The Woodlands, Texas
Encyclopedia
The Woodlands is a master-planned community and a Census-designated place
(CDP) 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 by 68.6% to 93,847 in 2010. Much of The Woodlands is located in the city of Houston's extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), but small portions of the development extend into the ETJ of Shenandoah
and Conroe
.
The Woodlands is located 28 miles (45.1 km) north of Houston along Interstate 45
. Though it began as a suburban development and a bedroom community, it also has attracted corporations to the area. As a result, the area features several corporate campuses, most notably Chevron Phillips
, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation
, Baker Hughes
, CB&I, US Oncology, Hewitt Associates
, Maersk Line, and Safmarine
. The development won a Special Award for Excellence in 1994 from the Urban Land Institute
.
in 1974, managed by The Woodlands Corporation as an extension of Mitchell Energy & Development. Mitchell, an oil businessperson, planned to establish a conference center, hotels, office parks, retail malls, schools, large distribution centers, and golf courses. The house offerings would range from affordable to expensive and large. Bill Schadewald of the Houston Business Journal said that Mitchell wanted the development to "entice city slickers looking for far-flung suburban quality of life." Schadewald said that local sources stated that the New Town program, a federally funded program, had a "low survival rate" and questioned whether The Woodlands would succeed.
The Woodlands Corporation was acquired on July 31, 1997 by a joint partnership between Morgan Stanley
and Crescent Real Estate Equities. In December 2003, the Rouse Company acquired Crescent's interest in The Woodlands, Rouse was itself sold to General Growth Properties
Inc. on November 12, 2004.
The tract of land where The Woodlands is situated was previously occupied by the Grogan-Cochran Lumber Mill and are the namesakes for the Grogan's Mill and Cochran's Crossing neighborhoods, called "villages". The original planning of The Woodlands utilized many of the planning concepts and design consultants employed in other well regarded new communities of that era such as Columbia, Maryland
, Irvine Ranch, California and Reston, Virginia
. The original development plan included environmental design principles espoused by Ian McHarg
, a distinguished landscape architect, teacher and author of the seminal work "Design With Nature."
The Woodlands continues to grow residentially and commercially as many companies are moving to The Woodlands. In addition to Chevron Phillips, Huntsman, Anadarko
, Hewitt Associates
, Lexicon Pharmaceuticals
, Mærsk Sealand, Chicago Bridge & Iron, and Woodforest National Bank
have set up operations in the development. The Woodlands Town Center area includes shopping and eating facilities, plus a waterway resembling the San Antonio River Walk
,yet unique in its design and Riverboats that are enclosed for added comfort.
On September 13, 2008, The Woodlands sustained extensive damage because of Hurricane Ike
. Sustained winds of 85 mi/h brought down thousands of trees, powerlines, and billboards in the area and severely damaged the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Ike was the first hurricane to directly affect the area since Hurricane Alicia
in 1983.
In 2011 Schadewald said "Now: Obviously, The Woodlands had quite a future. Somewhere between First Colony and The Woodlands, I realized why visionary real estate developers strike it rich more often than skeptical real estate reporters."
almost a decade before. To counteract any possible move by the city, a movement began to create an independent city government. However, the formation of an independent government by The Woodlands would require authorization by the State of Texas and the City of Houston, as Houston held extraterritorial jurisdiction over the area.
In 2007, two state legislators representing Woodlands voters, Sen. Tommy Williams and Rep. Robert Eissler, created and passed two bills in the 2007 Legislature - House Bill 4109 and Senate Bill 1012. HB 4109 called for a vote to allow expansion of an existing improvement district (now The Woodlands Township) and to allow The Woodlands to collect sales tax, while SB 1012 allowed for the creation of regional agreements between governments. The passage of these bills allowed an opportunity for The Woodlands to incorporate itself.
To make the City of Houston agree to release the Woodlands from its ETJ, the city and the development entered into a regional agreement by which The Woodlands put 16 million dollars into a fund the city of Houston can use for general improvements. In return, Houston will release the development from its ETJ allowing The Woodlands to incorporate through an election in 2014 and create a city government.
In addition, The Woodlands entered into a similar regional agreement with Conroe to avoid annexation of a municipal utility district inside The Woodlands. The Woodlands put $320,000 into a fund to serve mutual interests. In return, Conroe ended annexation proceedings and will release the district to The Woodlands in 2014.
