# Houston

| Houston, Texas |
| --- |
| Ceety |
| Ceety o Houston |
|  |
| BannerSeal |
| Eik-name(s): Space Ceety (offeecial), mair... |
| Location o Houston ceety leemits in an aroond Harris Coonty |
| Houston, TexasLocation in the Unitit States o Americae |
| Coordinates: ﻿ / ﻿ |
| Kintra |  Unitit States o Americae |
| State |  Texas |
| Coonties | Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery |
| Incorporatit | Juin 5, 1837 |
| Govrenment |
|  • Teep | Mayor–cooncil |
|  • Bodi | Houston Ceety Cooncil |
|  • Mayor | Annise Parker |
| Area |
|  • Ceety | 1625.2 km2 (627.8 sq mi) |
|  • Laund | 1552.9 km2 (599.59 sq mi) |
|  • Water | 72.3 km2 (27.9 sq mi) |
|  • Metro | 26,060 km2 (10062 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 13 m (43 ft) |
| Population (2010 Census) |
|  • Ceety | 2,195,914 (4t U.S.) |
|  • Density | 1,414/km2 (3,662/sq mi) |
|  • Urban | 4,944,332 (7t U.S.) |
|  • Metro | 6,313,158 (5t U.S.) |
|  • Demonym | Houstonian |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
|  • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 281, 346, 713, 832 |
| FIPS code | 48-35000 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1380948 |
| Website | houstontx.gov |

**Houston** (i/ˈhjuːstən/) is the fowert-lairgest ceety in the Unitit States o Americae an the lairgest ceety in the state o Texas. As o the 2009 U.S. Census estimate, the ceety haed a population o 2.3 million athin an aurie o 579 square mile (1,500 km2). Houston is the seat o Harris Coonty an the economic centre o the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan aurie—the saxt-lairgest metropolitan aurie in the U.S. wi a population o 5.9 million.

Houston wis foondit on August 30, 1836, bi brithers Augustus Chapman Allen an John Kirby Allen on land naur the banks o Buffalo Bayou. The ceety wis incorporatit on Juin 5, 1837, an named efter then-Preses o the Republic o Texas—umwhile General Sam Houston—who haed commandit at the Battle o San Jacinto, whilk teuk place 25 mile (40 km) east o whaur the ceety wis established. The burgeonin port an railwey industry, combined wi ile discivery in 1901, haes induced continual surges in the ceety's population. In the mid-twintiet century, Houston became the hame o the Texas Medical Centre—the warld's lairgest concentration o heal care an research institutions—an NASA's Johnson Space Centre, whaur the Mission Control Centre is locatit.

Ratit as a beta warld ceety, Houston's economy haes a braid industrial base in the energy, manufacturin, aeronautics, transportation, an heal care sectors an is a leadin centre for biggin oilfield equipment; anerlie New York Ceety is hame tae mair Fortune 500 heidquarters in the ceety leemits. The Port o Houston ranks first in the Unitit States in internaitional watterborne tonnage handled an seicont in tot fraucht tonnage handled. The ceety haes a population frae various ethnic an releegious backgrunds an a lairge an growin internaitional community. It is hame tae mony cultural institutions an exhibits—attractin mair nor 7 million visitors a year tae the Houston Museum Destrict. Houston haes an active visual an performin airts scene in the Theatre Destrict an is ane o few U.S. ceeties that affer year-roond resident companies in aw major performin airts.

## Twin touns an sister ceeties

|  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
|  Taipei, Taiwan (1963)
 Huelva, Spain (1969)
 Chiba, Japan (1973)
 Nice, Fraunce (1973)
 Baku, Azerbaijan (1976)
 Grampian Region, Scotland (1979)
 Stavanger, Norrowey (1980)
 Perth, Australie (1983)
 Istanbul, Turkey (1986) |   |  Shenzhen, Fowkrepublic o Cheenae (1986)
 Guayaquil, Ecuador (1987)
 Leipzig, Germany (1993)
 Tyumen, Roushie (1995)
 Abu Dhabi, Unitit Arab Emirates (2001)
 Luanda, Angolae (2003)
 Tampico, Mexico (2003)
 Karachi, Pakistan (2009) |