Kingwood, Houston, Texas
Encyclopedia
Kingwood is a 14,000 acre (57 km²) master-planned community located in northeast Houston
, Texas
, United States
. The majority of the community is located in Harris County
with a small portion in Montgomery County
. Known as the "Livable Forest," it is the largest master-planned community in Harris County and second-largest within the 10-county metropolitan area.
Kingwood was created in 1971 as a joint venture between the Friendswood Development Company
and King Ranch
. Its name was derived as part of of that partnership.
On December 28, 1967, the land was sold to the joint venture between King Ranch and the Friendswood Development Company, an Exxon
subsidiary. Exxon's Friendswood Development Company hired John Bruton Jr. to serve as the Operations Manager in which he was responsible for the planning, development, engineering, and construction of Kingwood Plans for the community included greenbelts
, shopping centers, schools, churches, recreational facilities, riding and hiking trails, and a boat ramp with access to Lake Houston
.
Kingwood was founded in 1970, and the first village opened in 1971. Since the opening, the community had the slogan "The Livable Forest." In 1976 Kingwood had a few thousand residents. Between 1980 and 1990 the community's population increased by an amount between 40 percent and 70 percent. In 1990 the community had 19,443 residents and 204 businesses. The population increased to 37,397 in 1992. In 2005 the population was roughly 65,000, and had almost 200,000 people living within a ten mile (16 km) radius.
Around 1994, the City of Houston began to annex Kingwood. According to Texas state law, a city may annex an unincorporated area
if the area is within the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction
without the consent of the residents of the area. Bob Lanier
, then the Mayor of Houston, believed that the annexation of Kingwood would result in a $4 million annual gain for the City of Houston. Renée C. Lee of the Houston Chronicle
said that Kingwood residents "fought an uphill battle for two years." Kingwood residents offered to pay $4 million to the city in exchange for not being annexed. The residents also filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Houston, claiming that the city was taxing residents without representation. At the time, many residents believed that the City of Houston would not follow through on the state law requirement asking annexing cities to provide equal services to the annexed areas as they do to their original territory. Some residents did not like the idea of the city annexing their community without the community's consent.
Houston annexed Kingwood in 1996, adding about 15000 acres (6,070.3 ha) to the city limits. During that year, Thomas Phillips, a retired longshoreman and Bordersville
resident, joined with representatives of Kingwood and sued the City of Houston in a federal court, arguing that the city could not legally annex areas if it did not provide certain services to some of its existing areas, including Bordersville. Imad F. Abdullah, the President of Landmark Architects Inc., criticized the residents who fought annexation in his 1996 editorial in the Houston Business Journal, arguing that a "not in my backyard" mentality in particular communities overall negatively affects the entire metropolitan area.
Kingwood lobbied the Texas Legislature
, asking for modifications to the state's annexation laws. In 1999 the legislature successfully passed amendments requiring annexing municipalities to develop plans for services provided to communities being annexed, and municipalities are required to provide a three year planning period prior to official annexation to allow for public comment. The modified law allows for communities to use arbitration if the annexing cities fail to follow through with their service plans. The amendments do not affect prior annexations, including Kingwood's annexation. Some Kingwood residents expressed satisfaction that other suburban unincorporated areas including The Woodlands
would not undergo the annexation that occurred in Kingwood.
In 2006, Kingwood has over 65,000 residents. During that year, ten years after the annexation, Lee said that "[a]nger and resentment that colored the early days of annexation" and that most Kingwood residents "have settled in as Houstonians, say those who once opposed annexation." Lee said that while residents sometimes complain about high rates for sewer and water services and perceived inadequacies in the fire and EMS services, thos residents believe that Kingwood "hasn't greatly suffered from being a part of the city." Lee says that some residents "will never come to terms with Houston's hostile takeover." Lee said that "Services have not deteriorated, and the community has not lost its identity as a suburban haven as most people had feared" and "Many residents believe the community has maintained its identity as the Livable Forest[.]"
The median age is 37.2. The US median is 37.6. 68.27% of people in Kingwood (zip 77345), TX, are married. 8.42% are divorced.
The average household size is 2.71 people. 32.49% of people are married, with children. 6.28% have children, but are single.
Race in Kingwood (zip 77345), TX
91.36% of people are white, 2.35% are black, 2.36% are Asian, 0.34% are native American, and 3.65% claim 'Other'.
9.56% of the people in Kingwood (zip 77345), TX, claim Hispanic ethnicity (meaning 90.44% are non-Hispanic).
