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ALL ABOUT Houston, Texas
Nickname: Space City , H-town
Location in the state of Texas (harris County)
Coordinates: 29°45'N 95°22'W? / ?29.75, -95.367
Country United States
State Texas
Counties Harris County
Fort Bend County
Montgomery County
Incorporated June 5, 1837
Government
- Mayor Bill White
Area
- City 601.7 sq mi (1,558 km²)
- Land 579.4 sq mi (1,501 km²)
- Water 22.3 sq mi (57.7 km²)
Elevation 43 ft (13 m)
Population
- City 2,144,491
- Density 3,701/sq mi (1,429/km²)
- Metro 5,539,949
Time zone CST (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
Website: www.houstontx.gov
Houston is the largest city in the state of Texas and the
fourth-largest in the United States. As of July 1, 2006,
the U.S. Census Bureau estimates the Houston population at 2,144,491.
The city covers more than 600 square miles
(1,600 km²). Houston is the county seat of Harris County and
part of the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan
area, the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the U.S., with a
population of more than 5.5 million.[3]
Houston was founded on August 30, 1836 by brothers Augustus Chapman
Allen and John Kirby Allen on land near the
banks of Buffalo Bayou. The city was incorporated on June 5, 1837 and
named after General Sam Houston, commander
at the Battle of San Jacinto. The burgeoning port and railroad
industry, combined with oil discovery in 1901, has
induced continual surges in Houston's population. In the 20th century,
Houston became the home of the Texas Medical
Center, the world's largest concentration of healthcare and research
institutions, and NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson
Space Center.
Houston's economy has a broad industrial base in the energy,
aeronautics, and technology industries: only New York
City is home to more Fortune 500 headquarters. The Port of Houston
ranks first in the United States in international
waterborne tonnage handled and second in total cargo tonnage
handled.[4] Houston is also home to Rice University,
one of the United States' leading teaching and research universities,
and the University of Houston, Texas's third-largest
public research university, with more than 36,000 students from 130
countries.
Houston is a multicultural city, with a large and growing international
community. The Museum District is home
to many cultural institutions and exhibits, attracting more than 7
million visitors a year. Houston has an active
visual and performing arts scene and is one of five U.S. cities that
offer year-round resident companies in all
major performing arts.[5]
Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Geography
2.1 Geology
2.2 Climate
2.3 Cityscape
3 Government and politics
4 Economy
5 Demographics
6 Culture
6.1 Arts and theatre
6.2 Events
6.3 Tourism and recreation
6.4 Sports
6.5 Media
7 Architecture
8 Transportation
9 Healthcare and medicine
10 Education
11 Notes
12 Further reading
13 External links
[edit] History
Main article: History of Houston
See also: Historical events of Houston
Sam HoustonIn August 1836, John Kirby Allen and Augustus Chapman Allen,
two real estate entrepreneurs from New
York City, purchased 6,642 acres (27 km²) of land along
Buffalo Bayou with the intent of founding a city.[6]
The Allen brothers decided to name the city after Sam Houston, the
popular general of the Texans at the Battle
of San Jacinto.[6] Houston was granted incorporation on June 5, 1837,
with James S. Holman becoming its first mayor.[7]
In the same year, Houston became the county seat of Harrisburg County
(now Harris County) and the temporary capital
of the Republic of Texas.[8] In 1840, the community established a
Chamber of Commerce in part to promote shipping
and waterborne business at the newly created port on Buffalo Bayou.[9]
By 1860, Houston had emerged as a commercial and railroad hub for the
export of cotton.[8] Railroad spurs from
the Texas inland converged in Houston, where they met rail lines to the
ports of Galveston and Beaumont. During
the Civil War, Houston served as a headquarters for General John
Bankhead Magruder, who used Houston as an organization
point for the Battle of Galveston.[10] After the Civil War, Houston
businessmen initiated efforts to widen the
city's extensive system of bayous so the city could accept more
commerce between downtown and the nearby port of
Galveston.
In 1901, oil discovered at Spindletop, an oil field near Beaumont,
prompted the development of the U.S. petroleum
industry.[11] In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt approved a $1
million improvement project for the Houston Ship
Channel. President Woodrow Wilson opened the Port of Houston in 1914,
74 years after digging began. By 1930, Houston
had become Texas' most populous city.[12]
When World War II started, tonnage levels at the port decreased and
shipping activities were suspended; however,
the war did provide economic benefits for the city. Petrochemical
refineries and manufacturing plants were constructed
along the ship channel because of the demand for petroleum and
synthetic rubber products during the war.[13] Ellington
Field, initially built during World War I, was revitalized as an
advanced training center for bombardiers and navigators.[14]
The M. D. Anderson Foundation formed the Texas Medical Center in 1945.
After the war, Houston's economy reverted
to being primarily port-driven. In 1948, several unincorporated areas
were annexed into the city limits, which
more than doubled the city's size, and Houston proper began to spread
across the region.[7][15]
In 1950, the availability of air-conditioning provided impetus for many
companies to relocate to Houston, including
Continental Oil, Prudential Insurance, Mobil Oil, Gulf Oil, Texaco Oil,
Tidewater Associated and Sunray MidContinent,
resulting in an economic boom and producing a key shift in the city's
economy toward the energy sector.[16][17]
The space shuttle, atop its Boeing 747 SCA, flying over Johnson Space
CenterThe increased production of the local
shipbuilding industry during World War II spurred Houston's growth,[18]
as did the establishment in 1961 of NASA's
"Manned Spacecraft Center" (renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center
in 1973), which created the city's
aerospace industry. The Astrodome, nicknamed the "Eighth Wonder of the
World,"[19] opened in 1965 as
the world's first indoor domed sports stadium.
