Cinco Ranch is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...

and

master-planned community A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...

located in the

extraterritorial jurisdiction Extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) is the legal ability of a government to exercise authority beyond its normal boundaries. Any authority can claim ETJ over any external territory they wish. However, for the claim to be effective in the externa ...

of the city of

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 ...

within Fort Bend and

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 ...

counties 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 ...

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 ...

. The population was 16,899 at the 2020 census. It lies about west of the Harris County seat of Houston and north of the Fort Bend County seat of

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

. Cinco Ranch is considered to be part of the

Greater Katy Greater Katy Area is the term often used to refer to a suburban region on the west side of the Greater Houston metropolitan area roughly corresponding to the boundaries of the Katy Independent School District. Many people and businesses in this ar ...

area and is roughly 10 miles southeast of the city of Katy.

History

The Cinco Ranch community goes back to before Texas became a republic. In the 1820s, pioneer

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 ...

was granted by the

Spanish government gl, Goberno de España eu, Espainiako Gobernua , image = , caption = Logo of the Government of Spain , headerstyle = background-color: #efefef , label1 = Role , data1 = Executive power , label2 = Established , da ...

the authority to settle 300 families in the valleys of the Brazos and

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

rivers. He died before he was able to accomplish this, but his 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 ...

was able to complete his father's wishes, even under the newly established

Mexican government The Federal government of Mexico (alternately known as the Government of the Republic or ' or ') is the national government of the United Mexican States, the central government established by its constitution to share sovereignty over the republi ...

. One of the men who moved into these 300 slots of land (each one over ) was Randolph Foster, whose land spread across Fort Bend and Waller counties and upon which wild horses, deer, Native Americans and buffalo lived. Foster's daughter married Thomas Blakeley, cattleman and future sheriff of Fort Bend County. Their son, Bassett Blakeley, took after his father and grandfather and soon grew into a cowboy and cattleman. Bassett Blakeley owned of land and 14,000 head of

Brahman cattle The Brahman is an American breed of zebuine-taurine hybrid beef cattle. It was bred in the United States from 1885 from cattle originating in India, imported at various times from the United Kingdom, from India and from Brazil. These were mainl ...

, along with his grandfather's land. The cowhands of his Blakeley Ranch annually drove 10,000 head of cattle to the railheads in

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...

. In 1937, Blakeley sold the working ranch to William Wheless, who convinced four of his friends, J.S. Abercrombie, W.B. Pryon, H.G. Nelms and L.M. Josey—all, like him, wealthy from oil—to become his partners at the ranch. In a nod to its Spanish roots perhaps, they called it Cinco Ranch (''cinco'' means "five" in Spanish). Only the Wheless family lived on the ranch, but all of the families visited on many holidays and weekends, making use of a huge clubhouse complete with two bedroom wings. The ranch was not merely involved in cattle—it also had several acres of rice—for years, the main output of

Katy, Texas Katy is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Greater Katy area, itself forming the western part of the Greater Houston metropolitan area. Homes and businesses may have Katy postal addresses without being in the City of Katy. The city o ...

—and peanut production. In February 1984, the largest raw land transaction in the history of Houston took place when Cinco Ranch Venture, consisting of U. S. Home, the Mischer Corporation, and American General Corporation, purchased Cinco Ranch for a master-planned development. American General eventually bought out the other partners. In 1997, Cinco Ranch and other American General land development assets were purchased by Terrabrook, a wholly owned subsidiary of real estate investor Westbrook Partners. In 2003, Cinco Ranch and other Terrabrook developments were purchased by

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...

-base
Newland Real Estate, LLC
Newland). Also in 2003, Newland purchased west of the Grand Parkway (SH-99) and contiguous to Cinco Ranch. This acquisition along with several smaller parcels that were subsequently purchased by Newland ultimately increased the size of Cinco Ranch to approximately . In 2010, Newland purchased an additional for future Cinco Ranch expansion. This land is located at the intersection of FM 1463 and Corbitt Road, and is not contiguous with the rest of Cinco Ranch. Cinco Ranch now totals and is expected to have over 14,000 homes at build-out, which is currently projected to be around 2016.

Amenities

Cinco Ranch Pools

Cinco Ranch has 11 community pools: * Water Park * Beach Club * Equestrian Village * North Lake Village * Greenway Village * South Ranch * Highland Park * Ridgewood * Springwood Lake House * Rosewood * Westridge Creek

Golf

The Golf Club at Cinco Ranch, owned by ARCIS Golf, is an 18-hole, par-71 daily fee course, with numerous bunkers and water hazards. The Golf Academy at Cinco Ranch hosts junior golf instructional clinics throughout the year and in the summer.

