Andrau Airpark ( ICAO : KAAP ) was a public use airport located in the Alief community of Houston , Texas , United States , formerly an unincorporated section of Harris County , from the late 1940s through 1998. The airport was southeast of the intersection of Old Westheimer Road (since renamed West Houston Center Boulevard) and Richmond Avenue. The airport closed in 1998 and as of 2008 is the Royal Oaks Country Club subdivision.
124-539: The first known photo of the area is from 1953. The 700-acre (280 ha) tract of land that included the airport, which was one of the oldest private airfields in Greater Houston , was owned by descendants of the Andrau family. The airport served general aviation for west Houston, but a Douglas DC-3 and an A-26C Invader are known to have landed there. The airport had two runways, the longest at 4,750 feet, and
248-566: A Wôpanâak word muswachasut , segmented as mus(ây) "big" + wach "mountain" + -s "diminutive" + - ut "locative". This word has been translated as "near the great hill", "by the blue hills", "at the little big hill", or "at the range of hills", in reference to the Blue Hills —namely, the Great Blue Hill , located on the boundary of Milton and Canton . Massachusett has also been represented as Moswetuset . This comes from
372-580: A right to shelter law, and the first U.S. state, and one of the earliest jurisdictions in the world to legally recognize same-sex marriage . Harvard University in Cambridge is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States , with the largest financial endowment of any university in the world. Both Harvard and MIT , also in Cambridge, are perennially ranked as either
496-484: A seaplane landing and takeoff pond on the east end of the airpark. Bee Line , a small commuter air carrier based in the Houston area, operated scheduled passenger flights on the weekends with small twin prop aircraft during the mid-1970s between the airport and Lakeway Airpark near Lake Travis in central Texas. The airport was closed on December 23, 1998, when a Houston real estate firm paid Andrau Airpark Inc.,
620-440: A 13.2% increase in the national population over the same period. Between 2000 and 2007, the area added over 910,000 people. The Greater Houston Partnership projected the metropolitan area would add between 4.1 and 8.3 million new residents between 2010 and 2050. Greater Houston has the seventh-highest metropolitan-area gross domestic product in the United States, valued at $ 490 billion in 2017. A major trade center anchored by
744-722: A co-founder of the Special Olympics . In 1966, Massachusetts became the first state to directly elect an African American to the U.S. senate with Edward Brooke . George H. W. Bush , 41st President of the United States (1989–1993) was born in Milton in 1924. Other notable Massachusetts politicians on the national level included Joseph W. Martin Jr. , Speaker of the House (from 1947 to 1949 and then again from 1953 to 1955) and leader of House Republicans from 1939 until 1959 (where he
868-565: A frontrunner in the Democratic primaries for the 2020 presidential election. However, she later suspended her campaign and endorsed presumptive nominee Joe Biden . Two pressure cooker bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013, at around 2:49 pm local time ( EDT ). The explosions killed three people and injured an estimated 264 others. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) later identified
992-494: A large population of grey seals . Since 2009, there has been a significant increase in the number of Great white sharks spotted and tagged in the coastal waters off of Cape Cod . Freshwater fish species in Massachusetts include bass , carp , catfish , and trout , while saltwater species such as Atlantic cod , haddock , and American lobster populate offshore waters. Other marine species include Harbor seals ,
1116-542: A path to decarbonize the state's economy. On April 22, 2020, Kathleen A. Theoharides, the state's Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, released a Determination of Statewide Emissions limits for 2050. In her letter, Theoharides stresses that as of 2020, the Commonwealth has experienced property damage attributable to climate change of more than $ 60 billion. To ensure that the Commonwealth experiences warming no more than 1.5 °C of pre-industrialization levels,
1240-749: A population of 4,177,646. Another 2010 estimate determined the population increased to 5,920,487. Of the population an estimated 575,000 were undocumented immigrants according to 2014 estimates. In 2020, Greater Houston's racial makeup was 41% White ( non-Hispanic white 34%), 20% Black and African American , 8% Asian and 3% from two or more races ; additionally, 37% of the metropolitan population were Hispanic and Latino Americans of any race. Among its metropolitan population, roughly 23.4% were foreign-born. The largest foreign-born population came from Latin America , followed by Asia, Africa, Europe and other parts of North America. The metropolitan statistical area
1364-436: A significant change to the state's built environment and ecosystems. In Boston alone, costs of climate change-related storms will result in $ 5 to $ 100 billion in damage. Warmer temperatures will also disrupt bird migration and flora blooming. With these changes, deer populations are expected to increase, resulting in a decrease in underbrush which smaller fauna use as camouflage. Additionally, rising temperatures will increase
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#17327802502181488-611: A sizable Hispanic and Latin American community. CNN/Money and Money magazine have recognized cities in the Greater Houston area the past three years as part of its "100 Best Places to Live in the United States". In 2005, Sugar Land, southwest of Houston in northeast Fort Bend County, was ranked 46th in the nation, and one of only three Texas cities among the Top 100. In 2006, the magazine recognized Sugar Land again, this time as
1612-531: A staunch Democratic stronghold, with the most active Democratic county establishment in the state. Houston's concentration of consular offices ranks third in the nation and first in the South, with 90 countries represented. The city of Houston is considered a major center of Black and African American political power, education, economic prosperity, and culture, often called the new black mecca after Atlanta , Georgia . Houston and its metropolitan area also has
1736-462: Is Boston . Other major cities are Worcester , Springfield and Cambridge . Massachusetts is also home to the urban core of Greater Boston , the largest metropolitan area in New England and a region profoundly influential upon American history , academia , and the research economy . Massachusetts has a reputation for social and political progressivism ; becoming the only U.S. state with
1860-486: Is a census-designated place ; the rest are cities. They are listed below: Other communities: Numerically, Greater Houston is the second fastest growing metropolitan area in the U.S. There were a total of 7,122,240 residents within the Greater Houston metropolitan area as of 2020, according to the United States Census Bureau . In 2010, Greater Houston had 5,920,416 residents and in 2000, it had
