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50-550: In 1965 the City of Pasadena and the City of Houston both annexed an area that included the site of Bayport resulting in a lawsuit between Pasadena and City of Houston. Houston was joined by Harris County and Humble Oil & Refining Company in the lawsuit. In 1969 the Supreme Court of Texas reversed lower court rulings that had sustained Houston's motion for summary judgment and upheld the validity of Pasadena's 1965 annexation of

100-471: A Commissioner to represent them on the commissioners court and oversee county government functions in the precinct. Other elected positions in Harris County include a County Attorney , a County Clerk , a District Attorney , a District Clerk , a Sheriff , eight Constables , a Tax Assessor-Collector, a County Treasurer , and every judge in the county except municipal judges, who are appointed by

150-463: A bellwether in presidential elections, voting for winners of every presidential election from 2000 through 2012 (both Barack Obama and Texas resident George W. Bush won the county twice). As a result of the Obama sweep in 2008, many Democratic candidates in contests for lower-level offices also benefited, and many Republican incumbents were replaced by Democrats in the Harris County courthouse. Some of

200-411: A female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.38. In the county, 29.00% of the population was under the age of 18, 10.3% was from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 7.4%

250-495: A number of severe weather events, such as the following hurricanes and tropical storms: According to the United States Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 1,777 square miles (4,600 km ), of which 1,703 square miles (4,410 km ) is land and 74 square miles (190 km ) (4.2%) is covered by water. Both its total area and land area are larger than the U.S. state of Rhode Island . As of

300-492: A path to citizenship provided they speak English and have no criminal record, holding from 83% in 2013, which was up from 19% in 2009. In 2013, 87% supported background checks for all firearms, the latest year that question was included in the Kinder Houston Survey. This measure has moved up steadily from 60% in 1985 to 69% in 2000. The 1910 county courthouse was renovated in the 1950s to update its systems. In

350-621: A way of saving taxpayer money. The chief administrative officer of a Texas County, as set up in the Texas Constitution , is the County Judge , who sits as the chair of the county's Commissioners' Court (the equivalent of a Board of Supervisors in some other states). In 2019, Judge Lina Hidalgo was sworn in as the County Judge. The county is split into four geographical divisions called precincts. Each precinct elects

400-615: Is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas ; as of the 2020 census , the population was 4,731,145, making it the most populous county in Texas and the third-most populous county in the United States . Its county seat is Houston , the most populous city in Texas and fourth-most populous city in the United States. The county was founded in 1836 and organized in 1837. It is named for John Richardson Harris , who founded

450-452: Is near the Crosby census-designated place and has a Crosby postal address. 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. The county has an elections administrator and elections office, which was non-partisan but under the oversight of Democrat Lina Hidalgo ,

500-467: The Houston Chronicle said that residents of Harris County were "consistently conservative in elections" and that they were, according to a Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research opinion poll, "surprisingly liberal on topics such as immigration, gun control and equal matrimonial rights for same-sex couples". Harris is regarded as a moderate or swing county in Texas, and has been

550-478: The 2020 census , there were 4,731,145 people, 1,692,730 households, and 1,156,059 families in the county. The population density was 2,771.7 inhabitants per square mile (1,070.2/km ). There were 1,842,683 housing units. The racial makeup of the county was 38.2% White , 19.0% African American , 1.1% Native American , 7.9% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 17.7% from Some Other Races and 15.8% from two or more races . Hispanic or Latino of any race were 39.9% of

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600-605: The Albemarle / Akzo Nobel site. Adjacent to the industrial complex is the new Bayport Terminal , which contains both a major new cargo container shipping terminal and a cruise ship terminal. This port is operated by the Port of Houston Authority. For a complete listing, see list of cities and towns in Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land MSA Harris County, Texas Harris County

650-423: The commissioners' court . Each Texas county has four precinct commissioners and a county judge. Although this body is called a court, it conducts the general business of the county and oversees financial matters. The commissioners court may hire personnel to run major departments, such as health and human services. Besides the county judge and commissioners, the other elective offices found in most counties include

700-520: 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

750-671: The Harris County Cemetery on Oates Road in Houston, which previously had housing for elderly people. It has 18 acres (7.3 ha) of land. It was established in 1921 on property taken from police officers who had acted corruptly. The county paid $ 80,000 for 100 acres (40 ha) 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;

800-477: The Harris County Judge. The State of Texas Legislature passed a law, SB 1750, that asks for the position to be abolished effective September 2023, as the law states that any county with at least 3,500,000 persons should have elections done by the clerk and tax assessor-collector; of all Texas counties, only Harris would be affected. This was done following failings in the 2022 election, as confirmed by

