Texas or Florida?

Question

I live in SWFL and other than the great year round weather....hate it, it's like being dropped into the 90s, houses seem to be twice as much as the Houston area.....my husband has an awesome job here but I can transfer to Houston....just want to know if the government structure is better, cost of living etc. It seems as if the housing market in Houston has maintained an even level for years now, unlike the ridiculous costs here, everything is on a quarter or less of an acre. I even hear that the food is much cheaper in Texas. Hey all, let me know your thoughts, thanks!!!!

Answer 1

I live in florida too . I have a friend that lives in Houston and she says everything is messed up there because of the katrina victims being there the economy is messed up and no prices are not cheaper . She does not like there and she had a home here and came back here cause she could not find a job in the houston area . so I hope I helped you . good luck .

Answer 2

Florida!

Answer 3

Hi mom of four!!!!! We live in Teaxa and I wish we could move to Flotida.The trarric is always bad yall gave way better beaches than us and over all the people here arent hospitable.I would reconcider and possible try to commute until you see how this place is

Answer 4

1

Answer 5

I really wish I could go to Florida!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 6

go to fexas

Answer 7

Florida!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 8

Texas (IPA: /ˈtɛk.səs/) is a state located in the southern and southwestern regions of the United States of America. With an area of 261,797 square miles (678,051 km²) and a population of 23.5 million in 254 counties, the state is second-largest in both area, behind Alaska, and population, behind California. About half the state's population resides in either the Dallas–Fort Worth or Houston metropolitan areas.[2]

The state's name derives from a word in the Caddoan language of the Hasinai, táyshaʔ, "Friend".[3][4][5] Texas declared its independence from Mexico in 1836 and existed as the independent Republic of Texas for nearly a decade. In 1845, it joined the United States as the 28th state.

Texas is internationally known for its energy and aeronautics industries, and for the ship channel at the Port of Houston—the largest in the U.S. in international commerce and the sixth-largest port in the world.[6] The state is home to the most Fortune 500 companies in the United States and has the second-largest economy in the United States.[7][8] The Texas Medical Center in Houston contains the world's largest concentration of research and healthcare institutions.[9]

Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Geography
2.1 Geology
3 Climate
3.1 Average Low And Highs
4 Government and politics
4.1 Political system
4.2 Justice system
5 Administrative divisions
6 Economy
7 Demographics
7.1 Race and ethnic origins
7.2 Largest cities
8 Culture
8.1 Arts and theatre
8.2 Sports
9 Architecture
10 Transportation
10.1 Highways
10.2 Airports
10.3 Passenger rail transportation
11 Healthcare and medicine
12 Education
13 See also
14 References
15 Further reading
16 External links



History
Main article: History of Texas
Texas boasts that "Six Flags" have flown over its soil: the Fleur-de-lis of France, the national flags of Spain, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America, and the United States of America.[10]

American Indian tribes who once lived inside the boundaries of present-day Texas include Apache, Atakapan, Bidai, Caddo, Comanche, Cherokee, Kiowa, Tonkawa, Wichita, Hueco and the Karankawa of Galveston. Currently, there are three federally recognized Native American tribes which reside in Texas: the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas, the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas, and the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo of Texas.[11]


Stephen F. AustinOn 6 November 1528, shipwrecked Spanish conquistador Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca became the first known European in Texas.[12] Most of Texas was immediately claimed by Spain (mostly western Texas) as part of the Spanish dominions of New Spain.[13] However, France took advantage of Spain's failure to settle the land and in 1685 established Fort St. Louis and claimed most of Texas. The first Spanish colonization did not come until a few years after Fort St. Louis, as Spain was spurred by France to enforce its claims. The French claim was inherited by the United States as they bought the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and the Spanish claim was later inherited by Mexico during the Mexican Revolution of 1821, setting the stage for the Mexican–American War. The French settlement was massacred by American Indians, and Spain only started sparse settlements, so most permanent settlements by Europeans did start until long after the first explorer arrived in 1521.

In the 1800s, two main ethnic groups settled the land: Tejanos and eventually Anglo Americans. Smaller numbers of Europeans also came. Moses Austin bought 200,000 acres (810 km²) of land of his choice, and moved to San Antonio in August of 1821.[14] His son, Stephen F. Austin, joined him. In 1821, Texas became part of the newly independent Republic of Mexico and, in 1824, became the northern section of Coahuila y Tejas. On 3 January 1823, Stephen F. Austin began a colony of 300 Anglo American families known as the "Old Three Hundred" along the Brazos River, after Austin was authorized to do so by Governor Antonio María Martínez and then successive Mexican officials as Mexico went through tumultuous political regime changes. Austin soon organized even more groups of immigrants, with authorization from the Mexican government. Meanwhile, more Tejanos were also settling in Texas, and as Antonio Menchaca writes in "Memoirs" in 1907, many Tejanos were already desirous of joining the United States. Tejanos were mostly full-blooded Spanish immigrants, few partly or entirely of American Indian heritage as most Mexicans south of the Rio Grande were.

The "Conventions" of 1832 and 1833 were a response to rising unrest at the policies of the ruling Mexican government, which included the end of duty free imports from the United States and the potential end to the special allowance for slavery in the state. Slavery had been abolished in Mexico with the independence.[14] Spain's policy of allowing only full-blooded Spaniards to settle Texas also ended with independence. In 1835, Antonio López de Santa Anna, President of Mexico, proclaimed a unified constitution for all Mexican territories, including Texas.[14] The new Constitution ended the republic and the federation, imposed a central style of government with power concentrated in the President, and turned states into provinces with governors appointed from Mexico City. Some states around Mexico rebelled against this imposition, including Chihuahua, Zacatecas and Yucatan. Texans were also irritated by other policies including the forcible disarmament of Texan settlers, and the expulsion of immigrants and legal land owners originally from the United States. The example of the Centralista forces' suppression of dissidents in Zacatecas also inspired fear of the Mexican government.[15]


Republic of Texas. The present-day outlines of the U.S. states are superimposed on the boundaries of 1836–1845On 2 March 1836, the Convention of 1836 signed a Declaration of Independence,[16] declaring Texas an independent nation.[17] On 21 April 1836, the Texans—led by General Sam Houston—won their independence when they defeated the Mexican forces of Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto. Santa Anna was captured and signed the Treaties of Velasco, which gave Texas firm boundaries; Mexico repudiated the treaties, considered Texas a breakaway province, and vowed to reconquer it. Later in 1836, the Texans adopted a constitution that formally legalized slavery in Texas. The Republic of Texas included the area of the present state of Texas, and additional unoccupied territory to the west and northwest.[15]

Texans wanted annexation to the United States. Texas was fast-growing, but still poor and had great difficulty maintaining self-defense. Events such as the Dawson Massacre and two recaptures of Béxar in Texas of 1842 helped add momentum to the desire for statehood. [18]. However, American politics intruded; strong Northern opposition to adding another slave state blocked annexation until the election of 1844 was won on a pro-annexation platform by James K. Polk. On 29 December 1845, Texas was admitted to the U.S. as a constituent state of the Union.[19] The Mexican–American War followed, with decisive American victories.[20] Soon after, Texas grew rapidly as migrants poured into the cotton lands.[21]

Just prior to the American Civil War, elected delegates met in convention and, in an act whose legality was later upheld by the Texas Legislature, authorized secession from the U.S. on 1 February 1861 by a thundering majority. Texas voters later overwhelmingly approved the measure in referendum, and the state was accepted as a charter member by the provisional government of the Confederate States of America on 1 March 1861.[22][3] Partly due to its distance from the front lines of the war, a major role for Texas was to supply hardy soldiers for Confederate forces (veterans of the Mexican–American War), especially in cavalry. Although Texan regiments fought in every major battle throughout the war, [23]


History of Texas
Spanish Texas
Mexican Texas
Republic of Texas
State of Texas
Texas was largely considered a "supply state" for the Confederate forces until mid-1863, when the Union capture of the Mississippi River made large movements of men or cattle impossible. The last battle of the Civil War was fought in Texas, at Palmito Ranch, on 12 May 1865, well after Lee's surrender on 9 April 1865 at Appomattox Court House in Virginia.[24]

Texas descended into near-anarchy during the two months between the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia and the assumption of authority by Union General Gordon Granger, as Confederate forces demobilized or disbanded and government property passed into private hands through distribution or plunder.[25] Juneteenth commemorates the announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation on 19 June 1865 in Galveston by General Gordon Granger; nearly 1-1/2 years after the original announcement of 1 January 1863.[26] On 30 March 1870, although Texas did not meet all the requirements, the United States Congress readmitted Texas into the Union.[27]

The first major oil well in Texas was drilled at Spindletop, a little hill south of Beaumont, on the morning of 10 January 1901. Other oil fields were later discovered nearby in East Texas, West Texas, and under the Gulf of Mexico. The resulting “Oil Boom” permanently transformed the economy of Texas.[28] Oil production eventually averaged three million barrels of oil per day at its peak in 1972.[29] The economy, which had experienced significant recovery since the American Civil War, was dealt a double blow by the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl.

From 1950 through the 1960s, Texas modernized and dramatically expanded its system of higher education. Under the leadership of Governor John B. Connally, the state produced a long-range plan for higher education, a more rational distribution of resources, and a central state apparatus designed to manage state institutions more efficiently. Because of these changes, Texas universities received federal funds for research and development during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations.[30]


Geography
Main article: Geography of Texas

El CapitanThe geography of Texas spans a wide range of features and timelines. Texas is the southernmost part of the Great Plains, which ends in the south against the folded Sierra Madre Oriental of Mexico. It is in the south-central part of the United States of America. It is considered to form part of the U.S. South and also part of the U.S. Southwest.

The Rio Grande, Red River and Sabine River all provide natural state lines where Texas borders Oklahoma on the north, Louisiana and Arkansas on the east, and New Mexico and the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to the south.

By residents, the state is generally divided into North Texas, East Texas, Central Texas, South Texas, and West Texas, but according to the Texas Almanac, Texas has four major physical regions: Gulf Coastal Plains, Interior Lowlands, Great Plains, and The Basin and Range Province. This is the difference between human geography and physical geography.

