Greater Houston

Greater Houston Metro Area
Metropolitan Statistical Area

Houston

The Woodlands

Sugar Land
Country United States of America
State Texas
Principal cities
List
Area
 • Urban 1,660.0 sq mi (4,299.4 km2)
 • Metro 10,062 sq mi (26,061 km2)
Highest elevation 430 ft (131 m)
Lowest elevation 0 ft (0 m)
Population (2010)[1]
 • Density 630.3/sq mi (243.4/km2)
 • Urban 4,944,332(7th)
 • MSA 6,490,180 (5th)
 • CSA 6,508,323 (9th)
  MSA/CSA = 2010, Urban = 2010
Time zone CST (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
Interstates

Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land is a nine-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. The metropolitan area is colloquially referred to as "Greater Houston" and is situated in Southeast Texas.

Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land is the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the United States and the second-largest in Texas (after Dallas–Fort Worth) with a population of 6,490,180, as of U.S. Census Bureau's July 1, 2010 estimates.[2][3][4][5][6]

The population of the metropolitan area is centered in the city of Houston—the largest economic and cultural center of the American South, with a population of 2.1 million.[7]

Houston is among the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States. The Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro area was the fastest growing metro area numerically during the 2013-2014 census year, with 156,371 people added[8] The area grew 25.2% between the 1990 and 2000 censuses—adding more than 950,000 people—while the nation's population increased 13.2% over the same period. From 2000 to 2007, the area grew by 912,994 people.[9] From 2000 to 2030, the metropolitan area is projected by Woods & Poole Economics to rank fifth in the nation in population growth—adding 2.66 million people.[10] In 2009, Milken Institute/Greenstreet Real Estate Partners ranked the then-named Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown MSA as the fifth-best performing metropolitan area; the Houston area had moved up 11 spaces from the previous year's ranking.[11] It is a part of the Texas Triangle megapolitan area.

Geography

An image of the Greater Houston area taken from NASA's Space Shuttle during mission STS-55 (STS055-71-43) with Galveston Bay and Galveston Island visible towards the bottom of the picture

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area has a total area of 10,062 square miles (26,060 km²), 8,929 sq mi (23,130 km2) is land area, while 1,133 sq mi (2,930 km2) is water area, slightly smaller than Massachusetts and slightly larger than New Jersey.[12]

The OMB lumps the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugarland MSA with four micropolitan statistical areas to form the Houston-The Woodlands, TX Combined Statistical Area.: Bay City, Brenham, El Campo, and Huntsville.

The metropolitan area is located in the Gulf Coastal Plains biome, and its vegetation is classified as temperate grassland. Much of the metro area was built on forested land, marshes, swamp, or prairie—all of which can still be seen in surrounding areas. The Houston area land mass is very diverse. There is forested land and hills to the north, beaches and grasslands to the south, swamps and marshlands to the east, rice fields and praires to the west.

Much of the Houston metropolitan area is very flat, making flooding a recurring problem for some areas.

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 stream 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 these tiers 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 dome shapes, often trapping oil and gas that seeped from the surrounding porous sands. This thick, rich soil also provides a good environment for rice farming in suburban outskirts into which the city continues to grow near Katy. Evidence of past rice farming is even still evident in developed areas as an abundance of rich, dark, loamy top soil exists.

The Houston region is generally earthquake-free. While the city of Houston contains over 150 active surface faults (some have estimated as many as 300 active faults)[13] with an aggregate length of up to 310 miles (500 km),[14][15] the clay below the surface precludes the buildup of friction that produces ground-shaking in earthquakes. These faults generally move at a smooth rate in what is termed "fault creep".