During the late 1970s, Houston experienced a population boom as people
from Rust Belt states moved to Texas in
large numbers.[20] The new residents came for the numerous employment
opportunities in the petroleum industry,
created as a result of the Arab Oil Embargo. The population boom ended
abruptly when oil prices fell in 1986, due
to the embargo being lifted. The space industry also suffered in 1986
after the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded
shortly after launch. The late 1980s saw a recession affect the city's
economy. Since the 1990s, as a result of
the recession, Houston has made efforts to diversify its economy by
focusing on aerospace and biotechnology and
by reducing its dependence on the petroleum industry. In 1997,
Houstonians elected Lee P. Brown as the city's first
African American mayor.[21]
Hurricane Rita evacuationIn June 2001, Tropical Storm Allison dumped up
to 37 inches of rain on parts of Houston,
causing the worst flooding in the city's history; the storm cost
billions of dollars in damage and killed 20 people
in Texas.[22] Many neighborhoods and communities have changed since the
storm. By December of that same year, Houston-based
energy company Enron collapsed into the second-largest ever U.S.
bankruptcy during an investigation surrounding
fabricated partnerships that were allegedly used to hide debt and
inflate profits. In August 2005, Houston became
a shelter to more than 150,000 people from New Orleans who evacuated
from Hurricane Katrina.[23] One month later,
approximately 2.5 million Houston area residents evacuated when
Hurricane Rita approached the Gulf Coast, leaving
little damage to the Houston area. This event marked the largest urban
evacuation in the history of the United
States.[24][25]
[edit] Geography
Main article: Geography of Houston
A simulated-color image of HoustonAccording to the United States Census
Bureau, the city has a total area of 601.7
square miles (1,558.4 km²); this comprises 579.4 square miles
(1,500.7 km²) of land and 22.3 square miles
(57.7 km²) of water.
Most of Houston is located on the gulf coastal plain, and its
vegetation is classified as temperate grassland and
forest. Much of the city was built on forested land, marshes, swamp, or
prairie, which are all still visible in
surrounding areas. Flatness of the local terrain, when combined with
urban sprawl, has made flooding a recurring
problem for the city.[26] Downtown stands about 50 feet (15 m) above
sea level,[27] and the highest point in far
northwest Houston is about 125 feet (38 m) in elevation.[28][29] The
city once relied on groundwater for its needs,
but land subsidence forced the city to turn to ground-level water
sources such as Lake Houston and Lake Conroe.[30][7]
Houston has four major bayous passing through the city. Buffalo Bayou
runs through downtown and the Houston Ship
Channel, and has three tributaries: White Oak Bayou, which runs through
the Heights neighborhood and towards downtown;
Braes Bayou, which runs along the Texas Medical Center; and Sims Bayou,
which runs through the south of Houston
and downtown Houston The ship channel continues past Galveston and then
into the Gulf of Mexico.
[edit] Geology
Underpinning Houston's land surface are unconsolidated clays, clay
shales, and poorly-cemented sands up to several
miles deep. The region's geology developed from river deposits formed
from the erosion of the Rocky Mountains.
These sediments consist of a series of sands and clays deposited on
decaying organic matter that, over time, transformed
into oil and natural gas. Beneath the layers of sediment is a
water-deposited layer of halite, a rock salt. The
porous layers were compressed over time and forced upward. As it pushed
upward, the salt dragged surrounding sediments
into salt dome formations, often trapping oil and gas that seeped from
the surrounding porous sands. The thick,
rich, sometimes black, surface soil is suitable for rice farming in
suburban outskirts where the city continues
to grow.[31][32]
Despite over 150 active surface faults (estimated to be 300 active
faults)[33] with an aggregate length of up to
310 miles (500 km)[34][35] within the city of Houston alone, the region
is generally earthquake-free. This is because
clay below the surface precludes the build-up of friction that would
normally produce the ground shaking in earthquakes.
These faults also tend to move at a smooth rate in what is termed
"fault creep,"[30] which further reduces
the risk of an earthquake.
[edit] Climate
Main article: Climate of Houston
Allen's Landing after Tropical Storm Allison, June 2001Houston's
climate is classified as humid subtropical (Cfa
in Köppen climate classification system). Spring supercell
thunderstorms sometimes bring tornadoes to the
area. Prevailing winds are from the south and southwest during most of
the year, bringing heat across the continent
from the deserts of Mexico and moisture from the Gulf of Mexico.