The Census Median Household Income for this geographic area is $77,527. The Median Family Income is $84,387, and the Average Non-family Income is $51,735. The Per Capita Income revealed in the Census for this area was $32,491.
compared the presence of forests, parks, and trails in Kingwood to the presence of those features in The Woodlands
.
Kingwood is divided into 25 neighborhoods, called "villages." Most villages have a neighborhood pool providing free access for village residents, and most provide their own set of village-specific services.
Trailwood is Kingwood's oldest subdivision, with its first homes being completed in 1971; while new homes are still being built in Barrington, Kingwood Greens, Kings River, Kings Point, and Royal Shores.
Several other subdivisions and developments have developed around the Kingwood area. Some of these subdivisions are Forest Cove, which was first built in 1963, Bear Branch, Deer Ridge Estates, Sand Creek
, Barrington, Kings Point, Riverchase, Foster's Mill, Riverbend
, Hunters Ridge Estates, Greentree, Trailwood, Kingwood Lakes, Woodland Hills, Elm Grove, Mills Branch, King's Forest, Woodstream, Sherwood Trails, North Kingwood Forest, Kings Lake Estates, Lakewood Cove and Woodspring Forest. Nearby developments include Oakhurst at Kingwood and King's Manor. Oakhurst does not pay Kingwood Service Association fees, though it is considered part of Kingwood and is also developed by Friendswood Development.
. Kingwood High School
and Kingwood Park High School
serve the area. All students enrolled in Humble Independent School District also have the option to attend Quest High School
, a magnet high school in Atascocita.
Students residing in Montgomery County
attend the New Caney Independent School District
. Residents of that portion attend Porter High School. Before the opening of Porter High School in 2010, students attended New Caney High School
. A small portion of North Woodland Hills, as well as the Kings Manor and Oakhurst developments, are located in Montgomery County.
Kingwood is served by three Humble ISD middle schools: Kingwood Middle School, Creekwood Middle School and Riverwood Middle School. Kingwood Middle School students are zoned to Kingwood Park High School, while students attending Creekwood and Riverwood are zoned to Kingwood High School.
In addition to the high schools and middle schools, Kingwood is served by nine Humble ISD elementary schools.
(Preschool through High School), Northeast Christian Academy
(PreK-12th), St. Martha Catholic School (PreK-8), Pines Montessori School (Toddlers - Middle School),.
that serves the area and it is part of the Lone Star College System.
, has over 112,000 books. In partnership with the Houston Public Library
, the branch is slated to become a "City-County" branch in exchange for 4.2 million dollars to fund the building of a new 35000 square feet (3,251.6 m²) facility. The existing branch will be replaced by a community center. The original Kingwood Library location closed on March 13, 2010, and the new location opened on April 19, 2010.
In addition to the Kingwood Library, and within Kingwood, there is also the Kingwood Community College library, which permits access for "currently enrolled students, high school students and adults living within the district, patrons of Montgomery County Memorial Library System, and college employees."
Houston City Council
District E serves Kingwood. As of 2008 Mike Sullivan represents the district. District E contains Kingwood and the Houston portion of Clear Lake City. The City of Houston has a liaison who works with the District E representative and the residents of Kingwood. In 2006 some Kingwood residents told the Houston Chronicle
that the District E representative has too little influence in city council, which had 15 seats during that year, and that the district is, in the words of Renée C. Lee of the Houston Chronicle, territorially "spread too thin."
The Houston Public Works Department is responsible for the maintenance and construction of roads in Kingwood.
The City of Houston maintains water services. Before the annexation, 13 municipal utility district
s (MUD) provided those services. After annexation, water and sewer bills increased; most residents had their water bills be double and triple of the bills prior to annexation. In 2006 Mayor of Houston Bill White said that the city had to cover the debts of the MUDs, so it increased the water and sewer rates.
METRO
operates a single Park and Ride
location in Kingwood to provide commuters with an alternative to driving themselves downtown.
The Kingwood Chamber of Commerce serves local businesses and the community with regular activities such as Kleenwood.
Around the time of annexation, much of the controversy regarding the annexation centered on the fire and police services. Residents believed that they received a higher quality of police and fire services than the City of Houston offered . When Kingwood became a part of Houston, residents could no longer legally discharge fireworks in Kingwood due to a City of Houston ban.
During the 1997 Mayor of Houston election, 7% of Kingwood voters voted for Lee P. Brown
.
