Districts and communities of Houston
Encyclopedia
Interstate 610 (Texas)
Interstate 610 is a freeway that forms a forty-two-mile loop around the downtown sector of city of Houston, Texas. Interstate 610, colloquially known as "The Loop", "Loop 610", "The 610 Loop", or just "610", traditionally marks the border between the inner city of Houston and its surrounding areas...
, known as the "Loop." Inside the loop generally encompasses the Central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
and the "island cities" of West University Place (West U.)
West University Place, Texas
West University Place, often called West University or West U for short, is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area and southwestern Harris County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the population of the city was 14,211...
, Southside Place
Southside Place, Texas
Southside Place is a city in west central Harris County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,546 at the 2000 census.As of 2000, Southside Place is the 13th wealthiest location in Texas by per capita income....
and a portion of Bellaire
Bellaire, Texas
Bellaire is a city in southwest Harris County, Texas, United States, within the metropolitan area. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 15,642 and is completely surrounded by the cities of Houston and West University Place....
. ("Island cities" refers to the City of Houston's practice of annexing around the existing boundaries of incorporated municipalities.)
Other "island cities" include the Memorial Villages — Bunker Hill Village
Bunker Hill Village, Texas
Bunker Hill Village is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,654 at the 2000 census.The United States Postal Service uses "Houston" for all Bunker Hill Village addresses; "Bunker Hill Village" is not an acceptable city designation for mail addressed to places in Bunker...
, Hedwig Village
Hedwig Village, Texas
Hedwig Village is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,334 at the 2000 census.The United States Postal Service uses "Houston" for all Hedwig Village addresses; "Hedwig Village" is not an acceptable city designation for mail addressed to places in Hedwig...
, Hilshire Village
Hilshire Village, Texas
Hilshire Village is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States. The population was 720 at the 2000 census. The city is the smallest of the Memorial Villages in terms of area....
, Hunters Creek Village
Hunters Creek Village, Texas
Hunters Creek Village is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,374 at the 2000 census.The United States Postal Service uses "Houston" for all Hunters Creek Village addresses; "Hunters Creek Village" is not an acceptable city designation for mail addressed to places in...
, Piney Point Village
Piney Point Village, Texas
Piney Point Village is a city in Harris County, Texas. The population was 3,380 at the 2000 census. Piney Point Village is also considered one of the wealthiest communities in the Greater Houston area.-History:...
, and Spring Valley Village.
The outlying areas of Houston, as well as the rest of Bellaire, the Memorial Villages, the airports and the city's suburbs and enclaves are outside the loop. Another ring road, Beltway 8 (also known simply as the "Beltway"), encircles the city another 5 miles (8 km) further out. A third, State Highway 99 or Grand Parkway, has begun construction roughly 10 miles (16 km) beyond the Beltway around the outer suburbs and currently extends from north of Interstate 10 east of Katy
Katy, Texas
Katy is a city located in Harris, Fort Bend and Waller Counties in the U.S. state of Texas, within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area...
to U.S. Highway 59 in Sugar Land
Sugar Land, Texas
Sugar Land is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area and Fort Bend County. Sugar Land is one of the most affluent and fastest-growing cities in Texas, having grown more than 158 percent in the last decade. In the time period of 2000–2007, Sugar Land also enjoyed a...
.
Locations within the Houston city limits
City limits
The terms city limits and city boundary refer to the defined boundary or border of a city. The area within the city limits is sometimes called the city proper. The terms town limits/boundary and village limits/boundary mean the same as city limits/boundary, but apply to towns and villages...
inside Beltway 8 had traditionally used the 713 area code. Those outside Beltway 8 but within city limits had received the 281 or 832 area code. The geographic division between 713, 281, and 832 has been eliminated, and newly-issued phone numbers (especially for cell phones and fax machines) within that zone may be assigned any of the three codes. Areas far north, west, east and south of the inner-city also use 936 and 409. Zip codes in Houston range from 77002 to 77099. A small portion of northeast Houston uses zip codes 77339 and 77345.
Houston is the largest populated city in the United States without zoning
Zoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
laws. City voters rejected creation of separate commercial and residential land-use districts in 1948, 1962 and 1993. As a result, Houston has grown in an unusual manner. Rather than a single “downtown” as the center of the city's employment, five additional business districts have grown throughout the inner-city, including one for Houston's medical center complex. If these business districts were combined, they would form the third largest downtown in the United States. The city also has the fourth largest skyline in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(after New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and Miami) but because it is spread over a few miles, pictures of the city show, for the most part, the main downtown area.
Development of geographic areas
Beginning in the 1960s the development of the 610 Loop caused the focus of the Houston area to move away from Downtown HoustonDowntown 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...
