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| Harris County, Texas | |
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 Location in the state of Texas |
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 Texas's location in the U.S. |
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| Seat | Houston |
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| Area - Total - Land - Water |
1,778 sq mi (4,605 km²) 1,729 sq mi (4,478 km²) 49 sq mi (127 km²), 2.75% |
| PopulationEst. - (2008) - Density |
3,984,349 2,302/sq mi (889/km²) |
| Founded | December 22, 1836 |
 Harris County Civil Courthouse
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| Website | www.co.harris.tx.us |
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 2008 estimate placed the population at 3,984,349[1]), making it the most populous county in Texas and the third most populous county in the United States. Its county seat is Houston[2], the largest city in Texas.
Harris County is named for John Richardson Harris, an early settler of the area.
The county was founded on December 22, 1836 as Harrisburg County . The name was changed to Harris County in December 1839.
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. Its land area is larger than the state of Rhode Island.
See List of Highways in Harris County for more roadways in Harris County.
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 4,668 |
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| 1860 | 9,070 | 94.3% | |
| 1870 | 17,375 | 91.6% | |
| 1880 | 27,985 | 61.1% | |
| 1890 | 37,249 | 33.1% | |
| 1900 | 63,786 | 71.2% | |
| 1910 | 115,693 | 81.4% | |
| 1920 | 186,667 | 61.3% | |
| 1930 | 359,328 | 92.5% | |
| 1940 | 528,961 | 47.2% | |
| 1950 | 806,701 | 52.5% | |
| 1960 | 1,243,158 | 54.1% | |
| 1970 | 1,741,912 | 40.1% | |
| 1980 | 2,409,547 | 38.3% | |
| 1990 | 2,818,199 | 17.0% | |
| 2000 | 3,400,578 | 20.7% | |
| Est. 2008 | 3,984,349 | 17.2% | |
As of the census[3] 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;[4] African Americans constituted 18.4% of the county's population, representing a slight decline in percentage. However, the total number of African Americans in the county has risen.[5].
In 2000 there were 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.
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.[6]
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 accuracy.[7]
In 2000 the largest employers in Harris County were Administaff, Compaq, Continental Airlines, Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, and Southwestern Bell.[8]
In 2009 20% of the office space in northwest Harris County was vacant. As of that year, more office space is 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.[9]
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.[10] 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.[11][12] Internet America, an internet service provider, is headquartered in northwest unincorporated Harris County.[13] Smith International has its headquarters in the Greenspoint district and in an unincorporated area in Harris County.[14][15] BJ Services Company has its headquarters in the Spring Branch district and in unincorporated Harris County.[16][17] FMC Technologies has its headquarters in an unincorporated area.[18]
General Electric operates an aeroderivative division facility on Jacintoport in unincorporated Harris County.[19][20]
In 2008 KBR announced that it will open a new office facility in an unincorporated area in western Harris County.[21] In December KBR said that it would not continue with the plans due to a weakened economy.[22] In January 2009 KBR announced that it will not open the new office facility.[23]
As Houston mostly resides in Harris County, much of the county's economy is related to Houston. See Economy of Houston.
Various consulates are located in the county; one, the Consulate-General of Pakistan in Houston, which opened in June 2004, is at 11850 Jones Road in an unincorporated section of the county.[24] The other consulates are in areas of Houston.
Harris County has tended to vote Republican at the presidential level since the mid-20th century; Barack Obama was the first Democrat to win the county since Lyndon Johnson in 1964. Its electorate resides in the city of Houston, a diverse urban area that is heavily Democratic, and the sprawling suburbs that surround the city limits. Suburban areas such as Cypress, Spring, and Katy in the county's western and northern areas tend to be strongly Republican.