Parks and greenbelts

The parks of Cinco Ranch range from neighborhood pocket parks to major neighborhood recreation centers containing things like swimming pools and tennis courts. Lakefront parks are located along South Lake, which offers fishing, sailing and paddle boating for residents. A recreation area is nestled along the shore of Park Lake, the second-largest lake. Cinco Ranch has a growing network of greenbelt trails, making it possible to jog, bike or rollerblade between almost anywhere in Cinco Ranch, including recreational facilities and schools in the community. The multi-station Exer-Trail is for workouts. There is also the Bayou Nature Trail, extending nearly four miles and preserving almost of woodland and wetland habitat. Plans are currently underway to connect the Bayou Nature Trail to the Buffalo Bayou Hike And Bike Trail. This will allow residents of Cinco Ranch to ride their bikes from the

Grand Parkway State Highway 99 (SH 99), also known as the Grand Parkway, is a ring road in the U.S. state of Texas. Its first section opened on August 31, 1994. When the route is completed, it will be the longest beltway in the U.S., the world's seventh-lon ...

Beltway 8 Beltway 8 (BW8), the Sam Houston Parkway, along with the Sam Houston Tollway, is an beltway around the city of Houston, Texas, United States, lying entirely within Harris County. Beltway 8, a state highway maintained by the Texa ...

- a bike trail.

YMCA

The Katy Family

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams (philanthropist), Georg ...

's building has of cardio and free weight equipment, including treadmills, bikes, stairclimbers, EFX Cross Trainers and a

Cybex Cybex is a manufacturer of child safety products (child car seats, strollers, baby carriers). The company was founded in 2005 by Martin Pos in Hong Kong as ''CYBEX Industrial Ltd''. It has been owned by the Chinese child safety manufacturer Goodbab ...

strength training circuit. The group exercise program offers more than 75 classes in

aerobics Aerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness ( flexibility, muscular strength, and cardio-vascular fitness). ...

, kickboxing,

pilates Pilates (; ) is a type of mind-body exercise developed in the early 20th century by German physical trainer Joseph Pilates, after whom it was named. Pilates called his method "Contrology". It is practiced worldwide, especially in countries suc ...

yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consci ...

among others. The YMCA offers free Child Watch and Kid Watch services for members. The YMCA also offers Before and After School programs for children ages 5–12 in most KISD elementary schools. Other activities include Spring Break and Winter Break camps. The YMCA's youth sports programs include soccer, flag football, volleyball, basketball and baseball. Other youth activities include

Taekwondo ''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean martial arts, Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast k ...

, Dance, Teen Fitness and Babysitting Certification. The YMCA was originally named after

Ken Lay Kenneth Lee Lay (April 15, 1942 – July 5, 2006) was an American businessman who was the founder, chief executive officer and chairman of Enron. He was heavily involved in the eponymous accounting scandal that unraveled in 2001 into the large ...

; in the wake of the corruption scandal that led to the downfall of

Enron Corporation Enron Corporation was an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas. It was founded by Kenneth Lay in 1985 as a merger between Lay's Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth, both relatively small regional companies. B ...

, a major Houston-based energy company which Lay headed, he asked for his name to be removed from the YMCA in June 2006, shortly before his death.

Katy Amateur Radio Society

Th
Katy Amateur Radio Society
(KARS) has about 45 amateur radio operator

The KARS Amateur radio net, net operates every Tuesday at 8:00 PM on the KT5TX 147.20 MHz

repeater In telecommunications, a repeater is an electronic device that receives a signal and retransmits it. Repeaters are used to extend transmissions so that the signal can cover longer distances or be received on the other side of an obstruction. Som ...

. KARS monthly meetings are held on the 2nd Monday of every month at the West I-10 Fire Station #4 on Franz just east of Grand Parkwa

Geography

Cinco Ranch is located at (29.741522, -95.758343). 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 t ...

, the CDP has a total area of 4.9 square miles (12.8 km²). None of the area is covered with water.

Government and infrastructure

Fort Bend County does not have a

hospital district Hospital is a Districts of Costa Rica, district of the San José (canton), San José canton, in the San José Province, San José province of Costa Rica. It is one of the four administrative units that form San José, Costa Rica, San José downtow ...

. OakBend Medical Center serves as the county's

charity hospital Charity may refer to: Giving * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing * Ch ...

which the county contracts with. The hospital district for Harris County is Harris Health.

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 16,899 people, 5,882 households, and 5,037 families residing in the CDP. 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, there were 11,196 people, 3,375 households, and 3,064 families residing in the CDP. 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 2,270.0 people per square mile (876.8/km²). There were 3,594 housing units at an average density of 728.7/sq mi (281.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 87.92%

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 ...

, 2.85%

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 ...

, 0.23% Native American, 6.63%

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 ...

, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 1.06% 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 1.30% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...

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 race were 5.84% of the population. 14% of Cinco Ranch residents report

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 ...

ancestry, another 14% report

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, and 10% report

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

. These are the three most common reported ancestries. Fourth is

, at 7%. There were 3,375 households, out of which 63.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 84.9% were married couples living together, 3.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 9.2% were non-families. 7.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.32 and the average family size was 3.52. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 38.3% under the age of 18, 3.8% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 3.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.9 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $111,517, and the median income for a family was $114,550. Males had a median income of $90,117 versus $42,304 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 CDP was $37,747. About 1.5% of families and 1.3% 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 1.1% of those under age 18 and 2.6% of those age 65 or over.

