Houston, Texas City of Houston Sam Houston monument, Downtown Houston, Houston Ship Channel, The Galleria, University of Houston, and the Christopher C.

Sam Houston monument, Downtown Houston, Houston Ship Channel, The Galleria, University of Houston, and the Christopher C.

Flag of Houston, Texas Flag Official seal of Houston, Texas Location of Houston town/city limits in and around Harris County Location of Houston town/city limits in and around Harris County Houston, Texas is positioned in Texas Houston, Texas - Houston, Texas Body Houston City Council Houston (Listeni/ hju st n/ hyoo-st n) is the most crowded city in the state of Texas and the fourth-most crowded city in the United States.

Located in Southeast Texas near the Gulf of Mexico, it is the principal town/city of The Greater Houston metro area, which is the fifth-most populated MSA in the United States.

Houston was established on August 28, 1836, near the banks of Buffalo Bayou (now known as Allen's Landing) and incorporated as a town/city on June 5, 1837.

The town/city was titled after former General Sam Houston, who was president of the Republic of Texas and had commanded and won at the Battle of San Jacinto 25 miles (40 km) east of where the town/city was established.

In the mid-20th century, Houston became the home of the Texas Medical Center the world's biggest concentration of healthcare and research establishments and NASA's Johnson Space Center, where the Mission Control Center is located. Leading in community care sectors and building oilfield equipment, outside of New York City, Houston has more Fortune 500 command posts than any other U.S.

Municipality inside its town/city limits. The Port of Houston rates first in the United States in global waterborne tonnage handled and second in total cargo tonnage handled. Nicknamed the "Space City", Houston is a global city, with strengths in business, global trade, entertainment, culture, media, fashion, science, sports, technology, education, medicine, and research.

Houston is the most diverse town/city in Texas and has been described as the most diverse in the United States. It is home to many cultural establishments and exhibits, which attract more than 7 million visitors a year to the Museum District.

Houston has an active visual and performing arts scene in the Theater District and offers year-round resident companies in all primary performing arts. Main articles: History of Houston and Timeline of Houston In August 1836, two real estate company doers from New York, Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen, purchased 6,642 acres (26.88 km2) of territory along Buffalo Bayou with the intent of beginning a city. The Allen brothers decided to name the town/city after Sam Houston, the prominent general at the Battle of San Jacinto, who was propel President of Texas in September 1836.

New Orleans was the center of this trade in the Deep South, but slave dealers were in Houston.

Houston was granted incorporation on June 5, 1837, with James S.

By 1860, Houston had emerged as a commercial and barns core for the export of cotton. Railroad spurs from the Texas inland converged in Houston, where they met rail lines to the ports of Galveston and Beaumont.

During the American Civil War, Houston served as a command posts for General John Bankhead Magruder, who used the town/city as an organization point for the Battle of Galveston. After the Civil War, Houston businessmen initiated accomplishments to widen the city's extensive fitness of bayous so the town/city could accept more commerce between downtown and the close-by port of Galveston.

By 1890, Houston was the barns center of Texas.

Union Station, Houston, Texas (postcard, c.

In 1900, after Galveston was hit by a devastating hurricane, accomplishments to make Houston into a viable deep-water port were accelerated. The following year, the discernment of petroleum at the Spindletop petroleum field near Beaumont prompted the evolution of the Texas oil industry. In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt allowed a $1 million enhancement universal for the Houston Ship Channel.

By 1930, Houston had turn into Texas' most crowded city and Harris County the most crowded county. In 1940, the Enumeration Bureau reported Houston's populace as 77.5% white and 22.4% black. Downtown Houston, c.

In 1950, the availability of air conditioning provided impetus for many companies to relocate to Houston, where wages were lower than the North; this resulted in an economic boom and produced a key shift in the city's economy toward the energy sector. Ashburn's Houston City Map (c.

The increased manufacturing of the period ship assembly trade during World War II spurred Houston's growth, as did the establishment in 1961 of NASA's "Manned Spacecraft Center" (renamed the Lyndon B.

During the late 1970s, Houston had a populace boom as citizens from the Rust Belt states moved to Texas in large numbers. The new inhabitants came for various employment opportunities in the oil industry, created as a result of the Arab petroleum embargo.

