Houston, Texas in the context of "Texas State Highway Beltway 8"

Play Trivia Questions online!

or

Skip to study material about Houston, Texas in the context of "Texas State Highway Beltway 8"

Ad spacer

⭐ Core Definition: Houston, Texas

Houston is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the Southern United States. It is the fourth-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 2.3 million at the 2020 census. The Greater Houston metropolitan area, at 7.8 million residents, is the fifth-most populous metropolitan area in the nation and second-most populous in Texas. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, Houston is the seat of Harris County. Covering a total area of 640.4 square miles (1,659 km), it is the ninth largest city in the country and the largest whose municipal government is not consolidated with a county, parish, or borough. Although primarily located within Harris County, portions of the city extend into Fort Bend and Montgomery counties. Houston also functions as the southeastern anchor of the Texas Triangle megaregion.

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 (40 km) 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. 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.

↓ Menu

>>>PUT SHARE BUTTONS HERE<<<
In this Dossier

Houston, Texas in the context of Tsukuba Space Center

The Tsukuba Space Center (TKSC) also known by its radio callsign Tsukuba, is the operations facility and headquarters for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) located in Tsukuba Science City in Ibaraki Prefecture. The facility opened in 1972 and serves as the primary location for Japan's space operations and research programs. Japanese astronauts involved in the International Space Station are trained in part here in addition to the training they receive at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, in Houston, Texas.

The complex has several facilities that are used to assemble JAXA's satellites, and the Japanese Experiment Module for the International Space Station.

↑ Return to Menu

Houston, Texas in the context of Texas in the American Civil War

Texas declared its secession from the Union on February 1, 1861, and joined the Confederate States on March 2, 1861, after it had replaced its governor, Sam Houston, who had refused to take an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy. As with those of other states, the Declaration of Secession was not recognized by the US government at Washington, DC. Some Texan military units fought in the Civil War east of the Mississippi River, but Texas was more useful for supplying soldiers and horses for the Confederate Army. Texas' supply role lasted until mid-1863, when Union gunboats started to control the Mississippi River, which prevented large transfers of men, horses, or cattle. Some cotton was sold in Mexico, but most of the crop became useless because of the Union's naval blockade of Galveston, Houston, and other ports.

↑ Return to Menu

Houston, Texas in the context of Houston Ship Channel

The Houston Ship Channel, in Houston, Texas, is part of the Port of Houston, one of the busiest seaports in the world. The channel is the conduit for ocean-going vessels between Houston-area terminals and the Gulf of Mexico, and it serves an increasing volume of inland barge traffic.

↑ Return to Menu

Houston, Texas in the context of Westchase, Houston, Texas

Westchase is a business district and neighborhood in western Houston, Texas, bounded by Westheimer Road on the north, Gessner Road on the east, Houston Center Boulevard on the west, and Westpark Tollway on the south. The area is bisected by Beltway 8. Westchase is adjacent to Greater Sharpstown, the International District (which includes part of Chinatown), and the Royal Oaks Country Club subdivision. The area is immediately northeast of Alief.

A large portion of Westchase is covered by a special district, the Westchase Management District, which was created by the Texas Legislature in 1995. This entity, funded by a tax increment on businesses within its boundaries, provides branding, urban planning, and public safety functions for its constituents.

↑ Return to Menu

Houston, Texas in the context of Shotgun house

A shotgun house is a narrow rectangular domestic residence, usually no more than about 12 feet (3.5 m) wide, with rooms arranged one behind the other and doors at each end of the house. It was the most popular style of house in the Southern United States from the end of the American Civil War (1861–1865) through the 1920s. Alternative names include shotgun shack, shotgun hut, shotgun cottage, and in the case of a multihome dwelling, shotgun apartment; the design is similar to that of railroad apartments.

A longstanding theory is that the style can be traced from Africa to Saint Dominican influences on house design in New Orleans, but the houses can be found as far away as Key West and Ybor City in Florida, and Texas, and as far north as Chicago, Illinois.

↑ Return to Menu

Houston, Texas in the context of Houston Air Route Traffic Control Center

Houston Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZHU) (radio communications: Houston Center) is located at George Bush Intercontinental Airport at 16600 JFK Boulevard, Houston, Texas, United States 77032. The Houston ARTCC is one of 22 Air Route Traffic Control Centers in the United States. Houston Center is the 8th busiest ARTCC in the United States. In 2024, Houston Center handled 2,338,712 aircraft.

The center controls airspace in southern Texas, Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southwestern Alabama, and areas in the Gulf of Mexico.

↑ Return to Menu

Houston, Texas in the context of Houston Club

The Houston Club is a private members' club in Houston, Texas. The club is managed by Inspired.

The club has occupied six locations, the Mason Building (1894–1904), the Chronicle Building (1909–1923), the Chamber of Commerce Building I (1923–1930), the Chamber of Commerce Building II (1930–1955), the Houston Club Building (1955–2012), and One Shell Plaza (2013–present). In 2019, One Shell Plaza was renamed to 910 Louisiana.

↑ Return to Menu

Houston, Texas in the context of Corpus Christi Bay

Corpus Christi Bay is a scenic semi-tropical bay on the Texas coast found in San Patricio and Nueces counties, next to the major city of Corpus Christi. It is separated from the Gulf of Mexico by Mustang Island, and is fed by the Nueces River and Oso Creek from its western and southern extensions, Nueces Bay and Oso Bay. The bay is located approximately 136 miles (219 km) south of San Antonio, and 179 miles (288 km) southwest of Houston.

Corpus Christi Bay has a rich history of human settlement along its shores that dates back millennia and is responsible for the growth of Corpus Christi, and the smaller ports of Ingleside and Portland. It is one of seven major estuaries along the Gulf Coast of Texas and supports a diverse collection of wildlife, attracting many tourists. The bay's abundance of petroleum and natural gas has attracted industry, and its strategic location on the Texas coast is ideal for military establishment.

↑ Return to Menu

Houston, Texas in the context of Continental Center I

1600 Smith Street (previously named Continental Center I and also known as Cullen Center Plaza) is a 51-story, 732-foot (223 m) office tower in Downtown Houston, Texas, United States. It served as the headquarters of Continental Airlines prior to its merger with United Airlines in 2010, and at one point also served as the headquarters of ExpressJet Airlines. It is a part of the Cullen Center complex.

The 51 story building has about 1,098,399 square feet (102,044.6 m) of rentable Class "A" office space. The design architect was Morris Architects, the general contractor was Linbeck Construction Company, the mechanical engineer was I.A. Naman, and the structural engineer was CBM Engineers. The building was completed in 1984.

↑ Return to Menu