Fort Bend County, Texas

Infobox U.S. County
county = Fort Bend County
state = Texas


seallink =
map size = 200
founded year = 1837
founded date =
seat wl = Richmond
largest city wl = Sugar Land
area_total_sq_mi = 886
area_total_km2 = 2295
area_land_sq_mi = 875
area_land_km2 = 2265
area_water_sq_mi = 11
area_water_km2 = 30
area percentage = 1.29%
census yr = 2000
pop = 354452
density_sq_mi =
density_km2 =
time zone = Central
UTC offset = -6
DST offset = -5
footnotes =
web = www.co.fort-bend.tx.us
named for = A blockhouse positioned in a bend of the Brazos River, which was the center of life in the future county in early days.

Fort Bend County is a county located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. In 2000 its population was 354,452; in 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated its population to have reached 509,822, a 43% growth rate in seven years from the last U.S. Census. Since the 1970s Fort Bend County has been one of the fastest growing counties in the United States. It is named for a blockhouse positioned in a bend of the Brazos River, which was the center of life in the future county in early days. Its county seat is RichmondGR|6, while its largest city is Sugar Land.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 886 square miles (2,295 km²), of which, 875 square miles (2,265 km²) of it is land and 11 square miles (30 km²) of it (1.29%) is water.

Major Highways

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Adjacent counties

*Waller County (north)
*Harris County (east)
*Brazoria County (southeast)
*Wharton County (southwest)
*Austin County (northwest)

Demographics

USCensusPop
1900 = 16538
1910 = 18168
1920 = 22931
1930 = 29718
1940 = 32963
1950 = 31056
1960 = 40527
1970 = 52314
1980 = 130846
1990 = 225421
2000 = 354452
estimate=509822
estyear=2007

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 354,452 people, 110,915 households, and 93,057 families residing in the county. The population density was 405 people per square mile (156/km²). There were 115,991 housing units at an average density of 133 per square mile (51/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 56.96% White (46.21% White Non-hispanic), 19.85% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 11.20% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 9.10% from other races, and 2.56% from two or more races. 21.12% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 8.8% were of German, 6.3% American and 5.8% English ancestry according to Census 2000.

In 2006 Fort Bend county had a population of 493,187 people. This represented a growth of 39.1% since 2000. The county's racial or ethnic makeup was 53.96% White (39.63% White Non-hispanic), 20.88% African American, 14.77% Asian, 0.51% Native American, 7.73% other races and 2.14% from two or more races. 22.88% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 23.82% of the population was foreign born; of this, 50.24% came from Asia, 37.17% came from Latin America, 5.74% from Africa, 5.28% from Europe and 1.57% from other parts of the world.

Since the 1970's Fort Bend County has been attracting people from all types of racial and ethnic backgroups and according to a 2001 Claritas study, it is the 5th most diverse county in the United States among counties of 100,000+ population. [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2001_July_23/ai_76689304 Claritas Study Ranks Racial/Ethnic Diversity in Counties Nationwide ] ] It is one of a growing number of counties with no clear ethnic-racial group in the majority. Fort Bend County also has the highest percentage of Asian Americans in the Southern United States.

In 2000 There were 110,915 households out of which 49.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.80% were married couples living together, 11.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.10% were non-families. 13.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.14 and the average family size was 3.46.

In the county, the population was spread out with 32.00% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 32.30% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 5.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $63,831, and the median income for a family was $69,781. Males had a median income of $47,979 versus $32,661 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,985. About 5.50% of families and 7.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.50% of those under age 18 and 9.40% of those age 65 or over.

As of 2006 Fort Bend County is the wealthiest county in Texas and one of the wealthiest in the US with a median household income of $75,202(In 2006 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars), having surpassed Collin and Rockwall counties(Dallas suburbs) since the 2000 census. [cite web | url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/STTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=05000US48157&-qr_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_S1901&-ds_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_&-redoLog=false | title=2006 American Community Survey: Fort Bend County, Texas | year=2006 | publisher=census.gov | accessdate=2007-11-21]

Government and politics

Texas Legislature

Texas Senate

Towns

*Beasley
*Fairchilds
*Kendleton
*Orchard
*Pleak
*Simonton
*Thompsons

Unincorporated areas

Census-designated areas

* Cinco Ranch
* Cumings
* Fifth Street
* Four Corners
* Fresno
* Greatwood
* Mission Bend
* New Territory
* Pecan Grove
* Sienna Plantation