. Joel Barna of Cite 42 said that this caused Greater Houston
Greater Houston
Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown is a 10-county metropolitan area defined by the Office of Management and Budget. It is located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas...
to shift from "a fragmenting but still centrally focused spatial entity into something more like a doughnut," and that Downtown Houston began to become a "hole" in the "doughnut." As interchange connections with the 610 Loop opened, according to Barna Downtown "became just another node in a multi-node grid" and, as of 1998, "has been that, with already established high densities and land prices." By 1998 Beltway 8 neared completion and development increased in the central city. Barna said that "it's as if Houston had stretched out so far that it its sprawl began doubling back upon itself."
Lisa Gray of the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
said that Houston differs from many "old-style" European cities and cities of the East Coast of the United States
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
because Houston began with sprawl development and later developed dense cores, as opposed to beginning with dense cores and later developing sprawl. Many denser areas of Houston have parking garages, allowing automobile drivers to access areas with relatively few parking spaces.
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 seventh largest business district in the country, is located in the very center of the city's highway system.
The Skyline District
Houston Skyline District
The Houston Skyline District is a geographic area encompassing several blocks of downtown Houston, Texas, USA.The term 'Skyline District' originated when downtown Houston was divided into a number of smaller districts: the Main Street Corridor, the Market Square Historical District, and the Houston...
is the heart of downtown and home to headquarters of various multinational businesses and financial institutions.
The Houston Theater District, in north downtown, is home to Houston's eight performing arts organizations and includes the Alley Theatre
Alley Theatre
The Alley Theatre is a Tony Award-winning indoor theatre in Downtown Houston, Texas, and hosts two stages. The "Hubbard" is the main stage with seating for 824; the more intimate "Neuhaus" seats 310. Nine towers and open-air terraces give the Alley Theatre a castle-like quality. Inside, a staircase...
, Hobby Center for the Performing Arts
Hobby Center for the Performing Arts
The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts is a theater in Houston, Texas, USA. Opened to the public in 2002, the theater is located downtown on the edge of the Houston Theater District. Hobby Center features 60-foot-high glass walls with views of Houston's skyscrapers, Tranquility Park and Houston...
, Wortham Center, the Verizon Wireless Theater
Verizon Wireless Theater
The Verizon Wireless Theater is an indoor theater owned by Live Nation and located in Houston, Texas, United States...
(formerly Aerial Theater), and Jones Hall, home of the Houston Symphony Orchestra
Houston Symphony Orchestra
The Houston Symphony is an American orchestra based in Houston, Texas. Since 1966, it has performed at the Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts in downtown Houston....
. The theater district is the second-largest performing arts district, next to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Downtown is also home to one of the city's two Chinatowns. The first Chinatown is situated in the shadow of the George R. Brown Convention Center
George R. Brown Convention Center
The George R. Brown Convention Center opened on September 26, 1987 on the east side of Downtown Houston, Texas, United States.The center was named for the prominent Houstonian George R. Brown, an entrepreneur, civic leader and philanthropist. Brown’s Texas Eastern Corporation donated six of the 11...
downtown, while the newer, larger Chinatown (originating around 1982), is located primarily on Bellaire Boulevard west of the Sharpstown neighborhood.
The Main Street Corridor in downtown, opened in 2004, has become a popular nightlife spot, particularly now that the city has light rail service
METRORail
METRORail is the light rail line in Houston . It is the second major light rail service in Texas following the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system. With an approximate daily ridership of 34,155, the METRORail ranks as the fourteenth most-traveled light rail system in the United States, with the...
. This is because the light rail line begins at the University of Houston–Downtown
University of Houston–Downtown
The University of Houston–Downtown is a four-year state university, and is a distinct component institution of the University of Houston System. Its campus spans 20-acre in Downtown Houston, with a satellite location in northwestern Harris County...
.
Preston Station is a neighborhood in downtown Houston that takes its name from the Houston MetroRail's Preston Station, which is at the neighborhood's center. It is well known for its bars and restaurants, and includes such famous buildings as the Rice Hotel, the St. Germain building, and the Hotel Icon.
South Side
South of downtown, but to the east of Meyerland and Fondren, lies Hiram Clarke, SunnysideSunnyside, Houston, Texas
Sunnyside is a community in southern Houston, Texas, United States, south of Downtown Houston.Sunnyside is outside of the 610 Loop and inside Beltway 8 off State Highway 288 south of Downtown Houston and is predominantly African American...
, South Park
South Park, Houston, Texas
South Park, Houston, Texas, is a broad post-World War II development in the south-central area of the city, a few miles south of MacGregor Park and directly south of the 610 Loop. According to the 2000 Census, the community has a population of 22,282. 81% of the South Park population is African...
, Kennedy Heights, and other largely African-American communities with sizable Latino populations. Collectively (with the Third Ward) known as the "Southside", these formerly rural communities were childhood homes of country singer Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
and (more recently) rap artist Scarface
Scarface (rapper)
Brad Terrence Jordan , better known by his stage name Scarface, is an American rapper, and recording artist from Houston, Texas and a member of the Geto Boys. He is originally from South Park, Houston.-Life and career:...
