Skip to main content

Regions and Neighborhoods: League City's Small-Town Feel Still Alive Despite City's Rapid Growth

Published Mar 16, 2022 by Brina Morales

Sailboats in League City
League Park

League City’s proximity to Houston and Galveston makes it a desired location for residents and businesses. The community’s prime location along with its access to recreational activities and growth in the medical and aerospace sectors is driving more companies and people to move to the area. We spoke with Scott Livingston, the Director of Economic Development for the City of League City, about the city’s recent successes and new developments in the pipeline.
 

How does League City contribute to the fabric of the Houston region?

League City provides a strategic location for businesses to capitalize on some of the area’s most valuable assets – four ports, two petrochemical clusters, proximity to Houston, the Texas Medical Center, Galveston, etc. – all while enjoying an outstanding quality of life!

What are some unique characteristics that really set this area apart?

League City has a small-town charm and more rural feel even though we’re within a 30-mile radius from Houston and Galveston. We’re also surrounded by water on three sides – Clear Creek, Galveston Bay, and Dickinson Bayou – which helps to “separate” us from the hustle and bustle of Houston.

Describe the business community in League City. What are some of the most active industry areas?

League City has strong retail sector, but we’re also seeing strong growth in the medical sector. As a result of our proximity to the NASA Johnson Space Center and the Houston Spaceport, the Bay Area of Houston is also experiencing growth in the aerospace and space sectors. League City is also a strategic fit for Advanced Manufacturing, Research and Development, Maritime and Logistics, Professional Services, Aerospace, and Corporate and Regional Headquarters.

Can you talk about League City’s latest exciting project, the Riverview at Clear Creek mix-used development, and what it means for the city? Any other commercial developments on the horizon?

The Riverview at Clear Creek project is a 70-acre mixed use, destination, and entertainment entity that will include retail, restaurants, entertainment, office, public space, a marina, and public art. It’s location on Clear Creek, within view of I-45, makes it a great landmark for people entering League City while traveling south on I-45.

What attracts most businesses to relocate or expand in League City?

League City’s quality of life, location, and accessibility are the three biggest contributors to our success. Our residents enjoy top-notch schools and a multitude of community amenities. We’re strategically located within 50 miles of four major ports, two petrochemical sectors, Galveston Island, and downtown Houston. And, with I-45, SH 146, and the future Grand Parkway, people can travel from League City to anywhere else in the greater Houston area with ease.

What are 4-5 signature spots to visit? Any hidden gems people need to know about?

League City is nestled along the southern shore of Clear Lake, just 30 minutes away from the beaches of Galveston Island and the exciting attractions of downtown Houston. It’s an ideal location to enjoy all the Houston Metro and Texas Gulf Coast has to offer. Visitors are delighted by League City’s southern charm and coastal vibe.

The most stylish of hotels in League City, TX, South Shore Harbour is the largest full-service waterside resort and conference center in Southeast Texas. South Shore Harbour sits on shimmering Clear Lake just 30 minutes south of Houston. Stylishly renovated from stem to stern, this 237-room resort hotel exudes the maritime style of Houston’s Bay Area in ways both large and small. 

Clear Creek runs along the northern border of League City, and provides recreational opportunities including fishing, kayaking, canoeing, and more. The Clear Creek Paddle Trail meanders 6.5 miles through Clear Creek, starting at Lynn Gripon Park at Countryside and ending at Heritage Park. Paddlers will enjoy scenic views along their journey and may spot some of the wildlife that live in and around the creek, including wading birds, alligators, and deer.

Visitors to the League City Historic District can stroll beneath sprawling oaks and discover the beautiful Victorian homes and buildings belonging to League City’s founding families. The Historic District exudes charm, and its buildings tell the story of the hardworking and good-natured spirit of League City's early residents. Even the oak trees have a story all their own and are an integral part of League City history. Be sure not to miss the shoppes at Founder’s Square, League Park, and Helen’s Garden!

Finally, League City’s Hidden Gems GeoTour is a GeoCache tour that brings treasure hunters to some of League City's most scenic spots – hidden gems within the Houston Metro region that’s you’ll have to visit League City to find! Explore our Gulf Coast waterfront community while you hunt for caches. If you're lucky, you may even collect some "southern charms."

What’s missing from the conversation about League City?

With a population of almost 117,000, League City has grown so quickly that it hardly resembles the town that it was 20+ years ago. Fortunately, we’ve continued to foster that small-town feel through community engagement, programming, and investments into revitalizing our downtown.

