Brazoria County ( ) is a
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
. As of the
2020 census, the population of the county was 372,031.
The
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
is
Angleton.
Brazoria County is included in the
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area
In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...
. It is located in the
Gulf Coast
The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South, is the coast, coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The list of U.S. states and territories by coastline, coastal states that have a shor ...
region of Texas.
Regionally, parts of the county are within the extreme southernmost fringe of the regions locally known as
Southeast Texas
Southeast Texas is a cultural and geographic region in the U.S. state of Texas, bordering Southwest Louisiana and its greater Acadiana region to the east. Being a part of East Texas, the region is geographically centered on the Greater Houston ...
. Brazoria County is among a number of counties that are part of the region known as the
Texas Coastal Bend. Its county seat is
Angleton, and its largest city is
Pearland
Pearland ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, within Brazoria County, with portions extending into Fort Bend and Harris counties. The city of Pearland is a principal city within the metropolitan statistical area. At the 2020 U.S. census, t ...
. Brazoria County, like
Brazos County farther upriver, takes its name from the
Brazos River. It served as the first settlement area for Anglo-Texas, when the
Old Three Hundred
The "Old Three Hundred" were 297 grantees who purchased 307 parcels of land from Stephen Fuller Austin in Mexican Texas. Each grantee was head of a household, or, in some cases, a partnership of married men. Austin was an American approved in ...
emigrated from the United States in 1821. The county also includes what was once
Columbia and
Velasco, Texas
Velasco was a town in Texas, United States, that was later merged with the city of Freeport by an election conducted by eligible voters of both municipalities on February 9, 1957. The consolidation effort passed by a margin of 17 votes. Founded ...
, early capital cities of the
Republic of Texas. The highest point in Brazoria County is Shelton's Shack, located near the Dow Chemical Plant B Truck Control Center, measuring 342 ft above sea level.
History
Brazoria County takes its name from the Brazos River, which flows through it. Anglo-Texas began in Brazoria County when the first of
Stephen F. Austin
Stephen Fuller Austin (November 3, 1793 – December 27, 1836) was an American-born empresario. Known as the "Father of Texas" and the founder of Anglo Texas,Hatch (1999), p. 43. he led the second and, ultimately, the successful colonization ...
's authorized
300 American settlers arrived at the mouth of the Brazos in 1821. Many of the events leading to the
Texas Revolution developed in Brazoria County. In 1832, Brazoria was organized as a separate municipal district by the Mexican government, so became one of Texas original counties at independence in 1836.
An early resident of Brazoria County, Joel Walter Robison, fought in the Texas Revolution and later represented
Fayette County in the
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abo ...
.
Stephen F. Austin's original burial place is located at a church cemetery,
Gulf Prairie Cemetery
Gulf Prairie Cemetery (also known as Gulph Prairie Cemetery, Gulf Prairie Presbyterian Cemetery, and Peach Point Cemetery) is located in Jones Creek, Texas, United States, off State Highway 36 and County Road 304 and was the original resting plac ...
, in the town of
Jones Creek
Jones Creek is a village in Brazoria County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,020 at the 2010 census. It is the first location in Texas where Stephen F. Austin settled.
History
The Father of Texas, Stephen F. Austin, first settled in J ...
, on what was his brother-in-law's Peach Point Plantation. His remains were exhumed in 1910 and brought to be reinterred at the state capital in
Austin. The town of
West Columbia served as the first capital of Texas, dating back to prerevolutionary days.
Temple Lea Houston
Temple Lea Houston (August 12, 1860 – August 15, 1905) was an American attorney and politician who served from 1885 to 1889 in the Texas State Senate. He was the last-born child of Margaret Lea Houston and Sam Houston, the first elected pre ...
, youngest son of
Sam Houston, around 1880 was the
county attorney
In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a lo ...
of Brazoria County. His life story is reflected in the 1963 film ''The Man from Galveston'' and the 26-episode 1963-1964
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...
, ''
Temple Houston''.
The Hastings Oil Field was discovered by the
Stanolind Oil and Gas Company in 1934. Production was from a depth of , associated with a
salt dome
A salt dome is a type of structural dome formed when salt (or other evaporite minerals) intrudes into overlying rocks in a process known as diapirism. Salt domes can have unique surface and subsurface structures, and they can be discovered usin ...
structure. Total production by 1954 was about 242 million barrels.