.
Hiram Clarke is a small neighborhood in south side Houston. The neighborhood is adjacent to Hiram Clarke Blvd. and West Fuqua Street. It was named after a former president of Houston Lighting & Power, a predecessor to Reliant Energy.
Southwest
The term "southwest Houston" often refers to the area that opened in the years following World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when they were considered to be suburbs, such as Alief, Fondren Southwest, Meyerland
Meyerland, Houston, Texas
Meyerland is a community in southwest Houston, Texas, outside of the 610 Loop and inside Beltway 8.A notable feature of Meyerland is Meyerland Plaza, a large outdoor shopping center. Meyerland also is the center of Houston's Jewish community...
, Sharpstown
Sharpstown, Houston, Texas
Sharpstown is a master-planned community in Greater Sharpstown, Southwest Houston, Texas, United States. It was one of the first communities to be built as a master-planned, automobile centered community and the first in Houston. Frank Sharp, the developer of the subdivision, made provisions not...
and Westbury
Westbury, Houston, Texas
Westbury is a neighborhood in the Brays Oaks district of Southwest Houston, Texas, United States. It is located east of Bob White Road, north of U.S...
. Alief is a large, ethnically diverse community which Houston began annexing in 1977. Fondren Southwest and Meyerland are centers of Houston's Jewish community. Sharpstown has large Hispanic and Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
communities and was the first master-planned community in Houston. Also in the southwest is the Indian enclave, the Mahatma Gandhi District
Mahatma Gandhi District, Houston
The Mahatma Gandhi District is an ethnic enclave in Houston, Texas, United States, named after Mohandas Gandhi, consisting predominantly of Indian and Pakistani restaurants and shops and having a large Indian/Pakistani population. The area is commonly referred to as "Hillcroft," after Hillcroft...
, informally known as Hilcroft. Westbury and Meyerland are becoming popular places for some gay men and lesbians to live, as real estate in the Neartown area has become more expensive as it has gentrified.
Northside
The Northside of Houston consists of several Historic neighborhoods to include Houston Heights, Near Northside, The Fifth Ward, The Historic Sixth Ward, Kashmere Gardens, Trinity Gardens, Homestead, Acres Homes, the East Aldine District and Greenspoint. Residents of these neighborhoods commonly refer to this area as " Northside " Many suburban Houstonians confuse the term to be associatted with the suburbs of North Houston such as Spring, FM 1960 or The Woodlands. The Northside along with other neighborhoods inside 610 have recently become the focus of Gentrification in an effort to tear down historic homes to make room for modern living to accommodate the influx of young professionals drawn to the Downtown/Inner 610 Loop area. The Houston Light Rail is extending its route that will run North from UH Downtown along North Main St and Fulton St. The Northside consists primarily of Hispanic and African Americans with the exception of The Houston Heights neighborhood which has a large Caucasian presence. Notable residents of the Northside include Politician Barbara Jordan, Singer Kenny Rogers, Activist Mickey Leland, Rapper Slim Thug and Boxer George Foreman.Energy Corridor
The Energy Corridor is a district that lies along Memorial Drive and Eldridge Parkway in west Houston. The district is loosely bound by the area just north of IH-10 (the Katy Freeway) and Westheimer to the south, and extends from Kirkwood Road to the east and Fry Road to the West. The area is defined by many oil industry related companies, residential neighborhoods, restaurants and parks.Midtown
MidtownMidtown, Houston, Texas
Midtown is a district southwest of Downtown Houston, bordered by Neartown and U.S. Highway 59.-History:Around 1906 what is now Midtown was divided between the Third Ward and Fourth Ward. Before the 1950s what is now Midtown was a popular residential district. Increasingly, commercial development...
, south of downtown, is a recently redeveloped area with many newly-constructed apartments and condominiums. The area is also home to Little Saigon, the center of the city's Vietnamese American
Vietnamese American
A Vietnamese American is an American of Vietnamese descent. They make up about half of all overseas Vietnamese and are the fourth-largest Asian American group....
commerce and businesses.
Uptown
Uptown Houston
The Uptown District of Houston is located 6.2 miles west of downtown and is centered along Post Oak Boulevard, Westheimer Road , and the Galleria...
is Houston's second-largest business district and home to the world-famous Williams Tower
Williams Tower
The Williams Tower is a skyscraper located in the Uptown District of Houston, Texas. It was designed by architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee, in association with Houston-based Morris Architects , and erected in 1983. The tower is among Houston's most visible buildings...
. The Williams Tower is said to be the tallest building outside of a CBD
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
. The District is home to Houston's tallest condominium towers. Uptown has headquarter and subsidiary locations of Fortune 500 companies, and high-end retailers, local and international fashion designers.
Texas Medical Center
The Texas Medical CenterTexas Medical Center
The Texas Medical Center is the largest medical center in the world with one of the highest densities of clinical facilities for patient care, basic science, and translational research...