Many doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs, corporate executives, business professionals, and rocket scientists have chosen to live in League City because of our competitive advantages and numerous amenities. Our strategic location, STEM-educated, regional workforce of over 900,000 highly-skilled workers, and outstanding quality of life make us a prime destination for both corporate relocations and business expansions.

Although League City is growing by 900 to 1,000 new homes each year, it annually ranks among the best communities to live in Texas and the nation. With a population greater than 100,000 and an average household income greater than $115,000, sales receipts and property values continue to rise, and disposable income is high. 

Our goal is to build upon our robust, diverse economic base that includes quality, mixed-use development, entertainment, and the aerospace, energy, medical, professional services, and tourism industries.

Learn more about League City and explore the greater Houston area.
 

Related News

Economic Development

How Amazon's Strategic Procurement Drives Inclusive Growth

11/20/24
Amazon’s leadership in supplier diversity has positioned the corporation for success while driving inclusive economic growth. Kennedy Oates, Partnership Board Member and Vice President of Global Procurement at Amazon, shared insights and best practices at the Greater Houston Partnership’s One Houston Together Fall Chief Procurement Officers (CPO) Convening.  Oates discussed how Amazon has grown its supplier diversity efforts by ensuring the value proposition of intentional inclusion of underrepresented businesses is communicated at every level. According to Amazon’s 2023 Sustainability Report, the company’s global supplier diversity and inclusion (SDI) program is estimated to have supported over 30,000 U.S. jobs and generated approximately $2.8 billion in wages earned from Amazon's certified U.S. Tier 1 supplier diversity spend.  In 2023, Amazon was inducted into the Billion Dollar Roundtable, a non-profit organization comprised of U.S. corporations that each spend $1 billion or more annually on a Tier 1 basis with diverse suppliers. These diverse-owned businesses comprise majority owners who identify as minorities, women, veterans, disabled and LGBTQ.  Oates stated that achieving this milestone required a deliberate approach, built on a clear vision, a targeted strategy, and an empowered team dedicated to executing these goals. By embedding supplier diversity into Amazon’s core procurement practices, they’ve fostered a sustainable and inclusive growth model that supports both the company’s goals and the success of diverse suppliers. Key Takeaways from CPO Convening Supplier Diversity as a Strategic Value Proposition Oates emphasized the importance of viewing supplier diversity as more than just an initiative—highlighting the long-term value diverse suppliers bring to a company and its surrounding communities. Through its global SDI strategy, Amazon measures impact through jobs supported, wages earned and economic output generated. “Given our reach and scale, Amazon has a greater responsibility.” – Kennedy Oates, VP of Global Procurement, Amazon Vision-Driven Goals with Clear Strategies For Amazon, supplier diversity goals go beyond simple statements. Oates stressed the importance of crafting a well-defined vision, supported by actionable strategies to advance supplier diversity objectives. This approach includes setting clear, market-specific spending targets, identifying procurement categories that have greater opportunity based passed success, and building relationships with suppliers by understanding their needs and their customers’ needs. In addition, internal teams should have collaborative discussions on supplier diversity across the entire business rather than in silos.   Partnering with Companies at Every Level “Every large company was once small.” – Kennedy Oates, VP of Global Procurement, Amazon Amazon is redefining procurement by challenging the perception that only large companies can serve large corporations. Its approach embraces partnerships with businesses of all sizes, embedding supplier diversity as a core element of its supply chain. While direct spending with certified Tier 1 diverse suppliers is central to Amazon’s SDI program, the company further amplifies its impact by encouraging Tier 1 suppliers to include diverse Tier 2 businesses in their procurement processes. For example, Amazon sets specific spend targets in contracts with Tier 1 suppliers to use Disadvantaged Business Enterprises, creating a positive ripple effect that brings opportunities to underrepresented companies deeper in the supply chain. To learn more about the Partnership’s Supplier Diversity workstream, contact LaTanya Flix.
Read More
Economic Development

Geothermal Startup Sage Geosystems Highlights Potential for New Energy in Houston