Some regions of Texas are associated with the South more than with the Southwest (primarily East Texas, Central Texas, and North Texas), while other regions share more similarities with the Southwest (primarily far West Texas and South Texas). The upper Texas Panhandle and the South Plains parts of West Texas do not easily fit into either category. The former has much in common with the Midwestern United States, while the latter, originally settled primarily by anglo Southerners, yet with a notable Hispanic population, is somewhat of a blend of South and Southwest.

The size of Texas prohibits easy categorization of the entire state wholly in any recognized region of the United States; geographic, economic, and even cultural diversity between regions of the state preclude treating Texas as a region in its own right.

See also: Texas Irrigation Canals

Shaded Relief Map of the Llano Estacado.
Geology
Main article: Geology of Texas
Texas is the southernmost part of the Great Plains, which ends in the south against the folded Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico. The continental crust here is a stable Mesoproterozoic craton which changes across a broad continental margin and transitional crust into true oceanic crust of the Gulf of Mexico. The oldest rocks in Texas date from the Mesoproterozoic and are about 1,600 million years old. These Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks underly most of the state, and are exposed in three places: Llano uplift, Van Horn, and the Franklin Mountains, near El Paso. This is overlain by mostly sedimentary rocks. The oldest sediments were deposited on the flanks of a rifted continental margin, or passive margin that developed during Cambrian time. This margin existed until Laurasia and Godwana collided in Pennsylvanian time to form Pangea. This is the buried crest of the Appalachian Mountains—Ouachita Mountains—Marathon Mountains zone of Pennsylvanian continental collision. This orogenic crest is today buried beneath the Dallas—Waco—Austin—San Antonio trend. During this time E. Texas was a region of high mountains and shallow seas covered W. Texas.

The late Paleozoic mountains collapsed as rifting in Jurassic time began to open the Gulf of Mexico. Pangea began to break up in the Triassic but seafloor spreading to form the Gulf of Mexico occurred only in the mid and late Jurassic. The shoreline shifted again to the eastern margin of the state and the Gulf of Mexico continental shelf began to build out. Today there are 9 miles (14 km) to 12 miles (19 km) of sediments buried beneath the Texas continental shelf and a large proportion of remaining US Oil reserves are to be found here. At the start of its formation, the incipient Gulf of Mexico basin was restricted and seawater often evaporated completely to form thick evaporite deposits of Jurassic age. These salt deposits have buoyantly risen up through the passive margin sediments to form salt diapirs, which are very common in East Texas and along the Gulf coast and offshore.

East Texas outcrops consist of Cretaceous and Paleogene sediments. These sediments contain important deposits of Eocenelignite which are increasingly used for generating electricity. Oil is found in the Mississippian ad Pennsylvanian sediments in the north, Permian sediments in the west, Cretaceous sediments in the east, and along the Gulf coast and out on the Texas continental shelf. Oligocene volcanic rocks are found in far west Texas, in the Big Bend area. A blanket of Miocene sediments known as the Ogallala formation in the western high plains region is an important aquifer. Texas has no active or dormant volcanoes and few earthquakes, being situated far from an active plate tectonic boundary. (The Big Bend area is the most seismically active; however, the area is sparsely populated and suffers minimal damages and injuries, and no known fatalities have been attributed to a Texas earthquake.)


2004 Christmas Eve snowstorm in South Texas
Climate
Main article: Climate of Texas
The large size of the state of Texas and its location at the intersection of several climate zones gives the state highly variable weather. In general, though, there are three main climate zones: the humid subtropical climate (Koppen Cfa) of the eastern half of Texas, the temperate semi-arid (Koppen BSk) steppe climate of the northwestern part, including the Panhandle, and the subtropical steppe climate (nearly an arid desert climate, Koppen BSh) of the southern parts of West Texas, particularly around El Paso.

The Panhandle of the state is cooler in the winter than North Texas or the Gulf Coast. Different regions of Texas experience vastly different precipitation patterns: El Paso averages as little as 7.8 inches (198 mm) of rain per year while the average annual precipitation is 59 inches (1,499 mm) in Orange.[31] Moderate snowfall often falls in the winter months in the north. Maximum temperatures in the summer months average from the 80s °F (26 °C) in the mountains of West Texas and on Galveston Island to around 100 °F (38 °C) in the Rio Grande Valley. Nighttime summer temperatures range from the upper 50s °F (12 °C) in the West Texas mountains[32] to 80 °F (27 °C) in Galveston.[33]

Thunderstorms are more common in the eastern and northern part of the state, although they are far from rare elsewhere in the state. Tornadoes are common in Texas, with the state averaging around 139 a year, more than any other state.[34] Tornadoes are most frequent in the northern half of the state from April-July, although tornadoes can happen anywhere in the state, except perhaps for the Big Bend area.

Texas ranks first among the 50 states as the largest emitter of greenhouse gases.[35] The state's annual carbon dioxide emissions are nearly 1.5 trillion pounds. Texas would be the world's seventh-largest producer of greenhouse gases if it were its own country, emitting more carbon dioxide than France, the United Kingdom, or Canada.[36][37]

See also: Catastrophic Texas Hurricanes since 1900

Average Low And Highs
Monthly Normal High and Low Temperatures (°F) For Various Texas Cities
City Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Abilene 55/32 61/36 69/44 77/52 85/61 91/68 95/72 94/71 87/64 78/54 65/42 57/34
Amarillo 49/23 54/27 62/34 71/42 79/52 87/61 91/65 89/64 82/56 72/45 58/32 50/24
Austin 60/40 65/44 72/51 79/58 85/65 91/71 95/73 96/73 90/69 81/60 70/49 62/42
Brownsville 69/50 72/53 78/60 82/65 87/72 90/75 92/75 93/75 89/73 84/66 77/59 70/52
Corpus Christi 66/46 70/49 76/56 81/62 86/70 90/74 93/74 93/74 90/72 84/64 75/55 68/48
Dallas 54/34 60/39 68/46 76/54 83/63 91/71 95/75 95/74 88/67 78/56 65/45 56/37
Del Rio 63/40 68/44 76/52 83/58 89/67 94/72 96/74 96/74 91/69 82/60 71/49 64/41
El Paso 57/33 63/38 70/44 78/51 87/61 95/69 94/72 92/70 87/64 78/52 66/40 57/33
Fort Worth 55/36 61/41 69/48 76/56 84/65 92/73 96/77 96/76 88/69 79/58 66/47 57/39
Galveston 62/50 64/52 70/58 75/65 81/72 87/78 89/80 89/80 86/76 80/68 71/59 64/52
Houston 62/41 66/44 73/51 79/58 86/66 91/72 94/74 94/73 89/68 82/59 72/50 65/43
Lubbock 52/24 58/29 66/36 75/45 83/56 90/64 92/68 90/66 83/58 74/47 62/34 53/26
Midland 57/30 63/34 71/41 79/49 87/59 93/66 94/69 93/68 86/62 77/51 66/39 58/31
Port Arthur 62/43 65/46 72/52 78/59 84/66 89/72 92/74 92/73 88/69 80/60 71/51 64/44
San Angelo 58/32 64/36 71/43 79/51 86/61 91/68 94/70 93/69 87/63 78/53 66/41 59/34
San Antonio 62/39 67/42 74/50 80/57 86/66 91/72 95/74 95/74 90/69 82/59 71/49 64/41
Victoria 63/44 67/47 73/54 79/60 85/68 90/73 93/75 94/75 90/70 83/62 73/52 65/45
Waco 57/35 62/39 70/47 78/54 85/63 92/71 97/74 97/74 90/67 80/57 68/46 59/38
Wichita Falls 52/29 58/33 67/41 76/49 84/59 92/68 97/72 96/71 88/64 77/52 64/40 54/31
[11]


Government and politics
Main articles: Government of Texas and Politics of Texas
The Texas Constitution—adopted in 1876—is the second-oldest state constitution still in effect. As with many state constitutions, it explicitly provides for the separation of powers and incorporates its bill of rights directly into the text of the constitution (as Article I). The bill of rights is considerably lengthier and more detailed than the federal Bill of Rights, and includes some provisions unique to Texas.


Texas State Capitol
Political system
The executive branch consists of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Comptroller of Public Accounts, Land Commissioner, Attorney General, Agriculture Commissioner, the three-member Texas Railroad Commission, the State Board of Education, and the Secretary of State. All of these positions are elected by the populace, with the exception of the Secretary of State, who is appointed by the Governor. The Comptroller decides if expected state income is sufficient to cover the proposed state budget. There are also many state agencies, and numerous boards and commissions. The Governor commands the state militia and can veto bills passed by the Legislature and call special sessions of the Legislature (this power is exclusive to the Governor and can be exercised as often as desired). The Governor also appoints members of various executive boards and fills judicial vacancies between elections.

The Legislature of Texas is bicameral. The House of Representatives has 150 members, while the Senate has 31. The speaker of the house, currently Tom Craddick (R–Midland) leads the House, and the Lieutenant Governor (currently Republican David Dewhurst) leads the state Senate. The Legislature meets in regular session only once every two years. The Legislature cannot call itself into special session; only the Governor may call a special session, and may call as many sessions as often as desired.

The judicial system of Texas has a reputation as one of the most complex in the United States, with many layers and many overlapping jurisdictions. Texas has two courts of last resort: the Texas Supreme Court, which hears civil cases, and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Except in the case of some municipal benches, partisan elections choose all of the judges at all levels of the judiciary; the Governor fills vacancies by appointment.


Governor Rick Perry
Protesters at the 6th Annual March to Stop ExecutionsRepublican Rick Perry has served as Governor of Texas since December 2000, when George W. Bush vacated the office to assume the Presidency. Two Republicans represent Texas in the U.S. Senate: Kay Bailey Hutchison (since 1993) and John Cornyn (since 2003). Texas has 32 representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives: 19 Republicans and 13 Democrats.

There are 32 congressional districts in Texas, the second-most after California. Districts are usually drawn after the national census every 10 years.