1984-557: Is considered the biggest pro-wrestling event of the year, seen as the Super Bowl of pro-wrestling. Houston was also considered a candidate for the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games . Five separate and distinct state universities are located within the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area. The University of Houston is a nationally recognized Tier One research university, and is the flagship institution of
2108-690: Is home to five NCAA Division I programs, with four located within Houston proper. The University of Houston and Rice University play in Division I-A (FBS). The University of Houston plays in the Big 12 Conference , while Rice belongs to the American Athletic Conference . Both schools were once part of the Southwest Conference . Texas Southern University and Prairie View A&M University , which are members of
2232-474: Is its largest city. Despite its small size, Massachusetts features numerous topographically distinctive regions. The large coastal plain of the Atlantic Ocean in the eastern section of the state contains Greater Boston , along with most of the state's population, as well as the distinctive Cape Cod peninsula . To the west lies the hilly, rural region of Central Massachusetts , and beyond that,
2356-715: Is now known as Rhode Island , and Hutchinson joined him there several years later. Religious intolerance continued, and among those who objected to this later that century were the English Quaker preachers Alice and Thomas Curwen , who were publicly flogged and imprisoned in Boston in 1676. By 1641, Massachusetts had expanded inland significantly. The Commonwealth acquired the Connecticut River Valley settlement of Springfield , which had recently disputed with—and defected from—its original administrators,
2480-725: Is or has been home to various nationally known sporting events. The most notable is the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo , which is the world's largest livestock exhibition and rodeo event. Other events of importance on greater Houston include the Shell Houston Open (a PGA Tour event), the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships ( ATP tour ), the Houston Marathon , and the Texas Bowl college football bowl game. From 1959 to 1987, Houston hosted
2604-471: Is quite wet. Frosts are frequent all winter, even in coastal areas due to prevailing inland winds. Boston has a relatively sunny climate for a coastal city at its latitude, averaging over 2,600 hours of sunshine a year. Climate change in Massachusetts will affect both urban and rural environments, including forestry, fisheries, agriculture, and coastal development. The Northeast is projected to warm faster than global average temperatures; by 2035, according to
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#17327802502182728-601: Is still vital to the metropolitan region. Galveston Bay and the Buffalo Bayou together form one of the most important shipping hubs in the world. The Port of Houston , the Port of Texas City , and the Port of Galveston are all major seaports located in this Greater Houston area. The area is also one of the leading centers of the energy industry, particularly petroleum processing, and many companies have large operations in this region. The metropolitan area also comprises
2852-599: Is that city's primary newspaper and the oldest continuously printed newspaper in Texas. It currently serves as the newspaper of record for Galveston, as well as Galveston County. Radio station KGBC , on air since 1947, has also served as a local media outlet. Houston's freeway system includes 575.5 miles (926.2 km) of freeways and expressways in the 10-county metro area. The State of Texas plans to spend $ 65 billion on Houston area highways by 2025. Houston freeways are heavily traveled and often under construction to meet
2976-589: Is the Katy Prairie to the west, the Big Thicket to the northeast, and the Galveston Bay ecosystem to the south. Additionally, the metropolitan region is crossed by a number of creeks and bayous , which provide essential drainage during rainfall events; some of the most notable waterways include Buffalo Bayou (upon which Houston was founded), White Oak Bayou , Brays Bayou , Spring Creek , and
3100-583: Is the fifth-most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States, encompassing nine counties along the Gulf Coast in Southeast Texas . With a population of 7,510,253 in 2023, Greater Houston is the second-most populous metropolitan area in Texas after the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex . The region of approximately 10,000 square-miles (26,000 km2) centers on Harris County ,
3224-723: Is the most populous state in New England, the 16th-most-populous in the country, and the third-most densely populated , after New Jersey and Rhode Island. Massachusetts was a site of early English colonization . The Plymouth Colony was founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims of the Mayflower . In 1630, the Massachusetts Bay Colony , taking its name from the Indigenous Massachusett people , also established settlements in Boston and Salem. In 1692,
3348-593: Is the only Catholic institution of higher education in Houston. Houston Christian University , located in the Sharpstown area, was founded in 1960. Rice University is one of the leading teaching and research universities of the United States and consistently ranks among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report . Three community college districts exist with campuses in and around Houston. The Houston Community College System serves most of Houston. The northwestern through northeastern parts of
3472-491: Is traveled by about 61,000 people daily, giving it the second-highest ridership per track mile in the nation. The Uptown Light Rail Line has been converted to a BRT Line and began construction in the late second quarter of 2016. The BRT Line will run between the former NW Mall (which is in the process of redevelopment) and the WestPark TC. METRO's various forms of public transportation still do not connect multiple suburbs to
3596-458: Is widely noted for its ethnic diversity and strong international community. In its 2010 publication "Urban Elite", A.T. Kearney added the city to their list of the 65 most important world cities and ranks Houston 35th, as "...a magnet for a diverse population and business services...". The Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network ranks Houston as a Beta- World City, "an important world city instrumental to linking their region or state to
3720-641: The American Human Development Index and the standard Human Development Index , first in per capita income , and as of 2023, first in median income . Consequently, Massachusetts typically ranks as the top U.S. state, as well as the most expensive state, for residents to live in. The Massachusetts Bay Colony was named after the Indigenous population, the Massachusett or Muhsachuweesut , whose name likely derived from