Lake Jackson is a community developed beginning in the early 1940s to provide housing to workers at a new
Dow Chemical Company plant in nearby
Freeport. The county has elements of both
rural
In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are descri ...
and
suburban communities, as it is part of
greater Houston
Greater Houston, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land, is the fifth-most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States, encompassing nine counties along the Gulf Co ...
.
On June 2, 2016, the
flooding
A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrolog ...
of the Brazos River required evacuations for portions of Brazoria County.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the county has a total area of , of which are land and (16%) are covered by water.
Adjacent counties
*
Harris County (north)
*
Galveston County
Galveston County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Texas, located along the Gulf Coast adjacent to Galveston Bay. As of the 2020 census, the population was 350,682. The county was founded in 1838. The county seat is the City of Galveston, ...
(northeast)
*
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...
(southeast)
*
Matagorda County
Matagorda County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,255. Its county seat is Bay City, not to be confused with the larger Baytown in Harris and Chambers Counties. Matagorda County is ...
(southwest)
*
Wharton County (west)
*
Fort Bend County
Fort Bend County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. The county was founded in 1837 and organized the next year. It is named for a blockhouse at a bend of the Brazos River. The community developed around the fort in early days.
Th ...
(northwest)
National protected areas
*
Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge
*
San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge
The San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife conservation area along the coast of Texas (USA), south of the towns of Sweeny and Brazoria, Texas. It encloses a bay behind a barrier island at the Gulf of Mexico. The refuge is located in ...
(part)
Communities
Cities
*
Alvin
Alvin may refer to:
Places Canada
*Alvin, British Columbia United States
*Alvin, Colorado
*Alvin, Georgia
*Alvin, Illinois
* Alvin, Michigan
*Alvin, Texas
* Alvin, Wisconsin, a town
*Alvin (community), Wisconsin, an unincorporated community
Other ...
*
Angleton (county seat)
*
Brazoria
*
Brookside Village
*
Clute
*
Danbury
Danbury is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located approximately northeast of New York City. Danbury's population as of 2022 was 87,642. It is the seventh largest city in Connecticut.
Danbury is nicknamed the "Hat City ...
*
Freeport
*
Iowa Colony
Iowa Colony is an incorporated Home Rule City in Brazoria County, Texas, Brazoria County, Texas, United States, in the Houston metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census the city has a population of 1,170.
History
Iowa Colony was founded in 1908 b ...
*
Lake Jackson
*
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
*
Manvel
*
Oyster Creek
*
Pearland
Pearland ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, within Brazoria County, with portions extending into Fort Bend and Harris counties. The city of Pearland is a principal city within the metropolitan statistical area. At the 2020 U.S. census, t ...
(small parts in
Harris
Harris may refer to:
Places Canada
* Harris, Ontario
* Northland Pyrite Mine (also known as Harris Mine)
* Harris, Saskatchewan
* Rural Municipality of Harris No. 316, Saskatchewan
Scotland
* Harris, Outer Hebrides (sometimes called the Isle of ...
and
Fort Bend counties)
*
Richwood
*
Sandy Point
*
Surfside Beach
*
Sweeny
*
West Columbia
Towns
*
Holiday Lakes
*
Quintana
Villages
*
Bailey's Prairie
*
Bonney
*
Hillcrest
*
Jones Creek
Jones Creek is a village in Brazoria County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,020 at the 2010 census. It is the first location in Texas where Stephen F. Austin settled.
History
The Father of Texas, Stephen F. Austin, first settled in J ...
Census-designated places
*
Damon
*
East Columbia
*
Rosharon
* Ryan Acres
*
Wild Peach Village
Unincorporated communities
*
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...
*
Anchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal , used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ''ancora'', which itself comes from the Greek ἄΠ...
*
Brazosport
*
Bryan Beach
*
Chenango
*
China Grove
*
Chocolate Bayou
*
Danciger
*
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
*
Four Corners
*
Hinkle's Ferry
*
Lochridge
*
Old Ocean
*
Otey
*
Silverlake
*
Snipe
A snipe is any of about 26 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill, eyes placed high on the head, and cryptic/ camouflaging plumage. The ''Gallinago'' snipes have a ...
