[33], President Woodrow Wilson opened the deep-water Port of Houston in 1914, seven years after digging began. The "Inner Loop" encompasses a 97-square-mile (250km2) area which includes Downtown, preWorld War II residential neighborhoods and streetcar suburbs, and newer high-density apartment and townhouse developments. QuickFacts provides statistics for all states and counties, and for cities and towns with a population of 5,000 or more. [153][154] During her tenure she authorized the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance which was intended to improve anti-discrimination coverage based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the city, specifically in areas such as housing and occupation where no anti-discrimination policy existed. [124] The largest Hispanic or Latino American ethnic groups in the city were Mexican Americans (31.6%), Puerto Ricans (0.8%), and Cuban Americans (0.8%) in 2018. In 2000, the Houston Astros opened their new baseball stadium, Minute Maid Park, in downtown adjacent to the old Union Station. Heres how you know The city controller is elected independently of the mayor and council. Houston, Texas (TX) profile: population, maps, real estate, Population by Metro Area in Texas There are 69 metro areas in Texas. [308], Houston is considered an automobile-dependent city, with an estimated 77.2% of commuters driving alone to work in 2016,[309] up from 71.7% in 1990[310] and 75.6% in 2009. WebHouston is the fourth most populous city in the nation, with an estimated July 2018 population of 2,325,502 (trailing only New York, Los Angeles and Chicago), and is the [14] The Houston area is the top U.S. market for exports, surpassing New York City in 2013, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration. [285] The University of HoustonClear Lake and the University of HoustonDowntown are stand-alone universities within the University of Houston System; they are not branch campuses of the University of Houston. During the American Civil War, Houston served as a headquarters for Confederate Major General John B. Magruder, who used the city as an organization point for the Battle of Galveston. [231] Facilities in the Theater District include the Jones Hallhome of the Houston Symphony Orchestra and Society for the Performing Artsand the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. The damage for the Houston area was estimated at up to $125 billion U.S. dollars,[55] and was considered to be one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the United States,[56] with the death toll exceeding 70 people. [274][275], In 1853, the first execution in Houston took place in public at Founder's Cemetery in the Fourth Ward; initially, the cemetery was the execution site, but post-1868 executions took place in the jail facilities.[276]. Understanding mass incarceration in the US is the first step to [261] The city of Houston's official 2010 census count was 600 shy of the required number; however, as the city was expected to grow beyond 2.1 million shortly thereafter, the two additional districts were added for, and the positions filled during, the August 2011 elections. [273], In the early 1970s, Houston, Pasadena and several coastal towns were the site of the Houston mass murders, which at the time were the deadliest case of serial killing in American history. Houston Bcycle (also known as B-Cycle), a local non-profit, runs the subscription program, supplying bicycles and docking stations, while partnering with other companies to maintain the system. Driving the news: Texas saw the Furthermore, Jankowski stated that "more than 100 foreign-owned companies relocated, expanded or started new businesses in Houston" between 2008 and 2010, and this openness to external business boosted job creation during a period when domestic demand was problematically low. Slightly west of the University of Houston is Texas Southern University (TSU), one of the largest historically black universities in the United States with approximately 10,000 students. [163] The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston claims approximately 1.7 million Catholics within its boundaries. Highways that follow the cardinal convention include U.S. Route 290 (Northwest Freeway), Interstate 45 north of Downtown (North Freeway), Interstate 10 east of Downtown (East Freeway), Texas State Highway 288 (South Freeway), and Interstate 69 south of Downtown (Southwest Freeway). [192] In 2010, mining (which consists almost entirely of exploration and production of oil and gas in Houston) accounted for 26.3% of Houston's GAP up sharply in response to high energy prices and a decreased worldwide surplus of oil production capacity, followed by engineering services, health services, and manufacturing. The region is serviced by four spoke tollways: a set of managed lanes on the Katy Freeway; the Hardy Toll Road, which parallels Interstate 45 north of Downtown up to Spring; the Westpark Tollway, which services Houston's western suburbs out to Fulshear; and Fort Bend Parkway, which connects to Sienna Plantation. Houston As of 2011 in the entire state, 32,000 people actively attended Orthodox churches. [159] The largest synagogues are Congregation Beth Yeshurun, a Conservative Jewish temple, and the Reform Jewish congregations Beth Israel and Emanu-El. Landlocked farmers brought their produce to Houston, using Buffalo Bayou to gain access to Galveston and the Gulf of Mexico. [323] The agency's 75 local routes contain nearly 8,900 stops and saw nearly 67 million boardings during the 2016 fiscal year. The Houston area encompasses more than 300 private schools,[278][279][280] many of which are accredited by Texas Private School Accreditation Commission recognized agencies. [334] Houston City Council approved the Houston Bike Plan in March 2017, at that time entering the plan into the Houston Code of Ordinances. [213] Other notable annual events include the Houston Greek Festival,[214] Art Car Parade, the Houston Auto Show, the Houston International Festival,[215] and the Bayou City Art Festival, which is considered to be one of the top five art festivals in the United States. [162] Since 2005, it has occupied the former Compaq Center sports stadium. According to the Texas Demographic Center, the citys populationabout 2.33 millionhas remained almost the same for the past five years. Much of the city was built on forested land, marshes, or swamps, and all are still visible in surrounding areas. 