Clear Lake (region)
Encyclopedia
Clear Lake, or the Clear Lake Area, is a region in parts of Harris
and Galveston County
in Texas
, United States
. It is part of the Galveston Bay Area
, which itself is a section of the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown
metropolitan area. The area is geographically characterized by the bodies of water in it and around it, including Clear Lake
, Taylor Lake
, Clear Creek, and Galveston Bay
.
Clear Lake is relatively affluent with a thriving business community. The area's most important business sectors are aerospace
and tourism
. It is home to the Johnson Space Center and numerous aerospace contracting firms. The lake itself is home to one of the largest concentrations of recreational boats and marinas in the nation.
The name "Clear Lake" is often used in a variety of ways depending on the source. Apart from referring to the lake itself or the region defined by the chamber of commerce, the name can refer to the Clear Lake City
residential development, the Clear Lake area of Houston (a Houston "superneighborhood" including Clear Lake City, Johnson Space Center, and surrounding areas), the Clear Lake area of Pasadena, and other geographies as well.
These communities lie on or near the lake. They occupy a compact area lying between Houston, Pasadena, and the bay. Clear Lake City is itself a composite community within the Clear Lake Area that spans parts of Houston, Pasadena, Webster, and Seabrook.
and Karankawa
tribes. The first substantial European presence in the area came as a result of the pirate kingdom established by Jean Lafitte
in the early 19th century from his base on Galveston Island
. One of the earliest settlers in the region was Anson Taylor, namesake of Taylor Lake
, who supplied Lafitte's Galveston colony with produce and game from around Armand Bayou (though his homestead was actually near the Trinity River).
During most the 19th century the Clear Lake Area remained largely undeveloped. Ranches such as the famed Allen Ranch
used much of the area as a cattle range. Toward the end of the century small farming and fishing communities developed. Railroads grew up near the area as well connecting the nearby commercial centers of Galveston
, Harrisburg, and Houston spawning new communities such as Clear Creek (League City
) and Webster
.
Texas State Historical Association
In 1901 the oil gusher at Spindletop
launched the Texas Oil Boom
. Soon oil wells and refineries were built in nearby Goose Creek (modern Baytown
) and Texas City
. Houston rapidly became established as the main commercial center in the area for the oil industry. The Clear Lake Area became an attractive recreational destination for the new class of wealthy oil businessmen. Much of the area was developed as retreats for the wealthy including a large ranch estate owned by Houston businessman James West
. The population increased rapidly including significant immigration from overseas. The Maceo crime syndicate, which ran Galveston
at that time, created casino districts in Kemah
and other areas of Galveston County (though they were shut down in the mid-20th century).
In 1963 NASA
's Johnson Space Center (JSC) was established in the area. That and the explosive growth of neighboring Houston in the mid-20th century, especially the 1970s and 80s, caused significant urbanization
. The Clear Lake City community was created by the Friendswood Development Company
, a venture of Humble Oil and Dell E. Webb Corporation
, to support residential growth near the new NASA facility. Some of the communities around Clear Lake reoriented toward aerospace-related industries. Still tourism and recreation remain core industries of the area today.
The area's most important employment sectors are aerospace
, high-tech (software, biotechnology
, electronics
, etc.), and tourism
. Most other employment in the region is supported by these industries.
NASA
's Johnson Space Center (JSC) is an important pillar of the area economy. the center itself employs 3,000 civil servants and 12,000 engineering contractors. Businesses around this core include a broad range of high-tech development enterprises. JSC manages more than $4 billion annually in aerospace
contracts, and together with numerous private companies involved in space programs and related ventures gives the area one of the highest concentrations of aerospace businesses and expertise in the nation.
The tourism industry attracts millions of visitors each year with attractions ranging from Space Center Houston
to the bay itself. Ecotourism
, in particular, is a growing sector with destinations such as the Armand Bayou Nature Center
, one of the largest urban wilderness preserves in the nation, and the Seabrook Trail System (part of the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail
). Biotechnology
, which already employs nearly 3000 workers in the area, is a smaller but growing industry in the area enabled in large part by JSC and the Texas Medical Center
in Houston. Commercial fishing
is one the older industries in the region and is still a significant economic sector.
The Clear Lake Area contains diverse communities. Based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the City of Houston the area had following demographic statistics in 2000. The total population of the area was approximately 141,980. The median household income was approximately $64,742 (US). The population was 81.6% white, 4.4% African-American, and 6.1% Asian. The comparable statistics for nearby Houston were a median household income of $36,616, 49.3% white, 25.3% African American, and 5.3% Asian. The comparable U.S. statistics were a median household income of $41,994, 75.1% white, 12.3% African American, and 3.6% Asian.