, the CDP has a total area of 23.9 square miles (61.9 km²), of which, 23.4 square miles (60.6 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it (2.09%) is water.
The development is situated in a heavily forested area and much of the community has retained trees for shade and decoration. The terrain is of small rolling hills.
of 2000, there were 55,649 people, 19,881 households, and 15,546 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 2,328.4 people per square mile (900.5/km²).There were 21,014 housing units at an average density of 897.7 per square mile (346.6/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.36% White, 1.75% Black, 0.29% Native American, 2.80% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.43% from other races
, and 1.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 28% of the population.
There were 19,881 households out of which 47.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.2% were married couples
living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.8% were non-families. 19.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 31.8% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 7.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $85,253, and the median income for a family was $98,675. Males have a median income of $78,642 versus $38,505 for females. The Per capita income
for the CDP was $37,724. About 3.0% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the CDP had risen to $94,626, and the median income for a family had risen to $113,243.
, over one third of it was in The Woodlands.
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation
has its headquarters in The Woodlands. On February 11, 1999 Anadarko announced that it would purchase a 7.5 acres (30,351.5 m²) tract in The Woodlands from The Woodlands Land Company. There Anadarko planned to 800000 square feet (74,322.4 m²), 32 story headquarters building. Anadarko planned to open the headquarters in mid-2002. As of 2000 the Anadarko building was the largest office project in The Woodlands.
Chicago Bridge & Iron's worldwide administrative office is in The Woodlands.
In 2000 work began on a 100000 square foot building for Maersk Sealand in The Woodlands.
In 2011 ExxonMobil
announced plans to construct a new complex on a 385 acre plot of land near the intersection of the Hardy Toll Road
and Interstate 45
. About 8,000 employees of the company in the Houston area will relocate to the campus starting in 2014, with full occupancy done by 2015.
As of the same year, many wealthy Mexican nationals who settled in Whe Woodlands due to rising crime in Mexico had established businesses in The Woodlands.
s post office include The Woodlands Post Office at 9450 Pinecroft Drive and the Panther Creek Post Office at 10800 Gosling Road.
The central law enforcement agency in the Woodlands is the Montgomery County sheriff’s Office. They patrol all roads and highways within the CDP and have a barracks located within the area.
. Children residing in the May Valley neighborhood in Sterling Ridge Village attend schools in the Magnolia Independent School District
. Children from the Creekside Park Village in Harris County
attend the Tomball Independent School District
. Montgomery County Memorial Library System
operates two libraries in The Woodlands, the South Branch and the George and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Library. Most schools in The Woodlands have the honored rank of an exemplary school, the highest possible school ranking in Texas. Texas students are administered the TAKS test, a review of general knowledge, which can determine students promotion to the next grade level.
(TWHS) serves the south western portion of The Woodlands in Montgomery County. Refer to the Conroe School District for specific feeders. TWHS is ranked 760 on Newsweek
's 2007 list of the 1000 Best High Schools in America.
The Woodlands College Park High School
, which opened in 2005, is a second high school serving the north eastern portion of The Woodlands in Montgomery County. Refer to the Conroe School District for specific feeders.
Magnolia High School
serves pupils residing in the neighborhood of May Valley, and Tomball High School
serves pupils residing inside the Harris County portion of the township.
Junior high schools
Montgomery County, Texas
. The district moved to its current location on March 17, 2003.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
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...
within the metropolitan area. The population of the CDP was 55,649 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
—a 90 percent increase over its 1990 population. According to the 2010 census, The Woodlands' population rose by 68.6% to 93,847 in 2010. Much of The Woodlands is located in the city of Houston's extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), but small portions of the development extend into the ETJ 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...
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...
.
The Woodlands is located 28 miles (45.1 km) north of Houston along Interstate 45
Interstate 45
Interstate 45 is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. It connects the cities of Dallas and Houston, continuing southeast from Houston to Galveston over the Galveston Causeway to the Gulf of Mexico...
. Though it began as a suburban development and a bedroom community, it also has attracted corporations to the area. As a result, the area features several corporate campuses, most notably Chevron Phillips
Chevron Phillips
Chevron Phillips is a chemical producer jointly owned by Chevron Corporation and ConocoPhillips. The company was formed July 1, 2000 by merging the chemicals operations of both Chevron Corporation and Phillips Petroleum Company. A 50/50 venture, the company continues to be governed by a board of...
, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation is one of the world’s largest independent oil and gas exploration and production companies, with approximately 2.3 billion barrels of oil equivalent of proved reserves and production of 206 million BOE as of December 31, 2008. Anadarko employs a worldwide...
, Baker Hughes
Baker Hughes
Baker Hughes Baker Hughes provides the world's oil & gas industry with products and services for drilling, formation evaluation, completion, production and reservoir consulting. Baker Hughes operates in over 90 countries worldwide mainly based in countries with a mature petroleum industry as is...
, CB&I, US Oncology, Hewitt Associates
Hewitt Associates
Hewitt Associates , based in Lincolnshire, Illinois, United States was a global human resources outsourcing and consulting firm delivering a complete range of integrated services to help companies manage their total HR and employee costs, enhance HR services, and improve their workforces.Hewitt...
, Maersk Line, and Safmarine
Safmarine
Safmarine is an international shipping business offering container and break-bulk shipping services worldwide....
. The development won a Special Award for Excellence in 1994 from the Urban Land Institute
Urban Land Institute
The Urban Land Institute, or ULI, is a non-profit research and education organization with offices in Washington, D.C., Hong Kong, and London...
.
History
The Woodlands was dedicated by George P. MitchellGeorge P. Mitchell
George Phydias Mitchell is an American businessman, real estate developer and philanthropist from Texas.-Biography:He was born to Greek immigrant parents in the port city of Galveston, Texas. Mitchell earned a degree from Texas A&M University with an emphasis in geology and petroleum engineering...
in 1974, managed by The Woodlands Corporation as an extension of Mitchell Energy & Development. Mitchell, an oil businessperson, planned to establish a conference center, hotels, office parks, retail malls, schools, large distribution centers, and golf courses. The house offerings would range from affordable to expensive and large. Bill Schadewald of the Houston Business Journal said that Mitchell wanted the development to "entice city slickers looking for far-flung suburban quality of life." Schadewald said that local sources stated that the New Town program, a federally funded program, had a "low survival rate" and questioned whether The Woodlands would succeed.
The Woodlands Corporation was acquired on July 31, 1997 by a joint partnership between Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley is a global financial services firm headquartered in New York City serving a diversified group of corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals. Morgan Stanley also operates in 36 countries around the world, with over 600 offices and a workforce of over 60,000....
and Crescent Real Estate Equities. In December 2003, the Rouse Company acquired Crescent's interest in The Woodlands, Rouse was itself sold to General Growth Properties
General Growth Properties
General Growth Properties, Inc. is a publicly traded real estate investment trust in the United States. It is based in Chicago, Illinois at 110 North Wacker Drive, a historic building designed by architectural firm Graham, Anderson, Probst & White...
Inc. on November 12, 2004.
The tract of land where The Woodlands is situated was previously occupied by the Grogan-Cochran Lumber Mill and are the namesakes for the Grogan's Mill and Cochran's Crossing neighborhoods, called "villages". The original planning of The Woodlands utilized many of the planning concepts and design consultants employed in other well regarded new communities of that era such as Columbia, Maryland
Columbia, Maryland
Columbia is a planned community that consists of ten self-contained villages, located in Howard County, Maryland, United States. It began with the idea that a city could enhance its residents' quality of life. Creator and developer James W. Rouse saw the new community in terms of human values, not...
, Irvine Ranch, California and Reston, Virginia
Reston, Virginia
Reston is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The population was 58,404, at the 2010 Census and 56,407 at the 2000 census...
. The original development plan included environmental design principles espoused by Ian McHarg
Ian McHarg
Ian L. McHarg was born in Clydebank, Scotland and became a landscape architect and a renowned writer on regional planning using natural systems. He was the founder of the department of landscape architecture at the University of Pennsylvania in the United States. His 1969 book Design with Nature...
, a distinguished landscape architect, teacher and author of the seminal work "Design With Nature."
The Woodlands continues to grow residentially and commercially as many companies are moving to The Woodlands. In addition to Chevron Phillips, Huntsman, Anadarko
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation is one of the world’s largest independent oil and gas exploration and production companies, with approximately 2.3 billion barrels of oil equivalent of proved reserves and production of 206 million BOE as of December 31, 2008. Anadarko employs a worldwide...
