Cypress, Texas
Encyclopedia
Cypress is an unincorporated area
of Harris County
, Texas
, United States
located completely inside the extraterritorial jurisdiction
of the City of Houston
. The Cypress area is located along U.S. Highway 290 (Northwest Freeway) approximately twenty-five miles (40 km) northwest of Downtown Houston
. The Cypress urban cluster ranks 50th in the top 100 highest-income urban areas in the United States.
Large scale residential and commercial development beginning in the 1980s transformed the once rural area into one of the Houston area's largest suburb
an communities.
n Indian tribes, but they soon disappeared after the appearance of German settlers in the 1840s; the German heritage is most notably reflected in the names of some of the major thoroughfares of the area, such as Huffmeister and Telge Roads. General Sam Houston
and his Texas Army camped in the area on March 22, 1836 on the way to Harrisburg
, which is now in East Houston, just days before the Battle of San Jacinto
. The area was mostly rural until the 1980s when developers began construction of several master-planned communities. The area is often referred to as Cy-Fair or Cypress-Fairbanks, which comes from when the Cypress and Fairbanks volunteer fire departments joined together to form the Cypress-Fairbanks Volunteer Fire Department (now known simply as Cy-Fair VFD). In March 2008, the Cypress Historical Society (CHS) was formed as a non-profit corporation with its primary mission being "...to discover, educate, promote, collect, preserve and make available to the public, historical documents and artifacts of the Cypress area." The CHS organization holds regular events aimed at exposing Cypress' residents to the historical and cultural foundation upon which the area was built.
Cypress is located at 29°59′40"N 95°40′3"W, near the intersection of US Highway 290 and Spring-Cypress Road. Cypress is located within the Cypress Creek and Little Cypress Creek watershed.
Cypress has two distinct geographic profiles separated by Highway 290. The area north of US 290 is forested and thickly wooded, while the area south of 290 is predominately ranchland and grassy prairie dotted with scrub brush, Live Oaks and Post Oaks.
Cypress falls under the jurisdiction of Harris County Precincts 3 and 4 (separated by Cypress Creek).
Major arteries include Highway 290 to the South and State Highway 249 to the East.
As of the 2000 US Census, there were approximately 46,025 people, 15,207 households, and 12,914 families living in the zip codes labeled as Cypress. There were 15,207 housing units at an average density of 494.6 per square mile (190.9/km²).
The 77429 Zip Code is one of the most affluent zip codes in Harris County; nearly 77% of the population has an income over US $50,000 and 42.65% earning over $100,000. The Cypress urban cluster ranks 50th in the top 100 highest-income urban areas in the United States
.
and Cypress Creek VFD. The Cy-Fair VFD is the largest volunteer fire department in the United States with 12 stations.
The United States Postal Service
operates the Cypress Post Office at 16635 Spring Cypress Road.
announced that it purchased the former Hewlett Packard call center along U.S. Highway 290 in Cypress and that it will establish a shared services facility for its distribution centers in North America.
, the third largest school district in the State of Texas and one of the fastest growing in the United States. CFISD serves nearly 107,000 students as of 2010.
Cypress-Fairbanks ISD high school students attend Cy-Fair High School
, Cypress Lakes High School, Jersey Village High School
, Cypress Creek High School
, Cypress Falls High School
, Cypress Woods High School
, Cypress Springs High School
, Langham Creek High School
, Cypress Ridge High School
, and Cypress Ranch High School
.
Windfern High School
offers an alternative path toward graduation for accepted students from the above high school attendance zones.
, is in close proximity to Cypress.
Cypress Christian School
, a K–12 private school, is located in the area.
Covenant Academy, a K-8 private Christian classical school
, is located near the Cy-Fair High School complex.
(HCPL) operates public libraries in the Cypress area. LSC-Cyfair Library, a partner effort between HCPL and Lone Star College System, is located at 9191 Barker-Cypress Road on the Lone Star College–CyFair campus. The Northwest Branch Library is located at 11355 Regency Green Drive.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
of Harris County
Harris County, Texas
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 4,092,459, White Americans made up 56.6% of Harris County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 33.0% of the population. Black Americans made up 18.9% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.7% of Harris County's population...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
located completely inside the extraterritorial jurisdiction
Extraterritorial jurisdiction
Extraterritorial jurisdiction is the legal ability of a government to exercise authority beyond its normal boundaries.Any authority can, of course, claim ETJ over any external territory they wish...
of the City of Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. The Cypress area is located along U.S. Highway 290 (Northwest Freeway) approximately twenty-five miles (40 km) northwest of Downtown Houston
Downtown Houston
Downtown Houston is the largest business district of Houston, Texas, United States. Downtown Houston, the city's central business district, contains the headquarters of many prominent companies. There is an extensive network of pedestrian tunnels and skywalks connecting the buildings of the district...
