Bryan is a city and 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 ...

Brazos County Brazos County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 233,849. The county seat is Bryan. Along with Brazoria County, the county is named for the Brazos River, which forms its western border. The c ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. It is located in the heart of the

Brazos Valley Brazos Valley ( ) is a region of the U.S. state of Texas comprising the following 7 counties in Central Texas: Brazos, Burleson, and Robertson (which collectively comprise the Bryan–College Station metropolitan area), and the neighboring cou ...

(

East East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fa ...

and

Central Texas Central Texas is a region in the U.S. state of Texas surrounding Austin and roughly bordered by San Saba to Bryan and San Marcos to Hillsboro. Central Texas overlaps with and includes part of the Texas Hill Country and corresponds to a ph ...

). As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 83,980. Bryan borders the city of College Station, which lies to its south. Together they are referred to as the Bryan–College Station metropolitan area, which has a population of more than 250,069.

History

The area around Bryan was part of a land grant to

Moses Austin Moses Austin (October 4, 1761 – June 10, 1821) was an American businessman and pioneer who played a large part in the development of the lead industry in the early United States. He was the father of Stephen F. Austin, one of the earliest ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. Austin's son,

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 ...

, helped bring settlers to the area. Among the settlers was

William Joel Bryan William Joel Bryan (December 14, 1815 – March 3, 1903) was a Texas soldier and planter. Biography Early life William Joel Bryan was born on December 14, 1815 at Hazel Run in Sainte Genevieve County, Missouri. His father was James Bryan and his ...

, the nephew of Stephen Austin. In 1866 the county seat of

was changed from Boonville to Bryan, and a post office was opened. In 1867, after many delays caused by the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, the Houston and Texas Central Railroad, which had only previously gotten as far as Millican, finally reached Bryan. A short time later, in 1871, the city of Bryan became incorporated. Just south of Bryan,

Texas A&M College Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, Tex ...

opened in 1876 in what later would be known as College Station. The following year, 1877 saw the establishment of the

Bryan Independent School District Bryan Independent School District is a public school district based in Bryan, Texas (USA). It also serves rural areas in northern Brazos County, and a small portion of Robertson County. Within Brazos County it includes Bryan, Kurten, Lake Br ...

. Keeping up with progress in the rest of the country, Bryan added electric lighting and a waterworks to its community in 1889. The fifth Brazos County courthouse was built in 1892, and by the turn of the century, in 1900, the International-Great Northern Railroad stopped in Bryan. Using a generous grant of $10,000 from

Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans i ...

, the Carnegie Library of Bryan opened its doors in 1902. A bell, made in 1905 and rung in 1918 to signal the end of World War I is still located out front today. In 1910 the town built an interurban railroad to College Station. By 1923 the line was abandoned. The first Jewish place of worship, the Temple Freda synagogue, was opened in 1913. During the 1930s the town of North Oakwood merged with Bryan. Now Bryan and College Station are "twin" cities. In 1936 State Highway 6 was built, running right through town. In 2006 the Texas A&M University System announced that the new Texas A&M Health Science Center campus would be built in Bryan near the new Traditions Golf Course development. A fire at the El Dorado Chemical Co. in 2009 caused the evacuation of 70,000 residents due to the burning of

ammonium nitrate Ammonium nitrate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is a white crystalline salt consisting of ions of ammonium and nitrate. It is highly soluble in water and hygroscopic as a solid, although it does not form hydrates. It is ...

, possibly causing minor respiratory problems. However, the city requested that only "anyone who can smell smoke or see smoke to evacuate their homes and businesses" and did not enforce an evacuation except for 500 homes in the nearby vicinity of the fire. Less than 1,000 residents chose to evacuate, taking shelter at

Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...