During the summer months, it is common for the temperature to reach
over 90 °F (34 °C), with an average
of 99 days per year above 90 °F (32 °C).[36][37]
However, the humidity results in a heat index higher than
the actual temperature. Summer mornings average over 90 percent
relative humidity and approximately 60 percent
in the afternoon.[38] Winds are often light in the summer and offer
little relief, except near the immediate coast,[39]
To cope with the heat, people use air conditioning in nearly every
vehicle and building in the city; in fact, in
1980 Houston was described as the "most air-conditioned place on
earth".[40] Scattered afternoon thunderstorms
are common in the summer. The hottest temperature ever recorded in
Houston was 109 °F (43 °C) on September
4, 2000.[41]
Winters in Houston are fairly temperate. The average high in January,
the coldest month, is 63 °F (17 °C),
while the average low is 45 °F (7 °C).Snowfall is
generally rare. The last snowstorm to hit Houston was
on December 24, 2004. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Houston
was 5 °F (-15 °C) on January 23,
1940.[42]
Houston has excessive ozone levels and is ranked among the most
ozone-polluted cities in the United States.[43]
Ground-level ozone, or smog, is Houston’s predominate air
pollution problem, with the American Lung Association
rating the metropolitan area's ozone level as the 6th worst in the
United States in 2006.[44] The industries located
along the ship channel are a major cause of the city's air
pollution.[45]
[hide]Weather averages for Houston, Texas (downtown)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 85 (29) 87 (31) 96 (36) 94 (34) 98
(37) 101 (38) 104 (40) 106 (41) 101 (38) 96 (36)
90 (32) 84 (29) 106 (41)
Average high °F (°C) 63 (17) 67 (19) 74 (23) 79 (26) 86
(30) 91 (33) 94 (34) 93 (34) 89 (32) 82 (28) 73
(23) 65 (18) 80 (27)
Average low °F (°C) 45 (7) 48 (9) 55 (13) 61 (16) 68
(20) 74 (23) 75 (24) 75 (24) 72 (23) 62 (17) 53 (12)
47 (8) 61 (16)
Record low °F (°C) 10 (-12) 14 (-10) 22 (-6) 22 (-6) 44
(7) 56 (13) 45 (7) 64 (18) 50 (10) 33 (1) 25 (-4)
9 (-13) 9 (-13)
Precipitation inch (cm) 4.3 (10.8) 3.0 (7.6) 3.2 (8.1) 3.5 (8.8) 5.1
(13.0) 6.8 (17.4) 4.4 (11.1) 4.5 (11.5) 5.6
(14.3) 5.3 (13.4) 4.5 (11.5) 3.8 (9.6) 54.0 (137.1)
Source: weather.com[46] Aug 2007
Annual Average High Temperatures: 94°F (summer) 63°F
(winter)
Annual Average Low Temperatures 75°F (summer) 45°F
(winter)
Warmest Month: July
Coolest Month: January
Highest Precipitation: June
Annual Precipitation: 53.96 inches
[edit] Cityscape
Further information: Geographic areas of Houston
Midtown and DowntownHouston was incorporated in 1837 under the ward
system of representation. The ward designation
is the progenitor of the nine current-day Houston City Council
districts. Locations in Houston are generally classified
as either being inside or outside the Interstate 610 Loop. The inside
encompasses the central business district
and many residential neighborhoods that predate World War II. More
recently, high-density residential areas have
been developed within the loop. The city's outlying areas, suburbs and
enclaves are located outside of the loop.
Beltway 8 encircles the city another 5 miles (8 km) farther out.
Houston, the largest city in the United States without zoning
regulations, has expanded without land use planning.[47][48][49]
Voters rejected efforts to have separate residential and commericial
land-use districts in 1948, 1962, and 1993.
Rather than a single central business district as the center of the
city's employment, multiple districts have
grown throughout the city in addition to downtown which include Uptown,
Texas Medical Center, Midtown, the Energy
Corridor, Greenway Plaza, Westchase, and Greenspoint.
[edit] Government and politics
Houston City HallMain article: Politics of Houston
See also: Sister cities of Houston
The city of Houston has a strong mayoral form of municipal
government.[50] Houston is a home rule city and all
municipal elections in the state of Texas are nonpartisan.[50][51] The
City's elected officials are the mayor,
city controller and 14 members of the city council.[52] As of 2007, the
mayor of Houston is William "Bill"
White, a Democrat elected on a nonpartisan ballot[53] who is serving
his second term. Houston's mayor serves as
the city's chief administrator, executive officer, and official
representative. He is responsible for the general
management of the city and for seeing that all laws and ordinances are
enforced.[53] As the result of a 1991 referendum
in Houston, a mayor is elected for a two-year term, and can be elected
to as many as three consecutive terms.
The current city council line-up of nine district based and five at
large positions was based on a U.S. Justice
Department mandate which took effect in 1979[54] At-large council
members represent the entire city.[52] Under
the current city charter, if the population in the city limits goes
past 2.1 million residents, the current nine-member
city council districts will be expanded with the addition of two city
council districts.[55]
Criminal Law is enforced by the Houston Police Department. Houston's
murder rate ranked 18th of U.S. cities with
a population over 250,000 in 2005.[56] Despite the rise in homicides of
23.5 percent, nonviolent crime in the city
dropped by 2 percent in 2005 compared to 2004.[57] Since 2005, Houston
has been experiencing a spike in crime,
which is due in part to an influx of people from New Orleans following
Hurricane Katrina.[58] After Katrina, Houston's
murder rate increased 70 percent in November and December 2005 compared
to levels in 2004. The city recorded 336
murders in 2005,[57] compared to 272 in 2004.[59]
Houston's homicide rate per 100,000 residents increased from 16.33 in
2005 to 17.24 in 2006.[60] The number of
murders in the city increased to 379 in 2006, although this increase
was smaller than in 2005;[57] Houston, like
other cities, faces crime related to gang activities: in 1996, there
were about 380 gangs with 8,000 members, of
which 2,500 were juveniles.[61]
[edit] Economy
Main article: Economy of Houston
Further information: List of companies in Houston, List of foreign
consulates in Houston
Data from citydata.com[62]Houston's energy industry is recognized
worldwide—particularly for oil—and biomedical
research, aeronautics, and the ship channel are also large parts of its
economic base. The area is the world's
leading center for building oilfield equipment. Much of Houston's
success as a petrochemical complex is due to
its busy man-made ship channel, the Port of Houston.[63] The port ranks
first in the United States in international
commerce, and is the tenth-largest port in the world.[4][64] Unlike
most places, where high oil and gasoline prices
are seen as harmful to the economy, they are generally seen as
beneficial for Houston as many are employed in the
energy industry.[65]
The Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown MSA's Gross Area
Product (GAP) in 2006 was $325.5 billion,[66] slightly larger than
Austria’s, Poland’s or Saudi Arabia’s
Gross Domestic Product (GDP). When comparing Houston's economy to a
national
economy, only 21 countries other than the United States have a gross
domestic product exceeding Houston's regional
gross area product.[67] Mining, which in Houston is almost entirely
exploration and production of oil and gas,
accounts for 11% of Houston's GAP; this is down from 21% in 1985. The
reduced role of oil and gas in Houston's
GAP reflects the rapid growth of other sectors, such as engineering
services, health services, and manufacturing.[68]
Houston ranks second in employment growth rate and fourth in nominal
employment growth among the 10 most populous
metro areas in the U.S.[69] In 2006, the Houston metropolitan area
ranked first in Texas and third in the U.S.