With the increase in experienced jobs, Houston has turn into a destination for many college-educated persons, including African Americans in a reverse Great Migration from northern areas.

In June 2001, Tropical Storm Allison dumped up to 40 inches (1,000 mm) of precipitation on parts of Houston, causing the worst flooding in the city's history.

In August 2005, Houston became a shelter to more than 150,000 citizens from New Orleans, who evacuated from Hurricane Katrina. One month later, about 2.5 million Houston-area inhabitants evacuated when Hurricane Rita approached the Gulf Coast, leaving little damage to the Houston area.

This was the biggest urban evacuation in the history of the United States. In September 2008, Houston was hit by Hurricane Ike.

In 2017, Houston hosted Super Bowl LI. This is the third Super Bowl for the city, with the last games being held in 1974 and 2004. A simulated-color image of Houston Houston is positioned 165 miles (266 km) east of Austin, 112 miles (180 km) west of the Louisiana border, and 250 miles (400 km) south of Dallas. According to the United States Enumeration Bureau, the town/city has a total region of 656.3 square miles (1,700 km2); this comprises 634.0 square miles (1,642 km2) of territory and 22.3 square miles (58 km2) veiled by water. The Piney Woods are north of Houston.

Most of Houston is positioned on the gulf coastal plain, and its vegetation is classified as temperate grassland and forest.

The flatness of the small-town terrain, when combined with urban sprawl, has made flooding a recurring lured for the city. Downtown stands about 50 feet (15 m) above sea level, and the highest point in far northwest Houston is about 125 feet (38 m) in elevation. The town/city once relied on groundwater for its needs, but territory subsidence forced the town/city to turn to ground-level water sources such as Lake Houston, Lake Conroe, and Lake Livingston. The town/city owns surface water rights for 1.20 billion gallons of water a day in addition to 150 million gallons a day of groundwater. Houston has four primary 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 Houston Heights improve northwest of Downtown and then towards Downtown; Brays Bayou, which runs along the Texas Medical Center; and Sims Bayou, which runs through the south of Houston and downtown Houston.

Houston is essentially swampland, apt to flooding. Underpinning Houston's territory surface are unconsolidated clays, clay shales, and poorly cemented sands up to a several miles deep.

The Houston region has over 150 active faults (estimated to be 300 active faults) with an aggregate length of up to 310 miles (500 km), including the Long Point Eureka Heights fault fitness which runs through the center of the city.

No momentous historically recorded earthquakes have occurred in Houston, but researchers do not discount the possibility of such quakes having occurred in the deeper past, nor occurring in the future.

Land in some areas southeast of Houston is sinking because water has been pumped out of the ground for many years.

Main article: Climate of Houston Houston's climate is classified as humid subtropical (Cfa in the Koppen climate classification system), typical of the lower South.

In 1980, Houston was described as the "most air-conditioned place on earth". Officially, the hottest temperature ever recorded in Houston is 109 F (43 C), which was reached both on September 4, 2000, and August 28, 2011. Houston has mild winters in contrast to most areas of the United States.

Recent snow affairs in Houston include a storm on December 24, 2004 when 1.0 in (2.5 cm) of snow accumulated in parts of the metro area. Falls of at least 1.0 in (25 mm) on both December 10, 2008, and December 4, 2009, marked the first time calculable snow flurry had occurred in two consecutive years in the city's recorded history.

The coldest temperature officially recorded in Houston was 5 F ( 15 C) on January 18, 1930. Houston has historically received an sizeable amount of rainfall, averaging about 49.8 in (1,260 mm) annually per 1981 2010 normals.

Houston has excessive ozone levels and is routinely ranked among the most ozone-polluted metros/cities in the United States. Ground-level ozone, or smog, is Houston's dominant air pollution problem, with the American Lung Association rating the urbane area's ozone level sixth on the "Top 10 Most Ozone-Polluted Cities" in 2014. The industries positioned along the ship channel are a primary cause of the city's air pollution. In 2006, Houston's air character was comparable to that of Los Angeles. Further information: Geographic areas of Houston and List of Houston neighborhoods Houston was incorporated in 1837 under the ward fitness of representation.

The ward designation is the progenitor of the 11 current-day geographically oriented Houston City Council districts.

Locations in Houston are generally classified as either being inside or outside the Interstate 610 Loop.

