Clear Lake

466 Richvale Lane

Houston, Texas, 77598 United States

about Clear Lake

Clear Lake City was created through a joint venture of Humble Oil and Refining Company (now Exxon-Mobil U.S.A.) and the Del E. Webb Corporation. In 1938, oil man and rancher James Marion West, whose venerable mansion still stands on the shores of Clear Lake, sold 30,000 acres in southern Harris County to Humble Oil. In 1961, NASA located its Manned Spacecraft Center on 1,000 acres next door and the area began to prosper. In 1962, Humble and Del Webb announced plans to develop 15,000 acres of the old West ranch for residential and industrial use. Their company, Friendswood Development, became operational in May, 1963 and in September of that year Texas Governor John Connolly formally dedicated the new Clear Lake City. Clear Lake City was annexed by Houston in 1977 and, by 1988, led the Houston area in the sale of new, single-family homes. The community, ideally situated on scenic Clear Lake almost exactly half-way between Houston and Galveston, fast became a “bedroom” community. Its primary employer continu