Pelican Island (Texas)

Pelican Island

Pelican Island
Geography
Location	Galveston Bay
Coordinates	29.332°N 94.806°W / 29.332; -94.806
Area	6.4 sq mi (17 km2)
Length	2.85 mi (4.59 km)
Width	2.67 mi (4.3 km)
Highest elevation	20 ft (6 m)
Administration
United States
State	Texas
County	Galveston County
Largest settlement	Part of the City of Galveston (pop. 57,523)

Pelican Island is an island located in Galveston County, Texas. It is part of the city of Galveston and is linked to Galveston Island by the Pelican Island causeway. The island is home to the Texas A&M University at Galveston as well as two museum ships — the destroyer escort USS Stewart (DE-238) and the submarine USS Cavalla (SS-244) — and Seawolf Park. Seawolf Parkway is the only street that runs across the island.

In 1965, Galveston businessman George Mitchell purchased a large parcel of land on Pelican Island and donated some of it for the permanent home of Texas A&M University at Galveston. The Intracoastal Waterway borders it to the north, separating Pelican Island from another island.

Panoramic view of the western portion of Pelican Island, including the campus of Texas A&M University at Galveston and the Galveston Ship Channel.

The island end of Galveston's Pelican Island Causeway taken from an abandoned railroad bridge running beside the causeway