, Hewitt Associates
Hewitt Associates
Hewitt Associates , based in Lincolnshire, Illinois, United States was a global human resources outsourcing and consulting firm delivering a complete range of integrated services to help companies manage their total HR and employee costs, enhance HR services, and improve their workforces.Hewitt...
, Lexicon Pharmaceuticals
Lexicon Pharmaceuticals
Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in discovering and developing breakthrough treatments for human disease. The company was founded in 1995 in The Woodlands, Texas under the name Lexicon Genetics, Incorporated...
, Mærsk Sealand, Chicago Bridge & Iron, and Woodforest National Bank
Woodforest National Bank
Woodforest National Bank is a privately held bank headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas. Consisting of over 750 branches in 17 different states, Woodforest National Bank is among the nation’s largest full-service in-store banks...
have set up operations in the development. The Woodlands Town Center area includes shopping and eating facilities, plus a waterway resembling the San Antonio River Walk
San Antonio River Walk
The San Antonio River Walk is a network of walkways along the banks of the San Antonio River, one story beneath downtown San Antonio, Texas...
,yet unique in its design and Riverboats that are enclosed for added comfort.
On September 13, 2008, The Woodlands sustained extensive damage because of Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike was the second-costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States, the costliest hurricane ever to impact Cuba and the second most active hurricane to reach the Canadian mainland in the Great Lakes Region after Hurricane Hazel in 1954...
. Sustained winds of 85 mi/h brought down thousands of trees, powerlines, and billboards in the area and severely damaged the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Ike was the first hurricane to directly affect the area since Hurricane Alicia
Hurricane Alicia
Hurricane Alicia was the costliest tropical cyclone in the Atlantic since Hurricane Agnes in 1972. Alicia was the third depression, the first tropical storm, and the only major hurricane of the 1983 Atlantic hurricane season...
in 1983.
In 2011 Schadewald said "Now: Obviously, The Woodlands had quite a future. Somewhere between First Colony and The Woodlands, I realized why visionary real estate developers strike it rich more often than skeptical real estate reporters."
Incorporation
Mitchell's original plan envisioned for The Woodlands to be annexed by the city of Houston. In the middle part of the 2000s decade, some Woodlands residents feared annexation by the city of Houston, as had happened to the Kingwood developmentKingwood, Houston, Texas
Kingwood is a 14,000 acre master-planned community located in northeast Houston, Texas, United States. The majority of the community is located in Harris County with a small portion in Montgomery County...
almost a decade before. To counteract any possible move by the city, a movement began to create an independent city government. However, the formation of an independent government by The Woodlands would require authorization by the State of Texas and the City of Houston, as Houston held extraterritorial jurisdiction over the area.
In 2007, two state legislators representing Woodlands voters, Sen. Tommy Williams and Rep. Robert Eissler, created and passed two bills in the 2007 Legislature - House Bill 4109 and Senate Bill 1012. HB 4109 called for a vote to allow expansion of an existing improvement district (now The Woodlands Township) and to allow The Woodlands to collect sales tax, while SB 1012 allowed for the creation of regional agreements between governments. The passage of these bills allowed an opportunity for The Woodlands to incorporate itself.
To make the City of Houston agree to release the Woodlands from its ETJ, the city and the development entered into a regional agreement by which The Woodlands put 16 million dollars into a fund the city of Houston can use for general improvements. In return, Houston will release the development from its ETJ allowing The Woodlands to incorporate through an election in 2014 and create a city government.
In addition, The Woodlands entered into a similar regional agreement with Conroe to avoid annexation of a municipal utility district inside The Woodlands. The Woodlands put $320,000 into a fund to serve mutual interests. In return, Conroe ended annexation proceedings and will release the district to The Woodlands in 2014.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 23.9 square miles (61.9 km²), of which, 23.4 square miles (60.6 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it (2.09%) is water.
The development is situated in a heavily forested area and much of the community has retained trees for shade and decoration. The terrain is of small rolling hills.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 55,649 people, 19,881 households, and 15,546 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,328.4 people per square mile (900.5/km²).There were 21,014 housing units at an average density of 897.7 per square mile (346.6/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.36% White, 1.75% Black, 0.29% Native American, 2.80% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.43% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 28% of the population.
