Conroe, Texas
Encyclopedia
Conroe is a suburban city 40 miles north of Houston in the gulf coastal plain
s/piney woods
region of southeast Texas
.
It is the seat
of Montgomery County
and falls within the metropolitan area.
As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 36,811 (though a 2009 estimate placed the population at 53,000.)
During the 1930s, due to oil profits, the city boasted more millionaires per capita than any other US city, though only for a brief period of time. Elvis Presley performed at the High School football field on August 24, 1955. Also Los Tigres del Norte performed at the Crighton Theatre in 2009.
After the construction of Interstate 45
, many Houstonians began to settle communities around Conroe.
Within the first decade of the 21st century the city attracted a great deal of new residents from the Houston area. Renée C. Lee said that Conroe around 2002 was a "a sleepy, semi-rural town 40 miles north of Houston" and that at the time, Conroe city officials needed to use financial incentives to attract home developers to Conroe. Lee said that for a three year period ending in 2007 Conroe become "a hotbed" for construction of new houses.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 37.9 square miles (98.2 km²), of which, 37.8 square miles (97.9 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.21%) is water.
which is at the center of multiple, year round water and culture events.
The city is served by a number of parks, most notably, Candy Cane Park
of 2000, there were 36,811 people, 13,145 households, and 8,728 families residing in the city. The population density
was 974.1 people per square mile (376.1/km²). There were 14,378 housing units at an average density of 380.5 per square mile (146.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 71.16% White, 11.13% African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 13.38% from other races
, and 2.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 32.62% of the population.
There were 13,145 households out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.5% were married couples
living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% are classified as non-families by the United States Census Bureau
. Of 13,145 households, 643 are unmarried partner households: 582 heterosexual, 32 same-sex male, and 29 same-sex female households. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.33.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.1% under the age of 18, 13.4% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 17.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 101.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,123, and the median income for a family was $37,201. Males had a median income of $29,468 versus $23,025 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $16,841. About 15.0% of families and 19.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.3% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.
considered consolidating its employees to a site in Conroe. The company ended the plans after the local oil-based economy collapsed
.
According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
The structure of the management and coordination of city services is:
The city employs 108 police officers, as of October 2009.
.
by Republican Robert Nichols
, District 3, and in the Texas House of Representatives
by Republican Brandon Creighton, District 9.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice
(TDCJ) operates the Conroe District Parole Office in Conroe.
and Kay Bailey Hutchison
; Conroe is part of Texas' US Congressional 8th District, which is currently represented by Republican Kevin Brady
.
The United States Postal Service
Conroe Post Office is located at 809 West Dallas Street.
Campus and LSC University Center. Other campuses in the county include the EMCID Center in New Caney, and the Conroe Center.http://www.lonestar.edu/locations.htm The territory in Conroe ISD joined the community college district in 1991, and the territory in Willis ISD joined the district in 1996.
though a small northern section of Conroe is within the Willis Independent School District
.
http://info.conroeisd.net/senior/conroe.
The two junior high schools that serve the CISD portion are:
The three intermediate schools that serve the CISD portion are:
The elementary schools that serve the CISD portion are:
directly connects the city with Houston to its South and with Dallas to its North.
Lone Star Executive Airport
provides general aviation
services to Conroe.
Greyhound Bus Lines operate a small station http://www.greyhound.com/scripts/en/TicketCenter/terminal.asp?city=680669.
.
Gulf Coastal Plain
The Gulf Coastal Plain extends around the Gulf of Mexico in the Southern United States and eastern Mexico.The plain reaches from the western Florida Panhandle, the southwestern two thirds of Alabama, over most of Mississippi, some of western Tennessee and Kentucky, southwest Arkansas, the Florida...
s/piney woods
Piney Woods
The Piney Woods is a temperate coniferous forest terrestrial ecoregion in the Southern United States covering of East Texas, southern Arkansas, western Louisiana, and southeastern Oklahoma. These coniferous forests are dominated by several species of pine as well as hardwoods including hickory and...
region of southeast Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
It is the seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Texas
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The county was created by an act of the Congress of the Republic of Texas on December 14, 1837. The county was named for the town of Montgomery, Texas. In 2000, its...
and falls within the metropolitan area.