The Kingwood community associations control the deed restrictions of the neighborhoods.
's Kingwood Patrol Division, headquartered at 3915 Rustic Woods Drive, provides law enforcement services to Kingwood. As of 2006 the police station has a captain and 74 patrol and supervisor police officers. Bill White, Mayor of Houston in 2006, said that Kingwood had good police services. Of of the communities of Houston, Kingwood has the highest number of police officers in relation to the overall number of crimes committed in the city. White also said that he received requests to remove police officers from Kingwood and place them in areas of Houston with higher crime rates. White said that he refused the requests since the removal would impact response times in Kingwood. Prior to annexation, the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable provided law enforcement services. Initially after annexation, the Kingwood Storefront of the Northeast Patrol Division served Kingwood.
Minors under the age of 17 are subject to a Houston mandated curfew after 11:00PM Sunday through Thursday, or 12:00AM on Friday and Saturday (baring few minor exceptions.) This curfew extends to fill the time between 9AM until 2:30PM on days when school is in session. John Cannon, a spokesman for the HPD says, "the curfew is to ensure that kids are in school getting an education."
. There are four stations located within Kingwood: Station 101, Station 102, Station 103 and Station 104. A fifth station, Station 105, is outside of Kingwood and in the same fire district. As of 2006, the Kingwood fire stations include one district chief, 30 firefighters, three medic units, and nine pieces of equipment.
When the City of Houston annexed Kingwood in 1996, the city acquired four stations held by the Kingwood Volunteer Fire Department (VFD). The stations acquired were numbered by the city from 101 to 104. Before the annexation, the department had up to 80 paid and volunteer firefighters and twelve pieces of equipment. After annexation the city added one more fire station. Mike Byers, a Kingwood resident quoted in the Houston Chronicle
and the president of the Humble Area Chamber of Commerce, said that because many of the volunteer fire department members were friends and neighbors of Kingwood residents, the Kingwood residents had difficulty with the loss of the VFD. He added that many of the new staff of the emergency services stations were not familiar with Kingwood, and some were unable to find certain locations, leading to slow response times. As of 2006 Byers says that the City of Houston now provides good emergency services to Kingwood residents.
Bill White, Mayor of Houston in 2006, said during that year that Kingwood had "a great fire and EMS service with one of our best captains in the Kingwood area, and I have not gotten any complaints about fire and EMS response times, which is one of the best in the nation." In 2006 Mike Fuhre, the former chief of the Kingwood VFD, criticized HFD for allocating fewer staff and pieces of equipment to Kingwood than had existed during the existence of the VFD. Fuhre said that there were occasions when Kingwood had no coverage because all of the firefighters were called to other locations.
, and representatives of Kingwood on local and state levels tend to be Republican. The Harris County portion of Kingwood lies in Harris County Precinct 4 (PCT4). As of 2008 PCT4's commissioner
is Jerry Eversole and the constable
is Ron Hickman
.
The Harris County section of Kingwood is located in District 127 of the Texas House of Representatives
. As of 2008, Joe Crabb represents the district. The Montgomery County section of Kingwood is located in District 16 of the Texas House of Representatives
. As of 2008, Brandon Creighton represents the district. Kingwood is within District 4
of the Texas Senate
; as of 2008 Tommy Williams represents that district.
Kingwood is in Texas's 2nd congressional district
. As of 2008, Ted Poe
represents the district. Poe who won by 55% in 2004. The United States Postal Service
Kingwood Post Office is located at 4025 Feather Lakes Way.
Kingwood has over 500 acres (202.3 ha) of nature preserves and parks, and it has over 75 miles (120.7 km) of hike and bicycle trails. The Kingwood community, not the city of Houston, owns the parks and trails.
The greenbelt trails' maintenance is the responsibility of the trail association in each village with the exception of Trailwood Village. Over 75 miles (120.7 km) of greenbelts comb the area. In addition, each village association maintains a park and swimming pool for the benefit of its residents.
Kingwood residents enjoy a number of community events throughout the year, including:
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The majority of the community is located in Harris County
Harris County, Texas
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 4,092,459, White Americans made up 56.6% of Harris County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 33.0% of the population. Black Americans made up 18.9% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.7% of Harris County's population...
with a small portion in 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...
. Known as the "Livable Forest," it is the largest master-planned community in Harris County and second-largest within the 10-county metropolitan area.
