Huntsville is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Walker County, Texas, United States. Its population was 45,941 as of the 2020 census. It is the center of the Huntsville micropolitan area. Huntsville is in the

East Texas East Texas is a broadly defined cultural, geographic, and ecological region in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Texas that consists of approximately 38 counties. It is roughly divided into Northeast Texas, Northeast, Southeast Texas, Sout ...

Piney Woods on

Interstate 45 Interstate 45 (I-45) is a major Interstate Highway located entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. While most primary Interstate routes which have numbers ending in "5" are cross-country north–south routes, I-45 is comparatively short, ...

and home to

Sam Houston State University Sam Houston State University (Sam Houston, SHSU or Sam) is a public research university in Huntsville, Texas, United States. Founded in 1879, it is the third-oldest public college or university in Texas. It is one of the first normal schools wes ...

, Texas State Prison, the

Texas Department of Criminal Justice The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) is a department of the government of the U.S. state of Texas. The TDCJ is responsible for statewide criminal justice for adult offenders, including managing offenders in state prisons, state jails ...

, Huntsville State Park, and HEARTS Veterans Museum of Texas. The city served as the residence of

Sam Houston Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two indi ...

, the first and third president of the

Republic of Texas The Republic of Texas (), or simply Texas, was a country in North America that existed for close to 10 years, from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846. Texas shared borders with Centralist Republic of Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande, an ...

, who later represented the state in the U.S. Senate. He is recognized in Huntsville by the Sam Houston Memorial Museum, a statue on

, and Sam Houston State University, located in central Huntsville.

History

The city got its beginning ''circa'' 1836, when Pleasant and Ephraim Gray opened a trading post on the site. Ephraim Gray became first postmaster in 1837, naming it after his hometown of

Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is the List of municipalities in Alabama, most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population of the city is estimated to be 241,114 in 2024, making it the List of United States cities by population, 100th-most populous ...

. Huntsville became the home of Sam Houston, who served as president of the

, Governor of the State of

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 ...

, governor of

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

U.S. senator The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...

, and Tennessee congressman. Houston led the Texas Army in the

Battle of San Jacinto The Battle of San Jacinto (), fought on April 21, 1836, in present-day La Porte and Deer Park, Texas, was the final and decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Led by General Samuel Houston, the Texan Army engaged and defeated General A ...

, the decisive victory of the

Texas Revolution The Texas Revolution (October 2, 1835 – April 21, 1836) was a rebellion of colonists from the United States and Tejanos (Hispanic Texans) against the Centralist Republic of Mexico, centralist government of Mexico in the Mexican state of ...

. He has been noted for his life among the

Cherokee The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...

s of Tennessee, and— near the end of his life — for his opposition to the

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

, a very unpopular position in his day. Huntsville has two of Houston's homes, hi
grave
and th
Sam Houston Memorial Museum
Houston's life in Huntsville is also commemorated by his namesake Sam Houston State University, and by a Huntville Statue and Visitors Center, www.samhoustonstatue.org
Retrieved February 9, 2010. statue. (The towering statue, '' A Tribute to Courage'' by artist

David Adickes David Pryor Adickes ( ; born January 19, 1927, Huntsville, Texas) is a Modernism, modernist sculptor and painter. His most famous work is the 67-foot tall ''A Tribute to Courage'' statue of Sam Houston in Huntsville, Texas. Life and career Adick ...

, has been described as the world's largest statue of an American hero, and is easily viewed by travelers on

.) Huntsville was also the home of Samuel Walker Houston (1864–1945), a prominent African-American pioneer in the field of education. He was born into

slavery Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

on February 12, 1864, to Joshua Houston, a slave owned by Sam Houston. Samuel W. Houston founded the Galilee Community School in 1907, which later became known as the Houstonian Normal and Industrial Institute, in Walker County. In 1995, on the grounds of the old Samuel W. Houston Elementary School, the Huntsville Independent School District, along with the Huntsville Arts Commission and the high school's Ex-Students Association, commissioned the creation of '' The Dreamers'', a monument to underscore the black community's contributions to the growth and development of Huntsville and Walker County. After a book display at the Huntsville Public Library generated a controversy among city officials in 2022, the library removed two book displays. Following the removal of the book displays, the city decided to privatize the library.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020

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 ...