As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 36,811 (though a 2009 estimate placed the population at 53,000.)
History
The city is named after northern born, Southern Cavalry officer, and Houston lumberman Isaac Conroe. Conroe founded a sawmill there in 1881. The city originally gained in wealth due to the lumber and oil industries. Originally named "Conroe's Switch", the area saw an influx of residents in the late 19th century due to the lumber demands on the piney wood forest of the area.During the 1930s, due to oil profits, the city boasted more millionaires per capita than any other US city, though only for a brief period of time. Elvis Presley performed at the High School football field on August 24, 1955. Also Los Tigres del Norte performed at the Crighton Theatre in 2009.
After the construction of Interstate 45
Interstate 45
Interstate 45 is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. It connects the cities of Dallas and Houston, continuing southeast from Houston to Galveston over the Galveston Causeway to the Gulf of Mexico...
, many Houstonians began to settle communities around Conroe.
Within the first decade of the 21st century the city attracted a great deal of new residents from the Houston area. Renée C. Lee said that Conroe around 2002 was a "a sleepy, semi-rural town 40 miles north of Houston" and that at the time, Conroe city officials needed to use financial incentives to attract home developers to Conroe. Lee said that for a three year period ending in 2007 Conroe become "a hotbed" for construction of new houses.
Geography
Conroe is located at 30°18′58"N 95°27′32"W (30.316124, -95.458801).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 37.9 square miles (98.2 km²), of which, 37.8 square miles (97.9 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.21%) is water.
Recreation
The city is about 7 miles southeast of popular Lake ConroeLake Conroe
Lake Conroe is a 21,000 acre lake in Montgomery County, Texas, United States. Even though it is named Lake Conroe, only a small portion of the lake is in Conroe, Texas. Most of the lake is in Montgomery, Texas and Willis, Texas. The lake lies on the West Fork of the San Jacinto River just west of...
which is at the center of multiple, year round water and culture events.
The city is served by a number of parks, most notably, Candy Cane Park
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 36,811 people, 13,145 households, and 8,728 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 974.1 people per square mile (376.1/km²). There were 14,378 housing units at an average density of 380.5 per square mile (146.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 71.16% White, 11.13% African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 13.38% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 32.62% of the population.
There were 13,145 households out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% are classified as non-families by the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
. Of 13,145 households, 643 are unmarried partner households: 582 heterosexual, 32 same-sex male, and 29 same-sex female households. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.33.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.1% under the age of 18, 13.4% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 17.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 101.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,123, and the median income for a family was $37,201. Males had a median income of $29,468 versus $23,025 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $16,841. About 15.0% of families and 19.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.3% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
In the early 1980s ExxonExxon
Exxon is a chain of gas stations as well as a brand of motor fuel and related products by ExxonMobil. From 1972 to 1999, Exxon was the corporate name of the company previously known as Standard Oil Company of New Jersey or Jersey Standard....
considered consolidating its employees to a site in Conroe. The company ended the plans after the local oil-based economy collapsed
1980s oil glut
The 1980s oil glut was a serious surplus of crude oil caused by falling demand following the 1970s Energy Crisis. The world price of oil, which had peaked in 1980 at over US$35 per barrel , fell in 1986 from $27 to below $10...
.
