Bacliff, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bacliff, Texas
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Census-designated place (CDP)
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Bacliff Water Tower
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Location of Bacliff, Texas
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Galveston |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.7 sq mi (7.0 km2) |
| • Land | 2.5 sq mi (6.6 km2) |
| • Water | 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km2) |
| Elevation | 16 ft (5 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 9,677 |
| • Density | 3,580/sq mi (1,382/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
77518
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| Area code(s) | 281 |
| FIPS code | 48-05180 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1329909 |
Bacliff is a special kind of community in Galveston County, Texas, called a census-designated place (CDP). This means it's a place with a name and population, but it's not officially a city. It's about 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Galveston. In 2020, about 9,677 people lived there.
Bacliff started as a fun seaside resort called Clifton-by-the-Sea. It's located right on the western shore of Galveston Bay. Bacliff, along with nearby San Leon and Bayview, are the biggest communities in mainland Galveston County that aren't officially cities.
In Bacliff, you'll find the Kenneth E. Little Elementary school and Bayshore Park. The land for Bayshore Park was given by a company called Texas Genco.
Contents
History of Bacliff
Bacliff was first created in 1910 by G.C. Perkins and W.Y. Fuqua. They named it Clifton-by-the-Sea. It was meant to be a fun place for people to visit on weekends. It had parks, hotels, summer homes, and even a bathhouse and a big open-air building on a pier over the water.
In 1913, telephones came to Clifton-by-the-Sea. Grand Avenue became the main street. But after a big hurricane in 1900 hit Galveston, and with new ways to travel, Clifton-by-the-Sea became less popular.
A hurricane in 1915 damaged many buildings. But by 1924, the bathhouse and pier building were fixed. Summer visitors came back to the community. A fire destroyed the pier building in 1929. It was rebuilt and hosted many summer concerts. But another hurricane in 1943 caused a lot of damage. The bathhouse and pier building were not rebuilt after that.
In 1933, about 50 people lived in Clifton-by-the-Sea. By the 1940s, about 100 people lived there. After World War II, more people moved to the area. They worked at the nearby factories that made chemicals.
In 1948, the community needed its own post office. The U.S. Postal Service said the name "Clifton-by-the-Sea" was too long. Also, another Texas town was already named "Clifton." So, people chose the name "Bay Cliff" from a local neighborhood. But when the paperwork was done, the name was accidentally misspelled as Bacliff. Since it was short, the post office accepted it!
In the 1960s, a power company called Houston Lighting and Power built a large electric power plant in Bacliff. It was later named the P. H. Robinson plant. This plant helped provide electricity to many homes and businesses.
In the 1980s, people in Bacliff tried three times to make their community an official city. They wanted their own police and local rules. But each time, the idea was voted down. Many people thought the community wasn't big enough to pay for city services like police and road repairs.
By 1986, Bacliff had about 4,851 residents. Many people living there traveled to other towns for work. Bacliff became a "bedroom community," meaning people mostly slept there but worked elsewhere.
In 2003, the P. H. Robinson power plant was closed down. It was later taken apart in 2012. But in 2013, a new power plant was built there. It started working in 2017.
When Hurricane Ike hit Texas in 2008, Bacliff had less flooding than some other areas. This was partly because Bacliff is about 16 feet (5 meters) above sea level.
Geography and Climate
Bacliff is located at 29° 30' 24" N, 94° 59' 31" W. It covers about 2.7 square miles (7.0 square kilometers) of land. A small part, about 0.15 square miles (0.4 square kilometers), is water.
Bacliff is east of League City. It's about 3 miles (5 km) south of Kemah. Galveston is about 16 miles (26 km) northeast, and Downtown Houston is about 36 miles (58 km) southeast. Most of Bacliff is along the Galveston Bay.
Bacliff, San Leon, and Bayview are often called the "Bayshore" area.
| Climate data for Bacliff, Texas | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 62 (17) |
66 (19) |
72 (22) |
77 (25) |
84 (29) |
89 (32) |
91 (33) |
92 (33) |
88 (31) |
81 (27) |
72 (22) |
65 (18) |
78 (26) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 43 (6) |
46 (8) |
53 (12) |
60 (16) |
67 (19) |
73 (23) |
74 (23) |
74 (23) |
70 (21) |
60 (16) |
52 (11) |
45 (7) |
60 (15) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.76 (121) |
2.91 (74) |
3.11 (79) |
3.22 (82) |
4.92 (125) |
5.35 (136) |
4.78 (121) |
3.84 (98) |
7.12 (181) |
3.93 (100) |
4.43 (113) |
3.36 (85) |
51.73 (1,315) |
| Source: Weather.com | |||||||||||||
People in Bacliff (Demographics)
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2020 | 9,677 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1850–1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 |
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2020 Census Information
| Race | Number | Percentage |
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| White (NH) | 4,606 | 47.6% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 486 | 5.02% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 40 | 0.41% |
| Asian (NH) | 223 | 2.3% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 16 | 0.17% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 344 | 3.55% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3,962 | 40.94% |
| Total | 9,677 |
In 2020, Bacliff had 9,677 people living in 3,672 homes. About 2,684 of these were families.