Components of the metropolitan area

Location in the U.S. (red)

As defined by the Office of Management and Budget, the metropolitan area of Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land encompasses nine counties in Texas. They are listed below with population figures as of the 2010 U.S. Census.[16][17]

Municipalities, CDPs, and other communities

Five "principal" communities are designated within Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area. The Woodlands is a CDP; the rest are cities:

Demographics

As of 2011 Greater Houston has four of Texas' ten wealthiest communities, which include the wealthiest community, Hunters Creek Village, the fourth-wealthiest community, Bunker Hill Village, the fifth-wealthiest community, West University Place, and the sixth-wealthiest community, Piney Point Village.[18]

Economy

Houston Ship Channel

Among the ten most populous metropolitan areas in the U.S., Houston ranked first in employment growth rate and second in nominal employment growth.[19] 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.[20]

The Houston–The Woodlands-Sugar Land MSA's gross metropolitan product (GMP) in 2005 was $308.7 billion, up 5.4% from 2004 in constant dollars—slightly larger than Austria's gross domestic product. By 2012, the GMP has risen to $449 billion, the fourth-largest of any metropolitan area in the United States. Only 26 nations other than the United States have a GDP exceeding Houston's GAP.[21] Mining, which in Houston is almost entirely oil and gas exploration and production, accounts for 11% of Houston's GAP—down from 21% as recently as 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.[10]

The area's economic activity is centered in Houston, the county seat of Harris County. Houston is second to New York City in Fortune 500 headquarters. The city has attempted to build a banking industry, but the companies originally started in Houston have since merged with other companies nationwide. Banking, however, is still vital to the region.

Galveston Bay and the Buffalo Bayou together form one of the most important shipping hubs in the world. The Port of Houston, the Port of Texas City, and the Port of Galveston are all major seaports located in this Greater Houston area.[22] The area is also one of the leading centers of the energy industry, particularly petroleum processing, and many companies have large operations in this region.[23] The metropolitan area also comprises the largest petrochemical manufacturing area in the world, including for synthetic rubber, insecticides, and fertilizers.[24] The area is also the world's leading center for building oilfield equipment. The region is also a major center of biomedical research, aeronautics, and high technology.[25]

Much of the metro area's success as a petrochemical complex is enabled by its busy man-made ship channel, the Houston Ship Channel.[26] Because of these economic trades, many residents have moved to the Houston area from other U.S. states, as well as hundreds of countries worldwide. Unlike most places, where high fuel prices are seen as harmful to the economy, they are generally seen as beneficial for Houston, as many are employed in the energy industry. Baytown, Pasadena/La Porte, and Texas City have some of the area's largest petroleum/petrochemical plants, though major operations can be found in Houston, Anahuac, Clute, and other communities. Galveston has the largest cruise ship terminal in Texas (and the 12th-largest in the world). The island, as well the Clear Lake Area, are major recreation and tourism areas in the region.[27]

Houston is home to the Texas Medical Center—the largest medical center in the world.[28] Galveston is home to one of only two national biocontainment laboratories in the United States.[29]

The University of Houston System's annual impact on the Houston-area's economy equates to that of a major corporation: $1.1 billion in new funds attracted annually to the Houston area, $3.13 billion in total economic benefit, and 24,000 local jobs generated.[30][31] This is in addition to the 12,500 new graduates the UH System produces every year who enter the workforce in Houston and throughout Texas. These degree-holders tend to stay in Houston; after five years, 80.5% of graduates are still living and working in the region.[31]

Sugar Land is home to the second-largest economic activities and third-largest city in the metropolitan area. Sugar Land has the most important economic center in Fort Bend County. The city holds the Imperial Sugar (its namesake), Nalco Champion, and Western Airways headquarters. Engineering firms and other related industries have managed to take the place as an economic engine.

Sports

Major professional teams

Club Sport Founded League Venue
Houston Astros Baseball 1962 MLB Minute Maid Park
Houston Rockets Basketball 1967 NBA Toyota Center
Houston Texans Football 2002 NFL NRG Stadium
Houston Dash Women's soccer 2014 NWSL BBVA Compass Stadium
Houston Dynamo Soccer 2005 MLS BBVA Compass Stadium

Minor league and semipro teams

Club Sport Founded League Venue
Sugar Land Skeeters Baseball 2010 ALPB Constellation Field
Houston Energy Football 2001 WPFL The Rig
Houston Red Storm Basketball 2006 ABA John H. Reagan HS
Galveston Tidalwave Football 2008 IIFA Galveston Island Convention Center
Houston Aces Women's soccer 2012 UWS Carl Lewis Stadium
Houston Dutch Lions Soccer 2011 PDL HDLFC Soccer Complex
Houston Hotshots Indoor Soccer 2015 PASL TBD

