Houston | |
|---|---|
City | |
| Nickname(s): Space City (official), more ... | |
 Interactive map of Houston | |
  Houston Location in Texas  Houston Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates: 29°45′46″N 95°22′59″W / 29.76278°N 95.38306°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| Counties | Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery |
| Incorporated | June 5, 1837 |
| Named for | Sam Houston |
| Government | |
| • Type | Strong Mayor-Council |
| • Body | Houston City Council |
| • Mayor | John Whitmire (D) |
| Area | |
| • City | 671.67 sq mi (1,740 km2) |
| • Land | 640.44 sq mi (1,658.73 km2) |
| • Water | 31.23 sq mi (80.89 km2) |
| Elevation | 80 ft (32 m) |
| Population | |
| • City | 2,301,572 |
| • Estimate (2023)[2] | 2,314,157 |
| • Rank | 6th in North America 4th in the United States 1st in Texas |
| • Density | 3,598.43/sq mi (1,389.36/km2) |
| • Urban | 5,853,575 (US: 5th) |
| • Urban density | 3,339.8/sq mi (1,289.5/km2) |
| • Metro | 7,122,240 (US: 5th) |
| Demonym | Houstonian |
| GDP | |
| • Metro | $633.185 billion (2022) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 770xx, 772xx (P.O. Boxes) |
| Area codes | 713, 281, 832, 346 |
| FIPS code | 48-35000[6] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1380948[7] |
| Website | houstontx |
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Houston (/ˈhjuːstən/ ; HEW-stən) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the seat of Harris County; as well as the principal city of the Greater Houston metropolitan area, the fifth-most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States and the second-most populous in Texas after Dallas–Fort Worth. With a population of 2,314,157 in 2023,[2] Houston is the fourth-most populous city in the United States after New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago, and the sixth-most populous city in North America. Houston is the southeast anchor of the greater megaregion known as the Texas Triangle.[8]
Comprising a land area of 640.4 square miles (1,659 km2),[9] Houston is the ninth-most expansive city in the United States (including consolidated city-counties). It is the largest city in the United States by total area whose government is not consolidated with a county, parish, or borough. Though primarily in Harris County, small portions of the city extend into Fort Bend and Montgomery counties, bordering other principal communities of Greater Houston such as Sugar Land and The Woodlands.
Houston was founded by land investors on August 30, 1836,[10] at the confluence of Buffalo Bayou and White Oak Bayou (a point now known as Allen's Landing) and incorporated as a city on June 5, 1837.[11][12] The city is named after former General Sam Houston, who was president of the Republic of Texas and had won Texas's independence from Mexico at the Battle of San Jacinto 25 miles (40 km) east of Allen's Landing.[12] After briefly serving as the capital of the Texas Republic in the late 1830s, Houston grew steadily into a regional trading center for the remainder of the 19th century.[13] The 20th century brought a convergence of economic factors that fueled rapid growth in Houston, including a burgeoning port and railroad industry, the decline of Galveston as Texas's primary port following a devastating 1900 hurricane, the subsequent construction of the Houston Ship Channel, and the Texas oil boom.[13] In the mid-20th century, Houston's economy diversified, as it became home to the Texas Medical Center—the world's largest concentration of healthcare and research institutions—and NASA's Johnson Space Center, home to the Mission Control Center.
Since the late 19th century, Houston's economy has had a broad industrial base in energy, manufacturing, aeronautics, and transportation. Leading in healthcare sectors and building oilfield equipment, Houston has the second-most Fortune 500 headquarters of any U.S. municipality within its city limits.[14][15] The Port of Houston ranks first in the United States in international waterborne tonnage handled and second in total cargo tonnage handled.[16]
Nicknamed the "Bayou City", "Space City", "H-Town", and "the 713", Houston has become a global city, with strengths in culture, medicine, and research. The city's population comprises various ethnic and religious backgrounds, as well as a large and growing international community. Houston is the most diverse metropolitan area in Texas and has been described as the most racially and ethnically diverse major city in the U.S.[17][18] It is home to many cultural institutions and exhibits, such as the Houston Museum District and the Houston Theater District.[19]
- ^ "2021 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
- ^ a b c "QuickFacts: Houston city, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
- ^ "List of 2020 Census Urban Areas". census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
- ^ "2020 Population and Housing State Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
- ^ "Total Gross Domestic Product for Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX (MSA)". Federal Reserve Economic Data.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "The Texas Triangle Megaregion Nears 21 Million Residents". Texas News Express. October 6, 2020. Archived from the original on November 29, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
- ^ "Houston, Texas Geography Profile". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
- ^ "Facts and Figures". City of Houston eGovernment Center. Archived from the original on February 21, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
- ^ Kleiner, D.J.: Allen's Landing from the Handbook of Texas Online (February 3, 2005). Retrieved 2007-06-10.
- ^ a b McComb, David G. (January 19, 2008). "Houston, Texas". Handbook of Texas Online. Archived from the original on April 12, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2008.
- ^ a b Gray, Lisa (May 19, 2016). "Promise – and a few fibs – launched this city's destiny". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on July 4, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
- ^ Fortune 500 2010: Cities Archived August 24, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Accessed May 25, 2011
- ^ "A.T. Kearney Global Cities Index 2019" (PDF). A.T. Kearney. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 28, 2011. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- ^ "2010 Port Industry Statistics, American Association of Port Authorities" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
- ^ Hu, Elise (July 1, 2013). "In Houston, America's Diverse Future Has Already Arrived". Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ Gates, Sara (March 5, 2012). "Houston Surpasses New York and Los Angeles as the 'Most Diverse in Nation'". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on July 9, 2018. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
- ^ ""Museums and Cultural Arts" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 11, 2010. (31.8 KB)", Greater Houston Partnership. Retrieved on March 21, 2009.