# Friendswood, Texas

Friendswood is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the Greater Houston metropolitan area. The city lies in Galveston and Harris counties. As of the 2020 census, the population of Friendswood was 41,213.

## History

Friendswood, situated in the northwestern corner of Galveston County, has the distinction of being the only permanent town in Texas that started as a Quaker colony. It was established in 1895 by a group of Quakers led by T. Hadley Lewis and Frank J. Brown. They were looking for a "promised land" to start a colony of the people who belonged to the religious denomination called Friends or Quakers.
From its founding, life in Friendswood revolved around church and school. After the small church and school building was demolished in the 1900 Storm, the two-dozen families living in Friendswood erected a large two-story frame structure for their church and school. The building, called The Academy, housed the school and sanctuary until a larger, stone building replaced it.
Through the 1940s, Friendswood was predominately a small, remote, farming Quaker community with less than 500 citizens. The economy depended largely on growing and preserving Magnolia figs. After 1950, it became increasingly a suburban bedroom community, as Houstonians discovered the idyllic country setting the farmlands were converted to subdivision home-sites. The community became a city when it incorporated in 1960.

## Geography

Friendswood is located at 29°30′45″N 95°11′53″W﻿ / ﻿29.51250°N 95.19806°W﻿ / 29.51250; -95.19806 (29.512532, –95.197933).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city covers a total area of 54.1 square kilometres (20.9 sq mi), of which 53.7 square kilometres (20.7 sq mi) are land area and 0.15 square miles (0.4 km$^2$), or 0.69%, is covered by water.

## Demographics

Friendswood racial composition (NH = Non-Hispanic) :
| Race | Number | Percentage |
| White (NH) | 28,587 | 69.36% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 1,441 | 3.5% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 93 | 0.23% |
| Asian (NH) | 2,574 | 6.25% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 31 | 0.08% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 136 | 0.33% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 1,595 | 3.87% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 6,756 | 16.39% |
| Total | 41,213 | ↑ 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 can be of any race. |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 41,213 people, 13,540 households, and 10,427 families residing in the city.
As of the census of 2000, 29,037 people, 10,107 households, and 8,085 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,381.2 inhabitants per square mile (533.3/km$^2$). The 10,405 housing units averagedensity of 495.0 per square mile (191.1/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the city was 90.09% White, 2.70% African American, 0.40% Native American, 2.39% Asian, 2.80% from other races, and 1.63% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 8.79% of the population.
Of the 10,107 households, 43.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.5% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.0% were not families. About 17.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the city, the population was distributed as 30.0% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.
In 2010, the median income for a household was $115,439 and for a family was $128,898. Males had a median income of $67,084 versus $35,447 for females. The per capita income for the city was $39,515. About 2.3% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

## Government and infrastructure

Friendswood City Hall is located at 910 South Friendswood Drive. The Friendswood Post Office is located at 310 Morningside Drive. Some locations in the City of Houston have Friendswood mailing addresses. NASA astronaut Michael Foreman was elected mayor in 2018.

## Economy

The Baybrook Mall is physically located in the City of Houston, but has a Friendswood mailing address.

## Education
### Primary and secondary schools
#### Public schools

Students in Friendswood attend schools in either Friendswood Independent School District (FISD) if they live south of Clear Creek (Galveston County), or Clear Creek Independent School District (CCISD) if they live north of Clear Creek (Harris County). The CCISD portion is within the Board of Trustees District 4, represented by Stuart J. Stromeyer as of 2008.
Cline Elementary School, Westwood Elementary School, Bales Intermediate School, and Windsong Intermediate School serve the FISD portion of Friendswood. All FISD residents are zoned to Friendswood Junior High School and Friendswood High School.
CCISD students from Friendswood attend Wedgewood Elementary School in Friendswood, and Brookside Intermediate School in Friendswood. Most residents of CCISD Friendswood are zoned to Clear Brook High School in unincorporated Harris County, while some residents of CCISD Friendswood are zoned to Clear Springs High School in League City.
Students who live in the area around Friendswood, but are in unincorporated Harris County with address listed as Friendswood or Webster attend Greene Elementary School or Landolt Elementary School in unincorporated Harris County for elementary schools. For middle school they are zoned to Westbrook Intermediate School in Houston.

### Public libraries

The Friendswood Public Library at 416 South Friendswood Drive serves Friendswood.

### Colleges and universities

The Friendswood ISD area is assigned to College of the Mainland, while the portion of Clear Creek ISD in Harris County (and therefore the Harris County part of Friendswood) is assigned to San Jacinto College.

## Controversy

In 2011, the City of Friendswood locked access to its computer system, e-mail and online services after hackers extracted hundreds of emails from then Police Chief Robert Wieners and posted them online. Wieners allegedly wrote an e-mail in which he described a suspect as a “stupid bitch” who “got what she deserved.” Wieners then goes on to state “I’ll bet she was fat and black too.” Wieners denied he was the creator of the e-mail. The hackers also claimed Wieners' e-mail account contained an anti-Muslim chain e-mail entitled “1,400 years of inbreeding amongst Muslims.”

## Notable people

* Greg Bonnen, neurosurgeon and Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from Friendswood
* Stephen Bowen, NASA astronaut and a United States Navy submariner.
* Katie Rose Clarke, Broadway actor, famous for the roles of Clara in Light in the Piazza, Glinda in Wicked, and Hannah in Allegiance
* Haley Carter, former Houston Dash soccer player
* Robin Coleman, American Gladiator Hellga, 2001 World's Strongest Woman (bronze)
* Charles L. Cotton, president of the National Rifle Association of America (NRA)
* Penny Edwards, actress known for many western films; died in Friendswood
* R'Bonney Gabriel, beauty queen, model, fashion designer, Miss Universe 2022
* Joseph Gutheinz, attorney and investigator of stolen and missing Moon rocks
* Suzanna Hupp, former member of the Texas House of Representatives
* Corey Julks, MLB player
* Christopher C. Kraft Jr., aerospace engineer and NASA administrator
* Glynn Lunney, NASA flight director
* Bill McArthur, retired United States Army colonel and NASA astronaut
* Balor Moore, former MLB pitcher resides in Friendswood
* Ronnie Price, NBA basketball player
* Bruce Prichard, executive director for WWE and co-host of Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard
* Ryan Sitton, Republican nominee for the Texas Railroad Commission in the November 4, 2014, general election
* Deke Slayton, Mercury Seven astronaut and NASA administrator
* Rene Steinke, novelist and author of Friendswood (novel)
* Steve Stockman, politician
* Booker T, and spouse Sharmell Sullivan-Huffman – professional wrestling personalities
* Larry Taylor, Republican member of the Texas Senate from District 11 (2013–Present) and Texas House of Representatives from District 24 (2003–2013)

## Climate and weather

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, Friendswood has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.
Friendswood has a historical reputation among Friends, Friendswood inhabitants, for extreme weather due to the close proximity to Galveston Island and therefore the Gulf of Mexico. In recent history Friendswood was devastated by Hurricane Harvey in 2017, a category 4 hurricane, along with Hurricane Beryl of 2024. After numerous major storms swept through southeastern Texas, where Friendswood is located, residents began building houses above ground to avoid flooding. Major flooding is caused by the rise of Clear Creek, a body of water near the suburbs of Polly Ranch.

## Legacy

The 2014 novel Friendswood, set in the area, was written by René Steinke.