There were 19,881 households out of which 47.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.8% were non-families. 19.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 31.8% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 7.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $85,253, and the median income for a family was $98,675. Males have a median income of $78,642 versus $38,505 for females. The Per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $37,724. About 3.0% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the CDP had risen to $94,626, and the median income for a family had risen to $113,243.
Economy
By 2000 a significant amount of corporate office space was under construction in The Woodlands. Of the 4800000 square foot of office space under construction in Greater HoustonGreater 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...
, over one third of it was in The Woodlands.
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation is one of the world’s largest independent oil and gas exploration and production companies, with approximately 2.3 billion barrels of oil equivalent of proved reserves and production of 206 million BOE as of December 31, 2008. Anadarko employs a worldwide...
has its headquarters in The Woodlands. On February 11, 1999 Anadarko announced that it would purchase a 7.5 acres (30,351.5 m²) tract in The Woodlands from The Woodlands Land Company. There Anadarko planned to 800000 square feet (74,322.4 m²), 32 story headquarters building. Anadarko planned to open the headquarters in mid-2002. As of 2000 the Anadarko building was the largest office project in The Woodlands.
Chicago Bridge & Iron's worldwide administrative office is in The Woodlands.
In 2000 work began on a 100000 square foot building for Maersk Sealand in The Woodlands.
In 2011 ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil
Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas...
announced plans to construct a new complex on a 385 acre plot of land near the intersection of the Hardy Toll Road
Hardy Toll Road
The Hardy Toll Road runs from Interstate 610, near central Houston, to Interstate 45, north of Houston just below the Harris County line. The road generally parallels Interstate 45. The portion from I-610 to Crosstimbers Road is known as Spur 548, although this is unsigned.Construction on the...
and Interstate 45
Interstate 45
Interstate 45 is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. It connects the cities of Dallas and Houston, continuing southeast from Houston to Galveston over the Galveston Causeway to the Gulf of Mexico...
. About 8,000 employees of the company in the Houston area will relocate to the campus starting in 2014, with full occupancy done by 2015.
As of the same year, many wealthy Mexican nationals who settled in Whe Woodlands due to rising crime in Mexico had established businesses in The Woodlands.
Government and infrastructure
United States Postal ServiceUnited 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...
s post office include The Woodlands Post Office at 9450 Pinecroft Drive and the Panther Creek Post Office at 10800 Gosling Road.
The central law enforcement agency in the Woodlands is the Montgomery County sheriff’s Office. They patrol all roads and highways within the CDP and have a barracks located within the area.
Culture and entertainment
The Woodlands offers many entertainment venues including two movie theaters, over 150 restaurants, a publicly accessible waterway, and dancing waterfalls with music. Also featured is the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, summer home of the Houston Symphony and catering to many large acts (rock bands to classical). The Woodlands Waterway will eventually be more than 1/2 mile long, reaching from The Woodlands Mall around to Lake Woodlands and featuring wide, lighted sidewalks along both sides and Waterway Taxis. Additional attractions include Market Street, an old style "Main Street" pedestrian shopping district, home to a movie theater and a variety of shops and restaurants. The Woodlands Mall borders the waterway and is adjacent to Market Street, thus forming a large pedestrian friendly shopping district. In addition, each of the "villages" in The Woodlands has its own shopping center with a core grocery store and various shops, banks, gas, restaurants, etc.Education
Most students in the Montgomery County-portion of The Woodlands attend schools in the Conroe Independent School DistrictConroe Independent School District
Conroe Independent School District is a school district based in the Deane L. Sadler Administration/Technology Center in Conroe, Texas.CISD serves the cities of Conroe, Oak Ridge North, and Shenandoah, and the towns of Cut and Shoot and Woodloch...
. Children residing in the May Valley neighborhood in Sterling Ridge Village attend schools in the Magnolia Independent School District
Magnolia Independent School District
Magnolia Independent School District is a public school district based in Magnolia, Texas .In addition to Magnolia, the district also serves the town of Stagecoach and the community of Pinehurst....
. Children from the Creekside Park Village 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...
attend the Tomball Independent School District
Tomball Independent School District
Tomball Independent School District is a school district serving Tomball, Texas .Tomball ISD serves some areas in northern Harris County and southwestern Montgomery County, Texas, including the city of Tomball, , Creekside Park Village , and the communities of Hufsmith, Decker Prairie, and Rose...
