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Houston 901 Bagby Street
Houston, Texas 77002
Phone: 713-837-0311 |
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Houston is the most populous city in Texas, the most
populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most
populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most
populous city in North America, with a population of
2,304,580 in 2020. Located in Southeast Texas near
Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the seat and largest city of
Harris County and the principal city of the Greater Houston
metropolitan area, which is the fifth-most populous
metropolitan statistical area in the United States and the
second-most populous in Texas after
Dallas–Fort Worth.
Houston is the southeast anchor of the greater megaregion
known as the Texas Triangle. |
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Comprising a land area of 640.4 square miles, Houston is
the ninth-most expansive city in the United States
(including consolidated city-counties). It is the largest
city in the United States by total area whose government is
not consolidated with a county, parish, or borough. Though
primarily in Harris County, small portions of the city
extend into Fort Bend and Montgomery counties, bordering
other principal communities of Greater Houston such as Sugar
Land and The Woodlands. |
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The city of Houston was founded by land investors on
August 30, 1836, at the confluence of Buffalo Bayou and
White Oak Bayou (a point now known as Allen's Landing) and
incorporated as a city on June 5, 1837. The city is named
after former General Sam Houston, who was president of the
Republic of Texas and had won Texas's independence from
Mexico at the Battle of San Jacinto 25 miles east of Allen's
Landing. After briefly serving as the capital of the Texas
Republic in the late 1830s, Houston grew steadily into a
regional trading center for the remainder of the 19th
century. |
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The arrival of the 20th century brought a convergence of
economic factors that fueled rapid growth in Houston,
including a burgeoning port and railroad industry, the
decline of Galveston as Texas's primary port following a
devastating 1900 hurricane, the subsequent construction of
the Houston Ship Channel, and the Texas oil boom. In the
mid-20th century, Houston's economy diversified, as it
became home to the Texas Medical Center—the world's largest
concentration of healthcare and research institutions—and
NASA's Johnson Space Center, home to the Mission Control
Center. |
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Since the late 19th century Houston's economy has had a
broad industrial base, in energy, manufacturing,
aeronautics, and transportation. Leading in healthcare
sectors and building oilfield equipment, Houston has the
second-most Fortune 500 headquarters of any U.S.
municipality within its city limits (after New York City).
The Port of Houston ranks first in the United States in
international waterborne tonnage handled and second in total
cargo tonnage handled. |
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Nicknamed the "Bayou City", "Space City", "H-Town", and
"the 713", Houston has become a global city, with strengths
in culture, medicine, and research. The city has a
population from various ethnic and religious backgrounds and
a large and growing international community. Houston is the
most diverse metropolitan area in Texas and has been
described as the most racially and ethnically diverse major
city in the U.S. It is home to many cultural institutions
and exhibits, which attract more than seven million visitors
a year to the Museum District. The Museum District is home
to nineteen museums, galleries, and community spaces.
Houston has an active visual and performing arts scene in
the Theater District, and offers year-round resident
companies in all major performing arts. |
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Houston City Hall |
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Sam Houston March 2, 1793 – July 26,
1863 |
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JPMorgan Chase Tower |
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Williams Tower |
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Bank of America Center |
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Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo |
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George R. Brown Convention Center |
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Hobby Center for the Performing Arts |
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Museum of Fine Arts |
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Houston Museum of Natural Science |
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Buffalo Bayou Park Downtown Houston |
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Green Park Downtown Houston |
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China Town in Houston |
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Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park in Uptown
Houston |
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Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center -
Houston Independent School District |
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MD Anderson Cancer Center |
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Challenger atop its Boeing 747 flying over
Johnson Space Center, 1983. |
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