Baytown

Baytown is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, within Harris and Chambers counties. Located in the HoustonThe WoodlandsSugar Land metropolitan statistical area, it lies on the northern side of the Galveston Bay complex near the outlets of the San Jacinto River and Buffalo Bayou. It is the sixth-largest city within this metropolitan area and seventh largest community (including The Woodlands CDP) Major highways serving the city include State Highway 146 and Interstate 10. Baytown as it is known today was officially founded January 24, 1948. Exxon-Mobil is still one of the major employers in the city and now runs over 10 plants in the area including a newly announced 2 billion dollar expansion to its chemical facilities in 2019. The city once relied on groundwater for its water needs, but severe land subsidence has forced the city to turn much of the land to turn-level. The region has numerous faults, many of which tend to produce earthquakes, but none recorded in history have recorded significant earthquakes in Baytown. Bay Town is located on the Gulf coastal plain, and its vegetation is classified as temperate grassland and marshes. The municipalities have been built on reclaimed marshes, swamps, and prairies, which are all still visible in undeveloped parts of the Baytown area. Along the south and west is Galvest on the east is Bayou, and along the north is Portions of the Cedar Cedar Bayou lie to the east in Chambers County.

History

Baytown is the primary city name, but also Beach City, Cove, Mont Belvieu, Old River Winfree, Old Rvr Wnfre are acceptable city names or spellings, Bayway, Cedar Point, Garth, Lakewood, Lynchburg, Mcnair, Stewart Heights on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. The official name is Baytown, Texas. White American settlers first arrived in the now-Baytown area in 1822. With the discovery of the Goose Creek Oil Field, the rival communities of Pelly in the late 1910s, and East Baytown in the early 1920s, developed as early boomtowns. The city now known as Baytown was originally three separate towns. In 1947, the three cities finally agreed to consolidate. The citizens settled on the name Baytown for the new combined city. Baytown as it is known today was officially founded January 24, 1948. Exxon-Mobil is still one of the major employers in the city and now runs over 10 plants in the area including a newly announced 2 billion dollar expansion to its chemical facilities in 2019.Steel manufacturing in Baytown began in 1970 when United States Steel opened the Texas Works near the city. The plant was officially closed in July 1986, due to a poor economic climate and the decline of American steel in the 1980s. It was later purchased by Jindal Steel and now operates as JSW Steel USA, Inc. The company later built the Baytown Refinery, which would become one of. the largest Exxon refineries in the world. Many immigrants arrived in Bay Town, among them a number of Jewish families who founded a synagogue, Knesseth Israel, in 1930. The first of these was Goose Creek, named for the bayou of the same name where Canada geese wintered. In 1916, the Humble Oil and Refining Company, founded by one-time Texas governor Ross S. Sterling, built the first offshore drilling operation in Texas.

Geography

Baytown is located at the mouth of the San Jacinto River on Galveston Bay, 26 miles (42 km) by road east of Houston. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 36.5 square miles (94.6 km²) of which 35.4 square miles is land and 1.8 km² is water. Baytown is bordered by water on three sides: along the south and west is Galvest on Bayou, and along the north and east is Interstate 10. The region around Baytown has numerous faults, many considered active, but none have produced significant earthquakes in recorded history. The one significant earthquake that has been reported in the area was the result of an underground water and petroleum extraction. The city's climate is classified as humid subtropical (Cfa in Köppen climate classification system). Spring supercell thunderstorms sometimes create tornadoes (but not to the extent found in tornado alley) and snowfall is rare. Annual rainfall averages exceed 53 inches (130 cm).Excessive ozone levels can occur due to industrial activities; nearby Houston is ranked among the most ozone-polluted cities in the United States. Hurricane Carla (1961), Alicia (1983), Ike (2008), and Harvey (2017) were the four most damaging hurricanes to affect Baytown. The industries located along the ship channel and the bay are a major cause of the pollution.Hurricanes are a substantial concern during the fall season.

