Pasadena () is a city in the
U.S. state 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 ...
, within the metropolitan area. As of the 2020
U.S. census, the city's population was 151,950, making it the
twentieth most populous city in the state of Texas, as well as the second-largest city in
Harris County. The area was founded in 1893 by John H. Burnett of
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 ...
, who named the area after
Pasadena, California
Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district.
...
, because of the perceived lush vegetation.
[Lee, Renée C.]
Annexed Kingwood split on effects
" ''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 ...
''. Sunday October 8, 2006. A21. Retrieved on July 6, 2011. "Some of the area communities that incorporated as cities and escaped annexation by Houston:" Print version exclusively has the information cited; the information is ''not'' included in the online edition.
History
Early history
Prior to European settlement the area around Galveston Bay was settled by the
Karankawa and
Atakapan
The Atakapa Sturtevant, 659 or Atacapa were an indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands, who spoke the Atakapa language and historically lived along the Gulf of Mexico in what is now Texas and Louisiana. They included several distinct band ...
tribes, particularly the
Akokisa
The Akokisa were the indigenous tribe that lived on Galveston Bay and the lower Trinity and San Jacinto rivers in Texas, primarily in the present-day Greater Houston area.Campbell, Thomas N. "Akokisa Indians.''The Handbook of Texas Online.''(ret ...
, who lived throughout 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.
Spanish explorers such as the Rivas-Iriarte expedition and José Antonio de Evia charted the bay and gave it its name. The
pirate
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
Jean Lafitte
Jean Lafitte ( – ) was a French pirate and privateer who operated in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. He and his older brother Pierre spelled their last name Laffite, but English language documents of the time used "Lafitte". Th ...
established a short-lived kingdom based in Galveston in the early 19th century with bases and hide-outs around the bay and around
Clear Lake. Lafitte was forced to leave in 1821 by the
U.S. Navy.
Following its
declaration of independence
A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of th ...
from
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")
, ...
the new nation of
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...
moved to colonize its northern territory of Texas by offering
land grant
A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...
s to settlers both from within Mexico and from the nearby United States. The colony established by Stephen F. Austin and the Galveston Bay and Texas Land Company of New York rapidly began a wave of settlement around the bay.
[ Texas State Historical Association.] Following a coup in the Mexican government by General
Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, Texas revolted against Mexican rule in 1835. After several battles and skirmishes the final
battle
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and for ...
of the
Texas Revolution took place near modern Pasadena on April 21, 1836. While the main battlefield was located in the neighboring present-day city of
La Porte, Santa Anna was captured in present-day Pasadena at
Vince's Bayou. Because this was the last conflict that led to the Mexican surrender, Pasadena and neighboring
Deer Park have adopted the nickname "Birthplace 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 ...
".
Ranching and settlement
Sam Allen started a ranch in 1843 with .
This became the
Allen Ranch which occupied what is now western Pasadena all the way to
Harrisburg, Texas
Harrisburg is a community that is now (originally documented as Harrisburgh, then shortened to Harrisburg in 1892) located within the city of Houston, Texas, United States.
The community is located east of downtown Houston, south of the Brays Bay ...
. By 1888, the ranch contained in Harris County, in
Brazoria County, Texas
Brazoria County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the county was 372,031. The county seat is Angleton.
Brazoria County is included in the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metropolitan sta ...
with grazing lands 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
Fort Bend Counties.
The
Galveston, Houston & Henderson Railroad ran through the Allen ranch. There was a problem of cattle being regularly killed on the tracks and in 1875, Allen built a fence along the east side of the railway right of way to keep the cattle off the tracks. The fence ran from
Harrisburg
Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in ...
to
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 ...
and had four rails and a top rail wide enough to walk on. A gate was placed in the fence at the Harrisburg-
Lynchburg Road with a large sign above instructing that it should be closed at all times. The area east of this railroad fence running from
Buffalo Bayou
Buffalo Bayou is a slow-moving body of water which flows through Houston in Harris County, Texas. Formed 18,000 years ago, it has its source in the prairie surrounding Katy, Fort Bend County, and flows approximately east through the Houston Shi ...
to the tracks on
Sims Bayou
Sims, sims or SIMS may refer to:
Games
* ''The Sims'', a life simulation video game series
** ''The Sims'' (video game), the first installment, released in 2000
** ''The Sims 2'', the second installment, released in 2004
** '' The Sims 3'', th ...
ran all the way to
Galveston Bay
Galveston Bay ( ) is a bay in the western Gulf of Mexico along the upper coast of Texas. It is the seventh-largest estuary in the United States, and the largest of seven major estuaries along the Texas Gulf Coast. It is connected to the Gulf of ...
