Facts for Kids

energy industry is one of Houston’s biggest economic engines. Oil and natural gas helped the city grow, and now wind and solar energy are growing too—Houston even buys most of its city power from wind and some from solar. The Houston Ship Channel is a busy waterway that helps the city send goods to other countries, and many factories and companies make and ship petroleum products and chemicals.

Beyond energy, Houston has hospitals, space and airplane work, and universities that train people for local jobs. A lot of new tech companies and foreign businesses also set up offices here, so there are many kinds of jobs. The parks and green spaces give families places to play and help visitors enjoy the city.

Houston began as a small town on August 30, 1836, where two streams meet at a place now known as Allen's Landing. The town took its name from Sam Houston, a leader who helped shape Texas long ago. Two brothers named Allen bought the land and sold lots so people could build homes and businesses. Over the years Houston grew because of its port and rails that moved cotton and goods. After an important oil discovery in 1901 and the building of a deep-water ship channel, the city grew even faster and became a center for ships, oil, and later space work.

Houston is a very big city in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. It is the largest city in Texas and one of the biggest in the United States, with about 2.3 million people living inside the city and many more in the larger area around it. Houston sits in Harris County and spreads across a wide space—so places in the city can look very different from each other. Because it connects to other big Texas cities, people sometimes call Houston a key part of the Texas Triangle. What would you like to explore there first?

The land around Houston is low and wet, with slow rivers and tree-lined streams called bayous that act like long neighborhood waterways. The ground is mostly soft clay and sand left by rivers long ago, so water can spread across the land and cause flooding after big storms. Deep under the city, layers of old sand, clay, and even salt formed over millions of years. Salt can push up into dome shapes and trap oil and gas nearby. In some places the ground moves a little because people pump water from under the soil; this is slow and different from sudden earthquakes.

majority-minority means that most people in the city come from groups other than non-Hispanic white, and Houston is a clear example of that. About half of the people are Hispanic or Latino, roughly one quarter are Black or African American, and many others are Asian, including Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian, and Filipino families. People come to Houston for jobs, schools, and new starts, and that helps the city have many languages and foods you can try.

Religion is part of life for many people here. About three in four Houstonians say they are Christian, and the city has many churches because it sits in the older “Bible Belt” area. Still, many people follow other religions like Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism, and about one in five say they have no religion. That mix means you can find many kinds of holidays, buildings, and community events.

A big road called the Interstate 610 loop makes a clear circle around the heart of Houston and helps people say whether a place is inside or outside the loop. Inside the loop you find Downtown and older neighborhoods; about 470,000 people live there. Outside the loop are suburbs and other business areas like Uptown and the Energy Corridor, so Houston has many mini-skylines instead of just one. The city does not use strict zoning rules to separate homes and shops, but it still has rules about lot sizes and parking. This mix of rules and freedom helps neighborhoods change in lots of different ways.

Theater District downtown is full of stages where you can see opera, ballet, orchestra, and plays—Houston has one of the largest downtown collections of theater seats in the country. Nearby the Museum District brings millions of visitors each year to places like the Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Natural Science, and smaller spots like The Menil Collection and the Rothko Chapel feel like secret treasures.

Houston is also famous for music made by local DJs and artists: the city started the "chopped and screwed" sound and has pop and hip-hop stars who grew up here. With museums, big shows, festivals, and tasty restaurants, Houston offers lots to see and hear—what would you choose to visit first?