Friendswood, Texas

Friendswood is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the  metropolitan area.  The city lies in Galveston and Harris Counties.  As of the 2010 census, the population of Friendswood was 35,805.

In 2007, CNN/Money magazine listed Friendswood as one of 100 "America's Best Places to Live" for that year, making it one of 900 small towns recognized since the rankings first began in 2005.

History 
Friendswood was founded in 1895 by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).

Geography

Friendswood is located at  (29.512532, -95.197933).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city covers a total area of , of which  are land area and , or 0.69%, is covered by water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, 29,037 people, 10,107 households, and 8,085 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,381.2 people per square mile (533.4/km²). The 10,405 housing units averagedensity of 495.0 per square mile (191.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.09% White, 2.70% African American, 0.40% Native American, 2.39% Asian, 2.80% from other races, and 1.63% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 8.79% of the population.

Of the 10,107 households, 43.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.5% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.0% were not families. About 17.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the city, the population was distributed as 30.0% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.

In 2010, the median income for a household was $115,439 and for a family was $128,898.  Males had a median income of $67,084 versus $35,447 for females. The per capita income for the city was $39,515. About 2.3% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure
The Friendswood Post Office is located at 310 Morningside Drive. Some locations in the City of Houston have Friendswood mailing addresses. NASA astronaut Michael Foreman was elected mayor in 2018.

Economy
The Baybrook Mall is physically located in the City of Houston, but has a Friendswood mailing address.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Public schools
Students in Friendswood attend schools in either Friendswood Independent School District (FISD) if they live south of Clear Creek (Galveston County), or Clear Creek Independent School District (CCISD) if they live north of Clear Creek (Harris County). The CCISD portion is within the Board of Trustees District 4, represented by Stuart J. Stromeyer as of 2008.

Cline Elementary School, Westwood Elementary School, Bales Intermediate School, and Windsong Intermediate School serve the FISD portion of Friendswood. All FISD residents are zoned to Friendswood Junior High School and Friendswood High School.

CCISD students from Friendswood attend Wedgewood Elementary School in Friendswood, and Brookside Intermediate School in Friendswood. Most residents of CCISD Friendswood are zoned to Clear Brook High School in unincorporated Harris County, while some residents of CCISD Friendswood are zoned to Clear Springs High School in League City.

Students who live in the area around Friendswood, but are in unincorporated Harris County with address listed as Friendswood or Webster attend Greene Elementary School or Landolt Elementary School in unincorporated Harris County for elementary schools. For middle school they are zoned to Westbrook Intermediate School in Houston.

Public libraries
The Friendswood Public Library at 416 South Friendswood Drive serves Friendswood.

Notable people

 Katie Rose Clarke - Broadway actor, famous for the roles of Clara in Light in the Piazza, Glinda in Wicked, and Hannah in Allegiance 
 Greg Bonnen - neurosurgeon and Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from Friendswood 
 Penny Edwards - actress known for many western films; died in Friendswood
 Joseph Gutheinz – attorney and investigator of stolen and missing moon rocks
Clara Harris, convicted murderer who made national and international headlines for murdering and running over her husband with their car
 Booker T and spouse Sharmell Sullivan-Huffman – professional wrestling personalities
 Balor Moore - former MLB pitcher resides in Friendswood
 Ronnie Price – NBA basketball player
 Robin Coleman - ,American Gladiator Hellga, 2001 World's Strongest Woman (bronze)
 Ryan Sitton - Republican nominee for the Texas Railroad Commission in the November 4, 2014, general election
 Steve Stockman – departing Republican member of the United States House of Representatives; unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. Senate in the 2014 primary election, convicted felon
 Bruce Prichard - former producer for WWE and co-host of Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard
 Bill McArthur - retired United States Army colonel and NASA astronaut and a veteran of three Space Shuttle missions and one expedition to the International Space Station via the Russian Soyuz capsule
 Larry Taylor - Republican member of the Texas Senate. He was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 24 in Galveston County from 2003 to 2012, former City Council Member for Friendswood.

Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, Friendswood has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.

Legacy
The 2014 novel Friendswood, set in the area, was written by René Steinke.

References

External links

 City of Friendswood official website
 
 Friendswood Public Library

Category:Cities in Texas
Category:Cities in Galveston County, Texas
Category:Cities in Harris County, Texas
Category:Greater Houston