*
Turtle Cove
Ghost towns
*
Hasima
*
Hastings
Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England,
east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...
*
Lake Barbara
*
Mims
*
Oakland
* Perry Landing
*
Velasco
Demographics
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
of 2000, 241,767 people, 81,954 households, and 63,104 families resided in the county.
The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
was 174 people per square mile (67/km
2). The 90,628 housing units averaged 65 per mi
2 (25/km
2). According to the
2010 United States census
The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servi ...
, 313,166 people were living in the county; by 2020, its population grew to 372,031.
Of the 81,955 households in 2000, 40.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.20% were married couples living together, 10.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.00% were not families. About 19.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82, and the average family size was 3.23.
In the county, the age distribution as 28.60% under 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 32.40% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64, and 8.80% who were 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 107 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.4 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $48,632, and for a family was $55,282. Males had a median income of $42,193 versus $27,728 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the county was $20,021. About 8.1% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 12.6% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.
Race and ethnicity
In the late 1800s the county was majority black as many were former slaves who had worked on plantations in the county. In 1882 it had 8,219 black people and 3,642 white people. However after
Jim Crow laws
The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States. Other areas of the United States were affected by formal and informal policies of segregation as well, but many states outside the Sout ...
were cemented, many African-Americans moved to Houston and the county became majority white. By 2022, due to the growth of ethnic minorities in Pearland, non-Hispanic white people were now a plurality and not a majority in the county as a whole.
''Note: the U.S. Census Bureau treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''
In 2000, the
racial makeup
A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the county was 77.09% White, 8.50% Black or African American, 0.53% Native American, 2.00% Asian, 9.66% from other races, and 2.22% from two or more races. About 22.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. About 12.1% were of
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
, 11.2%
American, and 7.2%
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
ancestry according to 2000's census; about 79.0% spoke only
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
at home, while 18.1% spoke
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
. By 2010, 70.1% were
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 12.1%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 5.5%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.6%
Native American, 9.2% of some other race, and 2.6%
of more than one race; about 27.7% were
Hispanic or Latino
''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, for example, by the United States ...
(of any race).
Government and politics
Elected officials
Nathan Haller, a black man, was the elected representative for the county from 1892 to 1897. After Jim Crow laws were imposed, black residents were suppressed politically until the
Civil Rights Movement
The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional racial segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement throughout the Unite ...
of the 1950s and 1960s.
[
In 2022 most major government officials were white.][
]
United States Congress
Texas Legislature
Texas Senate
Texas House of Representatives
Pearland native Kyle Kacal
Kyle Jerome Kacal (born December 26, 1969) is an American politician. He served as a Republican member for the 12th district of the Texas House of Representatives.
Kacal was born in College Station, Texas. He attended Texas A&M University, whe ...
, a Republican from College Station, holds the District 12 state House seat based in Brazos and four neighboring counties.
Law enforcement and jails
The Brazoria County Sheriff's Office is the oldest law enforcement agency in the State of Texas, established by the Republic of Texas in March 1836. Among its duties include running the Brazoria County Jail, located at 3602 County Road 45 in unincorporated central Brazoria County, north of Angleton.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) is a department of the government of the U.S. state of Texas. The TDCJ is responsible for statewide criminal justice for adult offenders, including managing offenders in state prisons, state jails ...
(TDCJ) operates six state prisons for men and its Region III office in unincorporated Unincorporated may refer to:
* Unincorporated area, land not governed by a local municipality
* Unincorporated entity, a type of organization
* Unincorporated territories of the United States, territories under U.S. jurisdiction, to which Congress ...
Brazoria County. As of 2007,1,495 full-time correctional job positions were in the county.[Lowman, John.]
Talk of prison move preliminary
" '' Brazosport Facts''. Wednesday June 6, 2007. Retrieved on May 9, 2010. In 1995, of the counties in Texas, Brazoria had the second-highest number of state prisons and jails, after Walker County.[Horswell, Cindy.]
For hard-hit economy of Liberty County, crime officially pays
" ''Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
''. Thursday June 29, 1995. A30. Retrieved on July 23, 2010. In 2003, a total of 2,572 employees were employed at the six TDCJ facilities.[Isensee, Bridie]
"TDCJ makes overtime changes"
'' Brazosport Facts'', 13 August 2003, Retrieved 2010-05-09. The TDCJ units are:
*Clemens Unit
Clemens Unit (CN) is a prison farm of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) in unincorporated Brazoria County, Texas, in Greater Houston. The prison, with about , is located at the intersection of Farm to Market Road 2004 and Texas Stat ...