Kingwood was created in 1971 as a joint venture between the Friendswood Development Company
Friendswood Development Company
Friendswood Development Company is a major real estate developer in Greater Houston. It is headquartered at 550 Greens Parkway, a building in the Greenspoint area of Houston....
and King Ranch
King Ranch
King Ranch, located in south Texas between Corpus Christi and Brownsville, is one of the world's largest ranches. The ranch, founded in 1853 by Captain Richard King and Gideon K. Lewis, includes portions of six Texas counties, including most of Kleberg County and much of Kenedy County, with...
. Its name was derived as part of of that partnership.
History
The Foster Lumber Company originally owned a portion of the tract of land that was later developed into the community of Kingwood. The Foster Family had owned the land since around 1892.On December 28, 1967, the land was sold to the joint venture between King Ranch and the Friendswood Development Company, an Exxon
Exxon
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....
subsidiary. Exxon's Friendswood Development Company hired John Bruton Jr. to serve as the Operations Manager in which he was responsible for the planning, development, engineering, and construction of Kingwood Plans for the community included greenbelts
Green belt
A green belt or greenbelt is a policy and land use designation used in land use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighbouring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges which have a linear character and may run through an...
, shopping centers, schools, churches, recreational facilities, riding and hiking trails, and a boat ramp with access to Lake Houston
Lake Houston
Lake Houston is a reservoir on the west fork of the San Jacinto River, 15 miles northeast of downtown Houston, Texas, USA. The reservoir is the secondary municipal water supply for the city of Houston after Lake Livingston....
.
Kingwood was founded in 1970, and the first village opened in 1971. Since the opening, the community had the slogan "The Livable Forest." In 1976 Kingwood had a few thousand residents. Between 1980 and 1990 the community's population increased by an amount between 40 percent and 70 percent. In 1990 the community had 19,443 residents and 204 businesses. The population increased to 37,397 in 1992. In 2005 the population was roughly 65,000, and had almost 200,000 people living within a ten mile (16 km) radius.
Around 1994, the City of Houston began to annex Kingwood. According to Texas state law, a city may annex an unincorporated area
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
if the area is within the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction
Extraterritorial jurisdiction
Extraterritorial jurisdiction is the legal ability of a government to exercise authority beyond its normal boundaries.Any authority can, of course, claim ETJ over any external territory they wish...
without the consent of the residents of the area. Bob Lanier
Bob Lanier (politician)
Bob Lanier is a businessman in the real estate industry who served as mayor of the city of Houston, Texas from 1992 to 1998...
, then the Mayor of Houston, believed that the annexation of Kingwood would result in a $4 million annual gain for the City of Houston. Renée C. Lee of the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
said that Kingwood residents "fought an uphill battle for two years." Kingwood residents offered to pay $4 million to the city in exchange for not being annexed. The residents also filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Houston, claiming that the city was taxing residents without representation. At the time, many residents believed that the City of Houston would not follow through on the state law requirement asking annexing cities to provide equal services to the annexed areas as they do to their original territory. Some residents did not like the idea of the city annexing their community without the community's consent.
Houston annexed Kingwood in 1996, adding about 15000 acres (6,070.3 ha) to the city limits. During that year, Thomas Phillips, a retired longshoreman and Bordersville
Bordersville, Houston, Texas
Bordersville is a predominantly African American community on Farm to Market Road 1960 in northeast Harris County, Texas, United States. The community, located less than one half-mile from George Bush Intercontinental Airport, has about 80% of its territory in the City of Houston and the rest in an...
resident, joined with representatives of Kingwood and sued the City of Houston in a federal court, arguing that the city could not legally annex areas if it did not provide certain services to some of its existing areas, including Bordersville. Imad F. Abdullah, the President of Landmark Architects Inc., criticized the residents who fought annexation in his 1996 editorial in the Houston Business Journal, arguing that a "not in my backyard" mentality in particular communities overall negatively affects the entire metropolitan area.
Kingwood lobbied the Texas Legislature
Texas Legislature
The Legislature of the state of Texas is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The Legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin...
, asking for modifications to the state's annexation laws. In 1999 the legislature successfully passed amendments requiring annexing municipalities to develop plans for services provided to communities being annexed, and municipalities are required to provide a three year planning period prior to official annexation to allow for public comment. The modified law allows for communities to use arbitration if the annexing cities fail to follow through with their service plans. The amendments do not affect prior annexations, including Kingwood's annexation. Some Kingwood residents expressed satisfaction that other suburban unincorporated areas including The Woodlands
The Woodlands, Texas
The Woodlands is a master-planned community and a Census-designated place in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area. The population of the CDP was 55,649 at the 2000 census—a 90 percent increase over its 1990 population. According to the 2010 census, The Woodlands' population rose...
would not undergo the annexation that occurred in Kingwood.