Apart from Houston and Pasadena, which are only partially within the Clear Lake area, League City is the area's largest community. Taylor Lake Village has the highest median household income in the area and Webster has the lowest.
The primary institution of higher learning in the area is the University of Houston–Clear Lake
(UHCL). UHCL is separate and distinct from the University of Houston
(UH), but it is part of the larger University of Houston System
. The university offers a wide spectrum of programs including what it touts as the most complete biotechnology
graduate programs in the state. Additionally San Jacinto College
has extension centers in the area.
Primary and secondary education are provided by Clear Creek Independent School District
, which serves most of the area's communities with the exception of outlying parts of Pasadena and League City. Clear Creek ISD was ranked as a "recognized" district (the second-highest ranking) by the Texas Education Agency
. 25 (65%) of the district's schools were ranked as "exemplary" (the highest ranking) and the rest were ranked as "recognized". For comparison, 29% of all schools in Texas rated by the TEA were ranked as "exemplary".
in Kemah is an annual event that celebrates Kemah's history as a shrimp
fishing town. The Gulf Coast Film Festival
annually showcases independent films from local, regional and international artists in various categories ranging from short films to documentaries. Other annual events include the Wings over Houston Air Fest (Ellington Field), the Ballunar Liftoff Festival, the Oak Tree Festival (League City), and the South Shore Dockside Food & Wine Festival (League City). The Galveston Bay Cruising Association holds regular regatta
events on the bay such as the Bay Cup (Lakewood Yacht Club
, Seabrook) and the Performance Cup.
group and the League City Ballet offer performances in genres ranging from ballet
to American musicals. The Clear Lake Symphony offers multiple performances each year ranging from classical to "pops" performances. The Arts Alliance at Clear Lake, a group of 50 area arts organizations, regularly schedules arts exibihits, musical performances, and other arts programs. The Clear Creek Country Theatre (Nassau Bay) offers regular community theater performances. Additionally various free concerts and other cultural events take place in venues such as League Park Plaza (League City).
through the marshes, numerous nature trails, and boat tours offering views of natural habitat
s for animals ranging from bison
to seagulls to butterflies
. The Texas Armand Bayou Coastal Preserve features one of region's most popular paddling trails. The Seabrook Trail System, which includes Robinson and Pine Gully
Parks, offers primitive access to natural habitats for numerous species. These sites are all part of the larger Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail
. Other major area parks include Harris County Clear Lake and Bay Area parks, Clear Creek Nature Park (League City) and Challenger 7 Memorial Park (Webster).
Space Center Houston
is the tourist arm of the Johnson Space Center and one of the most visited tourist attractions in Texas. Visitors can tour the Space Center grounds, view space capsules and artifacts, and find numerous educational activities including an IMAX theater. The Kemah Boardwalk
is a waterfront attraction featuring a variety of rides, restaurant
s, shops, and other entertainment venues. It is next to the Kemah Marina and hosts annual events such as the Boardwalk Wine Festival. Museums in the area include the Bay Area Museum (Seabrook) and the Butler Longhorn Museum (League City).
Farmers markets in the area, including the Nassau Bay Farmers Market and the Farmers Market at Clear Lake Shores, provide opportunities for area residents to connect with local growers, producers, and other businesses. The League City Historic District provides views of early area architecture in addition to unique shopping venues.
The area contains many marinas for boating and fishing enthusiasts such as the Watergate Yachting Center (Clear Lake Shores). The shoreline of Clear Lake itself has the greatest concentration of recreational boats in Texas and ranks third nationwide (Watergate even claims to be the nation's largest).
Harris County, Texas
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 4,092,459, White Americans made up 56.6% of Harris County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 33.0% of the population. Black Americans made up 18.9% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.7% of Harris County's population...
and Galveston County
Galveston County, Texas
Galveston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population was 291,309. Its county seat is Galveston. League City is the largest city in Galveston County in terms of population; between...
in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is part of the Galveston Bay Area
Galveston Bay Area
The Galveston Bay Area is a region that surrounds the Galveston Bay estuary of Southeast Texas in the United States within the metropolitan area. Residents of Houston and surrounding areas typically call it simply the "Bay Area"...
