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Friendswood is a city 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 ...
. It is part of the metropolitan area. The city lies in
Galveston Galveston ( ) is a coastal resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a population of 47,743 in 2010, is the county seat of surrounding Ga ...
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. As of the 2010 census, the population of Friendswood was 35,805. In 2007, CNN/''Money'' magazine listed Friendswood as one of 100 "America's Best Places to Live" for that year, making it one of 900 small towns recognized since the rankings first began in 2005.


History

Friendswood, situated in the northwest corner of Galveston County, has the distinction of being the only permanent town in Texas that started as a Quaker colony. It was established in 1895 by a group of Quakers led by T. Hadley Lewis and Frank J. Brown. They were looking for a "promised land" to start a colony of the people who belonged to the religious denomination called Friends or Quakers. From its founding, life in Friendswood revolved around church and school. After the small church and school building was demolished in the 1900 Storm, the two-dozen families living in Friendswood erected a large two-story frame structure for their church and school. The building, called The Academy, housed the school and sanctuary until a larger, stone building replaced it. Through the 1940s, Friendswood was predominately a small, remote, farming Quaker community with less than 500 citizens. The economy depended largely on growing and preserving Magnolia figs. After 1950, it became increasingly a suburban bedroom community, as Houstonians discovered the idyllic country setting the farmlands were converted to subdivision home-sites. The community became a city when it incorporated in 1960.


Geography

Friendswood is located at (29.512532, –95.197933). 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 th ...
, the city covers a total area of , of which are land area and , or 0.69%, is covered by water.


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 off ...
, there were 41,213 people, 13,540 households, and 10,427 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 inc ...
of 2000, 29,037 people, 10,107 households, and 8,085 families resided 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 RosenberPopu ...
was 1,381.2 people per square mile (533.4/km). The 10,405 housing units averagedensity of 495.0 per square mile (191.1/km). 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 city was 90.09% White, 2.70% African American, 0.40% Native American, 2.39% Asian, 2.80% from other races, and 1.63% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 8.79% of the population. Of the 10,107 households, 43.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.5% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.0% were not families. About 17.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.23. In the city, the population was distributed as 30.0% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males. In 2010, the median income for a household was $115,439 and for a family was $128,898. Males had a median income of $67,084 versus $35,447 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 $39,515. About 2.3% of families and 3.3% 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 ...
, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.


Government and infrastructure

The Friendswood Post Office is located at 310 Morningside Drive. Some locations in the City of Houston have Friendswood mailing addresses. NASA astronaut Michael Foreman was elected mayor in 2018.


Economy

The
Baybrook Mall Baybrook Mall is a shopping mall located near the Clear Lake City area in Houston, Texas; It has a Friendswood mailing address, but it is in the Houston city limits. - Maps for comparisonMap of the city of Houston8 x 11 version The mall is loc ...
is physically located in the City of Houston, but has a Friendswood mailing address.


Education


Primary and secondary schools


Public schools

Students in Friendswood attend schools in either
Friendswood Independent School District Friendswood Independent School District is a school district based in Friendswood, Texas ( USA). FISD covers the Galveston County portion of the city of Friendswood (the portion south of Clear Creek, which is the majority of the city). A small ...
(FISD) if they live south of Clear Creek (Galveston County), or
Clear Creek Independent School District Clear Creek Independent School District (CCISD) is a school district based in League City, Texas, United States. The district serves most of the Clear Lake Area and some other neighboring parts of the Houston metropolitan area. CCISD is the 29t ...
(CCISD) if they live north of Clear Creek (Harris County). The CCISD portion is within the Board of Trustees District 4, represented by Stuart J. Stromeyer as of 2008. Cline Elementary School, Westwood Elementary School, Bales Intermediate School, and Windsong Intermediate School serve the FISD portion of Friendswood. All FISD residents are zoned to Friendswood Junior High School and
Friendswood High School Friendswood High School is a public secondary school located in Friendswood, Texas, United States. The school serves grades 9 through 12, and is a part of the Friendswood Independent School District (ISD). The school district was established on ...
. CCISD students from Friendswood attend Wedgewood Elementary School in Friendswood, and Brookside Intermediate School in Friendswood. Most residents of CCISD Friendswood are zoned to
Clear Brook High School Clear Brook High School is a secondary school located in Friendswood, Texas, United States. Notable alumni *Stephanie Beatriz, actress * Ben Emanuel, Safety, Calgary Stampeders CFL * Anthony Hill, NFL tight end *Ronnie Price, National Basketbal ...
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 ...
Harris County, while some residents of CCISD Friendswood are zoned to Clear Springs High School in
League City League City is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, in Galveston County, within the metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 112,129. The city of League City has a small portion north of Clear Creek within Harris ...
. Students who live in the area around Friendswood, but are in unincorporated Harris County with address listed as Friendswood or Webster attend Greene Elementary School or Landolt Elementary School in unincorporated Harris County for elementary schools. For middle school they are zoned to Westbrook Intermediate School in Houston.