3844-635: The Bluebonnet Bowl . Houston has also played host to three Super Bowls ( VIII , XXXVIII , LI ), the 1968, 1986, and 2004 MLB All-Star Games , the 2022, 2021, 2019, 2017, 2005 World Series, and the 1989, 2006, 2013 NBA All-Star Games . Houston has also played host to various high school and college sporting events, including the Big 12 Championship Game and hosted the 2011 NCAA Men's Final Four , 2010 NCAA Men's Regional Finals , and 2010 MLS All-Star Game . Houston has held two WrestleMania events, WrestleMania X-Seven and WrestleMania XXV , which
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3968-863: The Cape Cod National Seashore and the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area . In addition, the Department of Conservation and Recreation maintains a number of parks , trails, and beaches throughout Massachusetts. The primary biome of inland Massachusetts is temperate deciduous forest . Although much of Massachusetts had been cleared for agriculture, leaving only traces of old-growth forest in isolated pockets, secondary growth has regenerated in many rural areas as farms have been abandoned. Forests cover around 62% of Massachusetts. The areas most affected by human development include
4092-711: The Catholic Church is the largest single Christian denomination as of a 2014 study by the Pew Research Center . Catholics in Houston are primarily served by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston . Following, the body of Evangelical Protestantism was the second largest according to this study; Baptists dominated the Evangelical Protestant demographic. Mainline Protestantism , led by Methodists ,
4216-668: The Commonwealth of Massachusetts , is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States . It borders the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode Island to its south, New Hampshire and Vermont to its north, and New York to its west. Massachusetts is the sixth-smallest state by land area . With over seven million residents as of 2020, it
4340-552: The Connecticut Colony . This established Massachusetts's southern border in the west. However, this became disputed territory until 1803–04 due to surveying problems, leading to the modern Southwick Jog . In 1652 the Massachusetts General Court authorized Boston silversmith John Hull to produce local coinage in shilling, sixpence and threepence denominations to address a coin shortage in
4464-639: The Connecticut River Valley . Along the western border of Western Massachusetts lies the highest elevated part of the state, the Berkshires , forming a portion of the northern terminus of the Appalachian Mountains . The U.S. National Park Service administers a number of natural and historical sites in Massachusetts . Along with twelve national historic sites, areas, and corridors, the National Park Service also manages
4588-476: The Gulf Coast . Its Port of Houston is the largest port in the United States and the 16th-largest in the world . Greater Houston has historically been among the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States; it was the fastest-growing in absolute terms during the 2013–2014 census year, adding 156,371 people. The area grew 25.2%, adding over 950,000 people, between 1990 and 2000 in comparison to
4712-647: The Houston Chronicle , bought the assets of the Houston Post —its long-time rival and main competition—when Houston Post ceased operations in 1995. The Houston Post was owned by the family of former Lieutenant Governor Bill Hobby of Houston. The only other major publication to serve the city is the Houston Press —a free alternative weekly with a weekly readership of more than 300,000. The Galveston County Daily News , founded in 1842,
4836-473: The Massachusetts Bay Colony —now known as Boston—in 1630. The Puritans believed the Church of England needed to be further reformed along Protestant Calvinist lines, and experienced harassment due to the religious policies of King Charles I and high-ranking churchmen such as William Laud , who would become Charles's Archbishop of Canterbury , whom they feared were re-introducing "Romish" elements to
4960-487: The Republican and Democratic parties. Democrats are also stronger in the more liberal Neartown area, which is home to a large artist and LGBT community, and Alief , which houses a sizable Asian American population. In 2008, almost every county in the region voted for Republican John McCain ; only Harris County was won by Democratic candidate Barack Obama , by a small margin (51%–49%). Galveston has long been
5084-857: The San Jacinto River . The upper drainage basin of Buffalo Bayou is impounded by two large flood control reservoirs, Barker Reservoir and Addicks Reservoir , which provide a combined 400,000 acre-feet (490 million cubic meters ) of storage during large rainfall events and cover a total land area of 26,100 acres (106 km ). Greater Houston's flat topography, susceptibility to high-intensity rainfall events, high level of impervious surface , and inadequately-sized natural drainage channels make it particularly susceptible to catastrophic flooding events. Underpinning Greater Houston's land surface are unconsolidated clays , clay shales , and poorly cemented sands up to several miles deep. The region's geology developed from stream deposits formed from
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5208-750: The Southwestern Athletic Conference , plays in Division I-AA (FCS). Houston Christian University (formerly Houston Baptist University) currently plays in Division I (FCS), mainly in the Southland Conference . Rice and Houston Christian are widely noted for their student-athlete graduation rates, which number at 91% for Rice (tied for highest in the nation according to a 2002 Sports Illustrated issue on best college sports programs) and 80% for HBU. Houston
5332-545: The University of Houston System . The third-largest university in Texas, the University of Houston has nearly 43,000 students on its 667-acre campus in southeast Houston. The University of Houston–Clear Lake and the University of Houston–Downtown are standalone universities; they are not branch campuses of the University of Houston. The metropolitan area is home to the two largest historically black institutions in
5456-492: The common loon are becoming rare. A significant population of long-tailed ducks winter off Nantucket . Small offshore islands and beaches are home to roseate terns and are important breeding areas for the locally threatened piping plover . Protected areas such as the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge provide critical breeding habitat for shorebirds and a variety of marine wildlife including
5580-496: The monarchy the former colonies were fighting against during the American Revolutionary War . The name "State of Massachusetts Bay" appeared in the first draft, which was ultimately rejected. It was also chosen to include the "Cape Islands" in reference to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket —from 1780 to 1844, they were seen as additional and separate entities confined within the Commonwealth. Massachusetts