Ethnic groups

By 2017 the Cinco Ranch area and the vicinity was known as "Katyzuela" as there were about 5,000 ethnic Venezuelans living in the area.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Public schools

Pupils in Cinco Ranch are zoned to schools of the

Katy Independent School District The Katy Independent School District (KISD) is a public school district based in Katy, Texas, United States with an enrollment of over 85,700 students. As of August 2009, the district was rated as "Recognized" by the Texas Education Agency. ...

in and around Cinco Ranch. Elementary schools in Cinco Ranch: * Betty Sue Creech Elementary School * Edna Mae Fielder Elementary School * Odessa Kilpatrick Elementary School * James E. Williams Elementary School * Jo Ella Exley Elementary School * Stan Stanley Elementary School * Tom Wilson Elementary School * Fred & Patti Shafer Elementary School * MayDell Jenks Elementary School Other elementary schools serving Cinco Ranch: * Michael L. Griffin Elementary School Junior high schools in Cinco Ranch: * Rodger & Ellen Beck Junior High School * Beckendorff Junior High School * Cinco Ranch Junior High School * Seven Lakes Junior High School Other junior high schools serving Cinco Ranch: * Joe Adams Junior High School (opening Fall 2019) * James & Sharon Tays Junior High School * Garland McMeans Junior High School (Meadow Ridge, Park View, & Park Hollow neighborhoods) High schools in Cinco Ranch *

Cinco Ranch High School Cinco Ranch High School (CRHS) is a public school located in an unincorporated area in Fort Bend County, Texas, United States that serves grades 9 through 12 as part of the Katy Independent School District. It is located off Cinco Ranch Boulevar ...

(''uninc. Fort Bend County'') *

Seven Lakes High School Seven Lakes High School (SLHS) is a public senior high school located in Fort Bend County, Texas, United States, inside the Cinco Ranch area south of the city of Katy. Many communities such as Seven Meadows, Grand Lakes, and Cinco Ranch are zone ...

(''uninc. Fort Bend County'') * Obra D. Tompkins High School (''uninc. Fort Bend County'') Other high schools serving Cinco Ranch *

James E. Taylor High School James E. Taylor High School (THS) is a public high school in unincorporated area, unincorporated Harris County, Texas, in Greater Katy. The school, in Nottingham Country, which serves grades 9 through 12, is part of Katy Independent School Distr ...

(Meadow Ridge, Park View, & Park Hollow neighborhoods) Schools within the CDP boundaries are Fielder Elementary, Williams Elementary, McMeans Junior High (partial), and Cinco Ranch High.

Private schools

The Village School in the

Energy Corridor The Energy Corridor is a business district in Houston, Texas, located on the west side of the metropolitan area between Beltway 8 and the Grand Parkway. The district straddles a stretch of Interstate 10 (the Katy Freeway) from Kirkwood Road west ...

area has a bus service to Cinco Ranch.

Higher education

The

Houston Community College System Houston Community College (HCC), also known as Houston Community College System (HCCS) is a Public college, public community college system that operates community colleges in Houston, Texas, Houston, Missouri City, Texas, Missouri City, Greater ...

serves areas in Katy ISD, and therefore Cinco Ranch. The Northwest College's Katy Campus is in an unincorporated section of Harris County.

Public libraries

Cinco Ranch is served by the Cinco Ranch Branch Library of the

Fort Bend County Libraries Fort Bend County Libraries is a public library system serving the county of Fort Bend, Texas. The main library, the George Memorial Library, is located in Richmond, Texas. History Prior to the founding of the Fort Bend County Library there exis ...

system, located across from

and one block from

Texas State Highway 99 State Highway 99 (SH 99), also known as the Grand Parkway, is a ring road in the U.S. state of Texas. Its first section opened on August 31, 1994. When the route is completed, it will be the longest beltway in the U.S., the world's seventh-lon ...

(Grand Parkway). The library first opened as the Katy/Fort Bend Branch Library in a room on the campus of the University of Houston System at Cinco Ranch in June 1998. In 1999 the branch, which outgrew its first location, moved to the former Cinco Ranch development company sales office as a result of the efforts of the Katy/Fort Bend Friends. The community asked for a larger library, and Fort Bend County judge Jim Adolphus organized efforts to have a library established. Adolphus negotiated the donation of a library site from Terrabrook, a developer in Cinco Ranch, and secured a challenge grant. In addition, Adolphus and Fort Bend County judge candidate Bob Hebert co-hosted a fundraising gala for the challenge grant. The Cinco Ranch community, led by the Katy/Fort Bend Friends association, worked with Fort Bend County officials to find funds for the construction of a new library. The current library opened on April 3, 2004.Cinco Ranch Branch Library
." ''

''. Retrieved on February 15, 2009.

Shopping

* LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch *

Katy Mills Katy Mills is a shopping mall in Katy, Texas within the Houston metropolitan area, and it is one of the tourist destinations in Houston. It was developed by The Mills Corporation and is now managed by Simon Property Group, who owns 62.5% of it. T ...

References

External links

Cinco Ranch developer site
{{authority control Census-designated places in Fort Bend County, Texas Census-designated places in Harris County, Texas Census-designated places in Texas Planned cities in the United States Greater Houston