Spring, Texas facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Spring, Texas
Census-designated place
Old Town Spring
Location in Harris County and the state of Texas
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Harris
Area
• Total	23.6 sq mi (61.0 km²)
• Land	23.2 sq mi (60.1 km²)
• Water	0.3 sq mi (0.9 km²)
Elevation	121 ft (37 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	62,559
• Density	2,656.2/sq mi (1,025.6/km²)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	77373
Area code(s)	281, 346, 713, and 832
FIPS code	48-69596
GNIS feature ID	1347681

Spring is a community in Harris County, Texas, United States. It's considered a census-designated place (CDP), which means it's a special area defined for gathering population data. Spring is part of the larger Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area. In 2020, about 62,559 people lived here.

The name "Spring" is often used for a big area north of Houston. But the original town of Spring, now called Old Town Spring, is much smaller. It's located where Spring-Cypress and Hardy roads meet.

Exploring Spring, Texas
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Exploring Spring, Texas

A Look Back in Time

Long ago, the area where Spring is now was home to the Orcoquiza Native Americans. In 1836, the Texas government included this land in the Harrisburg area. A trading post was set up on Spring Creek in 1838. By 1840, about 153 people lived in Spring.

In the 1840s, many German families moved to Spring and started farms. People from Louisiana and other southern states also settled here after the American Civil War. Farmers in Spring mainly grew sugar cane and cotton, along with other vegetables.

The International and Great Northern Railroad came through Spring in 1871, helping the town grow. Spring got its own post office in 1873. By 1884, Spring had 150 residents, several mills, cotton gins, churches, and schools. A new railroad line opened in 1901–1903, connecting Spring to Fort Worth. Spring became an important railroad hub with many workers. Its population grew to 1,200 by 1910.

However, in 1923, the main railroad workshop moved to Houston. This caused Spring's population to drop to 300 by 1931. A local bank, Spring State Bank, opened in 1912 but closed in 1935.

By 1947, Spring's population had grown to 700. In the 1970s, Houston's suburbs started expanding north. New neighborhoods opened in the Spring area. Some of the older homes in Old Town Spring were fixed up and turned into shops. The Old Town Spring Association was formed in 1980 to help promote this shopping area. By 1989, Old Town Spring was a popular place for tourists. In 1990, the Spring area had over 33,000 residents.

For many years, from 1969 to 1992, the Goodyear blimp America was based in Spring. Its huge hangar was a famous sight near Interstate 45. People often stopped to watch the blimp take off and land. In 1992, the blimp moved away, and the hangar was eventually taken down. You can still see its concrete foundation today.

Where is Spring?

Map of Spring CDP (as of 2000)

Spring is located at coordinates 30°3′15″N 95°23′13″W / 30.05417°N 95.38694°W / 30.05417; -95.38694.

The area of Spring is about 61.0 square kilometers (23.6 square miles). Most of this is land, with a small part being water.

Spring's Weather

Spring has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.

People of Spring

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1990	33,111	—
2000	36,385	9.9%
2010	54,298	49.2%
2020	62,559	15.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2020, there were 62,559 people living in Spring. The community is very diverse. About 29.43% of the people were White (not Hispanic), 24.76% were Black (not Hispanic), and 37.89% were Hispanic or Latino. There were also people of Asian, Native American, and other backgrounds.

In 2000, the average household had about 2.96 people, and the average family had 3.30 people. About 31.0% of the population was under 18 years old. The median age was 32 years.

Spring's Economy

In 2010, ExxonMobil announced plans to build a large corporate campus near Spring. This campus opened in 2014 and brought thousands of employees to the area. In 2022, ExxonMobil announced that this campus would become its new main headquarters. This has been a big boost for the local economy.

Learning in Spring

Public Schools

Spring High School

Most of Spring is served by the Spring Independent School District (Spring ISD). Many elementary and middle schools are located within Spring. All students in the Spring CDP attend Spring High School. Carl Wunsche Sr. High School is also in Spring.

Some parts of Spring are in other school districts:

Klein Independent School District (Klein ISD)
Conroe Independent School District (Conroe ISD)

Students in these areas attend different high schools like Klein Oak High School, Klein High School, Klein Collins High School, Oak Ridge High School, Grand Oaks High School, The Woodlands High School, and The Woodlands College Park High School.

History of Public Schools

The Spring school district started by combining two smaller districts in 1935. The Carl Wunsche School opened in 1932. Over the years, new elementary and middle schools were built as Spring grew. Spring High School opened in 1969.

Private Schools

There are several private schools in the Spring area, including:

Langtry Preparatory Academy
Frassati Catholic High School
Founders Christian School
Houston Peace Academy
Elements Montessori Preschool
St. Edward Catholic School

Community Colleges

The Lone Star College System serves the Spring area. This college system provides higher education options for students after high school.

Public Libraries

The Harris County Public Library (HCPL) has several branches near Spring:

The Baldwin Boettcher Branch Library at Mercer Park: This library opened in 1986 and is located south of Spring.
The Barbara Bush Branch Library at Cypress Creek: This larger branch opened in 1976 and was expanded in 2002. It's located west of Spring.

Fun and Recreation

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor SplashTown

Harris County operates several parks in Spring:

Southwell Park: A 5-acre park with a community building, picnic areas, a basketball court, and playgrounds.
Bayer Park: A 30-acre park with lighted softball and baseball fields.
Pundt Park: A large 380-acre park with plans for a canoe launch, picnic areas, and trails connecting to other parks.
Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens: Located next to Spring, this beautiful garden has unique plants, trails, and a visitor center.

The Cypresswood Golf Club is also in Spring.

A popular water park called Six Flags Hurricane Harbor SplashTown is located in Spring, offering lots of fun for families.

The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands, a nearby community, is a large outdoor concert venue.

Old Town Spring

Old Town Spring is a historic area in Spring with over 150 shops, restaurants, and art galleries. Many of the buildings are over 100 years old and now house unique stores selling antiques, gifts, and clothing.

Wunsche Bros. Saloon was the first two-story building erected in Old Town Spring. It is still standing today, although not currently open for business after a fire.

Old Town Spring began to grow in the early 1800s when Spanish and French traders met with the local Akokisa (Orcoquisac) Native Americans. The town grew steadily, especially with the booming railroad business. After the Great Depression and changes in the railroad, the town's population declined. However, in the 1970s and 1980s, new businesses came to the area, bringing Old Town Spring back to life as a popular tourist spot.

Famous People from Spring

Many well-known people have connections to Spring, Texas:

Greg Baldwin: An actor known for Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Luken Baker: A professional baseball player.
Josh Beckett: A former MLB pitcher.
Shelton Benjamin: A professional wrestler.
Simone Biles: An artistic gymnast and Olympic gold medalist, who grew up and lives in Spring.
Matthew Bomer: An actor known for White Collar.
Austin Dean: A Major League Baseball outfielder.
Garrett Gerloff: A motorcycle racer.
Chad Hedrick: An Olympic speedskater and multiple gold medalist.
Lyle Lovett: A famous musician.
Tig Notaro: A stand-up comedian.
Jonathan Owens: An NFL safety.
Lee Pace: An actor known for Pushing Daisies.
Jim Parsons: An actor famous for The Big Bang Theory.
Patrick Reed: A professional golfer.
Stephen Rippy: A composer.
Eddie Steeples: An actor known for My Name is Earl.
Laura Wilkinson: An Olympic diver and gold medalist.