College sports (Division I)

Greater Houston is home to five NCAA Division I programs, with four located within Houston proper. The University of Houston and Rice University play in Division I (FBS).[32] The University of Houston plays in the American Athletic Conference, while Rice belongs to Conference USA. Both schools were once part of the Southwest Conference. Texas Southern University, which is a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, plays in Division I (FCS).[32] Houston Baptist University currently plays in Division I (FCS), mainly in the Southland Conference.[33] Rice and Houston Baptist are widely noted for their student-athlete graduation rates, which number at 91% for Rice (tied for highest in the nation according to a 2002 Sports Illustrated issue on best college sports programs) and 80% for HBU.

School Founded Nickname Conference
University of Houston 1927 Houston Cougars American Athletic Conference
Houston Baptist University 1960 Houston Baptist Huskies Southland Conference
Prairie View A&M University 1876 Prairie View A&M Panthers Southwestern Athletic Conference
Rice University 1912 Rice Owls Conference USA
Texas Southern University 1927 Texas Southern Tigers Southwestern Athletic Conference

Events

Houston is or has been home to various nationally known sporting events. The most notable is the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which is the world's largest livestock exhibition and rodeo event. Other events of importance on greater Houston include the Shell Houston Open (a PGA Tour event), the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships (ATP tour), the Houston Marathon, and the Texas Bowl college football bowl game. Houston has also played host to two Super Bowls (VIII) and (XXXVIII), the 1968, 1986, and 2004 MLB All-Star Games, the 2005 World Series, and the 1989, 2006, 2013 NBA All-Star Games. Houston has also played host to various high school and college sporting events, including the Big 12 Championship Game and hosted the 2011 NCAA Men's Final Four, 2010 NCAA Men's Regional Finals, and 2010 MLS All-Star Game. Houston was also considered a candidate for the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. Houston is slated to host Super Bowl LI in 2017.[34]

Culture

Houston's concentration of consular offices ranks third in the nation and first in the South, with 90 countries represented.[35] Houston has a sizable Hispanic community. CNN/Money and Money magazine have recognized cities in the Greater Houston area the past three years as part of its 100 Best Places to Live in the United States. In 2005, Sugar Land, southwest of Houston in northeast Fort Bend County, was ranked 46th in the nation, and one of only three Texas cities among the Top 100. In 2006, the magazine recognized Sugar Land again, this time as the third-best city on its list.[36] Also making the 2006 list were League City (65th) in northern Galveston County and The Woodlands (73rd) in southern Montgomery County. In 2007, another Houston suburb, Friendswood, made the list ranked 51st in the nation. The 2006 list only includes cities with at least 50,000 residents, and the 2007 list contains only cities with less than 50,000 residents.

Greater Houston is widely noted for its ethnic diversity and strong international community. In its 2010 publication "Urban Elite",[37] A.T. Kearney added the city to their list of the 65 most important world cities and ranks Houston 35th, as "...a magnet for a diverse population and business services...". The Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network ranks Houston as a Beta- World City, "an important world city instrumental to linking their region or state to the world economy."[38]

Media

Melcher Center for Public Broadcasting at the University of Houston

Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area is served by a public television station and one public radio station. KUHT (HoustonPBS) is a PBS member station and is the first public television station in the United States. Houston Public Radio is listener-funded radio and comprises one NPR member station, KUHF (KUHF News). The University of Houston System owns and holds broadcasting licenses to KUHT and KUHF. The stations broadcast from the Melcher Center for Public Broadcasting, located on the campus of the University of Houston.

The Houston area is served by the Houston Chronicle, its only major daily newspaper with wide distribution. The Hearst Corporation, which owns and operates the Houston Chronicle, bought the assets of the Houston Post—its long-time rival and main competition—when Houston Post ceased operations in 1995. The Houston 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.[39]

The Galveston County Daily News, founded in 1842, is that city's primary newspaper and the oldest continuously printed newspaper in Texas.[40] It currently serves as the newspaper of record for Galveston, as well as Galveston County. Radio station KGBC, on air since 1947, has also served as a local media outlet.[41]

Education

Colleges and universities

University of Houston

Five separate and distinct state universities are located within Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area. The University of Houston is a nationally recognized Tier One research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System.[42][43][44] The third-largest university in Texas, the University of Houston has nearly 40,000 students on its 667-acre campus in southeast Houston.[45] The University of Houston–Clear Lake and the University of Houston–Downtown are stand-aloneuniversities; they are not branch campuses of the University of Houston. The metropolitan area is home to two historically black colleges and universities: Texas Southern University and Prairie View A&M University. The University of Texas Medical Branch and Texas A&M University at Galveston, a branch campus of Texas A&M University, are located in Galveston.

