Pearland, Texas

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City of Pearland
Pearland City Hall
Pearland City Hall
Motto: 
Where town meets country
Location in Brazoria County in the state of Texas
Location in Brazoria County in the state of Texas
CountryUnited StatesUnited States
StateTexasTexas
CountiesBrazoria, Harris, Fort Bend
Government
 • TypeCouncil-Manager
 • City CouncilMayor Tom Reid
Woodrow "Woody" Owens
Scott Sherman
Felicia Kyle
Steve Saboe
Ed Thompson
 • City ManagerBill Eisen
Area
 • Total39.4 sq mi (101.9 km2)
 • Land39.3 sq mi (101.9 km2)
 • Water0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation
49 ft (15 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total91,252
 • Density2,316/sq mi (894/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
77581, 77584, 77588
Area code(s)281, 713, 832
FIPS code48-56348Template:GR
GNIS feature ID1343734Template:GR
WebsiteCityOfPearland.com

Pearland (pronounced "pear-land", like the fruit), is a city located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area and is in the counties of Brazoria, Fort Bend, and Harris. As of the census of 2000, the city's population was 37,640. As of 2008, Pearland is estimated to have a population of 90,700 according to city limit signs.[1] The 2010 census returned a population of 91,252.

In 2007, Forbes Magazine ranked Pearland as the 34th fastest growing suburb in the nation. It is therefore the fastest growing suburb in the Greater Houston area, and the 10th fastest growing in the state of Texas.[2]

Geography

Pearland is located at 29°33′16″N 95°17′45″W / 29.55444°N 95.29583°W / 29.55444; -95.29583Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (29.554349, -95.295959)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 39.4 square miles (101.9 km²), of which, 39.3 square miles (101.9 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.08%) is water.

In 2009 the city said that the city limits had 48 square miles (120 km2) and that the combined area of the city limits and of nearby unincorporated areas, including Country Place and Silverlake, was 72 square miles (190 km2).[3]

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 37,640 people, 13,192 households, and 10,659 families residing in the city. The population density was 957.0 people per square mile (369.5/km²). There were 13,922 housing units at an average density of 354.0 per square mile (136.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city as of 2000, was 82.62% White, 5.33% African American, 0.42% Native American, 3.65% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 5.12% from other races, and 1.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.22% of the population.

There were 13,192 households out of which 43.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.6% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.2% were non-families. 15.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.17.

Map of Pearland (2002)

In the city the population was spread out with 28.8% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 34.2% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 116.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 122.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $64,156, and the median income for a family was $70,748 (these figures had risen to $83,706 and $92,096 respectively as of a 2007 estimate[4]). Males had a median income of $49,359 versus $34,570 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,306. About 3.4% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.

According to the 2006–2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, the racial composition in 2009 was as follows:

The City of Pearland stated in 2009 that the estimated population in the city limits was 91,000, and that city population and the population of nearby unincorporated areas, including Country Place and Silverlake, was 125,000 altogether.[3]

From 2000 to 2010 the population increased by almost three times. Pearland itself is ethnically diverse; 62 languages are spoken in Pearland public schools.[6]

History

The area that is now Pearland had its humble beginnings near a siding switch on the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway in 1882. When a post office was established in 1893, the community was originally named Mark Belt. On September 24, 1894, the plat of "Pear Land" was filed with the Brazoria County courthouse by Witold von Zychlinski, a man of Polish nobility.[7] At the time Pearland had many fruits harvested by residents. Zychlinski saw the pear trees and decided that "Pearland" would make a good name for the community.[6]

Pearland was promoted by some developers as an "agricultural Eden." The first subdivision was called Suburban Gardens. The Galveston hurricane of 1900 and the Galveston hurricane of 1915, destroyed most of the fruit trees and slowed growth for a considerable period of time, and caused a period of desertification in the area. In 1914, with agriculture rebounding and the end of desertification, Pearland had a population of 400, but a devastating freeze in 1918 was another setback to the local farming enterprises. Oil was discovered nearby in 1934, which led to the development of the Hastings Oilfield, though did not spur a large amount of growth, as the population fluctuated from 150 and 350. From the 1970s, the town has grown to its present-day population.