5704-403: The steam engine to power factories. Canals and railroads were being used in the state for transporting raw materials and finished goods. At first, the new industries drew labor from Yankees on nearby subsistence farms, though they later relied upon immigrant labor from Europe and Canada. Although Massachusetts was the first slave-holding colony with slavery dating back to the early 1600s,
5828-580: The third-most populous county in the U.S. , which contains the city of Houston , the economic and cultural center of the South with a population of more than 2.3 million as of 2010. Greater Houston is part of the Texas Triangle megaregion along with the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Greater Austin , and Greater San Antonio . Greater Houston also serves as a major anchor and economic hub for
5952-554: The "Atlas of Independence", was highly involved in both separation from Britain and the Constitution of Massachusetts , which effectively (the Elizabeth Freeman and Quock Walker cases as interpreted by William Cushing ) made Massachusetts the first state to abolish slavery. David McCullough points out that an equally important feature was its placing for the first time the courts as a co-equal branch separate from
6076-409: The 10 most populous metropolitan areas in the U.S., Greater Houston ranked first in employment growth rate and second in nominal employment growth. In 2006, the Greater Houston metropolitan area ranked first in Texas and third in the U.S. within the category of "Best Places for Business and Careers" by Forbes . The Houston–The Woodlands-Sugar Land area's gross metropolitan product (GMP) in 2005
6200-484: The 19th century, Massachusetts became a national leader in the American Industrial Revolution , with factories around cities such as Lowell and Boston producing textiles and shoes, and factories around Springfield producing tools, paper, and textiles. The state's economy transformed from one based primarily on agriculture to an industrial one, initially making use of water-power and later
6324-538: The 2020 study. Within the Eastern Christian tradition, there were 3,617 Coptic Orthodox Christians , 1,746 Eritrean Orthodox and 850 Ethiopian Orthodox , 6,209 Greek Orthodox , 2,405 Malankara Orthodox Syrians , 641 American Orthodox , and 1,058 Serbian Orthodox in the metropolis. According to the Pew Research Center's 2014 study, non-Christian religions collectively made up 7% of
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#17327802502186448-462: The 48 states. After the world war, the economy of eastern Massachusetts transformed from one based on heavy industry into a service-based economy . Government contracts, private investment, and research facilities led to a new and improved industrial climate, with reduced unemployment and increased per capita income. Suburbanization flourished, and by the 1970s, the Route 128 / Interstate 95 corridor
6572-677: The British government, were a primary reason for the unity of the Thirteen Colonies and the outbreak of the American Revolution in 1775. The Battles of Lexington and Concord , fought in Massachusetts in 1775, initiated the American Revolutionary War . George Washington , later the first president of the future country, took over what would become the Continental Army after the battle. His first victory
6696-555: The British monarchy, including open rebellion under the Dominion of New England in the 1680s. Protests against British attempts to tax the colonies after the French and Indian War ended in 1763 led to the Boston Massacre in 1770, and the 1773 Boston Tea Party escalated tensions. In 1774, the Intolerable Acts targeted Massachusetts with punishments for the Boston Tea Party and further decreased local autonomy, increasing local dissent. Anti-Parliamentary activity by men such as Samuel Adams and John Hancock , followed by reprisals by
6820-457: The Civil War. Massachusetts was the first state to recruit, train, and arm a Black regiment with White officers, the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment . In 1852, Massachusetts became the first state to pass compulsory education laws. Although the U.S. stock market had sustained steep losses the last week in October 1929, Tuesday, October 29 is remembered as the beginning of the Great Depression. The Boston Stock Exchange , drawn into
6944-464: The Colony of Georgia in 1735.) Later, Adams was active in early American foreign affairs and succeeded Washington as the second president of the United States . His son, John Quincy Adams , also from Massachusetts, would go on to become the nation's sixth president. From 1786 to 1787, an armed uprising led by Revolutionary War veteran Daniel Shays , now known as Shays' Rebellion , wrought havoc throughout Massachusetts and ultimately attempted to seize
7068-650: The Greater Boston area in the east and the Springfield metropolitan area in the west, although the latter includes agricultural areas throughout the Connecticut River Valley. There are 219 endangered species in Massachusetts. A number of species are doing well in the increasingly urbanized Massachusetts. Peregrine falcons utilize office towers in larger cities as nesting areas, and the population of coyotes , whose diet may include garbage and roadkill, has been increasing in recent decades. White-tailed deer , raccoons , wild turkeys , and eastern gray squirrels are also found throughout Massachusetts. In more rural areas in
7192-481: The Houston area from other U.S. states, as well as hundreds of countries worldwide. Unlike most places, where high fuel prices are seen as harmful to the economy, they are generally seen as beneficial for Houston, as many are employed in the energy industry. Baytown , Pasadena , La Porte , and Texas City have some of the area's largest petroleum/petrochemical plants, though major operations can be found in Houston, Anahuac , Clute , and other communities. Galveston has
7316-464: The Houston-area's economy 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 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
7440-499: The Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolis with four micropolitan statistical areas ( Bay City , Brenham , El Campo , and Huntsville ) to form the Houston–The Woodlands, TX combined statistical area. The metropolitan area is located in the Gulf Coastal Plains biome , and its vegetation is classified as temperate grassland. Much of the urbanized area was built on forested land, marshes, swamp, or prairie , remnants of which can still be seen in surrounding areas. Of particular note
7564-423: The Mainland and Galveston College . Portions of Brazoria County are served by Alvin Community College and Brazosport College . Blinn College serves portions of Austin County. The Houston Community College and Lone Star College systems are within the 10 largest institutions of higher learning in the United States. Politically, the Greater Houston area has historically been divided between areas of strength of