, which closed its campus for the day to ease traffic problems. City fire officials chose to let the fire burn down before tackling it, since the chemicals were water reactive. The evacuation, which started at 2:30 pm CST ended at 7 pm, except for a small, defined area immediately around the fire, where approximately 100 Bryan residents lived. In the end, only 500 residents were under a mandatory evacuation, and 35 people were treated for respiratory problems from the smoke. Officials from El Dorado said there was never any danger from the smoke or fire. The warehouse, valued at just under $1 million, was destroyed. In 2010 the Brazos County District Attorney's Office started the enforcement of a "Gang Safety Zone" in response to an escalation in violence within Bryan. Major US papers and ABC News covered this move. Cities like

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 in ...

and

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

looked to the Bryan model of safety enforcement surrounding

gang violence A gang is a group or society of associates, friends or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over territory in a community and engages, either individually or collectivel ...

. The injunction declared a area in Bryan as the Gang Safety Zone. This placed about half of downtown in the area. In 2013 the

Planned Parenthood The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is a nonprofit organization that provides reproductive health care in the United States and globally. It is a tax-exempt corporation under Internal Reve ...

clinic in Bryan closed as a result of state budget cuts which impacted family-planning facilities. The facility began offering abortions in 1998; it was one of three in the state which ceased operations on August 31, 2013. On April 8, 2021, a

workplace shooting Workplace violence (WPV), violence in the workplace (VIW), or occupational violence refers to violence, usually in the form of physical abuse or threat, that creates a risk to the health and safety of an employee or multiple employees. The Nationa ...

occurred in Bryan. An employee of Kent Moore Cabinets, a local cabinet-making company, killed one person and injured five others, four of them critically. He then fled but was later taken into police custody, shooting and injuring a state trooper in the process. In June, 27-year-old suspect Larry Bollin was indicted by a grand jury on charges of murder and aggravated assault.

Geography

Bryan is located northwest of the center of Brazos County. It is bordered to the southeast by the city of College Station and to the northwest by the unincorporated community of Lake Bryan. The

Brazos River The Brazos River ( , ), called the ''Río de los Brazos de Dios'' (translated as "The River of the Arms of God") by early Spanish explorers, is the 11th-longest river in the United States at from its headwater source at the head of Blackwater Dr ...

flows past approximately nine miles to the southwest. According to the

United States 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 city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.20%, is water.

Climate

The local climate is subtropical and temperate and winters are mild with periods of low temperatures usually lasting less than two months. Snow and ice are extremely rare. Summers are warm and hot with occasional showers being the only real variation in weather.

Demographics

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 83,980 people, 30,647 households, and 18,659 families residing in the city. 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 incl ...

of 2000, there were 65,660 people, 23,759 households, and 14,873 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 1,515.2 people per square mile (584.9/km²). There were 25,703 housing units at an average density of 593.1 per square mile (229.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 64.65%

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 on ...

, 17%

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 ...

, 0.40% Native American, 1.65%

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 ...

, 0.08%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 13.32% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2.17% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any ethnicity/nationality were 17.83% of the population. There were 23,759 households, out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.27. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.0% under the age of 18, 18.1% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 15.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $31,672, and the median income for a family was $41,433. Males had a median income of $29,780 versus $22,428 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 city was $15,770. About 15.5% of families and 22.3% 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 27.0% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Parks and recreation

Sports complexes and recreation centers include:

Kyle Field Kyle Field is the American football stadium located on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, United States. It has been the home to the Texas A&M Aggies football team in rudimentary form since 1904, and as a permanent con ...

, Merrill Green Stadium,

Reed Arena Reed Arena is a sports arena and entertainment venue located at the corner of Olsen Boulevard and Kimbrough Boulevard in College Station, Texas. This facility is used for Texas A&M University basketball games and commencement ceremonies, concerts, ...

Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park is a baseball stadium in College Station, Texas, that is home to the Texas A&M baseball program. The stadium was dedicated on March 21, 1978, and is named in honor of C. E. "Pat" Olsen, a 1923 graduate of Texas A& ...

American Momentum Bank Ballpark Edible Field is a ballpark located in Bryan, Texas and home to the TCL Brazos Valley Bombers and the USL2 Brazos Valley Cavalry soccer team. Renamed by a corporate sponsorship with Edible Arrangements in 2021, it was long known as Travis Field ...

