Although several studies on mesoscale eddies in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) have been conducted, a comprehensive study on their temporal and spatial characteristics is still lacking. In this study, we combine three eddy detection algorithms to detect eddies from the 26-year sea surface height record in the GoM and examine their characteristics. We find that many eddy characteristics in the GoM are associated with the Loop Current (LC). For the seasonal variability, in the eastern GoM, more cyclonic eddies (CEs) in the eastern part of the LC appear in spring, likely related to a larger gradient of background density, and more CEs and anticyclonic eddies (AEs) in the western part of the LC occur in fall, in line with a weakened LC. However, eddies in the western GoM show a more apparent biannual variability, which is mostly related to wind seasonality. For the low-frequency variability, eddy occurrence in the eastern part of the LC is related to the extent of northward penetration of the LC, while in the western part of the LC is related to the LC strength. In addition, the northward penetration of the LC can affect the eddy amplitude. In the western GoM, the low-frequency variability of eddy occurrence is related to the surface circulation strength. This study can serve as an up-to-date reference for eddy-related investigations in the GoM.