| Year | Democratic | Republican |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 50.5% 590,982 | 48.8% 571,883 |
| 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 |
| 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 | Atascosita, Baytown, Crosby, Dayton, Huffman, Humble, Kingwood, La Porte, eastern Sheldon, Spring | |
| 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 | Pete Olson | Republican | 2008 | Clear Lake City, NASA Johnson Space Center, Ellington Field, southern and central Pasadena, Deer Park | |
| District 29 | Gene Green | Democrat | 1992 | Aldine, Channelview, East Houston, Fall Creek portion of Humble, Galena Park, Jacinto City, northern Pasadena, North Shore, western Sheldon, South Houston | |
List above took effect January 4, 2007.
| 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 | Joan Huffman | Republican | 2008 | Meyerland, Bellaire, West University Place, much of Katy area, far west Houston, Barker Reservoir | |
| 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 | Democratic | 2004 | Outer portions of Houston’s South Side | |
| 132 | Bill Callegari | Republican | 2000 | West | |
| 133 | Kristi Thibaut | Democratic | 2008 | West Houston, western portion of Memorial/Spring Branch, part of the Energy Corridor | |
| 134 | Ellen Cohen | Democratic | 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 | Democratic | 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 | Democratic | 1988 | 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, Northshore | |
| 143 | Ana Hernandez | Democratic | 2006 | East Houston within Loop 610, Houston Ship Channel, Galena Park, Jacinto City, northern Pasadena | |
| 144 | Ken Legler | Republican | 2008 | Southern Pasadena, far southeast Houston | |
| 145 | Carol Alvarado | Democratic | 1998 | Inner southeastern portions of Houston (mainly east of I-45), South Houston (not part of the city of Houston) | |
| 146 | Al Edwards | Democratic | 2008 (also served 1979-2007) | Inner portions of Houston’s South Side | |
| 147 | Garnet Coleman | Democratic | 1990 | Downtown Houston, inner southeastern portions of Houston (mainly west of I-45) | |
| 148 | Jessica Farrar | Democratic | 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 | |
| Position | Official | Party | Predecessor | Party | Term | Predecessor | Party | Term | Predecessor | Party | Term |
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| County Judge | Ed Emmett | Rep | |||||||||
| County Commissioner Precinct 1 | El Franco Lee | Dem | |||||||||
| County Commissioner Precinct 2 | Sylvia Garcia | Dem | James W. Fonteno | Dem | 1974–2002 | ||||||
| County Commissioner Precinct 3 | Steve Radack | Rep | |||||||||
| County Commissioner Precinct 4 | Jerry Eversole | Rep | |||||||||
| County Attorney | Vince Ryan | Dem | Mike Stafford | Rep | 2001–2008 | Michael P. Fleming | Rep | 1997–2001 | Mike Driscoll | Dem | 1981–1996 |
| County Clerk | Beverly Kaufman | Rep | |||||||||
| District Attorney | Pat Lykos | Rep | |||||||||
| District Clerk | Loren Jackson | Dem | |||||||||
| Sheriff | Adrian Garcia | Dem | |||||||||
| Assessor-Collector | Leo Vasquez | Rep | Paul Bettencourt | Rep | 1998–2009 | Carl Smith | Dem | 1947–1998 | |||
| County Treasurer | Orlando Sanchez | Rep | |||||||||
| Constable Precinct 1 | Jack F. Abercia | Dem | |||||||||
| Constable Precinct 2 | Gary L. Freeman | Dem | |||||||||
| Constable Precinct 3 | Ken Jones | Dem | |||||||||
| Constable Precinct 4 | Ron Hickman | Rep | |||||||||
| Constable Precinct 5 | Phil Camus | Rep | |||||||||
| Constable Precinct 6 | Victor Trevino | Dem | |||||||||
| Constable Precinct 7 | May Walker | Dem | |||||||||
| Constable Precinct 8 | Bill Bailey | Rep |
The Harris County Flood Control District manages the effects of flooding in the county.
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.[26]
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The Harris County Department of Education, a county division overseeing education by local school districts, 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.[17][27][28]
Several school districts serve Harris County communities.
Several colleges and universities exist in Harris County. Community college systems serving portions of the county include Houston Community College, Lone Star College System, San Jacinto College, and Lee College.