. Montgomery County Memorial Library System
Montgomery County Memorial Library System
Montgomery County Memorial Library System is a public library system in Montgomery County, Texas, United States.The system operates libraries in several Montgomery County cities and areas.-History:...
operates two libraries in The Woodlands, the South Branch and the George and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Library. Most schools in The Woodlands have the honored rank of an exemplary school, the highest possible school ranking in Texas. Texas students are administered the TAKS test, a review of general knowledge, which can determine students promotion to the next grade level.
Public schools
The Woodlands High SchoolThe Woodlands High School
The Woodlands High School is a public high school in The Woodlands CDP, unincorporated Montgomery County, Texas, United States and is a part of the Conroe Independent School District...
(TWHS) serves the south western portion of The Woodlands in Montgomery County. Refer to the Conroe School District for specific feeders. TWHS is ranked 760 on Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
's 2007 list of the 1000 Best High Schools in America.
The Woodlands College Park High School
The Woodlands College Park High School
The Woodlands College Park High School is a high school in The Woodlands, SPD area of Montgomery County, Texas in the United States that is operated by the Conroe Independent School District...
, which opened in 2005, is a second high school serving the north eastern portion of The Woodlands in Montgomery County. Refer to the Conroe School District for specific feeders.
Magnolia High School
Magnolia High School (Texas)
Magnolia High School is one of two public high schools in the Magnolia Independent School District in Montgomery County, Magnolia, Texas, USA. The mission of Magnolia High School's family of students, parents, and staff is to create and maintain a safe, respectful learning environment that...
serves pupils residing in the neighborhood of May Valley, and Tomball High School
Tomball High School
Tomball Senior High School is an accredited public high school in the city of Tomball, Texas. Until 2011, it was the only high school in the Tomball Independent School District, which serves nearly 9,500 students...
serves pupils residing inside the Harris County portion of the township.
Junior high schools
- Montgomery County: Knox Junior High School, McCullough Junior High School, Bear Branch Junior High School
- Harris County: Tomball Junior High School
Colleges and universities
Lone Star College (originally the North Harris Montgomery Community College District) serves the community. The territory in Conroe ISD joined the community college district in 1991, and the territory in Tomball ISD had joined the district in 1982. The headquarters of the Lone Star College System are located in The Woodlands and in unincorporatedUnincorporated 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...
Montgomery County, Texas
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...
. The district moved to its current location on March 17, 2003.
Neighborhoods
Organized into "villages" which are further subdivided into "neighborhoods."- Village of Alden Bridge: Northwest corner of development. Bordered by FM 2978Farm to Market Road 2978Farm to Market Road 2978 is a farm to market road in Harris and Montgomery counties, Texas.-Route description:The southern terminus of FM 2978 is at just east of the Tomball city limits. The road travels north along Hufsmith–Kohrville Road, through the community of Hufsmith and along the western...
on the West and FM 1488Farm to Market Road 1488Farm to Market Road 1488, or FM 1488, is a state highway in the U.S. state of Texas. Its western terminus is at an intersection with Business U.S. Highway 290 in Hempstead and travels east-northeast, ending at Interstate 45 between The Woodlands and Conroe...
and the Jones State Forest on the North (opened 1993). - Village of Cochran's Crossing: location of The Woodlands High SchoolThe Woodlands High SchoolThe Woodlands High School is a public high school in The Woodlands CDP, unincorporated Montgomery County, Texas, United States and is a part of the Conroe Independent School District...
. Named for the Grogan-Cochran Lumber Mill (opened 1983). - Village of College ParkCollege Park-Canada:* College Park , a former Eaton's department store building in Toronto* College Park, Saskatoon, a neighbourhood* College Park East, Saskatoon, a neighborhood-United States:...
: location of Lone Star College. This village includes the area around State Highway 242Texas State Highway 242State Highway 242 is a Texas state highway connecting The Woodlands and Patton Village in southeast Texas.-Route description:SH 242 begins at in The Woodlands. The roadway, also known locally as College Park Drive, curves to the southeast and passes to the south of W. G. Jones State Forest. It...
and the Harper's Landing neighborhood east of I-45Interstate 45Interstate 45 is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. It connects the cities of Dallas and Houston, continuing southeast from Houston to Galveston over the Galveston Causeway to the Gulf of Mexico...
