Katy, Texas - Definition and Overview

Katy is a city located partially in Fort Bend County, partially in Waller County and partially in Harris County, Texas. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 11,775.

Named for the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (or "K-T") that ran through it in the 19th century, the Houston suburb's prime attraction is the Katy Mills Mall. Renée Zellweger was born in Katy. Country music performer Clint Black, baseball player Roger Clemens, and American Idol contestant Kimberly Caldwell are from there as well.

Geography

Katy is located at 29°47'33" North, 95°49'21" West (29.792582, -95.822436)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 27.6 km² (10.7 mi²). None of the area is covered with water.

Trivia

Katy residents often split the city into two informal sections: Old Katy (or Katy Proper) and New Katy. Old Katy is basically the actual City of Katy and lies for the most part north of Interstate 10. This is the original Katy from before the 1970s when Houston's Energy Corridor made its way west on I-10 and the development that came with it. New Katy is made up of large sections of unincorporated Harris and Fort Bend counties and for the most part sits east of the City of Katy. This area is within the Katy Independent School District (one of the state's fastest growing large districts) and nearly everyone in this area has a Katy postal address. New Katy includes newer developments such as Cinco Ranch and Grand Lakes while also encompassing developments from the 70s and 80s such as Memorial Parkway and Nottingham Country.

The population of the Greater Katy area (both of these areas combined) is around 175,000.

External links

• Katy official web site (http://www.cityofkaty.com/)
• Katy Independent School District web site (http://www.katyisd.org)
• Maps and aerial photos
  • Street map from Mapquest (http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?latlongtype=decimal&latitude=29.792582&longitude=-95.822436&zoom=6)
  • Topographic map from Topozone (http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=29.792582&lon=-95.822436&s=200&size=m&layer=DRG100)
  • Aerial photograph from Microsoft Terraserver (http://terraserver.microsoft.com/map.aspx?t=1&s=14&lon=-95.822436&lat=29.792582&w=750&h=500)