# Harris County, Texas

Harris County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas; as of the 2020 census, the population was 4,731,145, 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. It is named for John Richardson Harris, who founded the town of Harrisburg on Buffalo Bayou in 1826. 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

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.
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.
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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
The area has had a number of severe weather events, such as the following hurricanes and tropical storms:
* Galveston (1900)
* Texas (1941)
* Surprise (1943)
* Carla (1961)
* Alicia (1983)
* Rita (2005)
* Allison (2001)
* Erin (2007)
* Ike (2008)
* Harvey (2017)
* Imelda (2019)
* Beta (2020)
* Nicholas (2021)
* Beryl (2024)

## Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,777 square miles (4,600 km$^2$), of which 1,703 square miles (4,410 km$^2$) is land and 74 square miles (190 km$^2$) (4.2%) is covered by water. Both its total area and land area are larger than the U.S. state of Rhode Island.

### Adjacent counties

* Montgomery (north)
* Liberty (northeast)
* Chambers (east)
* Galveston (southeast)
* Brazoria (south)
* Fort Bend (southwest)
* Waller (northwest)

## Communities
### Cities
#### Multiple counties

* Baytown (partly in Chambers County)
* Friendswood (mostly in Galveston County)
* Houston (county seat and largest municipality) (small parts in Fort Bend and Montgomery counties)
* Katy (partly in Fort Bend, Harris, and Waller counties)
* League City (mostly in Galveston County)
* Missouri City (mostly in Fort Bend County)
* Pearland (mostly in Brazoria County and a small part in Fort Bend County)
* Seabrook (some water surface in Chambers County)
* Stafford (mostly in Fort Bend County)
* Waller (partly in Waller County)

#### Harris County only

* Bellaire
* Bunker Hill Village
* Deer Park
* El Lago
* Galena Park
* Hedwig Village
* Hilshire Village
* Humble
* Hunters Creek Village
* Jacinto City
* Jersey Village
* La Porte
* Morgan's Point
* Nassau Bay
* Pasadena
* Piney Point Village
* Shoreacres
* South Houston
* Southside Place
* Spring Valley Village
* Taylor Lake Village
* Tomball
* Webster
* West University Place

### Unincorporated areas
#### Census-designated places

* Aldine
* Atascocita
* Barrett
* Channelview
* Cinco Ranch (mostly in Fort Bend County)
* Cloverleaf
* Crosby
* Highlands
* Mission Bend (mostly in Fort Bend County)
* Sheldon
* Spring
* The Woodlands (mostly in Montgomery County)

#### Other communities

* Alief (Partially annexed by Houston, partially unincorporated)
* Airline
* Bammel
* Barker
* Beaumont Place
* Bridgeland Community
* Cedar Bayou
* Champion Forest
* Cimarron
* Coady
* Cypress
* Dyersdale
* East Aldine
* Fall Creek
* Hockley
* Houmont Park
* Huffman
* Hufsmith
* Kinwood
* Klein
* Kleinbrook
* Kohrville
* Louetta
* Lynchburg
* McNair
* North Houston
* Northcliffe
* Northcliffe Manor
* Northgate Forest
* Remington Ranch
* Rose Hill
* Satsuma
* Traces
* Westfield

## Demographics

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 | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
| White alone (NH) | 1,528,113 | 1,432,264 | 1,349,646 | 1,309,593 | 54.22% | 42.12% | 32.98% | 27.68% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 527,964 | 619,694 | 754,258 | 885,517 | 18.73% | 18.22% | 18.43% | 18.72% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 6,143 | 7,103 | 8,150 | 8,432 | 0.22% | 0.21% | 0.20% | 0.18% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 106,327 | 173,026 | 249,853 | 344,762 | 3.77% | 5.09% | 6.11% | 7.29% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | N/A | 1,392 | 2,260 | 3,199 | N/A | 0.04% | 0.06% | 0.07% |
| 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 | 121,671 | N/A | 1.26% | 1.19% | 2.57% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 644,935 | 1,119,751 | 1,671,512 | 2,034,709 | 22.88% | 32.93% | 40.84% | 43.01% |
| Total | 2,818,199 | 3,400,578 | 4,092,459 | 4,731,145 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 census, there were 4,731,145 people, 1,692,730 households, and 1,156,059 families in the county. The population density was 2,771.7 inhabitants per square mile (1,070.2/km$^2$). 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. 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.
With a poverty rate of 15.6% as of 2020, 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.
As of 2023, Harris County had the second largest population of Black Americans in the United States, behind only Cook County, Illinois. Harris also has the second largest Hispanic population in the nation, behind only Los Angeles County, California.

### Language

In 2000, 1,961,993 residents of Harris County spoke English only. The five most spoken foreign languages in the county were Spanish or Spanish Creole (1,106,883 speakers), Vietnamese (53,311), Chinese (33,003), French including Louisiana French and Patois (33,003), and Urdu (14,595). Among these groups, 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".
In 2020, 55.6% of the county aged five and older spoke English only, while 44.4% spoke another language at home, alone or together with English; Spanish remained the second most spoken language (35%).

