About the City

Texas City is a city on the Texas Gulf Coast in southern part of the state. Texas City is sits in the heart of the Texas oil industry. Because of Texas City's location, goods could be transported in and out of Texas City by both sea and rail making it an ideal location for a deep-water shipping hub and was used to transport various goods in and out of the country. Texas City started out as a planned community overseen by the Texas City Improvement Company. The Texas City Improvement Company obtained permission to dredge the channel from the Gulf to Texas City making it accessible for shipping, and build the rail road connecting Texas City's docks to the Galveston and Houston railway system allowing goods to be shipped all over the country. The initial primary good shipped through Texas City was cotton, but that would soon change. Texas City experienced rapid growth in the 1940s with the expansion of the oil and chemical industry in the area. During World War II, Texas city plants produce critical materials needed for the war effort, including high octane aviation fuel, styrene and synthetic rubber. This expansion continued past the war and today the port of Texas City is 8th largest in the United states