, which itself is a section of the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown
Greater Houston
Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown is a 10-county metropolitan area defined by the Office of Management and Budget. It is located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas...
metropolitan area. The area is geographically characterized by the bodies of water in it and around it, including Clear Lake
Clear Lake (Galveston Bay)
Clear Lake is a brackish lake located near Houston, Texas, USA in Harris County. The lake feeds Galveston Bay. It is bordered by Houston , Pasadena, League City, Clear Lake Shores, Taylor Lake Village, and El Lago, Texas...
, Taylor Lake
Taylor Lake (Texas)
Taylor Lake is a lake adjacent to Clear Lake, southeast of Houston, Texas, USA near Galveston Bay. The city of Taylor Lake Village lies on its shores within the Clear Lake Area of the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area....
, Clear Creek, and Galveston Bay
Galveston Bay
Galveston Bay is a large estuary located along the upper coast of Texas in the United States. It is connected to the Gulf of Mexico and is surrounded by sub-tropic marshes and prairies on the mainland. The water in the Bay is a complex mixture of sea water and fresh water which supports a wide...
.
Clear Lake is relatively affluent with a thriving business community. The area's most important business sectors are aerospace
Aerospace
Aerospace comprises the atmosphere of Earth and surrounding space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through air and space...
and tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
. It is home to the Johnson Space Center and numerous aerospace contracting firms. The lake itself is home to one of the largest concentrations of recreational boats and marinas in the nation.
Name
The Clear Lake region is named, as it implies, for Clear Lake, a brackish lake that empties into Galveston Bay. The lake is fed by Clear Creek and empties into Galveston Bay.The name "Clear Lake" is often used in a variety of ways depending on the source. Apart from referring to the lake itself or the region defined by the chamber of commerce, the name can refer to the Clear Lake City
Clear Lake City (Greater Houston)
Clear Lake City is a master-planned community located in southeast Harris County, Texas, within the Bay Area of Greater Houston. It is the second-largest master-planned community in Houston — behind Kingwood...
residential development, the Clear Lake area of Houston (a Houston "superneighborhood" including Clear Lake City, Johnson Space Center, and surrounding areas), the Clear Lake area of Pasadena, and other geographies as well.
Boundaries
the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, established in 1962, provides the following definition for the area.These communities lie on or near the lake. They occupy a compact area lying between Houston, Pasadena, and the bay. Clear Lake City is itself a composite community within the Clear Lake Area that spans parts of Houston, Pasadena, Webster, and Seabrook.
History
At the time Europeans arrived the area around Galveston Bay was largely inhabited by AkokisaAkokisa
The Akokisa were the indigenous tribe that lived on Galveston Bay and the lower Trinity and San Jacinto rivers in Texas, primarily in the present-day Greater Houston area...
and Karankawa
Karankawa
Karankawa were a group of Native American peoples, now extinct as a tribal group, who played a pivotal part in early Texas history....
tribes. The first substantial European presence in the area came as a result of the pirate kingdom established by Jean Lafitte
Jean Lafitte
Jean Lafitte was a pirate and privateer in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. He and his elder brother, Pierre, spelled their last name Laffite, but English-language documents of the time used "Lafitte", and this is the commonly seen spelling in the United States, including for places...
in the early 19th century from his base on Galveston Island
Galveston Island
Galveston Island is a barrier island on the Texas Gulf coast in the United States, about 50 miles southeast of Houston. The entire island, with the exception of Jamaica Beach, is within the city limits of the City of Galveston....
. One of the earliest settlers in the region was Anson Taylor, namesake of Taylor Lake
Taylor Lake (Texas)
Taylor Lake is a lake adjacent to Clear Lake, southeast of Houston, Texas, USA near Galveston Bay. The city of Taylor Lake Village lies on its shores within the Clear Lake Area of the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area....
, who supplied Lafitte's Galveston colony with produce and game from around Armand Bayou (though his homestead was actually near the Trinity River).
During most the 19th century the Clear Lake Area remained largely undeveloped. Ranches such as the famed Allen Ranch
Allen Ranch
The Allen Ranch, or Sam Allen Ranch, was one of the first and longest running ranches in the history of the state of Texas in the United States. The ranch was started a few years after the Texas Revolution in what is now southeast Houston and Pasadena. The ranch itself extended from Clear Lake to...
used much of the area as a cattle range. Toward the end of the century small farming and fishing communities developed. Railroads grew up near the area as well connecting the nearby commercial centers of Galveston
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
, Harrisburg, and Houston spawning new communities such as Clear Creek (League City
League City, Texas
League City is a city in Galveston County and Harris County in the U.S. state of Texas, within the metropolitan area. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 45,444; in the 2006 census estimate, the population was listed as 67,200. The 2010 Census places the population of League City...