within the category of "Best Places for Business and Careers" by Forbes
magazine.[70] Forty foreign governments
maintain trade and commercial offices here and the city has 23 active
foreign chambers of commerce and trade associations.[71]
Twenty foreign banks representing 10 nations operate in Houston,
providing financial assistance to the international
community.
[edit] Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Houston
The annual Houston International Festival spotlights a different
culture each yearHouston is a diverse and international
city, in part because of its many academic institutions and strong
industries. Over 90 languages are spoken in
the city.[72] Houston has among the youngest populations in the
nation,[73][74][75] partly due to an influx of
immigrants into Texas.[76] The city has the third-largest Hispanic and
third-largest Mexican population in the
United States.[77] An estimated 400,000 illegal immigrants reside in
Houston.[78]
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 1,953,631 people and the
population density was 3,371.7 people per square
mile (1,301.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 49.27
percent White, 25.31 percent Black, 0.44 percent
Native American, 5.31 percent Asian American, 0.06 percent Pacific
Islander, 16.46 percent from other races, and
3.15 percent from two or more races. Persons of Hispanic origin,
regardless of race, accounted for 37 percent of
the population in 2000.
Houston has a large population of immigrants from Asia, including the
largest Vietnamese American population in
Texas and third-largest in the United States.[79][80] Some parts of the
city with high populations of Vietnamese
and Chinese residents have Chinese and Vietnamese street signs, in
addition to English ones. Houston has two Chinatowns:
the original located in Downtown, and the more recent one north of
Bellaire Boulevard in the southwest area of
the city.[81][82] The city has a Little Saigon in Midtown and
Vietnamese businesses located in the southwest Houston
Chinatown.[83]
Houston has a large gay community concentrated primarily in the
Montrose area. The city has the third largest gay
community in the United States. [84]
[edit] Culture
Main article: Culture of Houston
See also: List of famous people raised in Houston and Nicknames of
Houston
Houston Art Car ParadeHouston is a multicultural city with a large and
growing international community.[85] The
city is home to the nation’s third largest concentration of
consular offices representing 86 nations.[86] Houston
is designated as a world-class city by the Globalization and World
Cities Study Group and Network.[87] Houston
received the official nickname of "Space City" in 1967 because it is
home to NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson
Space Center.[88] Other nicknames include "H-Town," "Screwston," "The
Big Heart,"
"Bayou City," "Clutch City," "Hustletown," and "Magnolia City."
[edit] Arts and theatre
Wortham Center in the Theater District of Downtown HoustonHouston has
an active visual and performing arts scene.
The Theater District is located downtown and is home to nine major
performing arts organizations and six performance
halls. It is the second largest concentration of theater seats in a
downtown area in the United States.[89][90][91]
Houston is one of only five United States cities with permanent,
professional, resident companies in all major
performing arts disciplines: opera (Houston Grand Opera), ballet
(Houston Ballet), music (Houston Symphony Orchestra),
and theater (The Alley Theatre).[92][93] Houston is also home to many
local folk artists, art groups and various
smaller progressive arts organizations.[94] Houston attracts many
touring Broadway acts, concerts, shows, and exhibitions
for a variety of interests.[95]
Houston is home to the Bayou City Art Festival, which is considered to
be one of the top five art festivals in
the United States.[96][97]
The Museum District is home to many popular cultural institutions and
exhibits, attracting more than 7 million
visitors a year.[98][99] Notable facilities located in the district
include The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Museum
of Natural Science, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Holocaust
Museum Houston, and the Houston Zoo.[100][101][102]
Located in the nearby Montrose area are The Menil Collection and Rothko
Chapel.
Many venues scattered across Houston regularly host local and touring
rock, blues, country, hip hop and Tejano
musical acts. Unfortunately, there has never been a widely renowned
music scene in Houston. Artists seem to relocate
to other parts of the United States once attaining some level of
success.[103] A notable exception to the rule
is Houston hip-hop, which celebrates the unique southern flavor and
attitude of its roots. This has given rise
to a strong, independent hip-hop music scene, influencing and
influenced by the larger Southern hip hop and gangsta
rap communities.[104] Many Houstonian hip-hop artists have attained
commercial success, including Bun B, Chamillionaire,
Mike Jones, Lil' Flip, and Beyoncé.
[edit] Events
See also: List of events in Houston
Many annual events celebrate the diverse cultures of Houston. The
largest and longest running is the annual Houston
Livestock Show and Rodeo, held over 20 days from late February to early
March. Another large celebration is the
annual night-time Houston Pride Parade, held at the end of June.[105]
Other annual events include the Greek Festival,[106]
Art Car Parade, the Houston Auto Show and the Houston International
Festival.[107]
[edit] Tourism and recreation
Downtown AquariumSpace Center Houston is the official
visitors’ center of NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center.
