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College Station, Texas is a city located in Brazos County, and is situated in East Texas. The city is centrally located in the heart of Texas, approximately equidistant from three of the 10 largest cities in the United States. It is 95 miles north of Houston, 166 miles northeast of San Antonio and 169 miles south of Dallas. It is 104 miles east of Austin, the state capital of Texas. 75% of the Texas and Louisiana populations (13.1 million people) live within 3.5 driving hours of College Station. The population estimate as of December 2004 is 80,217. College Station boasts many of the amenities of a large city while maintaining a small town atmosphere.
The main campus of Texas A&M University is located here, one of the flagship universities of Texas, and the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The city owes its existence to the University, and its name originates from the existence of the university location along the railroad. Texas A&M University was the state of Texas' first public institution of higher education, opening on October 4, 1876 as the "Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas". Texas A&M's rare triple designation as a Land_ , Sea- and Space-Grant institution reflects the broad scope of its research endeavors it brings to the city, with ongoing projects funded by such prominent and diverse agencies as NASA, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval Research. Texas A&M University, consistently ranked as one of the best universities in the nation and known as one of the most prestigious, is now ranked 22nd among public universities in the United States. The University's enrollment includes approximately 44,000 students on it's 5,200 acres (21 kmē) campus studying for degrees in 10 academic colleges. The Fall 2002 semester's enrollment set a record of 45,083 students making Texas A&M the fastest growing university in the nation. Since then, an enrollment_management plan was initiated to maintain high standards of teaching excellence.
Law and Government The City of College Station was incorporated in 1938 and has been operated under a council-manager form of government. The council-manager form is the system of local government that combines strong political leadership, representative democracy through elected officials, and professional management. The form establishes a representative form of government by concentrating all power in the elected city council. The council hires a professionally trained and educated city manager to oversee the delivery of public services and the daily operations of the City. Council members are part time volunteers who serve as the policy making board for the City's government.
Historical Events - 1860: The Houston and Texas Central Railway built through the area.
- 1871: The site was chosen as the location for the proposed A&M College of Texas.
- 1876: The first public institution of higher education in Texas was opened, Texas A&M University.
- 1884: Population reaches 350
- 1900: Population reaches 391
- 1910: Electric Interurban service is established between Texas A&M College and Bryan, Texas
- 1910: Business district known as Northgate began development.
- 1920: The interurban was replaced by the city bus system.
- 1930: Community north of College Station (North Oakwood) incorporated with Bryan, Texas
- 1938: College Station is incorporated ( John H. Binney was the first mayor )
- 1939: A zoning commission was established for the city.
- 1940: Population reaches 2,184.
- 1942: Ernest Langford, called by some the "Father of College Station," was elected mayor, an office he held for the next twenty-six years.
- 1943: College Station moved to council-manager city government.
- 1950: Population reaches 7,898.
- 1960: Population reaches 11,396.
- 1970: Population reaches 17,676
- 1980: Population reaches 30,449
- 1990: Population reaches 52,456.
- 1997: George Bush Presidential Library opens in College Station
- 1999: Twelve are killed and 27 injured when a huge bonfire structure under construction at the Texas A&M University campus collapsed. ( See: Aggie Bonfire )
- 2000: Population reaches 67,890.
- 2002: Population reaches 73,285.
- 2003: Population reaches 75,763.
- 2004: Population reaches 80,217.
Geography and Climate College Station is located at 30°36'5" North, 96°18'52" West (30.601433, -96.314464)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 104.4 kmē (40.3 miē). 104.3 kmē (40.3 miē) of it is land and 0.1 kmē (0.04 miē) of it is water. The total area is 0.10% water.
Area Lakes cover 180,000 acres (728 kmē) and include Lake Somerville, Lake Conroe, Gibbon's Creak Reservoir, Lake Limestone, Lake Bryan and many others.
The local climate is subtropical and temperate and winters are mild with periods of low temperature usually lasting less than two months. Snow and ice are extremely rare. Summers are warm and hot with occasional showers being the only real variation in weather.