) and Webster
Webster, Texas
Webster is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The population was 9,083 at the 2000 census.-History:...
.
Texas State Historical Association
In 1901 the oil gusher at Spindletop
Spindletop
Spindletop is a salt dome oil field located in the southern portion of Beaumont, Texas in the United States. The Spindletop dome was derived from the Louann Salt evaporite layer of the Jurassic geologic period. On January 10, 1901, a well at Spindletop struck oil . The new oil field soon produced...
launched the Texas Oil Boom
Texas Oil Boom
The Texas Oil Boom, sometimes called the Gusher Age, was a period of dramatic change and economic growth in U.S. state of Texas during the early 20th century that began with the discovery of a large petroleum reserve near Beaumont, Texas...
. Soon oil wells and refineries were built in nearby Goose Creek (modern Baytown
Baytown, Texas
Baytown is a city within Harris County and partially in Chambers County in the Gulf Coast region of the U.S. state of Texas. Located within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area, it lies along both State Highway 146 and Interstate 10. As of 2010, Baytown had an population of 71,802...
) and Texas City
Texas City, Texas
Texas City is a city in Chambers and Galveston counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 41,521 at the 2000 census. It is a part of the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. Houston rapidly became established as the main commercial center in the area for the oil industry. The Clear Lake Area became an attractive recreational destination for the new class of wealthy oil businessmen. Much of the area was developed as retreats for the wealthy including a large ranch estate owned by Houston businessman James West
James Marion West Sr.
James Marion West Sr. was a wealthy Houston, Texas businessman who substantially influenced the city's development during the early 20th century....
. The population increased rapidly including significant immigration from overseas. The Maceo crime syndicate, which ran Galveston
Free State of Galveston
The Free State of Galveston was a whimsical name given to the island city of Galveston in the U.S. state of Texas during the early-to-mid-20th century. Today, the term is sometimes used to describe the culture and history of that era...
at that time, created casino districts in Kemah
Kemah, Texas
Kemah is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The city's population was 2,330 as of the 2000 census. Located in Galveston County, Kemah's main industry comes from shipping...
and other areas of Galveston County (though they were shut down in the mid-20th century).
In 1963 NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
's Johnson Space Center (JSC) was established in the area. That and the explosive growth of neighboring Houston in the mid-20th century, especially the 1970s and 80s, caused significant urbanization
Urbanization
Urbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....
. The Clear Lake City community was created by the Friendswood Development Company
Friendswood Development Company
Friendswood Development Company is a major real estate developer in Greater Houston. It is headquartered at 550 Greens Parkway, a building in the Greenspoint area of Houston....
, a venture of Humble Oil and Dell E. Webb Corporation
Del Webb
Delbert Eugene Webb was an American construction magnate, real estate developer and sports-team owner, who is most significant for founding and developing the retirement community of Sun City, Arizona.-Early life:...
, to support residential growth near the new NASA facility. Some of the communities around Clear Lake reoriented toward aerospace-related industries. Still tourism and recreation remain core industries of the area today.
Economy
Aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering is the primary branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. It is divided into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering...
, high-tech (software, biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
, electronics
Electronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
, etc.), and tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
. Most other employment in the region is supported by these industries.
NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
's Johnson Space Center (JSC) is an important pillar of the area economy. the center itself employs 3,000 civil servants and 12,000 engineering contractors. Businesses around this core include a broad range of high-tech development enterprises. JSC manages more than $4 billion annually in aerospace
Aerospace
Aerospace comprises the atmosphere of Earth and surrounding space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through air and space...
contracts, and together with numerous private companies involved in space programs and related ventures gives the area one of the highest concentrations of aerospace businesses and expertise in the nation.
The tourism industry attracts millions of visitors each year with attractions ranging from Space Center Houston
Space Center Houston
Space Center Houston is the official visitors' center of the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center—the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's center for human spaceflight activities—located in Houston...
to the bay itself. Ecotourism
Ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism...
, in particular, is a growing sector with destinations such as the Armand Bayou Nature Center
Armand Bayou Nature Center
Armand Bayou Nature Center is an urban preserve located in Pasadena and southeast Houston between the Johnson Space Center and the Bayport Industrial District...
, one of the largest urban wilderness preserves in the nation, and the Seabrook Trail System (part of the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail
Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail
The Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail is a state-designated system of trails, bird sanctuaries, and nature preserves along the entire length of the Texas Gulf Coast in the United States. As the state of Texas hosts more bird species than any other in the U.S. the trail system offers some of the...
). Biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
, which already employs nearly 3000 workers in the area, is a smaller but growing industry in the area enabled in large part by JSC and the Texas Medical Center
Texas Medical Center
The Texas Medical Center is the largest medical center in the world with one of the highest densities of clinical facilities for patient care, basic science, and translational research...
in Houston. Commercial fishing
Commercial fishing
Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions...
is one the older industries in the region and is still a significant economic sector.
Demographics
| Community | Total population | Median household income | % White White people White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin... | % African American African American African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States... | % Asian Asian American Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clear Lake-Houston | 43,141 | $68,815 | 77.8% | 4.7% | 11.4% |
| Clear Lake-Pasadena | 20,395 | $60,403 | 82.5% | 1.8% | 4.6% |
| Clear Lake Shores | 1205 | $67,500 | 94.9% | 3.3% | 7.5% |
| El Lago | 3075 | $66,223 | 94.5% | 7.8% | 1.4% |
| Kemah | 2330 | $51,620 | 75.4% | 3.8% | 3.5% |
| League City | 45,444 | $67,838 | 84.0% | 5.1% | 3.2% |
| Nassau Bay | 4170 | $57,353 | 89.6% | 1.9% | 3.9% |
| Seabrook | 9443 | $54,175 | 88.9% | 2.1% | 3.3% |
| Taylor Lake Village | 3694 | $99,535 | 92.4% | 2.7% | 2.1% |
| Webster | 9083 | $42,385 | 64.9% | 9.0% | 5.7% |
| Total | 141,980 | $64,742 | 81.6% | 4.4% | 6.1% |
The Clear Lake Area contains diverse communities. Based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the City of Houston the area had following demographic statistics in 2000. The total population of the area was approximately 141,980. The median household income was approximately $64,742 (US). The population was 81.6% white, 4.4% African-American, and 6.1% Asian. The comparable statistics for nearby Houston were a median household income of $36,616, 49.3% white, 25.3% African American, and 5.3% Asian. The comparable U.S. statistics were a median household income of $41,994, 75.1% white, 12.3% African American, and 3.6% Asian.
Apart from Houston and Pasadena, which are only partially within the Clear Lake area, League City is the area's largest community. Taylor Lake Village has the highest median household income in the area and Webster has the lowest.
Education
University of Houston–Clear Lake
The University of Houston–Clear Lake is a state university, and is a component institution of the University of Houston System. Its campus spans 524-acre in Pasadena, with a satellite campus in Pearland. Founded in 1971, UHCL has an enrollment of more than 8,000 students...
(UHCL). UHCL is separate and distinct from the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
(UH), but it is part of the larger University of Houston System
University of Houston System
The University of Houston System is a state university system in Texas, encompassing four separate and distinct universities. It has two system centers, which operate as and distance learning course delivery sites for its universities...
. The university offers a wide spectrum of programs including what it touts as the most complete biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
graduate programs in the state. Additionally San Jacinto College
San Jacinto College
San Jacinto College is a community college in the Greater Houston area in the U.S. state of Texas. Established in 1961, San Jacinto College originally consisted of the areas of Channelview ISD, Deer Park ISD, Galena Park ISD, La Porte ISD, and Pasadena ISD. The College now also serves Sheldon ISD,...
has extension centers in the area.
Primary and secondary education are provided by Clear Creek Independent School District
Clear Creek Independent School District
Clear Creek Independent School District is a school district based in League City, Texas . The district serves most of the Clear Lake Area and some other neighboring parts of the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metro area....
, which serves most of the area's communities with the exception of outlying parts of Pasadena and League City. Clear Creek ISD was ranked as a "recognized" district (the second-highest ranking) by the Texas Education Agency
Texas Education Agency
The Texas Education Agency is a branch of the state government of Texas in the United States responsible for public education. The agency is headquartered in the William B...
. 25 (65%) of the district's schools were ranked as "exemplary" (the highest ranking) and the rest were ranked as "recognized". For comparison, 29% of all schools in Texas rated by the TEA were ranked as "exemplary".