Although Houston is the biggest city in the United States without formal zoning regulations, it has advanced similarly to other Sun Belt metros/cities because the city's territory use regulations and legal covenants have played a similar part . Regulations include mandatory lot size for single-family homes and requirements that parking be available to tenants and customers.

Although some have blamed the city's low density, urban sprawl, and lack of pedestrian-friendliness on these policies, the city's territory use has also been credited with having momentous affordable housing, sparing Houston the worst effects of the 2008 real estate crisis. The town/city issued 42,697 building permits in 2008 and was ranked first in the list of healthiest housing markets for 2009. Consequently, clean water a single central company precinct as the center of the city's employment, multiple districts have grown throughout the town/city in addition to downtown which include Uptown, Texas Medical Center, Midtown, Greenway Plaza, Memorial City, Energy Corridor, Westchase, and Greenspoint.

The view of Downtown Houston horizon See also: List of tallest buildings in Houston Houston has the fourth-tallest horizon in North America (after New York City, Chicago, and Toronto) and 12th-tallest in the world, as of 2014. A seven-mile (11 km) fitness of tunnels and skywalks links downtown buildings including shops and restaurants, enabling pedestrians to avoid summer heat and precipitation while walking between buildings.

In the 1960s, Downtown Houston consisted of a compilation of midrise office structures.

Hines culminating with Houston's tallest high-rise building, the 75-floor, 1,002-foot (305 m)-tall JPMorgan Chase Tower (formerly the Texas Commerce Tower), instead of in 1982.

In 1983, the 71-floor, 992-foot (302 m)-tall Wells Fargo Plaza (formerly Allied Bank Plaza) was completed, becoming the second-tallest building in Houston and Texas.

In 2007, downtown Houston had over 43 million square feet (4,000,000 m ) of office space. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, a mini-boom of midrise and highrise residentiary fortress assembly occurred, with a several over 30 stories tall. Since 2000 more than 30 high-rise buildings have gone up in Houston; all told, 72 high-rises fortress over the city, which adds up to about 8,300 units. In 2002, Uptown had more than 23 million square feet (2,100,000 m ) of office space with 16 million square feet (1,500,000 m ) of class A office space. The Niels Esperson Building stood as the tallest building in Houston from 1927 to 1929.

JPMorgan Chase Tower in Houston, Texas is the tallest composite building in the world.

Map of ethnic distribution in Houston, 2010 U.S.

Houston is multicultural, in part because of its many academic establishments and strong industries, as well as being a primary port city.

Over 90 languages are spoken in the city. It has among the youngest populations in the nation, partly due to an influx of immigrants into Texas. An estimated 400,000 illegal aliens reside in the Houston area. Census, caucasians made up 51% of Houston's population; 26% of the total populace was non-Hispanic Whites.

Blacks or African Americans made up 25% of Houston's population.

In addition, Hispanics made up 37.4% of Houston's population, while non-Hispanic Whites made up 30.8%, down from 62.4% in 1970. Renewable energy sources wind and solar are also burgeoning economic bases in the city. The Houston Ship Channel is also a large part of Houston's economic base.

Because of these strengths, Houston is designated as a global town/city by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network and global management consulting firm A.T.

Kearney. The Houston region is the top U.S.

In 2012, the Houston The Woodlands Sugar Land region recorded $110.3 billion in merchandise exports. Petroleum products, chemicals, and petroleum and gas extraction equipment accounted for roughly two-thirds of the urbane area's exports last year.

The Houston region is a dominant center for building oilfield equipment. Much of its success as a petrochemical complex is due to its busy ship channel, the Port of Houston. In the United States, the port rates first in global commerce and 10th among the biggest ports in the world. Unlike most places, high petroleum and gasoline prices are beneficial for Houston's economy, as many of its inhabitants are working in the energy industry. Houston is the beginning or end point of various oil, gas, and products pipelines: The Houston The Woodlands Sugar Land MSA's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2012 was $489 billion, making it the fourth-largest of any urbane region in the United States and larger than Austria's, Venezuela's, or South Africa's GDP. Only 26 countries other than the United States have a gross domestic product exceeding Houston's county-wide gross region product (GAP). In 2010, quarrying (which consists almost entirely of exploration and manufacturing of petroleum and gas in Houston) accounted for 26.3% of Houston's GAP up sharply in response to high energy prices and a decreased around the world surplus of petroleum manufacturing capacity, followed by engineering services, community services, and manufacturing. The University of Houston System's annual impact on the Houston area's economy equates to that of a primary corporation: $1.1 billion in new funds thriving annually to the Houston area, $3.13 billion in total economic benefit, and 24,000 small-town jobs generated. This is in addition to the 12,500 new graduates the U.H.