. It contained of grazing land for cattle.
"Proposed" towns in or near present-day Pasadena were set up but short lived and either abandoned or never even got off the ground.
In 1892 Colonel John H. Burnett of Galveston established an unnamed townsite on the Vince Survey just east of the Allen Ranch. Burnett was involved in both construction and promotion of railroads and knew their impact on the value of property. The land was sold in lots. He had also established the nearby towns of Deepwater and
Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...
, later to be incorporated into Pasadena and Houston.
20th century
The
1900 hurricane that destroyed
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 ...
heavily damaged Pasadena, as well. The city received a population boost from some Galveston refugees who relocated to the mainland following the catastrophe.
Donations by the newly created
Red Cross
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
, including millions of
strawberry
The garden strawberry (or simply strawberry; ''Fragaria × ananassa'') is a widely grown hybrid species of the genus '' Fragaria'', collectively known as the strawberries, which are cultivated worldwide for their fruit. The fruit is widely ap ...
plants to
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 ...
farmers, helped revive the community.
[ Texas State Historical Association] This and the subsequent establishment of a major strawberry farm in the area by
Texaco
Texaco, Inc. ("The Texas Company") is an American oil brand owned and operated by Chevron Corporation. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owned the Havoline motor oil brand. Texaco was an independent company unt ...
founder
Joseph S. Cullinan
Joseph Stephen Cullinan (December 31, 1860 – March 11, 1937) was a U.S. oil industrialist. Although he was a native of Pennsylvania, his lifetime business endeavors would help shape the early phase of the oil industry in Texas. He founded The Te ...
made Pasadena a major fruit producer for many years afterward.
As the community recovered major tracts of the Allen Ranch were liquidated opening up new development.
[ Texas State Historical Association.] Rice farmers from Japan settled in the community further diversifying its agriculture.
Champion Coated Paper Company of Ohio opened a paper mill in 1937.
Other businesses began to develop.
In 1901 the
Texas Oil Boom began with the gusher at
Spindletop
Spindletop is an oil field located in the southern portion of Beaumont, Texas, in the United States. The Spindletop dome was derived from the Louann Salt evaporite layer of the Jurassic geologic period. On January 10, 1901, a well at Spindle ...
. The discovery of the
oil field at Goose Creek led to increasing petroleum exploration around Galveston Bay.
[Henson (1993), p. 46.] By 1917–1920 refinery operations had appeared in Pasadena and continued to expand thereafter for example the ''
Pasadena Refining System''...
The world wars gradually brought further industrial development, with Pasadena's growth rate surpassing even neighboring Houston.
Pasadena voted to incorporate in 1923, but residents decided to cancel the incorporation one year later. Pasadena incorporated in 1928. Because of the 1928 incorporation, Houston did not incorporate Pasadena's territory into its city limits, while Houston annexed surrounding areas that were
unincorporated.
By the mid-20th century Pasadena's economy had become strongly tied to petroleum and other heavy industry.
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 ...
's
Johnson Space Center
The Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) is NASA's center for human spaceflight (originally named the Manned Spacecraft Center), where human spaceflight training, research, and flight control are conducted. It was renamed in honor of the late ...
(JSC) was established near Pasadena in 1963 with the residential community of
Clear Lake City, partially under Pasadena's jurisdiction, established nearby.
[ Texas State Historical Association] These developments helped to diversify the town's economy significantly.
Eventually, the city gained the unofficial moniker ''Stinkadena'' by locals due to the pollution from its large industrial base.
Former Pasadena City Council member and
State Representative
A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system.
Two federations literally use the term "state legislature":
* The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United S ...
