Missouri City is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, within the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area. The city is mostly in Fort Bend County, with a small portion in Harris County. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 74,259, an increase over the figure of 67,358 tabulated in 2010.
History
The area in which Missouri City is now located holds a significant part in the history of Texas that dates back to its early days as part of the United States. In August 1853, the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railway (BBB&C), began operating its first 20 miles (32 km) of rail line that stretched from Harrisburg (now Houston) to Stafford's Point (now Stafford). It was the first railroad to begin operating in Texas, and the first standard gauge railroad west of the Mississippi River.
The railway continued its extension westward until, in 1883, it linked with its eastward counterpart, completing the Sunset Route from Los Angeles to New Orleans. Today, the route of the BBB&C (now owned by the Union Pacific Railroad) is still an important and heavily operated railroad line.
In 1890, two real estate investors from Houston (R. M. Cash and L. E. Luckle) purchased 4 sq mi (10 km2) of land directly on the route of the BBB&C, only a mile and a half from its first stop at Stafford's Point. They advertised the property as "a land of genial sunshine and eternal summer" in St. Louis, Missouri, and its surrounding areas. Three years later, W. R. McElroy purchased 80 acres (32 ha) in the same vicinity, and in an effort to promote the area jointly with Cash and Luckle in St. Louis, he named it "Missouri City". Its first settlers were, however, from Arlington, Texas, between Dallas and Fort Worth.
The settlement was officially registered in Texas in 1894, and began to take shape as a railroad town along Main Street and Blue Ridge Road, now known as US 90A and Texas Parkway, respectively. Its growth took an unexpected turn when, on February 14, 1895, shortly after the first group of settlers had arrived, the town was hit with a blizzard. This discouraged some of the newcomers, who gave up and moved elsewhere. Those unwavered stayed and found success in farming and ranching.
Among its first businesses were a blacksmith shop, a depot, and a general store, which also housed the first post office. The first Catholic church was built in 1913, but was destroyed by a hurricane in 1915. The new church built to replace it stood until 1990.
Oil was discovered at Blue Ridge 4 mi (6 km) southeast of town in 1919; soon after, a salt mine opened there. Missouri City became the railroad shipping point for these two resources. In 1925, at the same location, natural gas was discovered. After a pipeline had been constructed the following year, Missouri City became the first town in Fort Bend County to make use of natural gas.
With the benefit of a railroad, Missouri City had already been home to commuters who, by train, traveled to adjacent towns such as Stafford's Point and Sugar Land to work. With the increase of automobiles and the improvement of roads and highways in the early part of the 20th century, the developing community of Missouri City gradually attracted a wealth of newcomers. This gave birth to a new generation of commuters, replacing railroad commuting that eventually became obsolete. By the 1950s, the town began to take shape as a "bedroom community" suburb of Houston.
After fear and rumor spread of possible annexation of the unincorporated town by Houston, town leaders scrambled to piece together a city government. On March 13, 1956, the community that began as a small settlement more than 55 years earlier was incorporated.
Missouri City has since seen tremendous economic growth, moving eastward, southward, and then westward. The city was first made over by Fondren Park (in Harris County), near US 90A, in the early 1960s, followed by Quail Valley, along Cartwright Road between Texas Parkway and Murphy Road, in the late 1960s. Unlike neighboring Houston, Missouri City has been a zoned city since 1981. Multifamily complexes (e.g. apartments and condominiums) are a rare find because of the current zoning ordinance.
In the 1980s, an influx of middle-class African Americans – most of them first-time homeowners – were attracted to developing communities south and west of Houston. Many of them made the subdivisions of Missouri City home. Teal Run and other unincorporated areas east of Highway 6 became ethnically diverse before neighborhoods farther west. Many of the newcomers were employees within nearby Houston work centers (e.g., Texas Medical Center and Greenway Plaza). In 2000, Missouri City was named a model city for middle-class African Americans by Black Entertainment Television.
The Missouri City area's recent upscale, master-planned residential developments include Lake Olympia, south of Quail Valley, and portions of Riverstone, south of State Highway 6. The nearby unincorporated area of Sienna Plantation, also located south of Highway 6, is situated on and around land once occupied by plantations, where among other things, sugarcane and cotton were harvested.