The Democratic Party held a monolithic political presence in Texas from the beginning of its statehood until the late 20th century. Like other ex-Confederate states, Texas harbored a deep resentment towards the Republican Party for their engineering of Reconstruction for years after the Civil War. Conservative Democrats held a virtual monopoly on elected offices in the state, but many began endorsing Republican presidential candidates as the national Democratic Party grew increasingly liberal. In 1978, the state elected its first Republican governor since Reconstruction. In 2003, Republicans achieved a majority in the state legislature for the first time. Today, the bulk of the Texan House delegation is Republican, and both U.S. Senators are Republican as well. No Democrat has been elected to a statewide office in Texas since 1994. The state's base of Democratic voters is comprised primarily of African-Americans, Hispanics, and urban voters, particularly in Austin.

The Texas political atmosphere tends towards fiscal and social conservatism. Texas leads the country in the number of executions performed, and is one of the few states that permits the execution of a mentally retarded person. The state recently adopted a resolution defining marriage as between a man and a woman, and a long-standing law making sodomy a criminal offense was overturned in 2003 only after the intervention of the Supreme Court. The city of Austin is considered the state's liberal bastion (though liberals in Texas tend to prefer the term "populist"), though Austin's suburbs generally follow the conservatism of the state at large. Houston and Dallas are among the few urban areas that consistently vote Republican. However, these cities tend to favor a more socially tolerant, pro-business brand of Republicanism. In Houston, the election of conservative commentator Dan Patrick to the State Senate in 2006 sparked an outcry from the city's moderate Republican establishment.


Justice system
Main article: Capital punishment in Texas
The justice system in Texas has a strict sentencing for criminals. Texas leads the nation in executions by far, with 381 executions from 1976 to 2006. Only capital murder is eligible for the death penalty.[38] A bill making child rape a capital crime in some instances is currently under consideration.[39] Prior to 2005, the alternate sentence was life with the possibility of parole after 40 calendar years; a 2005 law change changed the alternate sentence to life without parole.

Known for their role in the history of Texas law enforcement, the Texas Ranger Division of the Texas Department of Public Safety continue today to provide special law enforcement services to the state. Texas Game Wardens—law enforcement officers working for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department—are given the same amount of authority as any other law enforcement officer. It is a common myth that they are able to enter private property without a search warrant and search people or vehicles with no probable cause.


Administrative divisions

Map outlining 254 counties of TexasTexas has a total of 254 counties—the most of any state. Each county is run by a commissioners’ court consisting of four elected commissioners and a county judge elected from all the voters of the county. County government is similar to the "weak" mayor-council system; the county judge has no veto authority, but votes along with the other commissioners. All county elections are partisan.

Unlike other states, Texas does not allow for consolidated city-county governments, nor does it have a form of metropolitan government. Cities and counties are permitted to enter "interlocal agreements" to share services. Further, counties are not granted "home rule" status; their powers are strictly defined by state law and the Texas Constitution.

Texas does not have townships—areas within a county are either incorporated or unincorporated. Incorporated areas are part of a city, though the city may contract with the county for needed services. Unincorporated areas are not part of a city; in these areas, the county has authority for law enforcement and road maintenance. Cities are classified as either "general law" or "home rule". A city may elect home rule status (draft an independent city charter) once it exceeds 5,000 population and the voters agree to home rule. Otherwise, it is classified as general law and has very limited powers. All municipal elections in Texas are nonpartisan. Once a city elects home rule status, it keeps that status even if the population later falls below 5,000.

See also: List of Texas counties, List of Texas county name etymologies, and List of Texas county seat name etymologies

Economy
Main article: Economy of Texas
In 2006, Texas had a gross state product of $1.0856 trillion[40], the second highest in the U.S. after California, after recently surpassing New York state.[41] Gross state product per capita as of 2005 was $42,975. Texas leads the nation in number of beef, which usually exceed 16 million head. Cotton is the leading crop and the state's second-most-valuable farm product. Texas also leads in national production of grain sorghum, watermelons, cabbages, and spinach. Wheat, corn, and other grains are also important.


The "tails" side of the Texas quarterTexas's growth is often attributed to the availability of jobs, the low cost of housing (housing values in the Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio areas, while generally rising, have not risen at the astronomical rates of other cities such as San Francisco), the lack of a personal state income tax, low taxation and limited regulation of business, a geographic location in the center of the country, limited government (the Texas Legislature meets only once every two years), favorable climate in many areas of the state, and vast, plentiful supplies of oil and natural gas. The known petroleum deposits of Texas are about 8 billion barrels, which makes up approximately one-third of the known U. S. supply. Texas has 4.6 billion barrels of proven crude oil reserves.[42] There are currently 33 billionaires residing in Texas today. Dallas has 11 billionaires, the most of any city in Texas.


Cotton harvesting in TexasTexas remained largely rural until World War II, with cattle ranching, oil, and agriculture as its main industries. Cattle ranching (though important) was never Texas's chief industry – before the oil boom back to the period of the first Anglo settlers, the chief industry was cotton farming (as in most of the South).

In 1926, San Antonio had over 120,000 people, the largest population of any city in Texas. After World War II, Texas became increasingly industrialized. Its economy today relies largely on information technology, oil and natural gas, fuel processing, electric power, agriculture, and manufacturing. The major segment of the economy depends largely on the region involved – for example, the timber industry is a major portion of the East Texas economy but a non-factor elsewhere, while the information technology and defense manufacturing industries are primarily centered within the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

The state has two major economic centers: Dallas and Houston. Houston stands at the center of the petrochemical, biomedical research trades, and aerospace (particularly NASA) while Dallas functions as the center of the defense manufacturing and information technology labor market in Texas.


Port of HoustonAs of 2007, Texas has more Fortune 500 company headquarters (56) than any other state except New York, which has 57.[43] This has been attributed to both the growth in population in Texas and the rise of oil prices in 2005, which resulted in the growth in revenues of many Texas oil drilling and processing companies.

In 2006, for the fifth year in a row, Texas was ranked as the number one state by export revenues. Texas exports for 2006 totaled $150.8 billion, which is $22.1 billion more than 2005 and represents a 17.2 percent increase. In 2002, the Port of Houston was 6th among the top sea ports in the world in terms of total cargo volume;[44] Air Cargo World rated Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport as "the best air cargo airport in the world".[45]

Texans pride themselves in a history of tradition, yet they seek new social and technological developments also. Round Rock (an Austin suburb) is the headquarters of Dell and the surrounding area is known as "Silicon Hills". Dallas is a famously cosmopolitan metropolis and the birthplace of the integrated circuit, and Houston is a global leader in the energy industry. The cultures of San Antonio and El Paso retain their Mexican heritage while Fort Worth maintains its western heritage. With a nod to its diversity and its past as a sovereign nation, the state tourism slogan is "Texas: It's like a whole other country."

Texas is one of the top filmmaking states in the United States, just after California and New York. Austin, Texas is now one of the leading filmmaking locations in the country. In the past 10 years alone (1995-2004), more than $2.75 billion has been spent in Texas for film and television production. The Texas Film Commission was founded for free services to filmmakers, from location research to traveling.[46]

Since 2003, Texas state officials have been committed to developing the economy of Texas with various initiatives such as the Texas Enterprise Fund and the Texas Emerging Technology Fund, which invest money into developing Texas business.

See also: List of military installations in Texas

Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Texas

Texas Population Density MapAs of 2005, the state has an estimated population of 23,507,783, an increase of 579,275 (2.5%) from the prior year and an increase of 2,655,993 (12.7%) since the year 2000. In all three subcategories—natural (births less deaths), net immigration, and net migration—Texas has seen an increase in population. The natural increase since the last census was 1,389,275 people (2,351,909 births minus 962,634 deaths), immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 801,576 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 451,910 people. The state passed New York in the 1990s to become the second-largest U.S. state in population (after California).

As of 2004, the state has 3.5 million foreign-born residents (15.6 percent of the state population), of which an estimated 1.2 million are illegal immigrants (illegal immigrants account for more than one-third of the foreign-born population in Texas and 5.4 percent of the total state population).


The annual Houston International Festival spotlights a different culture each year
Race and ethnic origins
As of the 2005 US Census estimates, the racial distribution in Texas are as follows: 84.14% White; 12.09% Black or African; 3.62% Asian; 0.17% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; and 1.1% American Indian or Alaskan Native.[47] Persons of Hispanic origin accounted for 35.31 percent of the population and may be of any race.

The largest reported ancestry groups in Texas include: Mexican (25.3%), German (10.9%), African American (10.5%), English (7.2%), and Scots-Irish (7.2%). Descendants from some of these ancestry groups is underreported.

Much of east, central, and north Texas is inhabited by White Protestant heritage, primarily descended from ancestors from Great Britain and Ireland. Much of central and southeast-central Texas is inhabited by whites of German descent. African Americans, who historically made up one-third of the state population, are concentrated in those parts of East Texas where the cotton plantation culture was most prominent prior to the American Civil War, as well as in Dallas and Houston.

Other population groups in Texas also exhibit great diversity. Frontier Texas saw settlements of Germans, particularly in Fredericksburg and New Braunfels. After the European revolutions of 1848, German, Polish, Swedish, Norwegian, Czech and French immigration grew, and continued until World War I. The influence of the diverse immigrants from Europe survives in the names of towns, styles of architecture, genres of music, and varieties of cuisine. Lavaca County is predominantly Czech.

More than one-third of Texas residents are of Hispanic origin and may be of any racial group. Its population in Texas is increasing as more illegal immigrants—primarily from Mexico and Central America—look for work in Texas. Some are recent arrivals from Latin America, while others, known as Tejanos in English, have ancestors who have lived in Texas since before Texan independence, or at least for several generations. Hispanics dominate south, south-central, and west Texas and are a significant part of the residents in San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas. The influx of illegal immigration is partially responsible for Texas having a population younger than the union average.

In recent years, the Asian population in Texas has grown—primarily in Houston and Dallas. People with ancestry from India, Vietnam, China, the Philippines, Korea, and Japan make up the largest Asian American groups in Texas.


