto ...

. In 2019 Skip Hollandworth of ''

Texas Monthly ''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. ''Texas Monthly'' was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy and has been published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. since 1998 and is ...

'' wrote that Santa Fe "still feels very much like a small town" despite that distance. Santa Fe has a climate of hot, humid summers and cool, mild winters. Average annual temperature is 68.6 degrees F with 56.5 inches of annual rainfall. Santa Fe averages 71.7 days above 90 degrees F. In the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Santa Fe has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

, abbreviated "Cfa."

Demographics

2020 census

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 of ...

, there were 12,735 people, 4,744 households, and 3,449 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 12,222 people and 4,564 households residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 682.5 people per square mile (275.31/km). There were 4,957 housing units at an average density of 289.2 per square mile (111.66/km). The racial makeup of the city was 93.8%

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 on ...

, 0.4%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.5% Native American, 0.5%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 3.3% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.5% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 11.6% of the population. There were 4,583 households, out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.7% were non-families. Of all households, 27.0% were made up of individuals, and 19.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.03. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.2% under the age of 20, 5.2% from 20 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 29.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $60,797, and the median income for a family was $69,841. Males had a median income of $57,619 versus $36,445 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $27,863. About 7.3% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 12.3% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

Santa Fe City Hall is located at 12002

Highway 6 Route 6, or Highway 6, may refer to routes in the following countries: International * Asian Highway 6 * European route E6 * European route E006 Albania * National Road SH6 Argentina * Buenos Aires Provincial Route 6 Australia New ...

. The city council consists of a mayor and five councilmembers. The

Santa Fe Post Office Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnight ...

is located at 13002 Highway 6. The Santa Fe Justice Center is located at 3650 FM 646 N.

Education

Secondary schools

Santa Fe is part of the service district for

College of the Mainland College of the Mainland (COM) is a public community college in Texas City, Texas. Its name comes from its location on the "mainland" portion of Galveston County, Texas (the portion north of Galveston Island). The school's sport teams are nam ...

, a public community college away in

Texas City Texas City is a city in Galveston County, Texas, Galveston County in the U.S. state of Texas. Located on the southwest shoreline of Galveston Bay, Texas City is a busy deepwater port on Texas's Gulf Coast, as well as a petroleum-refining and pe ...

. Also,

Alvin Community College Alvin Community College (ACC) is a public community college in Alvin, Texas. Alvin Community College provides educational opportunities in workforce training, academics, technical fields, adult basic education, and personal development. As defi ...

is away in

Alvin Alvin may refer to: Places Canada *Alvin, British Columbia United States *Alvin, Colorado *Alvin, Georgia *Alvin, Illinois * Alvin, Michigan *Alvin, Texas * Alvin, Wisconsin, a town *Alvin (community), Wisconsin, an unincorporated community Other ...

Public schools

The city is served by the

. The schools in the city include: * R.J. Wollam Elementary School (Pre-K through 5) * Dan J. Kubacak Elementary (Pre-K through 5; formerly Santa Fe Elementary North) * Barnett Elementary (Pre-K through 5; newest school in the city) * Santa Fe Junior High School (6–8) * Santa Fe High School (9–12)

Public libraries

Santa Fe owns the Mae S. Bruce Library at 13302 6th Street. The Santa Fe Community Library opened inside a former

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

army barracks in 1975. By 2011 the barracks became overwhelmed by the library's increasing size. A group of residents established a building committee and, with

Moody Foundation The Moody Foundation is a charitable foundation incorporated in Texas and based in the island city of Galveston. It was chartered in 1942 by William Lewis Moody Jr. and his wife Libbie Rice Shearn Moody ''"to benefit, in perpetuity, present and f ...

and Kempner Fund grants and donations from the community, purchased a metal portable building on land leased from the

. The portable was across Highway 6 from the barracks. After continuing growth of the library, in 1987 Mae S. Bruce presented a brick structure to the city. The library moved to the structure and was renamed after Bruce.About the Mae S. Bruce Library!
Mae S. Bruce Library. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.

Transportation

Airports in unincorporated areas near Santa Fe include: * Creasy Airport * Varnell Heliport Airports with scheduled commercial airline service for the area, located in

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 in ...

, are

William P. Hobby Airport William P. Hobby Airport (colloquially referred to as Hobby Airport, Houston Hobby, or simply Hobby) is an international airport in Houston, Texas, located from downtown Houston. Hobby is Houston's oldest commercial airport, and was its primar ...

and

George Bush Intercontinental Airport George Bush Intercontinental Airport is an international airport in Houston, Texas, United States, serving the Greater Houston metropolitan area. Located about north of Downtown Houston between Interstate 45 and Interstate 69/U.S. Highway 59 ...

Scholes International Airport Scholes International Airport at Galveston is three miles southwest of Galveston, in Galveston County, Texas, United States. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a ''reliever airport''. The airport ...

in nearby Galveston is available for general aviation and non-scheduled commercial service.

Culture

Citing ''

Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe ''Santa Fe Independent School Dist. v. Doe'', 530 U.S. 290 (2000), was a case heard before the United States Supreme Court. It ruled that a policy permitting student-led, student-initiated prayer at high school football games violates the Establ ...

'', in 2019 Skip Hollandworth described Santa Fe as "a deeply conservative community".

Notable people

* D. L. Lang, American poet who lived in Santa Fe as a child. * Johnny Lee, Country music star best known for his 1980 hit single "

Lookin' for Love "Lookin' for Love" is a song written by Wanda Mallette, Bob Morrison and Patti Ryan, and recorded by American country music singer Johnny Lee. It was released in June 1980 as part of the soundtrack to the film ''Urban Cowboy'', released that y ...

"; was raised on a dairy farm in Santa Fe (then part of Alta Loma) and graduated from Santa Fe High School in 1964.

Notes

Explanatory notes

Citations

External links

City of Santa Fe official website
* {{Authority control Cities in Galveston County, Texas Cities in Texas Greater Houston