1. [161], Lakewood Church in Houston, led by Pastor Joel Osteen, is the largest church in the United States. Based on highest architectural feature, it is the 21st-tallest in the United States. WebHouston, TX is home to a population of 2.31M people, from which 80.6% are citizens. Houston Rare photos show ocelots crossing South Texas road According to historian David McComb, "[T]he brothers, on August 26, 1836, bought from Elizabeth E. Parrott, wife of T.F.L. [323], METRO's local bus network services approximately 275,000 riders daily with a fleet of over 1,200 buses. The city has a population from various ethnic and religious backgrounds and a large and growing international community. On February 14 and 15, 1895, Houston received 20 inches (51cm) of snow, its largest snowfall from one storm on record. Houston also hosts a number of graduate schools in law and healthcare. In addition, NRGAstrodome was the first indoor stadium in the world, built in 1965. [296] Other notable publications include Houston Forward Times, OutSmart, and La Voz de Houston. [187] In the United States, the port ranks first in international commerce and 16th among the largest ports in the world. "[23], The Allen brothers ran their first advertisement for Houston just four days later in the Telegraph and Texas Register, naming the notional town in honor of President Sam Houston. The U.S. incarcerates 530 people for every 100,000 in its population, making it one of the worlds biggest jailers just below El Salvador, Rwanda and Turkmenistan. According to a study in 2016 by Berman Jewish DataBank, 51,000 Jews lived in the area, an increase of 4,000 since 2001. Houston, TX Demographic Statistics [293], Rice University, near the Museum District and Texas Medical Center, is the most selective private institution in Texas. Comprising a land area of 640.4 square miles (1,659km2),[8] Houston is the ninth-most expansive city in the United States (including consolidated city-counties). The U.S. incarcerates 530 people for every 100,000 in its population, making it one of the worlds biggest jailers just below El Salvador, Rwanda and Turkmenistan. Census Houston's median gross rent from 2015 to 2019 was $1,041. In January, the normal mean temperature at George Bush Intercontinental Airport is 53F (12C), with an average of 13 days per year with a low at or below 32F (0C), occurring on average between December 3 and February 20, allowing for a growing season of 286 days. [dubious discuss][117], In a recent case testing these regulations, near the Brickhouse Gulley, an old golf course that long served as a floodplain and reservoir for floodwaters, announced a change of heart toward intensifying development. There is a strong demand for rental accommodation in the area, due to population growth and a booming economy. Houston is the birthplace of the chopped and screwed remixing-technique in Hip-hop which was pioneered by DJ Screw from the city. [244] The Houston Rockets are a National Basketball Association franchise based in the city since 1971. By 1910, the city's population had reached 78,800, almost doubling from a decade before. [29] 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. Texas House of Representatives [159], According to a 2014 study by the Pew Research Center, 73% of the population of the Houston area identified themselves as Christians, about 50% of whom claimed Protestant affiliations and about 19% claimed Roman Catholic affiliations. [210] The city is home to the nation's third-largest concentration of consular offices, representing 92 countries. Houston [243], Houston has sports teams for every major professional league except the National Hockey League. The October 2013 event was held using a tweaked version of the 20062007 course. Houston County's population increased 4 out of the 11 years between year 2010 and year 2021. The stations broadcast from the Melcher Center for Public Broadcasting on the campus of the University of Houston. About 62percent of Hispanics (of any nationality) in the area are declared or favor Democrats. What is the total population of Houston and its environs? In 2012, the HoustonThe WoodlandsSugar Land area recorded $110.3 billion in merchandise exports. The Department has 14 sections focus on clinical disciplines within the field of internal medicine, including three devoted to research: Cardiovascular Research, Health Services Research, and Epidemiology and Population [131] Individuals from two or more races made up 2.1% of the city. The county s largest decline was between 2019 and 2020 when the population dropped 3.5%. Space Center Houston is the official visitors' center of NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. The [44] The new residents came for numerous employment opportunities in the petroleum industry, created as a result of the Arab oil embargo. [77], Though Houston is the largest city in the United States without formal zoning regulations, it has developed similarly to other Sun Belt cities because the city's land use regulations and legal covenants have played a similar role.