Conroe, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids City of Conroe
City
Downtown Conroe
Location in Montgomery County in the state of Texas
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Montgomery
Incorporated	1904
Government
• Type	Mayor-Council
Area
• Total	72.77 sq mi (188.48 km2)
• Land	71.97 sq mi (186.41 km2)
• Water	0.80 sq mi (2.07 km2)
Elevation	205 ft (62.5 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	89,956
• Estimate  (2022)	101,405
• Density	1,265.44/sq mi (488.59/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code(s)	77301–77304, 77306, 77384, 77385
PO Box code(s)	77305
Area code(s)	936
FIPS code	48-16432
GNIS feature ID	1333238

Conroe is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Texas, United States, about 40 miles (64 km) north of Houston. It is a principal city in the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area.

As of 2023, the population was 103,035. Since 2007, the city has increased in size (and population) by annexation, with the city territory expanding from 52.8 to 74.4 square miles. Some communities have attempted to fight such annexation. According to the Census Bureau, Conroe was the fastest-growing large city in the United States between July 1, 2015, and July 1, 2016.

History

The city is named after Northern-born Union Cavalry officer and Houston lumberman Isaac Conroe. Conroe founded a sawmill there in 1881. The city originally gained in wealth due to the lumber and oil industries. Originally named "Conroe's Switch", the area saw an influx of residents in the late 19th century due to the lumber demands on the piney wood forest of the area.

During the 1930s, because of oil profits, the city boasted more millionaires per capita than any other U.S. city, though only briefly. Elvis Presley performed at the high school football field on August 24, 1955. After the construction of Interstate 45, many Houstonians began to settle communities around Conroe.

Within the first decade of the 21st century the city attracted a great deal of new residents from the Houston area. Renée C. Lee said that Conroe around 2002 was "a sleepy, backwater town 40 miles north of Houston" and that at the time, Conroe city officials needed to use financial incentives to attract home developers to Conroe. Lee said that for a three-year period ending in 2007, Conroe became a hotbed of construction of new houses.

In 2012 the U.S. Census Bureau designated the area around Conroe and The Woodlands as a "large urbanized transit area," an area defined as having over 200,000 residents, making it eligible to receive federal transportation funds.

Geography

Conroe is at 30°18′58″N 95°27′32″W / 30.31611°N 95.45889°W / 30.31611; -95.45889 (30.316124, -95.458801).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 37.9 square miles (98 km²), of which, 37.8 square miles (98 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²) of it (0.21%) is water.

It is about 40 miles (64 km) north of Houston.

Demographics

Map of racial distribution in Conroe, 2020 U.S. census. Each dot is one person: ⬤ White ⬤ Black ⬤ Asian ⬤ Hispanic ⬤ Multiracial ⬤ Native American/Other

During the first decade of the 21st century, the city attracted many new residents from the Houston area. Renée C. Lee said that Conroe around 2002 was "a sleepy, backwater town" and that at the time, Conroe city officials needed to use financial incentives to attract home developers to Conroe. Between 2003 and 2006, Conroe became a hotbed of construction of new houses. As a result, Conroe's population grew from 36,811 in 2000 to 56,207 in 2010.

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 89,956 people, 32,547 households, and 21,369 families residing in the city.

As of the census of 2010, there were 56,207 people, 18,651 households, and 13,086 families residing in the city. Since the 2010 census, Conroe's population has continued to grow. Between 2014 and 2015, Conroe was the sixth fastest growing city in the United States. The following year, the US Census Bureau reported that Conroe was the fastest-growing large city in the United States. It had a 7.8% growth rate between 2015 and 2016. New housing developments throughout the city have contributed to the rapid population growth. Conroe's annexation of growing communities within its extraterritorial jurisdiction has also contributed to its growth.

The racial makeup of the city was 69.7% White (including Hispanic), 10.3% African American, 1.2% Native American, 1.8% Asian, less than 0.05% Pacific Islander, 13.7% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 38.5% of the population. White alone (not Hispanic or Latino) were 48.3% of the total population.

According to the 2016 American Community Survey, the median income for a household in the city was $50,517 and the median income for a family was $60,087. Males had a median income of $44,343 versus $37,747 for females. The per capita income for the city was $28,672. About 12.2% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.4% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over. In response to income inequality, several non-profit groups including the Montgomery County United Way, The Salvation Army, and the Crisis Assistance Center help provide residents of the area with a variety of services ranging from transportation to food and shelter.

