Why visit La Porte
Townapedia lists 11 museums and landmarks, 11 parks and trails, 70 places to eat, 15 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Fred Hartman Bridge, Bay Forest Golf Club and Northwest Park.
Weather in La Porte
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About La Porte
La Porte ( lə PORT) is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States, within the Bay Area of the Houston–Pasadena–The Woodlands metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 35,124. La Porte is the fourth-largest incorporated city in Harris County.
From the Wikipedia article La Porte, Texas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Fred Hartman Bridge
Bridge · 3.1 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Museums and landmarks11
Parks, trails and playgrounds11
Northwest Park
Park · 1.9 mi
10210 North P Street, La Porte
Mo-Su 07:00-23:00
Restaurants and cafes70
Baytown Seafood Restaurant
Restaurant · Seafood · 1.6 mi
1101 State Highway 146 North, La Porte
Mo-Fr 10:00-20:00; Sa 11:00-20:00
Chili's
Restaurant · Tex-Mex · 3.3 mi
8690 Spencer Highway, La Porte
Su-Th 11:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-24:00
Fuji Sushi
Restaurant · Sushi · 3.2 mi
8740 Spencer Highway, La Porte
Mo, We-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 12:00-22:00
Gyro Guys
Restaurant · Greek · 2.0 mi
9901 Spencer Highway, La Porte
Mo-Sa 10:00-20:45; Su 11:00-20:30
King's BBQ
Restaurant · Barbecue · 1.5 mi
521 West Main Street, La Porte
Su 10:30-21:00; Mo-Sa 10:30-21:30
Taquerias Arandas
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.2 mi
112 State Highway 146 South, La Porte
Mo-We 05:30-21:00; Th-Su 05:30-22:00
The Southern Komfort Kitchen
Diner · American · 2.2 mi
2501 Underwood Road, La Porte
Su-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
Tony's BBQ & Steakhouse
Restaurant · Barbecue · 2.3 mi
2219 Underwood Road, La Porte
Mo-Su 11:00-20:00
58 more on the map.
History
The community of La Porte was founded in 1892 as a speculative real estate venture by an investment group. A 22-acre (0.089 km2) public space known as Sylvan Grove was reserved by the waterfront. The area around Sylvan Grove soon was developed with amenities including bathhouses, boating piers, and a Victorian hotel with a dance pavilion. La Porte quickly became the most popular tourist destination in the Houston area. Sylvan Grove Park was acquired in 1896 by a company known as Adoue and Lobit and renamed Sylvan Beach. Cottage retreats were built around the waterfront.
In 1900, the devastating Galveston Hurricane hit the shoreline, seriously damaging the community's attractions. As the Texas Oil Boom took hold beginning in 1901, and neighboring Houston became home to many wealthy businessmen, La Porte quickly rebuilt and re-established itself as a tourist center. It was, however, damaged again by a major fire and another hurricane in 1915. The community rebuilt again.
From the History section of La Porte, Texas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay15
WoodSpring Suites Houston La Porte
Motel and hotel · 1.3 mi
1506 West Fairmont Parkway, La Porte
Churches and places of worship24
Christ Reedemer Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 3.3 mi
8909 Spencer Highway, La Porte
St. James Presbyterian Church
Church · Presbyterian · 2.2 mi
9725 Spencer Highway, La Porte
Shopping6
Gas and EV charging23
Schools, colleges and libraries40
Healthcare7
Map of La Porte
209 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Harris County has had 26 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2024-07-09: Hurricane Beryl (Hurricane)
- 2024-05-17: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2021-02-19: Severe Winter Storms (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2021-02-14: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2020-08-24: Tropical Storms Marco And Laura (Hurricane)
- 2020-07-26: Hurricane Hanna (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Ellington Airport (EFD) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 8 miles away.
- Deer Park 4 mi west, about 7 min by car
- Pasadena 6 mi west, about 10 min by car
- Baytown 9 mi northeast, about 14 min by car
- Channelview 10 mi northwest, about 15 min by car
- Cloverleaf 11 mi northwest, about 18 min by car
- Galena Park 12 mi northwest, about 20 min by car
- League City 13 mi south, about 21 min by car
- Friendswood 14 mi southwest, about 23 min by car
- Dickinson 15 mi south, about 24 min by car
- Pearland 18 mi southwest, about 29 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.