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Harris County, Texas

Coordinates: 29°52′N 95°23′W / 29.86°N 95.39°W / 29.86; -95.39
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the county in northeast Texas, see Harrison County, Texas.

Harris County
County
Downtown Houston, Harris County Courthouse
Official seal of Harris County
Seal
Map of Texas highlighting Harris County
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Map of the United States highlighting Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 29°52′N 95°23′W / 29.86°N 95.39°W / 29.86; -95.39
Country United States
State Texas
FoundedDecember 22, 1836
Named forJohn Richardson Harris
SeatHouston
Largest cityHouston
Area
 • Total1,780.26 sq mi (4,610.9 km2)
 • Land1,706.96 sq mi (4,421.0 km2)
 • Water73.30 sq mi (189.8 km2)  4.2%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total4,731,145
 • Estimate 
(2023)
4,835,125 Increase
 • Density2,700/sq mi (1,000/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts2nd, 7th, 8th, 9th, 18th, 22nd, 29th, 36th, 38th
Websitewww.harriscountytx.gov

Harris County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas; as of the 2020 census, the population was 4,731,145,[1] making it the most populous county in Texas and the third-most populous county in the United States. Its county seat is Houston, the most populous city in Texas and fourth-most populous city in the United States. The county was founded in 1836 and organized in 1837.[2][3] It is named for John Richardson Harris, who founded the town of Harrisburg on Buffalo Bayou in 1826.[2] According to the July 2023 census estimate, Harris County's population has shifted to 4,835,125 comprising over 16% of Texas's population. Harris County is included in the nine-county Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area, which is the fifth-most populous metropolitan area in the United States.

History

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Firefighters on San Jacinto Street, circa 1914
The Harris County Courthouse in Houston, in 1913

Human remains date habitation to about 4000 BC. Other evidence of humans in the area dates from about 1400 BC, 1 AD, and later in the first millennium. The region became uninhabited from 1 AD to European contact. Little European activity predates 1821. Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca may have visited the area in 1529. French traders recorded passing through in the 18th century. Spaniards attempted to establish a fort in the area around the same time, but did not persist for long.[2]

The first recorded European settlers in Harris County arrived in 1822. Their schooner sailed into Galveston Bay and ran aground on the Red Fish Bar. Some of those passengers traveled further up the bay system, but it is not known whether they settled up Buffalo Bayou or the San Jacinto River. One of these passengers, a Mr. Ryder, settled at what is now known as Morgan's Point, Texas. Also in 1822, John Iiams settled his family at Cedar Point after sailing from Berwick's Bay, Louisiana. Dr. Johnson Hunter arrived just after Iiams. He also wrecked his boat near Galveston. He settled at Morgan's Point and was a grantee of land there. Nathaniel Lynch settled in the area and operated a ferry.[4]

In 1824, the land empresario, Stephen F. Austin convened at the house of William Scott for the purpose of conveying titles for Mexican headrights. He was joined by the land commissioner, Baron von Bastrop, and Austin's secretary, Samuel May Williams. About thirty families gained legal titles to land in what would later be known as Harris County. A few immigrants settled on Buffalo Bayou in these early years, including Moses Callahan, Ezekial Thomas, and the Vince brothers.[4]

Nicolas Clopper arrived in the Galveston Bay area from Ohio in the 1820s. He attempted to develop Buffalo Bayou as a trading conduit for the Brazos River valley. He acquired land at Morgan's Point in 1826.[5] John Richardson Harris (1790–1829), for whom the county was later named, arrived in 1824. Harris had moved his family to Sainte Genevieve, Missouri Territory, where they had been residing until the early 1820s.[6]

Harris was granted a league of land (about 4,428 acres) at Buffalo Bayou. He platted the town of Harrisburg in 1826, while he established a trading post and a grist mill there. He ran boats transporting goods between New Orleans and Harrisburg until his death in the fall of 1829.[7]

The First Congress of the Republic of Texas established Harrisburg County on December 22, 1836. The original county boundaries included Galveston Island, but were redrawn to its current configuration in May 1838.[2]

The area has had a number of severe weather events, such as the following hurricanes and tropical storms:

Geography

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According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,777 square miles (4,600 km2), of which 1,703 square miles (4,410 km2) is land and 74 square miles (190 km2) (4.2%) is covered by water.[8] Both its total area and land area are larger than the U.S. state of Rhode Island.