Rice University

Several private institutions of higher learning—ranging from liberal arts colleges to a nationally recognized research university—are located within the metropolitan area. The University of St. Thomas is a Catholic institution known for small classes (an average of 14 students per class). Houston Baptist University, located in the Sharpstown area, was founded in 1960. Rice University is one of the leading teaching and research universities of the United States and ranked the nation's 17th-best overall university by U.S. News & World Report.[46]

Three community college districts exist with campuses in and around Houston. The Houston Community College System serves most of Houston. The northwestern through northeastern parts of the metropolitan area are served by various campuses of the Lone Star College System, while the southeastern portion of the city and some surrounding areas are served by San Jacinto College. Eastern portions of the area and small sections of the city are served by Lee College. Portions of Fort Bend County are served by Wharton County Junior College. Portions of Galveston County are served by College of the Mainland and Galveston College. Portions of Brazoria County are served by Alvin Community College and Brazosport College. Blinn College serves portions of Austin County. The Houston Community College and Lone Star College systems are within the 10 largest institutions of higher learning in the United States.

Transportation

Highways

Interstate 610 in Uptown Houston

Houston’s freeway system includes 575.5 miles (926.2 km) of freeways and expressways in the 10-county metro area.[10] The State of Texas plans to spend $65 billion on Houston area highways by 2025. Houston freeways are heavily traveled and often under construction to meet the demands of continuing growth.

The Greater Houston area has a hub-and-spoke freeway structure with multiple loops. The innermost is Interstate 610, forming a roughly 42-mile (70 km)-diameter loop around downtown. The nearly square Loop 610 is quartered into "North Loop", "South Loop", "West Loop", and "East Loop". The roads of Beltway 8 and their freeway core, the Sam Houston Tollway, are the next loop, at a diameter around 83 miles (134 km). A proposed highway project, State Highway 99 (the Grand Parkway), would form a third loop outside of Houston. Currently, a completed portion of State Highway 99 runs from U.S. Highway 290, northwest of Houston, to U.S. Highway 59 in Sugar Land, southwest of Houston, and was completed in 2013. Another segment of State Highway 99 from Interstate 10 south to Farm-to-Market Road 1405 in Chambers County was completed in 2008. The next portion to be constructed is from the current terminus at U.S. Highway 290 to U.S. Highway 59 in Montgomery County. Freeways also include the Westpark Tollway, which runs from U.S. Hwy 59 to Texas Hwy 99 and the Fort Bend Parkway, which runs from U.S. Hwy 90-A to Texas Hwy 6 in Missouri City. A new interstate, Interstate 69, will start at the Mexico–US border, go through the Greater Houston area, and continue on to Michigan at the Canada–US border. About 35 miles of Interstate 69 have been completed in the Greater Houston area.

Mass transit

METRORail in downtown Houston

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas, or METRO, provides public transportation in the form of buses, trolleys, and lift vans.

METRO began running light rail service (METRORail) on January 1, 2004. Currently, the track is rather short — about 22.7 miles (20.6 km) from Northline Transit Center Station through downtown Houston to the Texas Medical Center and Reliant Park, and lines from downtown to the East End and the University of Houston/Lower 3rd Ward. Still, the system is traveled by about 61,000 people daily, giving it the second-highest ridership per track mile in the nation. The Uptown Light Rail Line has been converted to a BRT Line and began construction in the late 2nd quarter of 2016. The BRT Line will run between the former NW Mall (which is in the process of redevelopment) and the WestPark TC. METRO's various forms of public transportation still do not connect multiple suburbs to the inner city (defined by the 610 loop), causing Houstonians to rely on the automobile as a primary source of transportation. The problem is one due the lack of a central metropolitan area transportation authority, primarily due to a few suburban counties refusing to cooperate with METRO. For example, there are multiple coach bus services that run into downtown Houston. METRO is in the late planning stages of the US 90 Commuter line which will service the Ft Bend County and SW Harris County suburban region. Prior to the opening of METRORail, Houston was the largest large major city in the United States without a rail transit system.

