[7] At the time Europeans arrived the area around Galveston Bay was largely inhabited by Akokisa and Karankawa tribes.

[9] The first substantial European presence in the area came as a result of the pirate kingdom established by Jean Lafitte in the early 19th century from his base on Galveston Island.

Railroads grew up near the area as well connecting the nearby commercial centers of Galveston, Harrisburg, and Houston spawning new communities such as Clear Creek (League City) and Webster.

Soon oil wells and refineries were built in nearby Goose Creek (modern Baytown) and Texas City.

The Clear Lake Area became an attractive recreational destination for the new class of wealthy oil businessmen.

Much of the area was developed as retreats for the wealthy including a large ranch estate owned by Houston businessman James West.

[18] The Clear Lake City community was created by the Friendswood Development Company, a venture of Humble Oil and Dell E. Webb Corporation, to support residential growth near the new NASA facility.

Also, a significant number of petrochemical and refining industry employees who work at near-by facilities live in the area.

[26][27] The comparable statistics for nearby Houston were a median household income of $36,616, 49.3% white, 25.3% African American, and 5.3% Asian.

As of 2000[update] Taylor Lake Village has the highest median household income in the area and Webster has the lowest.

[29] Primary and secondary education are provided by Clear Creek Independent School District, which serves most of the area's communities with the exception of outlying parts of League City.

[32] In terms of the restaurants in the region, Katharine Shilcutt of the Houston Press said in 2010 "there's also more to the area than overly-fancy eateries like Cullen's or old mainstays like Villa Capri and the Seabrook Classic Cafe.

[39] The Clear Creek Country Theatre (Nassau Bay) offers regular community theater performances.

The Texas Armand Bayou Coastal Preserve features one of region's most popular paddling trails.

The Seabrook Trail System, which includes Robinson and Pine Gully Parks, offers primitive access to natural habitats for numerous species.

[44] The Kemah Boardwalk is a waterfront attraction featuring a variety of rides, restaurants, shops, and other entertainment venues.

[49] The League City Historic District provides views of early area architecture in addition to unique shopping venues.

[51] The shoreline of Clear Lake itself has the greatest concentration of recreational boats in Texas and ranks third nationwide (Watergate even claims to be the nation's largest).

[55] In addition, the Al-Noor Society of Greater Houston operates the Clear Lake Jama Masjid.