Adjacent counties

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Communities

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Cities

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Multiple counties

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Harris County only

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Unincorporated areas

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Census-designated places

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Other communities

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18504,668—
18609,07094.3%
187017,37591.6%
188027,98561.1%
189037,24933.1%
190063,78671.2%
1910115,69381.4%
1920186,66761.3%
1930359,32892.5%
1940528,96147.2%
1950806,70152.5%
19601,243,15854.1%
19701,741,91240.1%
19802,409,54738.3%
19902,818,19917.0%
20003,400,57820.7%
20104,092,45920.3%
20204,731,12215.6%
2023 (est.)4,835,125[9]2.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
1850–2010[11] 2010–2020[1]

2020 census

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Harris County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 1990[12] Pop 2000[13] Pop 2010[14] Pop 2020[15] Pop 2023 (Est.)[16] % 1990 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020 % 2023
White alone (NH) 1,528,113 1,432,264 1,349,646 1,359,029 1,305,184 54.22% 42.12% 32.98% 28.73% 26.99%
Black or African American alone (NH) 527,964 619,694 754,258 912,652 954,859 18.73% 18.22% 18.43% 19.29% 19.75%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 6,143 7,103 8,150 8,865 8,910 0.22% 0.21% 0.20% 0.19% 0.18%
Asian alone (NH) 106,327 173,026 249,853 346,572 358,948 3.77% 5.09% 6.11% 7.33% 7.42%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) N/A 1,392 2,260 2,327 2,385 N/A 0.04% 0.06% 0.05% 0.05%
Other Race alone (NH) 4,717 4,499 7,914 23,262 — 0.17% 0.13% 0.19% 0.49% —
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) N/A 42,849 48,838 67,048 74,324 N/A 1.26% 1.19% 1.42% 1.54%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 644,935 1,119,751 1,671,512 2,034,629 2,130,515 22.88% 32.93% 40.84% 43.01% 44.06%
Total 2,818,199 3,400,578 4,092,459 4,731,122 4,835,125 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

As of the 2020 census, there were 4,731,145 people,[15] 1,692,730 households, and 1,156,059 families in the county.[17] The population density was 2,771.7 inhabitants per square mile (1,070.2/km2). There were 1,842,683 housing units. The racial makeup of the county was 38.2% White, 19.0% African American, 1.1% Native American, 7.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 17.7% from Some Other Races and 15.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 39.9% of the population.[18] 25.6% of residents were under the age of 18, 6.7% were under 5 years of age, and 12.1% were 65 and older.

Ethnic origins in Harris County

With a poverty rate of 15.6% as of 2020,[19] Children At Risk—a local nonprofit research organization—estimated 21% of the Harris County children lived in poverty, 6.5 per 1,000 die before age one, and 38% drop out of high school as of 2007.[20]

As of 2023, Harris County has the second largest population of Black Americans in the nation, only behind Cook County in Illinois. Also Harris County has the second largest Hispanic population in the nation, only behind Los Angeles County in California.[21]

2010 census

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As of the 2010 census, there were 4,092,459 people, 1,435,087 households, and _ families resided in the county. The population density was 2,402.4 inhabitants per square mile (927.6/km2). There were 1,598,613 housing units. The racial makeup of the county was 58.3% White, 18.8% African American, 0.6% Native American, 6.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 12.9% from Some Other Races and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 36.8% of the population.

2000 census

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As of the 2000 census, there were 3,400,578 people, 1,205,516 households, and 834,217 families resided in the county. The population density was 1,967.0 inhabitants per square mile (759.5/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% African American, 0.45% Native American, 5.14% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 14.18% from Some Other Races, and 2.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 32.93% of the population.

Of the 1,205,516 households out of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.3% 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, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 7.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.0 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 19.6% of those under age 18 and 12.20% of those age 65 or over.

Overall, Harris County's population has recorded positive growth since the 1850 census tabulated-population of 4,668.

Among the county population, once predominantly non-Hispanic white, the largest racial or ethnic group has become Hispanic or Latino Americans (43.01%) as of 2020.[15] Following, non-Hispanic whites declined to 27.68% of the population; Black or African Americans were 18.72% of the area population, and Asian Americans made up 7.29% of the county; multiracial Americans increased to 2.57%, American Indians and Alaska Natives declined to 0.18%, and Pacific Islanders grew to 0.07% of the population. Having a large and growing Asian American community alongside Hispanics and Latinos and Black and African American,[22] the Houston Area Asian Survey of the Kinder Institute of Urban Research Houston Area Survey stated that between 1990 and 2000, the Asian population in Harris County increased by 76%; between 2000 and 2010, it increased by 45%.[23]

Economically, Harris County along with other Texas counties has one of the nation's highest property tax rates. In 2007, the county was ranked in the top 25 at 22nd in the nation for property taxes as percentage of the homes value on owner-occupied housing; the list only includes counties with a population over 65,000 for comparability.[24] Additionally, Harris County residents had a median household income of $63,022 with a mean income of $93,184. Families had a median income of $73,274 and mean of $105,534; married-couple families $93,961 with a mean of $128,211; and non-family households a median of $43,488 and mean of $62,435.[25]