850-642: The Houston Area Asian Survey of the Kinder Institute of Urban Research Houston Area Survey stated that between 1990 and 2000, the Asian population in Harris County increased by 76%; between 2000 and 2010, it increased by 45%. Economically, Harris County along with other Texas counties has one of the nation's highest property tax rates. In 2007, the county was ranked in the top 25 at 22nd in the nation for property taxes as percentage of

900-616: The Red Fish Bar. Some of those passengers traveled further up the bay system, but it is not known whether they settled up Buffalo Bayou or the San Jacinto River . One of these passengers, a Mr. Ryder, settled at what is now known as Morgan's Point, Texas . Also in 1822, John Iiams settled his family at Cedar Point after sailing from Berwick's Bay, Louisiana . Dr. Johnson Hunter arrived just after Iiams. He also wrecked his boat near Galveston. He settled at Morgan's Point and

950-579: 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). The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates some correctional facilities in Harris County, including: 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

1000-421: The United States, behind only Cook County, Illinois . Harris also has the second largest Hispanic population in the nation, behind only Los Angeles County, California . As of the 2010 census , there were 4,092,459 people, 1,435,087 households, and _ families resided in the county. The population density was 2,402.4 inhabitants per square mile (927.6/km ). There were 1,598,613 housing units. The racial makeup of

1050-599: The Vince brothers. Nicolas Clopper arrived in the Galveston Bay area from Ohio in the 1820s. He attempted to develop Buffalo Bayou as a trading conduit for the Brazos River valley. He acquired land at Morgan's Point in 1826. 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

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1100-560: 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. The first recorded European settlers in Harris County arrived in 1822. Their schooner sailed into Galveston Bay and ran aground on

1150-549: 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 ,

1200-632: The complex. Additionally the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership estimates that for every job created within the complex approximately 3.79 related jobs are created on average outside the district. Thus the district represents a key economic pillar of the communities in the area. Major facilities in the district include the LyondellBasell site, the Celanese / Air Products / Clariant / Dow / Arkema site, and

1250-962: The county aged five and older spoke English only, while 44.4% spoke another language at home, alone or together with English; Spanish remained the second most spoken language (35%). In 2010 statistics, the largest religious group in Harris County was the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston , with 1,947,223 Catholics worshiping at 109 parishes, followed by 579,759 Southern Baptists with 811 congregations, 348,461 non-denominational Christian adherents with 577 congregations, 182,624 United Methodists with 124 congregations, an estimated 117,148 Muslims with 47 congregations, 44,472 LDS Mormons with 77 congregations, 39,041 Episcopalians with 43 congregations, 34,957 PC-USA Presbyterians with 49 congregations, 33,525 Churches of Christ Christians with 124 congregations, and 30,521 LCMS Lutherans with 46 congregations. Altogether, 58.4% of

1300-520: The county attorney, county and district clerks, county treasurer, sheriff, tax assessor-collector, justices of the peace, and constables. As a part of the checks and balances system, counties have an auditor appointed by the district courts. Harris County was one of the earliest areas of Texas to turn Republican. It voted Republican in all but one presidential election from 1952 to 2004, the lone break coming when native Texan Lyndon Johnson carried it in his 44-state landslide in 1964. In 2008, Barack Obama

1350-411: The county during the 2018 elections, as it did nationwide. In 2020, Joe Biden improved Clinton's performance by two points while Donald Trump only increased his vote share by one point. Though it has shifted towards Democrats in recent years, Harris County has nevertheless voted to the right of Dallas , Travis , Bexar , and El Paso , each of which has a smaller population. In 2013, Allen Turner of

1400-556: The county was 58.3% White , 18.8% African American , 0.6% Native American , 6.7% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 12.9% from Some Other Races and 2.6% from two or more races . Hispanic or Latino of any race were 36.8% of the population. As of the 2000 census , there were 3,400,578 people, 1,205,516 households, and 834,217 families resided in the county. The population density was 1,967.0 inhabitants per square mile (759.5/km ). There were 1,298,130 housing units at an average density of 751 per square mile (290/km²). The racial makeup of

1450-409: The county was 58.73% White , 18.49% African American , 0.45% Native American , 5.14% Asian , 0.06% Pacific Islander , 14.18% from Some Other Races , and 2.96% from two or more races . Hispanic or Latino of any race were 32.93% of the population. Of the 1,205,516 households out of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% were married couples living together, 13.7% had

1500-408: The county were Spanish or Spanish Creole (1,106,883 speakers), Vietnamese (53,311), Chinese (33,003), French including Louisiana French and Patois (33,003), and Urdu (14,595). Among these groups, 46% of Spanish speakers, 37% of Vietnamese speakers, 50% of Chinese speakers, 85% of French speakers, and 72% of Urdu speakers said that they spoke English at least "very well". In 2020, 55.6% of

1550-506: 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 20 acres (8.1 ha) 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

