Why Does Galveston Have So Much Land?

[WesternGulf]

The city of under 60,000 people is a whopping 208 square miles. Galveston is a city where probably 95% of its population is in only 10 square miles, but the land area of the city is huge.

http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/?id=101583

[J.A.S.O.N.]

^^ That's probably your answer, and the fact that the seawall doesn't extend the entire length of the island.

Edited November 18, 2005 by J.A.S.O.N.

[CE_ugh]

Most of the "city" includes the surround bay waters and sandbars.

[Houston19514]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 539.6 km

[Montrose1100]

I like that... Compared to what, the 7% of water Houston encorperated?

[YakuzaIce]

Does anyone know what happens when new land is formed on Galveston?

I believe this part was not formed until after the jetties protecting the ship channel were built. So does it usually form in Galveston waters (i.e. already part of the city so they don't have to annex it)

[RedScare]

The Galveston City limit extends well out into the Gulf of Mexico, so any moving sand that becomes dry land will still be city land. My Key Map doesn't show how far out the city limit extends, so I would guess it extends to the state limit, which is several miles.

This would also explain why the city has 162 square miles of water in its juridiction.

[YakuzaIce]

The Galveston City limit extends well out into the Gulf of Mexico, so any moving sand that becomes dry land will still be city land.

Okay, that is what I figured.

[The New Juniper]

However, if your land is accreting, that is, land you own is growing due to sand deposited by mother nature, you own the new land. The folks that own/bought land on East Beach (Falcon, Shirazzi), have found this out.