Located in the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area, it lies on the northern side of the Galveston Bay complex near the outlets of the San Jacinto River and Buffalo Bayou.

It is the sixth-largest city within this metropolitan area and seventh largest community (including The Woodlands CDP).

[5] One of its earliest settlers was Nathaniel Lynch, who set up a ferry crossing at the junction of the San Jacinto River and Buffalo Bayou.

Other early settlers of Baytown included William Scott, one of Stephen F. Austin's Old Three Hundred, and Ashbel Smith, who owned a plantation in the area.

[6] Serious talk of merging the three cities began shortly after World War I, but the community of Baytown was opposed to this idea.

Exxon-Mobil is still one of the major employers in the city and now runs over 10 plants in the area including a newly announced 2 billion dollar expansion to its chemical facilities in 2019.

The plant was officially closed in July 1986, due to a poor economic climate and the decline of American steel in the 1980s.

[9] Baytown is located on the Gulf coastal plain, and its vegetation is classified as temperate grassland and marshes.

The municipalities have been built on reclaimed marshes, swamps, and prairies, which are all still visible in undeveloped parts of the Galveston Bay area.

[11] Baytown and surrounding communities once relied on groundwater for its needs, but severe land subsidence has forced much the city to turn to ground-level water sources.

[13] The region around the city has numerous faults, many considered active, but none have produced significant earthquakes in recorded history.

[19] The city's proximity to the bay and the winds that it generates moderate the area's temperatures and ease the effects of the humidity, creating a more pleasant climate than inland communities like Houston.

Baytown’s annual rainfall averages are around or exceed 64 inches (160 cm), making it one of the wetter cities of the lower 48.

[21] Excessive ozone levels can occur due to industrial activities; nearby Houston is ranked among the most ozone-polluted cities in the United States.

Though Galveston Island and the Bolivar Peninsula provide some shielding, Baytown still faces more danger than Houston and other inland communities, particularly because of storm surge, as well as severe land subsidence in some low-lying areas of town due to excess pumping of groundwater in the 1960s (see Brownwood subdivision)[24] by area refineries and municipalities.

The Cedar Bayou plant, in operation since 1963, is Chevron Phillips Chemical's largest manufacturing site in the United States.

[clarification needed] It is a newer and growing industrial district which is quickly acquiring new tenants such as Jindal Steel and Power Limited and Samson Controls.

Cedar Crossing has attracted many top-tier companies with significant operations, including Home Depot's 755,000-square-foot distribution hub, Walmart's 4.2 million-square-foot import center (their largest in the U.S.), JSW Steel's plate and pipe manufacturing facilities, and Borusan Mannesmann's $148 million steel pipe manufacturing facility.

Other occupants include Exel, S&B Engineers, National Oilwell, GE Water, TMK-IPSCO, Century Asphalt, Samson Controls, and LS Energy Fabrication.

[62] As of 2006[update], the largest taxpayers in the city were ExxonMobil Company, CenterPoint Energy, Verizon Southwest, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Continental Airlines, Inc., Valero Marketing & Supply, Car Son Bay LP, Memorial NW Pavilion Trust, Camden Property Trust, and LCY Elastomers LP.

There is also a variety of gifts available for purchase such as paintings, pottery, jewelry, stained glass, photos, cards and other unique art.

Brandon Capetillo is Mayor while council members are Laura Alvarado, Sarah Graham, Ken Griffith, James Franco, Jacob Powell, and Mike Lester.

The department provides all-hour patrol services and has many special units: SWAT, Dive Team, D.A.R.E., Hot Spot, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, Investigations, Police Academy, Bomb Squad, and others.

[77][78] Harris County Precinct Two operates Baytown Park, a senior citizen sports complex, at 4500 Hemlock Drive.

The stadium seats approximately 16,000 fans, making it one of the largest high school sports venues in the nation.

It recently underwent a press box renovation in 2009, as well as an innovation in 2006 when artificial turf and a huge scoreboard were installed.

On a campaign stop for the 1976 presidential election, President Gerald Ford attended a Robert E. Lee High School fall football game.

[87] Harris County Transit also offers a bus line that runs along Decker Drive, Garth Road, North Main Street, Baker Road, and Rollingbrook Drive connecting most of Baytown's major shopping areas with Lee College.

RWJ Airpark is a privately owned airport three miles (5 km) east of Baytown in Beach City.

[89] Baytown is served by Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO) express route 236 Maxey Road/Baytown during the rush hours, sending commuters to Downtown Houston.