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.
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.
Harris County maintains the Harris County Fire Marshall office to assist with fire investigations. The office is headquartered at 2318 Atascocita Road in an unincorporated area.[29] Incorporated cities operate their own fire departments.
Fire departments serving unincorporated areas:[30]
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. Since 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.
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.
Many areas in Harris County are served by Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO), a public transportation agency headquartered in Downtown Houston.
Greyhound Bus Lines operates various stations throughout Harris County.
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:
The Harris County jail facilities are in northern Downtown on the north side of the Buffalo Bayou. The 1200 Jail,[31] the 1307 Jail, (originally a TDCJ facility, leased by the county)[32], and the 701 Jail (formed from existing warehouse storage space) are on the same site.[33]
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates some correctional facilities in Harris County, including:
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.[37]
Harris County Campus
 Harris County Civil Courthouse |
 Harris County Criminal Justice Center |
 Harris County District Attorney's Building |
 Harris County Jury Assembly and Public Parking |
 Harris County Juvenile Justice Center |
 Harris County Annex |
 1910 Harris County Courthouse |
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Waller County | Montgomery County | Liberty County | |
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Chambers County | |||
 Harris County, Texas  |
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| Fort Bend County | Brazoria County | Galveston County |
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Coordinates: 29°52′N 95°23′W / 29.86°N 95.39°W
| Harris County, Texas view Community messages | |
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| Articles, images | Archeology • Farms • Landmarks • Migrations and settlements • Photo gallery • Prehistory • Timeline |
| People | Births • Deaths • Families • Marriages • Residents |
| Daily life | Before 1700 • 1700-1749 • 1750-1799 • 1800-1819 • 1820-1839 • 1840-1859 • 1860-1879 • 1880-1899 • 1900-1919 • 1920-1939 • 1940-1959 • 1960-1979 • 1980-1999 • 2000-present |
| Research, including queries |
Harris County, Texas links • Birth records • Businesses • Cemeteries • Census data • Church records • Court records • Death records • Directories • Landowner records • Marriage records • Maps • Military records • Obituaries • Probate records • Queries |
| Harris County, Texas | |
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| Map | |
| File:Map of Texas highlighting Harris County.png Location in the state of Texas |
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 Texas's location in the USA |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | December 22, 1836 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Houston |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
sq mi ( km²) sq mi ( km²) sq mi ( km²), 2.75% |
| wikipedia:Population - (2006) - Density |
3886207 |
| Website: www.co.harris.tx.us | |
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 3.4 million (though a 2006 estimate placed the population at nearly 3.9 million), making it the most populous county in Texas and the third most populous county in the United States. Its county seat is Houston6.
Harris County is named for John Richardson Harris, an early settler of the area.
Contents |
The county was founded on December 22, 1836 as Harrisburg County and Harrisburgh County. The name was changed to Harris County in December 1839.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 4,604 km² (1,778 sq mi). 4,478 km² (1,729 sq mi) of it is land and 127 km² (49 sq mi) of it (2.75%) is water.
See List of Highways in Harris County for more roadways in Harris County.
As of the census² 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 759/km² (1,967/sq mi). There were 1,298,130 housing units at an average density of 290/km² (751/sq mi). 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.
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. 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.[1].
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.
| 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.
| 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 | |
| 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 | Kevin Bailey | 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 | |
| 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 | Chuck Rosenthal | Republican |
| 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 |
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Several school districts serve Harris County communities.
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.
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.
Harris County maintains the Harris County Fire Marshall office [1] to assist with fire investigations.
Incorporated cities operate their own fire departments; some cities share fire departments.
Fire departments serving unincorporated areas:
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.
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.
Many areas in Harris County are served by Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO), a public transportation agency headquartered in Downtown Houston.
Two commercial airports, George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport, are located in Houston and in Harris County.
