city of houston

[342] In 2006, the United States Department of Transportation named IAH the fastest-growing of the top ten airports in the United States. Employing more than 73,600 people, institutions at the medical center include 13 hospitals and two specialty institutions, two medical schools, four nursing schools, and schools of dentistry, public health, pharmacy, and virtually all health-related careers. Of the 10 most populous U.S. cities, Houston has the most total area of parks and green space, 56,405 acres (228 km2). Houston is the most diverse metropolitan area in Texas and has been described as the most racially and ethnically diverse major metropolis in the U.S.[18] It is home to many cultural institutions and exhibits, which attract more than 7 million visitors a year to the Museum District. Houston has the NFL's first retractable-roof stadium with natural grass, NRG Stadium (home of the Texans). NRG Stadium hosted Super Bowl LI on February 5, 2017. In the 2000s, the Baylor College of Medicine was annually considered within the top ten medical schools in the nation; likewise, the MD Anderson Cancer Center had been consistently ranked as one of the top two U.S. hospitals specializing in cancer care by U.S. News & World Report since 1990. Streets are lined with beautiful historic houses and newly built single-family homes ready for you and your family to make your home. Houston Forward Times is one of the largest black-owned newspapers in the metropolitan area and owned by Forward Times Publishing Company. Loans range in size from $400 to $1,000, with a maximum 12 month payback term. [210] Also in 2013, Houston again appeared on Forbes' list of "Best Places for Business and Careers". [171] The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston claims approximately 1.7 million Catholics within its boundaries. [169] The same study says that area residents identifying with other religions (including Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism) collectively made up about 7% of the area population. Program Application. The ship channel continues past Galveston and then into the Gulf of Mexico. [221][222][223][224][225] Houston received the official nickname of "Space City" in 1967 because it is the location of NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. [333] The city is currently in the process of expanding its on and off street bikeway network.[when? [251] Minute Maid Park is also a retractable-roof stadium. [106][107] Snowfalls of at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) on both December 10, 2008, and December 4, 2009, marked the first time measurable snowfall had occurred in two consecutive years in the city's recorded history. [249] The Houston SaberCats are a rugby team that plays in Major League Rugby. [289] The University of Houston–Clear Lake and the University of Houston–Downtown are stand-alone universities within the University of Houston System; they are not branch campuses of the University of Houston. Several major publications have consistently named Houston one of "America's Best Food Cities". Aveva Stadium (home of the SaberCats) is located in south Houston. Sorry, we have encountered an error and cannot complete your request. In 1997, Houstonians elected Lee P. Brown as the city's first African American mayor. [254], Houston has hosted several major sports events: the 1968, 1986 and 2004 Major League Baseball All-Star Games; the 1989, 2006 and 2013 NBA All-Star Games; Super Bowl VIII, Super Bowl XXXVIII, and Super Bowl LI, as well as hosting the 1981, 1986, 1994 and 1995 NBA Finals, winning the latter two, and hosting the 2005 World Series, 2017 World Series and 2019 World Series. [119], Because of Houston's wet season and proximity to the Gulf Coast, the city is prone to flooding from heavy rains; the most notable flooding events include Tropical Storm Allison in 2001 and Hurricane Harvey in 2017, along with most recent Tropical Storm Imelda in 2019. [31] The following year, the discovery of oil at the Spindletop oil field near Beaumont prompted the development of the Texas petroleum industry. Texas Southern University is the first state university in Houston, founded in 1927.[290]. During the late 1970s, Houston had a population boom as people from the Rust Belt states moved to Texas in large numbers. The JPMorgan Chase Tower is the tallest building in Texas and the tallest 5-sided building in the world. The Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark is a public skatepark owned and operated by the city of Houston, and is one of the largest skateparks in Texas consisting of a 30,000-ft2 (2,800 m2)in-ground facility. In 1948, the city annexed several unincorporated areas, more than doubling its size. [181] The Hindu, Sikh, and Buddhist communities form a growing sector of the religious demographic after Judaism and Islam. Several private institutions of higher learning are located within the city. [19], The Houston area is located on land that was once home of the Karankawa (kə rang′kə wä′,-wô′,-wə) and the Atakapa (əˈtɑːkəpə) indigenous peoples for at least 2,000 years before the first known settlers arrived. These degree-holders tend to stay in Houston. According to historian David McComb, "[T]he brothers, on August 26, 1836, bought from Elizabeth E. Parrott, wife of T.F.L. [125] Under Texas law Harris County, like other more rural Texas counties, cannot direct developers where to build or not build via land use controls such as a zoning ordinance, and instead can only impose general floodplain regulations for enforcement during subdivision approvals and building permit approvals. Houston Bcycle (also known as B-Cycle), a local non-profit, runs the subscription program, supplying bicycles and docking stations, while partnering with other companies to maintain the system. [248] The Houston Texans are a National Football League expansion team formed in 2002. The only other major publication to serve the city is the Houston Press—which was a free alternative weekly newspaper before the destruction caused by Hurricane Harvey resulted in the publication switching to an online-only format on November 2, 2017. Economic gains of blacks who entered defense industries continued in the postwar years. Houston hosts the annual Houston College Classic baseball tournament every February, and the Texas Kickoff and Bowl in September and December, respectively.