, 45,941 people, 13,187 households, and 5,893 families resided in the city.

2010 census

As of the 2010

, 35,078 people, 10,266 households, and 7,471 families lived in the city. The population density was 1438.3/km sq (10,135.1/mi sq). The 11,508 housing units ha an average density of 1143.8/km sq (1372.4/mi sq). The racial makeup of the city was 65.78% White, 26.14% African American, 0.33% Native American, 1.11% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 4.91% from other races, and 1.65% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 16.22% of the population. Of the 10,266 households, 25.3% had children under 18 living with them, 37.0% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.7% were not families. Abot 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.97. In the city, the age distribution was 15.1% under 18, 29.3% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 16.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 152.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 163.8 males. The prison population is included in the city's population, which results in a significantly skewed sex ratio. The median income for a household in the city was $27,075, and for a family was $40,562. Males had a median income of $27,386 versus $22,908 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,576. About 13.1% of families and 23.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.9% of those under 18 and 14.7% of those 65 or over.

Geography

Huntsville is located at (30.711254, −95.548373). 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 city has a land area of 35.86 square miles in 2010. At the area code level, land area covers 559.661 sq mi and water area 7.786 sq mi. Huntsville is about north of

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 ...

. It is part of the Texas Triangle megaregion.

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 divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

, Huntsville has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

, ''Cfa'' on climate maps.

Economy

As of 2022, the largest employer in Huntsville is the

, with 6,744 employees. In 1996, the TDCJ had 5,219 employees in Huntsville. Robert Draper of the ''

Texas Monthly ''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. Founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy, ''Texas Monthly'' chronicles life in contemporary Texas, writing on politics, the Natura ...

'' described Huntsville as the "company town" of the TDCJ; he stated that the industry was "recession-proof" and that "It's hard to find a person in Huntsville who doesn't have at least an indirect affiliation with the prison system", since many businesses indirectly rely on its presence. As of 1996, the TDCJ employed over twice the number of people employed by Sam Houston State University, the city's second-largest employer. As of 2022, Sam Houston State remained the second-largest employer in Huntsville, with 2,417 employees. The university has a strong role in the study of

criminology Criminology (from Latin , 'accusation', and Ancient Greek , ''-logia'', from λόγος ''logos'', 'word, reason') is the interdisciplinary study of crime and deviant behaviour. Criminology is a multidisciplinary field in both the behaviou ...

. The third-largest employer is the Huntsville Independent School District, with 980 employees. The fourth-largest employer, Huntsville Memorial Hospital, has 552 employees; 485 employees work for the fifth-largest employer,

Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...

. As of 2020, Huntsville's average income was lower than Texas' average income.

Government and infrastructure

State representation

Texas Department of Criminal Justice

Huntsville has the headquarters of the

(TDCJ), the Texas agency that operates state correctional facilities for adults.Huntsville Prison Blues
.

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

. September 10, 2001. Retrieved on December 2, 2009. The Texas prison system has been headquartered in Huntsville since Texas's founding as a republic, and the TDCJ is the only major state agency not headquartered in

Austin Austin refers to: Common meanings * Austin, Texas, United States, a city * Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...

, the state capital.Ryckman, Lisa Levitt.
Article: A RECORD YEAR FOR EXECUTIONS IN TEXAS HUNTSVILLE RESIDENTS PREFER NOT TO DISCUSS THE DEATHS.(News/National/International)
. ''

Rocky Mountain News The ''Rocky Mountain News'' (nicknamed the ''Rocky'') was a daily newspaper published in Denver, Colorado, from April 23, 1859, until February 27, 2009. It was owned by the E. W. Scripps Company from 1926 until its closing. the Monday–Friday ...