### Religion

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. In 2014, the county had 1,607 religious organizations, the third most out of all U.S. counties.

## Government and politics

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. 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.
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. The Democratic Party performed very strongly in the county during the 2018 elections, as it did nationwide. In 2020, Joe Biden improved Clinton's performance by two points while Donald Trump only increased his vote share by one point. In 2024, Trump increased his vote share by 4 points to earn 46% to Harris 51%, the closest margin since 2012. Though it has shifted towards Democrats in recent years, Harris County has nevertheless voted to the right of Dallas, Travis, Bexar, and El Paso, each of which has a smaller population.
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". 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).
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.
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.
United States presidential election results for Harris County, Texas :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 722,695 | 46.40% | 808,771 | 51.93% | 26,018 | 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

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.
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. Previously they were located on the campus of the South Texas College of Law.
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.
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. In 2014, no more burials were allowed to occur at the Oates Road facility due to overcapacity.
By 2013 the county was building a second potter's field due to overcapacity at the first. Harris County Eastgate Cemetery had started operations in 2014. It is near the Crosby census-designated place and has a Crosby postal address.
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.

### County government
#### Harris County elected officials

| Position | Name | Party |
| County Judge | Lina Hidalgo | Democratic |
| District Attorney | Sean Teare | Democratic |
| County Attorney | Christian D Menefee | Democratic |
| District Clerk | Marilyn Burgess | Democratic |
| County Clerk | Teneshia Hudspeth | Democratic |
| Tax Assessor-Collector | Annette Martinez | 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

There are 67 District Courts — 24 Civil, 29 Criminal, 11 Family, and 3 Juvenile — in Harris County. District court judges are elected official, serving four-year terms. In addition to the 67 presiding judges, there are 20 Associate Judges.

#### Criminal District Courts

| Office | Name | Party |
| 174th District Court | Hazel B. Jones | Democratic |
| 176th District Court | Nikita V. Harmon | Democratic |
| 177th District Court | Emily Detoto | Republican |
| 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 | Lance G. Long | 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 | Caroline Dozier | 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 | Michele Oncken | Republican |
| 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 | Stacey Barrow | Democratic |
| 488th District Court | Matthew Peneguy | Republican |
| 495th District Court | Lori DeAngelo | Republican |
| 496th District Court | Dan Simons | Republican |
| 497th District Court | Peyton Peebles | Republican |

#### Juvenile District Courts

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

### United States Congress

| Representatives | Name | Party | First elected | Area(s) of Harris County represented |
| District 2 | Dan Crenshaw | Republican | 2018 | Atascosita, Huffman, Humble, Kingwood, Spring |
| District 8 | Morgan Luttrell | Republican | 2022 | Parts of Cypress and Katy, Waller |
| 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 | Sylvester Turner | Democratic | 2024 | Downtown Houston, Bush IAH, northwest and northeast Houston, inner portions of Houston's Southside |
| District 22 | Troy Nehls | Republican | 2020 | Ellington Field, Katy |
| 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
#### Texas Senate

| 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

| 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. 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. Crump's ruling was overturned by the Texas Supreme Court.

#### County services

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, the 1307 Jail, (originally a TDCJ facility, leased by the county), and the 701 Jail (formed from existing warehouse storage space) are on the same site.
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.
The Harris County Housing Authority (HCHA) is a governmental nonprofit corporation which addresses the need for quality affordable housing. 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. Guy R. Rankin, IV is chief executive officer of Harris County Housing Authority (HCHA).

### State government

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates some correctional facilities in Harris County, including:
* Kegans Unit, located in Downtown Houston, is a state jail for men. It is in the north of downtown along the north side of the Buffalo Bayou, next to the county facilities.
* Pam Lychner Unit, named after Pam Lychner and located in unincorporated northeast Harris County, east of the city of Humble, is a state jail for men.
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.
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 Daikin Park.

### Law enforcement

As of 2018 there are over 60 law enforcement agencies operating in the county. 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.
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.

## Administration by judiciary

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

In 2000, the largest employers in Harris County were Administaff, Compaq, Continental Airlines, Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, and Southwestern Bell.
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. 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.
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.
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. 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. The HP offices, which are now occupied by Hewlett Packard Enterprise, are now in a limited purpose annexation in Houston. Smith International has its headquarters in the Greenspoint district and in an unincorporated area in Harris County. BJ Services Company has its headquarters in the Spring Branch district and in unincorporated Harris County. Cybersoft Technologies has its headquarters in an unincorporated area. 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. In 2022, ExxonMobil announced it was moving its headquarters to Harris County from Irving, Texas. Goya Foods previously had its Texas offices in an unincorporated area in the county.
General Electric operates an aeroderivative division facility on Jacintoport in unincorporated Harris County. Randall's Food Markets, a subsidiary of Safeway Inc., has its distribution center in unincorporated Harris County.
In 2008, KBR announced that it will open a new office facility in an unincorporated area in western Harris County. In December KBR said that it would not continue with the plans due to a weakened economy. In January 2009 KBR announced that it will not open the new office facility.