Largest cities

Houston




San Antonio




Dallas




Austin





Fort Worth




El Paso




Corpus Christi





The largest cities figure prominently in the economy, culture, and heritage of Texas, the American South and Southwest. As of 2000, six incorporated places in Texas had populations greater than 500,000, which two are global cities: Houston and Dallas.[48] Texas has a total of 25 metropolitan areas, with four having populations over 1 million and two over 5 million.

Texas is the only state in the U.S. to have three cities with populations exceeding 1 million: Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas; which are also among the 10 largest cities of the United States. Austin and Fort Worth are in the top 20 largest U.S. cities.[49]

Texas
rank U.S.
rank City Population
within
city limits Land Area
sq miles (sq km) Texas
Region U.S.
Region
1 4 Houston 2,231,335 601.7 sq mi
(1,558 km²) East Texas South
2 7 San Antonio 1,256,509 412.1 sq mi
(1,067 km²) South Texas Southwest
3 9 Dallas 1,213,825 385.0 sq mi
(997 km²) North Texas South
4 16 Austin 690,252 258.4 sq mi
(669 km²) Central Texas Southwest
5 19 Fort Worth 624,067 298.9 sq mi
(774 km²) North Texas Southwest
6 21 El Paso 598,590 250.5 sq mi
(649 km²) West Texas Southwest
7 50 Arlington 362,805 99.0 sq mi
(257 km²) North Texas South
8 64 Corpus Christi 283,474 460.2 sq mi
(1,192 km²) South Texas Southwest
9 70 Plano 250,096 71.6 sq mi
(186 km²) North Texas South
10 86 Garland 216,346 57.1 sq mi
(148 km²) North Texas South

See also: List of cities in Texas, Population of Texas cities in 2000, and List of Texas metropolitan areas

Culture
Main article: Culture of Texas
Due to immigration in the United States history, the culture of Texas has been a melting pot of different cultures around the world. Texas is a diverse and an international place to live, in part because of its many academic institutions and strong biomedical, energy, manufacturing and aerospace industries.


Big Tex has presided over every Texas State Fair since 1952There are many popular events held in Texas celebrating cultures of Texans. The annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo that is held over 20 days from late February through early March. The event begins with trail rides that originate from several points throughout the state, all of which convene at Reliant Park for a barbecue cook-off. The rodeo includes typical rodeo events, as well as concert performances from major artists and carnival rides. The World’s first rodeo was held in Pecos, Texas on 4 July 1883. The Southwestern Livestock Show and Rodeo in Fort Worth lasts three weeks in late January and early February. It has many traditional rodeos, but also a cowboy rodeo, and a Mexican rodeo in recent years that have a large fan base for each. The State Fair of Texas is held in Dallas each year at Fair Park.

Texas has a vibrant live music scene in Austin boasting more music venues per capita than any other U.S. city, befitting the city's official slogan as The Live Music Capital of the World. Austin's music revolves around the many nightclubs on 6th Street and an annual film, music, and multimedia festival known as South by Southwest. The longest-running concert music program on American television, Austin City Limits, is videotaped on The University of Texas at Austin campus or in Zilker Park. Austin City Limits and Waterloo Records run the Austin City Limits Music Festival, an annual music and art festival held at Zilker Park in Austin.

Over the past couple of decades, San Antonio evolved into what has been billed as the "Nashville of Tejano music." The Tejano Music Awards have provided a forum to create greater awareness and appreciation for Tejano music and culture.

See also: List of people from Texas, List of Texas symbols, Don't Mess with Texas, and Gone to Texas

Alley Theatre in Houston
Arts and theatre
Known for the vibrancy of its visual and performing arts, the Houston Theatre District—a 17-block area in the heart of Downtown Houston—is ranked second in the country (behind New York City) in the number of theatre seats in a concentrated downtown area with 12,948 seats for live performances and 1,480 movie seats.[50]

Houston is also one of only five cities in the United States with permanent professional resident companies in all of the major performing arts disciplines (the Houston Grand Opera, the Houston Symphony Orchestra, the Houston Ballet, and The Alley Theatre).[51] Houston is widely recognized as the nation's third most important city for contemporary visual arts.

Dallas and Fort Worth serve as epicenters of the North Texas region's art scene. The Modern (formerly the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth), founded in 1892, is the oldest art museum in Texas. The city is also home to the Kimbell Art Museum, the Amon Carter Museum, the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, the Will Rogers Memorial Center, and the Bass Performance Hall downtown. The Arts District of Downtown Dallas is home to several arts venues. Notable venues in the district include the Dallas Museum of Art, the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, The Trammell & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art, and the Nasher Sculpture Center.

Also within Dallas is the notable Deep Ellum district which originally became popular during the 1920s and 1930s as the prime jazz and blues hotspot in the Southern United States. The name Deep Ellum is thought to have originally derived from local tongues saying "Deep Elm", but that came out as "Deep Ellum". Artists such as Blind Lemon Jefferson, Robert Johnson, Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter, and Bessie Smith played in original Deep Ellum clubs like The Harlem and The Palace. Today, Deep Ellum is home to hundreds of artists who live in lofts and operate in studios throughout the district alongside bars, pubs, and concert venues. One major art infusion in the area is the city's lax stance on graffiti, thusly several public ways including tunnels, sides of buildings, sidewalks, and streets are covered in murals.


Sports

Reliant Stadium, home of the Houston TexansTexas is known for its love of American football and is noted for the intensity with which people follow high school and college football teams—often dominating over all else for the purposes of socializing and leisure. The Dallas Cowboys are often referred to as "America's Team." The Houston Oilers left to become the Tennessee Titans, but the Houston Texans took their place. For one season, in 1995, Texas was also host to a Canadian Football League team, the San Antonio Texans.

Baseball has a strong presence in Texas, with Major League Baseball teams the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros are both equally popular, geographically, in the state. North Texas, West Texas, and Panhandle residents are predominantly Texas Rangers fans. Houston Astros fans tend to be in the more populated areas of Texas, Southeast Texas, Central Texas, and South Texas. Minor league baseball is also closely followed in Texas, especially in the smaller metro areas.

Basketball is also popular, and Texas hosts three NBA teams: the Houston Rockets, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Dallas Mavericks. The Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs are the only Texas basketball teams to have won a championship.


Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, home of the Texas RangersMany Texas universities have rich athletic traditions. Originally, most Texas Division I schools were part of the Southwest Athletic Conference until it dissolved in 1996. Four of the largest programs in Texas are now part of the Big 12 Conference: the Baylor Bears, Texas A&M Aggies, Texas Longhorns, and Texas Tech Red Raiders. Fierce sports rivalries exist between the schools such as the Lone Star Showdown between the University of Texas and Texas A&M University, and the Battle of the Brazos between Texas A&M University and Baylor University. The University of Texas also has a long standing rivalry with the University of Oklahoma called the Red River Shootout. In addition to the four Big 12 schools, Texas is home to six other Division I (Bowl Sub-Division) teams: the TCU Horned Frogs of the Mountain West Conference; the SMU Mustangs, the Houston Cougars, the Rice Owls and the UTEP Miners, all of Conference USA; and the North Texas Mean Green of the Sun Belt Conference. Texas' total of ten Division I-FBS schools is greater than that of any other state.

Other popular sports in Texas include golf (which can be played year-round because of the South's mild climate), fishing, and auto racing. Lacrosse, originally played by some of the indigenous tribes, is a visible sport and growing. Soccer is a popular participatory sport, especially among children, but as a spectator sport it does not yet have a large following despite two Texan teams in Major League Soccer. Hockey has been a growing participatory sport in the Dallas/Fort Worth area since the Minnesota North Stars became the Dallas Stars in 1993. Minor league professional hockey has become quite popular in the last decade; Texas is home to seven of the Central Hockey League's seventeen teams.

Further information: List of Texas sports teams

Architecture
Texas is home to many works of architecture, both traditional and contemporary. Many world class architects and Pritzker Prize winners have left their enriching marks on Texan cities and landscapes. Frank Lloyd Wright had 4 buildings in Texas[52], while Tadao Ando's Modern Art Museum and Louis Kahn's famous Kimbell Art Museum are permanent landmarks of the city of Fort Worth. Other super architects such as I.M. Pei and Philip Johnson have numerous works across the state of Texas. Among their famous works one can mention the Fort Worth Water Gardens, Amon Carter Museum, Chapel of St. Basil, Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, and Thanks-Giving Square. In Austin, Gordon Bunshaft's Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum (also a Pritzker Prize winner) is particularly noteworthy, while Steven Holl, Robert A. M. Stern, Richard Meier, and César Pelli are other architect legends who designed buildings that grace the Dallas and Houston areas. Sir Norman Foster's Dallas Center for the Performing Arts is the latest addition to such architectural landmarks in Texas.

Some facilities even harbor the marks of multiple architects. Houston's Museum of Fine Arts for example, was designed by Pritzker Prize winner Rafael Moneo, landscape architect extraordinnaire Isamu Noguchi, and the pioneering master of Modern Architecture Mies van der Rohe.


Ricardo Legorreta's San Antonio Public Library is an excellent example of postmodern architecture in Texas.




The Bexar County Courthouse by James Riely Gordon is a work of Romanesque Revival architecture from 1892.




Philip Johnson's landscaping materpiece: the Fort Worth Water Gardens.




Nicholas J. Clayton's "Old Red" built in 1891, is a registered Texas historic landmark.





Texas is also home to some of the tallest skyscrapers in the United States.

The Houston skyline has been ranked fourth-most impressive in the United States when ranked by breadth and height,[53] being the country's third-tallest skyline (after Chicago and New York City) and one of the top 10 in the world;[54][55] however, because it is spread over a few miles, most pictures of the city show only the main downtown area. Houston has a system of tunnels and skywalks linking buildings in downtown. The tunnel system also includes shops, restaurants, and convenience stores.

Images shown below are the eight tallest buildings in Texas.