Following a successful referendum held locally in 2004, METRO is currently in the beginning design phases of a 10-year expansion plan to add five more sections to connect to the current rail system. An 8.3-mile (13.4-km) expansion has been approved to run the service from Uptown through Texas Southern University, ending at the University of Houston campus.

Airports

Houston's largest airport (and Texas's second-largest), George Bush Intercontinental Airport, is located in north Houston. Continental Airlines was headquartered in downtown Houston. The southeast of Houston has William P. Hobby Airport, the second-largest commercial passenger airport. Houston's third-largest airport is Ellington Field, which houses several National Guard and Air National Guard units, as well as a United States Coast Guard air station and the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center's fleet of jets that are used to train astronauts. Sugar Land has the Sugar Land Regional Airport, which is the fourth-largest airport in the metropolitan area. Both Sugar Land Regional and Ellington Field serve as reliever airports for the Houston Airport System.

Intercity rail

Amtrak provides intercity rail service to the Houston station.[47]

Intercity bus

Greyhound Bus Lines operates services from three bus stations in the City of Houston:

In addition, Greyhound operates services from two stops[51]

Greyhound also operates services to stops within other cities in the Greater Houston area, including:

Three Megabus stations additionally serve the Houston area:

Politics

Politically, the Greater Houston area has historically been divided between areas of strength of the Republican and Democratic parties.[58]

The city of Houston has historically voted Democratic except for its affluent western and west-central portions, including the River Oaks, Westchase, Memorial, and Uptown areas, as well as the Kingwood and Clear Lake City master-planned communities on Houston's far northeast and southeast sides, respectively. All these areas, populated mostly by wealthy WASPS, favor and are almost entirely represented both in Congress and in the Texas Legislature by Republicans. Democrats' strongest areas are within Loop 610, and in the largely poor and minority northern, eastern, and southern portions of Houston. Most of these areas have sizable Hispanic populations, though some northern and southern parts of the city have mostly notable African American communities. Democrats are also stronger in the more liberal Neartown area, which is home to a large artist and LGBT community, and Alief, which houses a sizable Asian American population. In 2008, almost every county in the region voted for Republican John McCain; only Harris County was won by Democratic candidate Barack Obama, by a small margin (51%–49%).[59] Galveston has long been a staunch Democratic stronghold, with the most active Democratic county establishment in the state.[60]

Houston's suburbs are also politically divided. Such examples:

United States Congress

Senators Name Party First Elected Level
  Senate Class 1 Ted Cruz Republican 2012 Junior Senator
  Senate Class 2 John Cornyn Republican 2002 Senior Senator
Representatives Name Party First Elected Area(s) of Greater Houston Represented
  District 2 Ted Poe Republican 2004 Kingwood portion of Houston, Spring, northeast Harris County (including Baytown, Humble and La Porte), western and southern Liberty County
  District 7 John Culberson Republican 2000 West Houston, Memorial Villages, Bellaire, West University Place, west and northwest Harris County
  District 8 Kevin Brady Republican 1996 Montgomery and San Jacinto counties; northern Liberty County
  District 9 Al Green Democratic 2004 Alief, Southwest Houston, Houston’s Southside, portions of Fort Bend County (Mission Bend, eastern portion of Stafford, northern and eastern portions of Missouri City, county’s entire share of Houston)
  District 10 Michael McCaul Republican 2004 Northwest Harris County; Austin and Waller counties; most of the Greater Katy area
  District 18 Sheila Jackson Lee Democratic 1994 Downtown Houston, Bush IAH, northwest and northeast Houston, inner portions of Houston’s Southside
  District 22 Pete Olson Republican 2008 most of Fort Bend County (Sugar Land, Rosenberg, the southern portion of Greater Katy, plus western and southern portions of Missouri City), northern Brazoria County (including Pearland), portions of Galveston County (La Marque), southern and central Pasadena, Deer Park)
  District 29 Gene Green Democratic 1992 East Houston, northern Pasadena, Galena Park, Channelview (all Harris County)
  District 36 Brian Babin Republican 2014 Southeastern and eastern parts of Harris County (including the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center)