. The Cypress urban cluster ranks 50th in the top 100 highest-income urban areas in the United States.
Large scale residential and commercial development beginning in the 1980s transformed the once rural area into one of the Houston area's largest suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
an communities.
History
The area around which Cypress sits now was populated by AtakapaAtakapa
The Atakapan people are a Southeastern culture of Native American tribes who spoke Atakapa and historically lived along the Gulf of Mexico. They called themselves the Ishak, pronounced "ee-SHAK", which translates as "The People". Although the people were decimated by infectious disease after...
n Indian tribes, but they soon disappeared after the appearance of German settlers in the 1840s; the German heritage is most notably reflected in the names of some of the major thoroughfares of the area, such as Huffmeister and Telge Roads. General Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
and his Texas Army camped in the area on March 22, 1836 on the way to Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Houston, Texas
Harrisburg is located within the city of Houston, Texas, United States....
, which is now in East Houston, just days before the Battle of San Jacinto
Battle of San Jacinto
The Battle of San Jacinto, fought on April 21, 1836, in present-day Harris County, Texas, was the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Led by General Sam Houston, the Texian Army engaged and defeated General Antonio López de Santa Anna's Mexican forces in a fight that lasted just eighteen...
. The area was mostly rural until the 1980s when developers began construction of several master-planned communities. The area is often referred to as Cy-Fair or Cypress-Fairbanks, which comes from when the Cypress and Fairbanks volunteer fire departments joined together to form the Cypress-Fairbanks Volunteer Fire Department (now known simply as Cy-Fair VFD). In March 2008, the Cypress Historical Society (CHS) was formed as a non-profit corporation with its primary mission being "...to discover, educate, promote, collect, preserve and make available to the public, historical documents and artifacts of the Cypress area." The CHS organization holds regular events aimed at exposing Cypress' residents to the historical and cultural foundation upon which the area was built.
Geography
Cypress has two distinct geographic profiles separated by Highway 290. The area north of US 290 is forested and thickly wooded, while the area south of 290 is predominately ranchland and grassy prairie dotted with scrub brush, Live Oaks and Post Oaks.
Cypress falls under the jurisdiction of Harris County Precincts 3 and 4 (separated by Cypress Creek).
Major arteries include Highway 290 to the South and State Highway 249 to the East.
Demographics
The 77429 Zip Code is one of the most affluent zip codes in Harris County; nearly 77% of the population has an income over US $50,000 and 42.65% earning over $100,000. The Cypress urban cluster ranks 50th in the top 100 highest-income urban areas in the United States
Highest-income urban areas in the United States
The following is a list of the highest-income urban areas in the United States. The U.S. Census Bureau defines two types of urban areas. They are listed below, along with their Census definitions....
.
Healthcare
There are two major hospitals in the Cypress area, North Cypress Medical Center and Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center Hospital.Government and infrastructure
The area of Cypress is served by two volunteer fire departments, Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire DepartmentCy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department
Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department is a combination fire department headquartered at 9630 Telge Road in unincorporated Harris County, Texas, United States....
and Cypress Creek VFD. The Cy-Fair VFD is the largest volunteer fire department in the United States with 12 stations.
The United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates the Cypress Post Office at 16635 Spring Cypress Road.
Economy
In 2010 SyscoSYSCO
Sysco Corporation is the global leader in marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, hotels and inns, and other foodservice and hospitality businesses...
announced that it purchased the former Hewlett Packard call center along U.S. Highway 290 in Cypress and that it will establish a shared services facility for its distribution centers in North America.
Attractions
- Cypress is home to Tin Hall, one of the oldest continually operating Dance Halls in Texas, in operation since 1889.
- Cypress is home to The Berry Center, an $80 million multi-use complex owned by Cy-Fair ISD. The Berry Center features a football stadium, basketball arena, conference center, auditorium, multimedia production, and catering facility.
- Cypress is home to Northwest Forest Conference Center, an 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) resort and conference center with a life-size replica of the AlamoAlamo Mission in San AntonioThe Alamo, originally known as Mission San Antonio de Valero, is a former Roman Catholic mission and fortress compound, site of the Battle of the Alamo in 1836, and now a museum, in San Antonio, Texas....
. - Cypress is home to the trailhead of the planned Cypress Creek Greenway Project, a major parks project which will link major anchor parks along the entirety of Cypress Creek via a Greenbelt complete with Hike & Bike Trails, Horseback Riding, Canoeing and other attractions for outdoors/nature enthusiasts. It will link up with the planned Spring Creek Greenway northeast of Interstate 45.
- Cypress has numerous Golf Courses, including:
- Longwood Golf Club-Cypress, TX
- Blackhorse-Cypress, TX
- Houston National
- Cypress Lakes-Cypress, TX
- Cypress Golf Club-Cypress, TX
- Hearthstone Country Club - in Houston, TX is located a few miles south east of Cypress.
- Cypress Top Historic Park, located at 26026 Old Hempstead Highway in Cypress, TX 77429, is run by Harris County Precinct 3, Commissioner Steve Radack. The park grounds are open daily, and building tours are given on Tuesdays by Harris County historians and volunteers from the Cypress Historical Society.
Public schools
Cypress is served by Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School DistrictCypress-Fairbanks Independent School District
The Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District is a school district in northwest unincorporated Harris County, Texas, United States...
, the third largest school district in the State of Texas and one of the fastest growing in the United States. CFISD serves nearly 107,000 students as of 2010.
Cypress-Fairbanks ISD high school students attend Cy-Fair High School
Cy-Fair High School
Cy-Fair High School is a secondary school located in Cypress, which is an unincorporated place in Harris County, Texas, near Houston. The school, located along U.S...
, Cypress Lakes High School, Jersey Village High School
Jersey Village High School
Jersey Village High School is located in Jersey Village, Texas, United States. The school, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD. Ralph Funk serves as its principal....
, Cypress Creek High School
Cypress Creek High School (Harris County, Texas)
Cypress Creek High School, also known as Cy Creek, is a public secondary school located in unincorporated Harris County, Texas, United States. Cypress Creek, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District....
, Cypress Falls High School
Cypress Falls High School
Cypress Falls is a secondary school in an unincorporated area of Harris County, Texas, United States. It opened in 1992. The current principal is Ms. Becky Denton. Cypress Falls is part of the Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District, which started during the late 19th century with a school...
, Cypress Woods High School
Cypress Woods High School
Cypress Woods High School is a secondary school located in Cypress, which is an unincorporated area of Harris County, Texas, near Houston.The principal of Cypress Woods is Sue McGown , who was previously the principal of Hamilton Middle School before being promoted to the principal of Cypress Woods...
, Cypress Springs High School
Cypress Springs High School
-About Cypress Springs:Cypress Springs High School, CSHS,or more knowingly as Cy-Springs is located at 7909 Fry Road, in Cypress, an unincorporated community in Harris County, Texas, with a ZIP code of 77433....
, Langham Creek High School
Langham Creek High School
Langham Creek High School is a high school located near Cypress, which is an unincorporated community in Harris County, Texas, near Houston. Langham Creek, which was established in 1984, is part of the Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District. Several communities, including Concord Bridge, are...
, Cypress Ridge High School
Cypress Ridge High School
Cypress Ridge High School is a secondary school located in unincorporated Harris County, Texas. It was established in 2002 as Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District High School #7.-Feeder patterns:Schools that feed into Cypress Ridge include:...
, and Cypress Ranch High School
Cypress Ranch High School
Cypress Ranch High School is a secondary school located in Cypress, which is an unincorporated place in Harris County, Texas, near Houston. The school colors for Cypress Ranch are navy blue and gold. The school mascot is Mustangs.-History:...
.
Windfern High School
Windfern High School
Windfern High School is a public secondary school located in unincorporated Harris County, Texas, United States.Windfern High School, often referred to as The Lighthouse, is a campus of choice in the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District...
offers an alternative path toward graduation for accepted students from the above high school attendance zones.
Private schools
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School, a K-8 Roman Catholic school operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-HoustonRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston encompasses of ten counties in the southeastern area of Texas: Galveston; Harris; Austin; Brazoria; Fort Bend; Grimes; Montgomery; San Jacinto; Walker; and Waller.The chancery of the diocese is located in Downtown Houston. The Archdiocese's...
, is in close proximity to Cypress.
Cypress Christian School
Cypress Christian School
Cypress Christian School is a K-12 non-profit private school located in unincorporated northwest Harris County, Texas, near Cypress and Houston....
, a K–12 private school, is located in the area.
Covenant Academy, a K-8 private Christian classical school
Classical education movement
The Classical education movement advocates a form of education based in the traditions of Western culture, with a particular focus on education as understood and taught in the Middle Ages. The curricula and pedagogy of classical education was first developed during the Middle Ages by Martianus...
, is located near the Cy-Fair High School complex.
Colleges and universities
Lone Star College (originally the North Harris Montgomery Community College District) serves the community. The territory in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD joined the community college district in 2000. Cypress is home of the Lone Star College–CyFair campus.Public libraries
Harris County Public LibraryHarris County Public Library
Harris County Public Library is a public library system serving Harris County, Texas, United States. The county library system is headquartered at 8080 El Rio in Houston....
(HCPL) operates public libraries in the Cypress area. LSC-Cyfair Library, a partner effort between HCPL and Lone Star College System, is located at 9191 Barker-Cypress Road on the Lone Star College–CyFair campus. The Northwest Branch Library is located at 11355 Regency Green Drive.