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#17327802502187688-411: The Massachusetts Marijuana Legalization Initiative , also known as Question 4. Massachusetts is the seventh-smallest state in the United States . It is located in the New England region of the Northeastern United States . It has an area of 10,555 square miles (27,340 km ), 25.7% of which is water. Several large bays distinctly shape its coast, giving it the nickname "the Bay State". Boston
7812-473: The Melcher Center for Public Broadcasting, located on the campus of the University of Houston. The metropolitan area is also served by ABC13 Houston (KTRK-TV) and Fox 26 Houston (KRIV-TV) , owned-and-operated stations of ABC and Fox News , and NBC and CBS -affiliates KPRC 2 Houston and KHOU 11 . The Houston area is served by the Houston Chronicle , its only major daily newspaper with wide distribution. The Hearst Corporation , which owns and operates
7936-418: The Mexico–US border, go through the Greater Houston area, and continue on to Michigan at the Canada–US border. All of I-69 has been completed in the Greater Houston area and is co-signed with U.S. Highway 59. Interstate 45, which starts at State Highway 75 in Dallas provides transport from Houston to Dallas. The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas , or METRO, provides public transportation in
8060-445: The Northeast United States has risen by ten percent from 1895 to 2011, and the number of heavy precipitation events has increased by seventy percent during that time. These increased precipitation patterns are focused in the winter and spring. Increasing temperatures coupled with increasing precipitation will result in earlier snow melts and subsequent drier soil in the summer months. The shifting climate in Massachusetts will result in
8184-434: The Port of Houston, Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land has the highest trade export value of all metropolitan areas, at over $ 120 billion in 2018, accounting for 42% of the total exports of Texas. As of 2021, Greater Houston is home to the headquarters of 24 Fortune 500 companies, ranking third among all metropolitan statistical areas. The Greater Houston metropolitan area was ranked the fourth-most diverse metropolitan area in
8308-463: The Southern Baptist Convention, the American Baptist Association , American Baptist Churches USA , Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship , National Baptist Convention USA and National Baptist Convention of America , and the National Missionary Baptist Convention numbered 926,554. Non-denominational Protestants, the Disciples of Christ , Christian Churches and Churches of Christ , and the Churches of Christ numbered 723,603 altogether according to
8432-434: The U. S. Global Change Research Program, the Northeast is "projected to be more than 3.6°F (2°C) warmer on average than during the preindustrial era". As of August 2016, the EPA reports that Massachusetts has warmed by over two degrees Fahrenheit, or 1.1 degrees Celsius. Shifting temperatures also result in the shifting of rainfall patterns and the intensification of precipitation events. To that end, average precipitation in
8556-413: The US 90 Commuter line which will service the Fort Bend County and southwest Harris County suburban region. Prior to the 2004 opening of METRORail, Houston was the largest major city in the United States without a rail transit system. Following a successful referendum held locally in 2004, METRO is currently in the beginning design phases of a 10-year expansion plan to add five more sections to connect to
8680-490: The United States in 2012. According to the United States Census Bureau , the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area has a total area of 10,062 square miles (26,060 km ), of which 8,929 sq mi (23,130 km ) are land and 1,133 sq mi (2,930 km ) are covered by water. The region is slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Massachusetts and slightly larger than New Jersey . The U.S. Office of Management and Budget combines
8804-396: The airport's owners, 53 million dollars for the land. The tract went under contract to the Camden Property Trust. The airport was quickly demolished and the Royal Oaks Country Club subdivision and a golf course replaced the field. Greater Houston Greater Houston , designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land ,
8928-406: The broad transition zone to Humid Subtropical climates. The warm to hot summers render the oceanic climate rare in this transition, only applying to exposed coastal areas such as on the peninsula of Barnstable County . The climate of Boston is quite representative for the commonwealth, characterized by summer highs of around 81 °F (27 °C) and winter highs of 35 °F (2 °C), and
9052-491: The clay below the surface precludes the buildup of friction that produces ground-shaking in earthquakes. These faults generally move at a smooth rate in what is termed "fault creep". Greater Houston has a humid subtropical climate typical of the Southern United States . It is rainy most of the year. Prevailing winds come from the south and southeast during most of the year, which bring heat and moisture from
9176-546: The colony did not move to renew his contract or appoint a new mintmaster. The coinage was a contributing factor to the revocation of the Massachusetts Bay Colony charter in 1684. In 1691, the colonies of Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth were united (along with present-day Maine , which had previously been divided between Massachusetts and New York ) into the Province of Massachusetts Bay . Shortly after,
9300-509: The colony. Before that point, the colony's economy had been entirely dependent on barter and foreign currency, including English, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese and counterfeit coins. In 1661, shortly after the restoration of the British monarchy , the British government considered the Boston mint to be treasonous. However, the colony ignored the English demands to cease operations until at least 1682, when Hull's contract as mintmaster expired, and
9424-479: The current rail system. An 8.3-mile (13.4-km) expansion has been approved to run the service from Uptown through Texas Southern University, ending at the University of Houston campus. Massachusetts Masshole Massachusite (traditional) Massachusetts ( / ˌ m æ s ə ˈ tʃ uː s ɪ t s / , /- z ɪ t s / MASS -ə- CHOO -sits, -zits ; Massachusett : Muhsachuweesut [məhswatʃəwiːsət] ), officially
9548-483: The demands of continuing growth. The Greater Houston area has a hub-and-spoke freeway structure with multiple loops. The innermost is Interstate 610 , forming a roughly 42-mile (70 km)-circumference loop around downtown. The nearly square Loop 610 is quartered into "North Loop", "South Loop", "West Loop", and "East Loop". The roads of Beltway 8 and their freeway core, the Sam Houston Tollway, are
9672-631: The departure of several manufacturing companies, the state's industrial economy began to decline during the early 20th century. By the 1920s, competition from the American South and Midwest , followed by the Great Depression , led to the collapse of the three main industries in Massachusetts: textiles, shoemaking, and precision mechanics. This decline would continue into the latter half of the 20th century. Between 1950 and 1979,