Texas Legislature

Texas Senate

District Name Party First Elected Area(s) of Greater Houston Represented
  3 Robert Nichols Republican 2006 Northern and western Montgomery County (including Conroe), San Jacinto County
  4 Tommy Williams Republican 2003 Southern Montgomery County (including The Woodlands), Kingwood, Liberty County, Chambers County, far eastern portions of Baytown
  6 Sylvia R. Garcia[61] Democratic 2013 (special election) Houston Ship Channel, eastern portions of Houston, Jacinto City, Galena Park, northern Pasadena, western portion of Baytown
  7 Dan Patrick Republican 2007 Memorial Villages, Memorial/Spring Branch area, Addicks Reservoir, Northwest Harris County
  11 Mike Jackson Republican 1999 Northern and central Brazoria County, southeastern portions of Houston and Harris County, the Galveston County mainland, and all areas roughly north of SH 87 on Galveston Island.
  13 Rodney Ellis Democratic 1990 Downtown Houston, Texas Medical Center, southwest and northeast Houston, Houston’s Southside, northern portions of Missouri City, Stafford
  15 John Whitmire Democratic 1983 Northwest Houston, Bush IAH, southern portion of Humble, eastern Harris County
  17 Joan Huffman Republican 2008 Meyerland, Bellaire, West University Place, much of Katy area, far west Houston, Barker Reservoir, portions of Fort Bend County (Sugar Land and southern Missouri City) southern Brazoria County, the area of Galveston Island south of SH 87, entire Bolivar Peninsula, and Port Arthur.
  18 Glenn Hegar Republican 2006 Austin, Waller and Wharton counties; western Fort Bend County

Texas House of Representatives

District Name Party First Elected Area(s) of Greater Houston Represented
  12 Jim McReynolds Democratic 1996 San Jacinto County
  13 Lois Kolkhorst Republican 2000 Austin County
  15 Mark Keough Republican 2014 The Woodlands, southern Montgomery County
  16 C. Brandon Creighton Republican 2006 Northern and central Montgomery County (including Conroe)
  18 John Otto Republican 2004 Liberty County, southeastern Montgomery County
  23 Craig Eiland Democratic 1994 Galveston, Texas City, Bolivar Peninsula, Chambers County
  24 Larry Taylor Republican 2002 Hitchcock, La Marque, Santa Fe, Dickinson, League City, Friendswood (all in Galveston County)
  25 Dennis Bonnen Republican 1996 Southern Brazoria County (Lake Jackson, Angleton, Freeport)
  26 Charlie Howard Republican 1994 Sugar Land
  27 Ron Reynolds Democratic 2010 Eastern Fort Bend County (including Rosenberg, most of Missouri City, county’s share of Houston)
  28 John Zerwas Republican 2006 Wharton and Waller Counties, western Fort Bend County
  29 Mike O'Day Republican 2007 Matagorda County, part of Brazoria County (Pearland, Alvin)
  126 Patricia Harless Republican 2006 Champions/FM 1960
  127 Dan Huberty Republican 2011 Kingwood, Lake Houston, Crosby, Wallisville
  128 Wayne Smith Republican 2002 East Harris County (Baytown, Deer Park, La Porte)
  129 John Davis Republican 1998 Southeast Harris County (Clear Lake City Area, NASA Johnson Space Center)
  130 Corbin Van Arsdale Republican 2002 Northwest Harris County (including Tomball and Cypress-Fairbanks areas)
  131 Alma Allen Democratic 2004 Outer portions of Houston’s Southside
  132 Bill Callegari Republican 2000 West Harris County (including county’s share of Katy and unincorporated western parts of the Katy area)
  133 Jim Murphy Republican 2006 West Houston, western portion of Memorial/Spring Branch, part of the Energy Corridor
  134 Ellen Cohen Democratic 2006 Inner western portions of Houston (including Meyerland, River Oaks and Memorial Park), Texas Medical Center, West University Place, Bellaire, Southside Place
  135 Gary Elkins Republican 1994 Parts of northwest Harris County (including Jersey Village) and southeastern segments of the Champions/FM 1960 area
  136 Beverly Woolley Republican 1994 Memorial Villages and surrounding areas
  137 Scott Hochberg Democratic 1992 Southwest Houston (including Sharpstown, Westwood and Fondren Southwest)
  138 Dwayne Bohac Republican 2002 Northwest Houston and parts of the Memorial/Spring Branch area north of I-10, Addicks Reservoir
  139 Sylvester Turner Democratic 1988 North Houston and Aldine west of I-45
  140 Armando Walle Democratic 2008 North Houston and Aldine east of I-45
  141 Senfronia Thompson Democratic 1972 Northeast Houston, Bush IAH, Greenspoint, southern portion of Humble
  142 Harold Dutton, Jr. Democratic 1984 East Houston, Northshore
  143 Ana Hernandez Democratic 2005 (special election filling the unexpired term of Joe Moreno) East Houston within Loop 610, Houston Ship Channel, Galena Park, Jacinto City, northern Pasadena
  144 Robert Talton Republican 1992 Southern Pasadena, far southeast Houston
  145 Rick Noriega Democratic 1998 Inner southeastern portions of Houston (mainly east of I-45), South Houston (not part of the city of Houston)
  146 Borris Miles Democratic 2006 Inner portions of Houston’s Southside
  147 Garnet Coleman Democratic 1991 (special election filling the unexpired term of Larry Evans) Downtown Houston, inner southeastern portions of Houston (mainly west of I-45)
  148 Jessica Farrar Democratic 1994 Northwest Houston mainly within Loop 610 (including Houston Heights)
  149 Hubert Vo Democratic 2004 Far west Houston, Alief, unincorporated portions of Katy area east of Fry Rd, Barker Reservoir
  150 Debbie Riddle Republican 2002 Northern Harris County (Spring, Klein, northern Humble)