Here one will find many interactive exhibits including moon rocks, a
shuttle simulator, and presentations about
the history of NASA's manned space flight program.
The Theater District is a 17-block area in the center of downtown
Houston that is home to the Bayou Place entertainment
complex, restaurants, movies, plazas, and parks. Bayou Place is a large
multilevel building containing full-service
restaurants, bars, live music, billiards, and art house films. The
Houston Verizon Wireless Theater stages live
concerts, stage plays, and stand-up comedy; and the Angelika Film
Center presents the latest in art and foreign
and independent films.[108]
Houston is home to many parks including Hermann Park, which houses the
Houston Zoo and the Houston Museum of Natural
Science, Lake Houston Park, Memorial Park, and Sam Houston Park. The
city has 337 city parks and over 200 greenspaces—totaling
over 19,600 acres that are managed by the city—including the
Houston Arboretum and Nature Center. The Houston Civic
Center was replaced by the George R. Brown Convention
Center—one of the nation's largest—and the Jesse H.
Jones
Hall for the Performing Arts, home of the Houston Symphony Orchestra
and Society for the Performing Arts. The Sam
Houston Coliseum and Music Hall have been replaced by the Hobby Center
for the Performing Arts.
Other tourist attractions include the Galleria (Texas's largest
shopping mall located in the Uptown District),
Old Market Square, Tranquility Park, the Downtown Aquarium, and Sam
Houston Park (which contains restored and reconstructed
homes which were originally built between 1823 and 1905).[109] The San
Jacinto Battlefield State Historic Site
where the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution was fought is located
on the Houston Ship channel east of the
city.
[edit] Sports
Main article: Sports in Houston
See also: Former professional sports teams in Houston
Minute Maid ParkHouston has teams for nearly every major professional
sport. The Houston Astros (MLB), Houston
Texans (NFL), Houston Rockets (NBA), Houston Comets (WNBA), Houston
Aeros (AHL), Houston Wranglers (WTT), Houston
Takers (ABA) and Houston Dynamo (MLS) all call Houston home.
Minute Maid Park (home of the Astros) and Toyota Center (home of the
Rockets, Comets, and Aeros) are located in
a revived area of downtown. The city has the Reliant Astrodome, the
first domed stadium in the world; it also holds
the NFL's first retractable-roof stadium, Reliant Stadium. Other sports
facilities in Houston include Hofheinz
Pavilion and Robertson Stadium (both used for University of Houston
collegiate sports), and Rice Stadium (home
of the Rice University Owls football team). The infrequently used
Reliant Astrodome hosted World Wrestling Entertainment's
WrestleMania X-Seven on April 1, 2001, where an attendance record of
67,925 was set.[110]
On October 19, 2005, The Houston Astros advanced to the World Series
for the first time in the team's history,
subsequently losing to the Chicago White Sox. In 2006, the Houston
Dynamo won the MLS Cup in their first year,
after moving from San Jose, California. The Houston Aeros have won four
championships: in the WHA (1973, 1974),
in the IHL (1999), and in the AHL (2003). The Houston Rockets won
back-to-back NBA titles in 1994 and 1995. Houston
has hosted major recent sporting events, including the 2004 Major
League Baseball All-Star Game, the 2000 IHL All-Star
Game, the 2005 World Series, the 2005 Big 12 Conference football
championship game, the 2006 NBA All-Star Game,
the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships from 2001–2006, and
the Tennis Masters Cup in 2003 and 2004, as well as
the annual Shell Houston Open golf tournament. The city hosts the
annual NCAA College Baseball Minute Maid Classic
every February and NCAA football's Texas Bowl in December. Houston has
hosted the Super Bowl championship game
twice. Super Bowl VIII was played at Rice Stadium in 1974 and Super
Bowl XXXVIII was played at Reliant Stadium
in 2004. In early 2006, the Champ Car auto racing series returned to
Houston for a yearly race, held on the streets
of the Reliant Park complex.
[edit] Media
Further information: List of newspapers in Houston, List of television
stations in Houston, List of radio stations
in Houston, and Houston featured in films
Houston is served by the Houston Chronicle, its only major daily
newspaper with wide distribution. The Hearst Corporation,
which owns and operates The Chronicle, bought the assets of the Houston
Post—its long-time rival and main competition—when
The Post ceased operations in 1995. The Post was owned by the family of
former Lieutenant Governor Bill Hobby of
Houston. The only other major publication to serve the city is the
Houston Press, a free alternative weekly with
a weekly readership of more than 300,000.[111]
Houston Community Newspapers (owned and operated by ASP Westward, L.P.)
is a news source for smaller localized
communities in and around the city. Houston Community Newspapers
publishes 35 suburban newspapers, including 2
daily papers and 33 weekly papers. These "community" papers include,
among several others, the 1960 Sun,
the Deer Park Progress, the Fort Bend/Southwest Sun, the Humble
Observer, the Katy Sun, the Kingwood Observer,
the River Oaks Examiner, and the Villager.[112]
[edit] Architecture
Main article: Architecture of Houston
See also: List of tallest buildings in Texas
The JPMorgan Chase Tower stands as the tallest building in Texas as of
2007Houston's skyline has been ranked third-most
impressive in the United States when judged primarily by height;[113]
it is the country's third-tallest skyline
(after Chicago and New York City) and one of the top 10 in the
world.[114] Houston has a seven-mile system of tunnels
and skywalks linking buildings in downtown which contain shops,
restaurants, and convenience stores. This system
aids people from having to walk in the intense summer heat to travel
from one building to another.