In 2006, Kingwood has over 65,000 residents. During that year, ten years after the annexation, Lee said that "[a]nger and resentment that colored the early days of annexation" and that most Kingwood residents "have settled in as Houstonians, say those who once opposed annexation." Lee said that while residents sometimes complain about high rates for sewer and water services and perceived inadequacies in the fire and EMS services, thos residents believe that Kingwood "hasn't greatly suffered from being a part of the city." Lee says that some residents "will never come to terms with Houston's hostile takeover." Lee said that "Services have not deteriorated, and the community has not lost its identity as a suburban haven as most people had feared" and "Many residents believe the community has maintained its identity as the Livable Forest[.]"
Demographics
Kingwood includes the zip codes 77325, 77339, 77345, and (in part) 77346. Approximately 81,692 people live within these zip codes. There are 2,006 people per square mile (population density).The median age is 37.2. The US median is 37.6. 68.27% of people in Kingwood (zip 77345), TX, are married. 8.42% are divorced.
The average household size is 2.71 people. 32.49% of people are married, with children. 6.28% have children, but are single.
Race in Kingwood (zip 77345), TX
91.36% of people are white, 2.35% are black, 2.36% are Asian, 0.34% are native American, and 3.65% claim 'Other'.
9.56% of the people in Kingwood (zip 77345), TX, claim Hispanic ethnicity (meaning 90.44% are non-Hispanic).
The Census Median Household Income for this geographic area is $77,527. The Median Family Income is $84,387, and the Average Non-family Income is $51,735. The Per Capita Income revealed in the Census for this area was $32,491.
Cityscape
Kingwood has over 15000 acres (6,070.3 ha) of space. The community, heavily forested, includes over 15000 acres (6,070.3 ha) in nature preserves and parks. Renée C. Lee of the Houston ChronicleHouston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
compared the presence of forests, parks, and trails in Kingwood to the presence of those features in The Woodlands
The Woodlands, Texas
The Woodlands is a master-planned community and a Census-designated place in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area. The population of the CDP was 55,649 at the 2000 census—a 90 percent increase over its 1990 population. According to the 2010 census, The Woodlands' population rose...
.
Kingwood is divided into 25 neighborhoods, called "villages." Most villages have a neighborhood pool providing free access for village residents, and most provide their own set of village-specific services.
Trailwood is Kingwood's oldest subdivision, with its first homes being completed in 1971; while new homes are still being built in Barrington, Kingwood Greens, Kings River, Kings Point, and Royal Shores.
Several other subdivisions and developments have developed around the Kingwood area. Some of these subdivisions are Forest Cove, which was first built in 1963, Bear Branch, Deer Ridge Estates, Sand Creek
Sand Creek
-Communities:* Sand Creek, Wisconsin, a town** Sand Creek , Wisconsin, an unincorporated community within the town of Sand Creek* Sand Creek Township -Streams:...
, Barrington, Kings Point, Riverchase, Foster's Mill, Riverbend
Riverbend
Riverbend is the pseudonymous author of the blog , launched August 17, 2003. Riverbend's existence and identity remain a mystery, but the weblog entries suggest that she is a young Iraqi woman from a mixed Shia and Sunni family, living with her parents and brother in Baghdad. Before the United...
, Hunters Ridge Estates, Greentree, Trailwood, Kingwood Lakes, Woodland Hills, Elm Grove, Mills Branch, King's Forest, Woodstream, Sherwood Trails, North Kingwood Forest, Kings Lake Estates, Lakewood Cove and Woodspring Forest. Nearby developments include Oakhurst at Kingwood and King's Manor. Oakhurst does not pay Kingwood Service Association fees, though it is considered part of Kingwood and is also developed by Friendswood Development.
Crime rate
In January through August 2003, the crime rate in Kingwood was 1,793 per 100,000 residents. Less than 10% of crimes were violent. During January through August 2006, the crime rate was 1,364 per 100,000 residents. In this case, less than 10% of the crimes were violent.Economy
The human resources company Insperity (formerly Administaff) has its headquarters in Kingwood.Public schools
Kingwood pupils residing in Harris County attend the Humble Independent School DistrictHumble Independent School District
Humble Independent School District is a school district based in Humble, Texas .Humble ISD serves the city of Humble, small portions of the city of Houston , and portions of unincorporated Harris County . The district serves over 33,000 students and is led by Superintendent Dr...