Demographics

The 2019 American Community Survey determined Baytown had a population of 77,192, up from 71,802 people at the 2010 U.S. census. As of the 2020 United States census, there were 83,701 people, 26,592 households, and 18,169 families residing in the city. The racial and ethnic makeup of the city was 31.8% non-Hispanic white, 17.2% Black or African American, 0.1% American Indian or Alaska Native, 1.5% Asian, and 2.7% from two or more races. Approximately 47.0% of the local population were Hispanic or Latin American of any race. Christianity is the most prevalent religion in Baytown and the Greater Galveston Catholic Church is the largest Christian body in the Houston area, followed by the Baptists of Southern Baptist Convention and Texas Baptists. Assemblies of God USA, the United Methodist Church and Islam are prominent religions in the community. The violent crime rate was 0.5%, compared to 1.03% for Harris County. The median value of owner-occupied housing units was $133,900 in 2019 and the median monthly cost with a mortgage was $1,360. The city's population had a distribution of 95.3 males per 100 females aged 18 and older, and 68.2 males per100 females aged 65 and older. In 2019, the median income for a household was $48,191, and for a family was $45,346 in 2010.

Economy

ExxonMobil Baytown Complex, founded in 1919, is one of the world's largest industrial complexes. The Baytown Refinery located there is the largest in the United States. The Cedar Bayou plant, in operation since 1963, is Chevron Phillips Chemical's largest manufacturing site. With a total expanse of 15,000 acres, Cedar Crossing Industrial Park is considered world's fifth largest industrial park and the largest on the Gulf Coast. As of 2006, the largest taxpayers in the city were ExxonMobil Company, CenterPoint Energy, Verizon Southwest, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Continental Airlines, Inc. and Valero Marketing & Supply, Car Son Bay LP, Memorial NW Pavilion Trust, Camden Property Trust, and LCY Elastomers LP. The city has created three industrial districts outside the city limits but within its extra-territorial jurisdiction. These districts primarily support petroleum and petrochemical processing. The anchors of the business community are ExxonMobil, Covestro, and Chevron Phillips. It is a newer and growing industrial district which is quickly acquiring new tenants such as Jindal Steel and Power Limited and Samson Controls. It has attracted many top-tier companies with significant operations, including Home Depot's 755,000-square-foot distribution hub, Walmart's 4.2 million- square-foot import center, JSW Steel's plate and pipe manufacturing facilities, and Borusan Mannesmann's $148 million steel pipe manufacturing facility. Other occupants include Exel, S&B Engineers, National Oilwell, GE Water, TMK-IPSCO.

Culture

The Baytown Little Theater is a community theater in Baytown run entirely by volunteers. The Lee College Performing Arts Center hosts a number of theater performances, symphony performances, and art exhibits year around. The Baytown Nature Center, located on a 450-acre (1.8 km²) peninsula along the Houston Ship Channel, is both a recreation area and a wildlife sanctuary that is home to hundreds of bird species, mammals, reptiles, and aquatic species. Houston television, newspaper, and radio outlets also provide coverage of Baytown as part of the Greater Houston metropolitan area.Houston Raceway is a motorsports complex featuring National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) races and a weekly drag racing program. Established in 1988, the venue accommodates 40,000 fans and included a high-banked dirt oval race track that hosts races each year from March through October. Baytown Sun serves as the city and urban area's newspaper. The Art League of Bay Town was organized in 1954 and incorporated as a Texas non-profit corporation in 1963. The gallery features works of art created by local artists. There is also a variety of gifts available for purchase such as paintings, pottery, jewelry, stained glass, photos, cards and other unique art. The city's Public Art Program is spearheaded by the City ofBaytown Tourism Division and includes members from the Art League, Lee College Art Department, Sterling Municipal Library, Parks and Recreation Department, and the Bay Town Tourism Division. The City of BayTown has a large number of museums and galleries.

