 | Houston Today Houston is located in the state of Texas and is a bustling city full of arts, entertainment, culture and interesting people. Celebrities from Houston include Beyonce Knowles, Clay Walker, and ZZ Top. It is home to the Houston Rockets and the historic Galveston neighborhood and has more than 500 cultural, visual and performing arts organizations and over 90 languages are spoken in the city. It is the fourth largest city in the United States. Houston is also home to NASA and the Johnson Space Center where astronauts are trained for space missions. |
 | Houston Back Then Houston was founded on the banks of Buffalo Bayou in August 1836 by John and Augustus Allen who were real-estate entrepreuners from New York. The city was then named after General Sam Houston, who succesfully led the Texas army against Mexican forces in the Battle of San Jacinto which paved the way for the Republic of Texas to gain its independence from the Mexicans. Sam Houston was later elected president of Texas in September 1836 and on June 5, 1837 James S. Holman became the first mayor of the city. Houston was the capital of the Republic of Texas until1840. By 1860, Houston beca |
 | Crowne Plaza Hotel Showcasing a comfortably modern atmosphere, the Crowne Plaza Hotel is located in the heart of the Ho |  | Inn at The Ballpark Luxury Hotel The Inn at the Ballpark Luxury Hotel is a baseball themed hotel characterized by American tradition. |
 | Intercontinetal Houston A combination of cosmopolitan and Texas style, the Intercontinental Houston is a favorite among tour |  | St. Regis Houston Located near River Oaks and the Galleria, the St. Regis Houston is known for it’s exceptional care |
 | Hotel Granduca The Hotel Granduca is located in the Galleria area. It offers 123 rooms that include plasma HDTV, It |  | Alden Hotel Located in the business district, the Alden Hotel is characterized by sleek, modern designs. M |
 | Galleria The Galleria is one of the country’s largest malls that has stores such as Tiffany and Co., Nordst |  | Uptown Park Noted as Houston’s European-style shopping center, Uptown Park has numerous upscale shops, spas, j |
 | Macy's Located in Downtown, Macy's is a five-storey department store which sells a range of expensive appar |  | River Oaks Shopping Center River Oaks Shopping Center has the honour of being called the oldest shopping center in Texas. Built |
 | Centre at Post Oak This center offers some of the most expensive and upscale shopping options. Great gifts can be found |  | La Mode Lingerie This shop offers designer lingerie and brands include Chantelle, La Perla, Hanro and Le Mystere. The |
 | Mayor's Official Holiday Celebration This event is a celebration of the beginning of the holiday season, which is officially kick-started |  | International Quilt Festival The International Quilt Festival is held annually at the George R Brown Convention Center. Hundreds |
 | Chevron Houston Marathon The Chevron Houston Marathon starts off and ends at the George R Brown Convention Center. Almost 600 |  | Bayou City Art Festival Held in March, the Bayou City Art festival occurs in Memorial park and boasts 300 artists and 19 art |
 | H-E-B Holiday Parade Since it's inception in 1949, the Houston's Thanksgiving Day H-E-B Holiday Parade draws hundreds of |  | Houston CaribFest The CaribFest takes place over nine days during the summer. The carnival sees musicians, dancers an |
 | Beaver's This barbecue place is run by Chef Monica Pope and dishes include spicy mince lamb wraps with dried |  | 17 Located in the Alden-Houston Hotel, this restaurant is small yet comfortable and the service is exce |
 | Barbecue Inn Barbecue Inn specializes in American cuisine: barbecue, seafood, and steaks. Open for lunch an |  | Americas An upper-scale restaurant that serves food from South America, the Americas is decorated in a rain |
 | Brennan's of Houston Offering courtyard view, Brennan’s specializes in Creole Cuisine, with a special emphasis on seaf |  | La Strada This Italian restaurant is quite popular with the locals and extremely busy during lunch hours. It s |
 | Fast Facts Houston is the Fourth largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas.
Dialing code:
International country code: +1 (USA)
Area codes: 713, 281, 832
Emergency Numbers:
Call 911 for emergencies requiring the police, fire or paramedics.
Houston Fire Department 713-884-3144
Houston Police Department 713-222-3131
Population: 2.2 million people Racial Distribution: 30.75% White American 24.92% African American 5.19% Asian American 37.43% Hispanic Time Zone: UTC/GMT -6 hours Average January temperatures: High: 63 Degrees Fahrenheit Low: 42 Degrees Fahrenheit Average July temperatures: High: 92 Degrees Fahrenheit Low: 72 Degrees Fahrenheit Annual rainfall: 38 (884mm) inches per year |