In the 1960s, Downtown Houston comprised of a modest collection of
mid-rise office structures, but has since grown
into one of the largest skylines in the United States. Downtown was on
the threshold of a boom in 1970 with huge
projects being launched by real estate developers with the energy
industry boom. A succession of skyscrapers were
built throughout the 1970s—many by real estate developer
Gerald D. Hines—culminating with Houston's tallest
skyscraper,
the 75-floor, 1,002-foot-tall (305 m) JPMorgan Chase Tower (formerly
the Texas Commerce Tower), which was completed
in 1982. It is the tallest structure in Texas, 10th-tallest building in
the United States and the 30th-tallest
skyscraper in the world based on height to roof. In 1983, the 71-floor,
992-foot-tall (302 m) Wells Fargo Bank
Plaza was completed, which became the second-tallest building in
Houston and Texas. Based on height to roof, it
is the 13th-tallest in the United States and the 36th-tallest in the
world. As of 2006, downtown Houston had about
43 million square feet (4,000,000 m²) of office space.[115]
Centered around Post Oak Boulevard and the Galleria, the Uptown
district boomed during the 1970s and early 1980s
when a collection of mid-rise office buildings, hotels, and retail
developments appeared along Interstate 610 west.
Uptown became one of the most impressive instances of an edge city. The
highest achievement of Uptown was the construction
of the 64-floor, 901-foot-tall (275 m), Philip Johnson and John Burgee
designed landmark Williams Tower (known
as the Transco Tower until 1999). At the time, it was believed to the
be the world's tallest skyscraper outside
of a central business district. The Uptown District is also home to
other buildings designed by noted architects
such as I. M. Pei, César Pelli, and Philip Johnson. In the
late 1990s and early 2000s, there was a mini-boom
of mid-rise and High-rise residential tower construction, with several
over 30 stories tall.[116][117][118] In
2002, Uptown had more than 23 million square feet (2,100,000
m²) of office space with 16 million square feet
(1,500,000 m²) of Class A office space.[119]
[edit] Transportation
Main article: Transportation in Houston
I-10 and I-45 near DowntownHouston’s freeway system is made
up of 575.5 miles of freeways and expressways in a
10-county metro area.[120] Its highway system uses a hub-and-spoke
freeway structure serviced by multiple loops.
The innermost loop is Interstate 610, which encircles downtown, the
medical center, and many core neighborhoods
with around a 10-mile diameter. Beltway 8 and its freeway core, the Sam
Houston Tollway, form the middle loop at
a diameter of roughly 25 miles. A proposed highway project, State
Highway 99 (The Grand Parkway), would form a
third loop outside of Houston. Currently, the completed portion of
State Highway 99 runs from just north of Interstate
10, west of Houston, to U.S. Highway 59 in Sugar Land, southwest of
Houston, and was completed in 1994.
Houston also lies along the route of the proposed Interstate 69 NAFTA
superhighway that will link Canada, the U.S.
industrial Midwest, Texas, and Mexico. Other spoke freeways either
planned or under construction include the Fort
Bend Parkway, Hardy Toll Road, Crosby Freeway, and the future Alvin
Freeway.
METRORail along the Main Street Corridor in DowntownThe Metropolitan
Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas,
or METRO, provides public transportation in the form of buses, light
rail, and lift vans. METRO's various forms
of public transportation still do not connect many of the suburbs to
the greater city, causing Houstonians to rely
on the automobile as a primary source of transportation.
METRO began light rail service (METRORail) on January 1, 2004. The
inaugural track runs about 8 miles (13 km) from
northern Downtown at UH–Downtown to the Texas Medical Center
and Reliant Park. METRO is currently in the design
phase of a 10-year expansion plan that will add five more lines to the
existing system.[121]
Amtrak, the national rail passenger system, provides service to Houston
via the Sunset Limited (Los Angeles–New
Orleans), which stops at a train station on the north side of the
downtown area. The station saw 10,855 boardings
and alightings in fiscal year 2006.[122]
George Bush Intercontinental Airport's Terminal EHouston is served by
two commercial airports. The largest is George
Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), the ninth-busiest in the United
States for total passengers, and seventeenth-busiest
worldwide.[123] Bush Intercontinental currently ranks third in the
United States for non-stop domestic and international
service with 182 destinations.[124] In 2006, the United States
Department of Transportation named George Bush Intercontinental
Airport the fastest-growing of the top ten airports in the United
States.[125] Houston is the headquarters of Continental
Airlines and Bush Intercontinental is Continental Airlines' largest
hub. The airline offers more than 700 daily
departures from Houston.[126] In early 2007, Bush Intercontinental
Airport was named a model "port of entry"
for international travelers by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.[127]
The second-largest commercial airport in Houston is William P. Hobby
Airport (named Houston International Airport
until 1967). The airport operates primarily small to medium-haul
flights and is the only airport in Houston served
by Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways. Houston's aviation history
is showcased in the 1940 Air Terminal Museum
located in the old terminal building on the west side of Hobby Airport.
The third-largest airport is Ellington Field, a former U.S. Air Force
base, used by military, commercial, government
and general aviation sectors.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the state of Texas selected the
"Houston Airport System as Airport
of the Year" for 2005,[128] largely because of its multi-year, $3.1
billion airport improvement program for
both major airports in Houston.
