El Lago, Texas
El Lago is a small residential city in Harris County on the shores of Taylor Lake and Clear Lake, in the southeastern Houston area about 23 miles southeast of downtown Houston. Developed in the 1950s and 1960s beside the Johnson Space Center, it became one of the neighborhoods where NASA astronauts and their families lived, including Neil Armstrong, and it remains part of the residential belt surrounding the space center.
Place essentials
Official Census snapshot- Census place type
- City
- July 2025 population
- 2,984
- Change from 2020 base
- -2.8%
- Land area
- 0.6 sq. mi.
- County footprint
- 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
Property here runs through the appraisal district and tax office for Harris County. The homestead exemption, appraisal cap, protests, and any MUD, PID, or special districts all sit at the parcel level.
Official routes
Use the office for the parcel address; a mailing city is not always the governing city.
County context
What to know around El Lago
County lines carry much of the property, land, water, and outdoors context around El Lago.
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.
Appraisal District
Who Sets Your Property Value in Harris County
The Harris Central Appraisal District (HCAD) sets the taxable value of every property in the county each year.
County History
Harris County Was Founded in 1836 and Named After an Early Settler
Harris County was established by the First Congress of the Republic of Texas and named after John R. Harris, who built an early port town on Buffalo Bayou.
Nearby
Places near El Lago
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Local notes for nearby counties
Next steps for El Lago
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