Language

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In 2000, 1,961,993 residents of Harris County spoke English only. The five largest foreign languages in the county were Spanish or Spanish Creole (1,106,883 speakers), Vietnamese (53,311 speakers), Chinese (33,003 speakers), French including Louisiana French and Patois (33,003 speakers), and Urdu (14,595 speakers). Among those who spoke other languages, 46% of Spanish speakers, 37% of Vietnamese speakers, 50% of Chinese speakers, 85% of French speakers, and 72% of Urdu speakers said that they spoke English at least "very well".[26] By 2020, 55.6% of the county aged 5 and older spoke English only, and 44.4% spoke another language instead of English; Spanish remained the second-most spoken language (35%).[27]

Religion

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Saint Mary Cathedral Basilica, seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston

In 2010 statistics, the largest religious group in Harris County was the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston, with 1,947,223 Catholics worshiping at 109 parishes, followed by 579,759 Southern Baptists with 811 congregations, 348,461 non-denominational Christian adherents with 577 congregations, 182,624 United Methodists with 124 congregations, an estimated 117,148 Muslims with 47 congregations, 44,472 LDS Mormons with 77 congregations, 39,041 Episcopalians with 43 congregations, 34,957 PC-USA Presbyterians with 49 congregations, 33,525 Churches of Christ Christians with 124 congregations, and 30,521 LCMS Lutherans with 46 congregations. Altogether, 58.4% of the population was claimed as members by religious congregations, although members of historically African-American denominations were underrepresented due to incomplete information.[28] In 2014, the county had 1,607 religious organizations, the third most out of all U.S. counties.[29]

Government and politics

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County governments serve as agents of the state, with responsibilities defined in the Texas Constitution. Counties are governed by the commissioners' court. Each Texas county has four precinct commissioners and a county judge. Although this body is called a court, it conducts the general business of the county and oversees financial matters.[30] The commissioners court may hire personnel to run major departments, such as health and human services.

Besides the county judge and commissioners, the other elective offices found in most counties include the county attorney, county and district clerks, county treasurer, sheriff, tax assessor-collector, justices of the peace, and constables. As a part of the checks and balances system, counties have an auditor appointed by the district courts.[30]

Harris County was one of the earliest areas of Texas to turn Republican. It voted Republican in all but one presidential election from 1952 to 2004, the lone break coming when native Texan Lyndon Johnson carried it in his 44-state landslide in 1964. In 2008, Barack Obama was the first Democrat to win the county since Texas native Lyndon Johnson in 1964. The city of Houston itself holds one of the highest concentrations of Democratic voters in the state, while suburban areas such as Cypress, Spring, and Katy in the county's western and northern areas, tend to be strongly Republican. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won the county by the largest margin for a Democrat since 1964.[31] The Democratic Party performed very strongly in the county during the 2018 elections, as it did nationwide.[32] In 2020, Joe Biden improved Clinton's performance by two points while Donald Trump only increased his vote share by one point. Regardless of the shift towards Democrats and being the most populated county in Texas, for the past 4 elections that it voted for a Democrat, it has always voted to the right of Dallas, Travis, Bexar, and El Paso, each of which have a smaller population.[33]

In 2013, Allen Turner of the Houston Chronicle said that residents of Harris County were "consistently conservative in elections" and that they were, according to a Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research opinion poll, "surprisingly liberal on topics such as immigration, gun control and equal matrimonial rights for same-sex couples".[34] Harris is regarded as a moderate or swing county in Texas, and has been a bellwether in presidential elections, voting for winners of every presidential election from 2000 through 2012 (both Barack Obama and Texas resident George W. Bush won the county twice).[34]

As a result of the Obama sweep in 2008, many Democratic candidates in contests for lower-level offices also benefited, and many Republican incumbents were replaced by Democrats in the Harris County courthouse. Some of the defeated Republican district court judges were later re-appointed to vacant District Court benches by Governor Rick Perry. In 2018, Democrats swept the court capturing all 59 seats on the civil, criminal, family, juvenile and probate courts.[35]

The Kinder Institute's Houston Survey in 2018 found that from 2014 through 2018 the number of Houston residents who supported adoption of children by same-sex couples climbed above 50% and remained there, while in 2017 over 56% of residents reported gay or lesbian persons among their circle of close personal friends. A 2013 opinion poll had found that 46% of Harris County residents supported same-sex marriage, up from 37% in 2001. Just above 82% favored offering illegal immigrants a path to citizenship provided they speak English and have no criminal record, holding from 83% in 2013, which was up from 19% in 2009. In 2013, 87% supported background checks for all firearms, the latest year that question was included in the Kinder Houston Survey. This measure has moved up steadily from 60% in 1985 to 69% in 2000.[36][34]

