The 411 - Fascinating Facts

Everything you've always wanted to know about Houston.

• Houston, at approximately 596 square miles, is the fourth largest city in America.
• It is the largest city in Texas with a population approaching three million.
• County seat of Harris County, the nation’s third largest county with more than 3.4 million citizens.
• The City of Houston actually spreads over three counties: Harris, Fort Bend and Montgomery.

Houston "Firsts"

• "Houston" was the first word Astronaut Neil Armstrong spoke when he landed on the moon.
• It’s home to the first major freeway in Texas.
• America’s first public television station is located here.

Access

• Two major airports: Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport.
• Houston Airport System (HAS) is the fourth largest multi-airport system in the U.S., the seventh largest international gateway in the country.
• Bush Intercontinental ranks third among U.S. airports for nonstop destinations.
• METRORail, a 7.5-mile rail line connects downtown to the Museum District, Texas Medical Center and Reliant Park.
• METRO operates more than 1,400 accessible buses.
• The city has the nation’s third largest fleet of taxis and, across the board, up to four passengers can ride for the price of one.

Sports

• MLB: 2005 National League Champion Houston Astros.
• NBA: two-time World Champion Houston Rockets.
• WNBA: four-time World Champion Houston Comets.
• NFL: Houston Texans, the newest expansion team in the NFL.
• AHL: Calder Cup Champion Houston Aeros.

Multicultural Houston

• 90 languages spoken throughout the area.
• Diverse population - 37.4 percent Hispanic, 49.3 percent Caucasian, 29.3 percent African-American and 5.3 percent Asian.
• 83 consulates - the third largest consular corps in the nation.

Theater District

• One of only five cities in the U.S. with resident companies in the four disciplines of the performing arts: Alley Theatre, Houston Ballet, Houston Symphony and Houston Grand Opera

Museum District

• Home to 15 institutions, including The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the sixth largest museum in the country, and Houston Museum of Natural Science.

Theme Parks

• Space Center Houston is the Official Visitors Center for NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
• Others include SplashTown water park, Moody Gardens on Galveston Island, Kemah Boardwalk and Downtown Aquarium.

Outdoors

• More than 165 public and private golf courses.
• Located 50 miles from the Gulf of Mexico.
• Located 30 minutes from Clear Lake, a 2,000-acre destination for boating enthusiasts.
• Third-largest pleasure boat basin in the U.S.

Business in Houston

• Texas Medical Center is home to 42+ nonprofit institutions, the largest medical center in the world.
• U.S. energy headquarters with more than 5,000 energy-related businesses.
• The Port of Houston, a $15-billion petrochemical complex, ranks number one in the nation in foreign tonnage and second in total tonnage.