Galveston County, Texas Map

Reading the Galveston County map

The outline on this map is Galveston County's legal boundary as published in the U.S. Census Bureau's TIGER/Line files. At 399 square miles, the county is roughly the size of a square 20 miles on each side — small enough to cross in a short drive. Straight survey lines on the map usually mark boundaries drawn by the legislature, while winding edges follow rivers and creeks.

The red marker shows Galveston, the county seat, and the highlighted shapes in the schematic view are the bordering counties. Use the layer switcher to change between street, satellite and terrain backgrounds: satellite is best for seeing farmland and development patterns, while terrain shows hills, valleys and river corridors.

What surrounds Galveston County

Moving around the compass, Galveston County borders Harris to the northwest; Brazoria to the southwest; Chambers to the northeast. On its seaward side the county opens onto the Gulf of Mexico and its bays.

For travel planning, the nearest large cities are Houston (~32 mi), Beaumont (~72 mi), College Station (~115 mi). Distances are straight-line from the county's center; driving distances are usually 15–30% longer depending on the road network.

Landscape of the Gulf Coast

The Gulf Coast region is low, flat and closely tied to the water — bays, barrier islands, rice fields and coastal prairie, along with ports, refineries and petrochemical plants that are central to the Texas economy. Hurricanes and flooding are real planning concerns here.

How to use or print this map

To keep a copy, use the Download PDF button below the map: it saves a letter-size PDF of Galveston County built from U.S. Census Bureau 2023 boundary files, showing neighboring counties and incorporated places. The Official TxDOT road map button downloads the Texas Department of Transportation county road mapbook. The Print map button opens a print-ready layout for paper printing. For a statewide view showing all 254 counties with their seats, use our free Texas map with counties and cities PDF.

Teachers often pair this map with the county's neighbors to practice cardinal directions, while genealogists use it to identify which neighboring courthouses may hold older records — many Texas counties were carved out of larger ones, and Galveston County itself was formed from Brazoria County, Harris County and Liberty County.