High Island, Texas
| High Island, Texas | |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated community | |
 Location of High Island, Texas |
|
| Coordinates: 29°34′01″N 94°23′37″W / 29.56694°N 94.39361°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Galveston |
| Settled | 1845 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 16.68 sq mi (43.2 km2) |
| • Land | 16.19 sq mi (41.9 km2) |
| • Water | 0.49 sq mi (1.3 km2) |
| Elevation | 38 ft (11.6 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 500 |
| • Density | 29.3/sq mi (11.3/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 77623 |
| Area code(s) | 409 |
| FIPS code | 48-65564 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1346420 |
High Island is an Unincorporated community located in the Bolivar Peninsula census-designated place, Galveston County, Texas, United States. The community is located in the extreme eastern part of the county on Bolivar Peninsula, less than one mile from Chambers County and less than two miles from Jefferson County. As of 2000[update], 500 people resided in High Island.
The Houston Audubon Society operates four bird sanctuaries in the area, and the community is a nationally famous destination for birdwatchers particularly from April 1 to May 15. Sea Rim State Park is in nearby Jefferson County, but it is inaccessible by State Highway 87, which has been closed since 1990.
In 2007, Hurricane Humberto made landfall near High Island. 2008 saw Hurricane Ike impact High Island with significant storm surge and winds up to 110 mph (178 km/h). After Hurricane Ike the United States Postal Service temporarily relocated High Island post office box services to Winnie, Texas.
High Island lies on the eastern side of Galveston Bay, just inland from the Gulf of Mexico.
Located on the mainland, High Island's name comes from the large salt dome under the area. This salt dome raises the elevation of the area to around 38 feet, giving High Island the highest elevation of any point on the Gulf coast from Mobile, Alabama to the Yucatán Peninsula. The metaphorical "island" (the term island is used to describe other Gulf Coast salt domes, such as Avery Island in Louisiana) has often served to protect its residents from the effects of hurricanes' storm surge.
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