References

  1. ↑ "American FactFinder". Factfinder2.census.gov. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
  2. ↑ Ura, Alexa. Texas Counties, Metros Among Fastest-Growing in U.S., Texas Tribune, March 26, 2015
  3. ↑ "Houston is the fifth largest metro area in the United States". April 5, 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  4. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau (April 5, 2012). "Population Estimates, Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas". Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  5. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau (April 5, 2012). "Census Estimates Show New Patterns of Growth Nationwide". Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  6. ↑ Thomas, G. Scott (2011-03-07). "Houston 5th in metro population rankings, study shows".
  7. ↑ Archived copy at the Library of Congress (October 17, 2010).
  8. ↑ SCHNEIDER, MIKE; HOLLAND, JESSE J. (March 26, 2015). "CENSUS: FLORIDA CITY TOPS LIST OF FASTEST-GROWING AREAS". Associated Press. Retrieved March 27, 2015. The Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro area was also the top in metro area numerical increase with 156,371 people added between 2013 and 2014, followed by the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area with a 131,217-person increase and the New York-Newark-Jersey City-Pennsylvania area with a 90,797-person increase.
  9. ↑ Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area (CBSA) Population and Components of Change
  10. 1 2 3
  11. ↑ "Houston makes best-performing city list." Houston Business Journal. Wednesday November 11, 2009. Retrieved on November 11, 2009.
  12. ↑ City of Houston eGovernment Center
  13. ↑ al.pdf Mapping Active Faults in the Houston area Using LIDAR. Richard Engelkeimer, Shuhab Khan, Carl Norman. University of Houston.
  14. ↑ Faults in Parts of North-Central and Western Houston Metropolitan Area, Texas. Earl R. Verbeek, Karl W. Ratzlaff, Uel S. Clanton. U.S. Geological Survey.
  15. ↑ Principal Active Faults. Houston Area, Texas. U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1984.
  16. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 to 2007 Population Estimates
  17. ↑
  18. ↑ "Houston holds some of Texas’ most wealthy communities." Houston Business Journal. September 13, 2011. Retrieved on September 20, 2011.
  19. ↑ Microsoft Word – 10A W001 Employment Comparisons.doc
  20. ↑ Badenhausen, Kurt (2006-05-04). "Best Places For Business And Careers". Forbes.
  21. ↑ "Nominal 2012 GDP for the world and the European Union (EU).". World Economic Outlook Database, October 2013. International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 2013-10-08. External link in |work= (help)
  22. ↑ Ocean Shipping from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved Jan 25, 2010. Texas State Historical Association.
  23. ↑ Olien, Roger M.: Greater Houston from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved Jan 25, 2010. Texas State Historical Association.
  24. ↑ Weisman (2007), p. 132.
  25. ↑ Russo, Gene (June 18, 2009). "Texas-sized challenge". Nature Magazine. Nature Publishing Group (a division of Macmillan). 459 (7249): 1022–1023. doi:10.1038/nj7249-1022a.
    Greater Houston from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved Jan 25, 2010. Texas State Historical Association.
