Kemah (/ˈkiːmə/ KEE-mə) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, southeast of Houston along west Galveston Bay.

Originally a small fishing town, the city has become a tourist destination for the area's restaurants and attractions, which are contained within the Kemah Entertainment District.

[7] Kemah is located in the northeastern corner of Galveston County at 29°32′33″N 95°1′13.08″W / 29.54250°N 95.0203000°W / 29.54250; -95.0203000 (29.5425, –95.0203)[8] and is part of the Clear Lake Area.

[6] The land, measuring approximately 177 acres (72 ha), was the basis for a town that would be called Kemah.

After October 1850, Waters sold 10 acres (4.0 ha) of the Clear Creek property to various people, but Henry Kipp eventually owned the land.

The name "Kemah" was chosen with the Karankawa Indian word meaning "wind in my face".

From the 1920s to the 1950s Kemah became a significant tourist destination resulting from investment by the Maceo crime syndicate which ran Galveston during this time.

The syndicate created a lavish casino district along the boardwalk featuring venues such as the Chili Bowl and the Kemah Den.

[12] During the 1950s the state Attorney General and the Texas Rangers finally shut down the Galveston vice empire.

During the 1950s a major commercial shrimp fishing fleet was established in the town as the Clear Creek Channel was opened.

[13] On October 22, 1966, the town of Kemah adopted Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes[14] and became a General Law City.

[15] In the late 1990s, Kemah continued to expand and began to be known as a tourist and recreational hot spot.

[18] On the morning of September 13, 2008, a Category 2 hurricane named Ike made landfall in Galveston County.

Hurricane Ike caused power outages in Kemah, destruction of homes and business, and streets to be piled with trees and debris.