[256]. [338] The network expanded to 29 stations and 225 bicycles in 2014, registering over 43,000 checkouts of equipment during the first half of the same year. [325], METRO began light rail service in 2004 with the opening of the 8-mile (13 km) north-south Red Line connecting Downtown, Midtown, the Museum District, the Texas Medical Center, and NRG Park. [308] With hospital locations nationwide and headquarters in Houston, the Triumph Healthcare hospital system was the third largest long term acute care provider nationally in 2005. [258] In motorcycling, the Astrodome hosted an AMA Supercross Championship round from 1974 to 2003 and the NRG Stadium since 2003. Many of them near the city worked on sugar and cotton plantations,[28] while most of those in the city limits had domestic and artisan jobs. Houston is the birthplace of the chopped and screwed remixing-technique in Hip-hop which was pioneered by DJ Screw from the city. [190] In the United States, the port ranks first in international commerce and 16th among the largest ports in the world. [278][279], In 1853 the first execution in Houston took place in public at Founder's Cemetery in the Fourth Ward; initially the cemetery was the execution site, but post-1868 executions took place in the jail facilities.[280]. [113] Overall, there have been more casualties and property loss from floods in Houston than in any other locality in the United States. Three loop freeways provide north–south and east–west connectivity between Greater Houston's radial highways. [14] 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, where the Mission Control Center is located. The museum houses the original Popemobile used by Pope John Paul II in the 1980s along with numerous hearses, embalming displays, and information on famous funerals. [3] An estimated 600,000 undocumented immigrants resided in the Houston area in 2017,[128] comprising nearly 9% of the city's metropolitan population. George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), located 23 miles (37 km) north of Downtown Houston between Interstates 45 and 69, is the eighth busiest commercial airport in the United States (by total passengers and aircraft movements) and forty-third busiest globally. 1 for paycheck worth", "Houston Is Unstoppable: Why Texas' Juggernaut Is America's #1 Job Creator", "Best Places For Business and Careers – Forbes", "International Representation in Houston", "About the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo", The Original Greek Festival, Houston, Texas, "AmericanStyle Magazine Readers Name 2005 Top 10 Art Fairs and Festivals", "Houston Is the New Capital of Southern Cool", "The 10 Hottest Foodie Cities in America – and Everything to Eat When You Get There", "THE SEARCH FOR AMERICA'S BEST FOOD CITIES: Houston", "HOUSTON: THE CULINARY CAPITAL OF THE SOUTH", 2006 fall edition of International Quilt Festival attracts 53,546 to Houston, "Central Austin has the makings of a museum district", "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, Houston botanic garden slowly becoming reality, "Houston Dash first expansion team in NWSL", "All eyes on Houston: New plans to bring rugby franchise, stadium to the Bayou City", "The Start of Something Big: Toyota Center upgrades to Include New Concourse HD TVs, Wi-Fi and Concessions Systems", "Houston Unveils New Football Stadium Renderings", "Houston, we have liftoff for October 2013 event", "IndyCar's coming to town: Houston race slated for 2013 – Houston Chronicle", "Office of the Controller, City of Houston", "Local Government in Texas: Cities, Towns, Counties, and Special Districts", "City Council may grow by two seats, Houston Chronicle", "Aimee Buras, "Clymer Wright, force for Houston term limits, found dead," January 25, 2011", "Houston Is Largest City to Elect Openly Gay Mayor", "Florida is about to ban sanctuary cities. [153][154][155] In 2018 the city scored a 70 out of 100 for LGBT friendliness. [261] Under the city charter, once the population in the city limits exceeded 2.1 million residents, two additional districts were to be added. [347], William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), known as Houston International Airport until 1967, operates primarily short- to medium-haul domestic and international flights to 60 destinations. The Houston Health Department partners with several agencies to offer free COVID-19 testing across Houston. [323] Roadway classification affects anticipated traffic volumes, roadway design, and right of way breadth. [304] All 49 member institutions of the Texas Medical Center are non-profit organizations. [101], Houston generally receives ample rainfall, averaging about 49.8 in (1,260 mm) annually based on records between 1981 and 2010. Houston attracts many touring Broadway acts, concerts, shows, and exhibitions for a variety of interests. 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