''. August 31, 1997. Retrieved on August 25, 2010. Several TDCJ prisons for men, including the Byrd Unit, the Goree Unit, the

Huntsville Unit Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville or Huntsville Unit (HV), nicknamed "Walls Unit", is a Texas state prison located in Huntsville, Texas, United States. The approximately facility, near downtown Huntsville, is operated by the Correctional Ins ...

(home of the state's execution chamber), and the Wynne Unit, are within Huntsville's city limits. The Holliday Unit, a transfer unit, is also in Huntsville. The TDCJ Central Region Warehouse and Huntsville Prison Store are in the TDCJ headquarters complex. The Food Service Warehouse is behind the Wynne Unit. The TDCJ operates the Huntsville District Parole Office in Huntsville. As of 1996, the TDCJ director resided in a mansion across the street from the Huntsville Unit.

Other state agencies

The headquarters of the Texas Forensic Science Commission is located at Sam Houston State University.

Transportation

Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc. is an American operator of Intercity bus service, intercity bus services. Greyhound operates the largest intercity bus network in the United States, and also operates charter and Amtrak Thruway services, as well as interci ...

operates the Huntsville Station in Huntsville. As of 2001 many former prisoners released from the TDCJ system use the station to travel to their final destinations. The station is three blocks uphill from the

, a point of release for prisoners exiting the TDCJ.Nowell, Scott. "Doing Time." ''

Houston Press The ''Houston Press'' is an online newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in the Midtown Houston, Midtown area. It was also a weekly print newspaper until November 2017. The publication is supported entirely ...

''. September 18, 2003
1

Print article version
. Retrieved on September 23, 2010. Bruce Brothers Huntsville Regional Airport is located in Huntsville. Renamed from the Huntsville Municipal Airport in 2009, Bruce Brothers Huntsville Regional Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport. As of December 2015, it is still listed as the Huntsville Municipal Airport by the

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in t ...

and the

Texas Department of Transportation The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT ) is a Texas state government agency responsible for construction and maintenance of the state's immense Texas state highway system, state highway system and the support of the state's maritime trans ...

Major highways

* * * * *

Culture

In September 2009, the Huntsville Cultural District was designated by the Texas Commission on the Arts as one of the first seven state cultural districts. Museums, art galleries, artist studios and workshops, historic homes, theaters and theatrical performances are located within the Cultural District in historic Downtown Huntsville. The Cultural District is also home to some of the finest historical architecture in Texas, including murals created by world-renowned artist Richard Haas and unique homes built from recycled materials created by Dan Phillips of Phoenix Commotion complement the historic aspects of the district. Ruth Massingill and Ardyth Broadrick Sohn, authors of ''Prison City: Life with the Death Penalty in Huntsville, Texas'', said that Huntsville shares several traits with other small towns. For instance, many insiders include members of Huntsville's founding families, who still reside in Huntsville. They also said, "Disagreement is a well-established Huntsville tradition."Massingill and Soh
15
The authors say that debate is a significant part of the leadership agenda, and that the residents of Huntsville disagree about capital punishment.Massingill and Soh
16

Media

Digital news

'' Hello Huntsville'' is the community's online positive news website.

Newspapers

'' The Huntsville Item'' is the community's newspaper. ''The Houstonian'' is the SHSU student newspaper.

Radio

KRBE KRBE (104.1 FM broadcasting, FM) is a radio station in Houston, Texas. It is owned by Cumulus Media and broadcasts a contemporary hit radio format. The studios are located in Suite 700 at 9801 Westheimer Road in western Houston. KRBE has an ...

