Baytown, Texas
Baytown is an industrial city on the upper Gulf Coast, spread along the north shore of Galveston Bay near the mouth of the San Jacinto River about 24 miles east of Houston. It grew up around oil refining and petrochemical manufacturing, and the sprawling refineries and chemical plants along the Houston Ship Channel remain the backbone of its economy. The city also fronts a network of bays and bayous, and the Fred Hartman Bridge, a cable-stayed span crossing the ship channel, is a landmark on its western edge.
Place essentials
Official Census snapshot- Census place type
- City
- July 2025 population
- 86,561
- Change from 2020 base
- +1.2%
- Land area
- 40 sq. mi.
- County footprint
- Chambers County and Harris County
Place type, county footprint, and land area use the Census Bureau's January 1, 2025 geography. Population uses Vintage 2025 estimates through July 1, 2025; change compares that estimate with the April 1, 2020 estimates base. Geography file | Population file
Baytown crosses county lines, so the appraisal district and tax office depend on the parcel address. School, city-limit, MUD, PID, and other special-district lines can be different too. Start with the full county list below instead of treating one county as the answer.
Official routes
Use the office for the parcel address; a mailing city is not always the governing city.
County context
What to know around Baytown
County lines carry much of the property, land, water, and outdoors context around Baytown.
County history
Anahuac Was Not Always the County Seat
Chambers County was formed in 1858 with Wallisville as its county seat. By 1908, Anahuac supporters won a lawsuit to move the seat there, and the courthouse has been in Anahuac ever since.
Property tax
Homestead Exemption Cuts Your School Tax Bill
Texas law requires school districts to subtract $140,000 from the appraised value of your primary home before figuring school taxes, but you have to apply at the Chambers County Appraisal District to claim it.
State Historic Site
San Jacinto's Battle Lasted 18 Minutes; Recognition Took Years
Sam Houston's army won a surprise victory in 18 minutes, but the agreements that followed were rejected and did not bring immediate Mexican recognition.
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Local notes for nearby counties
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