61 Fun Facts About Houston Texas Everybody Should Know
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The most populous metropolitan city of southern Texas, Houston is known for a lot of things; its contributions to space programs, oil mining, diversity in culture, and much more.
Home to NASA’s Space Centre, Houston has also gained popularity worldwide because it was the first word spoken from space. Owing to the many things Houston is famous for, it is also growing a lot in terms of cultural and ethnic diversity.
So much so that in 2012, Huffington Post published about Houston surpassing New York City and Los Angeles in diversity, making it the most ethnically diverse population in America.
Located near the Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, Houston stands at number four in the list of large metropolises in the country and is the largest city in the state of Texas, spreading over an area of about 655 sq mi (1696 sq.
km. ), Houston is home to about 2.3 million people.
Given that it is so culturally diverse, every aspect of Houston including its food, architecture, values, and customs is very diverse and welcoming. From modern buildings to older cultures, Houston has it all.
Although there are a lot of fun facts to know about Houston, we will explore only some of them here and divide them into categories. Houston, Texas, is a very populous city and is a very major city.
There are many places to visit to explore even more Houston facts such as the Houston Galleria of Fine Arts, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, and the Space Center.
There are many more of Houston's attractions that are worth visiting and the area has fantastic culinary scenes as well. There is also the Texas Medical Center for emergencies.
Did you know that Houston was founded on 5 June 1837 and so in 2021, its age is 184 years!
After reading these Houston facts, also check fun facts about Dallas, Texas, and fun facts about Austin, Texas.
Fun Facts About Houston Texas
Some general fun facts about the city of Houston are as follows:
It is officially nicknamed the 'Space City' because it is home to NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center.
Houston is called 'The Bayou City' because it was discovered by two brothers Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen, in August 1830, near the banks of Buffalo Bayou.
Houston is also home to the NRG Stadium, which is a multipurpose stadium, and the home arena for the Houston Texans, which is one of the major US NFL teams. It is the first NFL stadium to have retractable roofs.
It is also home to the Houston Rockets, a basketball team.
Houston has two downtowns, as opposed to other cities, which only have one. The Downtown area of the city isn’t as huge, though. The Houston Grand Opera is located Downtown.
The Greater Houston area is the most culturally diverse, with around 145 different languages being spoken by the residents.
The Greater Houston area is also home to nearly 90 consular representations, adding to its diversity.
Houston has a theatre district located in Downtown Houston, which is home to the nine major professional performing arts organizations present in Houston.
Houston also has a museum district. The Museum District, which is an association consisting of 19 Houston museums, galleries, and other organizations, was formed with the aim of promoting arts and science in Houston.
Another fun fact about Houston is that the residents are known as Houstonians. Even those who belong to Houston but no longer live there are referred to by the same name.
Facts About Houston’s Food
Houston’s cultural diversity is very evident in its food. Home to people from all around the world, you can easily find all kinds of cuisines in the city of Houston, whether it is Chinese, Indian, Lebanese, Mexican, or Cuban.
Houston also has a Little Saigon, which is a Vietnamese restaurant chain, only established in major cities. The diversity has also attracted a lot of world-renowned chefs to open restaurants in Houston.
Famous for its chicken fried steak, pho, fajitas, Cajun crawfish, barbeque brisket, breakfast tacos, and much more, Houston is a foodie’s paradise.
With roughly 10,000 restaurants representing cuisines from around the world, Houston has a lot of options to explore. Whether you want something fried, healthy, Vietnamese, or American, Houston’s culinary scene has you covered. The lower cost of restaurant food and a large number of available options also makes Houston the city that eats out the most.
Facts About Houston’s Climate
Being situated in the south and close to Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, Houston has a subtropical climate. It does not snow in Houston, however, winters can be relatively cold.
Houston is prone to hurricanes, thunderstorms, cyclones, and tornadoes.
Houston receives ample amounts of rainfall, however, dry spells also occur every now and then.
Houston is also known for being very humid. In fact, following New Orleans and Jacksonville at numbers one and two, respectively, Houston is the third most humid city in America.
Historical Facts About Houston
Houston is named after General Sam Houston, a very important figure in the city’s history. He became the first President of the Republic of Texas after he won the war against Mexico in the battle of San Juancito, gaining Texas’ independence from them.
In 1899, the first Houston City Park was opened. Today, Houston is home to about 20 parks, with the biggest one being Hermann Park.
The Houston Symphony was established in 1913.
Rice University, which is one of the top universities today, was established in 1912 in Houston and was then known as the Rice Institute.
The Houston Medical Center was established in 1943. It is the largest medical center in the world, with 21 hospitals in its system.
In 1962, the Manned Spacecraft Center of NASA moved to Houston.
The Galleria is the largest mall in Texas and was opened in Houston in 1970.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 61 Fun Facts About Houston Texas Everybody should Know, then why not take a look at Texas symbols or Texas State nickname.
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in Linguistics
Martha MartinsBachelor of Arts specializing in Linguistics
Martha is a full-time creative writer, content strategist, and aspiring screenwriter who communicates complex thoughts and ideas effectively. She has completed her Bachelor's in Linguistics from Nasarawa State University. As an enthusiast of public relations and communication, Martha is well-prepared to substantially impact your organization as your next content writer and strategist. Her dedication to her craft and commitment to delivering high-quality work enables her to create compelling content that resonates with audiences.
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