, G. Rollie White Coliseum, Anderson Track and Field Complex, Aggie Soccer Complex, Bryan Regional Athletic Complex, Aggie Softball Complex, George P. Mitchell Tennis Center, Spirit Ice Arena, The City Course at Phillips Event Center, and Bryan Aquatic Center.

Government

State

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 the Hamilton Unit, a pre-release facility in Bryan. Hamilton opened as an adult prison facility. It was renovated for juveniles and, in mid-1997, re-opened as the

Texas Youth Commission The Texas Youth Commission (TYC) was a Texas state agency which operated juvenile corrections facilities in the state. The commission was headquartered in the Brown-Heatly Building in Austin. As of 2007, it was the second largest juvenile correct ...

(TYC) J.W. Hamilton Jr. State School. On June 15, 2003, the facility was transferred back to the TDCJ.Secure TYC Facilities by Opening Date
." Texas Youth Commission. Retrieved on May 6, 2010. The TDCJ also operates the Bryan District Parole Office in nearby College Station.

Federal

The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...

operates the Bryan and Downtown Bryan post offices. The

Federal Bureau of Prisons The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Justice that is responsible for the care, custody, and control of incarcerated individuals who have committed federal crimes; that i ...

operates the

Federal Prison Camp, Bryan The Federal Prison Camp, Bryan (FPC Bryan) is a minimum-security United States federal prison for female inmates in Texas. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice. FPC Bryan is locat ...

, a women's prison located in Bryan.

Education

Colleges

Blinn College Blinn College is a public junior college in Brenham, Texas, with additional campuses in Bryan, Schulenburg, and Sealy. Brenham is Blinn's main campus, with dormitories and apartments. History Blinn was established as Mission Institute in 1 ...

– Bryan Campus *

Texas A&M Health Science Center Texas A&M Health, also known as Texas A&M University Health, and Texas A&M University Health Science Center, is the medical education component of Texas A&M University, and offers health professions research, education and patient care in dentistr ...

Public schools

Independent schools

* Allen Academy: PK–12 College Preparatory *

St. Joseph Catholic School St. Joseph's School, St. Joseph's Catholic School, St Joseph's School, St Joseph's Catholic School, and variants are frequently used school names, and may refer to: Africa *St Joseph's School, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Asia *St Joseph Higher Seconda ...

: PK–12 College Preparatory * St. Michaels Academy: PK–12 College Preparatory * Brazos Christian School: PK–12 College Preparatory *

Still Creek Ranch Still Creek is an accredited Christian school and horse ranch located in unincorporated Brazos County, Texas, from Bryan, on approximately of land. Danny and Margaret O'Quinn operated the school from 1988 to 2012, and Steve and Tracy Singleton ...

: Private K-12 Boarding and Day School

Media

Publications

* ''

The Bryan-College Station Eagle ''The Eagle'', officially known as ''The Bryan-College Station Eagle'', is a daily newspaper based in Bryan, Texas Bryan is a city and the county seat of Brazos County, Texas, United States. It is located in the heart of the Brazos Valley (Ea ...

'' (main newspaper) * ''La Voz Hispana'' (Spanish language weekly) * ''The Battalion'' (Texas A&M) * ''The Press'' * ''Insite Magazine'' (local magazine – monthly publication) * ''Bryan Broadcasting Publications'' * ''The Jail Times'' (Locally owned and operated independent newspaper, Bryan/College Station)

Radio

KAMU-FM KAMU-FM (90.9 FM) is a public radio station in College Station, Texas, United States. It is owned and operated by Texas A&M University, and is a sister station to PBS member KAMU-TV (channel 15). The two stations share studios at the Moore Comm ...

NPR 90.9 (National Public Radio) *

KBXT KBXT (101.9 FM, "The Beat") is a radio station broadcasting an Urban Contemporary music format. Licensed to Wixon Valley, Texas, United States, the station is currently owned by Brazos Valley Communications, Ltd. and features programming from Amer ...