United States presidential election results for Harris County, Texas[37]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 720,046 46.51% 802,370 51.82% 25,877 1.67%
2020 700,630 42.69% 918,193 55.94% 22,434 1.37%
2016 545,955 41.61% 707,914 53.95% 58,243 4.44%
2012 586,073 49.31% 587,044 49.39% 15,468 1.30%
2008 571,883 48.82% 590,982 50.45% 8,607 0.73%
2004 584,723 54.75% 475,865 44.56% 7,380 0.69%
2000 529,159 54.28% 418,267 42.91% 27,396 2.81%
1996 421,462 49.24% 386,726 45.18% 47,705 5.57%
1992 406,778 43.14% 360,171 38.20% 175,998 18.66%
1988 464,217 57.02% 342,919 42.12% 7,024 0.86%
1984 536,029 61.46% 334,135 38.31% 2,003 0.23%
1980 416,655 57.87% 274,061 38.06% 29,298 4.07%
1976 357,536 52.17% 321,897 46.97% 5,831 0.85%
1972 365,672 62.56% 215,916 36.94% 2,943 0.50%
1968 202,079 42.90% 182,546 38.75% 86,412 18.35%
1964 154,401 40.32% 227,819 59.49% 765 0.20%
1960 168,170 51.68% 148,275 45.57% 8,954 2.75%
1956 155,555 61.11% 93,961 36.91% 5,033 1.98%
1952 146,665 57.63% 107,604 42.28% 228 0.09%
1948 43,117 35.16% 58,488 47.70% 21,012 17.14%
1944 11,843 11.37% 71,077 68.27% 21,199 20.36%
1940 20,797 22.02% 73,520 77.84% 136 0.14%
1936 8,083 11.97% 59,205 87.67% 245 0.36%
1932 8,604 15.37% 46,886 83.77% 480 0.86%
1928 27,188 55.70% 21,536 44.12% 86 0.18%
1924 8,953 27.57% 20,648 63.57% 2,878 8.86%
1920 7,735 26.82% 14,808 51.35% 6,294 21.83%
1916 3,009 22.05% 10,131 74.24% 507 3.72%
1912 726 8.01% 6,409 70.69% 1,931 21.30%

County facilities

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The 1910 county courthouse was renovated in the 1950s to update its systems. In the 21st century, the facility received another major renovation. Completed in 2011, the $50 million, eight-year project was designed to restore notable historic aspects of the courthouse while providing for contemporary communication and building needs.[38]

The Texas First Court of Appeals and the Texas Fourteenth Court of Appeals, since September 3, 2010, are located in the 1910 Harris County courthouse.[39][40] Previously they were located on the campus of the South Texas College of Law.[41]

The Harris County Jail Complex of the Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) is the largest in Texas, and one of the largest in the nation. In July 2012, the facility held 9,113 prisoners. To handle overcrowding in the facility, the county had to ship inmates to other counties and some are housed out of the state.[42]

The county has a potter's field, the Harris County Cemetery on Oates Road in Houston, which previously had housing for elderly people. It has 18 acres (7.3 ha) of land. It was established in 1921 on property taken from police officers who had acted corruptly. The county paid $80,000 for 100 acres (40 ha) of land, then put in the Harris County Home For the Aged, a poor farm for elderly people of all races which had a capacity of 100; the poor farm opened in 1922. Around that time, the county cemetery was also established there. The Harris County Commissioners closed the poor farm in August 1958.[43] In 2014, no more burials were allowed to occur at the Oates Road facility due to overcapacity.[44]

By 2013 the county was building a second potter's field due to overcapacity at the first.[43] Harris County Eastgate Cemetery had started operations in 2014.[44] It is near the Crosby census-designated place and has a Crosby postal address.[45]

The county had a poor farm in what is now West University Place that closed in 1923. The county cemetery was formerly there; the bodies were transferred to the new property.[43]

County government

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Harris County elected officials

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Position Name Party
County Judge Lina Hidalgo Democratic
District Attorney Kim Ogg Democratic
County Attorney Christian D. Menefee Democratic
District Clerk Marilyn Burgess Democratic
County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth Democratic
Tax Assessor-Collector Ann Harris Bennett Democratic
Treasurer Carla Wyatt Democratic
Sheriff Ed Gonzalez Democratic
Commissioner, Precinct 1 Rodney Ellis Democratic
Commissioner, Precinct 2 Adrian Garcia Democratic
Commissioner, Precinct 3 Tom Ramsey Republican
Commissioner, Precinct 4 Lesley Briones Democratic
School Trustee, At-Large, Pos. 3 Richard Cantu Democratic
School Trustee, At-Large, Pos. 5 Erica Davis Democratic
School Trustee, At-Large, Pos. 7 David W. Brown Democratic
School Trustee, Pct. 1, Pos. 6 Danyahel "Danny" Norris Democratic
School Trustee, Pct. 2, Pos. 1 Amy Hinojosa Democratic
School Trustee, Pct. 3, Pos. 4 Andrea Duhon Democratic
School Trustee, Pct. 4, Pos. 2 Eric Dick Republican
Constable, Precinct 1 Alan Rosen Democratic
Constable, Precinct 2 Jerry Garcia Democratic
Constable, Precinct 3 Sherman Eagleton Democratic
Constable, Precinct 4 Mark Herman Republican
Constable, Precinct 5 Ted Heap Republican
Constable, Precinct 6 Silvia Trevino Democratic
Constable, Precinct 7 May Walker Democratic
Constable, Precinct 8 Phil Sandlin Republican

