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Houston Texas Information
Nicknames:
"The Bayou City" (Locally Most Common)
"Space City" (Nationally Most Common)
"Magnolia City"
(Historical nickname)
Harris County
Zip Codes: 77002 - 77028, 77031 - 77039, 77041 - 77051, 77053 - 77096, 77098 - 77099
Click on a link below to learn more about about Houston
| Statistics & Facts | Location | Weather & Climate | History & History-related items | City Attractions | Economy | Crime Rates |
Statistics & Facts
The population of Houston is approximately 1,953,631 (2000).
The approximate number of families is 696,807 (1998).
The amount of land area in Houston is 1398.285 sq. kilometers.
The amount of land area in Houston is 581.4 sq. miles.
The amount of surface water is 56.774 sq kilometers.
The distance from Houston to Washington DC is 1265 miles. The distance to the Texas state capital is 149 miles. (as the crow flies)
Houston is positioned 29.76 degrees north of the equator and 95.38 degrees west of the prime meridian.
Houston elevation is 0-90 feet above sea level.
Houston per capita income is $19,235 (1998).
Houston median income is $36,094 (1998).
Houston has been dubbed "The Bayou City" by local residents due to the large number of bayou's, or waterways that inundate the greater Houston area.
Houston has been named "Space City" by national media because of the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center located in Clear Lake City, an annexed neighborhood of Houston. Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center is home to Mission Control for NASA and where all missions to space are directed from.
The Houston Ship Channel consistently ranks as the second largest port in the United States in terms of tonnage behind only New York and the largest port in terms of foreign tonnage.
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Location
Houston location: in the southeast corner of Texas, 1 hour (50 miles) from the Gulf of Mexico
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Climate & Weather
Houston's climate is classified as being humid subtropical. The city is located in the gulf coastal plains biome, and the vegetation is classified as a temperate grassland. Much of Houston was built on forested land, marshes or prairie, all of which can still be seen in surrounding areas. Average yearly precipitation levels range from 36 to 48 inches (900 to 1200 mm). Prevailing winds are from the south and southeast during most of the year, bringing heat from the deserts of Mexico and moisture from the Gulf of Mexico.
In summertime, daily high temperatures are in the 90 to 105 °F (32 to 41 °C) range throughout much of July and August. The air tends to feel still and the humidity (often 90 to 100% relative humidity) makes the air feel hotter than it really is. To cope with the heat, people use air conditioning in nearly every car and post-war building in the city.
Summer thunderstorms sometimes bring the moderately common tornadoes to the area. Afternoon rains are not uncommon, and Houston meteorologists are not given to predicting a zero percent chance of rain on most days.
Winters in Houston are cool and temperate. The coolest period is usually in January, when north winds bring winter rains. Snow is almost unheard of, and typically does not accumulate when it is seen.
Houston has four major bayous passing through the city. The Buffalo Bayou, which runs into downtown, the Brays Bayou, which runs along the Texas Medical Center, White Oak Bayou runs through the Heights and near northwest area and the Sims Bayou in the south of Houston merge in downtown Houston into the Houston Ship Channel. The Ship Channel goes past Galveston, Texas into the Gulf of Mexico.
Most of Houston is very flat and is about fifty feet above sea level in elevation; the Houston Heights area has the highest elevation in the city. The city once relied on groundwater for its water needs. Land subsidence forced the city to turn to ground-level water sources such as Lake Houston.
Hurricanes have slammed into the Texas Gulf Coast on numerous occasions; several have passed through Houston, causing death and destruction. The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 led to Galveston losing its status as the major port city and economic power in Southeast Texas; development of the Ship Channel and its port refineries shifted the honor to Houston. The last hurricane of consequence to hit Houston was Hurricane Alicia in 1983, but Tropical Storm Allison in 2001 caused billions of dollars in damages.
Flooding has proved to be an increasingly serious problem in Houston. Houston's worst contemporary flood was Tropical Storm Allison which passed through the city in June, 2001. Many neighborhoods have changed since the storm; older houses in some afflicted neighborhoods have been torn down and replaced with larger houses with larger foundations.
Houston's climate is often compared to that of Dallas, Texas. Dallas has a hot and dry climate while Houston has a hot and humid climate. While Dallas gets hotter temperatures, Houston's heat index is often higher.
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History & History Related Items
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1836 - The Allen Brothers, John Kirby and Augustus Chapman found Houston.
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June 5, 1837 - The city gets a city charter from the Congress of the Republic of Texas. It became the provisional capital of Texas.
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1839 - The capital of the Republic moves to Austin, Texas. The dispute over where the state records should go would cause a conflict.
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1900s - Oil is discovered in Texas. A new industry will start in Houston.
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1902 - President Theodore Roosevelt approves a one-million dollar fund for the construction of the Houston Ship Channel.
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1914 - President Woodrow Wilson opens the Houston Ship Channel 74 years after the digging had started.
