Atascocita 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 counte ...

(CDP) in Harris County,

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, United States, within the Houston metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 88,174. It is located north and south of Farm to Market Road 1960 about east of Humble and northeast of downtown

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

in northeastern Harris County.

Description

Bordered on its eastern shore by the Lake Houston, the community contains several parks, country clubs, and golf courses, including Atascocita Country Club, Walden on Lake Houston Golf and Country Club, and Tour 18, a recreation of some of the United States' most celebrated golf holes. Atascocita was named one of the "Best Places to Retire" by '' U.S. News & World Report'', citing Lake Houston's boating and fishing opportunities and Atascocita's numerous golf courses.

History

Atascocita's name derives from the Atascocito military outpost and subsequent road constructed by the Spanish in 1756. The Atascocito Road stretched from

Spanish Louisiana Louisiana (, ), was a province of New Spain from 1762 to 1801. It was primarily located in the center of North America encompassing the western basin of the Mississippi River plus New Orleans. The area had originally been claimed and controlle ...

in the east to

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

in the west, connecting eastern Texas to the rest of

New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( ; Nahuatl: ''Yankwik Kaxtillan Birreiyotl''), originally the Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain. It was one of several ...

. The Atascocito Road was a major route for American migrants moving to Texas in the 1820s and 1830s. It is unclear exactly when Atascocito shifted to Atascocita. The City of Houston annexed portions of what would become Atascocita in the 1960s, but it was de-annexed in the late 1970s. Construction in the area began in the 1970s. In the 1990s Atascocita included fifteen neighborhoods and was one of the fastest-growing developments in the

Greater Houston Greater Houston, designated by the Office of Management and Budget, United States Office of Management and Budget as Houston–Pasadena–The Woodlands, is the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fifth-most populous metropolitan statistical ...

area. The

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

first established the Atascocita CDP for the 2000 U.S. Census.2010 Census Block Map Atascocita, TX
"
Archive
.

. Retrieved on October 21, 2012.
See also the 2000 U.S. Census maps
Index
and page
123
an
4
The City of Houston did limited purpose annexation in Atascocita after the year 2000, therefore reducing the CDP's territory. In 2009 the Gadberry Group named Atascocita as one of "9 from 2009" most notable high growth areas in the United States. The 2010 census listed Atascocita's population as 65,844, up from 35,757 at the 2000 census. Atascocita has two community newspapers, ''The Tribune Newspaper'' and ''The Atascocita Observer''.

Geography

Atascocita is located at (29.993365, -95.182054). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the CDP has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.74%, is water. Syd Kearney, author of ''A Marmac Guide to Houston and Galveston'', "There are fine resort homes in sections such as Atascocita Shores."Kearney, Syd. ''A Marmac Guide to Houston and Galveston''. Pelican Publishing, March 1, 2009
p. 222
Retrieved from

Google Books Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search, Google Print, and by its code-name Project Ocean) is a service from Google that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical charac ...

on October 21, 2012. , 9781589805484.

Demographics

Atascocita was listed as 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 counte ...

in the 2000 U.S. Census.

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 88,174 people, 26,022 households, and 20,636 families residing in the CDP. As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 65,844 people, 11,006 households, and 9,432 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 11,342 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP in 2010 was 67.8%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 19.2%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.5% Native American, 2.8% Asian, 0.3%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, and 2.9% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 22.08% of the population. In 2020, its racial and ethnic makeup was 38.92% non-Hispanic white, 22.86% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 3.31% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.49% some other race, 3.61% multiracial, and 30.37% Hispanic or Latino of any race. In the CDP as of 2010, the population was spread out, with 30.0% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 35.7% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 3.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 111.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 113.5 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $83,314. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the CDP was $31,496 About 2.2% of families and 3.1% 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 2.7% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over. In 2020, the

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimated its median household income increased to $103,676. Atascocita's median home price was $153,100 as of 2017; there are many subdivisions in Atascocita, ranging from small, intimate neighborhoods to large, master-planned communities like Eagle Springs, Walden on Lake Houston, The Groves, The Bridges on Lake Houston, Balmoral, Lakeshore, Waters Edge, Summerwood, Pinehurst and Atascocita Shores. New home prices range from under $200,000 to over $20 million.

Government and infrastructure

Local and county government

The Atascocita Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency medical services. The

Harris County Sheriff's Office The Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) is a local law enforcement agency serving the over four million citizens of Harris County, Texas, United States. It is headquartered on the first and second floors in the 1200 Baker Street Jail in Downt ...

provides police services. The Atascocita CDP is divided between Harris County Precinct 1 and Harris County Precinct 4. As of 2022, Commissioners

Rodney Ellis Rodney Glenn Ellis (born April 7, 1954) is an American politician who has served on the Harris County, Texas, Harris County Commissioners Court Precinct 1 since 2017. He is a member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party. Elli ...

and Lesley Briones head the precincts, respectively. The CDP is served by the

District II Patrol, headquartered from the Humble Substation at 7900 Will Clayton Parkway in Humble. The Harris County Sheriff's Office Academy is in Atascocita. The Harris County Fire Marshall's offices are in Atascocita. The Sheriff's Office opened the Atascocita boot camp, a correctional facility for county inmates, in 1991. It closed in September 2004 as the county decided that its rehabilitation value was questionable. The vocational programs, once at the camp, were transferred to the Downtown area. The nearest public clinic of the Harris Health System (formerly Harris County Hospital District) is the E.A. "Squatty" Lyons clinic in Humble. The nearest public hospital is Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital in northeast Houston.