Festivals and events
Many annual events take place in the Clear Lake Area. The Blessing of the Fleet boat paradeParade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
in Kemah is an annual event that celebrates Kemah's history as a shrimp
Shrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
fishing town. The Gulf Coast Film Festival
Gulf Coast Film Festival
The Gulf Coast Film and Video Festival, commonly known as the Gulf Coast Film Festival, is a film festival in the United States held in the Clear Lake Area of Greater Houston, Texas...
annually showcases independent films from local, regional and international artists in various categories ranging from short films to documentaries. Other annual events include the Wings over Houston Air Fest (Ellington Field), the Ballunar Liftoff Festival, the Oak Tree Festival (League City), and the South Shore Dockside Food & Wine Festival (League City). The Galveston Bay Cruising Association holds regular regatta
Regatta
A regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...
events on the bay such as the Bay Cup (Lakewood Yacht Club
Lakewood Yacht Club
Lakewood Yacht Club is a private yacht and boat club located in Seabrook, Texas. The land for the facilities and marina were purchased from Ben Taub. The club officially opened on August 19th, 1955. The club's marina is on Clear Lake....
, Seabrook) and the Performance Cup.
Artistic programs
The region offers various artistic programs. The Bay Area Houston Ballet and TheatreBay Area Houston Ballet and Theatre
Bay Area Houston Ballet and Theatre is a non-profit performance theater group located in the Bay Area of Greater Houston in the United States. The group offers performances in genres ranging from ballet to American musicals....
group and the League City Ballet offer performances in genres ranging from ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
to American musicals. The Clear Lake Symphony offers multiple performances each year ranging from classical to "pops" performances. The Arts Alliance at Clear Lake, a group of 50 area arts organizations, regularly schedules arts exibihits, musical performances, and other arts programs. The Clear Creek Country Theatre (Nassau Bay) offers regular community theater performances. Additionally various free concerts and other cultural events take place in venues such as League Park Plaza (League City).
Parks and attractions
The Armand Bayou Nature Center is one of the largest urban wilderness preserve in the nation. It features a boardwalkBoardwalk
A boardwalk, in the conventional sense, is a wooden walkway for pedestrians and sometimes vehicles, often found along beaches, but they are also common as paths through wetlands, coastal dunes, and other sensitive environments....
through the marshes, numerous nature trails, and boat tours offering views of natural habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s for animals ranging from bison
Bison
Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
to seagulls to butterflies
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
. The Texas Armand Bayou Coastal Preserve features one of region's most popular paddling trails. The Seabrook Trail System, which includes Robinson and Pine Gully
Pine Gully Park, Seabrook, Texas
Pine Gully Park is a park located in Seabrook, Texas in the United States, near Houston. It is located on the shore of Galveston Bay. Though the park has some traditional recreational facilities it also features a great deal of largely undeveloped and restored woodlands and salt marshes which...
Parks, offers primitive access to natural habitats for numerous species. These sites are all part of the larger Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail
Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail
The Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail is a state-designated system of trails, bird sanctuaries, and nature preserves along the entire length of the Texas Gulf Coast in the United States. As the state of Texas hosts more bird species than any other in the U.S. the trail system offers some of the...
. Other major area parks include Harris County Clear Lake and Bay Area parks, Clear Creek Nature Park (League City) and Challenger 7 Memorial Park (Webster).
Space Center Houston
Space Center Houston
Space Center Houston is the official visitors' center of the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center—the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's center for human spaceflight activities—located in Houston...
is the tourist arm of the Johnson Space Center and one of the most visited tourist attractions in Texas. Visitors can tour the Space Center grounds, view space capsules and artifacts, and find numerous educational activities including an IMAX theater. The Kemah Boardwalk
Kemah Boardwalk
The Kemah Boardwalk is a hotel and restaurant destination in Kemah, Texas, USA. The main attractions of the complex, which opened in 2001, are its many restaurants overlooking Galveston Bay. The area was developed by Landry's Restaurants, which owns all of the restaurants on the boardwalk...
is a waterfront attraction featuring a variety of rides, restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s, shops, and other entertainment venues. It is next to the Kemah Marina and hosts annual events such as the Boardwalk Wine Festival. Museums in the area include the Bay Area Museum (Seabrook) and the Butler Longhorn Museum (League City).
Farmers markets in the area, including the Nassau Bay Farmers Market and the Farmers Market at Clear Lake Shores, provide opportunities for area residents to connect with local growers, producers, and other businesses. The League City Historic District provides views of early area architecture in addition to unique shopping venues.
The area contains many marinas for boating and fishing enthusiasts such as the Watergate Yachting Center (Clear Lake Shores). The shoreline of Clear Lake itself has the greatest concentration of recreational boats in Texas and ranks third nationwide (Watergate even claims to be the nation's largest).