In 2018 Yolanda Ford became the first black mayor and first female mayor of Missouri City. In 2020, Ford lost her campaign for reelection.
Geography
Missouri City is located in eastern Fort Bend County with a portion of the city extending north into Harris County. Missouri City is bordered by the city of Houston to the north and east, Stafford to the northwest, Sugar Land to the west, and Arcola to the southeast, as well as unincorporated communities such as Fifth Street to the north, Fresno to the east, and Sienna Plantation to the south. Downtown Houston is 17 mi (27 km) to the northeast. Oyster Creek flows in a southerly direction through the municipality.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Missouri City has a total area of 29.8 square miles (77.2 km2), of which 28.4 square miles (73.6 km2) are land and 1.4 square miles (3.6 km2), or 4.65%, are covered by water.
Communities
Neighborhoods include:
Lakes of Brightwater
Quail Valley
Riverstone
Sienna Plantation
Former communities annexed into Missouri City have included:
DeWalt
Trammels
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Missouri City had a population of 74,259. The median age was 41.3 years, 21.7% of residents were under the age of 18, and 17.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 89.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 85.7 males age 18 and over.
There were 25,443 households and 20,099 families residing in the city; 35.2% of households had children under the age of 18 living in them, 56.0% were married-couple households, 11.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 18.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 26,571 housing units, of which 4.2% were vacant; the homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.1%. 99.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.2% lived in rural areas.
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 67,358 people, with 20,228 households, and 16,711 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 24.9% non-Hispanic White, 46.1% African American, 0.4% Native American, 16.2% Asian, and 2.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.3% of the population.
There were 20,228 households, out of which 45.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.8% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.4% were non-families. 15.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.17 and the average family size was 3.54.
According to 2010 estimates, the median income for a household in the city was $81,854, and the median family income was $87,089. 38.1% of households had an income of $100,000 or more. Males had a median income of $59,157 versus $42,183 for females. The per capita income for the city was $27,210. About 9.1% of the population was below the poverty line, including 15.4% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 18 or over. 41.4% of the population over the age of 25 years held a bachelor's degree or higher.
Parks and Recreation
The Missouri City Parks and Recreation Department is a nationally accredited, Texas Gold Medal Award-winning department that maintains and operates a wide variety of park and natural areas, trails, athletic complexes and other facilities. The Parks Department currently maintains 20 developed parks totaling 515 acres (208 ha), and over 14 miles of trail. Park amenities include multiple lighted sports fields, lakes, playgrounds, splash pad, and walking trails, as well as boating and fishing sites.
The Missouri City Recreation and Tennis Center is the heart of the recreation division and houses the majority of the city's recreation and fitness classes. Completed in 2012, the center features 13 tennis courts, 4 batting cages, a cardio/weight room, multi-purpose rooms, locker rooms and a full-size gymnasium. In 2022 The Recreation and Tennis Center was recognized by the United States Tennis Association (USTA), as an Outstanding Tennis Facility. Missouri City received the award in the Large (12 or more courts), Public Tennis Facility division.
The Parks and Recreation Department has daytime and evening recreational programs and provides numerous special events throughout the year.
The Missouri City Parks and Recreation Department became nationally accredited in 2021.
Freedom Tree Park
Missouri City's historic Freedom Tree Park is named after the Freedom Tree, which sits along Misty Hollow Drive between Glenn Lakes and Lake Olympia boulevards, at the former Palmer Plantation site.
Ridgeview Park
Ridgeview Park is one of the premier parks in Missouri City with a splashpad, playground, and half-mile walking tail.
Education
Primary and secondary schools
Public schools
The Fort Bend County portion of Missouri City is served by Fort Bend Independent School District, while the Harris County portion is served by Houston Independent School District. The Harris County portion is within Trustee District IX, represented by Lawrence Marshall as of 2008.
Fort Bend Independent School District
FBISD formed in 1959 by the consolidation of Missouri City Independent School District and the Sugar Land Independent School District.
It operates the following schools within the Missouri City city limits:
Elementary schools:
Armstrong Elementary School
E. A. Jones Elementary School
Glover Elementary School
Hunters Glen Elementary School
Lantern Lane Elementary School
Palmer Elementary School
Quail Valley Elementary School