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Harris_County,_Texas
Harris_County,_Texas

Harris County, Texas

Harris County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of 2000 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 3,400,578 (though a 2007 estimate placed the population at 3,935,855), making it the most populous county in Texas and the third most populous county in the United States. Its county seat is Houston.

Harris County is named for John Richardson Harris, an early settler of the area.

History

The county was founded on December 22, 1836 as Harrisburg County and Harrisburgh County. The name was changed to Harris County in December 1839.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,778 square miles (4,604 km²), of which, 1,729 square miles (4,478 km²) of it is land and 49 square miles (127 km²) of it (2.75%) is water.

Major highways

  • State Highway 3
  • State Highway 6
  • State Highway 146
  • State Highway 225
  • State Highway 249
  • State Highway 288
  • Beltway 8

    • See List of Highways in Harris County for more roadways in Harris County.

    Adjacent counties

    Demographics

    As of the census of 2000, there were 3,400,578 people, 1,205,516 households, and 834,217 families residing in the county, making it the largest county by population in Texas. The population density was 1,967 people per square mile (759/km²). There were 1,298,130 housing units at an average density of 751 per square mile (290/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 58.73% White, 18.49% Black or African American, 0.45% Native American, 5.14% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 14.18% from other races, and 2.96% from two or more races. 32.93% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 7.2% were of German, 6.2% American and 5.3% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 63.8% spoke English, 28.8% Spanish and 1.6% Vietnamese as their first language.

    In 2006 Harris County had 3,886,207 residents. This represented 14.3% growth since 2000.

    2005 saw Harris county with 37.5% of its population Latino. This represented an increase of over 120,000 in the number of Latinos in the county. 5.5% of the population was Asian. South Asians especially Indian Americans making up one of the fastest-growing immigrant groups in Harris County, with 35,971 counted in the 2000 Census;.. African Americans constituted 18.4% of the county's population, representing a slight decline in percentage. It however meant the total number of African-Americans in the county had risen..

    In 2000 There were 1,205,516 households out of which 37.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.60% were married couples living together, 13.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.80% were non-families. 25.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.38.

    In the county, the population was spread out with 29.00% under the age of 18, 10.30% from 18 to 24, 33.40% from 25 to 44, 19.80% from 45 to 64, and 7.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 99.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.00 males.

    The median income for a household in the county was $42,598, and the median income for a family was $49,004. Males had a median income of $37,361 versus $28,941 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,435. About 12.10% of families and 14.97% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.60% of those under age 18 and 12.20% of those age 65 or over.

    According to Children At Risk, a local non-profit research organization, 20.8% of the Harris County children live in poverty, 6.5 per 1,000 die before age 1, and 38% drop out of high school.

    Economy

    Various companies are headquartered in incorporated and unincorporated areas throughout Harris County.

    Academy Sports and Outdoors, a sporting goods retailer, has its corporate offices and product distribution center in unincorporated western Harris County.

    Hewlett-Packard operates its United States region office in a complex northwest unincorporated Harris County; the complex formerly belonged to Compaq prior to Compaq's merger with HP.

    As Houston mostly resides in Harris County, much of the county's economy is related to Houston. See Economy of Houston.

    Elected officials

    United States Congress

    Senators Name Party First Elected Level
      Senate Class 1 Kay Bailey Hutchison Republican 1993 Senior Senator
      Senate Class 2 John Cornyn Republican 2002 Junior Senator
    Representatives Name Party First Elected Area(s) of Harris County Represented
      District 2 Ted Poe Republican 2004 Kingwood portion of Houston, Spring, northeastern communities (including Baytown, Humble and La Porte)
      District 7 John Culberson Republican 2000 West Houston, Memorial Villages, Bellaire, West University Place, west and northwest areas of county
      District 9 Al Green Democrat 2004 Alief, Southwest Houston, Houston’s Southside
      District 10 Michael McCaul Republican 2004 Northwest
      District 18 Sheila Jackson Lee Democrat 1994 Downtown Houston, Bush IAH, northwest and northeast Houston, inner portions of Houston’s Southside
      District 22 Nick Lampson Democrat 2006 (also served 1997-2005) Clear Lake City, NASA Johnson Space Center, Ellington Field, southern and central Pasadena, Deer Park
      District 29 Gene Green Democrat 1992 East Houston, northern Pasadena, Galena Park, Channelview

    List above took effect January 4, 2007.