[edit] Healthcare and medicine
Main article: Texas Medical Center
See also: List of hospitals in Texas
Texas Medical CenterHouston is the seat of the internationally-renowned
Texas Medical Center, which contains the
world's largest concentration of research and healthcare
institutions.[129] All 45 member institutions of the Texas
Medical Center are non-profit organizations. They provide patient and
preventive care, research, education, and
local, national, and international community well-being. These
institutions include 13 renowned hospitals and two
specialty institutions, two medical schools, four nursing schools, and
schools of dentistry, public health, pharmacy,
and virtually all health-related careers. It is where one of the
first—and still the largest—air emergency service
was created, and a very successful inter-institutional transplant
program was developed. More heart surgeries are
performed at the Texas Medical Center than anywhere else in the
world.[130]
Some of the academic and research health institutions in the center
include Baylor College of Medicine, The University
of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, The Methodist Hospital, and
The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer
Center. The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center has
consistently ranked as one of the top two U.S.
hospitals specializing in cancer care by U.S. News & World
Report since 1990.[131]
Houston is the home of the Menninger Clinic, a renowned psychiatric
treatment center affiliated with Baylor College
of Medicine and The Methodist Hospital.
[edit] Education
Main article: Education in Houston
Further information: List of colleges and universities in Houston
Lovett Hall at Rice UniversityThere are more than 55 colleges and
universities and dozens of institutions engaged
in research and development in Houston. The city is home to Rice
University, one of the United States's leading
teaching and research universities and ranked the nation's 17th-best
overall university by U.S. News & World
Report.[132] The University of Houston (UH) is Texas's third-largest
public research university with more than
36,000 students from 130 countries, making it one of the most diverse
campuses in the country.[133] UH is a doctoral
degree granting comprehensive research institution with more than 40
research centers and institutes. South Texas
College of Law, Houston's oldest law school founded in 1923, has one of
the nation's top programs for trial advocacy.[134][135]
Cullen Building at the University of HoustonOther institutions of
higher learning in the city include University
of St. Thomas, Houston Baptist University, and Texas Southern
University, a historically black university. The
Houston Community College System serves most of Houston and is the
fourth-largest community college system in the
United States.[136]
There are 16 school districts serving the city. The Houston Independent
School District (HISD) is the seventh-largest
in the United States.[137] HISD has 112 campuses that serve as magnet
or vanguard schools—specializing in such
disciplines as health professions, visual and performing arts, and the
sciences. There are also many charter schools
that are run separately from school districts. In addition, some public
school districts also have their own charter
schools.
The Houston area is home to more than 300 private
schools,[138][139][140] many of which are accredited by Texas
Private School Accreditation Commission (TEPSAC) recognized agencies.
The Houston Area Independent Schools, or
HAIS, offer education from a variety of different religious as well as
secular viewpoints.[141] The Houston area
Catholic schools are operated by the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
Harris County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas within the
Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan
area. As of 2000 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 3.4
million (though a 2005 estimate placed the population
at almost 3.7 million), making it the most populous county in Texas and
the third most populous county in the United
States. Its county seat is Houston6.
Harris County is named for John Richardson Harris, an early settler of
the area.
Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Geography
2.1 Major Highways
2.2 Adjacent counties
3 Demographics
4 Elected officials
4.1 United States Congress
4.2 Texas Legislature
4.2.1 Texas Senate
4.2.2 Texas House of Representatives
4.2.3 Harris County Elected Officials
5 Communities
5.1 Cities
5.2 Unincorporated areas
6 Education
7 Emergency services
7.1 Police services
7.2 Fire services
8 Political organization
9 Hospital services
10 See also
11 External links
[edit] History
The county was founded on December 22, 1836 as Harrisburg County and
Harrisburgh County. The name was changed to
Harris County in December 1839.
[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of
4,604 km² (1,778 mi²). 4,478 km²
(1,729 mi²) of it is land and 127 km² (49
mi²) of it (2.75%) is water.
[edit] Major Highways
Interstate 10
Interstate 45
Interstate 610 Loop
U.S. Highway 59
U.S. Highway 75
U.S. Highway 90
U.S. Highway 290
State Highway 3 (Texas)
State Highway 6 (Texas)
State Highway 146 (Texas)
State Highway 225 (Texas)
State Highway 249 (Texas)
State Highway 288 (Texas)
State Highway Beltway 8 (Texas)
See List of Highways in Harris County for more roadways in Harris
County.
[edit] Adjacent counties
Montgomery County (north)
Liberty County (northeast)
Chambers County (east)
Galveston County (southeast)
Brazoria County (south)
Fort Bend County (southwest)
Waller County (northwest)
[edit] Demographics
Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1850 4,668 –
1860 9,070 94.3%
1870 17,375 91.6%
1880 27,985 61.1%
1890 37,249 33.1%
1900 63,786 71.2%
1910 115,693 81.4%
1920 186,667 61.3%
1930 359,328 92.5%
1940 528,961 47.2%
1950 806,701 52.5%
1960 1,243,158 54.1%
1970 1,741,912 40.1%
1980 2,409,547 38.3%
1990 2,818,199 17.0%
2000 3,400,578 20.7%
As of the census² of 2000, there were 3,400,578 people,
1,205,516 households, and 834,217 families residing
in the county, making it the largest county by population in Texas. The
population density was 759/km² (1,967/mi²).
There were 1,298,130 housing units at an average density of
290/km² (751/mi²). The racial makeup of the
county was 58.73% White, 18.49% Black or African American, 0.45% Native
American, 5.14% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander,
14.18% from other races, and 2.96% from two or more races. 32.93% of
the population were Hispanic or Latino of
any race.
In 2006 Harris County had 3,886,207 residents. This represented 14.3%
growth since 2000.