System produces every year who enter the workforce in Houston and throughout the state of Texas.

In 2006, the Houston urbane region ranked first in Texas and third in the U.S.

Within the category of "Best Places for Business and Careers" by Forbes magazine. Foreign governments have established 92 consular offices in Houston's urbane area, the third-highest in the nation. Forty foreign governments maintain trade and commercial offices here with 23 active foreign chambers of commerce and trade associations. Twenty-five foreign banks representing 13 nations operate in Houston, providing financial assistance to the global community. In 2008, Houston received top ranking on Kiplinger's Personal Finance Best Cities of 2008 list, which rates cities on their small-town economy, employment opportunities, reasonable living costs, and character of life. The town/city ranked fourth for highest increase in the small-town technological innovation over the preceding 15 years, as stated to Forbes magazine. In the same year, the town/city ranked second on the annual Fortune 500 list of business headquarters, first for Forbes magazine's Best Cities for College Graduates, and first on their list of Best Cities to Buy a Home. In 2010, the town/city was rated the best town/city for shopping, as stated to Forbes. In 2012, the town/city was ranked number one for paycheck worth by Forbes and in late May 2013, Houston was identified as America's top town/city for employment creation. In 2013, Houston was identified as the number one U.S.

Economist and vice president of research at the Greater Houston Partnership Patrick Jankowski attributed Houston's success to the ability of the region's real estate and energy industries to learn from historical mistakes.

Furthermore, Jankowski stated that "more than 100 foreign-owned companies relocated, period or started new businesses in Houston" between 2008 and 2010, and this openness to external company boosted job creation amid a reconstructionwhen domestic demand was problematically low. Also in 2013, Houston again appeared on Forbes' list of Best Places for Business and Careers. Houston Art Car Parade Located in the American South, Houston is a diverse town/city with a large and burgeoning international community. The urbane region is home to an estimated 1.1 million (21.4 percent) inhabitants who were born outside the United States, with nearly two-thirds of the area's foreign-born populace from south of the United States Mexico border. Additionally, more than one in five foreign-born inhabitants are from Asia. The town/city is home to the nation's third-largest concentration of consular offices, representing 86 countries. The biggest and longest-running is the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, held over 20 days from early to late March, and is the biggest annual livestock show and rodeo in the world. Another large celebration is the annual evening-time Houston Pride Parade, held at the end of June. Other annual affairs include the Houston Greek Festival, Art Car Parade, the Houston Auto Show, the Houston International Festival, and the Bayou City Art Festival, which is considered to be one of the top five art celebrations in the United States. Houston received the official nickname of "Space City" in 1967 because it is the locale of NASA's Lyndon B.

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston The Houston Theater District, positioned downtown, is home to nine primary performing arts organizations and six performance halls.

It is the second-largest concentration of theater seats in a downtown region in the United States. Houston is one of several United States metros/cities with permanent, professional, resident companies in all primary performing arts disciplines: opera (Houston Grand Opera), ballet (Houston Ballet), music (Houston Symphony Orchestra), and theater (The Alley Theatre, Theatre Under the Stars). Houston is also home to folk artists, art groups and various small progressive arts organizations. Houston attracts many touring Broadway acts, concerts, shows, and exhibitions for a range of interests. Facilities in the Theater District include the Jones Hall home of the Houston Symphony Orchestra and Society for the Performing Arts and the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts.

The Museum District's cultural establishments and exhibits attract more than 7 million visitors a year. Notable facilities include The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, the Station Museum of Contemporary Art, Holocaust Museum Houston, and the Houston Zoo. Located near the Museum District are The Menil Collection, Rothko Chapel, and the Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum.

The National Museum of Funeral History is positioned in Houston near the George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

While Houston has never been widely known for its music scene, Houston hip-hop has turn into a significant, autonomous music scene that is influential nationwide. The Theater District is a 17-block region in the center of downtown Houston that is home to the Bayou Place entertainment complex, restaurants, movies, plazas, and parks.

