Kemah is a small city in northeastern Galveston County, Texas, positioned on the western shore of Galveston Bay where Clear Lake empties into the bay. It lies along State Highway 146, about twenty miles southeast of downtown Houston and twenty-five miles northwest of Galveston. The name Kemah comes from a Karankawa word, honoring the indigenous people who once ranged along this stretch of the Texas coast. The community began around 1898 as a stop on the Texas and New Orleans Railroad known as Evergreen — and briefly as Shell Siding, when the railroad hauled shell from the area. For much of the twentieth century, Kemah was a modest shrimping and fishing village, its economy tied to the bay, the oil industry, and shipbuilding. That identity shifted dramatically in the late 1990s, when Landry's opened the Kemah Boardwalk along the waterfront, transforming the city into a regional tourism and recreation destination. Today Kemah is home to roughly 1,800 residents, though its boardwalk, marinas, and waterfront restaurants draw visitors from across greater Houston. The Kemah Boardwalk — with its amusement rides, midway, and bayfront dining — is both the city's biggest attraction and its largest employer, while shipping and marine trades continue to operate along the waterfront. The city still honors its maritime heritage with an annual Blessing of the Fleet. Hurricane Ike made landfall in the area in 2008, and Kemah rebuilt its waterfront in the years that followed. Public schools are provided by Clear Creek ISD, a district formed in 1948 through the consolidation of Kemah, League City, Seabrook, and Webster. For homebuyers, Kemah offers a distinctly coastal Texas lifestyle — canal-front and waterfront homes, easy boating access, and a lively bayside atmosphere — all within a short drive of Houston, League City, and the Clear Lake aerospace corridor.