Located in Brazoria County, Texas, Lake Jackson is a thriving city that falls within the Greater Houston metropolitan area. According to the 2020 census, the city is home to a population of 28,177 residents.
In 1942, a section of Lake Jackson was initially established as a community for employees of the Dow Chemical Company. This development covered 5,000 acres that were previously part of the Abner Jackson Plantation.
Lake Jackson was established in the early 1940s as a carefully planned town, created by Alden B. Dow from Midland, Michigan to accommodate the employees of a new factory owned by the Dow Chemical Company, founded by his father. The city received its official status on March 14, 1944, and gained the ability to govern itself through a vote in 1954.
Lake Jackson is situated in the southern part of Brazoria County and is surrounded by the cities of Clute and Richwood to the east, and the Brazos River to the southwest. The Nolan Ryan Expressway, also known as Texas State Highway 288, passes through the city, connecting it to various destinations such as Angleton (10 miles north), Houston (52 miles north), and Freeport (9 miles southeast) on the Gulf of Mexico.
The corporate headquarters of Buc-ee’s, a popular chain of gas stations and convenience stores, is situated in Lake Jackson.
The residents of the area are largely employed by two prominent organizations: The Dow Chemical Company and the Brazosport Independent School District.
The Brazoria County Library System includes the Lake Jackson Library among its branches.
The city’s public schools are managed by Brazosport Independent School District, while certain areas within the city limits are served by Angleton Independent School District and Columbia-Brazoria Independent School District.
Elementary schools in Lake Jackson serving grades K-5 include:
* O.M. Roberts Elementary School
* A.P. Beutel Elementary School (recognized as a 2007 National Blue Ribbon School)
* Bess Brannen Elementary School
* Elisabet Ney Elementary School
* T.W. Ogg Elementary School
The following schools are assigned to residents based on their zoning:
* Grady B. Rasco Middle School (grades 5-6)
* Lake Jackson Intermediate School (grades 7-8)
* Brazoswood High School (grades 9-12, located in Clute, Texas)
Lake Jackson has private schools such as Brazosport Christian School, Our Lady Queen of Peace (affiliated with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galvest-Houston), and Foundation Preparatory Academy.
Brain-eating amoeba were found in the Lake Jackson water supply in September 2020, leading to the tragic death of a 6-year-old child. After conducting tests in various locations around the city, three sites showed initial signs of contamination: the hose bib at the victim’s residence, a hydrant in a cul-de-sac, and a storage tank at the local splash pad. As a precautionary measure, the Brazosport Water Authority instructed residents not to use tap water starting in late September 2020.
Lake Jackson is served by Texas Gulf Coast Regional Airport.
Southern Brazoria County Transit offers bus transportation services for the areas of Lake Jackson, Clute, Freeport, and Angleton.
SH 288 leads to Houston when traveling northbound and to Freeport when traveling southbound. Texas SH 332 runs from Brazoria at its western end on SH 36 to Surfside Beach at its eastern end.
Eminent individuals
* Robert Ellis, a renowned country, bluegrass, and folk singer, was born and spent most of his childhood in Lake Jackson.
* King Hill, an exceptional quarterback who played for Rice University, was selected in the first round of the 1958 NFL draft, and had a successful career in the professional league, grew up in Lake Jackson.
* Brad Lincoln, a former professional baseball player who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays, calls Lake Jackson his hometown.
* Rand Paul, a U.S. senator representing Kentucky since 2012, spent most of his childhood in Lake Jackson.
* Ron Paul, a former U.S. representative for Texas’s 14th congressional district and a Republican presidential candidate in 2008 and 2012, as well as a Libertarian Party candidate in 1988, has ties to Lake Jackson.
* Selena Quintanilla Pérez (1971–1995), a celebrated Tejano pop singer known as the Queen of Tejano Music, was born and raised in Lake Jackson.
* Ryan Tepera, a relief pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball, calls Lake Jackson home.
* Cole Deggs & The Lonesome (Cole Degges- Vocalist), a multi-platinum songwriter for artists such as Kenny Chesney, Gary Allan, Tracy Byrd, Andy Griggs, Billy Dean, Chris Janson, Dave Dudley, and Josh Ward, grew up on Pine Street in Lake Jackson.