South Houston

About South Houston

Formerly known as the city of Dumont, South Houston incorporated as a city in 1913. About 16,000 people call South Houston home. It began as a farm town, shipping produce on local rail lines, but that industry was all but destroyed by the hurricane of 1915. The development of the Houston Ship Channel helped create manufacturing industries in the South Houston area.

Located to the southwest, William P. Hobby Airport serves the area. Southwest Airlines uses the airport as a hub, and flights are also available from AirTran, American Airlines, Delta, and jetBlue.

A nearby 12,000 acre historic site commemorates the Battle of San Jacinto, fought at the end of the Texas Revolution. Texas forces, led by General Sam Houston, defeated Santa Anna's Mexican forces and achieved Texas' independence. Every year in April, a San Jacinto Day festival is held at the site, including a re-enactment of the 18-minute battle.

Heading south on Interstate 45 brings visitors to the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. NASA's center for spaceflight. Astronauts from the United States and abroad are trained at Johnson Space Center. It is also the home of Mission Control, the control center that coordinates spaceflight missions for the United States. Visitors can tour Space Center Houston, which offers a tour of the Space Center.