9796-538: The early 1600s, European colonists caused virgin soil epidemics such as smallpox , measles , influenza , and perhaps leptospirosis in what is now known as the northeastern region of the United States. Between 1617 and 1619, a disease that was most likely smallpox killed approximately 90% of the Massachusetts Bay Native Americans . The first English colonists in Massachusetts Bay Colony landed with Richard Vines and spent
9920-465: The endangered North Atlantic right whales , as well as humpback whales , fin whales , minke whales , and Atlantic white-sided dolphins . The European corn borer , a significant agricultural pest, was first found in North America near Boston, Massachusetts in 1917. Most of Massachusetts has a humid continental climate , with cold winters and warm summers. Far southeast coastal areas are
10044-508: The erosion of the Rocky Mountains . These sediments consist of a series of sands and clays deposited on decaying organic matter that, over time, transformed into oil and natural gas. Beneath these tiers is a water-deposited layer of halite , a rock salt. The porous layers were compressed over time and forced upward. As it pushed upward, the salt dragged surrounding sediments into dome shapes, often trapping oil and gas that seeped from
10168-508: The exclusion of same-sex couples from the right to a civil marriage was unconstitutional. In 2004, Massachusetts senator John Kerry , who won the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, lost to incumbent George W. Bush . Eight years later, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney (the Republican nominee) lost to incumbent Barack Obama in 2012. Another eight years later, Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren became
10292-497: The executive. (The Constitution of Vermont , adopted in 1777, represented the first partial ban on slavery among the states. Vermont became a state in 1791 but did not fully ban slavery until 1858 with the Vermont Personal Liberty Law. The Pennsylvania Gradual Abolition Act of 1780 made Pennsylvania the first state to abolish slavery by statute - the second English colony to do so; the first having been
10416-691: The federal Springfield Armory . The rebellion was one of the major factors in the decision to draft a stronger national constitution to replace the Articles of Confederation . On February 6, 1788, Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the United States Constitution . In 1820, Maine separated from Massachusetts and entered the Union as the 23rd state due to the ratification of the Missouri Compromise . During
10540-436: The fifth-wealthiest community, West University Place , and the sixth-wealthiest community, Piney Point Village . Greater Houston's religious community is predominantly Christian and the second-largest metropolitan area that identifies with the religion in Texas after Dallas–Fort Worth (73%). In 2012, the city of Houston proper ranked the ninth most religious city in the U.S. Within the Greater Houston metropolitan area,
10664-533: The form of buses, trolleys, and lift vans. METRO began running light rail service ( METRORail ) on January 1, 2004. Currently, the track is rather short — about 22.7 miles (20.6 km) from Northline Transit Center Station through downtown Houston to the Texas Medical Center and Reliant Park , and lines from downtown to the East End and the University of Houston/Lower 3rd Ward. Still, the system
10788-418: The inner city (defined by the 610 loop), causing Houstonians to rely on the automobile as a primary source of transportation. The problem is one due to the lack of a central metropolitan area transportation authority, primarily due to a few suburban counties refusing to cooperate with METRO. For example, there are multiple coach bus services that run into downtown Houston. METRO is in the late planning stages of
10912-491: The largest petrochemical manufacturing area in the world, including for synthetic rubber , insecticides , and fertilizers . The area is also the world's leading center for building oilfield equipment. Greater Houston is also a major center of biomedical research, aeronautics, and high technology. Much of the metro area's success as a petrochemical complex is enabled by its busy man-made Houston Ship Channel . Because of these economic trades, many residents have moved to
11036-477: The largest cruise-ship terminal in Texas (and the 12th-largest in the world). The island, as well the Clear Lake area , are major recreation and tourism areas in the region. Houston is home to the Texas Medical Center —the largest medical center in the world. Galveston is home to one of only two national biocontainment laboratories in the United States. The University of Houston System 's annual impact on
11160-492: The metropolitan area are served by various campuses of the Lone Star College System , while the southeastern portion of the city and some surrounding areas are served by San Jacinto College . Eastern portions of the area and small sections of the city are served by Lee College . Portions of Fort Bend County are served by Wharton County Junior College . Portions of Galveston County are served by College of
11284-415: The most or among the most highly regarded academic institutions in the world. Massachusetts's public-school students place among the top tier in the world in academic performance. Massachusetts is the most educated and one of the most highly developed and wealthiest U.S. states, ranking first in the percentage of population 25 and over with either a bachelor's degree or advanced degree , first on both
11408-645: The name of the Moswetuset Hummock (meaning "hill shaped like an arrowhead") in Quincy , where Plymouth Colony commander Myles Standish (a hired English military officer) and Squanto (a member of the Patuxet band of the Wamponoag people , who have since died off due to contagious diseases brought by colonists) met Chief Chickatawbut in 1621. Although the designation "Commonwealth" forms part of
11532-624: The national church. They decided to colonize to Massachusetts, intending to establish what they considered an "ideal" religious society. The Massachusetts Bay Colony was colonized under a royal charter, unlike the Plymouth colony, in 1629. Both religious dissent and expansionism resulted in several new colonies being founded, shortly after Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay, elsewhere in New England. The Massachusetts Bay banished dissenters such as Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams due to religious and political conflict. In 1636, Williams colonized what
11656-500: The nearby Gulf of Mexico and Galveston Bay area . A number of tropical storms and hurricanes have hit the metropolitan area, including: As defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget , the metropolitan area of Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land encompasses nine counties in Southeast Texas. They are listed below: Eight principal communities are designated within the Greater Houston metropolitan area. The Woodlands