Ray Barnhart
Ray Anderson Barnhart (January 12, 1928 – May 26, 2013) was an American businessman who served as Federal Highway Administrator from 1981 to 1987. He started his career as City Councilman in Pasadena, Texas. He was a member of the Texas House ...
described the city at the time as "a lovely community but politically corrupt."
[Statement of Ray Barnhart, January 7, 2010] Barnhart recalled that a half dozen Pasadena officials were indicted in the late 1950s and early 1960s for
public corruption.
[
In 1965, '']Houston Post
The ''Houston Post'' was a newspaper that had its headquarters in Houston, Texas, United States. In 1995, the newspaper shut down, and its assets were purchased by the '' Houston Chronicle''.
History
Gail Borden Johnson founded the ''Houston ...
'' reporter Gene Goltz Received the Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made ...
for his exposure of government corruption in Pasadena, Texas, which resulted in widespread reforms.
21st century
In the 21st century, Pasadena emerged as a mostly working-class suburb of Houston.
2015 Tornado
On October 31, 2015, an EF2 tornado
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, alt ...
struck a warehouse within Pasadena city limits. Half of the warehouse was completely leveled with its roof completely mangled up. The tornado moved northeast into La Porte city limits and damaged approximately 30 homes.
Geography
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 has a total area of , of which is land and (0.81%) is water. The city is bordered by the Houston Ship Channel
The Houston Ship Channel, in Houston, Texas, is part of the Port of Houston, one of the busiest seaports in the world. The channel is the conduit for ocean-going vessels between Houston-area terminals and the Gulf of Mexico, and it serves a ...
(Buffalo Bayou
Buffalo Bayou is a slow-moving body of water which flows through Houston in Harris County, Texas. Formed 18,000 years ago, it has its source in the prairie surrounding Katy, Fort Bend County, and flows approximately east through the Houston Shi ...
/ San Jacinto River) to the north. The southeasternmost part of the city fronts Galveston Bay
Galveston Bay ( ) is a bay in the western Gulf of Mexico along the upper coast of Texas. It is the seventh-largest estuary in the United States, and the largest of seven major estuaries along the Texas Gulf Coast. It is connected to the Gulf of ...
.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.
Neighborhoods
Neighborhoods in Pasadena include:
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 151,950 people, 48,174 households, and 36,201 families residing in the city. As of the census of 2010, there were 149,043 people. There were 54,712 housing units.
According to the 2010 census, the racial and ethnic makeup of the city was 83.3% 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 ...
, 2.7% 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 ...
, 1.5% American Indian and Alaska Native
Native Americans, also known as American Indians, First Americans, Indigenous Americans, and #Terminology differences, other terms, are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of the mainland United States (Indigenous peopl ...
, 2.1% Asian, 11.6% from other races, and 1.9% 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 for ...
or Latino of any race were 66.2% of the population. In 2020, the racial and ethnic makeup was 24.57% non-Hispanic white, 3.29% African American, 0.17% Native American, 2.2% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.31% some other race, 1.61% multiracial, and 67.81% Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Economy
The city's key economic sectors include exploration for petroleum and gas, petroleum refining, petrochemical processing, solar panel manufacturing, maritime shipping, aerospace, and healthcare. The city's economy is closely linked to the nearby Houston Ship Channel
The Houston Ship Channel, in Houston, Texas, is part of the Port of Houston, one of the busiest seaports in the world. The channel is the conduit for ocean-going vessels between Houston-area terminals and the Gulf of Mexico, and it serves a ...
and the Bayport shipping terminal and industrial district
Industrial district concept was initially used by Alfred Marshall to describe some aspects of the industrial organisation of nations. Industrial district (ID) is a place where workers and firms, specialised in a main industry and auxiliary indus ...
, as well as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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, succeeding ...
(NASA)'s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in the bordering Clear Lake Area. The Pasadena Refining System, a partnership of Petrobras
Petróleo Brasileiro S.A., better known by the portmanteau Petrobras (), is a state-owned Brazilian multinational corporation in the petroleum industry headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The company's name translates to Brazilian Petrole ...
and Astra Holding USA, is headquartered in Pasadena.
The nearby Bayport Industrial District
The Bayport Industrial District is a large commercial real estate, real-estate development located in southeast Harris County, Texas, within the Galveston Bay Area, Bay Area of Greater Houston. It is one of the two industrial districts in the ext ...