(opened 1995). - Village of Creekside Park: The last new village development to be undertaken by The Woodlands Development Company. A portion lies inside Harris County. Creekside Park is planned to have 5,516 single-family production homes, 541 age 55 and over homes, 738 multi-family residences, and 298 Custom Homes and Estate Homes in the gated community of Carlton Woods Creekside (opened 2007).
- Village of Grogan's Mill: The Woodlands' first neighborhood. Located near the Town Center. Named for the former Grogan-Cochran Lumber Mill (opened 1974).
- Village of Indian SpringsIndian Springs-Places in the United States:*Indian Springs, California , multiple locations*Indian Springs, Florida, a community in Jacksonville*Indian Springs, Georgia, a census-designated place in Catoosa County...
: The smallest of the villages, it lies on the northern border of Spring CreekSpring Creek (Harris County, Texas)Spring Creek is a creek that divides Harris and Montgomery County in Southeast Texas. It is the only natural creek in both Harris and Montgomery County. The Creek flows into the west fork of the San Jacinto River west of Lake Houston...
. Named for the BidaiBidaiThe Bidai were a band of Atakapa Indians from eastern Texas.-History:Their oral history says that the Bidai were the original peoples in their region. Their central settlements were along Bedias Creek, but their territory ranged from the Brazos River to the Neches River. The first written record...
s Indian artifactsArtifact (archaeology)An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
found during development (opened 1984). - Village of Panther CreekPanther CreekPanther Creek is a large creek in the U.S. state of Illinois. It rises near Minonk, and after flowing southwestward approximately , discharges into the Mackinaw River near Eureka...
: The Woodlands' second neighborhood. Borders the west shore of Lake Woodlands (opened 1976). - Village of Sterling Ridge: location of The Woodlands High School Ninth Grade Campus. Includes the gated community of Carlton Woods, which initially existed as a village in its own right (opened 2000).
- Town Center: a primarily commercial development. Location of Market Street, The Waterway District, The Woodlands MallThe Woodlands MallThe Woodlands Mall is a two-story, enclosed shopping mall located in The Woodlands community and in unincorporated Montgomery County, Texas, United States, north of Houston. With a gross leasable area of , The Woodlands Mall is considered a super-regional mall by industry definitions...
and The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, along with hotels and a convention center (formerly known as "Metro Center"). - Grogans Point - An estate section within the Village of Grogans Mill. Features larger lots (approx 3/4 acre)
People
Famous residents of The Woodlands past and present include:- Danny AmendolaDanny AmendolaDaniel Amendola is an American football wide receiver for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
, NFL player, St. Louis RamsSt. Louis RamsThe St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,... - Lance BlanksLance BlanksLance Blanks is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 1990 NBA Draft. A guard, Blanks played for the Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves in 3 NBA seasons, averaging 2.0 ppg...
, professional basketball player - Michael Glyn BrownMichael Glyn BrownMichael Glyn Brown is a former hand surgeon from Greater Houston, Texas. Brown is the owner of the Brown Hand Center. Craig Malislow of the Houston Press said that Brown has been "long a fixture of Houston TV commercials and society."-History:...
- Former hand surgeon (East Wedgwood Glen) - Win ButlerWin ButlerWin Butler is the lead vocalist and songwriter of the Montreal-based indie rock band Arcade Fire. His wife Régine Chassagne and his brother William Butler are both members of the band.-Life and career:...
frontman for the Grammy Award53rd Grammy AwardsThe 53rd annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights prior to the telecast on February 11. Nominations were...
winning Canadian indie rock group Arcade Fire - Hayes CarllHayes CarllJoshua Hayes Carll , known as Hayes Carll, is a Texas Country singer-songwriter from The Woodlands, Texas ....
, Critically acclaimed Country musician. - Chamillionare American rapper, singer, CEO, and philanthropist
- Jim DeshaiesJim DeshaiesJames Joseph "Jim" Deshaies , also known as "JD", is a former left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball and currently a TV commentator with the Houston Astros.- Major-league career :...
, Former MLB pitcher; announcer for the Houston Astros. - Doug DrabekDoug DrabekDouglas Dean Drabek is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. Known for his fluid pitching motion and sound mechanics, he won the National League Cy Young Award in 1990.-Early life:...