Space Center Houston is the official visitors' center of NASA's Lyndon B.

Other tourist attractions include the Galleria (Texas's biggest shopping mall, positioned in the Uptown District), Old Market Square, the Downtown Aquarium, and Sam Houston Race Park.

Of worthy mention are Houston's current Chinatown and the Mahatma Gandhi District.

Both areas offer a picturesque view of Houston's multicultural makeup.

Houston is home to 337 parks, including Hermann Park, Terry Hershey Park, Lake Houston Park, Memorial Park, Tranquility Park, Sesquicentennial Park, Discovery Green, and Sam Houston Park.

Within Hermann Park are the Houston Zoo and the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

Sam Houston Park contains restored and reconstructed homes which were originally assembled between 1823 and 1905. A proposal has been made to open the city's first botanic garden at Herman Brown Park. cities, Houston has the most total region of parks and green space, 56,405 acres (228 km2). The town/city also has over 200 additional green spaces totaling over 19,600 acres (79 km2) that are managed by the town/city including the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center.

The Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark is a enhance skatepark owned and directed by the town/city of Houston, and is one of the biggest skateparks in Texas consisting of a 30,000-ft2 (2,800 m2)in-ground facility.

A 2011 study by Walk Score ranked Houston the 23rd most walkable of the 50 biggest cities in the United States. Wet'n'Wild Splash - Town is a water park positioned north of Houston.

Houston has sports squads for every primary experienced league except the National Hockey League.

The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball expansion team formed in 1962 (known as the "Colt .45s" until 1965) that made one World Series appearance in 2005. The Houston Rockets are a National Basketball Association charter based in the town/city since 1971.

They have won two NBA Championships: in 1994 and 1995 under star players Hakeem Olajuwon, Otis Thorpe, Clyde Drexler, Vernon Maxwell, and Kenny Smith. The Houston Texans are a National Football League expansion team formed in 2002.

The Houston Dynamo is a Major League Soccer charter that has been based in Houston since 2006, winning two MLS Cup titles in 2006 and 2007.

The Houston Dash team plays in the National Women's Soccer League. The Scrap Yard Dawgs, a women's experienced softball team, are expected to play in the National Pro Fastpitch from 2016. Minute Maid Park (home of the Astros) and Toyota Center (home of the Rockets), are positioned in downtown Houston.

Toyota Center also has the biggest screen for an indoor arena in the United States assembled to coincide with the arena's hosting of the 2013 NBA All-Star Game. BBVA Compass Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium for the Houston Dynamo, the Texas Southern Tigers football team, and Houston Dash, positioned in East Downtown.

TDECU Stadium is where the University of Houston Houston Cougars football team plays. Houston has hosted a several major sports affairs: the 1968, 1986 and 2004 Major League Baseball All-Star Games; the 1989, 2006 and 2013 NBA All-Star Games; Super Bowl VIII and Super Bowl XXXVIII, as well as hosting the 2005 World Series and 1981, 1986, 1994 and 1995 NBA Finals, winning the latter two.

The town/city has hosted a several major experienced and college sporting affairs, including the annual Houston Open golf tournament.

Houston hosts the annual Houston College Classic baseball tournament every February and the Texas Bowl in December. Houston City Hall The town/city of Houston has a strong mayoral form of municipal government. Houston is a home rule town/city and all municipal elections in the state of Texas are nonpartisan. The city's propel officials are the mayor, town/city controller and 16 members of the Houston City Council. The current mayor of Houston is Sylvester Turner, a Democrat propel on a nonpartisan ballot.

Houston's mayor serves as the city's chief administrator, executive officer, and official representative, and is responsible for the general management of the town/city and for seeing that all laws and ordinances are enforced. Justice Department mandate which took effect in 1979. At-large council members represent the entire city. Under the town/city charter, once the populace in the town/city limits exceeded 2.1 million residents, two additional districts were to be added. The town/city of Houston's official 2010 census count was 600 shy of the required number; however, as the town/city was expected to expanded beyond 2.1 million shortly after that, the two additional districts were added for, and the positions filled during, the August 2011 elections.