According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conroe Independent School District Conroe Independent School District Conroe Independent School District is a school district based in the Deane L. Sadler Administration/Technology Center in Conroe, Texas.CISD serves the cities of Conroe, Oak Ridge North, and Shenandoah, and the towns of Cut and Shoot and Woodloch... |
5,700 |
| 2 | Montgomery County | 1,946 |
| 3 | National Oilwell Varco / Texas Oil Tools / Reed Hycalog | 1,145 |
| 4 | Conroe Regional Medical Center | 1,200 |
| 5 | Sadler Clinic | 600 |
| 6 | City of Conroe | 470 |
| 7 | Borden Milk Products | 248 |
| 8 | Capro, Inc. | 225 |
| 9 | Consolidated Communications of Texas | 220 |
| 10 | McKesson Corporation | 163 |
Local government
According to the city’s most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report Fund Financial Statements, the city’s various funds had $58.3 million in Revenues, $71.6 million in expenditures, $69.6 million in total assets, $7.6 million in total liabilities, and $57.5 million in investments. :The structure of the management and coordination of city services is:
| Department | Director |
|---|---|
| City Manager | Paul Virgadamo, Jr. |
| City Secretary | Marla Porter |
| City Attorney | Marcus Winberry |
| Assistant City Manager | |
| Finance Director | Steve Williams |
| Police Chief | Philip Dupuis |
| Fire chief | Ken Kreger |
| Parks Director | Mike Riggens |
| Public Works Director | Dean Towery |
| Community Development Director | Guy Andrews |
| Human Resources Director | Lee Ann Espinola |
The city employs 108 police officers, as of October 2009.
Public libraries
The county operates the main branch of the Montgomery County Memorial Library SystemMontgomery County Memorial Library System
Montgomery County Memorial Library System is a public library system in Montgomery County, Texas, United States.The system operates libraries in several Montgomery County cities and areas.-History:...
.
State government
Conroe is represented in the Texas SenateTexas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
by Republican Robert Nichols
Robert Nichols
Robert Malise Bowyer Nichols was an English writer, known as a war poet of World War I, and a playwright....
, District 3, and in the Texas House of Representatives
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
by Republican Brandon Creighton, District 9.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is a department of the government of the state of Texas. The TDCJ is responsible for statewide criminal justice for adult offenders, including managing offenders in state prisons, state jails and private correctional facilities, funding and certain...
(TDCJ) operates the Conroe District Parole Office in Conroe.
Federal government
At the Federal level, the two U.S. Senators from Texas are Republicans John CornynJohn Cornyn
John Cornyn, III is the junior United States Senator for Texas, serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. He was elected Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee for the 111th U.S. Congress....
and Kay Bailey Hutchison
Kay Bailey Hutchison
Kathryn Ann Bailey Hutchison, known as Kay Bailey Hutchison , is the senior United States Senator from Texas.She is a member of the Republican Party. In 2001, she was named one of the thirty most powerful women in America by Ladies Home Journal. The first woman to represent Texas in the U.S....
; Conroe is part of Texas' US Congressional 8th District, which is currently represented by Republican Kevin Brady
Kevin Brady
Kevin Patrick Brady is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district includes a large swath of suburban and rural territory around Houston and Beaumont....
.
The United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
Conroe Post Office is located at 809 West Dallas Street.
Colleges and universities
The city is served by the Lone Star College System primarily by the Lone Star College-MontgomeryLone Star College-Montgomery
Lone Star College–Montgomery is a Texas community college located in unincorporated Montgomery County, Texas, United States, between the City of Conroe and the community of The Woodlands....
Campus and LSC University Center. Other campuses in the county include the EMCID Center in New Caney, and the Conroe Center.http://www.lonestar.edu/locations.htm The territory in Conroe ISD joined the community college district in 1991, and the territory in Willis ISD joined the district in 1996.
Public school districts
Almost all areas of Conroe are within the Conroe Independent School DistrictConroe Independent School District
Conroe Independent School District is a school district based in the Deane L. Sadler Administration/Technology Center in Conroe, Texas.CISD serves the cities of Conroe, Oak Ridge North, and Shenandoah, and the towns of Cut and Shoot and Woodloch...
though a small northern section of Conroe is within the Willis Independent School District
Willis Independent School District
Willis Independent School District is a public school district based in Willis, Texas .Located in Montgomery County, the district extends into a portion of San Jacinto County...
.