, one of the nation's largest chemical processing complexes, is vital to employment in Pasadena. High-tech businesses in the area related to the JSC have developed as well, and the opening of the Bayport shipping terminal is rapidly adding to the municipal economic base.
Additionally, Harris County operates the Kyle Chapman/Pasadena Courthouse Annex. Harris Health System
The Harris Health System, previously the Harris County Hospital District (HCHD), is a governmental entity with taxing authority that owns and operates three hospitals and numerous clinics throughout Harris County, Texas, United States, includin ...
(formerly Harris County Hospital District) operates the Strawberry Health Center, and the Pediatric and Adolescent Health Center – Pasadena. The nearest public hospital is Ben Taub General Hospital
Ben Taub Hospital is a public hospital located in Houston, Texas within the Texas Medical Center. Having opened in May 1963, the hospital is owned and operated by the Harris Health System and is staffed by the faculty, residents, and students f ...
in the Texas Medical Center
The Texas Medical Center (TMC) is a medical district and neighborhood in south-central Houston, Texas, United States, immediately south of the Museum District and west of Texas State Highway 288. Over 60 medical institutions, largely concentrat ...
, Houston. 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 jai ...
(TDCJ) operates the Houston V District Parole Office in Pasadena.
There are four post offices
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional servi ...
in the city limits. In July 2011 the USPS announced that one, John Foster Post Office, may close.
Top employers
According to the city's 2017 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
Government
The government of Pasadena operates under a mayor-council form of government with a mayor and eight council members who are responsible for enacting legislation, adopting budgets and setting policies.
Public Safety
The city has its own police department, which employs approximately 282 Officers, with one Police Chief, three Assistant Chiefs and other supervisory positions. The Pasadena Volunteer Fire Department is the largest of all volunteer municipal fire departments in the United States.
Culture
The city has several museums, including the Pasadena Historical Museum, the Bay Area Museum and Armand Bayou Nature Center. Pasadena also has a community theater, an annual rodeo, and the Pasadena Philharmonic. The city's newspaper is the ''Pasadena Citizen''.
The Champion paper mill closed in 2005. Several country music songs have been recorded with "Pasa-get-down-dena" as the title including Kenefick on their album "Hard Road."
Gilley's and ''Urban Cowboy''
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He came to public attention during the 1970s, appearing on the television sitcom '' Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes '' Carrie'' ( ...
, Debra Winger and other actors came to the city to film the 1980 hit movie '' Urban Cowboy'', which depicted life and young love in Pasadena. The film centered on the city's honky-tonk bar Gilley's, which was co-owned by country music star Mickey Gilley
Mickey Leroy Gilley (March 9, 1936 – May 7, 2022) was an American country music singer and songwriter. Although he started out singing straight-up country and western material in the 1970s, he moved towards a more pop-friendly sound in the 19 ...
. In 1989, Gilley's suffered an arson fire that gutted the interior of the building, including the mechanical bull used in ''Urban Cowboy''. The shell of the building stood until 2006, when it was demolished by the Pasadena Independent School District, its current owner. Only the old sound recording studio remains. Gilley resided in Pasadena until his death May 7, 2022. The old address of Gilley's is a used-car lot.["City emerges as new voting rights battleground", '']Laredo Morning Times
The ''Laredo Morning Times'' is a daily newspaper publication based in Laredo, Texas, USA. It is owned by the Hearst Corporation
Hearst Communications, Inc., often referred to simply as Hearst, is an American multinational mass media and busi ...
'', January 4, 2015, p. 4A
Strawberry Festival
In 1900, Clara Barton
Clarissa Harlowe Barton (December 25, 1821 – April 12, 1912) was an American nurse who founded the American Red Cross. She was a hospital nurse in the American Civil War, a teacher, and a patent clerk. Since nursing education was not then very ...
of the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the des ...
purchased 1.5 million strawberry
The garden strawberry (or simply strawberry; ''Fragaria × ananassa'') is a widely grown hybrid species of the genus '' Fragaria'', collectively known as the strawberries, which are cultivated worldwide for their fruit. The fruit is widely ap ...
plants and sent them to Pasadena to help victims of the 1900 Galveston hurricane get back on their feet. By the 1930s those crops had flourished so much that Pasadena was claiming the title of ''Strawberry Capital of the World''. At its height, the city's strawberry growers shipped as many as 28 train carloads of strawberries each day. To honor that history, the city still holds an annual Pasadena Strawberry Festival. Strawberry Road stretches through much of the city near where the old strawberry crops grew. Attendance at the annual Strawberry Festival was 56,000 in 2008.
