Houston, Texas

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Houston, Texas
Nicknames : Space City, Bayou City,

Magnolia City

Country United: States

State: Texas

County: Harris

Founded: 1837

  • Incorporated: June 5, 1837
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)

ZIP codes: 77001-99, 77201-299

Area code: 713,281,832,

  • Metro: 409,936,979
Website: www.houstontx.gov

The largest city in Texas, and the fourth largest city in the United States, Houston is located in the southeastern part of the state.

Founded as a real estate scam by the Allen Brothers, Houston was incorporated in 1836. Despite being a tiny settlement surrounded by mosquito filled bayous & swamps, it remained stable.

The arrival of railroads allowed the city to become a major trans-shipment point, and cotton hub. The construction of the Houston Ship Channel and the 1900 Hurricane that destroyed Galveston paved the way for decades of growth. As cotton was drying up, the discovery at Spindletop sparked the economy and population. In 1925, San Antonio was the most populous city in Texas. Dallas took the title, and gave the crown to Houston in 1936 when the first (annual) Houston Live Stock & Rodeo Show was held. Ironically, during the great depression, not a single bank closed its doors. During WWII, Shipbuilding spurred more growth. In the 1961, NASA established the "Manned Spacecraft Center" (later to be renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center), and started the city's aerospace industry. During the the late 1970s, the U.S. Oil Embargo created a reliance on Texas to provide for the shortage, thus booming Houston into the early 80s. After a couple of Boom-Bust cycles, Houston was seeing some serious economic problems. Back then, the oil/energy industry accounted for 80% of the Houston economy. Hopefully, learning a lesson, Houston has since diversified its economy. With Help from the Texas Medical Center, and the Port of Houston, the city began to shift its reliance off of the price at the pumps. Houston tried to establish a native banking industry, only for them to be swallowed by the bigger corporations.

Today the City is a powerhouse in the global energy industry.

Contents

Other Feature Cities

Top 5 Featured Cities

Facts

Population

  • 1,941,430, with a margin of error of +/-30,220.
  • Male: 974,834
  • Female: 966,596
  • White: 1,100,450
  • Black: 455,764
  • Asian: 112,473
  • Indian or Alaskan Native: 5,913
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 1,977
  • Other: 243,245

Source: 2005 estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau

Leadership

  • Mayor: Bill White (elected 2004)
  • Mayor's mailing address: P.O. Box 1562, Houston, Texas 77251
  • Mayor's telephone number: +1 713/247-2200
  • City Hall: 901 Bagby Street, Houston, Texas 77002

Architecture

Tallest Buildings in Houston

  1. JP Morgan Chase Tower
  2. Wells Fargo Plaza
  3. Williams Tower
  4. Bank of America Center
  5. Heritage Plaza
  6. 1100 Louisiana
  7. Fulbright Tower
  8. Centerpoint Energy Plaza
  9. Continental Center One
  10. One Shell Plaza

Does not include antennae. Source: Houston Architecture Info

7 Wonders of the Houston Area

  1. Gulf of Mexico
  2. Acres Homes (Houston)
  3. Astrodome
  4. Bank of America Center
  5. Williams Tower
  6. Heritage Plaza
  7. Wells Fargo Plaza

Neighborhoods

Trivia

  • Also known as the "Bayou City" and the "Space City."
  • The word "Houston" was the first word spoken on the moon.

Photographs

© Wayne Lorentz. Courtesy of Houston Architecture Info

© Wayne Lorentz. Courtesy of Houston Architecture Info

© Wayne Lorentz. Courtesy of Houston Architecture Info

© Wayne Lorentz. Courtesy of Houston Architecture Info

© Wayne Lorentz. Courtesy of Houston Architecture Info

© Wayne Lorentz. Courtesy of Houston Architecture Info

© Wayne Lorentz. Courtesy of Houston Architecture Info

© Wayne Lorentz. Courtesy of Houston Architecture Info

© Wayne Lorentz. Courtesy of Houston Architecture Info

© Wayne Lorentz. Courtesy of Houston Architecture Info

© Wayne Lorentz. Courtesy of Houston Architecture Info

© Wayne Lorentz. Courtesy of Houston Architecture Info

© Wayne Lorentz. Courtesy of Houston Architecture Info

© Wayne Lorentz. Courtesy of Houston Architecture Info

© Wayne Lorentz. Courtesy of Houston Architecture Info

© Wayne Lorentz. Courtesy of Houston Architecture Info

© Wayne Lorentz. Courtesy of Houston Architecture Info

© Wayne Lorentz. Courtesy of Houston Architecture Info

© Wayne Lorentz. Courtesy of Houston Architecture Info

Useful Web Sites

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