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1920s - The Texas oil boom causes people to move into Houston, causing its first growth spurt.
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1937 - Houston Municipal Airport, which would later become William P. Hobby Airport, is opened.
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1963 - The Manned Spacecraft Center, which would become the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center opens in Clear Lake City (later annexed by Houston).
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1963 - The Humble Building is completed, the tallest building west of the Mississippi River at the time.
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1969 - Houston Intercontinental Airport, nowadays George Bush Intercontinental Airport, is opened to the public.
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1970s - The Arab Oil Embargo causes demand for Texas oil to boom. People from the "Rust Belt" states like New York and Pennsylvania move into Houston.
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1978 - The headquarters of Continental Airlines move to Houston after buying out Texas International.
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1980s - The end of the Embargo causes the Houston growth bubble to burst.
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1996 - The city of Kingwood, Texas is annexed by Houston.
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November 2001 - Enron is found to have accounting scandals. The company goes bankrupt.
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Fall 2003 - Halliburton's headquarters move from Dallas, Texas to Houston
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2004 - Houston gets a light rail line and hosts the Super Bowl and MLB All-Star Game.
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Attractions
Houston attractions
Call 1-800-4-HOUSTON for more information about Houston or visit the Official Guide to Houston
Water plays a big part in Houston with many waterways throughout the area. True to one of its nicknames, the Bayou City, Houston is home to more than 10 of these winding waterways that not only irrigate the lush landscape, but serve as green spaces for fitness and nature enthusiasts.
Houston is also home to numerous professional and collegiate sports teams. Professional teams include football (Texans) baseball (Astros), basketball (Rockets), and minor league hockey (Aeros)
The Museum of Fine Arts
P.O. box 6826
Houston, Texas 77265
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Economy & Industry
Houston had several growth spurts in relation to the Texas oil industry. Houston became a major port because of the downfall of Galveston and the creation of the Houston Ship Channel. The port of Houston is ranked first in the United States in foreign waterborne commerce, second in total tonnage behind only New York City, and sixth in the world. Over 190 tons of goods were shipped through the port of Houston in 2003. The 1920s had Houston's first growth spurt.
The city's second growth spurt occurred in the late 1970s, with the Arab Oil Embargo. Demand on Texas oil increased, and many people from the northeast came down to profit from the trade. When the embargo was lifted, the growth stopped. However, Pasadena still has its refineries, and the Port of Houston is among the busiest in the world. Houston has attempted to build a banking industry in the city, but all of the companies which had been started in Houston were merged with other companies nationwide. It still is vital to the region, but most of the banks operating there are not based in Houston. Real Estate is also a large business in the Houston area.
Houston is unique in being the largest American city without zoning regulations.
The city has the second lowest cost of living in comparison to other major U.S. cities. The housing in Houston is also one of the most affordable in the Nation.
Houston CMSA Gross Area Product for 2003
| Services |
22.5% |
| Finance/Insurance/Real Estate |
15.4% |
| Trade |
14.2% |
| Transportation/ Communications/ Utilities |
11.6% |
| Mining |
11.2% |
| Manufacturing |
11.0% |
| Government |
7.7% |
| Construction |
6.0% |
| Other |
0.5% |
Source: The Perryman Group, Spring 2004
Services represents more than a fifth of Houston Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA) Gross Area Product (GAP), followed by trade, finance/insurance/real estate and transportation/communications/utilities.
The Perryman Group estimates Houston CMSA Gross Area Product for 2003 at $244.8 billion, up 2.58 percent from 2002.
In constant dollars (i.e., net of inflation), Houston’s GAP rose 1.33 percent in 2003.
Mining, which in Houston is almost entirely oil and gas exploration and production, accounts for 11.2 percent of Houston’s GAP, down sharply from 21 percent as recently as 1985.
The reduced role of oil and gas in Houston’s GAP reflects the rapid growth of such other sectors as engineering services, health services and manufacturing.
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Crime Rates in Houston Texas
Houston TX Crime Statistics (2002 - New Crime Data)
| Crime Type |
|
2002 Total |
Per 100,000 People |
National per 100,000 People |
| Overall Houston Crime Index |
 |
149247 |
7313.94 |
4118.8 |
| Houston Murders |
|
256 |
12.55 |
5.6 |
| Houston Forcible Rapes |
|
892 |
43.71 |
33.0 |
| Houston Robberies |
|
11212 |
549.45 |
145.9 |
| Houston Aggravated Assaults |
|
12598 |
617.37 |
310.1 |
| Houston Burglaries |
|
26905 |
1318.5 |
746.2 |
| Houston Larceny/Thefts |
|
73445 |
3599.22 |
2445.8 |
| Houston Motor Vehicle Thefts |
|
23939 |
1173.15 |
432.1 |
| Houston Arsons |
|
1696 |
83.11 |
N/A |
|
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