During World War II and afterward, La Porte's economy rapidly shifted toward petroleum/petrochemicals and shipping, which developed as the dominant industries in the Pasadena-Baytown area.

The community of La Porte was founded in 1892 as a speculative real estate venture by an investment group.

[6] The area around Sylvan Grove soon was developed with amenities including bathhouses, boating piers, and a Victorian hotel with a dance pavilion.

[7] As the Texas Oil Boom took hold beginning in 1901, and neighboring Houston became home to many wealthy businessmen, La Porte quickly rebuilt and re-established itself as a tourist center.

During the 1920s and 1930s Sylvan Beach Amusement Park became a nationally recognized destination, featuring beauty contests and regular performances by famous bands, in addition to a growing gallery of amenities.

[6] Some of the most well-known performers of the era, including Guy Lombardo, the Dorsey Brothers, Phil Harris, and Benny Goodman, appeared at the park.

[5] The beachfront began to physically shrink beginning around 1928 because of erosion from the wakes of shipping traffic, and land subsidence resulting from the extraction of groundwater in the area due to development.

Most of the damaged structures at Sylvan Beach were never rebuilt after this time, as the area was changing, and La Porte's tourist industry rapidly declined.

[5] The later establishment of the Johnson Space Center in the nearby Clear Lake Area, the Barbours Cut shipping terminal in neighboring Morgan's Point, and the Bayport Industrial District within La Porte's jurisdiction have gradually made the community successful as part of the Houston area's industrial heartland.

[5] A project to restore the beachfront at Sylvan Beach Park began in 2009 and finished in 2013, with sand brought in from other areas and dredging operations.

[12] The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.

[18] As with the majority of home-rule cities in Texas, La Porte has a charter for a council-manager form of government.

The United States Postal Service operates the La Porte Post Office at 801 West Fairmont Parkway.

The City of La Porte maintains the buildings and furnishings while HCPL staffs and operates the library.

[25] La Porte is linked to Interstate 10 (see map) by State Highway 146, crossing the Fred Hartman Bridge into the nearby city of Baytown; the bridge was built in 1995, replacing the Baytown Tunnel, to allow deepening of the Houston Ship Channel.

La Porte is located on the northwest end of Galveston Bay at the mouth of Buffalo Bayou and the San Jacinto River.