Clear Lake Shores

Clear Lake Shores on Farm Road 2094 is located on Clear Lake about twenty-two miles northwest of Galveston in northwestern Galveston County and near the Harris County line. The community is surrounded by water on three sides and lies about a mile west of Galveston Bay. During the 1920s the Clear Lake region was a popular recreation area, and promoters purchased land and subdivided it into 20-by-100-foot tracts for a development they named Clear Lake Shores. Their dreams of profit collapsed with the onset of the Great Depression. During the 1930s the Houston Post reportedly advertised the lots for a price of $69.50 with a six-month newspaper subscription. Some individuals purchased lots and established summer homes, and the community, near the Texas and New Orleans Railway, was shown on 1936 Galveston County highway maps. The development grew after World War II with the installation of water facilities, and in addition to weekend retreats, some owners constructed more permanent residences. Clear Lake Shores incorporated on November 13, 1962, and reported a population of 671 in 1970. That figure increased in 1980 and 1990 to 755 and 1,096, respectively. Though primarily a residential community, Clear Lake Shores does support a number of businesses, including several large marinas, and calls itself the "Yachting Capital of Texas." The town has a mayor-council form of city government. In 2000 Clear Lake Shores had 1,205 residents.