, nearBrazoria[Staff and Wire Reports.]
Parts of Houston join evacuation
" ''Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
'', 21 September 2005, Retrieved on May 10, 2010.
* Darrington Unit, near Rosharon - The Windham School District Region III office is within the unit.
*Wayne Scott Unit
The Wayne Scott Unit (J4), formerly known as the Beauford H. Jester IV Unit, is a psychiatric facility of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice located in unincorporated Fort Bend County, Texas, east of Richmond. It is a part of the Jester St ...
, near Angleton.
(The following 3 are co-located in Otey, near Rosharon.)
*Ramsey Unit
The W. F. Ramsey Unit (previously Ramsey I Unit) is a Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison farm located in unincorporated Brazoria County, Texas, with a Rosharon postal address; it is not inside the Rosharon census-designated place. The ...
- The unit is co-located with Stringfellow and Terrell. The TDCJ Region III Maintenance Headquarters is within this unit.
* Stringfellow Unit, near Rosharon - The unit is co-located with Ramsey and Terrell. The unit was originally named Ramsey II Prison Unit.
*C. T. Terrell Unit
The Charles T. Terrell Unit is a Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison located in unincorporated area, unincorporated Brazoria County, Texas, Brazoria County, Texas, with a Rosharon, Texas postal address; it is not inside the Rosharon ce ...
- The unit is co-located with Ramsey and Stringfellow. It was originally known as the Ramsey III Unit.
In 2007, TDCJ officials said discussions to move the Central Unit from Sugar Land
Sugar Land is the largest city in Fort Bend County, Texas, United States, located in the southwestern part of the metropolitan area. Located about southwest of downtown Houston, Sugar Land is a populous suburban municipality centered around ...
to Brazoria County were preliminary.
Education
A variety of school districts serve Brazoria County students. They include:
* Alvin ISD
* Angleton ISD
* Brazosport ISD
* Columbia-Brazoria ISD
* Danbury ISD
* Damon ISD
* Friendswood ISD
* Pearland ISD
* Sweeny ISD
Alvin Community College and Brazosport College
Brazosport College (BC) is a public community college in Lake Jackson, Texas. The college was opened in 1968 and offers primarily associate degrees and some bachelor's degrees. The campus features The Clarion, a regional musical performance ven ...
serve as higher education
Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after comple ...
facilities. Alvin CC serves areas in Alvin, Danbury, and Pearland ISDs as well as portions of the Angleton ISD that Alvin CC had annexed prior to September 1, 1995. Brazosport College serves the remainder of Angleton ISD and the Brazosport, Columbia-Brazoria, Damon, and Sweeny ISD areas.
The Brazoria County Library System has branches in Alvin, Angleton, Brazoria, Clute, Danbury, Freeport, Lake Jackson, Manvel, Pearland, Sweeny and West Columbia, and runs the Brazoria County Historical Museum.
Transportation
Major highways
* State Highway 6
* State Highway 35
* State Highway 36
* State Highway 288
The following highways are numbered 288:
Japan
Japan National Route 288
Sweden
* between Uppsala, Gimo and Östhammar
United States
* Arizona State Route 288
* Georgia State Route 288
* Kentucky Route 288
* Maryland Route 288
* Minnes ...
Airports
The Texas Gulf Coast Regional Airport
Texas Gulf Coast Regional Airport , previously known as Brazoria County Airport, is a county-owned public-use airport in unincorporated Brazoria County, Texas, United States, in Greater Houston, located southwest of the central business distric ...
, in central unincorporated Brazoria County, is the county's sole publicly owned airport.
The following airports, located in the county, are privately owned and for public use:
* Flyin' B Airport in western unincorporated Brazoria County
* Skyway Manor Airport in Pearland
Pearland ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, within Brazoria County, with portions extending into Fort Bend and Harris counties. The city of Pearland is a principal city within the metropolitan statistical area. At the 2020 U.S. census, t ...
*Pearland Regional Airport
Pearland Regional Airport is in Brazoria County, Texas, near Pearland in Greater Houston, south of Downtown Houston. It was formerly Clover Field.