Conroe Independent School District
All of the schools listed here are in the city of Conroe. All of the Conroe ISD section of Conroe is zoned to Conroe High SchoolConroe High School
Conroe High School is a secondary school in Conroe, Texas and is the flagship campus of Conroe ISD. The school is a part of the Conroe Independent School District and serves the CISD portion of the city of Conroe, Cut and Shoot, and River Plantation....
http://info.conroeisd.net/senior/conroe.
Public elementary and middle schools
The two junior high schools that serve the CISD portion are:
The three intermediate schools that serve the CISD portion are:
The elementary schools that serve the CISD portion are:
- Anderson Elementary School
- Neil Armstrong Elementary School
- Giesinger Elementary School
- Sam Houston Elementary School
- O. A. Reaves Elementary School
- B. B. Rice Elementary School
- J. W. Runyan Elementary School
Willis Independent School District
The Willis ISD section is zoned to Turner Elementary School http://www.willisisd.org/Default.aspx?tabid=568, Brabham Middle School http://www.willisisd.org/Default.aspx?tabid=567, and Willis High School http://www.willisisd.org/Default.aspx?tabid=141, all of which are in unincorporated Montgomery County.Private schools
Transportation
Interstate 45Interstate 45
Interstate 45 is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. It connects the cities of Dallas and Houston, continuing southeast from Houston to Galveston over the Galveston Causeway to the Gulf of Mexico...
directly connects the city with Houston to its South and with Dallas to its North.
Lone Star Executive Airport
Lone Star Executive Airport
Lone Star Executive Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located in Conroe, Montgomery County, Texas, United States, 37 miles north of the central business district of Houston...
provides general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
services to Conroe.
Greyhound Bus Lines operate a small station http://www.greyhound.com/scripts/en/TicketCenter/terminal.asp?city=680669.
Notable natives
- Colin EdwardsColin EdwardsColin Edwards II nicknamed the Texas Tornado is an American professional motorcycle racer. He is a two time World Superbike champion and has competed in MotoGP since 2003, now riding for the Yamaha Tech 3 team in the 2011 season.-Early years:At the age of three, his Australian father, Colin...
, Two-time World Superbike champion and current MotoGP rider. - Rock CartwrightRock CartwrightRoderick Rashaun Cartwright is an American football running back for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
, NFL Runningback, Washington RedskinsWashington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... - Kevin SloweyKevin SloweyKevin Michael Slowey is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Minnesota Twins. Slowey was selected by the Twins with the 73rd pick in the 2nd round of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft.-College:...
, starting pitcher for the MLB's Minnesota TwinsMinnesota TwinsThe Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. - Brandon AllenBrandon AllenBrandon Durell Allen is a Major League Baseball first baseman and left fielder for the Oakland Athletics.-Arizona Diamondbacks:...
, Major League Baseball player. - Brian BarkleyBrian BarkleyBrian Barkley is a former relief pitcher who played for the Boston Red Sox in the 1998 season. Barkley batted and threw left-handed. He is the grandson of Red Barkley, who played for the St...
, former pitcher for the Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
. - Michael de la Force, International Publisher and a member of Fourth EstateFourth EstateThe concept of the Fourth Estate is a societal or political force or institution whose influence is not consistently or officially recognized. The Fourth Estate now most commonly refers to the news media; especially print journalism, referred to hereon as "The Press"...
based in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. - Andrew Cashner, Conroe High School 2005, drafted to the Chicago CubsChicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. - Jeromy Burnitz, Conroe High School 1987 Drafted by the New York MetsNew York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
in 1990, played for Milwaukee BrewersMilwaukee BrewersThe Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. - Kyle BennettKyle BennettKyle Bennett is an American professional "New/Current School" Bicycle Motocross racer and Dirt Jumper whose prime competitive years are from 1999 to the present. He has the moniker "Butter" for his smooth riding style...
, American professional BMX Racer. - Corinna Kirsch, art critic and curator. Awards and honors include: 2009 - 2010 O'Brien Curatorial Fellow at the Weisman Art Museum and Winner of the 2010 C Magazine New Critics Competition for Art Criticism.
.