- Average annual rainfall: 39 inches (1 m)
- Average elevation: 367 feet (112 m) above sea level
- Average Temperature: 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius)
- Agricultural Resources: Cattle, corn, cotton, eggs, hay, sorghum
- Mineral Resources: Sand, gravel, lignite, gas, oil
Demographics As of the census2 of 2000, there are 67,890 people, 24,691 households, and 10,370 families residing in the city. The population density is 651.1/kmē (1,686.5/miē). There are 26,054 housing units at an average density of 249.9/kmē (647.2/miē). The racial makeup of the city is 80.53% White, 5.45% African American, 0.30% Native American, 7.29% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 4.47% from other races, and 1.89% from two or more races. 9.96% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 24,691 households out of which 21.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.2% are married couples living together, 6.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 58.0% are non-families. 27.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 2.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.32 and the average family size is 2.98.
In the city the population is spread out with 14.4% under the age of 18, 51.2% from 18 to 24, 21.3% from 25 to 44, 9.4% from 45 to 64, and 3.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 22 years. For every 100 females there are 104.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 104.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $21,180, and the median income for a family is $53,147. Males have a median income of $38,216 versus $26,592 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,170. 37.4% of the population and 15.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 16.4% of those under the age of 18 and 7.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Districts Spence Street - College Station, Texas
- A mixed use district just north of Texas A&M University and what some may call the original downtown of College Station. Northgate is a vibrant part of the city and is known for its live music scene and eclectic mix of restaurants and bars.
- See also: Northgate District Map (http://www.northgatetx.com/index.php?action=map)
Business parks - Business Center at College Station (http://www.cstx.gov/home/index.asp?page=158)
- A 200 acre (800,000 mē), Class "A" Business Center just five miles (8 km) from the University. Current residents include firms involved in telecommunications, software development and technology manufacturing.
- Spring Creek Corporate Campus (http://www.cstx.gov/home/index.asp?page=2270)
- A 100 acre (400,000 mē), Class "A" Business Center just minutes from the University. A green-belt surrounds most of the Campus will provide a buffer between the new development and adjacent land uses which include the Pebble Creek Country Club and Woodland Hills Subdivision.
- Texas A&M University Research Park (http://www.cstx.gov/home/index.asp?page=160)
- This 324 acre (1.3 kmē) Research Park was established to provide businesses direct partnering opportunities with Texas A&M University. Several companies and non-profit research interests have located in the park including Hewlett Packard, Schlumberger, Lynntech, the Institute of Food Science and Engineering, the Electron Beam Food Research Facility and the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program to name just a few.
- Crescent Pointe (http://www.cstx.gov/home/index.asp?page=165)
- Crescent Pointe is a master planned, mixed_use development made up of approximately 192 acres (777,000 mē). The development has frontage on University Drive (Highway 60) and Harvey Road (Highway 30) and is located directly adjacent to the First American Bank corporate headquarters (http://www.fabtexas.com/AboutUS.htm).
Transportation
Mass Transit - Texas A&M Transporation Services (http://transport.tamu.edu) provides public bus transportation throughout Central College Station and Bryan. On Texas A&M football game days, the department provides additional park-and-ride service to and from Kyle Field.
Airports
Regional
Intercontinental
Major roads
Railroads
Economy - Local unemployment hovers under two percent, among the lowest in the nation.
- Cost of living is as affordable as anywhere in the state.