11780-469: The new province's first governor, William Phips , arrived. The Salem witch trials also took place, where a number of men and women were hanged for alleged witchcraft . The most destructive earthquake known to date in New England occurred on November 18, 1755, causing considerable damage across Massachusetts. Massachusetts was a center of the movement for independence from Great Britain . Colonists in Massachusetts had long had uneasy relations with
11904-597: The next loop, at a diameter around 83 miles (134 km). A planned highway project, State Highway 99 (the Grand Parkway), will form the third loop outside of Houston. Currently, a completed portion of State Highway 99 runs clockwise from I-69 / US 59 in Sugar Land, southwest of Houston to State Highway 146 in Baytown, east of Houston and was completed in 2022. When completed in the future, I-69 will start at
12028-524: The number of Massachusetts residents involved in textile manufacturing declined from 264,000 to 63,000. The 1969 closure of the Springfield Armory , in particular, spurred an exodus of high-paying jobs from Western Massachusetts, which suffered greatly as it de-industrialized during the century's last 40 years. Massachusetts manufactured 3.4 percent of total United States military armaments produced during World War II , ranking tenth among
12152-568: The number of reported Lyme disease cases in the state. Ticks can transmit the disease once temperatures reach 45 degrees, so shorter winters will increase the window of transmission. These warmer temperatures will also increase the prevalence of Asian tiger mosquitoes , which often carry the West Nile virus . To fight this change, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs has outlined
12276-508: The rapid growth of other sectors—such as engineering services, health services, retail, and manufacturing . The area's economic activity is centered in the city of Houston , the county seat of Harris County . Houston is second to New York City in Fortune 500 headquarters. The city has attempted to build a banking industry , but the companies originally started in Houston have since merged with other companies nationwide. Banking, however,
12400-466: The re-routing of several other major highways. The project was often controversial, with numerous claims of graft and mismanagement, and with its initial price tag of $ 2.5 billion increasing to a final tally of over $ 15 billion. Nonetheless, the Big Dig changed the face of Downtown Boston and connected areas that were once divided by elevated highway. Much of the raised old Central Artery
12524-539: The region. Sugar Land is home to the second-largest economic activities and fifth-largest city in the metropolitan area. It has the most important economic center in Fort Bend County. The city holds the Imperial Sugar (its namesake), Nalco Champion, and Western Airways headquarters. Engineering firms and other related industries have managed to take the place as an economic engine. Greater Houston
12648-406: The region. According to the 2019 American Community Survey , the median household income was $ 69,193 and the per capita income was $ 35,190. Roughly 13% of the metropolis lived at or below the poverty line. As of 2011, Greater Houston has four of Texas's 10 wealthiest communities, which include the wealthiest community, Hunters Creek Village , the fourth-wealthiest community, Bunker Hill Village ,
12772-471: The religious metropolitan population. The largest non-Christian religion was Judaism . According to the study, 20% of Greater Houston was irreligious and 2% were atheist . The Association of Religion Data Archives 2020 study determined there were 7,061 Conservative Jews and 3,050 Orthodox Jews ; there were 11,481 Reform Jews throughout the area. There were an estimated 123,256 Muslims, 51,567 Hindus and Yoga practitioners, and 20,281 Buddhists . Among
12896-488: The state became a center of progressivist and abolitionist (anti-slavery) activity in the years leading up to the American Civil War . Horace Mann made the state's school system a national model. Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson , both philosophers and writers from the state, also made major contributions to American philosophy. Furthermore, members of the transcendentalist movement within
13020-676: The state emphasized the importance of the natural world and emotion to humanity. Although significant opposition to abolitionism existed early on in Massachusetts, resulting in anti-abolitionist riots between 1835 and 1837, abolitionist views there gradually increased throughout the next few decades. Abolitionists John Brown and Sojourner Truth lived in Springfield and Northampton, respectively, while Frederick Douglass lived in Boston and Susan B. Anthony in Adams . The works of such abolitionists contributed to Massachusetts's actions during
13144-416: The state's official name, it has no practical implications in modern times, and Massachusetts has the same position and powers within the United States as other states. John Adams may have chosen the word in 1779 for the second draft of what became the 1780 Massachusetts Constitution ; unlike the word "state", the word " commonwealth " had the connotation of a republic at the time. This was in contrast to
13268-506: The state: Texas Southern University and Prairie View A&M University . The University of Texas Medical Branch and Texas A&M University at Galveston , a branch campus of Texas A&M University , are located in Galveston. Several private institutions of higher learning—ranging from liberal arts colleges to a nationally recognized Tier One research university—are located within the metropolitan area. The University of St. Thomas
13392-503: The surrounding porous sands. This thick, rich soil also provides a good environment for rice farming in suburban outskirts into which the city of Houston continues to grow near Katy . Evidence of past rice farming is even still evident in developed areas as an abundance of rich, dark, loamy topsoil exists. The Greater Houston region is generally earthquake-free. While the city of Houston contains over 150 to 300 active surface faults with an aggregate length of up to 310 miles (500 km),
13516-509: The suspects as brothers Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev . The ensuing manhunt ended on April 19 when thousands of law enforcement officers searched a 20-block area of nearby Watertown . Dzhokhar later said he was motivated by extremist Islamic beliefs and learned to build explosive devices from Inspire , the online magazine of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula . On November 8, 2016, Massachusetts voted in favor of
13640-420: The third-best city on its list. Also making the 2006 list were League City (65th) in northern Galveston County and The Woodlands (73rd) in southern Montgomery County . In 2007, another Houston suburb, Friendswood , made the list ranked 51st in the nation. The 2006 list only includes cities with at least 50,000 residents, and the 2007 list contains only cities with less than 50,000 residents. Greater Houston