, about three miles (5 km) south of the Midtown area is the largest medical complex in the world. Bordering the Texas Medical Center are Reliant Park
Reliant Park
Reliant Park is a complex in Houston, Texas, USA, named after the energy company Reliant Energy. It is located on Kirby Drive at the 610 Loop...
to the south and the Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
/Rice Village
Rice Village
Rice Village is a shopping district in Houston, Texas, United States.Rice Village is a collection of shops, restaurants and pubs, situated about a half-mile west of the center of Rice University's campus...
area to the west. Many people from around the world come to the center for medical treatment.
Museum District
The Museum District comprises more than 16 institutions, Hermann Park, the Houston ZooHouston Zoo
The Houston Zoo is a zoological park located within Hermann Park in Houston, Texas, United States. Housing over 6,000 animals belonging to over 900 species, the zoo receives 1.6 million visitors each year and is the seventh most visited zoo in the nation...
and the Miller Outdoor Theatre. It is one of the most visited museum districts in the country.
The Six "Wards"
When Houston was established in 1837, the city's founders divided it into political geographic districts called "wards." The ward designation is the progenitor of the nine current-day Houston City Council districts.Much of the predominantly African American First Ward was demolished and renovated as part of a gentrification
Gentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
effort. Much of the district is bordered by Houston Avenue, Interstates 10 and 45, and Washington Avenue. Because of rising land values, houses formerly located in Third Ward, Neartown, the West End and West University Place were relocated from their former land parcels and rehabilitated.
The predominantly African American Third Ward, southeast of downtown, was home to one of the most affluent African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
communities in the South after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. It is also where Texas Southern University
Texas Southern University
Texas Southern University is a historically black university located in Houston, Texas, United States....
is located. The Third Ward lies within two city council districts (D and I).
The Fourth Ward, known as Freedmen's Town for the freed slaves that settled there after the United States Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, was the first and most prominent African American community in Houston. It is home to the first campus of Booker T. Washington High School
Booker T. Washington High School (Houston)
Booker T. Washington High School is a secondary school located at 119 East 39th Street in Houston, Texas with a zip code of 77018.Booker T. Washington, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the Houston Independent School District. Booker T...
which was later moved to Independence Heights in northern Houston. Historically, the ward has been among the poorest areas of the inner-city, but is undergoing extensive gentrification because of its proximity to downtown. The ward included the Allen Parkway Village housing project, which was redeveloped into the Historic Oaks at Allen Parkway Village. The Freedmen's Town Historical District was created in 1988. Today, about 40 percent of the original wood-frame homes remain in the ward.
The Fifth Ward is another predominantly African American community originally settled by freed slaves. It too is undergoing gentrification. A section of the Fifth Ward, Frenchtown, once held the center of the Creole
Louisiana Creole people
Louisiana Creole people refers to those who are descended from the colonial settlers in Louisiana, especially those of French and Spanish descent. The term was first used during colonial times by the settlers to refer to those who were born in the colony, as opposed to those born in the Old World...
community in Houston http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/FF/hrfvg.html.
The Sixth Ward is bounded by Memorial Drive to the south, Glenwood Cemetery to the west, Washington Avenue to the north, and Houston Avenue to the east. It was carved out of the Fourth Ward in 1877 as a residential area. There are many examples of Greek revival, Victorian, and Classical Revival architecture in the neighborhood, but due to extensive gentrification many are being demolished in favor of modern housing.
Greenway Plaza
The Greenway Plaza business district is west of Midtown and southwest of Downtown Houston. The district is home to Lakewood ChurchLakewood Church
Lakewood Church is a non-denominational Christian megachurch located in Houston, Texas. It is the largest congregation in the United States, averaging more than 43,500 in attendance per week. The 16,800-seat Lakewood Church Central Campus, home to four English language services and two Spanish...
, the country's largest megachurch
Megachurch
A megachurch is a church having 2,000 or more in average weekend attendance. The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000...
.
Neartown
Neartown is an area located in west-central Houston, Texas and is one of the city's major cultural areas. The location has a distinctive character of eccentricity and a diverse population. The eastern–southeastern portion of Neartown (colloquailly referred to as Montrose) is the center of Houston's gay and lesbian community, and known for its vintage shops, 1950s-style eateries and street art. The Neartown area traditionally hosted the Westheimer Street FestivalWestheimer Street Festival
The Westheimer Street Festival was a community street fair held bi-annually in Houston, Texas, United States from approximately 1971 to 2004.-Community context:...
, a colorful community gathering that was ended mostly due to gentrification
Gentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
. It is also the location of the Menil Collection
Menil Collection
The Menil Collection, located in Houston refers either to a museum that houses the private art collection of founders John de Menil and Dominique de Menil, or to the collection itself...
and the University of Saint Thomas.
Other notable communities
The historic Houston HeightsHouston Heights, Houston, Texas
Houston Heights is a community located in northwest-central Houston, Texas .-History:...
