Montgomery County, Texas facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Montgomery County
U.S. county
The Montgomery County Courthouse in Conroe
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	1837
Named for	Montgomery, Texas
Seat	Conroe
Largest community	The Woodlands
Area
• Total	1,077 sq mi (2,790 km²)
• Land	1,042 sq mi (2,700 km²)
• Water	35 sq mi (90 km²) 3.3%
Population (2020)
• Total	620,443
• Estimate (2023)	711,354
• Density	576.08/sq mi (222.43/km²)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts	2nd, 8th

Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county had a population of 620,443. The county seat is Conroe. The county was created by an act of the Congress of the Republic of Texas on December 14, 1837, and is named for the town of Montgomery. Between 2000 and 2010, its population grew by 55%, the 24th-fastest rate of growth of any county in the United States. Between 2010 and 2020, its population grew by 36%. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the estimated population is 711,354 as of July 1, 2023.

Montgomery County is part of the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,077 square miles (2,790 km²), of which 1,042 square miles (2,700 km²) are land and 35 square miles (91 km²) (3.3%) are covered by water.

Adjacent counties

Walker County (north)
San Jacinto County (northeast)
Liberty County (east)
Harris County (south)
Waller County (west)
Grimes County (northwest)

National protected area

Sam Houston National Forest (partial)

Communities

Cities

Cleveland (most of the city is in Liberty County)
Conroe (county seat)
Cut and Shoot
Houston (most of the city is in Harris County)
Magnolia
Montgomery
Oak Ridge North
Panorama Village
Patton Village
Roman Forest
Shenandoah
Splendora
Willis
Woodbranch

Towns

Census-designated places

Pinehurst
Porter Heights
The Woodlands (small part of the CDP located in Harris County)

Unincorporated communities

Chateau Woods (former city)
Decker Prairie
Dobbin
Egypt
Grangerland
Imperial Oaks
New Caney
Porter
River Plantation
Spring (larger part in Harris County, which includes the CDP part)
Tamina

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	2,384	—
1860	5,479	129.8%
1870	6,483	18.3%
1880	10,154	56.6%
1890	11,765	15.9%
1900	17,067	45.1%
1910	15,679	−8.1%
1920	17,334	10.6%
1930	14,588	−15.8%
1940	23,055	58.0%
1950	24,504	6.3%
1960	26,839	9.5%
1970	49,479	84.4%
1980	128,487	159.7%
1990	182,201	41.8%
2000	293,768	61.2%
2010	455,746	55.1%
2020	620,460	36.1%
2023 (est.)	711,354	56.1%
U.S. Decennial Census 1850–2010 2010–2020

**Montgomery County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition**
*Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.*
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 1990	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 1990	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	159,436	239,150	324,611	371,403	87.51%	81.41%	71.23%	59.86%
Black or African American alone (NH)	7,659	10,076	18,537	34,177	4.20%	3.43%	4.07%	5.51%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	646	1,118	1,807	1,884	0.35%	0.38%	0.40%	0.30%
Asian alone (NH)	1,143	3,167	9,347	21,436	0.63%	1.08%	2.05%	3.45%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)	N/A	80	241	634	N/A	0.03%	0.05%	0.10%
Other Race alone (NH)	80	281	635	2,522	0.04%	0.10%	0.14%	0.41%
Mixed Race or Multiracial (NH)	N/A	2,746	5,870	24,298	N/A	0.93%	1.29%	3.92%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	13,237	37,150	94,698	164,089	7.27%	12.65%	20.78%	26.45%
Total	182,201	293,768	455,746	620,443	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the 2010 census, there were 455,746 people, 162,530 households, and 121,472 families residing in the county. The population density was 423 people per square mile (163 people/km²). There were 177,647 housing units at an average density of 165 per square mile (64/km²).

In 2010, the racial makeup of the county was 83.5% White, 4.3% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 2.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 7.0% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. 20.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. At the 2020 census, the racial and ethnic makeup was 59.86% non-Hispanic white, 5.51% African American or Black, 0.30% Native American, 3.45% Asian alone, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.41% some other race, 3.92% multiracial, and 26.45% Hispanic or Latino American of any race.

At the 2010 census there were 162,530 households, out of which 36.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.50% were married couples living together, 10.60% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.70% had a male householder with no wife present, and 25.30% were non-families. 20.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.22.

In the county, 27.60% of the population was under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 26.60% from 45 to 64, and 10.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.29 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.94 males.

At the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the county was $50,864, and the median income for a family was $58,983. Males had a median income of $42,400 versus $28,270 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,544. About 7.10% of families and 9.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.90% of those under age 18 and 10.10% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public schools

Several school districts operate public schools in the county:

Conroe ISD
Magnolia ISD
Montgomery ISD
New Caney ISD
Richards ISD (partial)
Splendora ISD
Tomball ISD (partial)
Willis ISD
Humble ISD (partial)
Cleveland ISD (partial)

Private schools

Pre-K to 12

Covenant Christian School
Christ Community School
Esprit International School
The Woodlands Christian Academy
The John Cooper School
The Woodlands Preparatory School
Porter Christian Academy
Cunae International School
Legacy Preparatory Christian Academy
Willis Classical Academy

Pre-K to 8

St. Anthony Of Padua Catholic School of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

The closest Catholic high school is Frassati Catholic High School in north Harris County; the planners of the school intended for it to serve The Woodlands.

Colleges and universities

The county is also home to two campuses of the Lone Star College System (formerly North Harris-Montgomery Community College District): Montgomery and The University Center.

Lone Star College's service area under Texas law includes, in Montgomery County: Conroe, Magnolia, Montgomery, New Caney, Splendora, Tomball, and Willis ISDs. The portion in Richards ISD is zoned to Blinn Junior College District.

Former colleges for black students in the pre-desegregation era included Conroe Normal and Industrial College and Royal College.

Libraries

The county operates the Montgomery County Memorial Library System.

Healthcare

In 1938, the Montgomery County Hospital, a public institution, opened, the first public hospital in the county. It had 25 beds. The Montgomery County Hospital District opened in the 1970s, and the purpose of the district was making a new hospital, which opened in 1982 and replaced the former hospital.

Transportation

Airports

Conroe-North Houston Regional Airport, a general aviation airport, is located in Conroe.

The Houston Airport System stated that Montgomery County is within the primary service area of George Bush Intercontinental Airport, an international airport in Houston in Harris County.

Major highways

Interstate 45
Interstate 69/U.S. Highway 59
State Highway 75
State Highway 99 - Grand Parkway Toll Road
State Highway 105
State Highway 242
State Highway 249 - a.k.a. MCTRA 249 Tollway (from Spring Creek to Pinehurst) and the Aggie Expressway (Pinehurst up to Todd Mission)

Toll roads

Montgomery County has several toll roads within its borders, most of which are operated as "pass-through toll roads" or shadow toll roads.

There are two "true" toll roads within Montgomery County. One toll road consists of a section of mainlanes of State Highway 249 between the Harris County line at Spring Creek to FM 1774 in Pinehurst and is signed as MCTRA 249 Tollway (maintained by the Montgomery County Toll Road Authority). North of Pinehurst, the toll road continues as the TxDOT maintained Aggie Expressway (SH 249 Toll) up north to FM 1774 near Todd Mission then as a two-lane freeway up to State Highway 105 near Navasota. The other toll road within Montgomery County (also maintained by TxDOT) is Grand Parkway (State Highway 99) between the Harris County line at Spring Creek, with an interchange at I-69/US 59 near New Caney, and reentering Harris County before continuing into Liberty and Chambers Counties.