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Location
Fort Bend County is in
the coastal plains of southeastern Texas. Richmond, the
county seat, is twenty-eight miles west-southwest of
Houston and at the approximate center of the county.
The county encompasses a total of 875.0 square miles
(562,560 acres). The terrain varies from level to gently
rolling with elevations from 80 to 250 feet above sea
level, with an average elevation of 85 feet. US 59 (I69)
traverses the center of the County from northeast to
southwest, while US 90A crosses from east to west and
I10 just clips the northern edge of the county. State
Highways (SH) 6, 36 and 99 (the Grand Parkway) provide
important north-south routes. Neighboring counties are
Austin, Brazoria, Harris, Waller and Wharton.
Climate
The growing season is 296
days, with an average annual rainfall of 45.3 inches.
The average first freeze date in the fall is December 7,
and the average last freeze date is February 14.
Temperatures range from a mean minimum in January of 41º
to a mean maximum in July of 93º. Extremes in climatic
changes are usually short in duration.
Natural Resources
Fort Bend County has approximately 11
square miles of surface water in rivers, creeks and
small lakes. The County is drained by the Brazos and San
Bernard Rivers as well as Oyster Creek. The Brazos
River formed a broad alluvial valley, up to ten miles
wide in places. The resulting fertile soils have been a
major contributing factor to the agricultural industry
in the County.
The three permanently floatable waterways
in Fort Bend County are the Brazos River, the San
Bernard River south of Farm to Market Road 442, and
Oyster Creek south of State Highway 6. The San Bernard
River south of Interstate Highway 10 is a seasonally
floatable waterway, shared on the west with adjacent
counties. Soils vary from the rich alluvial soils in the
Brazos River.
Cultural Resources
Fort Bend County citizens enjoy a number
of opportunities to celebrate their historic and
cultural heritage at the Fort Bend County Fair in
October, Texian Market Days at the George Ranch in
October, and the Fort Bend County Czech Fest in May.
Points of interest are the Fort Bend Museum, Museum of
Southern History, George Memorial Library, George
Observatory and Challenger Space Center of Fort Bend,
Brazos Bend State Park, the George Ranch Historical
Park, the Thomas Barnett Home and the Imperial Sugar
Refinery complex.
Population
Fort Bend County’s population
is among the fast growing in the United States.
Since 1986, Fort Bend County has led the region
surrounding Houston in population and employment growth.
Population has grown from 178,462 in 1986 and exceeded
450,000 in 2004.
The
population increases daily with the construction of new
homes and subdivisions.
The resale of homes totaled 12,697 in Fort Bend while
new home sales numbered 6,869 for a total of 19,566
houses sold in 2004. According to the Greater Fort Bend
Economic Development Council, the average home price for
resale in 2004 was $192,108 while the new home average
was $230,840
Household Income
Employment has
increased from 44,045 in 1986 to over 210,000 in 2004.
The
average household income in Fort Bend County is over
$91,000, which is generally higher in Fort Bend County
than in the surrounding counties and the national
average.
Source:
Handbook of Texas Online and Greater Fort Bend Economic
Development Council
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