, near downtown, has the highest point of elevation in the city. Like the smaller Woodland Heights neighborhood just to its east, it was originally a separate, independent suburb connected to Houston by streetcar. It was incorporated in 1891 and consolidated into the city of Houston in 1919. Even today it retains a ban on liquor sales and is a popular area for antique shopping. Like the neighboring Neartown, Houston Heights has long been a popular place for the artistic and gay and lesbian communities to live. Like other neighborhoods, the Heights has been experiencing gentrification pressures as the inner-loop grows, but residents concerned with historic preservation have resisted through the use of deed restrictions
Restrictive covenant
A restrictive covenant is a type of real covenant, a legal obligation imposed in a deed by the seller upon the buyer of real estate to do or not to do something. Such restrictions frequently "run with the land" and are enforceable on subsequent buyers of the property...
. Many of the Heights' Victorian houses and Craftsman bungalows are in high demand, especially those that have been remodeled. The Houston Heights is also home to the Art Car Museum
Art Car Museum
The ArtCar Museum is a private museum of contemporary art located in Houston, Texas, USA. The museum, nicknamed the "Garage Mahal," opened in February, 1988. Its emphasis is on art cars, fine arts, and artists that are rarely seen in other cultural institutions...
, a tourist attraction.
River Oaks
River Oaks, Houston, Texas
River Oaks is an affluent community located in the geographic center of Houston, Texas, United States. Located within the 610 Loop and between Downtown and Uptown, the community spans . Established in the 1920s by brothers William and Michael Hogg, the community became a well-publicized national...
is the city's most affluent area, often compared to Beverly Hills. Beyond Houston, it is the wealthiest neighborhood in the entire state and is home to many celebrities and political figures. Situated as it is between downtown and Uptown, River Oaks is a collection of mansions in a sea of high-rise apartments and lofts. Near and partially blending into River Oaks, the areas of Highland Village
Highland Village, Houston, Texas
Highland Village is a neighborhood in Houston, Texas, United States.Highland Village is located inside the 610 Loop in the triangle formed by Greenway Plaza, Uptown, and River Oaks...
and Upper Kirby are home to many high-end shopping and dining venues.
Memorial, Houston, Texas
The Memorial area of Houston, Texas, United States is west of Downtown Houston and northwest of Uptown Houston. It is bounded on the south by Buffalo Bayou, on the east by Interstate 610, on the west by Texas State Highway 6, and extends just north of the Katy Freeway to Westview and includes...
. The zip code for Memorial (77024) is the sixth wealthiest in Texas http://wealth.mongabay.com/tables/100_wealthiest_zip_codes-1000.html. It contains the largest of a series of affluent municipalities separate from but surrounded by the city of Houston, known as the Villages, which include Hedwig Village
Hedwig Village, Texas
Hedwig Village is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,334 at the 2000 census.The United States Postal Service uses "Houston" for all Hedwig Village addresses; "Hedwig Village" is not an acceptable city designation for mail addressed to places in Hedwig...
, Bunker Hill Village
Bunker Hill Village, Texas
Bunker Hill Village is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,654 at the 2000 census.The United States Postal Service uses "Houston" for all Bunker Hill Village addresses; "Bunker Hill Village" is not an acceptable city designation for mail addressed to places in Bunker...
, Hunters Creek Village
Hunters Creek Village, Texas
Hunters Creek Village is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,374 at the 2000 census.The United States Postal Service uses "Houston" for all Hunters Creek Village addresses; "Hunters Creek Village" is not an acceptable city designation for mail addressed to places in...
, Piney Point Village
Piney Point Village, Texas
Piney Point Village is a city in Harris County, Texas. The population was 3,380 at the 2000 census. Piney Point Village is also considered one of the wealthiest communities in the Greater Houston area.-History:...
, Hilshire Village
Hilshire Village, Texas
Hilshire Village is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States. The population was 720 at the 2000 census. The city is the smallest of the Memorial Villages in terms of area....
, and Spring Valley Village.
Clear Lake City is a master-planned community located in southeast Houston. It is home to the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center
The Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's center for human spaceflight training, research and flight control. The center consists of a complex of 100 buildings constructed on 1,620 acres in Houston, Texas, USA...
, the University of Houston–Clear Lake
University of Houston–Clear Lake
The University of Houston–Clear Lake is a state university, and is a component institution of the University of Houston System. Its campus spans 524-acre in Pasadena, with a satellite campus in Pearland. Founded in 1971, UHCL has an enrollment of more than 8,000 students...
and a very large upper-middle class Asian American community. The area was annexed into the city of Houston in 1979. League City
League City, Texas
League City is a city in Galveston County and Harris County in the U.S. state of Texas, within the metropolitan area. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 45,444; in the 2006 census estimate, the population was listed as 67,200. The 2010 Census places the population of League City...
, just south of this area, is home to a few water-side resorts.