Public libraries

The Friendswood Public Library at 416 South Friendswood Drive serves Friendswood.


Colleges and universities

The Friendswood ISD area is assigned to
College of the Mainland College of the Mainland (COM) is a public community college in Texas City, Texas. Its name comes from its location on the "mainland" portion of Galveston County, Texas (the portion north of Galveston Island). The school's sport teams are named t ...
, while the portion of Clear Creek ISD in Harris County (and therefore the Harris County part of Friendswood) is assigned to
San Jacinto College San Jacinto College is a public community college in the Greater Houston with its campuses in Pasadena and Houston, Texas. Established in 1961, San Jacinto College originally consisted of the independent school districts (ISD) of Channelview, De ...
.


Notable people

* Greg Bonnen, neurosurgeon and Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from Friendswood * Stephen Bowen,
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeedin ...
astronaut and a
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
submariner. *
Katie Rose Clarke Katherine "Katie" Rose Clarke (born August 25, 1984 in Friendswood, Texas) is an American musical theater actress. Early life Clarke was born on August 25, 1984 in Friendswood, Texas. She got her start acting and singing in the United Methodist ...
, Broadway actor, famous for the roles of Clara in '' Light in the Piazza'', Glinda in '' Wicked'', and Hannah in ''
Allegiance An allegiance is a duty of fidelity said to be owed, or freely committed, by the people, subjects or citizens to their state or sovereign. Etymology From Middle English ''ligeaunce'' (see medieval Latin ''ligeantia'', "a liegance"). The ''al ...
'' * Robin Coleman, ''American Gladiator'' Hellga, 2001 World's Strongest Woman (bronze) * Penny Edwards, actress known for many western films; died in Friendswood *
Joseph Gutheinz Joseph Richard Gutheinz (born August 13, 1955) is an American attorney, college instructor, commissioner, writer, and former Army intelligence officer, Army aviator, and Federal law enforcement officer. He is known as the founder of the "Moon Ro ...
, attorney and investigator of stolen and missing moon rocks *
Clara Harris Clara Hamilton Harris (September 4, 1834 – December 23, 1883) was an American socialite. She and her fiancé Major Henry Rathbone were the guests of President Abraham Lincoln and First Lady Mary Lincoln when John Wilkes Booth shot the ...
, convicted murderer who made national and international headlines for murdering her husband by running him over with their car https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/suburban-madness/ * Bill McArthur, retired United States Army colonel and NASA astronaut * Balor Moore, former MLB pitcher resides in Friendswood * Ronnie Price, NBA basketball player * Bruce Prichard, executive director for WWE and co-host of '' Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard'' *
Ryan Sitton Ryan Christopher Sitton (born 1975) is an American politician affiliated with the Republican Party. He was a member of the Texas Railroad Commission from 2015 to 2021. Personal life and education Sitton was raised in Irving, Texas with his thr ...
, Republican nominee for the Texas Railroad Commission in the November 4, 2014,
general election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
*
Steve Stockman Stephen Ernest Stockman (born November 14, 1956) is an American politician who is a member of the Republican Party and a convicted felon. He served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 9th congressional district from 1995 to 1997 and for Texa ...
, politician *
Booker T Booker T or Booker T. may refer to * Booker T. Washington (1856–1915), African American political leader at the turn of the 20th century ** List of things named after Booker T. Washington, some nicknamed "Booker T." * Booker T. Jones (born 1944 ...
, and spouse
Sharmell Sullivan-Huffman Sharmell Sullivan-Huffman (born November 2, 1970) is an American retired professional wrestling valet, dancer, beauty queen, and professional wrestler. As the wife of Booker T, she is best known for her time with World Wrestling Entertainment (WW ...
– professional wrestling personalities *
Larry Taylor Samuel Lawrence Taylor (June 26, 1942 – August 19, 2019) was an American bass guitarist, best known for his work as a member of Canned Heat from 1967. Before joining Canned Heat he had been a session bassist for The Monkees and Jerry Lee L ...
, Republican member of the
Texas Senate The Texas Senate ( es, Senado de Texas) is the upper house of the Texas State Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing single-member districts across the U.S. state of Texas, with populations of approximately 806,000 per co ...
from
District 11 District 11 can refer to: * District 11 (Ho Chi Minh city), Vietnam * District 11 (Zürich), Switzerland * District 11, an electoral district of Malta *Colorado Springs School District 11, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States * District 11 ...
(2013–Present) and
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 ...
from District 24 (2003–2013)


Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...
, Friendswood has a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
, ''Cfa'' on climate maps.Climate Summary for Friendswood, Texas
/ref>


Legacy

The 2014 novel '' Friendswood'', set in the area, was written by René Steinke.


References


External links


City of Friendswood official website
*
Friendswood Public Library
{{authority control Cities in Texas Cities in Galveston County, Texas Cities in Harris County, Texas Greater Houston