Other unincorporated areas

* Booth
* Crabb
* Clodine
* Foster
* Guy
* Juliff
* Lakemont
* Long Point
* Pittsville
* Powell Point
* Tavener
* Tara Subdivision

Education

Public school districts

*Brazos Independent School District
*Fort Bend Independent School District
*Katy Independent School District
*Kendleton Independent School District
*Lamar Consolidated Independent School District
*Needville Independent School District
*Stafford Municipal School District

Colleges and universities

*Houston Community College System
*University of Houston System at Cinco Ranch
*University of Houston System at Sugar Land
*Wharton County Junior College
*Bay Ridge Christian College

Libraries

Fort Bend County Libraries operates many libraries in the county.

Houston Public Library operates one branch in the county.

Transportation

Airports

The sole publicly-owned airport in the county is Sugar Land Regional Airport in Sugar Land

Privately-owned airports for public use include:
*Happy Landings Airport is in an unincorporated area east of Beasley.
*Houston Southwest Airport in Arcola
*Westheimer Air Park is in an unincorporated area between Fulshear and Houston.

Privately-owned airports for private use include:
*Cardiff Brothers Airport is in an unincorporated area near Fulshear and Katy

The following general aviation heliports (all privately owned, for private use) exist in unincorporated areas:
*Dewberry Heliport is in an unincorporated area between Fulshear and Katy

The closest airport with regularly scheduled commercial service is Houston's William P. Hobby Airport in Harris County. The closest airport with regularly scheduled international commercial service is George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston in Harris County.

Mass transit

Fort Bend County officially created a department of Public Transportation in 2005 that provides commuter buses to Greenway Plaza, Houston Galleria, and starting in July 2008, The Texas Medical Center. It also provides Demand and Response Buses to Senior Citizens and the General Public that travel only in Fort Bend County to anywhere in Fort Bend County. www.co.fort-bend.tx.us

Freeway system

The TTC-69 component (recommended preferred) of the planned Trans-Texas Corridor goes through Fort Bend County [ [http://ttc.keeptexasmoving.com/projects/i69/detailed_maps_cs.aspx TxDoT, TTC Section C & S, Detailed Maps 2 & 3, 2007-12-17] ] .

Corrections

The Fort Bend County Jail is located at 1410 Ransom Road in Richmond. [" [http://web.archive.org/web/20061003124955/http://www.co.fort-bend.tx.us/getSitePage.asp?sitePage=5527 Detention] ." "Fort Bend County". October 3, 2006.]

Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates the following facilities in Fort Bend County:

State jails for men:
* Central Unit (Sugar Land) [" [http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/unitdirectory/c.htm CENTRAL (C)] ." "Texas Department of Criminal Justice". Accessed September 14, 2008.] [" [http://svrch15.sugarlandtx.gov/website/street_locator/viewer.htm Street/Address Locator] ." City of Sugar Land. Accessed September 14, 2008.]
* Jester III Unit ("Unincorporated area") [" [http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/unitdirectory/j3.htm JESTER III (J3)] ." "Texas Department of Criminal Justice". Accessed September 14, 2008.] (Co-located with the Jester units)
* Vance Unit ("Unincorporated area") [" [http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/unitdirectory/j2.htm VANCE (J2)] ." "Texas Department of Criminal Justice". Accessed September 14, 2008.] (Co-located with the Jester units)

Other facilities:
* Jester I Unit - Substance Abuse Felony Punishment Facility ("Unincorporated area") [" [http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/unitdirectory/j1.htm JESTER I (J3)] ." "Texas Department of Criminal Justice". Accessed September 14, 2008.] (Co-located with the Jester units)
* Jester IV Unit - Psychiatric Facility ("Unincorporated area") [" [http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/unitdirectory/j4.htm JESTER IV (J4)] ." "Texas Department of Criminal Justice". Accessed September 14, 2008.] (Co-located with the Jester units)

References

External links

* [http://www.co.fort-bend.tx.us Fort Bend County official website]
* [http://texashistory.unt.edu/browse/contributor/FB/ Historic Images from the Fort Bend Museum hosted by the Portal to Texas History]
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* [http://www.txcip.org/tac/census/profile.php?FIPS=48157 Fort Bend County profile from The County Information Project]