1. JPMorgan Chase Tower
Houston




2. Wells Fargo Bank Plaza
Houston




3. Bank of America Plaza
Dallas




4. Williams Tower
Houston





5. Renaissance Tower
Dallas




6. Chase Center
Dallas




7. Bank of America Center
Houston




8. Heritage Plaza
Houston





See also: Architecture of Houston

Transportation
Main article: Transportation in Texas
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT, pronounced "tex-dot") is a governmental agency and its purpose is to "provide safe, effective, and efficient movement of people and goods" throughout the state. Though the public face of the agency is generally associated with maintenance of the state's immense highway system, the agency is also responsible for aviation in the state and overseeing public transportation systems.


Highways

I-10 and I-45 interchange in Downtown HoustonMain article: Texas state highways
Texas freeways have been heavily traveled since the 1948 opening of the Gulf Freeway in Houston, and they are often under construction to meet the demands of continuing growth. As of 2005, there were 79,535 miles (127,999 km) of public highway in Texas (up from 71,000 in 1984). Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) planners have sought ways to reduce rush hour congestion, primarily through High-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes for vans and carpools. The "Texas T"—an innovation originally introduced in Houston—is a ramp design that allows vehicles in the HOV lane, which is usually the center lane, to exit directly to transit centers or to enter the freeway directly into the HOV lane without crossing multiple lanes of traffic. Timed freeway entrances, which regulate the addition of cars to the freeway, are also common. Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, and El Paso have extensive networks of freeway cameras linked to transit control centers to monitor and study traffic.

One characteristic of Texas's freeways are its frontage roads (also known as service roads, access roads or feeder roads), which in Texas can be found even in the most remote areas. Frontage roads provide access to the freeway from businesses alongside, such as gas stations and retail stores, and vice versa. Alongside most freeways along with the frontage roads are two to four lanes in each direction parallel to the freeway permitting easy access to individual city streets. New landscaping projects and a longstanding ban on new billboards are ways Houston has tried to control the potential side effects of convenience.

Another common characteristic found near Texas overpasses are the Texas U-turns which is a lane allowing cars traveling on one side of a one-way frontage road to U-turn into the opposite frontage road (typically crossing over or under a freeway or expressway) without being stopped by traffic lights or crossing the highway traffic at-grade.


Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
Airports
The Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, located nearly equidistant from downtown Dallas and downtown Fort Worth, is the largest airport in the state, the second largest in the United States, and fourth largest in the world.[citation needed] In terms of traffic, DFW is the busiest in the state, third busiest in the United States, and sixth busiest in the world.[citation needed] The airport serves 135 domestic destinations and 37 international, and is the largest and main hub for American Airlines (900 daily departures), the world's largest airline, and also the largest hub for American Eagle.

Texas's second-largest air facility is Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). The airport is the ninth-busiest in the United States for total passengers, and nineteenth-busiest worldwide. Houston is the headquarters of Continental Airlines, and the airport is Continental Airlines' largest hub, with over 750 daily departures (the majority of which are operated by Continental Airlines). A long list of cities within Texas, as well as international destinations are served directly from this airport. With 30 destinations in Mexico, IAH offers service to more Mexican destinations than any other U.S. airports. IAH currently ranks second among U.S. airports with scheduled non-stop domestic and international service (221 destinations), trailing only Atlanta Hartsfield with 250 destinations.

Some of the other airports that are served by airlines include Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio International Airport, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Corpus Christi International Airport, El Paso International Airport, Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport, and Valley International Airport in Harlingen.


METRORail in Downtown Houston
Passenger rail transportation
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), the Dallas area public transportation authority, began operating the first light rail system in the Southwest United States in 1996 and continues to expand its coverage. The DART lightrail currently covers 84 miles (135 km) of track. The DART light rail system remained the only one in Texas until METRORail opened in Houston in 2004.

The Trinity Railway Express line connects Dallas with Fort Worth and is operated by an interlocal agreement between the DART system and Fort Worth Transportation Authority (The T) in Fort Worth.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO) operates light rail service in Harris County, which includes Houston. The light rail (METRORail) in Houston started on January 1, 2004. Currently the track runs about 8 miles (13 km) from Downtown Houston to the Texas Medical Center and Reliant Park. METRO also operates bus service in Harris County and to two cities in Fort Bend County. METRO is in the process of adding in 22 more miles of light rail, as well as 28 miles of commuter rail by the year 2015.

Intercity passenger rail service in Texas is at the moment very limited from both network and frequency viewpoint, with just three Amtrak trains serving the state: the daily Texas Eagle (Chicago–San Antonio), the tri-weekly Sunset Limited (New Orleans–Los Angeles), and the daily Heartland Flyer (Fort Worth–Oklahoma City).


Healthcare and medicine

Aerial of the Texas Medical Center.Texas is home to three of the world's elite research medical centers: the renowned Texas Medical Center in Houston, UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, and the South Texas Medical Center in San Antonio—all hosting some of the world's most prestigious schools in the health sciences.

Houston is the seat of the internationally-renowned Texas Medical Center, which contains the world's largest concentration of research and healthcare institutions. There are 45 member institutions in the Texas Medical Center [56] —all are non-profit organizations, and are dedicated to the highest standards of patient and preventive care, research, education, and local, national, and international community well-being. These institutions include 13 renowned hospitals and two specialty institutions, two medical schools, four nursing schools, and schools of dentistry, public health, pharmacy, and virtually all health-related careers. It is where one of the first, and still the largest, air emergency services was created—a very successful inter-institutional transplant program was developed—and more heart surgeries are performed there than anywhere else in the world.

San Antonio's South Texas Medical Center facilities rank sixth in clinical medicine research impact in the United States[57] with the University of Texas Health Science Center recognized as a "world leading research and educational institution"[58]. The South Texas Medical Center hosts no less than 12 hospitals, 45 medical institutions, and 3 universities, housing the nation's top schools in pharmacy[59] and dentistry.[60]

Dallas is home to the American Heart Association and the UT Southwestern Medical Center, "among the top academic medical centers in the world"[61]. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at the center has the largest number of Nobel laureates working in any medical school in the world.[62][63]

Texas has eight medical schools[64], three dental schools, and one optometry school, all involved in research and clinical operations. Some of the more well known of these academic and research health institutions are Baylor College of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, University of Texas Health Science Center, UT Southwestern, University of Texas Medical Branch, and The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. The M. D. Anderson Cancer Center is widely considered one of the world’s most productive and highly-regarded academic institutions devoted to cancer patient care, research, education and prevention.[65]

Texas has two Biosafety Level 4 laboratories: one at The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston,[66] and the other at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research in San Antonio—the first privately owned BSL-4 lab in the United States.[67]

In May 2006, Texas initiated the program "code red" in response to the report that Texas—at 25.1 percent—has the largest number of un-insured population of any state.[68]

See also: List of hospitals in Texas

Education
Main article: Education in Texas

Rice UniversityThere are more than 100 colleges and universities and dozens of institutions engaged in research and development in Texas. The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University, both flagship universities of state, are the state's two largest institutions with a combined enrollment of over 95,000. Other notable universities include: Rice University ranked the 17th-best university overall in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.[69] and Southwestern University chartered by the Republic of Texas in 1840, is the oldest university in the state.

The state's public school systems are administered by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Texas has over 1,000 school districts—all but one of the school districts in Texas are separate from any form of municipal government. School districts may (and often do) cross city and county boundaries—an exception to this rule is Stafford Municipal School District. School districts have the power to tax their residents and to use eminent domain.

Texas also has numerous private schools of all types. The TEA has no authority over private school operations; private schools may or may not be accredited, and achievement tests are not required for private school graduating seniors. Many private schools will obtain accreditation and perform achievement tests as a means of encouraging future parents that the school is genuinely interested in educational performance.

It is generally considered to be among the least restrictive states in which to home school. Neither TEA nor the local school district has authority to regulate home school activities. There is no minimum number of days in a year, or hours in a day, that must be met, and achievement tests are not required for home school graduating seniors. The validity of home schooling was challenged in Texas, but a landmark case, Leeper v. Arlington ISD, ruled that home schooling was legal and that the state had little or no authority to regulate the practice.

Further information: List of colleges and universities in Texas and List of school districts in Texas.



know heres wonderfull houston it better to read it off wikipedia if u ask me.


Houston is the largest city in the state of Texas and the fourth-largest in the United States. As of July 1, 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates the Houston population at 2,144,491. The city covers more than 600 square miles (1,600 km²). Houston is the county seat of Harris County and part of the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area, the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the U.S., with a population of more than 5.5 million.[3]

Houston was founded on August 30, 1836 by brothers Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen on land near the banks of Buffalo Bayou. The city was incorporated on June 5, 1837 and named after General Sam Houston, commander at the Battle of San Jacinto. The burgeoning port and railroad industry, combined with oil discovery in 1901, has induced continual surges in Houston's population. In the 20th century, Houston became the home of the Texas Medical Center, the world's largest concentration of healthcare and research institutions, and NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center.

Houston's economy has a broad industrial base in the energy, aeronautics, and technology industries: only New York City is home to more Fortune 500 headquarters. The Port of Houston ranks first in the United States in international waterborne tonnage handled and second in total cargo tonnage handled.[4] Houston is also home to Rice University, one of the United States' leading teaching and research universities, and the University of Houston, Texas's third-largest public research university, with more than 36,000 students from 130 countries.

