Santa Fe, Texas
Santa Fe is a city in Galveston County on the flat coastal prairie between Houston and Galveston Bay, about 19 miles west of Galveston. It formed from the merger of several small railroad-line communities and takes its name from the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway that once served the area. The surrounding landscape is low and open, a mix of farmland and residential subdivisions in the inland reaches of the upper Gulf Coast.
Place essentials
Official Census snapshot- Census place type
- City
- July 2025 population
- 13,913
- Change from 2020 base
- +9.4%
- Land area
- 17 sq. mi.
- County footprint
- Galveston 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 Galveston 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 Santa Fe
County lines carry much of the property, land, water, and outdoors context around Santa Fe.
Historic Engineering
Galveston Lifted Buildings Before It Raised the Ground
After the 1900 storm, Galveston raised more than 2,100 buildings and the ground beneath much of the city.
Property Tax Basics
Two Offices Handle Your Property Tax in Galveston County
The appraisal district sets your property value and the tax office collects what you owe. They are two separate offices.
Historic Disaster
The 1900 Galveston Hurricane Remains the Deadliest U.S. Natural Disaster
The September 8, 1900 hurricane killed thousands, broke apart much of Galveston, and changed how the city would rebuild.
Nearby
Places near Santa Fe
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Next steps for Santa Fe
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