Galveston, city, seat of Galveston County, southeastern Texas, at the northeastern end of Galveston Island; incorporated 1839. Galveston is linked with the mainland by causeways and a bridge. A major seaport located on Galveston Bay, it is the state's chief cotton port; sulfur, grain, and petroleum are also shipped. The city is a commercial fishing center and a popular vacation spot, with many Victorian buildings and long stretches of beach nearby. Industries include insurance, medicine, and the manufacture of refined petroleum, processed food, and textiles. The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (1881), Texas A&M University at Galveston (1971), and a junior college are here. Galveston Island State Park and an archaeological site are nearby.
Spanish explorers probably visited the area as early as 1523. In the late 1700s the bay (and later the city) was named for Bernardo de Gálvez, governor of Louisiana, later viceroy of Mexico. The modern city dates from a settlement established here in 1817 by the pirate Jean Laffite. The town was platted in 1836 and served briefly that year as capital of the Republic of Texas. During the American Civil War, the city, which was a Confederate supply port, changed hands several times. After a hurricane in 1900, which took about 6000 lives, a 16-km (10-mi) long seawall was constructed. Other hurricanes in 1961 and 1983 caused much damage here. Population 61,902 (1980); 59,070 (1990); 59,567 (1998 estimate).