2010 Census Information
In 2010, Bacliff had 8,619 people. The population had grown quite a bit since 2000. Most people were White, but there were also African American, Native American, and Asian residents. A large part of the population was also Hispanic or Latino.
Many families in Bacliff had children under 18. The average age of people living there was about 32.6 years old.
Many people in Bacliff work outside the community. Bacliff, Bayview, and San Leon together form the largest unincorporated community in mainland Galveston County.
In Bacliff and San Leon, there are many Vietnamese families. They often work in fishing, especially crabbing, oystering, and shrimping. Many of them build their own boats over time.
Community Services (Infrastructure)
Utilities and Safety
Two special districts, called Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs), provide water and sewer services in Bacliff. The Bacliff MUD also handles trash collection.
The Bacliff Volunteer Fire Department helps keep the community safe from fires. In 2010, they received money to buy a new fire truck.
Local Government and Representation
Bacliff is part of Galveston County. The Galveston County Sheriff's Office is in charge of law enforcement here. There's also a local court for small legal matters, called the Justice of the Peace court. In 2016, a new Law Enforcement Center opened in Bacliff. It helps the Sheriff's Department and Constable's office work locally.
For state government, Bacliff is in District 23 for the Texas House of Representatives and District 11 for the Texas Senate. For the national government, it's in Texas's 14th Congressional district.
The United States Postal Service has a post office in Bacliff on Grand Avenue.
Local News
Bacliff has a local newspaper called The Eagle Point Press. Another newspaper, The Seabreeze News, is also circulated in Bacliff.
Economy
Bacliff, like San Leon and Bayview, started as a fishing community. Over time, more businesses like restaurants and bars have opened along Texas State Highway 146. Many people who live in Bacliff travel to Houston for their jobs.
In 2000, about 3,147 people in Bacliff had jobs. Most of them worked for private companies. Some worked for local, state, or federal governments. Others were self-employed.
Education
Parts of Bacliff are in the Dickinson Independent School District (DISD). Other parts in the north are in the Clear Creek Independent School District (CCISD).
Students in the DISD part of Bacliff go to Kenneth E. Little Elementary School. This school is located right in Bacliff. It's a large school with 33 classrooms and space for about 750 students. The school has a lighthouse design, which fits well with its location near Galveston Bay!
After elementary school, DISD students go to Barber Middle School, McAdams Junior High School, and Dickinson High School, all in Dickinson.
CCISD students in Bacliff go to Stewart Elementary School, Bayside Intermediate School, and Clear Falls High School, all in League City.
For college, students from both school districts in Bacliff can attend the College of the Mainland. This is a community college in Texas City.
Parks and Recreation
Bacliff has several boat ramps along Galveston Bay, which are great for launching boats.
The Galveston County Department of Parks and Senior Services manages fun places in Bacliff. The Bacliff Community Center is a place for local events.
Bayshore Park is a large park, about 28 acres (11 hectares) big. It has five baseball fields, a boat ramp, picnic areas, a pier for fishing, and a playground. Many people who like to fish enjoy visiting Bayshore Park. The land for this park was given to the county by Texas Genco in 2005.
In 2014, Galveston County bought more land in Bacliff to create a new 64-acre (26-hectare) park for the Bayshore area. A new community center was built at this park and opened in 2018.
The Bacliff Boat Ramp is near Clifton's Seaside Diner. The Bayshore Park Boat Ramp is on FM 646. For more services, the Eagle Point fishing camp in San Leon is nearby.
Bacliff, San Leon, and Bayview are known for having great seafood restaurants. One popular restaurant in Bacliff is Noah's Ark.
Many people who work at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center also keep their pleasure boats in Bacliff because it's close by.
Notable Person
- Floyd Tillman, a country music artist who helped create Western swing music.
Images for kids
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Bacliff Water Tower
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Location of Bacliff, Texas
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Map of the Bacliff CDP
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Bacliff Volunteer Fire Department
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Bacliff US Post Office
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Bayshore Courthouse Annex Building
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Bacliff Law Enforcement Center
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Kenneth E. Little Elementary School
See also
In Spanish: Bacliff para niños