    Texas Legislature

    Texas Senate

    District Name Party First Elected Area(s) of Harris County Represented
      4 Tommy Williams Republican 2003 Kingwood, far eastern portions of Baytown
      6 Mario Gallegos Democrat 1995 Houston Ship Channel, eastern portions of Houston, Jacinto City, Galena Park, northern Pasadena, western portion of Baytown
      7 Dan Patrick Republican 2007 Memorial Villages, Memorial/Spring Branch area, Addicks Reservoir, northwest portions of county
      11 Mike Jackson Republican 1999 Southeast
      13 Rodney Ellis Democrat 1990 Downtown Houston, Texas Medical Center, southwest and northeast Houston, Houston’s Southside
      15 John Whitmire Democrat 1983 Northwest Houston, Bush IAH, southern portion of Humble, eastern Harris County
      17 Kyle Janek Republican 2002 Meyerland, Bellaire, West University Place, much of Katy area, far west Houston, Barker Reservoir Note: Janek resigned in 2008.

    Texas House of Representatives

    District Name Party First Elected Area(s) of Harris County Represented
      126 Patricia Harless Republican 2006 Champions/FM 1960
      127 Joe Crabb Republican 1992 Kingwood, Lake Houston, Crosby, Wallisville
      128 Wayne Smith Republican 2002 Baytown, Deer Park, La Porte
      129 John Davis Republican 1998 Clear Lake City, NASA Johnson Space Center
      130 Corbin Van Arsdale Republican 2002 Northwest
      131 Alma Allen Democrat 2004 Outer portions of Houston’s Southside
      132 Bill Callegari Republican 2000 West
      133 Jim Murphy Republican 2006 West Houston, western portion of Memorial/Spring Branch, part of the Energy Corridor
      134 Ellen Cohen Democrat 2006 Inner western portions of Houston (including Meyerland, River Oaks and Memorial Park), Texas Medical Center, West University Place, Bellaire, Southside Place
      135 Gary Elkins Republican 1994 Jersey Village and southeastern segments of the Champions/FM 1960 area
      136 Beverly Woolley Republican 1994 Memorial Villages
      137 Scott Hochberg Democrat 1992 Southwest Houston
      138 Dwayne Bohac Republican 2002 Northwest Houston and parts of the Memorial/Spring Branch area north of I-10, Addicks Reservoir
      139 Sylvester Turner Democrat 1988 North Houston and Aldine west of I-45
      140 Natasya Bedos Democrat 1990 North Houston and Aldine east of I-45
      141 Senfronia Thompson Democrat 1972 Northeast Houston, Bush IAH, Greenspoint, southern portion of Humble
      142 Harold Dutton, Jr. Democrat 1984 East Houston, Northshore
      143 Ana Hernandez Democrat 2006 East Houston within Loop 610, Houston Ship Channel, Galena Park, Jacinto City, northern Pasadena
      144 Robert Talton Republican 1992 Southern Pasadena, far southeast Houston
      145 Rick Noriega Democrat 1998 Inner southeastern portions of Houston (mainly east of I-45), South Houston (not part of the city of Houston)
      146 Borris Miles Democrat 2006 Inner portions of Houston’s Southside
      147 Garnet Coleman Democrat 1990 Downtown Houston, inner southeastern portions of Houston (mainly west of I-45)
      148 Jessica Farrar Democrat 1994 Northwest Houston mainly within Loop 610 (including Houston Heights)
      149 Hubert Vo Democrat 2004 Far west Houston, Alief, unincorporated portions of Katy area east of Fry Rd, Barker Reservoir
      150 Debbie Riddle Republican 2002 North