Government and infrastructure

Baytown has a councilmanager form of government. The City of Baytown operates the Sterling Municipal Library, which has a collection of 300,000 items. The Baytown Police Department has 167 sworn officers and 52 support personnel as of 2014. The U.S. Postal Service operates the Baytown Main Post Office at 601 West Baker Road. Harris County Precinct Two operates Baytown Park, a senior citizen sports complex, at 4500 Hemlock Drive. The designated public hospital is Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital in northeast Houston. Baytown Branch YMCA is located in Baytown.Harris County operates a tax office at 701 West Baker Boulevard.Harris Health System (formerly Harris County Hospital District) operates theBaytown Health Center in Bay Town. The center opened on February 14, 1967. The complex has eight soccer fields; four are lighted and four are unlighted. The fire department is led by Kenneth Dobson and is an ISO 1 rated agency. It provides all-hour patrol services and has many special units: SWAT, Dive Team, D.A.R.E., Hot Spot, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, Investigations, Police Academy, Bomb Squad, and others. It also operates a Baytown Soccer Complex, located north of Bay Town at 9600 North Main Street in an unincorporated area. The post office is located at 3508 Market Street. After 1948 when the tri-cities consolidated under the name Baytown, Goose Creek's post office became the main post office but they still needed a post office to service the rest of town so the Old Baytown Post Office became "Station A".

Education

Baytown is served by the Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District. East Harris County and West Chambers County are served by Lee College, a two-year community college. The three local high schools are Robert E. Lee, Ross S. Sterling, and Goose Creek Memorial High School. Stallworth Stadium is the home for varsity football and soccer for GCCISD as well as for the annual Bayou Bowl. Baytown Christian Academy, Chinquapin Preparatory School, Light House Baptist Academy, and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houstons St. Joseph Regional Catholic School are among the local private schools. The immediate area has four private schools, including Bay Town Christian Academy and Light House Baptists Academy. The local high school has one of the largest high school sports venues in the nation, with a capacity of 16,000 fans. On a campaign stop for the 1976 presidential election, President Gerald Ford attended a Robert E.-Lee High School fall football game. The school district has 14 elementary schools (grades K5), 5 junior highs (grades 68), 3 high schools (grades 912), a career center, and two alternative centers for education. The district serves all of Baytown, Highlands, outlying areas of East Harris and Chambers County, and a small portion of western Chambers County. It recently underwent a press box renovation in 2009, aswell as an innovation in 2006 when artificial turf and a huge scoreboard were installed. It also has an alternative center for education, which was opened in 2008.

Transportation

Baytown is linked to Interstate 10 by State Highway 146 (Lanier Freeway) and Spur 330 (Decker Drive) It is also linked by the Fred Hartman Bridge, which crosses into the city from nearby La Porte. Baytown is served by Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO) express route 236 Maxey Road/Baytown during the rush hours, sending commuters to Downtown Houston. Greyhound Bus Lines operates the Baytown Station at Baytown Travel Express. William P. Hobby Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston are the closest airports with commercial airline service to Baytown. RWJ Airpark is a privately owned airport three miles (5 km) east of Baytown in Beach City. The Baytown Park and Ride lot is located on the western side of San Jacinto Mall. The city is located in unincorporated Harris County and is located near the Texas-Louisiana border. It has a population of about 3,000 people (as of 2010). Baytown's population was 3,200 (as at 2010) as of 2010. It is one of the largest cities in Texas, with more than 2,000 residents. It also has the second largest economy in the state, after Houston. It was the largest city in Texas in the 1970s, and has the third largest economy since 1980s. The population was 4,000 in 2010, and is expected to grow to 5,000 by the end of the decade.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Baytown, Chambers County, Texas = 15.8. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 37. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 11. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Baytown = 6.1 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 83,701 individuals with a median age of 32.2 age the population grows by 6.44% in Baytown, Chambers County, Texas population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 2,091.58 residents per square mile of area (807.57/km²). There are average 2.84 people per household in the 24,629 households with an average household income of $47,510 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is of the available work force and has dropped -2.52% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 24.16%. The number of physicians in Baytown per 100,000 population = 213.7.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Baytown = 49.3 inches and the annual snowfall = 0.2 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 82. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 207. 92 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 44.2 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 23, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Baytown, Chambers County, Texas which are owned by the occupant = 51.31%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 34 years with median home cost = $104,740 and home appreciation of -13.69%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $20.09 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,446 per student. There are 16 students for each teacher in the school, 700 students for each Librarian and 590 students for each Counselor. 5.33% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 8.73% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 4.95% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).