As the result of a 2015 popular vote in Houston, a mayor is propel for a four-year term, and can be propel to as many as two consecutive terms. The term limits were spearheaded in 1991 by conservative political activist Clymer Wright. During 1991 2015, the town/city controller and town/city council members were subjected to a two-year, three-term limitation - the 2015 popular vote amended term limits to two four year terms.

Houston is considered to be a politically divided town/city whose balance of power often sways between Republicans and Democrats.

Much of the city's wealthier areas vote Republican while the city's working class and minority areas vote Democratic.

According to the 2005 Houston Area Survey, 68 percent of non-Hispanic caucasians in Harris County are declared or favor Republicans while 89 percent of non-Hispanic blacks in the region are declared or favor Democrats.

About 62 percent Hispanics (of any race) in the region are declared or favor Democrats. The town/city has often been known to be the most politically diverse town/city in Texas, a state known for being generally conservative. As a result, the town/city is often a contested region in statewide elections. In 2009, Houston became the first US town/city with a populace over 1 million people to elect a gay mayor, by electing Annise Parker.

Houston had 323 homicides in 2016, and is one of three metros/cities (along with Chicago and Baltimore) driving an increase in the nation's overall murder rate. Houston's murder rate ranked 46th of U.S.

Cities with a populace over 250,000 in 2005 (per capita rate of 16.3 murders per 100,000 population). In 2010, the city's murder rate (per capita rate of 11.8 murders per 100,000 population) was ranked sixth among U.S.

Houston is a momentous hub for trafficking of cocaine, cannabis, heroin, MDMA, and methamphetamine due to its size and adjacency to primary illegal drug exporting nations. Houston is one of the country's biggest hubs for human trafficking. In the early 1970s, Houston, Pasadena and a several coastal suburbs were the site of the Houston Mass Murders, which at the time were the deadliest case of serial killing in American history. The Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (HMWESC), which homes the Houston Independent School District administrative offices Seventeen school districts exist inside the town/city of Houston.

The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the seventh-largest school precinct in the United States and the biggest in Texas. HISD has 112 campuses that serve as magnet or vanguard schools specializing in such disciplines as community professions, visual and performing arts, and the sciences.

The Houston region encompasses more than 300 private schools, many of which are accredited by Texas Private School Accreditation Commission recognized agencies.

The Houston Area Independent Schools offer education from a range of different theological as well as secular viewpoints. The Houston region Catholic schools are directed by the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

Further information: List of universities and universities in Houston Four separate and distinct state universities are positioned in Houston.

The University of Houston is a nationally recognized Tier One research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. The third-largest college in Texas, the University of Houston has nearly 40,000 students on its 667-acre ground in southeast Houston. The University of Houston Clear Lake and the University of Houston Downtown are stand-alone universities; they are not branch campuses of the University of Houston.

Thomas, Houston's only Catholic university, to Rice University, the nationally recognized research college are positioned inside the city.

Baker Institute for Public Policy. Houston Baptist University, affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas, offers bachelor's and graduate degrees.

It was established in 1960 and is positioned in the Sharpstown region in Southwest Houston.

Three improve college districts exist with campuses in and around Houston.

The Houston Community College System serves most of Houston.

The northwestern through northeastern parts of the town/city are served by various campuses of the Lone Star College System, while the southeastern portion of Houston is served by San Jacinto College, and a northeastern portion is served by Lee College. The Houston Community College and Lone Star College systems are inside the 10 biggest establishments of higher learning in the United States.

Further information: List of newspapers in Houston, List of tv stations in Texas, List of airways broadcasts in Texas, Magazines in Houston, and List of films featured in Houston The Houston The Woodlands Sugar Land urbane region is served by one enhance tv station and one enhance airways broadcast.

The University of Houston System owns and holds transmitting licenses to KUHT and KUHF.

The stations broadcast from the Melcher Center for Public Broadcasting, positioned on the ground of the University of Houston.

Houston is served by the Houston Chronicle, its only primary daily journal with wide distribution.

The Hearst Corporation, which owns and operates the Houston Chronicle, bought the assets of the Houston Post its long-time rival and chief competition when Houston Post ceased operations in 1995.

The Houston Post was owned by the family of former Lieutenant Governor Bill Hobby of Houston.

