Pelican Island is an island located in Galveston County, Texas

Galveston County, Texas

Galveston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population was 291,309. Its county seat is Galveston. League City is the largest city in Galveston County in terms of population; between...

. It is part of the city of Galveston and is linked to Galveston Island

Galveston Island

Galveston Island is a barrier island on the Texas Gulf coast in the United States, about 50 miles southeast of Houston. The entire island, with the exception of Jamaica Beach, is within the city limits of the City of Galveston....

 by a causeway

Causeway

In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...

. The island is home to the Texas A&M University at Galveston

Texas A&M University at Galveston

Texas A&M University at Galveston is an ocean-oriented branch campus of Texas A&M University offering undergraduate degrees in marine biology, marine fisheries, marine engineering technology, marine sciences, marine transportation, maritime administration, maritime studies, maritime systems...

 as well as USS Stewart (DE-238)

USS Stewart (DE-238)

USS Stewart is an Edsall class destroyer escort, the third United States Navy ship so named. This ship was named for Rear Admiral Charles Stewart , who commanded USS Constitution during the War of 1812. The Stewart is one of only two preserved U.S...

, USS Cavalla (SS-244)

USS Cavalla (SS-244)

USS Cavalla , a Gato-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for a salt water fish, best known for sinking the Japanese aircraft carrier Shōkaku, a veteran of the Pearl Harbor attack....

 and Seawolf Park

Seawolf Park

Seawolf Park is a memorial to , a United States Navy Sargo-class submarine mistakenly sunk by U.S. Navy forces in 1944 during World War II. It is located on Pelican Island , just north of Galveston, Texas, in the United States....

. Seawolf Parkway is a major street that runs across the island.

In 1965, Galveston businessman George Mitchell

George P. Mitchell

George Phydias Mitchell is an American businessman, real estate developer and philanthropist from Texas.-Biography:He was born to Greek immigrant parents in the port city of Galveston, Texas. Mitchell earned a degree from Texas A&M University with an emphasis in geology and petroleum engineering...

 purchased a large parcel of land on Pelican Island and donated some of it for the permanent home of Texas A&M University at Galveston. The Intracoastal Waterway

Intracoastal Waterway

The Intracoastal Waterway is a 3,000-mile waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Some lengths consist of natural inlets, salt-water rivers, bays, and sounds; others are artificial canals...

borders it to the north, separating Pelican Island from another island.