List of Major Employers
Sports facilities Kyle Field on the Texas A&M University Campus Reed Arena on the Texas A&M University Campus - Football: Kyle Field (Largest Crowd: 87,555)
- Racing: Texas World Speedway (Capacity 23,000)
- Basketball: Reed Arena (Largest Crowd: 12,811)
- Baseball: Olsen Field (Largest Crowd: 11,052)
- Volleyball: G. Rollie White Coliseum (Largest Crowd: 3,778)
- Track and Field: Anderson Track and Field Complex (http://sports.tamu.edu/facilities.php?FID=3) (Capacity: 3,500)
- Soccer: Aggie Soccer Complex (http://sports.tamu.edu/facilities.php?FID=1) (Capacity: 2,275)
- Softball: Aggie Softball Complex (http://sports.tamu.edu/facilities.php?FID=2) (Capacity: 1,750)
- Tennis: George P. Mitchell Tennis Center (http://sports.tamu.edu/facilities.php?FID=15) (Capacity: 1,500)
- Hockey: Arctic Wolf Ice Center (http://bcs-icerink.ahraiding.org/?op=merchandise) (Capacity: 500)
Media and journalism
Television stations - KBTX (Channel 3; Owner: Gray Communications of Texas) CBS affiliate (Satellite of KWTX, though has separate news department)
- KSCM (Channel 12; Owner: R.D. HARRIS)
- KAMU-TV (Channel 15; Owner: TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY)
- KMAY-TV (Channel 23; Owner: CHANNEL 6, INC.) NBC affiliate (Simulcast of KCEN-TV)
- KYLE (Channel 28; Owner: COMCORP OF BRYAN LICENSE CORP.) FOX affiliate
- KNAK (Channel 28; Owner: CLEAR CHANNEL BROADCASTING LICENSES, INC.)
- KRHD (Channel 40; Owner: Drewry Broadcasting) ABC affiliate(Satellite of KXXV, with newscasts taped and produced by the station)
- KNED (Channel 47; Owner: TRINITY BROADCASTING NETWORK)
Radio stations - FM
- KAMU-FM (90.9 FM; Owner: TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY)
- KORA-FM (98.3 FM; Owner: EQUICOM, INC)
- KNFX-FM (99.5 FM; Owner: CCB TEXAS LICENSES, L.P.)
- KNDE (95.1 FM; Owner: BRYAN BROADCASTING LICENSE SUBSIDIARY, INC.)
- KNDH (100.9 FM; Owner: HOUSTON CHRISTIAN BROADCASTERS, INC.)
- KEOS (89.1 FM; Owner: BRAZOS EDUCATIONAL RADIO)
- KNAI (93.3 FM; Owner: KSBJ EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION)
- KKYS (104.7 FM; Owner: CCB TEXAS LICENSES, L.P.)
- AM
- KZNE (1150 AM; 10 kW; Owner: BRYAN BROADCASTING LICENSE SUBSIDIARY, INC.)
- WTAW (1620 AM; 10 kW; Owner: BRYAN BROADCASTING LICENSE SUBSIDIARY, INC.)
- KTAM (1240 AM; 0 kW; Owner: EQUICOM, INC)
- KAGC (1510 AM; daytime; 1 kW; Owner: DIVCON ASSOCIATES, INC.)
Area newspapers
Area magazines
Education Texas A&M University Academic Building Texas A&M University Administration Building
Area colleges and universities
Area school districts
Tallest buildings
Surrounding cities
Nearest cities - Cities within 30 miles (50 km)
Nearest major cities - Cities with population over 500,000 within 200 miles (300 km)
- Houston, Texas (86.4 miles) (Metro Population: 4,986,399)
- Austin, Texas (104 miles) (Population: 656,562)
- San Antonio, Texas (166 miles) (Population: 1,144,646)
- Dallas, Texas (169 miles) (Metro Population: 5,222,000)
Notable people who have lived in College Station - Henry Cisneros, first Hispanic mayor of a major city (San Antonio), Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
- Bill W. Clayton, Speaker, Texas House of Representatives
- Dante Hall, wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs
- J.H. Galloway, vice president Exxon Oil Corporation
- Louie Gohmert, U.S. Congressman
- Gerald D. Griffin, Director, NASA Johnson Space Center
- Dan Kuykendall, U.S. Congressman (R-Tenn, 1966-1974)
- Lyle Lovett, Musician
- L. Lowry Mays, President, CEO of Clear Channel Communications
- Dat Nguyen, NFL player
- C.E. "Pat" Olsen, Baseball Player
- Jack Pardee, Pro-Football Player, Head Football Coach
- Rick Perry, Governor of the State of Texas
- Jorge Quiroga, Former President of Bolivia
- James Earl Rudder, 16th President of Texas A&M University, World War II General
- Marvin Runyon, Jr., Postmaster General, United States Postal Service
- Olin E. Teague, U.S. Congressman
- Chet Edwards, U.S. Congressman
- Rip Torn, Actor
Sister Cities
Internal Links
External links
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