Where is Spring?
Spring is an unincorporated community in north Harris County. It lies off Interstate 45, about 20 miles north of Houston. The Texas Almanac lists Spring as not incorporated.
The U.S. Census Bureau tabulates the area as the Spring census-designated place (CDP). The 2020 Census counted 62,559 residents in the CDP. Its land area is 22.49 square miles. The Census Bureau describes CDPs as statistical equivalents of incorporated places. They have no legally defined boundary and no functioning governmental structure.
How did Spring develop?
The Orcoquiza people inhabited the area. Spaniards first visited in 1746. In the 1820s, some of Stephen F. Austin’s colonists settled nearby. William Pierpont set up a trading post on Spring Creek in 1838.
In the mid-1840s, German immigrants settled the area and began farming. Carl Wunsche was the best known of them. Sugar cane and cotton were the main cash crops.
The Houston and Great Northern Railroad built through Spring in 1871. A post office opened in 1873. In 1901–03, the International-Great Northern Railroad connected Spring with Fort Worth. A roundhouse was built, and Spring became a major switchyard. Railroads also supported lumber mills in the area.
In 1923, the roundhouse moved to Houston. Its loss and the start of Prohibition led to population decline. Residents formed a volunteer fire department in the 1950s. Growth resumed in the early 1970s. A Texas Historical Commission marker placed in 2003 stands at 403 Main.
Who governs Spring, and who provides services?
Spring has no city government. Harris County’s Office of the County Engineer requires a permit for development in unincorporated Harris County. That includes floodplain permits under the Harris County Floodplain Management Regulations.
A Texas county is not required to provide water and sewer service the way a city is. In unincorporated Harris County, municipal utility districts (MUDs) provide those services.
Which school districts serve Spring?
Residents established the Spring Independent School District in 1907. The district integrated in the mid-1960s. Its administration address is 16717 Ella Boulevard, Houston.