104.1 FM Houston's #1 Hits KHMX ("Mix 96.5") 96.5 FM Houston KHSP-LP 94.3 FM ''The Spirit of Huntsville'' KHVL 104.9 FM/1490 AM ''More Music, More Fun'' KSAM 101.7 FM ''Today's Best Country and All Your Favorites'' KSHU 90.5 FM ''The Kat - Huntsville's Choice for Variety''

Education

Primary and secondary schools

The majority of the City of Huntsville is served by the Huntsville Independent School District (HISD). By 2007, a Huntsville community report stated that over 50% of the HISD students are "classified as economically disadvantaged"; this is a higher percentage than the overall state percentage. As of 2007, over 18% of the students do not graduate from high school. List of schools (by education level): Preschool/prekindergarten * Gibbs Pre-K Center Elementary * Estella Stewart Elementary School * Huntsville Elementary School * Samuel W. Houston Elementary School * Scott E Johnson Elementary School Intermediate * Huntsville Intermediate School Middle * Mance Park Middle School High * Huntsville High School Private * Alpha Omega Academy (Pre-K–12) * Tomorrow's Promise, The Montessori School of Huntsville (Pre-K–12) * Summit Christian Academy (Pre-K–12) A very small portion of the city of Huntsville is within the New Waverly Independent School District.

Colleges and universities

is located in Huntsville. It also served as the first location for Austin College. Residents of both Huntsville ISD and New Waverly ISD (and therefore the whole city of Huntsville) are served by the Lone Star College System (formerly North Harris-Montgomery Community College).

Public libraries

The Huntsville Public Library opened on Sunday September 24, 1967 after the group "Friends for a Huntsville Public Library" had campaigned for the opening of a public library. The Huntsville Public Library provides a relevant print collection, as well as offering access to electronic resources and having over 40 public-access computers for adults, teens, and children. The Texas State library has made available a large array of professional databases, giving the public access to thousands of professional journals, encyclopedias, language programs, educational tutorials, and informational sites. Patrons of the Huntsville Public Library have access to information that was previously only available at university and major public libraries. In 2022, the library took away a display related to

LGBTQ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...

topics. In December, the city council voted to have Library Systems and Services, a private company, operate the library.

Adult prisoner education

The Windham School District, which provides educational services to prisoners in the TDCJ, is headquartered in Building B in the Wynne Unit in Huntsville.

Tourism

Huntsville has several tourist attractions, including an art tour, a downtown walking tour, a prison driving tour, Sam Houston's grave, the Sam Houston Memorial Museum, the Sam Houston Woodland Home, '' A Tribute to Courage'' (a 67-foot-tall statue of Sam Houston), ehe Texas Prison Museum, and a folk and cowboy music festival held every April. ''A Tribute to Courage'' is the world's tallest statue of an American hero. Standing on a 10-foot granite base, the 67-foot-tall statue of Sam Houston is visible from I-45 northbound for 6.5 miles.

, the creator of Big Sam, transformed 60 tons of concrete and steel into the monument and dedicated the statue to the City of Huntsville on October 22, 1994. Within the Huntsville Cultural District, the Wynne Home Arts and Visitor Center offers a wide variety of arts and cultural programs tailored to the interests and needs of Huntsville's diverse community. The Sam Houston National Forest is one of just four national forests in Texas. The forest contains 163,037 acres between Huntsville, Conroe, Cleveland, and Richards. The forest is home to the 128-mile Lone Star Hiking Trail, a portion of which has gained National Recreation Trail status.

Photo gallery

File:Huntsville May 2022 13 (Walker County District Attorney).jpg, United States Post Office File:Town Theater Huntsville Wiki (1 of 1).jpg, Town Theater File:Downtown Huntsville Texas 2 Wiki (1 of 1).jpg, Downtown Huntsville

Notable people

Academics

* Lois Blount (1896–1980), historian and teacher * Mark Hanna Watkins (1903–1976), linguist and anthropologist * Samuel Walker Houston (1864–1925), pioneer

Arts and entertainment

Cody Johnson Cody Daniel Johnson (born May 21, 1987) is an American country music singer. He has self-released six albums, including ''Gotta Be Me'', which debuted at number two on ''Billboard''s Country Albums chart, before releasing his first major-label ...