State representation

Pam Lychner Unit, a

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 ...

state jail for men, is located in the Atascocita CDP. The state jail, which has beds for 2,200 residents and a residential probation program with 450 beds, was named after Pam Lychner.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

; Public schools Atascocita students attend school in the Humble Independent School District. Elementary schools within Atascocita CDP include: Atascocita Springs, Eagle Springs, Oaks, Pine Forest, Timbers, and Whispering Pines.Elementary Attendance Zones 2011-12
" () Humble Independent School District. Retrieved on October 21, 2012. Maplebrook Elementary School is in the limited purpose city limits of Houston and surrounded by Atascocita CDP. - The school is in the limited purpose city limits, but not in the full purpose city limits. Other elementary schools serving portions of Atascocita include Deerwood (Kingwood), Greentree (Kingwood), Lakeshore (Houston), Park Lakes (unincorporated), River Pines (unincorporated), and Summerwood (Houston). Most of Atascocita CDP is served by Atascocita Middle School in the limited purpose city limits of Houston, and Humble Middle School, Timberwood Middle School, and Wood Creek Middle School in Atascocita.Middle School Attendance Zones 2011-12
"
Archive
Humble Independent School District. Retrieved on October 21, 2012. Some portions are zoned to Sterling Middle School in Humble, Creekwood Middle School in Kingwood, and Riverwood Middle School in Kingwood. Most of Atascocita CDP is served by Atascocita High School in Atascocita, while portions are served by Humble High School in Humble, Kingwood High School in Kingwood, and Summer Creek High School in an unincorporated area outside of Atascocita. Previously Humble High School served the Atascocita area until rapid growth in the community forced the construction of Atascocita High School in 2006. With an exterior modeled after

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...

's iconic

Monticello Monticello ( ) was the primary residence and plantation of Thomas Jefferson, a Founding Father, author of the Declaration of Independence, and the third president of the United States. Jefferson began designing Monticello after inheriting l ...

estate, the , $46.9 million school was built on a heavily wooded parcel of land in the center of Atascocita. Since its opening, Atascocita High School has garnered an impressive list of academic accolades including being labeled a "Recognized" campus by the Texas State Board of Education in 2010. All students attending the Humble Independent School District have the option to apply for admission to Quest Early College High School, a magnet high school in Atascocita. ; Private schools The PK-5 Holy Trinity Episcopal School is in proximity to Atascocita.

Colleges and Universities

Lone Star College opened it
Atascocita Center
in August, 2011. The center offers access to adult basic education/GED, English as a Second Language, college classes to meet degree requirements and Academy for Lifelong Learning (ALL) for seniors. The University of Houston–Downtown also offers a bachelor's degree in business administration in the evenings at the center.

Public libraries

Atascocita is served by the Atascocita Branch Library of the Harris County Public Library (HCPL), located inside the CDP. In 1986 the Atascocita Hi Neighbor group began to campaign for a library in Atascocita. The branch was built from 1994 to 1996 with the help of Janette Dennis, an Atascocita resident and philanthropist, and opened on May 5, 1996. Janette Dennis helped spearhead "The Friends of the Atascocita Library" (FOAL) donates around $20,000

United States dollar The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...

s per year to the library.

Parks and recreation

Atascocita Park, a area of space on Lake Houston Parkway, opened on June 24, 2020. A part of Harris County Precinct 2, it had a cost of $11,500,000. It has a dog park with of space, a boardwalk with a pond, and a playground with skywalks. Lake Houston is in the Atascocita area. Syd Kearney, author of ''A Marmac Guide to Houston and Galveston'', said that Atascocita was "synonymous with golf, tennis, and other great recreational features on Lake Houston." Harris County Precinct 4 operates the Lindsay/Lyons Park and Sports Complex. The complex has barbecue grills, one barbecue pavilion, 10 lighted baseball fields, two lighted

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

fields, picnic tables, two playgrounds (one is an all-inclusive playground and toilet facility for children of all physical abilities), four lighted softball fields, 18 unlighted soccer (football) fields, and toilet facilities. Additions added later in the park's life include a donor pavers garden, sensory garden for children with impaired sight, three 30-seat picnic pavilions, a paved walking trail around the playground, and additional trees.Lindsay/Lyons Sports Center Location and Facilities Map
. " Harris County Precinct 4. Retrieved on December 2, 2009.

Notes

References

External links

Atascocita.com

AtascocitaTexas.com

Atascocita Volunteer Fire Department
* {{authority control Census-designated places in Harris County, Texas