By 2005 74.4% of the county population was white. However this was a
change brought about by the arbitrary decision
on the part of census administrators to place all Hispanics who had
marked "some other race" under the
white category. Thus probably a more realistic figure to look at was
the 38.2% of the population that was non-Hispanic
whites. This is also not comparable to the 2000 white figure, since it
included several Hispanics.
2005 saw Harris county with 37.5% of its population Latino. This
represented an increase of over 120,000 in the
number of Latinos in the county. 5.5% of the population was Asian.
African Americans constituted 18.4% of the county's
population, representing a slight decline in percentage. It however
meant the total number of African-Americans
in the county had risen.[1].
In 2000 There were 1,205,516 households out of which 37.70% had
children under the age of 18 living with them,
50.60% were married couples living together, 13.70% had a female
householder with no husband present, and 30.80%
were non-families. 25.10% of all households were made up of individuals
and 5.30% had someone living alone who
was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and
the average family size was 3.38.
In the county, the population was spread out with 29.00% under the age
of 18, 10.30% from 18 to 24, 33.40% from
25 to 44, 19.80% from 45 to 64, and 7.40% who were 65 years of age or
older. The median age was 31 years. For every
100 females there were 99.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and
over, there were 97.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $42,598, and the
median income for a family was $49,004. Males
had a median income of $37,361 versus $28,941 for females. The per
capita income for the county was $21,435. About
12.10% of families and 14.97% of the population were below the poverty
line, including 19.60% of those under age
18 and 12.20% of those age 65 or over.
Houston Museum District
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A direction sign in the Museum District
Museum DistrictThe Houston Museum District is an area of Houston, Texas
south of downtown, near Rice University
and anchored by parks, a large zoo and museums, including a recently
expanded fine arts museum and a science museum
notable for its geology and entomology exhibits. The Museum District
also houses the Clayton Library Center for
Genealogical Research and Hermann Park which includes the Houston Zoo
and the Miller Outdoor Theatre. The Museum
District is also near the University of Saint Thomas.
Some of the museums and institutions include:
Holocaust Museum Houston
Children's Museum of Houston
John P. McGovern Museum of Health & Medical Science
Contemporary Arts Museum Houston
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Museum of Natural Science
The Buffalo Soldiers National Museum
Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum
Rothko Chapel
Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
Houston Center for Photography
John C. Freeman Weather Museum
The district is served by the Museum District Station light rail
station on the Red Line of the METRORail light
rail system. The southbound and northbound platforms are separate from
one another
This is a list of museums outside the Houston Museum District.
Art Car Museum
Menil Collection
National Museum of Funeral History
Battleship Texas
Westchase, Houston, Texas
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A street sign indicating WestchaseFor the community near Tampa, see
Westchase, Florida.
Westchase is a district located in western Houston, Texas.
Westchase has a large business district that has a total of 14.1
million square feet in 98 office buildings, and
1.7 million square feet in 21 service centers and warehouse buildings.
Major employers that have offices in Westchase
include BMC Software, Halliburton, and ABB Ltd. It is also a home to
the Indonesian Consulate.
Contents [hide]
1 Fire service
2 Police service
3 Education
3.1 Colleges and universities
3.2 Primary and secondary education
4 Parks
5 Postal services
6 External links
[edit] Fire service
Westchase has the Houston Fire Department Station #83.
[edit] Police service
The Houston Police Department's Westside and Uptown Divisions serve the
neighborhood.
[edit] Education
[edit] Colleges and universities
American InterContinental University Houston is in Westchase.
[edit] Primary and secondary education
Most of Westchase, which is south of Westheimer and west of Gessner
Road, is zoned to schools in Alief Independent
School District, while the parts north of Westheimer and parts east of
Gessner Road are zoned to the Houston Independent
School District. While Westchase is primarily a commercial district,
the district also includes apartments and
townhomes with residents.
The school zoning for the Alief ISD portion is as follows:
The portion inside Beltway 8 south of Westheimer and west of Gessner is
zoned to Sneed Elementary School (Sneed
Elementary is in the Westchase district), Budewig Intermediate School,
and O'Donnell Middle School.
The portion outside Beltway 8 north of the Westpark Tollway and south
of Westheimer is zoned to Outley Elementary
School, Budewig Intermediate School, and O'Donnell Middle School.
The portion outside Beltway 8 south of the Westpark Tollway is zoned to
Chancellor Elementary School (Bilingual
students go to Youens Elementary School), Owens Intermediate School,
and Alief Middle School.
Westchase students in Alief ISD may attend Elsik, Hastings, and Taylor
high schools, as high school assignments
in Alief ISD are determined by a lottery.
The school zoning for the Houston ISD portion is as follows:
Areas north of Westheimer and west of East Rivercrest are zoned to:
Walnut Bend Elementary School, Paul Revere
Middle School (Revere is located in Westchase) with West Briar Middle
School as an option, and Westside High School.
Areas north of Westheimer, east of East Rivercrest, and west of Gessner
are zoned to: Emerson Elementary School,
Paul Revere Middle School (with West Briar Middle School as an option)
and Westside High School.
Areas west of Gessner (whether north or south of Westheimer) are zoned
to: Emerson Elementary School, Paul Revere
Middle School, and Lee High School with Lamar High School and Westside
High School as boundary transfer options.
Three private schools, Alexander-Smith Academy[1], River Oaks Academy,
and the Grace Presbyterian Church and School,
are in Westchase.
The area is served by the Robinson-Westchase Branch Library [2] of
Houston Public Library.
] Parks
The Westchase Park, operated by the City of Houston, is located at 9851
Pagewood [3].
Postal services
The United States Postal Service operates the Westchase Post Office at
3836 South Gessner Road, 77063-5134.