Galactose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase catalyzes the formation of UDP-galactose during normal cellular metabolism, making it an essential enzyme in all cells. The enzyme from Escherichia coli has been crystallized at pH 5.9 in the presence of phenyl-UDP (P1-5'-uridyl-P2-phenyl diphosphate), a substrate analog, using PEG 10000 in combination with Li2SO4 and NaCl. Crystals belong to space group P2(1)2(1)2 with unit-cell dimensions a - 58.6, b - 217.6 and c = 69.6 angstrom. There is one dimer or two subunits in the asymmetric unit. Crystals are relatively insensitive to X-ray radiation and diffract beyond 2.5 angstrom resolution. A low-resolution native data set has been recorded.