Harris County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,731,145, and was estimated to be 5,045,026 in 2025, the most populous city in Texas and the fourth-most populous city in the United States. The county was founded on December 22, 1836 and organized on March 10, 1837. It is named for John Richardson Harris, who founded the town of Harrisburg on Buffalo Bayou in 1826. 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

thumb|Firefighters on San Jacinto Street, circa 1914

thumb|The [[1910 Harris County Courthouse|Harris County Courthouse in Houston, in 1913]]

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.

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.

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. It is the 14th largest county in Texas by total area. Both its total area and land area are larger than the U.S. state of Rhode Island.<!--https://www.ft.com/content/21dc3d5f-db23-4134-8a7d-4119edd28701 says it is about the size of RI-->

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<!--The Woodlands CDP is only in Montgomery County, while the community itself extends to both counties-->

Demographics

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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 of land. It was established in 1921 on property taken from police officers who had acted corruptly. The county paid $80,000 for 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.

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.

| Democratic

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| District Clerk

| Marilyn Burgess

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| County Clerk

| Teneshia Hudspeth

| Democratic

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| Tax Assessor-Collector

| Annette Ramirez

| Democratic

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| Treasurer

| Carla Wyatt

| Democratic

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| Sheriff

| Ed Gonzalez

| Democratic

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| Commissioner, Precinct 1

| Rodney Ellis

| Democratic

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| Commissioner, Precinct 2

| Adrian Garcia

| Democratic

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| Commissioner, Precinct 3

| Tom Ramsey

| Republican

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| Commissioner, Precinct 4

| Lesley Briones

| Democratic

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| School Trustee, At-Large, Pos. 3

| Richard Cantu

| Democratic

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| School Trustee, At-Large, Pos. 5

| Erica Davis

| Democratic

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| School Trustee, At-Large, Pos. 7

| David W. Brown

| Democratic

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| School Trustee, Pct. 1, Pos. 6

| Danyahel "Danny" Norris

| Democratic

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| School Trustee, Pct. 2, Pos. 1

| Amy Hinojosa

| Democratic

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| School Trustee, Pct. 3, Pos. 4

| Andrea Duhon

| Democratic

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| School Trustee, Pct. 4, Pos. 2

| Eric Dick

| Republican

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| Constable, Precinct 1

| Alan Rosen

| Democratic

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| Constable, Precinct 2

| Jerry Garcia

| Democratic

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| Constable, Precinct 3

| Sherman Eagleton

| Democratic

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| Constable, Precinct 4

| Mark Herman

| Republican

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| Constable, Precinct 5

| Terry Allbritton

| Republican

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| Constable, Precinct 6

| Silvia Trevino

| Democratic

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| Constable, Precinct 7

| May Walker

| Democratic

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| Constable, Precinct 8

| Phil Sandlin

| Republican

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Courts

There are 67 District Courts &mdash; 24 Civil, 29 Criminal, 11 Family, and 3 Juvenile &mdash; in Harris County; each District Court is randomly assigned cases within their specialization from across Harris County. District court judges are elected countywide to serve 4 year terms. In addition to the 67 presiding judges, there are 20 Associate Judges.

Criminal District Courts

{| class="wikitable"

! colspan="2" |Office

! Name

! Party

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| 174th District Court

| Hazel B. Jones

| Democratic

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| 176th District Court

| Nikita V. Harmon

| Democratic

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| bgcolor="red" |

| 177th District Court

| Emily Detoto

| Republican

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| bgcolor="blue" |

| 178th District Court

| Kelli Johnson

| Democratic

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| bgcolor="blue" |

| 179th District Court

| Ana Martinez

| Democratic

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| bgcolor="red" |

| 180th District Court

| Tami Pierce

| Republican

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| bgcolor="blue" |

| 182nd District Court

| Danilo Lacayo

| Democratic

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| bgcolor="red" |

| 183rd District Court

| Lance G. Long

| Republican

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| bgcolor="blue" |

| 184th District Court

| Katherine N. Thomas

| Democratic

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| bgcolor="blue" |

| 185th District Court

| Andrea Beall

| Democratic

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| bgcolor="blue" |

| 208th District Court

| Beverly D. Armstrong

| Democratic

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| bgcolor="blue" |

| 209th District Court

| Brian E. Warren

| Democratic

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| bgcolor="red" |

| 228th District Court

| Caroline Dozier

| Republican

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| bgcolor="blue" |

| 230th District Court

| Chris Morton

| Democratic

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| 232nd District Court

| Josh Hill

| Democratic

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| 248th District Court

| Hilary Unger

| Democratic

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| 262nd District Court

| Lori Chambers Gray

| Democratic

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| 263rd District Court

| Melissa M. Morris

| Democratic

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| 337th District Court

| Colleen Gaido

| Democratic

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| bgcolor="red" |

| 338th District Court

| Michele Oncken

| Republican

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| 339th District Court

| Te'iva J. Bell

| Democratic

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| 351st District Court

| Natalia "Nata" Cornelio

| Democratic

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| 482nd District Court

| Veronica M. Nelson

| Democratic

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| bgcolor="red" |

| 486th District Court

| Aaron Burdette

| Republican

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| 487th District Court

| Stacey Barrow

| Democratic

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| bgcolor="red" |

| 488th District Court

| Matthew Peneguy

| Republican

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| bgcolor="red" |

| 495th District Court

| Lori DeAngelo

| Republican

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| bgcolor="red" |

| 496th District Court

| Dan Simons

| Republican

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| bgcolor="red" |

| 497th District Court

| Peyton Peebles

| Republican

|}

Juvenile District Courts

{| class="wikitable"

! colspan="2" |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

thumb|upright|Harris County Criminal Courts BuildingThe 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 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 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

thumb|Harris County Sheriff Ford Police Interceptor

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.

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.

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.<!--HP's headquarters are in Palo Alto- the Harris office serves the USA--> 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.<!--I-10@ Grand Parkway is outside the city limits of Houston--> 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

thumb|[[Harris County Department of Education – Ronald W. Reagan Building]]

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

thumb|right|[[Ezekiel W. Cullen Building at the University of Houston]]

thumb|[[Rice University - Sally Port]]

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 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 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

thumb|The 1200 Jail, the headquarters of the [[Harris County Sheriff's Office]]

thumb|Little York Volunteer Fire Department Station 81Incorporated 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.

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|-

! 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/<nowiki/>|| || .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

thumb|Harris County Annex M has the headquarters of the [[Harris County Transit agency.<!--The name of the building is in the provided image, and the address matches the one in the document-->]]

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.

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

<!-- Major highways only. Do not add any highway or street names, freeways that don't have a highway number, county routes, farm or ranch to market road, or recreational routes here without discussion. Thanks! -->

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

thumb|[[George Bush Intercontinental Airport]]

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.

See also

  • Braeburn Terrace, Houston
  • Greater Houston
  • List of museums in the Texas Gulf Coast
  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Harris County, Texas
  • North Channel Sentinel
  • Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Harris County
  • USNS Harris County (T-LST-822)

References

  • Account of the early days of Harris County, 1824 – 1838 from Indian Wars and Pioneers of Texas by John Henry Brown, hosted by The Portal to Texas History
  • Accepted design illustration of Court House from the University of Houston Digital Library (1920–1924)