Greater Houston
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Houston–Pasadena–The Woodlands, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area
From top to bottom, left to right: Houston, The Woodlands, Sugar Land, and Galveston
Interactive Map of Houston–Pasadena, TX CSA   City of Houston   Houston–Pasadena–The Woodlands MSA   Huntsville µSA   El Campo µSA   Bay City µSA   Brenham µSA
Country	United States
State	Texas
Principal cities[1]	List Houston The Woodlands Sugar Land Baytown Conroe Galveston Texas City Spring Missouri City
Area
• Urban	4,299.4 km2 (1,660.0 sq mi)
• Metro	26,061 km2 (10,062 sq mi)
Highest elevation	131 m (430 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2020)[2]
• Density	1,150.0/km2 (2,978.5/sq mi)
• Urban	5,853,575(5th)
• MSA	7,122,240 (5th)
• CSA	7,312,270 (9th)
	MSA/CSA = 2020, Urban = 2010
GDP [3]
• MSA	$633.2 billion (2022)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Area codes	361, 409, 713/281/832/832, 936, 979

Greater Houston, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land,^[4][5][6] is the fifth-most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States,^[7][8][9] encompassing nine counties along the Gulf Coast in Southeast Texas. With a population of 7,122,240 in 2020, Greater Houston is the second-most populous metropolitan area in Texas after the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.^[10]

The region of approximately 10,000 square-miles (26,000 km2) centers on Harris County, the third-most populous county in the U.S., which contains the city of Houston, the economic and cultural center of the South with a population of more than 2.3 million as of 2010.^[11] Greater Houston is part of the Texas Triangle megaregion along with the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Greater Austin, and Greater San Antonio. Greater Houston also serves as a major anchor and economic hub for the Gulf Coast. Its Port of Houston is the largest port in the United States and the 16th-largest in the world.^[12]

Greater Houston has historically been among the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States; it was the fastest-growing in absolute terms during the 2013–2014 census year, adding 156,371 people.^[13] The area grew 25.2%, adding over 950,00 people, between 1990 and 2000 in comparison to a 13.2% increase in the national population over the same period. Between 2000 and 2007, the area added over 910,000 people.^[14] The Greater Houston Partnership projected the metropolitan area would add between 4.1 and 8.3 million new residents between 2010 and 2050.^[15]

Greater Houston has the seventh-highest metropolitan-area gross domestic product in the United States, valued at $490 billion in 2017.^[16] A major trade center anchored by the Port of Houston, Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land has the highest trade export value of all metropolitan areas, at over $120 billion in 2018, accounting for 42% of the total exports of Texas.^[17] As of 2021, Greater Houston is home to the headquarters of 24 Fortune 500 companies, ranking third among all metropolitan statistical areas.^[18] The Greater Houston metropolitan area was ranked the fourth-most diverse metropolitan area in the United States in 2012.^[19]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area has a total area of 10,062 square miles (26,060 km²), of which 8,929 sq mi (23,130 km²) are land and 1,133 sq mi (2,930 km²) are covered by water. The region is slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Massachusetts and slightly larger than New Jersey.^[20] The U.S. Office of Management and Budget combines the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolis with four micropolitan statistical areas (Bay City, Brenham, El Campo, and Huntsville) to form the Houston–The Woodlands, TX combined statistical area.

The metropolitan area is located in the Gulf Coastal Plains biome, and its vegetation is classified as temperate grassland. Much of the urbanized area was built on forested land, marshes, swamp, or prairie, remnants of which can still be seen in surrounding areas. Of particular note is the Katy Prairie to the west, the Big Thicket to the northeast, and the Galveston Bay ecosystem to the south. Additionally, the metropolitan region is crossed by a number of creeks and bayous, which provide essential drainage during rainfall events; some of the most notable waterways include Buffalo Bayou (upon which Houston was founded),^[20] White Oak Bayou, Brays Bayou, Spring Creek, and the San Jacinto River. The upper drainage basin of Buffalo Bayou is impounded by two large flood control reservoirs, Barker Reservoir and Addicks Reservoir, which provide a combined 400,000 acre-feet (490 million cubic meters) of storage during large rainfall events and cover a total land area of 26,100 acres (106 km²).^[21] Greater Houston's flat topography, susceptibility to high-intensity rainfall events, high level of impervious surface, and inadequately-sized natural drainage channels make it particularly susceptible to catastrophic flooding events.^[22]

Geology

Underpinning Greater Houston's land surface are unconsolidated clays, clay shales, and poorly cemented sands up to several miles deep. The region's geology developed from stream deposits formed from the erosion of the Rocky Mountains. These sediments consist of a series of sands and clays deposited on decaying organic matter that, over time, transformed into oil and natural gas. Beneath these tiers is a water-deposited layer of halite, a rock salt. The porous layers were compressed over time and forced upward. As it pushed upward, the salt dragged surrounding sediments into dome shapes, often trapping oil and gas that seeped from the surrounding porous sands. This thick, rich soil also provides a good environment for rice farming in suburban outskirts into which the city of Houston continues to grow near Katy. Evidence of past rice farming is even still evident in developed areas as an abundance of rich, dark, loamy topsoil exists.^[23]

The Greater Houston region is generally earthquake-free. While the city of Houston contains over 150 to 300 active surface faults with an aggregate length of up to 310 mi (500 km),^[24][25][26] the clay below the surface precludes the buildup of friction that produces ground-shaking in earthquakes. These faults generally move at a smooth rate in what is termed "fault creep".

Climate

Greater Houston has a humid subtropical climate typical of the Southern United States. It is rainy most of the year. Prevailing winds come from the south and southeast during most of the year, which bring heat and moisture from the nearby Gulf of Mexico and Galveston Bay area.^[27]

List of hurricanes

A number of tropical storms and hurricanes have hit the metropolitan area, including:

• 1900 Galveston Hurricane, which devastated Galveston and was the deadliest natural disaster in United States history, killing between 8,000 and 12,000.
• Hurricane Carla (1961), which was the most recent Category 4 hurricane to strike Texas until Harvey in 2017.
• Hurricane Alicia (1983), which struck the area as a Category 3, and was at the time, the costliest Atlantic hurricane.
• Tropical Storm Allison (2001), until Harvey, which brought the worst flooding in Houston history and was the first tropical storm to be retired.
• Hurricane Rita (2005), which triggered one of the largest evacuations in United States history in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
• Hurricane Ike (2008), which brought devastating storm surge to the coast and wind damage into the city.
• Hurricane Harvey (2017), which brought devastating flooding that resulted in excess of $100 billion in damages to Southeast Texas.
• Tropical Storm Imelda (2019) caused widespread flooding around Houston and surrounding areas.
• Hurricane Nicholas (2021), did moderate damage, and brought wind and rain to the area.