Pasadena Philharmonic Society and Orchestra
Pasadena Philharmonic Society and Orchestra is a combination of two groups. The Society is composed of members of the local community that support the fine arts and classical music. The Orchestra is composed of local music educators, musicians, college students and selected high school students. The Orchestra presented its first performance in the fall of 1982. The Philharmonic has presented performances ever since.
Education
Primary and secondary schools
Most of city of Pasadena is served by the Pasadena Independent School District. Some of the eastern part is served by Deer Park Independent School District, some of the southern part is served by 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 ...
and La Porte Independent School District
La Porte Independent School District is a school district based in La Porte, Texas, La Porte, Texas, United States.
The district serves the cities of La Porte, Morgan's Point, Texas, Morgan's Point, and Shoreacres, Texas, Shoreacres, a small por ...
.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
operated the St. Pius V School in Pasadena from 1947, until its 2020 closure; the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
contributed to the closure.
Colleges and universities
Institutions of higher education include:
*University of Houston–Clear Lake
The University of Houston–Clear Lake (UHCL) is a public university in Pasadena and Houston, Texas, with branch campuses in Pearland and Texas Medical Center. It is part of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1971, UHCL had ...
*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 ...
(Central Campus and System Headquarters) a community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior s ...
system which under Texas law serves all of Pasadena ISD, La Porte ISD, and Deer Park ISD, as well as other school districts, and the portion of Clear Creek ISD in Harris County; this means in effect it serves all of the City of Pasadena.
* Texas Chiropractic College
Public libraries
Pasadena owns the Pasadena Public Library with the Main Library at 1201 Jeff Ginn Memorial Drive and the Fairmont Library, a branch, at 4330 Fairmont Parkway between Panama Street and Watters Road.
Parks and recreation
The city operates 15 tennis courts, several baseball fields, and a total of 43 parks total. These include
over of trails,
four Youth Recreation Centers,
the Verne Cox Multipurpose Recreation Center,
three pools for Swimming or Aquatics,
an Athletics department,
a Dog Park,
Party Rentals,
a Golf Course,
an Historical Museum,
and a Senior Citizen Center.
Harris County operates several community centers in Pasadena.
* East Harris County Activity Center
* Bay Area Community Center
* Clear Lake Water Front (Pasadena Section)
Local residents have access to tennis courts, soccer fields, jogging tracks, walking tracks, picnic tables, family gathering pavilions at Pasadena's 47 parks, 5 swimming pools, and 5 game room buildings, museum, recreation center, 15 tennis courts and 21 ball fields.
Armand Bayou Nature Center
Armand Bayou Nature Center
Armand Bayou Nature Center is an urban preserve located in Pasadena and southeast Houston between the Johnson Space Center and the Bayport Industrial District. The nature center is the largest urban wilderness preserve in the United States.
Th ...
(ABNC) is a preserve on the western shore of Galveston Bay in Pasadena. It is the only remnant of this region's original eco-systems: coastal tallgrass prairie, bottomland forest and bayou. A diversity of plant life has taken root here, including bottomland hardwoods. Hundreds of species of wildlife thrive in the narrow wooded streams and scattered lakes, ponds and marshes. Armand Bayou also is a breeding and nursery ground for many finfish and shellfish and a haven for rarely seen species such as bobcats and owls.
ABNC has been designated as one of five preserves under the Texas Coastal Preserve Program of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) is a Texas state agency that oversees and protects wildlife and their habitats. In addition, the agency is responsible for managing the state's parks and historical areas. Its mission is to manage ...