Economy

In the early 1980s, Exxon considered consolidating its employees to a site in Conroe. The company ended the plans after the local oil-based economy collapsed.

According to the City's 2016 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Culture

Crighton Theatre, first opened as a movie theatre in 1935, now hosts live theatrical performances.

Downtown Conroe's Central Business District hosts multiple arts venues. The oldest is the Crighton Theatre, which opened on November 26, 1935. The theatre is named after Harry M. Crighton, Conroe's mayor from 1932 to 1933. The theatre functioned as the community's movie theatre until 1967, at which point it fell into disrepair. In 1979 it was renovated, and it now hosts live theatrical productions. Another theatre, the Owen Theatre, is also located in the district. The Central Business District has outdoor performance venues at Conroe Founder's Plaza and Heritage Place, which host multiple festivals throughout the year.

The city supports several arts organizations, including the Greater Conroe Arts Alliance. The Alliance is a network of multiple arts groups in the city such as the Conroe Symphony, the Conroe Art League, and the Montgomery County Choral Society. The Alliance also sponsors, along with the state of Texas, the Young Texas Artists Music Competition. The competition, founded in 1983, showcases young musicians who aspire to careers in classical music. In 2009, the city sponsored the Art Bench Project, which converted 13 stone benches scattered throughout the central business district into works of art. Each bench portrays a different part of Conroe's history and culture, from historical figures like George Strake and Charles B. Stewart to contemporary art groups such as the Crighton Players.

Parks and recreation

Montgomery County Heritage Museum

The city contains multiple parks which document local history. The Heritage Museum of Montgomery County maintains artifacts of Montgomery County's early settlers.

The Lone Star Monument and Historical Flag Park displays the flags that flew over Texas. The flags are positioned in a circle around the park, with a statue of a Texian in the center. Each flag comes with a plaque that describes its connection to Texas history. At the park's entrance is a statue of Charles B. Stewart, who is claimed to have designed the lone star flag.

Montgomery County War Memorial Park is a memorial to the 166 soldiers from Montgomery County who have been killed in active duty. The park's dedication ceremony was in 1976 and featured a speech by President Gerald Ford. In 2017, the Montgomery County Commissioners Court and the City of Conroe agreed to relocate and expand the memorial, to include the names of up to 50,000 soldiers who have lived in Montgomery County. As of June 2019, the expansion is ongoing.

Lake Conroe, northwest of downtown Conroe, is a site for such water-based activities as boating and fishing. The most common fish in the lake are Largemouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish, white bass, and hybrid striped bass. Crappie may also be found in the early spring and fall.

Education

Conroe High School, Conroe Independent School District.

Colleges and universities

Residents of both Conroe ISD and Willis ISD (and therefore the whole city of Conroe) are served by the Lone Star College System (formerly North Harris Montgomery Community College).

It is primarily served by the Lone Star College-Montgomery Campus and LSC University Center. Other campuses in the county include the EMCID Center in New Caney, and the Conroe Center. The territory in Conroe ISD joined the community college district in 1991, and the territory in Willis ISD joined the district in 1996.

The Catholic University of St. Thomas opened a campus in Conroe in fall 2020. The Old Conroe Police building has been adapted to serve as a temporary site for up to three years. The permanent campus is proposed to be at Deison Technology Park. Class of 1952 alumnus Vincent D'Amico offered the university 50 acres (20 ha) of land in east Montgomery County for the project.

Public school districts

Almost all areas of Conroe are within the Conroe Independent School District though a small northern section of Conroe is within the Willis Independent School District, and a western section is in the Montgomery Independent School District.

Conroe Independent School District

All of the schools listed here are in the city of Conroe. Approximately 60% of the Conroe ISD section of Conroe is zoned to Conroe High School though some parts of Conroe attend Oak Ridge High School and Caney Creek High School.

The junior high schools that serve the Conroe High School feeder zone are:

• John V. Peet Junior High School
• Washington Junior High School
• Albert B. Moorhead Junior High School

Some intermediate schools that serve the Conroe High School feeder zone are:

• Cryar Intermediate School
• Travis Intermediate School
• Bozman Intermediate School

Some elementary schools that serve the Conroe High School feeder zone are:

• Anderson Elementary School
• Neil Armstrong Elementary School
• Giesinger Elementary School
• Sam Houston Elementary School
• O. A. Reaves Elementary School
• B. B. Rice Elementary School
• J. W. Runyan Elementary School
• Wilkinson Elementary School

Willis Independent School District

The Willis ISD section is zoned to Turner Elementary School, Brabham Middle School, and Willis High School.