11/12/24
Long known as the energy capital of the world, Houston is proving its merit as the industry embraces an all-inclusive approach to energy sources. Beyond the wealth of oil and gas capital, Houston has become a landing spot for numerous solar, wind and battery storage investments. Companies like Fluence Energy, Renewable Parts and Solar Plus have chosen Houston for its manufacturing of innovative energy products. Geothermal Energy: An Untapped Resource Geothermal energy, often unsung in the new energy landscape, can be found beneath our feet, harnessing the power of heat lying underground. In conventional geothermal power plants, wells are drilled into geothermal reservoirs to access hot water or steam, which is then brought to the surface. This steam is used to drive turbines that generate electricity. Sage Geosystems is changing that by pursuing geothermal potential in rock that is hot but doesn't have the large volumes of water to bring the heat to the surface. Hot, dry rock enables geothermal power generation in many more places as the geology is more prevalent which enables geothermal to now be deployable almost anywhere in the world. Sage Geosystems: Leading Geothermal Innovation Houston is seeing its chance to make a mark with geothermal thanks to companies like Sage Geosystems, founded in 2020 with its headquarters near Bush Intercontinental Airport. Sage works to build the technology that makes this renewable energy a greater force in the worldwide energy transition, engaged in contracts and partnerships with local energy providers, major government agencies like the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and hyper-scalers like Meta Platforms. On the public utility side, the company recently partnered with the San Miguel Electric Cooperative to build the first geopressured geothermal system. The technology used can be paired with solar and/or wind to convert these intermittent clean energy sources to 24-hour power generation, or it can be used to move these clean energy sources from a time of day when the demand is low to a time of day when the demand is high, stabilizing the utility grid and helping mitigate the issue of blackouts and brownouts. The facility will be commissioned in December. Sage has three ongoing projects with the DOD. The U.S. Air Force recently provided Sage with $1.9 million in Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) funding to perform a geothermal demonstration with electricity generation, which will take place in Sage's test well in Starr County, Texas with a targeted completion date of Q3/Q4 2025.  The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has funded two geothermal feasibility studies for the U.S. Army installation of Fort Bliss in El Paso and the Naval Air Station CC in Corpus Christi. Sage is performing these feasibility studies with the University of Texas Bureau of Economic Geology. The intent of these studies is to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of geothermal system installations using Sage's Geopressured Geothermal System (GGS) technology at these two DOD installations. Collaboration Powers Innovation in Houston As evidenced by the above, collaboration plays a central role in the growth of Sage Geosystems. The company has not only partnered with utility companies and major governmental institutions, but also collaborated with the Rice Alliance for Technology and the Greater Houston Partnership to facilitate work with institutions of higher learning like the University of Houston and Rice, venture capital firms, and established energy corporations such as ABB, Chesapeake (now Expand Energy), Nabors, and Geolog. This sense of collaboration is one of the many reasons Sage Geosystems has thrived in Houston, along with the infrastructure, talent and innovative spirit that propels local companies to success. The Houston Advantage for Energy Startups “While Texas is the top energy state in the U.S., Houston is the heart. Houston provides not only access to the O&G industry, but also many utilities and others interested and/or working in energy...The Houston energy ecosystem and the benefits described above will continue to be critical in this scale-up plan." - Sage Geosystems CEO Cindy Taff Looking ahead, Sage is building its first commercial energy storage facility and will be performing a geothermal power generation demonstration with the U.S. Air Force in 2025.  Sage sees Houston as the best place to scale in Texas and throughout the world. "Geothermal energy represents a transformative opportunity for Houston as it further strengthens our position as the global energy capital. Sage Geosystems' innovative approach to harnessing geothermal resources exemplifies the spirit of collaboration, innovation, and commitment to sustainability that defines our region’s energy leadership.” - Partnership Senior Vice President of Economic Development Craig Rhodes  For any new energy startups looking to establish themselves, Taff recommends leveraging Houston’s many assets for future success. “Tap into existing knowledge that can be transferred to clean tech and partner with companies that know where to find the skills needed to give your startup a leg up,” Taff said. “Join local incubators like Rice Alliance for Technology and the Houston Technology Center and others, leverage Greater Houston Partnership and Greentown Labs for networking, collaborate with Rice University and University of Houston, and take advantage of Texas' business-friendly regulatory environment.” Sage Geosystems is a prime example of how energy startups use Houston’s assets as a springboard to meet their potential, along with renowned innovators such as Syzygy Plasmonics, Cemvita Factory, and Fervo Energy. Learn more about the business opportunities within Houston's energy industry and its all-inclusive energy ecosystem.   
Read More

Related Events

Airports

State of the Airports

Tickets and tables are now available! The Greater Houston Partnership invites you to the State of Airports on Tuesday, December 5, as Jim Szczesniak, Director of Aviation, outlines the next…

Learn More
Learn More
Executive Partners