13764-669: The town of Salem and surrounding areas experienced one of America's most infamous cases of mass hysteria , the Salem witch trials . In the late 18th century, Boston became known as the "Cradle of Liberty" for the agitation there that later led to the American Revolution . In 1786, Shays' Rebellion , a populist revolt led by disaffected American Revolutionary War veterans, influenced the United States Constitutional Convention . Originally dependent on agriculture , fishing , and trade , Massachusetts
13888-475: The western part of Massachusetts, larger mammals such as moose and black bears have returned, largely due to reforestation following the regional decline in agriculture. Massachusetts is located along the Atlantic Flyway , a major route for migratory waterfowl along the eastern coast. Lakes in central Massachusetts provide habitat for many species of fish and waterfowl, but some species such as
14012-625: The whirlpool of panic selling that beset the New York Stock Exchange, lost over 25 percent of its value in two days of frenzied trading. The BSE, nearly 100 years old at the time, had helped raise the capital that had funded many of the Commonwealth's factories, railroads, and businesses. " Governor of Massachusetts Frank G. Allen appointed John C. Hull the first Securities Director of Massachusetts. Hull would assume office in January 1930, and his term would end in 1936. With
14136-705: The winter in Biddeford Pool near Cape Porpoise (after 1820 the State of Maine) in 1616. The Puritans , arrived at Plymouth in 1620. This was the second permanent English colony in the part of North America that later became the United States, after the Jamestown Colony . The "First Thanksgiving" was celebrated by the Puritans after their first harvest in the " New World " and lasted for three days. They were soon followed by other Puritans, who colonized
14260-479: The world economy." Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area is served by a public television station and one public radio station. KUHT (HoustonPBS) is a PBS member station and is the first public television station in the United States. Houston Public Radio is listener-funded radio and comprises one NPR member station, KUHF (KUHF News). The University of Houston System owns and holds broadcasting licenses to KUHT and KUHF. The stations broadcast from
14384-584: Was $ 308.7 billion, up 5.4% from 2004 in constant dollars—slightly larger than Austria's gross domestic product. By 2012, the GMP had risen to $ 449 billion, the fourth-largest of any metropolitan area in the United States. Only 26 countries other than the United States had a GDP exceeding Greater Houston's GAP. Mining, which in the area is almost entirely oil and gas exploration and production, accounted for 11% of Greater Houston's GAP—down from 21% as recently as 1985. The reduced role of oil and gas in Houston's GAP reflects
14508-440: Was classified as one of the largest regions where the three largest minority groups were highly represented. In 2018, its racial makeup had an estimated 35.5% Anglo American , 20% Black and African American, 7.6% Asian American and 2.1% other races; approximately 37.6% were Hispanic or Latino American of any race. Nearly one in four Greater Houstonians were foreign-born in 2018 and a quarter of all refugees settled in Texas lived in
14632-642: Was dotted with high-tech companies who recruited graduates of the area's many elite institutions of higher education. In 1987, the state received federal funding for the Central Artery/Tunnel Project. Commonly known as "the Big Dig ", it was, at the time, the biggest federal highway project ever approved. The project included making the Central Artery , part of Interstate 93 , into a tunnel under downtown Boston, in addition to
14756-545: Was originally inhabited by tribes of the Algonquian language family , including Wampanoag , Narragansett , Nipmuc , Pocomtuc , Mahican , and Massachusett . While cultivation of crops like squash and corn were an important part of their diet, the people of these tribes hunted , fished , and searched the forest for most of their food. Villagers lived in lodges called wigwams as well as longhouses . Tribes were led by male or female elders known as sachems . In
14880-556: Was replaced with the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway . The project also improved traffic conditions along several routes. The Kennedy family was prominent in 20th-century Massachusetts politics. The children of businessman and ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. included John F. Kennedy , who was a senator and U.S. president before his assassination in 1963; Ted Kennedy , a senator from 1962 until his death in 2009; and Eunice Kennedy Shriver ,
15004-706: Was the siege of Boston in the winter of 1775–76, after which the British were forced to evacuate the city. The event is still celebrated in Suffolk County only every March 17 as Evacuation Day . On the coast, Salem became a center for privateering . Although the documentation is incomplete, about 1,700 letters of marque , issued on a per-voyage basis, were granted during the American Revolution. Nearly 800 vessels were commissioned as privateers, which were credited with capturing or destroying about 600 British ships. Bostonian John Adams , known as
15128-720: Was the only Republican to serve as Speaker between 1931 and 1995), John W. McCormack , Speaker of the House in the 1960s, and Tip O'Neill , whose service as Speaker of the House from 1977 to 1987 was the longest continuous tenure in United States history. On May 17, 2004, Massachusetts became the first state in the U.S. to legalize same-sex marriage . This followed the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court 's decision in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health in November 2003, which determined that
15252-551: Was the third largest Christian group. In a separate study by the Association of Religion Data Archives in 2020, the Catholic Church numbered 1,299,901 for the metropolitan area; by 2020, the second-largest single Christian denomination ( Southern Baptists ) numbered 800,688; following, non-denominational Protestant churches represented the third-largest Christian cohort at 666,548. Altogether, however, Baptists of
15376-674: Was transformed into a manufacturing center during the Industrial Revolution . Before the American Civil War , the state was a center for the abolitionist , temperance , and transcendentalist movements. During the 20th century, the state's economy shifted from manufacturing to services ; and in the 21st century, Massachusetts has become the global leader in biotechnology , and also excels in artificial intelligence , engineering , higher education , finance , and maritime trade . The state's capital and most populous city , as well as its cultural and financial center ,
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