    Harris County elected officials

    Position Official Party
    County Judge Ed Emmett Republican
    County Commissioner Precinct 1 El Franco Lee Democrat
    County Commissioner Precinct 2 Sylvia Garcia Democrat
    County Commissioner Precinct 3 Steve Radack Republican
    County Commissioner Precinct 4 Jerry Eversole Republican
    County Attorney Mike Stafford Republican
    County Clerk Beverly Kaufman Republican
    District Attorney Kenneth Magidson (appointed)
    District Clerk Theresa Chang Republican
    Sheriff Tommy Thomas Republican
    Assessor-Collector Paul Bettencourt Republican
    County Treasurer Orlando Sanchez Republican
    Constable Precinct 1 Jack F. Abercia Democrat
    Constable Precinct 2 Gary L. Freeman Democrat
    Constable Precinct 3 Ken Jones Democrat
    Constable Precinct 4 Ron Hickman Republican
    Constable Precinct 5 Phil Camus Republican
    Constable Precinct 6 Victor Trevino Democrat
    Constable Precinct 7 May Walker Democrat
    Constable Precinct 8 Bill Bailey Republican

    Politics

    Presidential Election Results 1960-2004
    Year Democrat Republican
    2004 44.6% 475,865 54.6% 584,723
    2000 42.9% 418,267 54.3% 529,159
    1996 45.2% 386,726 49.2% 421,462
    1992 38.2% 360,171 43.1% 406,778
    1988 42.1% 342,919 57.0% 464,217
    1984 38.3% 334,135 61.5% 536,029
    1980 38.1% 274,061 57.9% 416,655
    1976 47.0% 321,897 52.2% 357,536
    1972 36.9% 215,916 62.6% 365,672
    1968 38.8% 182,546 42.9% 202,079
    1964 59.5% 227,819 40.3% 154,401
    1960 45.6% 148,275 51.7% 168,170

    Communities

    Cities

  • Houston (Portions are in adjacent counties)
  • Humble
  • Hunters Creek Village
  • Jacinto City
  • Jersey Village
  • Katy (Portions are in adjacent counties)
  • La Porte
  • League City (Portions are in adjacent counties)
  • Missouri City (Mostly in Fort Bend County)
    		•
  • Morgan's Point
  • Nassau Bay
  • Pasadena
  • Pearland (Portions are in adjacent counties)
  • Piney Point Village
  • Seabrook
  • Shoreacres
  • South Houston
  • Southside Place
    		•
  • Spring Valley Village
  • Stafford (Mostly in Fort Bend County)
  • Taylor Lake Village
  • Tomball
  • Waller
  • Webster
  • West University Place

    • Unincorporated areas

    Census-designated places
  • Crosby
  • Highlands
  • Mission Bend (partly in Fort Bend County)
  • Sheldon
  • Spring

    • Other areas

  • Champions Forest
  • Coady
  • Cypress
  • Dyersdale
  • Hockley
    		•
  • Hufsmith
  • Kinwood
  • Klein
  • Kleinbrook
  • Kohrville
    		•
  • Louetta
  • Lynchburg
  • Northcliffe Manor
  • Northcliffe
  • North Houston
    		•
  • Northgate Forest
  • Remington Ranch
  • Rose Hill
  • Satsuma
  • Westfield
    		•
  • The Woodlands (mostly in Montgomery County)

    • Education

    Several school districts serve Harris County communities.
  • Goose Creek CISD
  • Houston ISD
  • Humble ISD
  • Katy ISD
  • Klein ISD
  • La Porte ISD
  • North Forest ISD
  • Pasadena ISD
  • Sheldon ISD
    		•
  • Spring ISD
  • Spring Branch ISD
  • Stafford MSD
  • Tomball ISD
  • Waller ISD

    • Harris County operates its own public library system, the Harris County Public Library.