Courts

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Criminal District Courts

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Office[46] Name Party
174th District Court Hazel B. Jones Democratic
176th District Court Nikita V. Harmon Democratic
177th District Court Robert Johnson Democratic
178th District Court Kelli Johnson Democratic
179th District Court Ana Martinez Democratic
180th District Court DaSean Jones Democratic
182nd District Court Danilo Lacayo Democratic
183rd District Court Kristin M. Guiney Republican
184th District Court Katherine N. Thomas Democratic
185th District Court Andrea Beall Democratic
208th District Court Beverly D. Armstrong Democratic
209th District Court Brian E. Warren Democratic
228th District Court VACANT Republican
230th District Court Chris Morton Democratic
232nd District Court Josh Hill Democratic
248th District Court Hilary Unger Democratic
262nd District Court Lori Chambers Gray Democratic
263rd District Court Melissa M. Morris Democratic
337th District Court Colleen Gaido Democratic
338th District Court Ramona Franklin Democratic
339th District Court Te'iva J. Bell Democratic
351st District Court Natalia "Nata" Cornelio Democratic
482nd District Court Veronica M. Nelson Democratic
486th District Court Aaron Burdette Republican
487th District Court Lori DeAngelo Republican
488th District Court Matthew Peneguy Republican
495th District Court VACANT Republican
496th District Court VACANT Republican
497th District Court VACANT Republican

Juvenile District Courts

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Office[47] Name Party
313th District Court Natalia Cokinos Oakes Democratic
314th District Court Michelle Moore Democratic
315th District Court Leah Shapiro Democratic

United States Congress

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Representatives Name Party First elected Area(s) of Harris County represented
District 2 Dan Crenshaw Republican 2018 Atascosita, Huffman, Humble, Kingwood, Spring
District 7 Lizzie Fletcher Democratic 2018 West Houston, Memorial Villages, Bellaire, West University Place, west and northwest areas of county
District 9 Al Green Democratic 2004 Alief, Southwest Houston, Houston's Southside
District 18 Vacant 2024 Downtown Houston, Bush IAH, northwest and northeast Houston, inner portions of Houston's Southside
District 22 Troy Nehls Republican 2020 Ellington Field
District 29 Sylvia Garcia Democratic 2018 Aldine, Channelview, East Houston, Fall Creek portion of Humble, Galena Park, Jacinto City, northern Pasadena, North Shore, western Sheldon, South Houston
District 36 Brian Babin Republican 2014 Clear Lake City, NASA Johnson Space Center, southern and central Pasadena, Deer Park, Baytown, Crosby, La Porte, eastern Sheldon, Dayton, Seabrook, Morgan's Point, Shore Acres, El Lago, Nassau Bay, Taylor Lake Village
District 38 Wesley Hunt Republican 2022 Jersey Village, Cypress, Tomball, Katy, and Klein

Texas Legislature

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Texas Senate

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District Name Party First elected Area(s) of Harris County represented
4 Brandon Creighton Republican 2014 Kingwood, far eastern portions of Baytown
6 Carol Alvarado Democratic 2013 Houston Ship Channel, eastern portions of Houston, Jacinto City, Galena Park, northern Pasadena, western portion of Baytown
7 Paul Bettencourt Republican 2014 Memorial Villages, Memorial/Spring Branch area, Addicks Reservoir, northwest portions of county
11 Mayes Middleton Republican 2022 Southeast
13 Borris Miles Democratic 2016 Downtown Houston, Texas Medical Center, southwest and northeast Houston, Houston's Southside
15 Molly Cook Democratic 2024 Northwest Houston, Bush IAH, southern portion of Humble, eastern Harris County
17 Joan Huffman Republican 2008 Meyerland, Bellaire, West University Place, much of Greater Katy area, far west Houston, Barker Reservoir