Houston is a multicultural city, with a large and growing international community. The Museum District is home to many cultural institutions and exhibits, attracting more than 7 million visitors a year. Houston has an active visual and performing arts scene and is one of five U.S. cities that offer year-round resident companies in all major performing arts.[5]

Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Geography
2.1 Geology
2.2 Climate
2.3 Cityscape
3 Government and politics
4 Economy
5 Demographics
6 Culture
6.1 Arts and theatre
6.2 Tourism and recreation
6.3 Sports
6.4 Media
7 Architecture
8 Transportation
9 Healthcare and medicine
10 Education
11 Notes
12 Further reading
13 External links



[edit] History
Main article: History of Houston
See also: Historical events of Houston

Sam HoustonIn August 1836, John Kirby Allen and Augustus Chapman Allen, two real estate entrepreneurs from New York City, purchased 6,642 acres (27 km²) of land along Buffalo Bayou with the intent of founding a city.[6] The Allen brothers decided to name the city after Sam Houston, the popular general of the Texans at the Battle of San Jacinto.[6] Houston was granted incorporation on June 5, 1837, with James S. Holman becoming its first mayor.[7] In the same year, Houston became the county seat of Harrisburg County (now Harris County) and the temporary capital of the Republic of Texas.[8] In 1840, the community established a Chamber of Commerce in part to promote shipping and waterborne business at the newly created port on Buffalo Bayou.[9]

By 1860, Houston had emerged as a commercial and railroad hub for the export of cotton.[8] Railroad spurs from the Texas inland converged in Houston, where they met rail lines to the ports of Galveston and Beaumont. During the Civil War, Houston served as a headquarters for General John Bankhead Magruder, who used Houston as an organization point for the Battle of Galveston.[10] 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.

In 1901, oil discovered at Spindletop, an oil field near Beaumont, prompted the development of the U.S. petroleum industry.[11] In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt approved a $1 million improvement project for the Houston Ship Channel. President Woodrow Wilson opened the Port of Houston in 1914, 74 years after digging began. By 1930, Houston had become Texas' most populous city.[12]

When World War II started, tonnage levels at the port decreased and shipping activities were suspended; however, the war did provide economic benefits for the city. Petrochemical refineries and manufacturing plants were constructed along the ship channel because of the demand for petroleum and synthetic rubber products during the war.[13] Ellington Field, initially built during World War I, was revitalized as an advanced training center for bombardiers and navigators.[14] The M. D. Anderson Foundation formed the Texas Medical Center in 1945. After the war, Houston's economy reverted to being primarily port-driven. In 1948, several unincorporated areas were annexed into the city limits, which more than doubled the city's size, and Houston proper began to spread across the region.[7][15]

In 1950, the availability of air-conditioning provided impetus for many companies to relocate to Houston, including Continental Oil, Prudential Insurance, Mobil Oil, Gulf Oil, Texaco Oil, Tidewater Associated and Sunray MidContinent, resulting in an economic boom and producing a key shift in the city's economy toward the energy sector.[16][17]


The space shuttle, atop its Boeing 747 SCA, flying over Johnson Space CenterThe increased production of the local shipbuilding industry during World War II spurred Houston's growth,[18] as did the establishment in 1961 of NASA's "Manned Spacecraft Center" (renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in 1973), which created the city's aerospace industry. The Astrodome, nicknamed the "Eighth Wonder of the World,"[19] opened in 1965 as the world's first indoor domed sports stadium.

During the late 1970s, Houston experienced a population boom as people from Rust Belt states moved to Texas in large numbers.[20] The new residents came for the numerous employment opportunities in the petroleum industry, created as a result of the Arab Oil Embargo. The population boom ended abruptly when oil prices fell in 1986, due to the embargo being lifted. The space industry also suffered in 1986 after the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after launch. The late 1980s saw a recession affect the city's economy. Since the 1990s, as a result of the recession, Houston has made efforts to diversify its economy by focusing on aerospace and biotechnology and by reducing its dependence on the petroleum industry. In 1997, Houstonians elected Lee P. Brown as the city's first African American mayor.[21]


Hurricane Rita evacuationIn June 2001, Tropical Storm Allison dumped up to 37 inches of rain on parts of Houston, causing the worst flooding in the city's history; the storm cost billions of dollars in damage and killed 20 people in Texas.[22] Many neighborhoods and communities have changed since the storm. By December of that same year, Houston-based energy company Enron collapsed into the second-largest ever U.S. bankruptcy during an investigation surrounding fabricated partnerships that were allegedly used to hide debt and inflate profits. In August 2005, Houston became a shelter to more than 150,000 people from New Orleans who evacuated from Hurricane Katrina.[23] One month later, approximately 2.5 million Houston area residents evacuated when Hurricane Rita approached the Gulf Coast, leaving little damage to the Houston area. This event marked the largest urban evacuation in the history of the United States.[24][25]


[edit] Geography
Main article: Geography of Houston

A simulated-color image of HoustonAccording to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 601.7 square miles (1,558.4 km²); this comprises 579.4 square miles (1,500.7 km²) of land and 22.3 square miles (57.7 km²) of water.

Most of Houston is located on the gulf coastal plain, and its vegetation is classified as temperate grassland and forest. Much of the city was built on forested land, marshes, swamp, or prairie, which are all still visible in surrounding areas. Flatness of the local terrain, when combined with urban sprawl, has made flooding a recurring problem for the city.[26] Downtown stands about 50 feet (15 m) above sea level,[27] and the highest point in far northwest Houston is about 125 feet (38 m) in elevation.[28][29] The city once relied on groundwater for its needs, but land subsidence forced the city to turn to ground-level water sources such as Lake Houston and Lake Conroe.[30][7]

Houston has four major bayous passing through the city. Buffalo Bayou runs through downtown and the Houston Ship Channel, and has three tributaries: White Oak Bayou, which runs through the Heights neighborhood and towards downtown; Braes Bayou, which runs along the Texas Medical Center; and Sims Bayou, which runs through the south of Houston and downtown Houston The ship channel continues past Galveston and then into the Gulf of Mexico.


[edit] 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 river 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 the layers of sediment 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 salt dome formations, often trapping oil and gas that seeped from the surrounding porous sands. The thick, rich, sometimes black, surface soil is suitable for rice farming in suburban outskirts where the city continues to grow.[31][32]

Despite over 150 active surface faults (estimated to be 300 active faults)[33] with an aggregate length of up to 310 miles (500 km)[34][35] within the city of Houston alone, the region is generally earthquake-free. This is because clay below the surface precludes the build-up of friction that would normally produce the ground shaking in earthquakes. These faults also tend to move at a smooth rate in what is termed "fault creep,"[30] which further reduces the risk of an earthquake.


[edit] Climate
Main article: Climate of Houston

Allen's Landing after Tropical Storm Allison, June 2001Houston's climate is classified as humid subtropical (Cfa in Köppen climate classification system). Spring supercell thunderstorms sometimes bring tornadoes to the area. Prevailing winds are from the south and southwest during most of the year, bringing heat across the continent from the deserts of Mexico and moisture from the Gulf of Mexico.

During the summer months, it is common for the temperature to reach over 90 °F (34 °C), with an average of 99 days per year above 90 °F (32 °C).[36][37] However, the humidity results in a heat index higher than the actual temperature. Summer mornings average over 90 percent relative humidity and approximately 60 percent in the afternoon.[38] Winds are often light in the summer and offer little relief, except near the immediate coast,[39] To cope with the heat, people use air conditioning in nearly every vehicle and building in the city; in fact, in 1980 Houston was described as the "most air-conditioned place on earth".[40] Scattered afternoon thunderstorms are common in the summer. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Houston was 109 °F (43 °C) on September 4, 2000.[41]

Winters in Houston are fairly temperate. The average high in January, the coldest month, is 63 °F (17 °C), while the average low is 45 °F (7 °C).Snowfall is generally rare. The last snowstorm to hit Houston was on December 24, 2004. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Houston was 5 °F (−15 °C) on January 23, 1940.[42]

Houston has excessive ozone levels and is ranked among the most ozone-polluted cities in the United States.[43] Ground-level ozone, or smog, is Houston’s predominate air pollution problem, with the American Lung Association rating the metropolitan area's ozone level as the 6th worst in the United States in 2006.[44] The industries located along the ship channel are a major cause of the city's air pollution.[45]


[edit] Cityscape
Further information: Geographic areas of Houston

Midtown and DowntownHouston was incorporated in 1837 under the ward system of representation. The ward designation is the progenitor of the nine current-day Houston City Council districts. Locations in Houston are generally classified as either being inside or outside the Interstate 610 Loop. The inside encompasses the central business district and many residential neighborhoods that predate World War II. More recently, high-density residential areas have been developed within the loop. The city's outlying areas, suburbs and enclaves are located outside of the loop. Beltway 8 encircles the city another 5 miles (8 km) farther out.

Houston, the largest city in the United States without zoning regulations, has expanded without land use planning.[46][47][48] Voters rejected efforts to have separate residential and commericial land-use districts in 1948, 1962, and 1993.

Rather than a single central business district as the center of the city's employment, multiple business districts have grown throughout the city in addition to downtown which include Uptown, Texas Medical Center, Greenway Plaza, Westchase, and Greenspoint.


[edit] Government and politics

Houston City HallMain article: Politics of Houston
See also: Sister cities of Houston
The city of Houston has a strong mayoral form of municipal government.[49] Houston is a home rule city and all municipal elections in the state of Texas are nonpartisan.[49][50] The City's elected officials are the mayor, city controller and 14 members of the city council.[51] As of 2007, the mayor of Houston is William "Bill" White,[52] who is serving his second term. Houston's mayor serves as the city's chief administrator, executive officer, and official representative. He is responsible for the general management of the city and for seeing that all laws and ordinances are enforced.[52] As the result of a 1991 referendum in Houston, a mayor is elected for a two-year term, and can be elected to as many as three consecutive terms.

