Welcome from the Mayor

An island community rich in history and opportunity, Galveston is the ideal place to live, work, and raise a family. Once known as the "Wall Street of the Southwest," Galveston Island has an Old World charm and hospitality that tantalizes the senses and assures you of a long-lasting and pleasant memory.

Our economic base includes one of the finest deep-water ports on the Gulf Coast, the Port of Galveston. Also, Galveston is the home of one of the largest insurance companies in the United States, the American National Insurance Company. In addition, we are proud to have the first medical school and comprehensive health science center in Texas, the University of Texas Medical Branch - our largest employer. Last but not least, our thriving tourist industry continues to grow and provide attractions that make Galveston a definite tourist destination.

Galveston is also proud to be the only city in Texas with campuses of the state's two flagship university systems. The University of Texas Medical Branch provides an unparalleled quality and diversity of medical services supported by world-renowned educational and research programs. Texas A&M University at Galveston provides undergraduate and graduate programs focused in the maritime sciences, engineering, and maritime administration fields, supporting the growing maritime and offshore industries in Galveston and along the Gulf Coast. In addition to the aforementioned, Galveston is home to one of the best burn hospitals in the United States - the Shrine Burns Hospital for Children.

Our festivals such as Mardi Gras, Dickens on the Strand, and Caribbean Festival provide our visitors a festive atmosphere. Our 32 miles of beaches and Moody Gardens, which will soon be the home of one of the finest aquariums in the country, are just two of many attractions our island city has to offer.

I hope you will find our website helpful. If you're trying to find out what department is responsible for a particular area of interest, you can look at our city services pages. If you want to find out where a particular office or department is located, or its phone number, you can look at our facilities and locations pages. Our Human Resources Department also posts a job vacancy list and our Purchasing Department maintains a list of items that are currently out for bid. We also have biographical sketches of our City Council members. And of course there's our for visitors section for all the current activities and attractions on "The Island."

I hope you visit our website on a regular basis. Our site, like our city, will be constantly changing for the better, and I hope you have an opportunity to experience the warmth and charm of the beautiful island I call home - Galveston, Texas.