101.9 THE BEAT *

KVLX KVLX (103.9 FM, "K-LOVE") is a radio station owned by Educational Media Foundation (EMF) licensed to Franklin, Texas with studios in Bryan, Texas. The station carries EMF's K-LOVE contemporary Christian music format. The transmitter is located ...

103.9 K-LOVE (Contemporary Christian) *

KKYS KKYS (104.7 FM, "Mix 104.7") is a radio station broadcasting a hot adult contemporary format. Licensed to Bryan, Texas, United States, the station serves the Brazos Valley. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. Its studios and transmitter a ...

Mix 104.7 (Hot A/C) *

KNDE KNDE (95.1 FM) is a radio station with a Top 40 (CHR) format licensed to College Station, Texas. Candy 95's current line-up features the show "Morning Candy" with Frito and Katy (6-10am), Mid-Days with Audrey Rose (10am-2pm), and Afternoons wit ...

95.1 Candy 95 (Top 40) *

KNFX-FM KNFX-FM (99.5 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a Classic rock format. Licensed to Bryan, Texas, United States, the station serves the Bryan/College Station area. The station is currently owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. iHeartMedia, Inc., form ...

99.5 The Fox (Classic Rock) *

KVJM KVJM (103.1 FM; ''103-1 KISS-FM'') is a radio station playing Top 40 (CHR) music broadcasting from Bryan/College Station, Texas, and licensed to Hearne, Texas. Under the branding "103-1 Kiss FM", it is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The station's ...

103.1 La Preciosa (Regional Mexican)(Formerly V103.1 Hip Hop/Power 94) *

KZNE KZNE (1150 AM broadcasting, AM), branded as "The Zone 1150 AM – 93.7 FM", is a commercial sports radio, sports radio station licensed to serve College Station, Texas. Owned by the Bryan Broadcasting Company, KZNE covers College Station, Bryan, T ...

1150 The Zone (ESPN Sports Radio) * WTAW 1620 (Talk Radio) *

KEOS Kea ( el, Κέα), also known as Tzia ( el, Τζια) and in ancient history, antiquity Keos ( el, Κέως, la, Ceos), is a Greece, Greek island in the Cyclades archipelago in the Aegean Sea. Kea is part of the Kea-Kythnos regional unit. Geog ...

89.1 Community Radio For The Brazos Valley *

KORA-FM KORA-FM (98.3 MHz) is a long-running radio station in Bryan, Texas currently owned by Brazos Valley Communications, LLC. Its format is Country, with emphasis on Texas artists and groups. Its Program Director is Rob Edwards. The station's studio ...

98.3 The Texas Country Original

Television

KAGS-LD KAGS-LD (channel 23) is a low-power television station licensed to Bryan, Texas, United States, serving the Brazos Valley as an affiliate of NBC. The station is owned by Tegna Inc., and maintains studios on South Texas Avenue in Bryan and a tra ...

23 (

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

) – Daily, live newscasts from studio on Texas Avenue in Bryan *

KBTX-TV KBTX-TV (channel 3) is a television station licensed in Bryan, Texas, United States, serving the Brazos Valley as an affiliate of CBS. Owned by Gray Television, the station maintains studios on East 29th Street in Bryan, and its transmitter is ...

3 (

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...

, with CW on DT2) – Daily, live newscasts from studio on 29th Street in Bryan *

KAMU-TV KAMU-TV (channel 12) is a PBS member television station licensed to College Station, Texas, United States. Owned by Texas A&M University, it is a sister station to NPR member KAMU-FM (90.9). The two stations share studios at the Moore Communica ...

12 (

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

) *

KYLE-TV KYLE-TV (channel 28) is a television station licensed to Bryan, Texas, United States, serving the Brazos Valley and Central Texas as an affiliate of MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Waco, Texas, Waco-licensed Fox Broad ...

28 ( MNTV, with

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

ia KWKT-TV in Waco, Texas">Waco Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the st ...

History

Geography

Climate

Demographics

Economy

Parks and recreation

Government

State

Federal

Education

Colleges

Public schools

Independent schools

Media

Publications

Radio

Television

Infrastructure

Transportation

Airports

Major roads

Health care

Notable people

See also

References

External links