The current city council line-up of nine district based and five at large positions was based on a U.S. Justice Department mandate which took effect in 1979[53] At-large council members represent the entire city.[51] Under the current city charter, if the population in the city limits goes past 2.1 million residents, the current nine-member city council districts will be expanded with the addition of two city council districts.[54]

Criminal Law is enforced by the Houston Police Department. Houston's murder rate ranked 18th of U.S. cities with a population over 250,000 in 2005.[55] Despite the rise in homicides of 23.5 percent, nonviolent crime in the city dropped by 2 percent in 2005 compared to 2004.[56] Since 2005, Houston has been experiencing a spike in crime, which is due in part to an influx of people from New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.[57] After Katrina, Houston's murder rate increased 70 percent in November and December 2005 compared to levels in 2004. The city recorded 336 murders in 2005,[56] compared to 272 in 2004.[58]

Houston's homicide rate per 100,000 residents increased from 16.33 in 2005 to 17.24 in 2006.[59] The number of murders in the city increased to 379 in 2006, although this increase was smaller than in 2005;[56] Houston, like other cities, faces crime related to gang activities: in 1996, there were about 380 gangs with 8,000 members, of which 2,500 were juveniles.[60]


[edit] Economy
Main article: Economy of Houston
Further information: List of companies in Houston

The Port of HoustonHouston's energy industry is recognized worldwide—particularly for oil—and biomedical research, aeronautics, and the ship channel are also large parts of its economic base. The area is the world's leading center for building oilfield equipment. Much of Houston's success as a petrochemical complex is due to its busy man-made ship channel, the Port of Houston.[61] The port ranks first in the United States in international commerce, and is the tenth-largest port in the world.[4][62] Unlike most places, where high oil and gasoline prices are seen as harmful to the economy, they are generally seen as beneficial for Houston as many are employed in the energy industry.[63]

The Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown MSA's Gross Area Product (GAP) in 2006 was $325.5 billion,[64] slightly larger than Austria’s, Poland’s or Saudi Arabia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). When comparing Houston's economy to a national economy, only 21 countries other than the United States have a gross domestic product exceeding Houston's regional gross area product.[65] Mining, which in Houston is almost entirely exploration and production of oil and gas, accounts for 11% of Houston's GAP; this is down from 21% in 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.[66]

Houston ranks second in employment growth rate and fourth in nominal employment growth among the 10 most populous metro areas in the U.S.[67] 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 magazine.[68] Forty foreign governments maintain trade and commercial offices here and the city has 23 active foreign chambers of commerce and trade associations.[69] Twenty foreign banks representing 10 nations operate in Houston, providing financial assistance to the international community.


[edit] Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Houston

The annual Houston International Festival spotlights a different culture each yearHouston is a diverse and international city, in part because of its many academic institutions and strong industries. Over 90 languages are spoken in the city.[70] Houston has among the youngest populations in the nation,[71][72][73] partly due to an influx of immigrants into Texas.[74] The city has the third-largest Hispanic and third-largest Mexican population in the United States.[75] An estimated 400,000 illegal immigrants reside in Houston.[76]

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 1,953,631 people and the population density was 3,371.7 people per square mile (1,301.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 49.27 percent White, 25.31 percent Black, 0.44 percent Native American, 5.31 percent Asian American, 0.06 percent Pacific Islander, 16.46 percent from other races, and 3.15 percent from two or more races. Persons of Hispanic origin, regardless of race, accounted for 37 percent of the population in 2000.

Houston has a large population of immigrants from Asia, including the largest Vietnamese American population in Texas and third-largest in the United States.[77][78] Some parts of the city with high populations of Vietnamese and Chinese residents have Chinese and Vietnamese street signs, in addition to English ones. Houston has two Chinatowns: the original located in Downtown, and the more recent one north of Bellaire Boulevard in the southwest area of the city.[79][80] The city has a Little Saigon in Midtown and Vietnamese businesses located in the southwest Houston Chinatown.[81]


[edit] Culture
Main article: Culture of Houston
See also: List of events in Houston, List of famous people raised in Houston, and Nicknames of Houston

Houston Art Car ParadeHouston is a multicultural city with a large and growing international community.[82] The city is home to the nation’s third largest concentration of consular offices representing 86 nations.[83] Houston is designated as a world-class city by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network.[84] Houston received the official nickname of "Space City" in 1967 because it is home to NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center.[85] Other nicknames include "H-Town," "Screwston," "The Big Heart," "Bayou City," "Clutch City," "Hustletown," and "Magnolia City."

Many annual events celebrate the diverse cultures of Houston. The largest and longest running is the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, held over 20 days from late February to early March. Another large celebration is the annual night-time Houston Pride Parade, held at the end of June.[86] Other annual events include the Greek Festival,[87] Art Car Parade, the Houston Auto Show and the Houston International Festival.[88]


[edit] Arts and theatre

Wortham Center in the Theater District of Downtown HoustonHouston has an active visual and performing arts scene. The Theater District is located downtown and is home to nine major performing arts organizations and six performance halls. It is the second largest concentration of theater seats in a downtown area in the United States.[89][90][91] Houston is one of only five United States cities with permanent, professional, resident companies in all major performing arts disciplines: opera (Houston Grand Opera), ballet (Houston Ballet), music (Houston Symphony Orchestra), and theater (The Alley Theatre).[92][93] Houston is also home to many local folk artists, art groups and various smaller progressive arts organizations.[94] Houston attracts many touring Broadway acts, concerts, shows, and exhibitions for a variety of interests.[95]

Houston is home to the Bayou City Art Festival, which is considered to be one of the top five art festivals in the United States.[96][97]

The Museum District is home to many popular cultural institutions and exhibits, attracting more than 7 million visitors a year.[98][99] Notable facilities located in the district include The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Holocaust Museum Houston, and the Houston Zoo.[100][101][102] Located in the nearby Montrose area are The Menil Collection and Rothko Chapel.

Many venues scattered across Houston regularly host local and touring rock, blues, country, hip hop and Tejano musical acts. Unfortunately, there has never been a widely renowned music scene in Houston. Artists seem to relocate to other parts of the United States once attaining some level of success.[103] A notable exception to the rule is Houston hip-hop, which celebrates the unique southern flavor and attitude of its roots. This has given rise to a strong, independent hip-hop music scene, influencing and influenced by the larger Southern hip hop and gangsta rap communities.[104] Many Houstonian hip-hop artists have attained commercial success, including Bun B, Chamillionaire, Mike Jones, Lil' Flip, and Beyoncé.


[edit] Tourism and recreation

Downtown AquariumSpace Center Houston is the official visitors’ center of NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. Here one will find many interactive exhibits including moon rocks, a shuttle simulator, and presentations about the history of NASA's manned space flight program.

The Theater District is a 17-block area in the center of downtown Houston that is home to the Bayou Place entertainment complex, restaurants, movies, plazas, and parks. Bayou Place is a large multilevel building containing full-service restaurants, bars, live music, billiards, and art house films. The Houston Verizon Wireless Theater stages live concerts, stage plays, and stand-up comedy; and the Angelika Film Center presents the latest in art and foreign and independent films.[105]

Houston is home to many parks including Hermann Park, which houses the Houston Zoo and the Houston Museum of Natural Science, Lake Houston Park, Memorial Park, and Sam Houston Park. The city has 337 city parks and over 200 greenspaces—totaling over 19,600 acres that are managed by the city—including the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center. The Houston Civic Center was replaced by the George R. Brown Convention Center—one of the nation's largest—and the Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, home of the Houston Symphony Orchestra and Society for the Performing Arts. The Sam Houston Coliseum and Music Hall have been replaced by the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts.

Other tourist attractions include the Galleria (Texas's largest shopping mall located in the Uptown District), Old Market Square, Tranquility Park, the Downtown Aquarium, and Sam Houston Park (which contains restored and reconstructed homes which were originally built between 1823 and 1905).[106] The San Jacinto Battlefield State Historic Site where the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution was fought is located on the Houston Ship channel east of the city.


[edit] Sports
Main article: Sports in Houston
See also: Former professional sports teams in Houston

Minute Maid ParkHouston has teams for nearly every major professional sport. The Houston Astros (MLB), Houston Texans (NFL), Houston Rockets (NBA), Houston Comets (WNBA), Houston Aeros (AHL), Houston Wranglers (WTT), Houston Takers (ABA) and Houston Dynamo (MLS) all call Houston home.

Minute Maid Park (home of the Astros) and Toyota Center (home of the Rockets, Comets, and Aeros) are located in a revived area of downtown. The city has the Reliant Astrodome, the first domed stadium in the world; it also holds the NFL's first retractable-roof stadium, Reliant Stadium. Other sports facilities in Houston include Hofheinz Pavilion and Robertson Stadium (both used for University of Houston collegiate sports), and Rice Stadium (home of the Rice University Owls football team). The infrequently used Reliant Astrodome hosted World Wrestling Entertainment's WrestleMania X-Seven on April 1, 2001, where an attendance record of 67,925 was set.[107]

On October 19, 2005, The Houston Astros advanced to the World Series for the first time in the team's history, subsequently losing to the Chicago White Sox. In 2006, the Houston Dynamo won the MLS Cup in their first year, after moving from San Jose, California. The Houston Aeros have won four championships: in the WHA (1973, 1974), in the IHL (1999), and in the AHL (2003). The Houston Rockets won back-to-back NBA titles in 1994 and 1995 respectively.

Houston has hosted major recent sporting events, including the 2004 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the 2000 IHL All-Star Game, the 2005 World Series, the 2005 Big 12 Conference football championship game, the 2006 NBA All-Star Game, the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships from 2001–2006, and the Tennis Masters Cup in 2003 and 2004, as well as the annual Shell Houston Open golf tournament. The city hosts the annual NCAA College Baseball Minute Maid Classic every February and NCAA football's Texas Bowl in December. Houston hosted the Super Bowl championship game twice. Super Bowl VIII was played at Rice Stadium in 1974 and Super Bowl XXXVIII was played at Reliant Stadium in 2004. In early 2006, the Champ Car auto racing series returned to Houston for a yearly race, held on the streets of the Reliant Park complex.


[edit] Media
Further information: List of newspapers in Houston, List of television stations in Houston, List of radio stations in Houston, and Houston featured in films
Houston is served by the Houston Chronicle, its only major daily newspaper with wide distribution. The Hearst Corporation, which owns and operates The Chronicle, bought the assets of the Houston Post—its long-time rival and main competition—when The Post ceased operations in 1995. The 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.[108]

Houston Community Newspapers (owned and operated by ASP Westward, L.P.) is a news source for smaller localized communities in and around the city. Houston Community Newspapers publishes 35 suburban newspapers, including 2 daily papers and 33 weekly papers. These "community" papers include, among several others, the 1960 Sun, the Deer Park Progress, the Fort Bend/Southwest Sun, the Humble Observer, the Katy Sun, the Kingwood Observer, the River Oaks Examiner, and the Villager.[109]


[edit] Architecture
Main article: Architecture of Houston
See also: List of tallest buildings in Texas

The JPMorgan Chase Tower stands as the tallest building in Texas as of 2007Houston's skyline has been ranked third-most impressive in the United States when judged primarily by height;[110] it is the country's third-tallest skyline (after Chicago and New York City) and one of the top 10 in the world.[111] Houston has a seven-mile system of tunnels and skywalks linking buildings in downtown which contain shops, restaurants, and convenience stores. This system aids people from having to walk in the intense summer heat to travel from one building to another.