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1600-465: 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

1650-715: 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

1700-601: 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 50 acres (20 ha) 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

1750-734: The defeated Republican district court judges were later re-appointed to vacant District Court benches by Governor Rick Perry. In 2018, Democrats swept the court capturing all 59 seats on the civil, criminal, family, juvenile and probate courts. The Kinder Institute's Houston Survey in 2018 found that from 2014 through 2018 the number of Houston residents who supported adoption of children by same-sex couples climbed above 50% and remained there, while in 2017 over 56% of residents reported gay or lesbian persons among their circle of close personal friends. A 2013 opinion poll had found that 46% of Harris County residents supported same-sex marriage, up from 37% in 2001. Just above 82% favored offering illegal immigrants

1800-640: The disputed territory. In 1970 the City of Pasadena created an industrial district that included the Bayport complex. The development, created in 1970, is among the largest private industrial complexes in the United States. The leading center for chemical processing in the Houston area, Bayport contains more than 60 chemical plants. Businesses located in this district can receive tax incentives from Harris County , La Porte, and Pasadena. As of 2007 local business volume for Bayport-related enterprises exceeds $ 829 million annually with 11,000 jobs directly attributable to

1850-643: 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. The area has had

1900-531: The homes value on owner-occupied housing; the list only includes counties with a population over 65,000 for comparability. Additionally, Harris County residents had a median household income of $ 63,022 with a mean income of $ 93,184. Families had a median income of $ 73,274 and mean of $ 105,534; married-couple families $ 93,961 with a mean of $ 128,211; and non-family households a median of $ 43,488 and mean of $ 62,435. In 2000, 1,961,993 residents of Harris County spoke English only. The five most spoken foreign languages in

1950-548: The investigation initiated by Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg 's 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. The Harris County Flood Control District manages the effects of flooding in

2000-768: 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 Minute Maid Park . As of 2018 there are over 60 law enforcement agencies operating in

2050-676: The mayors and confirmed by city councils of their respective cities. Many of the organs of the Harris County government reside in the Harris County Campus in Downtown Houston . In 2000, the largest employers in Harris County were Administaff , Compaq , Continental Airlines , Memorial Hermann Healthcare System , and Southwestern Bell . Cedar Point, Texas Cedar Point is a census-designated place (CDP) in Polk County , Texas , United States. This

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2100-534: 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. Harris County Eastgate Cemetery had started operations in 2014. It

2150-482: The population was claimed as members by religious congregations, although members of historically African-American denominations were underrepresented due to incomplete information. In 2014, the county had 1,607 religious organizations, the third most out of all U.S. counties. County governments serve as agents of the state, with responsibilities defined in the Texas Constitution. Counties are governed by

2200-463: The population were below the poverty line, including 19.6% of those under age 18 and 12.20% of those age 65 or over. Overall, Harris County's population has recorded positive growth since the 1850 census tabulated-population of 4,668. Among the county population, once predominantly non-Hispanic white , the largest racial or ethnic group has become Hispanic or Latino Americans (43.01%) as of 2020. Following, non-Hispanic whites declined to 27.68% of

2250-450: The population. 25.6% of residents were under the age of 18, 6.7% were under 5 years of age, and 12.1% were 65 and older. With a poverty rate of 15.6% as of 2020, Children At Risk —a local nonprofit research organization—estimated 21% of the Harris County children lived in poverty, 6.5 per 1,000 die before age one, and 38% drop out of high school as of 2007. As of 2023, Harris County had the second largest population of Black Americans in

2300-405: The population; Black or African Americans were 18.72% of the area population, and Asian Americans made up 7.29% of the county; multiracial Americans increased to 2.57%, American Indians and Alaska Natives declined to 0.18%, and Pacific Islanders grew to 0.07% of the population. Having a large and growing Asian American community alongside Hispanics and Latinos and Black and African American,

2350-514: The town of Harrisburg on Buffalo Bayou in 1826. According to the July 2023 census estimate, Harris County's population has shifted to 4,835,125 comprising over 16% of Texas's population. 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. Human remains date habitation to about 4000 BC. Other evidence of humans in

2400-430: Was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.0 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 42,598, and the median income for a family was $ 49,004. Males had a median income of $ 37,361 versus $ 28,941 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 21,435. About 12.10% of families and 14.97% of

2450-551: Was a grantee of land there. Nathaniel Lynch settled in the area and operated a ferry. 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

2500-466: Was the first Democrat to win the county since Texas native Lyndon Johnson in 1964. The city of Houston itself holds one of the highest concentrations of Democratic voters in the state, while suburban areas such as Cypress , Spring , and Katy in the county's western and northern areas, tend to be strongly Republican. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won the county by the largest margin for a Democrat since 1964. The Democratic Party performed very strongly in

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