    In addition, Houston has the Houston Public Library, a city-controlled public library system.

    The cities of Baytown, Bellaire, Deer Park, and Pasadena have their own city-controlled libraries.

    Emergency services

    Police services

    Incorporated areas operate their own police departments.

    Harris County operates the Harris County Sheriff's Office, which serves unincorporated areas and supplements police forces of incorporated areas.

    Harris County also has a constable for each of its eight precincts and hundreds of deputies assigned to each. They mainly serve in a patrol function, established to maintain peace in the county as well as providing security to county buildings such as court houses and district attorney's offices.

    Fire services

    Harris County maintains the Harris County Fire Marshall office to assist with fire investigations.

    Incorporated cities operate their own fire departments; some cities share fire departments.

    Fire departments serving unincorporated areas:

    Political organization

    The head of a Texas County, as set up in the Texas Constitution, is the County Judge, who sits as the chair of the county's Commissioners' Court. As of 2007, this position in Harris County is held by Judge Ed Emmett. The county is split into 4 geographical divisions called Precincts. Each precinct elects a Commissioner to sit as a representative of their precinct on the commissioners court and also for the oversight of county functions in their area.

    Other elected positions in Harris County include a County Attorney, a County Clerk, a District Attorney, a District Clerk, a Sheriff, 8 Constables, a Tax Assessor-Collector, a County Treasurer, and every judge in the county except municipal judges, who are appointed by the officials of their respective cities.

    Many of the organs of the Harris County government reside in the Harris County Campus in Downtown Houston.

    Hospital services

    Within Harris County, hospital services for the indigent and needy are provided by the Harris County Hospital District, a separate governmental entity. Harris County Hospital District operates three hospitals: LBJ General Hospital, Quentin Mease Community Hospital, and Ben Taub General Hospital, as well as many clinics.

    Additionally, numerous private and public hospitals operate in Harris County, including institutions in Texas Medical Center and throughout the county.

    Transportation

    Mass transit

    Many areas in Harris County are served by Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO), a public transportation agency headquartered in Downtown Houston.

    Intercity buses

    Greyhound Bus Lines operates various stations throughout Harris County.

    Airports

    Two commercial airports, George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport, are located in Houston and in Harris County. The city of Houston operates Ellington Field, a general aviation and military airport in Harris County.

    General aviation airports for fixed-wing aircraft outside of Houston include:

    Heliports outside of Houston include (all are privately owned, private use):

    • Darmar Medical Emergency Heliport is located in western unincorporated Harris County, adjacent to the city of Katy.
    • Rwave Heliport in western unincorporated Harris County, adjacent to the city of Katy

    Corrections

    The Harris County jail facilities are in northern Downtown on the north side of the Buffalo Bayou. The 1200 Jail, the 1307 Jail, (originally a TDCJ facility, leased by the county), and the 701 Jail (formed from existing warehouse storage space) are on the same site.

    The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates some correctional facilities in Harris County, including:

    • Kegans Unit, located in Downtown Houston, is a state jail for men. It is in the north of Downtown along the north side of the Buffalo Bayou, next to the county facilities.
    • Pam Lychner Unit, named after Pam Lychner and located in unincorporated northeast Harris County, east of the city of Humble, is a state jail for men.

    The South Texas Intermediate Sanction Facility Unit, a parole confinement facility for males operated by Global Expertise in Outsourcing, is in Downtown Houston, west of Minute Maid Park.

    Trivia

    Gallery

    Harris County Campus

    See also

    References

    External links

    Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia © 2001-2006 Wikipedia contributors (Disclaimer)
    This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
    Last updated on Friday October 03, 2008 at 20:07:03 PDT (GMT -0700)
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