To the northeast is the 14000 acres (56.7 km²) master-planned community of Kingwood, which was annexed by the city of Houston in 1996.
Kingwood is the largest master-planned community in 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...
.
Adjacent cities and suburbs
In addition to the "island cities" of Bellaire, West University Place, Southside PlaceSouthside Place, Texas
Southside Place is a city in west central Harris County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,546 at the 2000 census.As of 2000, Southside Place is the 13th wealthiest location in Texas by per capita income....
and the Memorial Villages, there are several communities not part of Houston that are important to the metropolitan area.
Harris County
PasadenaPasadena, Texas
Pasadena is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area. It is the second-largest city in Harris County, 17th-largest in Texas, and 162nd largest in the United States. The area was founded in 1893 by John H. Burnett of Galveston....
is Houston's most populous suburb and the former location of "Gilley's", the honky-tonk bar that inspired the hit 1980 movie Urban Cowboy
Urban Cowboy
Released as a 2× vinyl record album, re-released on CD in 1995.Side A:#Hello Texas – Jimmy Buffett #All Night Long – Joe Walsh #Times Like These – Dan Fogelberg #Nine Tonight – Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band...
, which was filmed in Pasadena. Because of its location skirting the ship channel where most of the city's refineries are located, Pasadena is considered the backbone of Houston's enormous petrochemical complex. The nearby cities of Baytown
Baytown, Texas
Baytown is a city within Harris County and partially in Chambers County in the Gulf Coast region of the U.S. state of Texas. Located within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area, it lies along both State Highway 146 and Interstate 10. As of 2010, Baytown had an population of 71,802...
, La Porte
La Porte, Texas
La Porte is a city in Harris County, Texas within the Bay Area of the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 31,880...
which is home to the San Jacinto Monument
San Jacinto Monument
The San Jacinto Monument is a high column located on the Houston Ship Channel in unincorporated Harris County, Texas near the city of La Porte. The monument is topped with a 220-ton star that commemorates the site of the Battle of San Jacinto, the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution...
, , and Channelview
Channelview, Texas
Channelview is a census-designated place in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area and Harris County. The population was 29,685 at the 2000 census...
are also host to many refineries and chemical plants. Other nearby cities are Deer Park
Deer Park, Texas
Deer Park is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The city is located in Harris County and is situated in Southeast Texas. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Deer Park was 32,010....
, Galena Park
Galena Park, Texas
Galena Park is a city in Harris County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The population was 10,887 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, and South Houston
South Houston, Texas
South Houston is a city in Harris County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The population was 15,833 at the 2000 census. It is bordered by the city of Houston and the city of Pasadena.-History:...
.
Katy
Katy, Texas
Katy is a city located in Harris, Fort Bend and Waller Counties in the U.S. state of Texas, within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area...
is about 30 minutes west of downtown. Many people live between Katy and Houston — those areas have "Katy" addresses and are referred to as the "Katy Area", while the city proper is known as "Old Katy". Because of this, the "Greater Katy" area has a population of over 250,000. Several developments are located in this area, including Cinco Ranch
Cinco Ranch, Texas
Cinco Ranch is a census-designated place and master-planned community located in the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Houston within Fort Bend and Harris Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 11,196 at the 2000 census. It lies about 25 miles west of the Harris County seat of...
, Green Trails, Kelliwood, and various other communities. Much of the Katy area borders the western portion of the Barker Reservoir
Barker Reservoir
Barker Meadow Reservoir is a water supply reservoir in the Colorado Front Range located near the town of Nederland, Colorado in southwestern Boulder County....
, and is home to Katy Mills Mall. The Katy area also stretches into northern Fort Bend County as well as southeast Waller County.
Cypress
Cypress, Texas
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...
is an unincorporated area about 30 minutes northwest of downtown. Originally a grouping of rice farms and forest, this area has seen tremendous growth since the 1980s, almost all of it single-family housing. Cypress is also home of Cy-Fair ISD
Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District
The Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District is a school district in northwest unincorporated Harris County, Texas, United States...
, metro Houston's second-largest school district. Other cities to the northwest are Jersey Village
Jersey Village, Texas
Jersey Village is a city in west central Harris County, Texas, United States, located at U.S. Highway 290, Farm to Market Road 529, and the Southern Pacific Railroad. The city is located in the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The population was 7,254 in 2009, and 7620 in...
, a bedroom community at the intersection of Beltway 8 and the Northwest Freeway, and Tomball
Tomball, Texas
Tomball is a city in Harris county in the U.S. state of Texas, a part of the Houston metropolitan area. The population was 9,089 at the 2000 census. In 1907, the community of Peck was renamed Tomball. The city are named for local congressman Thomas Henry Ball, who had a major role in the...
, a city of around 25,000 at the edge of Harris County.
Between Cypress and Katy lies Bridgeland
Bridgeland, Texas
Bridgeland Community is a master-planned community under construction in unincorporated Harris County, Texas to the northwest of Houston between U.S. Highway 290 and Interstate 10...