. Kingwood High School
Kingwood High School
Kingwood High School is a Humble ISD secondary school located in the Kingwood community of Houston, Texas, United States.Melissa Hayhurst is the current principal of Kingwood High School....
and Kingwood Park High School
Kingwood Park High School
Kingwood Park High School is a high school located within the Kingwood community of Houston, Texas, United States.Kingwood Park is a part of the Humble Independent School District and serves students living in the Kingwood Middle School attendance area of Kingwood.The school is located at 4015...
serve the area. All students enrolled in Humble Independent School District also have the option to attend Quest High School
Quest High School
Quest Early College High School is a small secondary school located in unincorporated Harris County, Texas, near the city of Humble and is a part of Humble Independent School District...
, a magnet high school in Atascocita.
Students residing in 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...
attend the New Caney Independent School District
New Caney Independent School District
New Caney Independent School District is a public school district based in New Caney—an unincorporated area of southeastern Montgomery County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area....
. Residents of that portion attend Porter High School. Before the opening of Porter High School in 2010, students attended New Caney High School
New Caney High School
New Caney High School is a public secondary school in New Caney, an unincorporated section of Montgomery County, Texasand is part of the New Caney Independent School District. NCHS serves the cities of Roman Forest and Woodbranch, New Caney, and a portion of Porter, an unincorporated community...
. A small portion of North Woodland Hills, as well as the Kings Manor and Oakhurst developments, are located in Montgomery County.
Kingwood is served by three Humble ISD middle schools: Kingwood Middle School, Creekwood Middle School and Riverwood Middle School. Kingwood Middle School students are zoned to Kingwood Park High School, while students attending Creekwood and Riverwood are zoned to Kingwood High School.
In addition to the high schools and middle schools, Kingwood is served by nine Humble ISD elementary schools.
Private schools
Private schools in Kingwood include Christian School of KingwoodChristian School of Kingwood
Christian School of Kingwood is a Christian private school located in the Kingwood section of Houston, Texas. The school has a Mother's Day Out program as well as Preschool through grade 8. CSK is fully accredited by SACS/CASI and NCSA...
(Preschool through High School), Northeast Christian Academy
Northeast Christian Academy
Northeast Christian Academy is a Christian private university preparatory school located in the Kingwood section of Houston, Texas. It is a relatively small school consisting of preschool through grade 12...
(PreK-12th), St. Martha Catholic School (PreK-8), Pines Montessori School (Toddlers - Middle School),.
Colleges and universities
Lone Star College-Kingwood is two-year community collegeCommunity college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
that serves the area and it is part of the Lone Star College System.
Public libraries
Dedicated on August 12, 1983, the 12000 square feet (1,114.8 m²) Kingwood Branch of the Harris County Public LibraryHarris County Public Library
Harris County Public Library is a public library system serving Harris County, Texas, United States. The county library system is headquartered at 8080 El Rio in Houston....
, has over 112,000 books. In partnership with the Houston Public Library
Houston Public Library
Houston Public Library is the public library system serving Houston, Texas, United States. The library system has its headquarters in the Marston Building in Neartown Houston.-History:It can trace its founding to the Houston Lyceum in 1854...
, the branch is slated to become a "City-County" branch in exchange for 4.2 million dollars to fund the building of a new 35000 square feet (3,251.6 m²) facility. The existing branch will be replaced by a community center. The original Kingwood Library location closed on March 13, 2010, and the new location opened on April 19, 2010.
In addition to the Kingwood Library, and within Kingwood, there is also the Kingwood Community College library, which permits access for "currently enrolled students, high school students and adults living within the district, patrons of Montgomery County Memorial Library System, and college employees."
Local government
Police, fire and ambulance services are provided by the City of Houston.Houston City Council
Houston City Council
The Houston City Council is a city council for the city of Houston in the U.S. state of Texas.Currently, there are fourteen members, nine elected from council districts and five at-large. The members of the Council are elected every two years, in odd-numbered years...
District E serves Kingwood. As of 2008 Mike Sullivan represents the district. District E contains Kingwood and the Houston portion of Clear Lake City. The City of Houston has a liaison who works with the District E representative and the residents of Kingwood. In 2006 some Kingwood residents told the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
that the District E representative has too little influence in city council, which had 15 seats during that year, and that the district is, in the words of Renée C. Lee of the Houston Chronicle, territorially "spread too thin."