The only other primary printed announcement to serve the town/city is the Houston Press a no-charge alternative weekly with a weekly subscribers of more than 300,000. Houston is the seat of the internationally famous Texas Medical Center, which contains the world's biggest concentration of research and healthcare establishments. All 49 member establishments of the Texas Medical Center are non-profit organizations.

Some of the academic and research community establishments at the center include MD Anderson Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, UT Health Science Center, Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital, and University of Houston College of Pharmacy.

News & World Report since 1990. The Menninger Clinic, a famous psychiatric treatment center, is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine and the Houston Methodist Hospital System. With hospital locations nationwide and command posts in Houston, the Triumph Healthcare hospital fitness is the third biggest long term acute care provider nationally. Seventy-one point seven percent of inhabitants drive alone to work. Houston's freeway fitness comprises 739.3 miles (1,189.8 km) of freeways and expressways in a ten-county urbane area. However, the Texas Transportation Institute's annual Urban Mobility Report found that Houston had the fourth-worst congestion in the nation with commuters spending an average of 58 hours in traffic in 2009. Houston's highway fitness has a hub-and-spoke freeway structure serviced by multiple loops.

Beltway 8 and its freeway core, the Sam Houston Tollway, form the middle loop at a diameter of roughly 23 miles (37 km).

A proposed highway project, State Highway 99 (Grand Parkway), will form a third loop outside of Houston, totaling 180 miles in length and making an almost-complete circumference, with the exception of crossing the ship channel.

As of June 2014, two of eleven segments of State Highway 99 have been instead of to the west of Houston, and three northern segments totaling 38 miles.

In addition to the Sam Houston Tollway loop mentioned above, the Harris County Toll Road Authority presently operates four spoke tollways: The Katy Managed Lanes of Interstate 10, the Hardy Toll Road, the Westpark Tollway, and the Fort Bend Parkway Extension.

Houston's freeway fitness is monitored by Houston Tran - Star a partnership of four government agencies that are responsible for providing transit and emergency management services to the region. METRO began light rail service on January 1, 2004, with the inaugural track ("Red Line") running about 8 miles (13 km) from the University of Houston Downtown (UHD), which traverses through the Texas Medical Center and terminates at NRG Park.

Amtrak, the nationwide passenger rail system, provides service three times a week to Houston via the Sunset Limited (Los Angeles New Orleans), which stops at a train station on the north side of the downtown area.

Houston has the biggest number of bike commuters in Texas with over 160 miles of dedicated bikeways. The town/city is presently in the process of expanding its on and off street bikeway network. A bicycle sharing fitness known as Houston B-Cycle presently operates 29 different stations in downtown and neighboring areas. Houston is served by three airports, two of which are commercial that served 52 million passengers in 2007 and managed by the Houston Airport System. The Federal Aviation Administration and the state of Texas chose the "Houston Airport System as Airport of the Year" for 2005, largely because of its multi-year, $3.1 billion airport enhancement program for both primary airports in Houston.

Bush Intercontinental presently rates fourth in the United States for non-stop domestic and global service with 182 destinations. In 2006, the United States Department of Transportation titled IAH the fastest-growing of the top ten airports in the United States. The Houston Air Route Traffic Control Center stands on the George Bush Intercontinental Airport grounds.

Houston was the command posts of Continental Airlines until its 2010 consolidation with United Airlines with command posts in Chicago; regulatory approval for the consolidation was granted in October of that year.

Bush Intercontinental became United Airlines' biggest airline hub. The airline retained a momentous working presence in Houston while offering more than 700 daily departures from the city. In early 2007, Bush Intercontinental Airport was titled a model "port of entry" for global travelers by U.S.

Hobby Airport (named Houston International Airport until 1967) which operates primarily short- to medium-haul domestic flights.

These were the first global flights flown from Hobby since 1969. Houston's aviation history is showcased in the 1940 Air Terminal Museum positioned in the old terminal building on the west side of the airport.

Houston's third municipal airport is Ellington Airport (a former U.S.

The Houston Office of Protocol and International Affairs is the city's liaison to Houston's sister metros/cities and to the nationwide governing organization, Sister Cities International.

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"Houston city, Texas DP-1.

"Alternative Energy in the Houston Region" (PDF).

"Alternative Energy in the Houston Region".

Houston surpasses New York as top U.S.

Houston Passes New York to Become Nation's Top Exporting Metro Area.

""Port of Houston Firsts" (PDF).

