Humble, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Humble, Texas
City
Downtown Humble facing east, 2005
Motto(s):  "Where people make a difference"
Location in Harris County and the state of Texas
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Harris
Incorporated	1933
Area
• Total	9.82 sq mi (25.45 km2)
• Land	9.76 sq mi (25.29 km2)
• Water	0.06 sq mi (0.16 km2)
Elevation	90 ft (27.4 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	16,795
• Density	1,620.65/sq mi (625.72/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	77338, 77346, 77396
PO Boxes	77347
Area code(s)	281
FIPS code	48-35348
GNIS feature ID	1374175

Humble (pronounced UM-buhl) is a city in Texas, located near the big city of Houston. It became a busy "oil boomtown" in the early 1900s. This happened after oil was first found there in 1904.

By 1905, the Humble oilfield was the largest oil-producing area in all of Texas. Humble was also the original home of the Humble Oil and Refining Company. This company later became part of Exxon, a very well-known oil company.

In 2020, about 16,795 people lived in Humble.

History of Humble

A sign marking the city of Humble

People started settling in the Humble area in the early 1800s. Joseph Dunman is thought to be the first settler in 1828. A ferry was built nearby across the San Jacinto River.

The area became important for business because of its large oil industry. The city got its name from one of its first settlers, Pleasant Smith Humble. He opened the first post office in his home. He also served as a justice of the peace, which is like a local judge.

Humble became an oil boomtown in the early 1900s when oil was first found there. This happened a few years after the famous Spindletop oil discovery in Beaumont, Texas. A Railroad line was built in 1904. Soon after, the first train car of oil was shipped from Humble's oil field.

By 1905, the Humble oilfield was the biggest oil-producing field in Texas. These oil fields are still active today. The town was also home to the Humble Oil & Refining Company, started in 1911. This company later became part of Exxon. After the oil boom slowed down, many landowners went back to farming and the timber business.

In 2012, the Humble City Council voted to ban smoking in public places. This rule started on March 6, 2012.

Geography and Climate

Map showing the location of Humble

Humble is located at about 29.99 degrees North and 95.26 degrees West. The city covers about 9.9 square miles (25.6 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a very small amount of water.

Downtown Humble is built on top of a "salt dome." This is a large, underground dome-shaped structure made of salt. Most of the oil found in Humble is close to the surface. It forms a circle around the city, about 2.5 miles (4 km) wide.

Climate in Humble

The weather in Humble has hot and humid summers. Winters are usually mild to cool. Humble has a humid subtropical climate. This means it gets a lot of rain, and the temperatures are generally warm.

Population and People

Here's a look at the different groups of people living in Humble, based on the 2020 census:

As of the 2020 census, there were 16,795 people living in Humble. There were 6,373 households, and 3,411 families.

In 2000, there were 14,579 people in Humble. About 37% of households had children under 18. About 44.6% were married couples. The average household had 2.62 people. The average family had 3.18 people. The median age was 30 years old.

Economy

Petroleum (oil) has been the main part of Humble's economy since the city began. The city even gave its name to the Humble Oil and Refining Company. This company later joined with the Exxon corporation.

Arts and Culture

Museums and Interesting Places

The exit ramp for downtown Humble on Interstate 69/U.S. Route 59

• Humble Negro Cemetery
• Humble Museum, located at 601 Higgins Street.
• DeLorean Motor Company (DMC) has its only remaining private factory in Humble. This company made the DMC DeLorean sports car. The car became famous from the movie Back to the Future.

Parks and Recreation

The Shell Houston Open is a yearly golf event on the PGA Tour. It is played at the Golf Club of Houston, which is near Humble. This event usually happens in late March or early April. It is often held one week before the Masters Tournament, which is a very important golf championship.

Education

Schools in Humble

Humble High School

Most of Humble is served by the Humble Independent School District.

The city has three public elementary schools:

• Humble Elementary School
• Jack M. Fields, Senior Elementary School
• Lakeland Elementary School

Students in Humble attend Ross Sterling Middle School and Humble High School. Students can also apply to Guy M. Sconzo Early College. This is a special high school that is currently located within Humble High School.

A small part of Humble is in the Aldine Independent School District (AISD). AISD built Marine D. Jones Middle School within the Humble city limits.

There is a Catholic school for grades K-8 called St. Mary Magdalene School in Humble. Frassati Catholic High School is the closest Catholic high school. Holy Trinity Episcopal School is a Christian school for Pre-K through 5th grade near Humble.

Community Colleges

The Lone Star College System serves the Humble area. In 1972, people in Humble and other school districts voted to create this college system. The Humble area is served by Lone Star College, Kingwood. This college also has a center in Humble.

Public Libraries

Octavia Fields Branch Library

The Harris County Public Library has the Octavia Fields Branch Library in Humble. Humble's first public library opened in 1921. It moved to different locations over the years. In 1969, it moved to 111 West Higgins Street. It was named the Octavia Fields Memorial Library after Octavia Fields. She was the grandmother of Jack Fields, a former Congress member. The current library building opened in 2001.

Some areas near Humble are close to the Baldwin Boettcher Branch Library. This library opened in 1986. It was named after Baldwin Boettcher, an early German settler.

Media

News about Humble is covered by three local newspapers:

• Community Impact Newspaper (Lake Houston/Humble/Kingwood edition)
• The Tribune Newspaper
• The Observer Newspaper

Humble is also home to Christian radio station KSBJ, which is 89.3 FM. The Houston Chronicle is the main newspaper for the wider Houston area.

Infrastructure

Postal Service

The United States Postal Service Humble Post Office is located at 1202 1st Street East. There is also a Foxbrook Finance Unit nearby. In 2008, the Foxbrook post office was named the "Texas Military Veterans Post Office."

Prison System

The Pam Lychner State Jail is a state jail for men. It is located in Atascocita, which is an area near Humble. This jail is part of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Notable People from Humble

• Imad Baba, soccer player
• Nidal Baba, soccer player
• Jackie Battle, NFL football player
• Bertrand Berry, NFL football player
• Sam Cosmi, NFL/Romanian football player
• The Grappler, professional wrestler
• Alberto Gonzales, 80th United States Attorney General
• Dan Huberty, Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives
• Howard Hughes, entrepreneur, engineer, filmmaker, inventor, investor, aviator, and philanthropist
• Jerrod Johnson, NFL football player
• Donny Kelley, racing driver
• Wakaichiro Ken, sumo wrestler
• David Kersh, country singer
• Hailey Kilgore, actress and singer
• David Meece, Christian musician
• Stephan McCurley, racing driver
• Aaron Glenn, NFL football player and coach

Images for kids

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  Humble Municipal Court

• 

  Humble Criminal Justice Center and Humble Police Department

• 

  Harris County Courthouse Annex No. 3

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  Old San Jacinto River Truss Bridge

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  Hirsch Memorial Park

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  E. A. Squatty Lyons Health Center

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  Oil field, Humble, Texas (postcard, c. 1836–2001)

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  Former Charles Bender High School building

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  A water tower in Humble; the Wildcats are the Humble High School football team

See also

In Spanish: Humble (Texas) para niños