## Education
### Primary and secondary schools

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.
Several school districts serve Harris County communities. Among the 26 districts are:
| Aldine ISD Alief ISD Channelview ISD Clear Creek ISD Crosby ISD Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Dayton ISD Deer Park ISD Galena Park ISD Goose Creek CISD | Houston ISD Huffman ISD Humble ISD Katy ISD Klein ISD La Porte ISD New Caney ISD Pasadena ISD Pearland ISD Sheldon ISD | Spring ISD Spring Branch ISD Stafford MSD Tomball ISD Waller ISD |
On July 1, 2013, the North Forest Independent School District closed and its territory became a part of Houston ISD.
In addition, state-operated charter schools are in the county. Charter schools in unincorporated areas include:
* Jamie's House Charter School (6–12)
* Richard Milburn Academy Houston (high school) – Of Milburn Schools
* YES Prep North Central of YES Prep Public Schools
The department of education of the county operates the Highpoint Schools.

### Colleges and universities

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. The third-largest university in Texas, the University of Houston counted 43,774 (fall 2016) 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.
Five community college districts exist with campuses in and around Harris County:
* 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

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
### Police services

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

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. 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

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. ESD's may overlap one another to ensure both fire and EMS services are provided.
| ESD | Type | Provider | Sales Tax Rate (2015) | Property Tax Rate per $100 Valuation (2015) |
| Harris County ESD #1 | EMS | Harris County Emergency Corps | | .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 | | .10 |
| Harris County ESD #9 | Dual | Cy-Fair FD | 1% | .055 |
| Harris County ESD #10 | Fire | Eastex Fire Department | 1% | .10 |
| Harris County ESD #11 | 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 | 1% | .08 |
| Harris County ESD #47 | Dual | Westlake FD | 1% | .095186 |
| Harris County ESD #48 | 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 | Other | Multiple Fire/EMS Agencies | | .0995 |

## Hospital services

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.
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

Harris County is a key hub for both traditional and emerging transportation systems, including public transit, highways, and autonomous vehicle technology. With its proximity to major cities and a rapidly expanding infrastructure, the county plays a significant role in shaping the future of transportation in Texas.

### Public Transportation and Transit Services

Harris County is served by multiple transit agencies that aim to make commuting more accessible and sustainable for residents.
* Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO) provides bus and rail services across the county.
* Harris County Transit offers services to communities outside of METRO’s coverage area, such as Baytown and Channelview, ensuring that more rural parts of the county have access to reliable transportation.

### Transportation Trends

As of recent reports, the average one-way commute for a Harris County resident using an automobile is approximately 25 minutes, while those relying on public transportation face a commute of 44 minutes—a significant disparity that emphasizes the importance of continued investment in mass transit infrastructure. In fact, the county has seen a steady increase in the adoption of autonomous vehicles (AVs), which are expected to play a key role in future transportation patterns, offering safer and more efficient alternatives to traditional methods. As autonomous vehicles become more integrated into the county's transportation network, it will be essential to track safety, traffic, and incident data. A recent study on Texas autonomous vehicle crash analysis (2023-2024) found that Harris County accounts for 28% of all reported AV crashes in Texas, indicating the county’s prominence in AV testing and integration.

### Major highways

| Interstate 10 a.k.a. - Katy Freeway going West or Baytown East Freeway going East Interstate 45 a.k.a. - North Freeway going North or Gulf Freeway going South Hardy Toll Road Fort Bend Toll Road Westpark Tollway Interstate 69/U.S. Highway 59 a.k.a. - Eastex Freeway going NE or Southwest Freeway going SW Interstate 610 a.k.a. - North Loop Freeway north of downtown Houston or West Loop Freeway west of downtown Houston or South Loop Freeway south of downtown Houston or East Loop Freeway east of downtown Houston U.S. Highway 90 a.k.a. - Crosby Freeway U.S. Highway 90 Alternate U.S. Highway 290 a.k.a. - Northwest Freeway | State Highway 3 State Highway 6 State Highway 99 a.k.a. - Grand Parkway State Highway 146 State Highway 225 a.k.a. - La Porte Freeway State Highway 249 a.k.a. - Tomball Parkway going from Tomball and SE or Tomball Tollway going from Tomball and NW State Highway 288 a.k.a. - South Freeway Beltway 8 a.k.a. - Sam Houston Parkway east of I-45 in north Houston and north of I-10 east of Houston or Sam Houston Tollway west of I-45 in north Houston and south of I-10 east of Houston |

### Mass transit

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

Greyhound Bus Lines operates various stations throughout Harris County.

### Airports

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. 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:
* Publicly owned
** La Porte Municipal Airport in La Porte
** Baytown Airport in unincorporated east Harris County, north of Baytown
* Privately owned, public use
** West Houston Airport is a general aviation airport located in unincorporated western Harris County, west of the Houston city limits.
** Dan Jones International Airport in unincorporated northwestern Harris County
** Weiser Air Park in unincorporated northern Harris County
** David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport, a general aviation airport, is located outside of the Tomball city limits in unincorporated northwest Harris County.
** Sack-O-Grande Acroport (also known as Harbican Airport) is located in western unincorporated Harris County.
* Privately owned, private use
** Hoffpauir Airport is located in western unincorporated Harris County.