Texas House of Representatives

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District Name Party First elected Area(s) of Harris County represented
126 Sam Harless Republican 2018 Champions/FM 1960 area
127 Charles Cunningham Republican 2022 Humble, Kingwood, Lake Houston, Atascocita, Crosby, Wallisville
128 Briscoe Cain Republican 2016 Baytown, Deer Park, La Porte
129 Dennis Paul Republican 2014 Clear Lake City, NASA Johnson Space Center, Southeast Harris County (including Seabrook and Webster)
130 Tom Oliverson Republican 2016 Northwest Harris County (including Cypress, Tomball, Waller)
131 Alma Allen Democratic 2004 far Southwest Houston and far South Side
132 Mike Schofield Republican 2020 West Harris County (including Greater Katy area)
133 Mano DeAyala Republican 2022 West Houston along West Sam Houston Tollway, including western portion of Memorial/Spring Branch and part of the Energy Corridor
134 Ann Johnson Democratic 2020 Inner western portions of Houston (including Meyerland, River Oaks and Memorial Park), Texas Medical Center, West University Place, Bellaire, Southside Place, Western Montrose
135 Jon Rosenthal Democratic 2018 Jersey Village and southeastern segments of the Champions/FM 1960 area
137 Gene Wu Democratic 2013 Southwest Houston (including Sharpstown and Gulfton)
138 Dwayne Bohac Republican 2002 Northwest Houston and parts of the Memorial/Spring Branch area north of I-10, Addicks Reservoir
139 Jarvis Johnson Democratic 2016 North Houston and Aldine west of I-45
140 Armando Walle Democratic 2008 North Houston and Aldine east of I-45
141 Senfronia Thompson Democratic 1972 Northeast Houston, Bush IAH, Greenspoint, southern portion of Humble
142 Harold Dutton, Jr. Democratic 1984 East Houston and Northshore area
143 Ana Hernandez Luna Democratic 2006 East Houston within Loop 610, Houston Ship Channel, Galena Park, Jacinto City, northern Pasadena
144 Mary Ann Perez Democratic 2016 Southern Pasadena, far southeast Houston
145 Christina Morales Democratic 2019 Inner southeastern portions of Houston (mainly east of I-45), South Houston (not part of the city of Houston)
146 Shawn Thierry Democratic 2016 Inner portions of Houston's South Side
147 Jolanda Jones Democratic 2022 Downtown Houston, inner southeastern portions of Houston (mainly west of I-45), Eastern Montrose, Midtown, Third Ward
148 Penny Shaw Democratic 2020 North and Northwest Houston mainly within Loop 610 (including Houston Heights)
149 Hubert Vo Democratic 2004 Far west Houston, Alief, unincorporated portions of Katy area east of Fry Rd, Barker Reservoir
150 Valoree Swanson Republican 2016 North Harris County (including Spring and Klein)

The county has an elections administrator and elections office, which was non-partisan but under the oversight of Democrat Lina Hidalgo, the Harris County Judge. The State of Texas Legislature passed a law, SB 1750, that asks for the position to be abolished effective September 2023, as the law states that any county with at least 3,500,000 persons should have elections done by the clerk and tax assessor-collector; of all Texas counties, only Harris would be affected. This was done following failings in the 2022 election, as confirmed by the investigation initiated by Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg's office.[48] In August 2023, Karin Crump, the presiding judge of the 250th civil district court of Travis County, stated that this went against the Texas Constitution, citing how the law only affected one county.[49] Crump's ruling was overturned by the Texas Supreme Court.[50]

County services

[edit]
Harris County Criminal Courts Building

The Harris County Flood Control District manages the effects of flooding in the county.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office operates jail facilities and is the primary provider of law enforcement services to the unincorporated areas of the county. The sheriff is the conservator of the peace in the county. The Harris County jail facilities are in northern downtown on the north side of the Buffalo Bayou. The 1200 Jail,[51] the 1307 Jail, (originally a TDCJ facility, leased by the county),[52] and the 701 Jail (formed from existing warehouse storage space) are on the same site.[53]

The Community Services Department provides community services. The department maintains the 20 acres (8.1 ha) Oates Road Cemetery (also known as the Harris County Cemetery) for indigents in eastern Houston, near the former Southern Bible College. In March 2010, the county adopted a cremation first policy, meaning that the default preference for most indigents is to have them cremated instead of buried. As of 2010, the county authorized the Community Services Department to purchase about 50 acres (20 ha) of land in the Huffman area so the county will have additional spaces for indigent burials.[54]

The Harris County Housing Authority (HCHA) is a governmental nonprofit corporation which addresses the need for quality affordable housing.[55] The HCHA has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as the highest performing housing authority in the region and was named one of America's 10 best Public Housing Authorities.[56] Guy R. Rankin, IV is chief executive officer of Harris County Housing Authority (HCHA).

State government

[edit]

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

As of 2001, Kegans and Lychner serves male state jail offenders from Harris County, with Kegans getting lower-risk offenders and Lychner getting higher-risk and special-needs offenders. If both of the male state jails in Harris County are full, excess offenders go to the Gist Unit in Jefferson County. Female state jail offenders from Harris County go to the Plane Unit in Liberty County.[60]

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.[61]

Law enforcement

[edit]
Harris County Sheriff Ford Police Interceptor

As of 2018 there are over 60 law enforcement agencies operating in the county.[62] They include: the Harris County Sheriff's Office, the Harris County Constable Office, the Houston Police Department, METRO Police Department, other municipal police departments, and school district police departments.[63]

The combined yearly sum spent by these agencies circa 2018 was $1.6 billion. That year the Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research released a report advocating for consolidating several of these agencies as a way of saving taxpayer money.[62]

Administration by judiciary

[edit]

The chief administrative officer 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 (the equivalent of a Board of Supervisors in some other states). In 2019, Judge Lina Hidalgo was sworn in as the County Judge. The county is split into four geographical divisions called precincts. Each precinct elects a Commissioner to represent them on the commissioners court and oversee county government functions in the precinct.