The Houston Public Works Department is responsible for the maintenance and construction of roads in Kingwood.
The City of Houston maintains water services. Before the annexation, 13 municipal utility district
Municipal Utility District
A Municipal Utility District is a special-purpose district or other governmental jurisdiction that provides public utilities to the residents of that district...
s (MUD) provided those services. After annexation, water and sewer bills increased; most residents had their water bills be double and triple of the bills prior to annexation. In 2006 Mayor of Houston Bill White said that the city had to cover the debts of the MUDs, so it increased the water and sewer rates.
METRO
Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas
The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County is a major public transportation agency based in Houston . It operates bus, light rail, future commuter rail, and paratransit service in the city as well as most of Harris County...
operates a single Park and Ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
location in Kingwood to provide commuters with an alternative to driving themselves downtown.
The Kingwood Chamber of Commerce serves local businesses and the community with regular activities such as Kleenwood.
Around the time of annexation, much of the controversy regarding the annexation centered on the fire and police services. Residents believed that they received a higher quality of police and fire services than the City of Houston offered . When Kingwood became a part of Houston, residents could no longer legally discharge fireworks in Kingwood due to a City of Houston ban.
During the 1997 Mayor of Houston election, 7% of Kingwood voters voted for Lee P. Brown
Lee P. Brown
Lee Patrick Brown had a long-time career in law enforcement, leading police departments in Atlanta, Houston and New York over the course of nearly four decades. During this time he helped to implement a number of techniques in community policing that appeared to result in substantial decreases in...
.
The Kingwood community associations control the deed restrictions of the neighborhoods.
Police
The Houston Police DepartmentHouston Police Department
The Houston Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency serving the City of Houston, Texas, United States and some surrounding areas. Its headquarters are in 1200 Travis in Downtown Houston....
's Kingwood Patrol Division, headquartered at 3915 Rustic Woods Drive, provides law enforcement services to Kingwood. As of 2006 the police station has a captain and 74 patrol and supervisor police officers. Bill White, Mayor of Houston in 2006, said that Kingwood had good police services. Of of the communities of Houston, Kingwood has the highest number of police officers in relation to the overall number of crimes committed in the city. White also said that he received requests to remove police officers from Kingwood and place them in areas of Houston with higher crime rates. White said that he refused the requests since the removal would impact response times in Kingwood. Prior to annexation, the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable provided law enforcement services. Initially after annexation, the Kingwood Storefront of the Northeast Patrol Division served Kingwood.
Minors under the age of 17 are subject to a Houston mandated curfew after 11:00PM Sunday through Thursday, or 12:00AM on Friday and Saturday (baring few minor exceptions.) This curfew extends to fill the time between 9AM until 2:30PM on days when school is in session. John Cannon, a spokesman for the HPD says, "the curfew is to ensure that kids are in school getting an education."
Fire
Kingwood's fire stations are within Houston Fire District 102, operated by the Houston Fire DepartmentHouston Fire Department
City of Houston Fire Department is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Houston, Texas, United States, the fourth largest city in the United States...
. There are four stations located within Kingwood: Station 101, Station 102, Station 103 and Station 104. A fifth station, Station 105, is outside of Kingwood and in the same fire district. As of 2006, the Kingwood fire stations include one district chief, 30 firefighters, three medic units, and nine pieces of equipment.
When the City of Houston annexed Kingwood in 1996, the city acquired four stations held by the Kingwood Volunteer Fire Department (VFD). The stations acquired were numbered by the city from 101 to 104. Before the annexation, the department had up to 80 paid and volunteer firefighters and twelve pieces of equipment. After annexation the city added one more fire station. Mike Byers, a Kingwood resident quoted in the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
and the president of the Humble Area Chamber of Commerce, said that because many of the volunteer fire department members were friends and neighbors of Kingwood residents, the Kingwood residents had difficulty with the loss of the VFD. He added that many of the new staff of the emergency services stations were not familiar with Kingwood, and some were unable to find certain locations, leading to slow response times. As of 2006 Byers says that the City of Houston now provides good emergency services to Kingwood residents.
Bill White, Mayor of Houston in 2006, said during that year that Kingwood had "a great fire and EMS service with one of our best captains in the Kingwood area, and I have not gotten any complaints about fire and EMS response times, which is one of the best in the nation." In 2006 Mike Fuhre, the former chief of the Kingwood VFD, criticized HFD for allocating fewer staff and pieces of equipment to Kingwood than had existed during the existence of the VFD. Fuhre said that there were occasions when Kingwood had no coverage because all of the firefighters were called to other locations.