.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Pasadena is served by three freeway systems. Interstate 45
Interstate 45 (I-45) is a major Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of Texas. While most Interstate routes which have numbers ending in "5" are cross-country north–south routes, I-45 is comparatively short, with the ...
is the closest interstate to the Pasadena city limits. The main freeway artery is the Pasadena Freeway ( State Highway 225). The east side of the Sam Houston Tollway
Sam, SAM or variants may refer to:
Places
* Sam, Benin
* Sam, Boulkiemdé, Burkina Faso
* Sam, Bourzanga, Burkina Faso
* Sam, Kongoussi, Burkina Faso
* Sam, Iran
* Sam, Teton County, Idaho, United States, a populated place
People and fictiona ...
(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 ...
) runs through the eastern portion of the city.
The Harris County Toll Road Authority
The Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA, pronounced "HECK-trah") maintains and operates a toll road system in the Greater Houston area. Its headquarters are located in Houston's Fairbanks/Northwest Crossing neighborhood.
History
HCTRA c ...
sells EZ Tags in the city.
Public transportation
Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas
The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (stylized as METRO) is a major public transportation agency based in Houston, Texas, United States. It operates bus, light rail, bus rapid transit, HOV and HOT lanes, and paratransit service (u ...
(METRO) operates a park & ride service from the Plaza Paseo Mall.
This joint venture between Harris County, the city of Pasadena and METRO extended select trips. METRO operates four trips during the morning and five trips during the afternoon rush hours. Harris County Transit operates a bus route that runs through most of the city, stopping at health centers, shopping centers, colleges, and other venues, with connections to neighboring cites. The Pasadena Park and Ride lot is located on the north side of the mall.
County services
Harris County Youth Village, a juvenile detention facility
In criminal justice systems, a youth detention center, known as a juvenile detention center (JDC),Stahl, Dean, Karen Kerchelich, and Ralph De Sola. ''Abbreviations Dictionary''. CRC Press, 20011202. Retrieved 23 August 2010. , . juvenile de ...
, is located in far southern Pasadena, but it has a Seabrook postal address.
Notable people
* Ray Barnhart
Ray Anderson Barnhart (January 12, 1928 – May 26, 2013) was an American businessman who served as Federal Highway Administrator from 1981 to 1987. He started his career as City Councilman in Pasadena, Texas. He was a member of the Texas House ...
, former member of the Texas House of Representatives from Pasadena, later director of the Federal Highway Administration
* Emily Chan, figure skater, 2016 junior national champion
* Dean Corll, serial killer, rapist, kidnapping, kidnapper and torturer
Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons such as punishment, extracting a confession, interrogation for information, or intimidating third parties. Some definitions are restricted to acts car ...
, died in Pasadena
* Brandon Darby
Brandon Michael Darby (born November 2, 1976) is an American conservative blogger and activist. He first became known in the fall of 2005 for actions in New Orleans in efforts to help residents, where he was a co-founder of the Common Ground Colle ...
, political activist
* Marlen Esparza, Olympic competitor 2012 and bronze medalist in women's boxing
* Mickey Gilley
Mickey Leroy Gilley (March 9, 1936 – May 7, 2022) was an American country music singer and songwriter. Although he started out singing straight-up country and western material in the 1970s, he moved towards a more pop-friendly sound in the 19 ...
, world-famous country singer and part-owner of Gilley's night club in Pasadena, used for filming of '' Urban Cowboy''
* Jacob Green, All American football player for Texas A&M, played for Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 a ...
* Russell Harvard, actor, ''There Will Be Blood
''There Will Be Blood'' is a 2007 American period drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, loosely based on the 1927 novel '' Oil!'' by Upton Sinclair. It stars Daniel Day-Lewis as Daniel Plainview, a silver miner turned oilm ...
'', '' Fargo''
* Gilbert Pena, 2015 Republican member of Texas House of Representatives from Pasadena
* Robert Talton, member of Texas House of Representatives from District 144 in Pasadena, 1993–2009; candidate for Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court in 2014 Republican primary election
Sister city
The city of Pasadena, community police outreach has devoted "friendship gardens" to the city of Hadano, Kanagawa, Hadano.
See also
* Allen Ranch
* Galveston Bay Area
Notes
References
External links
City of Pasadena
Pasadena Texas Community Information
Pasadena Chamber of Commerce
*
{{authority control
Pasadena, Texas,
Populated coastal places in Texas, Texas
Cities in Texas
Cities in Harris County, Texas