    Wolgemuth, Liz (September 15, 2009). "10 Best Places for Tech Jobs". Houston Chronicle.
  26. ↑ "Overview of the Port of South Louisiana". Port of South Louisiana. Archived from the original on May 11, 2008. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  27. ↑ "Bay Area Overview" (PDF). Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  28. ↑ Houston Texas Medical Center | Greater Houston Partnership
  29. ↑ University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston National Laboratory – Home Page
  30. ↑ TRESAUGUE, Matthew (2006-05-17). "Study suggests UH degrees are crucial economic factor". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2011-05-31.
  31. 1 2 "The Economic Impact of Higher Education on Houston: A Case Study of the University of Houston System" (PDF). University of Houston System. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  32. 1 2 http://www.deseretnews.com/article/695207634/H-E-L-P-Is-it-1-AA-FBS-FCS-or-LOL.html
  33. ↑ http://www.hbuhuskies.com/news/2011/11/21/GEN_1121110809.aspx
  34. ↑ Raji, Bayan. "Houston, nearby cities working on a game plan for 2017 Super Bowl". Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  35. ↑ "Houston International Protocol Alliance". Retrieved Jun 22, 2010.
  36. ↑ "Best Places to Live 2006". CNN. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  37. ↑ http://www.atkearney.com/images/global/pdf/Urban_Elite-GCI_2010.pdf
  38. ↑ "GaWC - The World According to GaWC 2008". Lboro.ac.uk. 2010-04-13. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
  39. ↑ "Houston Press: About Us". Houston Press. Retrieved 2007-01-26.
  40. ↑ "The Galveston County Daily News". Galvestondailynews.com. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
  41. ↑ Leigh Jones (2009-03-10). "Island radio station making a comeback". The Galveston County Daily News. Retrieved 2009-10-04.
  42. ↑ Bonnin, Richard. "Carnegie Foundation Gives University of Houston its Highest Classification for Research Success, Elevating UH to Tier One Status". University of Houston. Retrieved 2011-02-08.
  43. ↑ "UH achieves Tier One status in research". Houston Business Journal. January 21, 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
  44. ↑ "UH takes big step up to Tier One status". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
  45. ↑ Khator, Renu (October 4, 2011). "State of the University: Fall 2011" (PDF). University of Houston. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  46. ↑ "Rice University, Best Colleges 2009". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
  47. ↑ Houston Amtrak Station
  48. ↑ Houston Greyhound Station
  49. ↑ Houston Southeast Greyhound Station
  50. ↑ Houston Southwest Greyhound Station
  51. ↑ http://www.greyhound.com/scripts/en/TicketCenter/locations.asp?state=tx
  52. ↑ Angleton Greyhound Station
  53. ↑ Baytown Greyhound Station
  54. ↑ Conroe Greyhound Station
  55. ↑ Katy Greyhound Station
  56. ↑ Prairie View Greyhound Station
  57. ↑ Rosenberg Greyhound Station
  58. ↑ Election result maps
  59. ↑ "County Results - Election Center 2008 - Elections & Politics from CNN.com". CNN. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  60. ↑ :: The Galveston County Democratic Party Online – www.DemocratsWin.com ::
  61. ↑ "Mario Gallegos, Senate champion for Hispanics, dies at 62 - Houston Chronicle". Chron.com. 2012-10-16. Retrieved 2013-07-21.

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