Private schools

• Sacred Heart Catholic School – Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
• Covenant Christian School
• Lifestyle Christian School
• Montgomery Christian Academy

The closest Catholic high school is Frassati Catholic High School in north Harris County; Conroe is in the school's intended catchment area.

Media

The Courier is a daily newspaper published in Conroe, Texas, covering Montgomery County. In 2016, the newspaper was purchased by Hearst Communications, a media conglomerate which also owns and operates the Houston Chronicle.

Two Houston television stations, Ion owned-and-operated KPXB-TV (channel 49) and Quest owned-and-operated KTBU (channel 55), are licensed to Conroe. Both stations operate from studios located in the city of Houston.

Infrastructure

Transportation

View of Texas State Highway 105 in downtown Conroe. The archway connects the Montgomery County Courthouse (right) with the Montgomery County Court Annex.

In 2012 the U.S. Census Bureau classified the area around Conroe and The Woodlands as a "large urbanized transit area." This is defined as an area having more than 200,000 residents, which makes it eligible to receive federal transportation funds, particularly to support transit.

• Interstate 45 directly connects the city with Houston to its south (40 miles) and with Dallas to its northwest (200 miles).
• Texas Highway 105 connects the city of Cleveland to the east and town of Montgomery to the west.
• Texas Loop 336 circles the city of Conroe.
• Conroe-North Houston Regional Airport provides general aviation services to Conroe.
• Greyhound Bus Lines operate a small station.
• Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (291 Conroe Park & Ride) provide service to Downtown Houston.
• The City of Conroe launched a local bus service, Conroe Connection, in 2015. It runs Monday through Friday, from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm
• Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway BNSF Railway operates the busy Conroe subdivision, an east-west railroad main line that runs from Silsbee in Hardin County to Navasota in Grimes County. There it intersects a main line running between Fort Worth and Galveston.

Union Pacific Railroad Corporation operates another busy main line that runs north from Houston in Harris County to Palestine in Anderson County, known as the Palestine subdivision. The two railroads intersect at a diamond in downtown Conroe between Main and First Streets.

Healthcare

In the early 1920s the Mary Swain Sanitarium, was established as the first organized healthcare institution in the city. The Mary Swain Sanitarium was private.

In 1938 the Montgomery County Hospital, a public institution, replaced it. It had 25 beds. The hospital closed after a new hospital of the Montgomery County Hospital District opened in 1982.

Notable people

• Brandon Allen, former Major League Baseball player for Arizona Diamondbacks
• Brian Barkley, former pitcher for Boston Red Sox
• Kyle Bennett, professional BMX racer
• Richard Bradford, motion picture and television actor, notable leading roles in Man in the Suitcase, The Untouchables and Trip to Bountiful
• Clarence Lee Brandley, exonerated prisoner
• Jeromy Burnitz, Conroe High School 1987, baseball player drafted by New York Mets in 1990; played for seven major league teams over a fourteen-year career
• Rock Cartwright, NFL running back, San Francisco 49ers
• Andrew Cashner, Conroe High School 2005, drafted by Chicago Cubs, pitcher for Texas Rangers
• Jonathan Daviss, leading role in the Netflix series Outer Banks
• Colin Edwards, two-time World Superbike champion and former MotoGP rider
• Annette Gordon-Reed, historian and law professor at Harvard University, MacArthur fellow and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for History and the National Book Award for Nonfiction
• John Hambrick, broadcast journalist, reporter, actor, voice-over announcer, and TV documentary producer
• Matt Lepsis, former National Football League player for the Denver Broncos and Super Bowl XXXIII winner
• Parker McCollum, Texas Country musician
• John Monroe, infielder in Major League Baseball for the New York Giants and Philadelphia Phillies
• Kevin Slowey, starting pitcher for MLB's Minnesota Twins
• Grant Stuard, NFL player and 2021 Mr. Irrelevant
• Roger Vick, former NFL fullback

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Conroe has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

See also

In Spanish: Conroe (Texas) para niños