, a large development in the early stages of construction. At completion, the developers expect a population of 65,000 in the area.
Humble, Texas is a town 20 miles northeast of Downtown, adjacent to Bush Intercontinental Airport. Humble area has a sizable population, which includes Atascocita. While the city of Humble itself has a high crime rate, the area is one of the fastest and safest areas in Houston.
Fort Bend County
Sugar LandSugar Land, Texas
Sugar Land is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area and Fort Bend County. Sugar Land is one of the most affluent and fastest-growing cities in Texas, having grown more than 158 percent in the last decade. In the time period of 2000–2007, Sugar Land also enjoyed a...
is a city southwest of Houston in northeast Fort Bend County
Fort Bend County, Texas
Fort Bend County is a county located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. In 2000 its population was 354,452, while the 2010 U.S...
, and is named for the former Imperial Sugar
Imperial Sugar
Imperial Sugar is a major U.S. sugar producer and marketer based in Sugar Land, Texas, with sugar refinery operations in California, Georgia, and Louisiana....
refinery. It is home to a number of international energy, software and product firms. It also is one of the fastest-growing and wealthiest cities in the state due to the numerous master-planned communities in the area, such as First Colony, New Territory, Greatwood, Sugar Creek, Sugar Lakes, Avalon, and Riverstone. Sugar Land has the most master-planned communities within Fort Bend County, which is home to the largest number of master-planned communities in the nation. Sugar Land ranked as the hottest place to live within the state of 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...
and was third in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for 2006 according to Money
Money (magazine)
Money is published by Time Inc. Its first issue was published in October 1972. Its articles cover the gamut of personal finance topics ranging from investing, saving, retirement and taxes to family finance issues like paying for college, credit, career and home improvement...
magazine, with the city receiving honors for its quality government services, affordable housing, and diversity (around one-quarter of Sugar Land's residents are Asian-American).
Stafford
Stafford, Texas
Stafford is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The city is mostly in Fort Bend County with a small portion in Harris County. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, Stafford's population was 15,681....
lies between Sugar Land and Houston, straddling Fort Bend and Harris counties. Stafford is home to many corporate campuses due to the lack of a municipal property tax. The Stafford Municipal School District
Stafford Municipal School District
Stafford Municipal School District is a school district based in Stafford, Texas, United States. The district covers all of the city of Stafford and is controlled by the city, the only school district in Texas that is not an independent school district operated by an independent school board.There...
, run by the city, is the only school district in Texas run by a municipal government.
In 1890, the land that now comprises Missouri City
Missouri City, Texas
Missouri City is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area. The city is mostly in Fort Bend County with a small portion within Harris County. As of the 2000 U.S...
was advertised for sale in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
and surrounding areas as "a land of genial sunshine and eternal summer." Despite all the efforts to appeal to settlers from the "north", the first actual settlers came from Arlington, Texas
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
- between Dallas and Fort Worth - in early 1894. Partially within Harris County, but mostly in neighboring Fort Bend County
Fort Bend County, Texas
Fort Bend County is a county located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. In 2000 its population was 354,452, while the 2010 U.S...
, the city boasts a large African American population. "Mo City", as it is sometimes called, has experienced significant "white flight
White flight
White flight has been a term that originated in the United States, starting in the mid-20th century, and applied to the large-scale migration of whites of various European ancestries from racially mixed urban regions to more racially homogeneous suburban or exurban regions. It was first seen as...
". Most of this white flight has occurred in the northeastern portions of the city which are now predominantly black, and master-planned communities within the city such as Quail Valley and Lake Olympia boast significant white populations, and some of these communities have pockets of African-American and Asian-American residents. Sienna Plantation
Sienna Plantation, Texas
Sienna Plantation is a census-designated place and master-planned community located in Missouri City, mostly in its extraterritorial jurisdiction, within Fort Bend County, Texas...
, an unincorporated community within Missouri City's 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...
, is culturally one with Missouri City.
Brazoria County
PearlandPearland, Texas
Pearland , is a city located along the Gulf Coast region in the US state of Texas within the metropolitan area and is in the counties of Brazoria, Fort Bend, and Harris. As of the census of 2000, the city's population was 37,640. As of 2008, Pearland is estimated to have a population of 90,700...
is a city located south of Houston in Brazoria County
Brazoria County, Texas
Brazoria County[p] is a county in the U.S. state of Texas, located on the Gulf Coast within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. Regionally, parts of the county are within the extreme southern-most fringe of the regions locally known as Southeast Texas. Brazoria County is among a...
with a small portion in Harris County. Pearland is the fastest-growing city in Brazoria County — it has increased from about 19,000 to 39,000 residents in the 1990s alone (based on 2000 U.S. Census figures). It has since increased from 39,000 to 82,000 since 2000. It is home to companies such as Wheatherford and Aggreko. It is the closest suburb to Downtown Houston and the Texas Medical Center (about 10 miles away), which attracts professionals from the oil, gas, energy, medical and aerospace industries. Some of the master-planned communities found in the area are Silverlake, Silvercreek, and Shadow Creek Ranch
Shadow Creek Ranch
Shadow Creek Ranch is a master planned community in Pearland, Texas, United States. Shadow Creek Ranch is along State Highway 288, which connects Brazoria County with Houston....
