Pasadena ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Harris County. It is part of the metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 151,950, making it the 23rd most populous city in Texas and the second most populous in Harris County, after Houston. The area was founded in 1893 by John H. Burnett of Galveston, who named the area after Pasadena, California, because of the perceived lush vegetation.Lee, Renée C. "Annexed Kingwood split on effects." Houston Chronicle. Sunday October 8, 2006. A21. Retrieved on July 6, 2011. "Some of the area communities that incorporated as cities and escaped annexation by Houston:" Print version exclusively has the information cited; the information is not included in the online edition.
History
Early history Prior to European settlement the area around Galveston Bay was settled by the Karankawa and Atakapan tribes, particularly the Akokisa, who lived throughout the Gulf coast region. Spanish explorers such as the Rivas-Iriarte expedition and José Antonio de Evia charted the bay and gave it its name. Texas State Historical Association. Texas State Historical Association. The pirate Jean Lafitte established a short-lived kingdom based in Galveston in the early 19th century with bases and hide-outs around the bay and around Clear Lake.* Lafitte was forced to leave in 1821 by the U.S. Navy. Texas State Historical Association.
Following its declaration of independence from Spain the new nation of Mexico moved to colonize its northern territory of Texas by offering land grants to settlers both from within Mexico and from the nearby United States. The colony established by Stephen F. Austin and the Galveston Bay and Texas Land Company of New York rapidly began a wave of settlement around the bay. Texas State Historical Association. Texas State Historical Association.Barker (1969), pp. 277–278. Following a coup in the Mexican government by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, Texas revolted against Mexican rule in 1835. Texas State Historical Association. After several battles and skirmishes the final battle of the Texas Revolution took place near modern Pasadena on April 21, 1836. While the main battlefield was located in the neighboring present-day city of La Porte, Santa Anna was captured in present-day Pasadena at Vince's Bayou. Because this was the last conflict that led to the Mexican surrender, Pasadena and neighboring Deer Park have adopted the nickname "Birthplace of Texas".Washington County, Texas shares the claim to that title, since that is where the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed. Brazoria County, Texas claims to be "Where Texas Began", as its city of Velasco, Texas was where the Treaties of Velasco were signed, and where Stephen F. Austin originally settled.
Ranching and settlement Sam Allen started a ranch in 1843 with . This became the Allen Ranch which occupied what is now western Pasadena all the way to Harrisburg, Texas. By 1888, the ranch contained in Harris County, in Brazoria County, Texas with grazing lands in Galveston and Fort Bend Counties.
The Galveston, Houston & Henderson Railroad ran through the Allen ranch. There was a problem of cattle being regularly killed on the tracks and in 1875, Allen built a fence along the east side of the railway right of way to keep the cattle off the tracks. The fence ran from Harrisburg to League City and had four rails and a top rail wide enough to walk on. A gate was placed in the fence at the Harrisburg-Lynchburg Road with a large sign above instructing that it should be closed at all times. The area east of this railroad fence running from Buffalo Bayou to the tracks on Sims Bayou ran all the way to Galveston Bay. It contained of grazing land for cattle.
"Proposed" towns in or near present-day Pasadena were set up but short lived and either abandoned or never even got off the ground. In 1892 Colonel John H. Burnett of Galveston established an unnamed townsite on the Vince Survey just east of the Allen Ranch. Burnett was involved in both construction and promotion of railroads and knew their impact on the value of property. The land was sold in lots. He had also established the nearby towns of Deepwater and Genoa, later to be incorporated into Pasadena and Houston.
20th century
The 1900 hurricane that destroyed Galveston heavily damaged Pasadena, as well. The city received a population boost from some Galveston refugees who relocated to the mainland following the catastrophe. Donations by the newly created Red Cross, including millions of strawberry plants to Gulf Coast farmers, helped revive the community. Texas State Historical Association This and the subsequent establishment of a major strawberry farm in the area by Texaco founder Joseph S. Cullinan made Pasadena a major fruit producer for many years afterward. As the community recovered major tracts of the Allen Ranch were liquidated opening up new development. Texas State Historical Association. Rice farmers from Japan settled in the community further diversifying its agriculture. Champion Coated Paper Company of Ohio opened a paper mill in 1937. Other businesses began to develop.
In 1901 the Texas Oil Boom began with the gusher at Spindletop. The discovery of the oil field at Goose Creek led to increasing petroleum exploration around Galveston Bay.Henson (1993), p. 46. By 1917–1920 refinery operations had appeared in Pasadena and continued to expand thereafter for example the Pasadena Refining System... The world wars gradually brought further industrial development, with Pasadena's growth rate surpassing even neighboring Houston.