County, state, and federal representation
Kingwood residents vote mostly RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, and representatives of Kingwood on local and state levels tend to be Republican. The Harris County portion of Kingwood lies in Harris County Precinct 4 (PCT4). As of 2008 PCT4's commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission ....
is Jerry Eversole and the constable
Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...
is Ron Hickman
Ron Hickman
Ronald Price Hickman OBE was a South African born, Jersey based car designer and inventor who designed the original Lotus Elan, the Lotus Elan +2 and the Lotus Europa, as well as the Black & Decker Workmate....
.
The Harris County section of Kingwood is located in District 127 of 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...
. As of 2008, Joe Crabb represents the district. The Montgomery County section of Kingwood is located in District 16 of 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...
. As of 2008, Brandon Creighton represents the district. Kingwood is within District 4
Texas Senate, District 4
District 4 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that serves all of Liberty and Orange counties, and portions of Chambers, Harris, Jefferson and Montgomery counties in the southeastern portion of the state of Texas...
of the Texas Senate
Texas 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...
; as of 2008 Tommy Williams represents that district.
Kingwood is in Texas's 2nd congressional district
Texas's 2nd congressional district
Texas's 2nd congressional district of the United States House of Representatives is in the southeastern portion of the state of Texas. It stretches from Houston's northern suburbs through eastern Harris County, and across Southeast Texas to the Louisiana border...
. As of 2008, Ted Poe
Ted Poe
Lloyd "Ted" Poe is a Republican politician currently representing Texas's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. The district includes most of northern Houston, as well as most of the Beaumont-Port Arthur metropolitan area. He is the first Republican to ever...
represents the district. Poe who won by 55% in 2004. 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...
Kingwood Post Office is located at 4025 Feather Lakes Way.
Parks and recreation
The greenbelt trails' maintenance is the responsibility of the trail association in each village with the exception of Trailwood Village. Over 75 miles (120.7 km) of greenbelts comb the area. In addition, each village association maintains a park and swimming pool for the benefit of its residents.
- The newest addition to Kingwood's park facilities, opened in 2007, is a 2.25 acres (9,105.4 m²) public dog park. More information on this new dog park can be found at Kingwood Kennels.
- Kingwood Park, operated by the City of Houston.
- East End Park, owned and operated by the Kingwood Service Association.
- Opened on May 21, 2004, Kingwood Skate Park is a 5402 square feet (501.9 m²) City of Houston facility that has skate benches, a kinked round grind rail, skate benches, skate tables, a kicker ramb, a bank to stair with a rail, shade structures that include benches, a drinking fountain, a mini half pipe with a ninety degree hip, and a skateboarder-shaped bike rack. It was the first municipal skate park built by the city.
Kingwood residents enjoy a number of community events throughout the year, including:
- Mardi GrasMardi GrasThe terms "Mardi Gras" , "Mardi Gras season", and "Carnival season", in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday...
- When: February
- Where: Town Center Park.
- Parade and vendor fair with open air concert.
- Picnic on the Park
- When: Day before Easter
- Where: Town Center Park
- Easter Egg hunt open to children of all ages. The event also offers game booths, a vendor fair, and performances by local area groups.
- Auto ShowAuto showAn auto show, or motor show, is a public exhibition of current automobile models, debuts, concept cars, or out-of-production classics. It is commonly attended by automobile manufacturers. Most auto shows occur once or twice a year...
s- When: Spring and Fall, often April and October respectively.
- Where: Town Center Park.
- Typically draws up to 200 vehicles in a wide variety of categories. The Spring Car Show is held in April and the Fall show is typically held in October.
- Fourth of July
- When: July 4
- Where: Parade, between Creekwood Middle School, and Kingwood High SchoolKingwood High SchoolKingwood High School is a Humble ISD secondary school located in the Kingwood community of Houston, Texas, United States.Melissa Hayhurst is the current principal of Kingwood High School....
; festivities, Town Center Park. - Consisting of a parade; and, firework display, with open air concert, and vendor fair.
- Christmas in the Park
- When: December
- Where: Town Center Park
- Vendor fair, and live performances from local groups. Day ends with a tree lighting ceremony in the park.
External links
- Kingwood Civic Club
- "Kingwood Area Super Neighborhood Community Health Profile." City of Houston.