"General Information Archived May 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.", The Port of Houston Authority, May 15, 2007.

"Houston: Economy".

"The Economic Impact of Higher Education on Houston: A Case Study of the University of Houston System" (PDF).

University of Houston System.

"Houston Facts and Figures".

""Houston Foreign Consulate Representation" (PDF).

"International Banks in the Houston Area" (PDF).

"2008 Best Cities, Houston, Texas".

"Houston is top U.S.

"Forbes rates Houston No.

"Houston Is Unstoppable: Why Texas' Juggernaut Is America's #1 Job Creator".

"International Representation in Houston" (PDF).

"About the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo" (PDF).

"Houston Pride Parade".

The Original Greek Festival, Houston, Texas.

The Houston International Festival Archived July 25, 2010, at the Wayback Machine..

"In a state of big, Houston is at the top", Texas Monthly, September 2002.

"Houston Arts and Museums".

City of Houston e - Government Center.

"About Houston Theater District", Houston Theater District.

"Performing Arts Venues", Houston Theater District.

"A Brief History of the Art Car Museum", Art - Car Museum of Houston.

2006 fall version of International Quilt Festival attracts 53,546 to Houston.

Houston Museum District Archived February 11, 2007, at the Wayback Machine..

Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Houston Museum District Day.

Contemporary Arts Museum Houston.

Houston Museum District Archived February 11, 2007, at the Wayback Machine..

"Bayou Bend Collections and Gardens, Houston, Texas".

"A Place In the Sun Houston Hip-Hop Takes Over".

The Heritage Society: Walk into Houston's Past Archived June 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine..

"Houston botanic garden slowly becoming reality." Houston Chronicle.

"Houston Astros: Historical Moments".

"Houston Rockets: History".

"Houston Dash first expansion team in NWSL".

"Houston Unveils New Football Stadium Renderings".

University of Houston Cougars.

"HOUSTON TO HOST SUPER BOWL LI IN 2017" (PDF).

"2014 Houston College Classic".

"Indy - Car's coming to town: Houston race slated for 2013 Houston Chronicle".

City of Houston e - Government Center.

City of Houston e - Government Center.

"City Council may expanded by two seats, Houston Chronicle".

Houston voters lengthen term limits for town/city officials ".

"Aimee Buras, "Clymer Wright, force for Houston term limits, found dead," January 25, 2011".

Houston Area Survey 1982 2005, Page 40.

"Murder, other crimes drop in Hoston", Houston Chronicle, July 26, 2011, p.

"Distribution Houston High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Drug Market Analysis 2009." "Sex Trafficking: Groups Expose Houston's Dark Secret".

"CRIME: The Houston Horrors".

"Houston ISD automates lunch", e - School News online, February 21, 2006.

Houston Private Schools.

Houston Area Independent Schools.

"Carnegie Foundation Gives University of Houston its Highest Classification for Research Success, Elevating UH to Tier One Status".

University of Houston.

University of Houston.

"Houston Press: About Us".

About Houston Tran - Star.

"Amtrak ridership up in Houston area, Brookings Institution reports".

"Houston bikesharing program appreciates robust growth".

"52 Million Travelers and Over 387,000 Metric Tons of Air Cargo Passed through Houston's Airports in 2007".

Fly2houston.com, Houston Airport System.

Houston Airport System.

Houston Airport System.

Houston Airport System.

"Airport designated 'model port of entry', Houston Chronicle".

"Southwest launches new global service at Houston Hobby Airport today".

Houston Airport System.

Houston Airport System.

"Houston City Council unanimously approves Sister City Agreement between Houston, Texas and Basrah, Iraq".

Houston, Texas from the Handbook of Texas Online Houston, New York Has a Problem, City Journal, Summer 2008 A thumb-nail history of the town/city of Houston, Texas, from its beginning in 1836 to the year 1912, presented 1912, hosted by the Portal to Texas History, republished 2007 by Copano Bay Press.

City of Houston from Wilderness to Wonder.

Houston, The Unknown City, 1836 1946.

The Donning Company Houston Baptist University Press.

Greater Houston Partnership (GHP) Houston Chamber Greater Houston Transportation and Emergency Management Center Flag of Houston City of Houston Flag of Texas Houston The Woodlands Sugar Land Other articles related to Houston