, Major league baseball player - Kyle DrabekKyle DrabekKyle Jordan Drabek is an American Major League Baseball pitcher with the Toronto Blue Jays. He made his first major league start on September 15, 2010 against the Baltimore Orioles....
, Major league baseball player, Toronto Blue JaysToronto Blue JaysThe Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
, son of Doug Drabek - Jack IngramJack IngramJack Owen Ingram is an American Texas Country artist signed to Big Machine Records, an independent record label. He has released eight studio albums, one extended play, six live albums and eighteen singles. Although active since 1992, Ingram did not reach the U.S. country Top 40 until the late...
Country Musician - Gerald IronsGerald IronsGerald Irons is a former American professional football player who played ten seasons in the National Football League. His youngest son Grant Irons plays for the Oakland Raiders. Eldest son Gerald, Jr. played for the Nebraska Cornhuskers and middle son Jarrett was the fifth junior elected captain...
NFL Player; Played for the Cleveland BrownsCleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Oakland RaidersOakland RaidersThe Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... - Larry IzzoLarry IzzoLawrence Alexander Izzo is a retired American football Linebacker and special teamer and current assistant special teams coach for the New York Giants. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 1996...
NFL Free Agent - David Macias, MLB Minor League baseball player.
- Nick MitchellNick MitchellNicholas Cole "Nick" Mitchell is an American professional wrestler who is best known for his work in World Wrestling Entertainment as Mitch of the Spirit Squad on the Raw brand. Before starting a wrestling career, Mitchell played football for the Beaumont Drillers while at Blinn College...
Former professional wrestler. Owner of the fashion boutique called "Officially Jaded" in Market Street. - Teagan PresleyTeagan PresleyTeagan Presley is an American pornographic actress. Her stage name in part comes from her parents initially wanting to call her "Teagan" and in part as an homage to Lisa Marie Presley.- Career :...
Pornstar*Jameson TaillonJameson TaillonJameson Taillon is a Canadian American professional baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization of Major League Baseball. He attended The Woodlands High School in Texas...
, Drafted 2nd overall by the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
in the 2010 MLB DraftMLB DraftThe First-Year Player Draft, also known as the Rule 4 Draft, is Major League Baseball's primary mechanism for assigning amateur baseball players, from high schools, colleges, and other amateur baseball clubs, to its teams. The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings, with...
. - Roy C. StricklandRoy C. StricklandRoy Clifton Strickland was a businessman in The Woodlands, Texas, north of Houston, who was a pioneer in the development of the Republican Party in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Strickland challenged the Democrat Gillis William Long, a part of the Long political dynasty, for the United States House...
Businessman and politician - Peter StroudPeter StroudPeter Stroud is an American lead guitarist, best known as the guitarist with Sheryl Crow, Don Henley, Pete Droge and Sarah McLachlan. He is also the co-founder of 65amps, a company that manufactures guitar amplifiers.-Biography:...
, Hanks Banks founder - Jameson TaillonJameson TaillonJameson Taillon is a Canadian American professional baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization of Major League Baseball. He attended The Woodlands High School in Texas...
, Drafted 2nd overall by the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
in the 2010 MLB DraftMLB DraftThe First-Year Player Draft, also known as the Rule 4 Draft, is Major League Baseball's primary mechanism for assigning amateur baseball players, from high schools, colleges, and other amateur baseball clubs, to its teams. The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings, with...
. - Laura WilkinsonLaura WilkinsonLaura Ann Wilkinson is a former American diver.- Background :As a child, Wilkinson was a gymnast, but had to give up on the sport after a growth spurt during puberty made her too tall to continue. It was then that she turned to diving. Wilkinson is a 2001 graduate of the University of Texas, where...
, First Olympic gold medal for a female American platform diver since 1964, Sydney 2000. - Torrie WilsonTorrie WilsonTorrie Anne Wilson is a retired American professional wrestler, fitness competitor and model. She is best known for her tenures in World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment , where she worked on both their SmackDown and Raw brands throughout her eight-year run.As a fitness...
Retired American professional wrestler, fitness competitor and model. Owner of the fashion boutique called "Officially Jaded" in Market Street.
External links
- U.S. Census Bureau map of The Woodlands
- The Woodlands Township, Local Government.
- The Woodlands Residents Site, Local Residents Site.