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

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

Economy

[edit]
Hewlett-Packard United States offices, formerly headquarters of Compaq
See also: Economy of Houston

In 2000, the largest employers in Harris County were Administaff, Compaq, Continental Airlines, Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, and Southwestern Bell.[64]

The University of Houston System's annual impact on the Houston-area's economy as of 2011 equates to that of a major corporation: $1.1 billion in new funds attracted annually to the Houston area, $3.13 billion in total economic benefit, and 24,000 local jobs generated.[65][66] This is in addition to the over 12,500 new graduates the UH System produces every year who enter the workforce in Houston and throughout Texas. These degree-holders tend to stay in Houston; after five years, 80.5% of graduates are still living and working in the region.[66]

In 2009, 20% of the office space in northwest Harris County was vacant. As of that year, more office space was being built; in 2010, northwest Harris will have twice the amount of office space that it had in 2009. The vacancy rate in the area near Farm to Market Road 1960 and Texas State Highway 249 in north Harris County was 53% in 2009.[67]

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.[68] Hewlett-Packard formerly operated 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.[69][70] The HP offices, which are now occupied by Hewlett Packard Enterprise, are now in a limited purpose annexation in Houston.[71] Smith International has its headquarters in the Greenspoint district and in an unincorporated area in Harris County.[72][73] BJ Services Company has its headquarters in the Spring Branch district and in unincorporated Harris County.[74][75] Cybersoft Technologies has its headquarters in an unincorporated area.[76] In 2012, Noble Energy announced that it was consolidating its headquarters and two other Greater Houston offices into a 10-story building on the former Compaq headquarters property in unincorporated Harris County.[77] In 2022, ExxonMobil announced it was moving its headquarters to Harris County from Irving, Texas.[78] Goya Foods previously had its Texas offices in an unincorporated area in the county.[79]

General Electric operates an aeroderivative division facility on Jacintoport in unincorporated Harris County.[80][81] Randall's Food Markets, a subsidiary of Safeway Inc., has its distribution center in unincorporated Harris County.[82]

In 2008, KBR announced that it will open a new office facility in an unincorporated area in western Harris County.[83] In December KBR said that it would not continue with the plans due to a weakened economy.[84] In January 2009 KBR announced that it will not open the new office facility.[85]

Education

[edit]

Primary and secondary schools

[edit]
Harris County Department of Education – Ronald W. Reagan Building

The Harris County Department of Education, a county division overseeing education by local school districts, with a 2011 budget around $100 million, is headquartered in the Ronald W. Reagan Building in the Northside district in Houston. It has an Adult Education Center in the Northside and an office in the North Post Oak Building in Spring Branch.[75][86][87]

Several school districts serve Harris County communities. Among the 26 districts are:[88]

On July 1, 2013, the North Forest Independent School District closed and its territory became a part of Houston ISD.[89]

In addition, state-operated charter schools are in the county. Charter schools in unincorporated areas include:

The department of education of the county operates the Highpoint Schools.[91]

Colleges and universities

[edit]
See also: List of colleges and universities in Houston
Ezekiel W. Cullen Building at the University of Houston
Rice University - Sally Port

Four separate and distinct state universities are located in Harris County. The University of Houston is a nationally recognized Tier One research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System.[92][93][94] The third-largest university in Texas,[95] the University of Houston counted 43,774 (fall 2016)[96] students on its 667-acre campus 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. Located in the historic community of Third Ward is Texas Southern University, one of the largest historically black colleges and universities in the United States.

Several private institutions of higher learning—ranging from liberal arts colleges to a nationally recognized research university—are located within Harris County. Rice University is one of the leading teaching and research universities of the United States and ranked the nation's 17th best overall university by U.S. News & World Report.[97]

Five community college districts exist with campuses in and around Harris County:[98]

  • The Houston Community College System serves Houston ISD (including the former North Forest ISD), Katy ISD, Spring Branch ISD, Alief ISD, and Stafford MSD. This includes most of the City of Houston.
  • The Lone Star College System (formerly North-Harris Montgomery Community College District) serves Aldine ISD, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, Tomball ISD, Humble ISD, and Klein ISD. This constitutes the northwestern through northeastern parts of the county.
  • San Jacinto College serves Pasadena ISD, Galena Park ISD, Sheldon ISD, Channelview ISD, Deer Park ISD, La Porte ISD, and the Harris County part of Clear Creek ISD. This constitutes southeastern and eastern portions of the county
  • Lee College serves Goose Creek ISD, Crosby ISD, and Huffman ISD, far east to northeast sections
  • Blinn College is the community college for portions of Waller ISD in Harris County, far northwestern parts.