Cityscape

In the 1800s present-day Pearland consisted of prairie. Residents harvested fruit and vegetables such as cantaloupes, corn, figs, pears, and watermelons. In the 1930s and 1940s Pearland had many dance halls and beer joints that entertained people from the Hastings and Manvel oil fields.[6]

By 1990 the city limits had extended into Harris County.[8] In the 1990s home developers began buying large tracts of land, changing the geography of the city. Former rice fields filled with houses. The historic town center of Pearland is at the intersection of Texas State Highway 35/Main and Broadway. Western Pearland has a lot of suburban development, while eastern Pearland has older houses and, according to Maggie Galehouse of the Houston Chronicle, Pearland's "rural roots still show" in the east side. Pearland's main east-west corridor is Farm to Market Road 518/Broadway.[6]

Economy

Pearland does not have any major industry. The largest employers are a reflection of Pearland's suburban economy, with some businesses related to the oil industry and biomedical industry. The largest employer is the Pearland Independent School District, employing 1,800 people. The second largest employer is Wal-Mart, which operates several stores in town and employs 800 people. The H-E-B Plus is the third largest employer in town employing more than 500 people. The City of Pearland is the fourth largest employer in town at 429 employees. Rounding out the top 10 are Randall's (Grocery), 250; Kemlon (Oil field services), 275; TurboCare (Turbo machinery manufacturing and repair), 175; Target Stores (Retail) 150, Tele-Flow (Heating/ventilation/air conditioning) 140, Lowe's (Building materials), 132.[4]

Though formerly an agriculture-based town, Pearland is now predominantly white-collar (71%). "Professional and Related Occupations", "Sales and Services", and "Management, Business, and Financial Operations" are the three primary fields of employment (23%, 30%, and 18% respectively).2

Many residents in Pearland work in the Texas Medical Center (in fact, of all neighborhoods and suburbs in Greater Houston, Pearland has the highest percentage of TMC workers).

Growth and development

Current large-scale projects include:

  • Pearland Town Center - A 937,000 sq ft (87,100 m2). lifestyle center. Opened in July 2008. Includes Macy's, Dillard's, and Barnes and Noble.
  • Shadow Creek Town Center - A 640,265 sq ft (59,482.6 m2). retail center. Construction underway, rolling openings until Fall 2008.
  • The Spectrum at Clear Creek - A 750,000 sq ft (70,000 m2). industrial/business park. Construction underway, completion date unknown.
  • WaterLights District - a proposed 50-acre (200,000 m2) mixed-use development, went into foreclosure.

Government and infrastructure

City Elected Officials: Mayor: Tom Reid [Term Expires May 2011]; Councilman, Position 1: Woody Owens [Term Expires May 2010]; Councilman, Position 2: Scott Sherman [Term Expires May 2012]; Councilman, Position 3: Steve Saboe [Term Expires May 2011]; Councilwoman, Position 4: Felicia Kyle [Term Expires May 2012]; Councilman, Position 5: Kevin Cole [Term Expires May 2010] The official City of Pearland website is very helpful. [5]

The city is represented in the Congress in the 22nd District by Republican Pete Olson, elected in 2008.[9]

The United States Postal Service operates the Pearland Post Office at 3519 East Walnut Street and the Silver Lake Post Office at 2700 Cullen Boulevard.[10][11]

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Public schools

Most of Pearland is a part of the Pearland Independent School District. Other portions of Pearland are part of Alvin Independent School District (including most of Shadow Creek Ranch), Fort Bend Independent School District (including some of Shadow Creek Ranch), Clear Creek Independent School District, Houston Independent School District, and Pasadena Independent School District.

Private schools

Colleges and universities

The Pearland ISD and Alvin ISD portions are served by Alvin Community College (ACC), and the Pasadena ISD portion is served by San Jacinto College. ACC operates the Pearland Community College Center in Pearland.

The University of Houston–Clear Lake (UHCL) has a satellite campus, located within the city.

