The Woodlands, Texas

The Woodlands, Texas
CDP and SPD
Top to bottom, left to right: The Woodlands Town Center, The Woodlands Waterway, Town Center, The Woodlands College Park High School, Waste Connections
The Woodlands in Montgomery and Harris counties
The Woodlands
Location in Texas
The Woodlands
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 30°10′39″N 95°30′14″W / 30.17750°N 95.50389°W / 30.17750; -95.50389
Country United States
State Texas
CountiesMontgomery, Harris
Established1974
Government
 • Board of DirectorsBrad Bailey (Chairman)
Craig Eissler (Vice Chairman)
Linda Nelson (Secretary)
Richard Franks (Treasurer)
Adam Lamb
Shelley Sekula-Gibbs
Cindy Heiser
Area
 • CDP and SPD
43.9 sq mi (113.6 km2)
 • Land43.3 sq mi (112.1 km2)
 • Water0.58 sq mi (1.5 km2)
Elevation
160 ft (49 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • CDP and SPD
114,436
 • Estimate 
(2021)
119,000
 • Density2,644/sq mi (1,020.8/km2)
 • Urban
402,454 (US: 103rd)
 • Urban density1,837/sq mi (709.1/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Postal code
77380-77386
Area code281/346/621/713/832/936
FIPS code48-72656
GNIS feature ID1867568
Websitethewoodlandstownship-tx.gov

The Woodlands is a special-purpose district and census-designated place in the U.S. state of Texas. The Woodlands is primarily located in Montgomery County, with portions extending into Harris County, within the Greater Houston metropolitan area. The population was 114,436 at the 2020 census.

The Woodlands area is governed by The Woodlands Township, an organization that provides municipal services and is administered by an elected board of directors. The United States Census Bureau defines an urban area separate from the Houston urban area with The Woodlands as a principal city: The Woodlands–Conroe urban area had a population of 402,454 in 2020, making it the 103rd-largest in the United States.

The Woodlands is located 28 miles (45 km) north of Houston along Interstate 45. Though it began as an exurban development and a bedroom community, it has also attracted corporations and has several corporate campuses, most notably Occidental Petroleum Corporation, Chevron Phillips Chemical, Huntsman Corporation, Woodforest National Bank, Baker Hughes, McKesson Specialty Health, and Halliburton. The community won a Special Award for Excellence in 1994 from the Urban Land Institute.