Harris County local event listings
| Municipalities and communities of Harris County, Texas  , Texas |
||
|---|---|---|
| County seat: Houston, Texas |
||
| Incorporated places |
Baytown‡ • Bellaire • Bunker Hill Village • Deer Park • El Lago • Friendswood‡ • Galena Park • Hedwig Village • Hilshire Village • Houston‡ • Humble • Hunters Creek Village • Jacinto City • Jersey Village • Katy‡ • La Porte • League City‡ • Missouri City‡ • Morgan's Point • Nassau Bay • Pasadena • Pearland‡ • Piney Point Village • Seabrook • Shoreacres • South Houston • Southside Place • Spring Valley • Stafford‡ • Taylor Lake Village • Tomball • Waller‡ • Webster • West University Place |
 |
| CDPs and other unincorporated areas |
Atascocita • Bammel • Barrett • Bridgeland • Champions • Channelview • Cloverleaf • Crosby • Cypress • Fairbanks • Fairfield • Greater Katy‡ • Greenwood Forest • Highlands • Hockley • Hot Wells • Hufsmith • Klein • Kohrville • New Kentucky • Ponderosa Forest • Rayford • Remington Ranch • Rosehill • Satsuma • Sheldon • Spring • Sydney Harbour • Westador • Westfield • The Woodlands‡ |
|
| Footnotes |
‡This city also has portions in adjacent county or counties |
|
 |
Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown METROPOLITAN AREA |
|---|---|
| Counties | Austin | Brazoria | Chambers | Fort Bend | Galveston | Harris | Liberty | Montgomery | San Jacinto | Waller |
| "Principal" cities |
Houston | Sugar Land | Baytown | Galveston</font> |
| Cities and towns |
Alvin | Angleton | Bellaire | Cleveland | Clute | Conroe | Dayton | Deer Park | Dickinson | Freeport | Friendswood | Galena Park | Hitchcock | Hempstead | Humble | Jacinto City | Jersey Village | Katy | Lake Jackson | La Marque | La Porte | League City | Liberty | Meadows Place | Missouri City | Pasadena | Pearland | Richmond | Rosenberg | Santa Fe | Seabrook | Sealy | South Houston | Stafford | Texas City | Tomball | Webster | West University Place |
| Unincorporated areas | Atascocita | Channelview | Cloverleaf | Cypress | Klein | Spring | The Woodlands |
| |
| State of Texas Austin (capital) |
| Climate |
Culture | Demographics | Economy | Education | Geography | Government | History | Languages | Politics | Texans | Transportation | Symbols |
| This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Harris County, Texas. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License. |
| County names | Harris County, Texas + |
| County of country | United States + |
| County of subdivision1 | Texas + |
| Short name | Harris County + |
   | ''The Handbook of Texas Online:'' Harris County - 404 NOT FOUND -- Texas State Historical Association - - Error - |
| | Indian Wars and Pioneers of Texas - Indian wars and pioneers of Texas / by John Henry Brown. The Portal to Texas History |
| | The Portal to Texas History - The Portal to Texas History |
| | Fairfield - - New Homes in Northwest Houston | Planned Community in Oversized Homesites |
| | Cypress Creek VFD - Cypress Creek Volunteer Fire Department |
| | Cypress-Fairbanks VFD - Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department Saving Lives and Protecting Property |
| | Spring FD - Spring Fire Department - Proudly Serving Our Community Since 1953 |
| | Easttex FD - Home - Eastex Fire Department |
| | EMS - Cypress Creek Emergency Medical Services - CCEMS - Houston, Texas |
| | Community VFD - Community Volunteer Fire Department |
| | Atascocita VFD - Atascocita Volunteer Fire Department |
| | Champions VFD - Welcome to Champions Volunteer Fire Department |
| | West I-10 FD - West I-10 Fire Department |
| | Rosehill FD - ROSEHILL VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT - ROSEHILLFIRE.ORG |
| | Northwest VFD - Northwest Volunteer Fire Department |
| | Tri-County FD - Tri-County Fire Dept. @ Firehouse.com Network |
|
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