Most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier for the FAA and IATA, but Pea ...
in eastern unincorporated Brazoria County south of the Pearland city limits
The closest airport with regularly scheduled commercial service is Houston's William P. Hobby Airport
William P. Hobby Airport (colloquially referred to as Hobby Airport, Houston Hobby, or simply Hobby) is an international airport in Houston, Texas, located from downtown Houston. Hobby is Houston's oldest commercial airport, and was its primar ...
, located in southern Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...
in adjacent Harris County. The Houston Airport System
Houston Airport System (HAS) is a department of the City of Houston, Texas, United States that manages city airports. Its administrative offices are on the property of George Bush Intercontinental Airport.[George Bush Intercontinental Airport
George Bush Intercontinental Airport is an international airport in Houston, Texas, United States, serving the Greater Houston metropolitan area. Located about north of Downtown Houston between Interstate 45 and Interstate 69/U.S. Highway 5 ...]
, an international airport in Houston in Harris County.
Toll roads
The Brazoria County Toll Road Authority operates toll lanes on TX 288 inside Brazoria County. They connect to the SH 288 Express Toll Lanes in Harris County operated by the Texas Department of Transportation
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT ) is a government agency in the American state of Texas. Though the public face of the agency is generally associated with the construction and maintenance of the state's immense state highway system ...
.
History
BCTRA came into existence in December, 2003 when it saw that the Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...
area needed more roadways and wanted to have a say so about any roads that come into Brazoria County.
Roadway system
The only toll road BCTRA has in operation at this time is the Brazoria County Expressway. Located within the media of SH 288, the expressway begins at County Road 58 in Manvel and is maintained by BCTRA for five miles up to the Harris County line at Clear Creek. The 288 Toll Lanes continue into Harris County (maintained by TxDOT
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT ) is a government agency in the American state of Texas. Though the public face of the agency is generally associated with the construction and maintenance of the state's immense state highway system ...
) for ten miles up to I-69
Interstate 69 (I-69) is an Interstate Highway in the United States currently consisting of 10 unconnected segments with an original continuous segment from Indianapolis, Indiana, northeast to the Canadian border in Port Huron, Michigan, at ...
/US 59
U.S. Route 59 (US 59) is a north–south United States highway (though it was signed east–west in parts of Texas). A latecomer to the U.S. numbered route system, US 59 is now a border-to-border route, part of the NAFTA Corridor Highway Sy ...
in Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...
. Construction began on the Brazoria County Expressway in late 2016 and was completed on November 16, 2020. Tolls are collected electronically and an EZ Tag
EZ TAG is an electronic toll collection system in Houston, Texas, United States, that allows motorists to pay tolls without stopping at toll booths. Motorists with the tags are allowed to use lanes reserved exclusively for them on all Harris Coun ...
, TxTag
TxTag , operated by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), is one of three interoperable electronic toll collection systems in Texas. The system is also interoperable with the K-TAG system used in Kansas and the Pikepass system used in Ok ...
or TollTag
The North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) is an organization that maintains and operates toll roads, bridges, and tunnels in the North Texas area. Functioning as a political subdivision of the State of Texas under Chapter 366 of the Transpor ...
is required for passage.Fresh drive: This is what the new 288 toll road looks like for one of the first drivers
Click2Houston.com (KPRC-TV) Published on November 12, 2020, and updated on November 16, 2020 (Retrieved 22 November 2020)
See also
*List of museums in the Texas Gulf Coast
The list of museums in the Texas Gulf Coast encompasses museums defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organizations, government entities, and private businesses) that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, s ...
*
* Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Brazoria County
References
External links
Brazoria County government
Brazoria County Day website
Brazoria County FireFighters Association
Brazoria County Museum
Brazoria County Parks Department
*
Brazoria County
from the Texas Almanac
The Texas Almanac is a biennially published reference work providing information for the general public on the history of the US state of Texas and its people, government and politics, economics, natural resources, holidays, culture, education, rec ...
Brazoria County
from the TXGenWeb Project
Historic materials about Brazoria County
hosted by th
Portal to Texas History
{{Coord, 29.17, -95.44, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-TX_source:UScensus1990
1836 establishments in the Republic of Texas
Populated places established in 1836
Greater Houston
Majority-minority counties in Texas