West Bay, as it is known today, began its formation about 5,500 years ago when Galveston Island was shaped following the rise in the sea level.

At the time, West Bay was situated just north of the mouth of the Brazos River, which formed a delta at what is now San Luis Pass.

Jamaica Beach, a resort with a population of about 1,075 was found in 1957 on the site of a former Karankawa Indian burial ground.

[3] Across the bay from Jamaica Beach is Tiki Island, an affluent[4] village of 1,016 people, that was established in the 1960s and incorporated in 1982.

It is adjacent to Christmas Bay, which extends south into Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge.