Texas Triangle
Encyclopedia
The Texas Triangle is one of eleven so-called megaregions
in the United States. These are urban areas that are much greater in scale than just a metropolitan statistical area (MSA), defined by the US Census Bureau. These regions also are known as megapolitan areas. The term comes from the fact that the three main cities in the Texas Triangle are connected by a highway system Interstate 45
, Interstate 10
, and Interstate 35
that forms up a triangle when connected.
The Texas Triangle in Texas
contains 5 of the 20 biggest cities in the US, and is home to more than 70% of all Texans (pop 13.8 million). In the next 40 years, the population of the Texas Triangle will grow more than 65%, or an additional 10 million people, leading to 78% of Texans living and working within the Texas Triangle. From a people point of view, the Triangle increasingly is Texas.
The major cities in the Triangle are Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin
, and Fort Worth. Additional MSAs in the region include College Station-Bryan, Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood and Waco. There are a further so-called 12 micropolitan statistical areas. There are 66 counties altogether in the Triangle. Sometimes, however, Beaumont
, located east of Houston, has been considered part of the Texas Triangle.
Other sizable cities in Texas not included in the Triangle are Corpus Christi, El Paso, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, Abilene, San Angelo, Amarillo, McAllen and Laredo.
The megaregion is defined in work by America 2050 and others. The area has also been called the Texas Crescent and the Texaplex. Dr. Robert Lang of the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech identified Dallas-Fort Worth as one of the earliest recognized megapolitans. Each city being very different and distinct from the other, Dallas and Fort Worth nonetheless grew together to form the urban area widely known as "The Metroplex."
A conference about the future of the Texas Triangle was held by Houston Tomorrow
and America 2050 on September 24-25, 2009 in Houston.
The 60000 square miles (155,399.3 km²) region contains most of the state's largest cities and metropolitan areas as well as 17 million people, nearly 75 percent of Texas' total population. The region is comparable to Florida in population size and comparable to Georgia by area.
According to The University of Texas Center for Sustainable Development, "the Texas Triangle has three sides measuring 271, 198 and 241 miles in ground distance."
Megaregions of the United States
A Megaregion, also known as a Megalopolis or Megapolitan Area, refers to a clustered network of American cities whose population ranges or is projected to range from about 7 to 63 million by the year 2025. America 2050, an organization sponsored by the Rockefeller and Ford Foundations, lists 11...
in the United States. These are urban areas that are much greater in scale than just a metropolitan statistical area (MSA), defined by the US Census Bureau. These regions also are known as megapolitan areas. The term comes from the fact that the three main cities in the Texas Triangle are connected by a highway system Interstate 45
Interstate 45
Interstate 45 is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. It connects the cities of Dallas and Houston, continuing southeast from Houston to Galveston over the Galveston Causeway to the Gulf of Mexico...
, Interstate 10
Interstate 10
Interstate 10 is the fourth-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90, I-80, and I-40. It is the southernmost east–west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway, although I-4 and I-8 are further south. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at State Route 1 in Santa Monica,...
, and Interstate 35
Interstate 35
Interstate 35 is a north–south Interstate Highway in the central United States. I-35 stretches from Laredo, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border to Duluth, Minnesota, at Minnesota Highway 61 and 26th Avenue East. Many interstates used to have splits or spurs indicated with suffixed letters , but I-35...
that forms up a triangle when connected.
The Texas Triangle in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
contains 5 of the 20 biggest cities in the US, and is home to more than 70% of all Texans (pop 13.8 million). In the next 40 years, the population of the Texas Triangle will grow more than 65%, or an additional 10 million people, leading to 78% of Texans living and working within the Texas Triangle. From a people point of view, the Triangle increasingly is Texas.
The major cities in the Triangle are Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin
Austin
Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...
, and Fort Worth. Additional MSAs in the region include College Station-Bryan, Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood and Waco. There are a further so-called 12 micropolitan statistical areas. There are 66 counties altogether in the Triangle. Sometimes, however, Beaumont
Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
, located east of Houston, has been considered part of the Texas Triangle.
Other sizable cities in Texas not included in the Triangle are Corpus Christi, El Paso, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, Abilene, San Angelo, Amarillo, McAllen and Laredo.
The megaregion is defined in work by America 2050 and others. The area has also been called the Texas Crescent and the Texaplex. Dr. Robert Lang of the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech identified Dallas-Fort Worth as one of the earliest recognized megapolitans. Each city being very different and distinct from the other, Dallas and Fort Worth nonetheless grew together to form the urban area widely known as "The Metroplex."
A conference about the future of the Texas Triangle was held by Houston Tomorrow
Houston Tomorrow
Houston Tomorrow is an independent nonprofit organization that works to improve the quality of life for all people in the Houston region through research, education, and discussion....
and America 2050 on September 24-25, 2009 in Houston.
The 60000 square miles (155,399.3 km²) region contains most of the state's largest cities and metropolitan areas as well as 17 million people, nearly 75 percent of Texas' total population. The region is comparable to Florida in population size and comparable to Georgia by area.
According to The University of Texas Center for Sustainable Development, "the Texas Triangle has three sides measuring 271, 198 and 241 miles in ground distance."
Metropolitan areas
- AustinAustin, TexasAustin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
–Round RockRound Rock, TexasRound Rock is a city in Travis and Williamson counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the metropolitan area. The 2010 census places the population at 99,887....
Metropolitan Statistical AreaGreater AustinAustin–Round Rock–San Marcos is a five-county metropolitan area in the US state of Texas, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget. The metropolitan area straddles on the eastern edge of the and is situated in Central Texas.... - College StationCollege Station, TexasCollege Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley. The city is located within the most populated region of Texas, near three of the 10 largest cities in the United States - Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio...
–BryanBryan, TexasBryan is a city in Brazos County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 76,201. It is the county seat of Brazos County and is located in the heart of the Brazos Valley . It shares its border with the city of College Station, which lies to its south...
Metropolitan Statistical AreaBryan-College Station metropolitan areaThe Bryan–College Station Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan area in the Brazos Valley region of Texas that covers three counties: Brazos, Burleson, and Robertson... - DallasDallas, TexasDallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
–Fort WorthFort Worth, TexasFort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
–ArlingtonArlington, TexasArlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
Metropolitan Statistical AreaDallas–Fort Worth metroplexThe Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington Metropolitan Statistical Area, a title designated by the U.S. Census as of 2003, encompasses 12 counties within the U.S. state of Texas. The area is divided into two metropolitan divisions: Dallas–Plano–Irving and Fort Worth–Arlington. Residents of the area...
- Principal cities: Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, PlanoPlano, TexasPlano is a city in the state of Texas, located mostly within Collin County. The city's population was 259,841 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth-largest city in Texas and the 71st most populous city in the United States. Plano is located within the metropolitan area commonly referred to as...
, IrvingIrving, TexasIrving is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within Dallas County. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 216,290. Irving is within the Dallas–Plano–Irving metropolitan division of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, designated...
, CarrolltonCarrollton, Texas-Climate:*On average, the warmest month is July.*The highest recorded temperature was 112°F in 1980.*The average coolest month is January.*The lowest recorded temperature was 1°F in 1989.*The most precipitation on average occurs in May....
, DentonDenton, TexasThe city of Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. Its population was 119,454 according to the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex...
, RichardsonRichardson, TexasRichardson is a city in Dallas and Collin Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 99,223. In 2011 the population was estimated to be 107,684. Richardson is an affluent inner suburb of Dallas and home of the Telecom Corridor with a high...
, and McKinneyMcKinney, TexasMcKinney is a city in and the county seat of Collin County, Texas, United States, and the second in population to Plano. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 131,117 The Census Bureau listed McKinney as the nation's fastest growing city from 2000 to 2003 and again in...
- Principal cities: Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Plano
- HoustonHouston, TexasHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
–BaytownBaytown, TexasBaytown is a city within Harris County and partially in Chambers County in the Gulf Coast region of the U.S. state of Texas. Located within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area, it lies along both State Highway 146 and Interstate 10. As of 2010, Baytown had an population of 71,802...
–Sugar LandSugar Land, TexasSugar Land is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area and Fort Bend County. Sugar Land is one of the most affluent and fastest-growing cities in Texas, having grown more than 158 percent in the last decade. In the time period of 2000–2007, Sugar Land also enjoyed a...
Metropolitan Statistical AreaGreater HoustonHouston–Sugar Land–Baytown is a 10-county metropolitan area defined by the Office of Management and Budget. It is located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas...
- Principal cities: Houston, Baytown, Sugar Land, and GalvestonGalveston, TexasGalveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
- Principal cities: Houston, Baytown, Sugar Land, and Galveston
- KilleenKilleen, TexasKilleen is a city in Bell County, Texas, The United States. The population was 86,911 at the 2000 census. As of 2009, Killeen had 119,510 people. In 2010 Killeen's population shot to 127,921...
–TempleTemple, TexasTemple is a city in Bell County, Texas, United States. Located near the county seat of Belton, Temple lies in the region referred to as Central Texas. Located off Interstate 35, Temple is 65 miles north of Austin and 34 miles south of Waco. In the 2010 Census, Temple's population was 66,102, an...
–Fort Hood Metropolitan Statistical AreaKilleen-Temple-Fort Hood metropolitan areaThe Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan area in Central Texas that covers three counties - Bell, Coryell, and Lampasas... - San AntonioSan Antonio, TexasSan Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
Metropolitan Statistical Area - WacoWaco, TexasWaco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
Metropolitan Statistical AreaMcLennan County, TexasMcLennan County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in Central Texas. In 2000, its population was 213,517; in 2008 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated its population to be 230,213. Its seat is Waco. The county is named for Neil McLennan, an early settler....
Micropolitan areas
- BrenhamBrenham, TexasBrenham is a city in east-central Texas in Washington County, Texas, United States, with a population of 16,147 according to the 2009 census. It is the county seat of Washington County...
Micropolitan Statistical Area - CorsicanaCorsicana, TexasCorsicana is a city in Navarro County, Texas, United States. It is located on Interstate 45 some fifty-five miles south of downtown Dallas. The population was 24,485 at the 2000 census...
Micropolitan Statistical Area - HuntsvilleHuntsville, TexasHuntsville is a city in and the county seat of Walker County, Texas, United States. The population was 35,508 at the 2010 census. It is the center of the Huntsville micropolitan area....
Micropolitan Statistical AreaWalker County, TexasWalker County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 67,861. Its county seat is Huntsville.Initially, Walker County was named for Robert J. Walker, a legislator from Mississippi who introduced into the United States Congress the resolution to annex Texas...
See also
- Amalgamation (politics)Amalgamation (politics)A merger or amalgamation in a political or administrative sense is the combination of two or more political or administrative entities such as municipalities , counties, districts, etc. into a single entity. This term is used when the process occurs within a sovereign entity...
- ConurbationConurbationA conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
- Consolidated city-countyConsolidated city-countyIn United States local government, a consolidated city–county is a city and county that have been merged into one unified jurisdiction. As such it is simultaneously a city, which is a municipal corporation, and a county, which is an administrative division of a state...
- EcumenopolisEcumenopolisEcumenopolis is a word invented in 1967 by the Greek city planner Constantinos Doxiadis to represent the idea that in the future urban areas and megalopolises would eventually fuse and there would be a single continuous worldwide city as a...
- I-35 CorridorI-35 CorridorThe I-35 Corridor, also known as the I-35 corridor, is a group of metropolitan areas in the southern Interior Plains region of the United States. The Texas cities contained within the I-35 Corridor are often referred to as a sub-megaregion of their own, often referred to as the Texaplex. It is part...
- MegacityMegacityA megacity is usually defined as a metropolitan area with a total population in excess of 10 million people. Some definitions also set a minimum level for population density . A megacity can be a single metropolitan area or two or more metropolitan areas that converge. The terms conurbation,...
- Megalopolis (city type)Megalopolis (city type)A megalopolis is typically defined as a chain of roughly adjacent metropolitan areas. The term was used by Oswald Spengler in his 1918 book, The Decline of the West, and Lewis Mumford in his 1938 book, The Culture of Cities, which described it as the first stage in urban overdevelopment and...
- Metroplex
- MetropolisMetropolisA metropolis is a very large city or urban area which is a significant economic, political and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections and communications...
- Megaregions of the United StatesMegaregions of the United StatesA Megaregion, also known as a Megalopolis or Megapolitan Area, refers to a clustered network of American cities whose population ranges or is projected to range from about 7 to 63 million by the year 2025. America 2050, an organization sponsored by the Rockefeller and Ford Foundations, lists 11...
- TexaplexTexaplexThe texaplex refers to the highly populated triangular region in Texas that is outlined by the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex in the north down to the Houston metropolitan area, over to San Antonio and Austin, Texas and that contains a vast majority of the state's population...
- United States Micropolitan Statistical Area
- Texas census statistical areasTexas census statistical areasthumb|An enlargeable map of the [[List of counties in Texas|254 counties]] of the [[State of Texas]]The United States Census Bureau has defined 8 Combined Statistical Areas , 25 Metropolitan Statistical Areas , and 43 Micropolitan Statistical Areas in the State of Texas. The following table...