The Houston Community College and Lone Star College systems are within the 10 largest institutions of higher learning in the United States.

Public libraries

[edit]

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

[edit]

Police services

[edit]
The 1200 Jail, the headquarters of the Harris County Sheriff's Office
Little York Volunteer Fire Department Station 81

Incorporated cities operate their own police departments, though 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.

Municipal fire/EMS services

[edit]

The Harris County Fire Marshal's Office operates an Investigative Branch, an Emergency Response Branch (Hazardous Materials Response) and Prevention Branch (Inspections). The office is headquartered at 2318 Atascocita Road in an unincorporated area.[99] Incorporated cities operate their own fire departments. The city of Houston operates the Houston Fire Department which provides fire and emergency medical coverage to the city of Houston.

Emergency services districts

[edit]

Areas outside of municipal city limits (and some smaller municipalities) have fire and emergency medical services provided by Emergency Service Districts, distinct governmental units with the ability to levy property and sales taxes. ESD's may provide fire service, EMS service or both (dual services) and the services they provide determine the limits on their adoptable tax rate.

ESD's may provide services directly or may contract with an agency or agencies for services. Additionally, ESD's may overlap one another to ensure both fire and EMS services are provided.

ESD Type Provider Sales Tax Rate (2015)[100] Property Tax Rate per $100 Valuation (2015)[101]
Harris County ESD #1 EMS Harris County Emergency Corps[102] .10
Harris County ESD #2 EMS South Lake Houston EMS 1% .0280120
Harris County ESD #4 (4A) Dual Huffman FD 1% (2%) .10 (.10)
Harris County ESD #5 EMS HCESD5 EMS 1% .02
Harris County ESD #6 EMS North Channel EMS .5% .0089
Harris County ESD #7 Fire Spring VFD 1% .06545
Harris County ESD #8 EMS Northwest EMS[103] .10
Harris County ESD #9 Dual Cy-Fair FD 1% .055
Harris County ESD #10 Fire Eastex Fire Department[104] 1% .10
Harris County ESD #11[105] EMS https://esd11.com/ .04185
Harris County ESD #12 Fire Cloverleaf Fire Department .5% .03
Harris County ESD #13 Fire Cypress Creek FD .08826
Harris County ESD #14 Dual Highlands VFD 2% .05
Harris County ESD #15 Fire Tomball FD 1% .05
Harris County ESD #16 Fire Klein VFD 1% .05
Harris County ESD #17 Fire Little York VFD 1% .10
Harris County ESD #19 Fire Sheldon VFD .03
Harris County ESD #20 Fire Northwest FD 1% .10
Harris County ESD #21 Dual Rosehill FD 1% .10
Harris County ESD #24 Fire Aldine Fire & Rescue .10
Harris County ESD #25 Fire Westfield FD .10
Harris County ESD #28 Fire Ponderosa VFD 1% .10
Harris County ESD #29 Fire Champions FD 1% .09032
Harris County ESD #46 Dual Atascocita VFD[106] 1% .08
Harris County ESD #47 Dual Westlake FD 1% .095186
Harris County ESD #48[107] Dual HCESD48 FD 1% .089
Harris County ESD #50 Dual Channelview FD 1% .05
Harris County ESD #60 Fire Sheldon VFD 1% .05
Harris County ESD #75 Dual Baytown FD 1% .0875
Harris County ESD #80 Fire Crosby FD 1% .04178
Harris-Fort Bend ESD #100 Dual Community FD 1% .07951
Waller-Harris ESD #200[108] Other Multiple Fire/EMS Agencies .0995

Hospital services

[edit]

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

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

Transportation

[edit]
Harris County Annex M has the headquarters of the Harris County Transit agency.[109]

Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO) serves several areas within Harris County. An agency of the Harris County government, Harris County Transit, serves communities in Harris County that are not served by METRO.[110]

In Harris County, the average one way commute for a person using an automobile was 25 minutes, while the average commute for a person not using an automobile was 44 minutes, a 76% longer duration than the figure for commuters with cars.[111]

Major highways

[edit]

Mass transit

[edit]

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

Some communities outside of METRO's service area, such as Baytown, Texas, and Channelview, Texas, are served by Harris County Transit.

Intercity buses

[edit]

Greyhound Bus Lines operates various stations throughout Harris County.

Airports

[edit]
George Bush Intercontinental Airport

Two commercial airports, George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport, are located in Houston and in Harris County. The Houston Airport System defines Harris County as a part of Bush Intercontinental's service region.[112] 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:

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
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  112. ^ "Master Plan Executive Summary Archived July 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine." George Bush Intercontinental Airport Master Plan. Houston Airport System. December 2006. 2-1 (23/130). Retrieved on December 14, 2010.
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29°52′N 95°23′W / 29.86°N 95.39°W / 29.86; -95.39

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