{{Short description|American islands in the Gulf of Mexico}} {{Infobox islands | name = Texas barrier islands | image = | image_size = | image_caption = | image_alt = | image_map = Texas barrier islands map.png | image_map_alt = Map depicting the Gulf Coast of Texas, with barrier islands labeled and color-coded | image_map_size = | image_map_caption = Map of the barrier islands along the Gulf Coast of Texas | pushpin_map = | pushpin_label = | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_map_alt = | pushpin_relief = | pushpin_map_caption = | coordinates = {{coord|28|N|97|W|display=inline,title}} | location = [[Gulf of Mexico]] | total_islands = 7 | major_islands = [[Galveston Island]], [[Follet's Island]], [[Matagorda Island]], [[San José Island (Texas)|San José Island]], [[Mustang Island]], [[Padre Island]], [[Brazos Island]] | length_mi = | length_footnotes = | country = [[United States]] | country_admin_divisions_title = [[U.S. state|State]] | country_admin_divisions = [[Texas]] | country_admin_divisions_title_1 = | country_admin_divisions_1 = | footnotes = }} The '''Texas barrier islands''' are a chain of [[barrier island]]s in the [[Gulf of Mexico]] along the [[Texas Gulf Coast]]. The islands enclose a series of [[Estuaries of Texas|estuaries along the Texas coast]] and attract tourists for activities such as recreational fishing and [[dolphin watching]]. The seven barrier islands, listed from northeast to southwest, are [[Galveston Island]], [[Follet's Island]], [[Matagorda Island]], [[San José Island (Texas)|San José Island]], [[Mustang Island]], [[Padre Island]], and [[Brazos Island]].<ref name="Gulf">{{Cite web|title=Gulf of Mexico|website=[[Handbook of Texas Online]]|publisher=[[Texas State Historical Association]]|first=Robert S.|last=Weddle|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/rrg07|accessdate=March 24, 2020}}</ref>
Padre Island is the world's largest barrier island, with a length of {{Convert|113|mi|km|0}}.<ref name="Gulf"/> Since 1962 Padre Island has been divided in two by the [[dredging]] of the [[Port Mansfield Channel]] roughly {{Convert|30|mi|km|0}} north of the south end of the island, which separated it into portions referred to as [[South Padre Island]] and [[North Padre Island]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Port Mansfield Channel|website=[[Handbook of Texas Online]]|publisher=[[Texas State Historical Association]]|first=Art|last=Leatherwood|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/rup02|accessdate=March 24, 2020}}</ref>
==List of islands== {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center; margin-right:0;" ! Latitude ! Name ! Length ! Estuary ! class=unsortable|Map |- style="height:40px" | data-sort-value="29.13" | 29°13' N | [[Galveston Island]] | {{Convert|27|mi|km|0}} | [[Trinity River (Texas)|Trinity]]–[[San Jacinto River (Texas)|San Jacinto]] Estuary ([[Galveston Bay]]) | [[File:Galveston_island_0001.png|100px|Galveston Island]] |- style="height:40px" | data-sort-value="29.02" | 29°2' N | [[Follet's Island]] | {{Convert|13|mi|km|0}} | [[Christmas Bay (Texas)|Christmas Bay Estuary]] | [[File:Christmas Bay Texas map.png|100px|Follet's Island]] |- style="height:40px" | data-sort-value="28.14" | 28°14' N | [[Matagorda Island]] | {{Convert|38|mi|km|0}} | [[Guadalupe River (Texas)|Guadalupe]] Estuary ([[San Antonio Bay]]) | [[File:Matagorda_island_0001.png|100px|Matagorda Island]] |- style="height:40px" | data-sort-value="27.59" | 27°59' N | [[San José Island (Texas)|San José Island]] | {{Convert|21|mi|km|0}} | [[Mission River|Mission]]–[[Aransas River|Aransas]] Estuary ([[Aransas Bay]]) | [[File:San_jose_island_0001.png|100px|San José Island]] |- style="height:40px" | data-sort-value="27.44" | 27°44' N | [[Mustang Island]] | {{Convert|18|mi|km|0}} | [[Nueces River|Nueces]] Estuary ([[Corpus Christi Bay]]) | [[File:Mustang_island_0001.png|100px|Mustang Island]] |- style="height:40px" | data-sort-value="26.5" | 26°50' N | [[Padre Island]] | {{Convert|113|mi|km|0}} | [[Laguna Madre (United States)|Laguna Madre]] Estuary | [[File:Padre_island_0001.png|100px|Padre Island]] |- style="height:40px" | data-sort-value="26.02" | 26°2' N | [[Brazos Island]] | {{Convert|4.0|mi|km|1}} | [[Laguna Madre (United States)|Laguna Madre]] Estuary | [[File:Brazos_island_0001.png|100px|Brazos Island]] |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Commonscat-inline|Barrier islands of Texas}}
{{Texas barrier islands}}
[[Category:Barrier islands of Texas| ]]