.
Montgomery County
The WoodlandsThe Woodlands, Texas
The Woodlands is a master-planned community and a Census-designated place in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area. The population of the CDP was 55,649 at the 2000 census—a 90 percent increase over its 1990 population. According to the 2010 census, The Woodlands' population rose...
is a large master-planned community about 30 miles north of Downtown Houston in Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Texas
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The county was created by an act of the Congress of the Republic of Texas on December 14, 1837. The county was named for the town of Montgomery, Texas. In 2000, its...
. It is one of the largest and most popular master-planned communities in the country. Most of The Woodlands lies in the city of Houston's 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...
(ETJ) and the city limits of Shenandoah
Shenandoah, Texas
Shenandoah is a city in Montgomery County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,503 at the 2000 census. David Vetter, the famous "boy in the plastic bubble", was from Shenandoah. In 1986 the Shenandoah city council renamed Tamina School Road to David Memorial Drive in honor of...
. Negotiations are under way with Houston and Conroe
Conroe, Texas
Conroe is a suburban city 40 miles north of Houston in the gulf coastal plains/piney woods region of southeast Texas.It is the seat of Montgomery County and falls within the metropolitan area.As of the 2000 U.S...
to the north to release The Woodlands from these ETJs and some in the community want The Woodlands to become a full city itself.
Galveston County
A popular day trip may include GalvestonGalveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
to visit Moody Gardens
Moody Gardens
Moody Gardens is a tourist complex in Galveston, Texas. It is owned, through a complex agreement, by the City of Galveston but funded, operated, and supported by the multi-billion dollar Moody Foundation....
or the beach. Before near destruction in 1900 Galveston was larger and wealthier than Houston, dubbed "The Wall Street of the Southwest" and on par with New Orleans as the Gulf Coast
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
's premier city. Galveston is also home to the new Schlitterbahn
Schlitterbahn
Schlitterbahn is a family-owned and operated company based in New Braunfels, Texas, USA. Schlitterbahn began its first park, Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort, in 1979. Since then Schlitterbahn has developed three waterparks located in Texas and one in Kansas City, Kansas.Schlitterbahn Waterparks are...
Waterpark. The waterpark is located across the street from Moody Gardens. Galveston's vulnerability on a narrow barrier bar island led to the creation of the Port of Houston, made by dredging the shallow Buffalo Bayou and Galveston Bay
Galveston Bay
Galveston Bay is a large estuary located along the upper coast of Texas in the United States. It is connected to the Gulf of Mexico and is surrounded by sub-tropic marshes and prairies on the mainland. The water in the Bay is a complex mixture of sea water and fresh water which supports a wide...
to form a protected port some 40 miles (64 km) inland of the open Gulf and less than 10 miles (16 km) from Houston's central business district. Beach houses owned by Houstonians have sprung up in other cities along the Gulf of Mexico's shoreline. Another tourist hot spot is Kemah
Kemah, Texas
Kemah is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The city's population was 2,330 as of the 2000 census. Located in Galveston County, Kemah's main industry comes from shipping...
where visitors see the Kemah Boardwalk
Kemah Boardwalk
The Kemah Boardwalk is a hotel and restaurant destination in Kemah, Texas, USA. The main attractions of the complex, which opened in 2001, are its many restaurants overlooking Galveston Bay. The area was developed by Landry's Restaurants, which owns all of the restaurants on the boardwalk...
, which has many seafood restaurants and local tourist attractions. Kemah is surrounded by Galveston Bay to the east and Clear Lake Shores
Clear Lake Shores, Texas
Clear Lake Shores is a city in Galveston County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. Clear Lake Shores is regarded as "The Yachting Capital of Texas" as the City has more boat slips than people. As of the 2000 U.S...
(a brackish-water boater's paradise with open pass through to Galveston Bay) to the west.
Four other cities lay along Interstate 45 on mainland Galveston County. League City
League City, Texas
League City is a city in Galveston County and Harris County in the U.S. state of Texas, within the metropolitan area. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 45,444; in the 2006 census estimate, the population was listed as 67,200. The 2010 Census places the population of League City...
, is the largest city in the county surpassing Galveston between 2000 and 2005, and the northernmost city in the county, with parts of it extending into Harris County. Dickinson
Dickinson, Texas
Dickinson is a city in Galveston County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The population was 17,093 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, La Marque
La Marque, Texas
La Marque is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 14,509...
, and Texas City make up the other remaining cities in the county.
External links
- Master Planned Communities - Houston ChronicleHouston ChronicleThe Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...