(born 1987), country singer *

Dana Andrews Carver Dana Andrews (January 1, 1909 – December 17, 1992) was an American film actor who became a major star in what is now known as film noir and later in Western films. A leading man during the 1940s, he continued acting in less prestigio ...

(1909–1992), actor * Erin Cummings, actress *

Richard Linklater Richard Linklater (; born July 30, 1960) is an American filmmaker. He is known for making films that deal thematically with suburban culture and the effects of the passage of time. In 2015, Linklater was included on the annual ''Time'' 100 li ...

(born 1960), movie director * Steve Forrest (1925–2013), actor

Businessmen

* Austin McGary (1846–1928) sheriff * Captain James A. Baker (1857–1921), lawyer and banker * James A. Elkins (1879–1972), lawyer and banker * John N. Raney (born 1947), businessman and politician * Judge James A. Baker (1821–1897), attorney and banker

Politicians

* Charles G. Keenan (1813–1870), politician and physician * Charlie Wilson (1933–2010), politician *

David Catchings Dickson David Catchings Dickson (February 25, 1818 – June 5, 1880) was an American politician and physician in early Texas who served as the ninth speaker of the Texas House of Representatives from 1851 to 1853 and as the fourth lieutenant governor of ...

(1818–1880), politician * Morgan Luttrell (born 1975), politician * Rex Tillerson (born 1952), energy executive *

(1793–1863), politician *

Thaksin Shinawatra Thaksin Shinawatra (, ; born 26 July 1949) is a Thai businessman and politician who was the 23rd prime minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006. Since 2009 he has also been a citizen of Montenegro. Thaksin founded the mobile phone operator A ...

(born 1949), Thai politician

Print and journalism

* Craig Flournoy (born 1951), journalist and professor *

Dan Rather Daniel Irvin Rather Jr. (; born October 31, 1931) is an American journalist, commentator, and former national evening news anchor. He began his career in Texas, becoming a national name after his reporting saved thousands of lives during Hurrica ...

(born 1931), journalist * Dave Ward (born 1939), journalist *

Jacy Reese Anthis Jacy Reese Anthis ( ; born December 16, 1992) is an American social scientist, writer and co-founder of the Sentience Institute with Kelly Witwicki. He previously worked as a Senior Fellow at Sentience Politics, and before that at Animal Char ...

(born 1992), writer * John Thomason (1893–1944), author * Marcus Luttrell (born 1975), Navy SEAL and author * Royal Dixon (1885–1962), author

Sports

* Chuck Clements (born 1973), American football player * Derrick Ross (born 1983), American football player * James Davidson (born 1990), American football player * Justin Gilbert (born 1991), American football player * Matt Powledge (born 1987), American football coach

Notes

Footnotes

References

* * Massingill, Ruth and Ardyth Broadrick Sohn.
Prison City: Life with the Death Penalty in Huntsville, Texas
'. Peter Lang, 2007. , .
"One man's trash ...
by Kate Murphy, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', September 2, 2009. Retrieved September 8, 2009. Regarding Dan Phillips building low-income housing largely out of

recycle ReCycle is a music loop editor designed and developed by Sweden, Swedish software developers Propellerhead Software. It runs on Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh based Personal Computer, PCs. The software debuted in 1994. The principal idea ...

d materials since 1997.

External links

City of Huntsville

Discover Huntsville

Texas Prison Museum

Sam Houston Memorial Museum
* Historical photographs of Huntsville can be found a
the University of Houston Digital Library

Cultural attractions

The Wynne Arts Center

SHSU College of Fine Arts and Mass Communication

Phoenix Commotion

Old Town Theatre

Sam Houston Memorial Museum
{{Authority control Cities in Walker County, Texas Cities in Texas County seats in Texas Micropolitan areas of Texas Populated places established in the 1830s 1830s establishments in Texas