In the 1960s, Downtown Houston comprised of a modest collection of mid-rise office structures, but has since grown into one of the largest skylines in the United States. Downtown was on the threshold of a boom in 1970 with huge projects being launched by real estate developers with the energy industry boom. A succession of skyscrapers were built throughout the 1970s—many by real estate developer Gerald D. Hines—culminating with Houston's tallest skyscraper, the 75-floor, 1,002-foot-tall (305 m) JPMorgan Chase Tower (formerly the Texas Commerce Tower), which was completed in 1982. It is the tallest structure in Texas, 10th-tallest building in the United States and the 30th-tallest skyscraper in the world based on height to roof. In 1983, the 71-floor, 992-foot-tall (302 m) Wells Fargo Bank Plaza was completed, which became the second-tallest building in Houston and Texas. Based on height to roof, it is the 13th-tallest in the United States and the 36th-tallest in the world. As of 2006, downtown Houston had about 43 million square feet (4,000,000 m²) of office space.[112]

Centered around Post Oak Boulevard and the Galleria, the Uptown district boomed during the 1970s and early 1980s when a collection of mid-rise office buildings, hotels, and retail developments appeared along Interstate 610 west. Uptown became one of the most impressive instances of an edge city. The highest achievement of Uptown was the construction of the 64-floor, 901-foot-tall (275 m), Philip Johnson and John Burgee designed landmark Williams Tower (known as the Transco Tower until 1999). At the time, it was believed to the be the world's tallest skyscraper outside of a central business district. The Uptown District is also home to other buildings designed by noted architects such as I. M. Pei, César Pelli, and Philip Johnson. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, there was a mini-boom of mid-rise and High-rise residential tower construction, with several over 30 stories tall.[113][114][115] In 2002, Uptown had more than 23 million square feet (2,100,000 m²) of office space with 16 million square feet (1,500,000 m²) of Class A office space.[116]


[edit] Transportation
Main article: Transportation in Houston

I-10 and I-45 near DowntownHouston’s freeway system is made up of 575.5 miles of freeways and expressways in a 10-county metro area.[117] Its highway system uses a hub-and-spoke freeway structure serviced by multiple loops. The innermost loop is Interstate 610, which encircles downtown, the medical center, and many core neighborhoods with around a 10-mile diameter. Beltway 8 and its freeway core, the Sam Houston Tollway, form the middle loop at a diameter of roughly 25 miles. A proposed highway project, State Highway 99 (The Grand Parkway), would form a third loop outside of Houston. Currently, the completed portion of State Highway 99 runs from just north of Interstate 10, west of Houston, to U.S. Highway 59 in Sugar Land, southwest of Houston, and was completed in 1994.

Houston also lies along the route of the proposed Interstate 69 NAFTA superhighway that will link Canada, the U.S. industrial Midwest, Texas, and Mexico. Other spoke freeways either planned or under construction include the Fort Bend Parkway, Hardy Toll Road, Crosby Freeway, and the future Alvin Freeway.


METRORail along the Main Street Corridor in DowntownThe Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas, or METRO, provides public transportation in the form of buses, light rail, and lift vans. METRO's various forms of public transportation still do not connect many of the suburbs to the greater city, causing Houstonians to rely on the automobile as a primary source of transportation.

METRO began light rail service (METRORail) on January 1, 2004. The inaugural track runs about 8 miles (13 km) from northern Downtown at UH–Downtown to the Texas Medical Center and Reliant Park. METRO is currently in the design phase of a 10-year expansion plan that will add five more lines to the existing system.[118]

Amtrak, the national rail passenger system, provides service to Houston via the Sunset Limited (Los Angeles–New Orleans), which stops at a train station on the north side of the downtown area. The station saw 10,855 boardings and alightings in fiscal year 2006.[119]


George Bush Intercontinental Airport's Terminal EHouston is served by two commercial airports. The largest is George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), the ninth-busiest in the United States for total passengers, and seventeenth-busiest worldwide.[120] Bush Intercontinental currently ranks third in the United States for non-stop domestic and international service with 182 destinations.[121] In 2006, the United States Department of Transportation named George Bush Intercontinental Airport the fastest-growing of the top ten airports in the United States.[122] Houston is the headquarters of Continental Airlines and Bush Intercontinental is Continental Airlines' largest hub. The airline offers more than 700 daily departures from Houston.[123] In early 2007, Bush Intercontinental Airport was named a model "port of entry" for international travelers by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.[124]

The second-largest commercial airport in Houston is William P. Hobby Airport (named Houston International Airport until 1967). The airport operates primarily small to medium-haul flights and is the only airport in Houston served by Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways. Houston's aviation history is showcased in the 1940 Air Terminal Museum located in the old terminal building on the west side of Hobby Airport.

The third-largest airport is Ellington Field, a former U.S. Air Force base, used by military, commercial, government and general aviation sectors.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the state of Texas selected the "Houston Airport System as Airport of the Year" for 2005,[125] largely because of its multi-year, $3.1 billion airport improvement program for both major airports in Houston.


[edit] Healthcare and medicine
Main article: Texas Medical Center
See also: List of hospitals in Texas

Texas Medical CenterHouston is the seat of the internationally-renowned Texas Medical Center, which contains the world's largest concentration of research and healthcare institutions.[126] All 45 member institutions of the Texas Medical Center are non-profit organizations. They provide patient and preventive care, research, education, and local, national, and international community well-being. These institutions include 13 renowned hospitals and two specialty institutions, two medical schools, four nursing schools, and schools of dentistry, public health, pharmacy, and virtually all health-related careers. It is where one of the first—and still the largest—air emergency service was created, and a very successful inter-institutional transplant program was developed. More heart surgeries are performed at the Texas Medical Center than anywhere else in the world.[127]

Some of the academic and research health institutions in the center include Baylor College of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, The Methodist Hospital, and The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center has consistently ranked as one of the top two U.S. hospitals specializing in cancer care by U.S. News & World Report since 1990.[128]


[edit] Education
Main article: Education in Houston
Further information: List of colleges and universities in Houston

Lovett Hall at Rice UniversityThere are more than 55 colleges and universities and dozens of institutions engaged in research and development in Houston. The city is home to Rice University, one of the United States's leading teaching and research universities and ranked the nation's 17th-best overall university by U.S. News & World Report.[129] The University of Houston (UH) is Texas's third-largest public research university with more than 36,000 students from 130 countries, making it one of the most diverse campuses in the country.[130] UH is a doctoral degree granting comprehensive research institution with more than 40 research centers and institutes. South Texas College of Law, Houston's oldest law school founded in 1923, has one of the nation's top programs for trial advocacy.[131][132]


Cullen Building at the University of HoustonOther institutions of higher learning in the city include University of St. Thomas, Houston Baptist University, and Texas Southern University, a historically black university. The Houston Community College System serves most of Houston and is the fourth-largest community college system in the United States.[133]

There are 16 school districts serving the city. The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the seventh-largest in the United States.[134] HISD has 112 campuses that serve as magnet or vanguard schools—specializing in such disciplines as health professions, visual and performing arts, and the sciences. There are also many charter schools that are run separately from school districts. In addition, some public school districts also have their own charter schools.

The Houston area is home to more than 300 private schools,[135][136][137] many of which are accredited by Texas Private School Accreditation Commission (TEPSAC) recognized agencies. The Houston Area Independent Schools, or HAIS, offer education from a variety of different religious as well as secular viewpoints.[138] The Houston area Catholic schools are operated by the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.



pick TEXAS Its THE BEST ITS NOT overcorweded it dosent have crappy healthcare it isnt or dosent have 4 of the most polluted citys in america in the state. it dosent have tons of liberals like cailfornia has it dosent have earthquake, or wildfires, mudslides, or any of that. IT dosent have los angelas which is the worst place in the world.

and best of all it has everything the biggest best state. and houston is a great city on of my favorite i live in austin and houston houston the freacking best.

it wonderful the people who say florida never really been.

and are like little 13 year old baby girls on their period thinking more humidity but better beaches should determine were u live. not unless u want to be a beach bum.

know any how it is bigger better economy bigger population.
it and it has the houston area and the huge dallas metro two .

tons of things two do we have live music capital of the world we have western history. and like texas in the north west.

we have san antonio a great city. theres el paso

and theres beaches to not like the great florida beaches though and so many people moving here all those anyoing californians cant take the crappy falling apart economy mixed with high crime pollution traffic mudslides, earthquakes, wildfires, crappy overgrown illegal population. with the crappy healthcare, and schools. and How u have to spend like one million dollars to live in a like 2,000 square foot house.

well here u get that and a new nice home in a great area. for like 300,000

enjoy texas if u hate it and if u hate houston then leave i dont see why

know that ladys freind or thinks houston suck.

read what i posted and tell me if it suck.

the whole universe loves freacking texas. and houston of the best citys there is.

we also get tons of new yorkers moving from two crowded new york city. away from the crappy two much graffiti crappy 50 year old trains. and rundown areas everywere.

nyc nice to visit though

know i about the graffiti there it is out of countrol and i love graffit in texas im a writer i know so much freacking stuff. and are cool with so many writers manily i was in austin. in houston not so many i have come to meet.

know austin san antonio and houston the best big citys in the south and well miami. and atlanta but in texas houston wins or austin

know dallas is nice but the traffic and its crime and it city lay out isnt that all i feel nice.

it is cool though and if ur looking for a metro area to live in texas. choose dallas fort woth metro after the houston area. why because its huge. and u can find so much to do there.

same with houston area to