Public libraries

The Pearland Library at 3522 Liberty Drive is a part of the Brazoria County Library System. As of September 13, 2008 the library was closed for many months due to Hurricane Ike storm damage.[12] It reopened in March 2009.[13] There are many activities at all branches of the Brazoria County Library System.[14] They are all free and open to the public.

Neighborhoods

Shadow Creek Ranch

Eighty-three percent of Pearland is residential, which is the one big contributing factor to the high population. The city is home to many master-planned communities—Sunrise Lakes, Southern Trails, Southdown, Lakes of Highland Glen,[15] and Shadow Creek Ranch are among the most popular master-planned communities in Brazoria County.[citation needed] Country Place and Silverlake are in unincorporated areas near Pearland.[3]

Transportation

In 2010 Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO) announced that it will buy a 12-acre (4.9 ha) vacant site at the intersection of State Highway 288 and County Road 59 to build a Park and Ride. Scheduled to open in fall 2010, the facility will have 750 parking spaces. Another 750 spaces will be added at a later point. Kimberly Slaughter, METRO's associate vice president of planning, said that the facility will provide traffic relief for people living around Pearland Town Center and residents who live in or near Shadow Creek Ranch.[16]

Airports

Skyway Manor Airport, a privately-owned airport, is located within the Pearland city limits. Pearland Regional Airport, a privately-owned airport, is located in unincorporated Brazoria County south of the Pearland city limits. Both airports allow public use.

The closest publicly-owned airport is the Brazoria County Airport, located in an unincorporated area.

Commercial airline service is provided out of Houston from William P. Hobby Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Freeway system

Pearland is served by State Highway 288 which connects the city to Houston. FM 518, locally known as Broadway, is considered the main east-west artery of the city. State Highway 35, locally called Main Street and known as Telephone Road, is the main north-south artery of the city. Given the spread out area, SH 288 serves the westernmost part of the city, while SH 35 serves the easternmost part as both connect Pearland to Houston (FM 865/Cullen Blvd also connects Houston as well in between). The Texas State Highway Beltway 8 (Sam Houston Tollway) services the northern part of Pearland. It is located adjacent to the northern Brazoria County and southeastern Harris County border. It also serves as one of the largest tollways in the Houston area.[8]

Parks and recreation

  • C.V. 'Vic' Coppinger Family YMCA Branch is located in Pearland.
  • The Pearland Parks and Recreation Department is a large, active city entity [9]

People

Sister cities

References

  1. ^ Pearland Economic Development Corporation: Demographics
  2. ^ "America's Fastest-Growing Suburbs - Forbes.com". Forbes. July 16, 2007.
  3. ^ a b c "FAQ's." “Who Can I Call” 2009–2011. City of Pearland. June 2009. Page 9 (9/12). Retrieved on January 23, 2010.
  4. ^ http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=16000US4827648&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US48%7C16000US4827648&_street=&_county=pearland&_cityTown=pearland&_state=04000US48&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=160&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=ACS_2007_3YR_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=
  5. ^ http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=16000US4856348&-qr_name=ACS_2008_3YR_G00_DP3YR5&-ds_name=ACS_2008_3YR_G00_&-_lang=en&-_sse=on
  6. ^ a b c d Galehouse, Maggie. "A small town with a lot of people." Houston Chronicle. July 16, 2010. Retrieved on July 18, 2010.
  7. ^ http://www.pearlandhistoricalsociety.com/Photos_Zychlinski.html
  8. ^ "Pearland, Texas." Handbook of Texas. Retrieved on October 12, 2010.
  9. ^ "Texas Secretary of State, 2008 General Election, U.S. Representative District 22". 2008-11-05. Retrieved 2008-11-08. [dead link]
  10. ^ "Post Office Location - PEARLAND." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.
  11. ^ "Post Office Location - SILVER LAKE." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.
  12. ^ PEARLAND Library Brazoria County Library System. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.
  13. ^ "[1]"
  14. ^ [2]
  15. ^ [3]
  16. ^ Stanton, Robert. "Metro to buy tract for area Park & Ride." Ultimate Pearland at Houston Chronicle. March 30, 2010. Retrieved on March 31, 2010.

http://www.chron.com/community/photogallery/pearland/library_reopens.html

External links

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