Pasadena voted to incorporate in 1923, but residents decided to cancel the incorporation one year later. Pasadena incorporated in 1928. Because of the 1928 incorporation, Houston did not incorporate Pasadena's territory into its city limits, while Houston annexed surrounding areas that were unincorporated.
By the mid-20th century Pasadena's economy had become strongly tied to petroleum and other heavy industry. NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) was established near Pasadena in 1963 with the residential community of Clear Lake City, partially under Pasadena's jurisdiction, established nearby. Texas State Historical Association These developments helped to diversify the town's economy significantly. Eventually, the city gained the unofficial moniker Stinkadena by locals due to the pollution from its large industrial base.
Former Pasadena City Council member and State Representative Ray Barnhart described the city at the time as "a lovely community but politically corrupt."Statement of Ray Barnhart, January 7, 2010. Barnhart recalled that a half dozen Pasadena officials were indicted in the late 1950s and early 1960s for public corruption.
In 1965, Houston Post reporter Gene Goltz Received the Pulitzer Prize for his exposure of government corruption in Pasadena, Texas, which resulted in widespread reforms.
21st century
In the 21st century, Pasadena emerged as a mostly working-class suburb of Houston.
Tornadoes
2015 tornado
On October 31, 2015, an EF2 tornado struck a warehouse within Pasadena city limits. Half of the warehouse was completely leveled with its roof significantly damaged. The tornado moved northeast into La Porte city limits and damaged approximately 30 homes.
2023 tornado
On January 24, 2023, an EF3 tornado struck northwestern Pasadena. Multiple neighborhoods and apartment complexes were severely damaged by the tornado. No major casualties occurred with this tornado. The tornado would go on to affect Deer Park, and Baytown, Texas.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.81%) is water. The city is bordered by the Houston Ship Channel (Buffalo Bayou / San Jacinto River) to the north. The southeasternmost part of the city fronts Galveston Bay.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.
Neighborhoods
Neighborhoods in Pasadena include:
Demographics
As of the 2020 census, Pasadena had a population of 151,950. The median age was 33.5 years, with 26.9% of residents under the age of 18 and 11.7% of residents 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.5 males age 18 and over.
Racial and ethnic composition +Pasadena city, Texas – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000Pop 2010% 2000% 2010White alone (NH)66,92348,73437,34147.24%32.70%24.57%Black or African American alone (NH)2,0682,9654,9921.46%1.99%3.29%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)4093122600.29%0.21%0.17%Asian alone (NH)2,5313,0743,3461.79%2.06%2.20%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)3168590.02%0.05%0.04%Other Race alone (NH)991684660.07%0.11%0.31%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)1,2651,0302,4490.89%0.69%1.61%Hispanic or Latino (any race)68,34892,692103,03748.24%62.19%67.81%Total141,674149,043151,950100.00%100.00%100.00%
2020 census 99.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.2% lived in rural areas.
There were 51,284 households in Pasadena, of which 39.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 46.3% were married-couple households, 20.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 55,994 housing units, of which 8.4% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.3%.
2010 census As of the census of 2010, there were 149,043 people. There were 54,712 housing units.
According to the 2010 census, the racial and ethnic makeup of the city was 83.3% White, 2.7% African American, 1.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1% Asian, 11.6% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 66.2% of the population. Economy The city's key economic sectors include exploration for petroleum and gas, petroleum refining, petrochemical processing, solar panel manufacturing, maritime shipping, aerospace, and healthcare. The city's economy is closely linked to the nearby Houston Ship Channel and the Bayport shipping terminal and industrial district, as well as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in the bordering Clear Lake Area. The Pasadena Refining System, a partnership of Petrobras and Astra Holding USA, is headquartered in Pasadena."Contact Us." Pasadena Refining System. Retrieved on August 9, 2010.
Additionally, Harris County operates the Kyle Chapman/Pasadena Courthouse Annex."Courthouse Annexes ." Harris County Precinct 2. Retrieved on May 23, 2010. Harris Health System (formerly Harris County Hospital District) operates the Strawberry Health Center,"Strawberry Health Center ." Harris County Hospital District. Retrieved on December 6, 2008. and the Pediatric and Adolescent Health Center – Pasadena. The nearest public hospital is Ben Taub General Hospital in the Texas Medical Center, Houston. - See ZIP code 77506. See this map for relevant ZIP codes. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) operates the Houston V District Parole Office in Pasadena."Parole Division Region III ." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on May 15, 2010.