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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about Houston (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Houston. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals were in the next county to the east. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the east contained birth and death records; the county to the north contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Houston is primarily located in Harris County and is the County Seat. A portion of Houston extends into Fort Bend County and Montgomery County.

To see how the shape of Texas' counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Harris County: Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Liberty, Montgomery & Waller.

Below are the counties that are near Houston. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Houston:

  • Harris County     (The home county of Houston)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Houston, with the one closest to Houston listed first.
    • Magnolia Park
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • West University Place
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West University Place have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West University Place
      • West University Place is located in Harris County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 15,496 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for West University Place <3>
    • Jacinto City
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jacinto City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jacinto City
      • Jacinto City is located in Harris County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,302 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Jacinto City <3>
    • Park Place
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Southside Place
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Galena Park
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Galena Park have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Galena Park
      • Galena Park is located in Harris County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,559 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Galena Park <3>
    • Pinewood Village
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pinewood Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pinewood Village
      • Pinewood Village is located in Harris County
    • Glenbrook Valley
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Bellaire
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bellaire have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellaire
      • Bellaire is located in Harris County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 18,906 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bellaire <3>
    • Greenwood Village
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Meadow Creek Village
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Meadow Creek Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadow Creek Village
      • Meadow Creek Village is located in Harris County
    • Hilshire Village
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hilshire Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hilshire Village
      • Hilshire Village is located in Harris County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 806 people
    • Hunters Creek Village
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hunters Creek Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hunters Creek Village
      • Hunters Creek Village is located in Harris County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,824 people
  • Brazoria County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Houston, with the one closest to Houston listed first.
    • Brookside Village
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brookside Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brookside Village
      • Brookside Village is located in Brazoria County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,582 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brookside Village <3>
    • Pearland
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Fairway Village
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fairway Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairway Village
      • Fairway Village is located in Brazoria County
    • West Oaks Village
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Oaks Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Oaks Village
      • West Oaks Village is located in Brazoria County
    • Westwood Village
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Westwood Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westwood Village
      • Westwood Village is located in Brazoria County
    • Woodcreek
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Manvel
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Manvel have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manvel
      • Manvel is located in Brazoria County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 13,867 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Manvel <3>
    • Iowa Colony
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Iowa Colony have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Iowa Colony
      • Iowa Colony is located in Brazoria County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,888 people
    • Alvin
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alvin have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alvin
      • Alvin is located in Brazoria County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 27,140 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Alvin <3>
    • Hillcrest
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Sandy Point
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Rosharon
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Lochridge
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
  • Chambers County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Houston, with the one closest to Houston listed first.
    • Shoreacres
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shoreacres have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shoreacres
      • Shoreacres is located in Chambers County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,578 people
    • Baytown
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Baytown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baytown
      • Baytown is located in Chambers County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 77,288 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Baytown <3>
    • Seabrook
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Mont Belvieu
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mont Belvieu have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mont Belvieu
      • Mont Belvieu is located in Chambers County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 7,137 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mont Belvieu <3>
    • Beach City
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Beach City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beach City
      • Beach City is located in Chambers County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,825 people
  • Fort Bend County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Houston, with the one closest to Houston listed first.
    • Missouri City Estates
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Missouri City Estates have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Missouri City Estates
      • Missouri City Estates is located in Fort Bend County
    • Fresno
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fresno have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fresno
      • Fresno is located in Fort Bend County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fresno <3>
    • Meadows Place
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Meadows Place have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadows Place
      • Meadows Place is located in Fort Bend County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,813 people
    • Meadows
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Meadows came from an uncertain source and they still need to be verified:<4>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadows
      • Meadows is located in Fort Bend County
    • Stafford
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Fifth Street
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fifth Street have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fifth Street
      • Fifth Street is located in Fort Bend County
    • Missouri City
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Missouri City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Missouri City
      • Missouri City is located in Fort Bend County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 76,643 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Missouri City <3>
    • Mission Bend
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mission Bend have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mission Bend
      • Mission Bend is located in Fort Bend County
    • Town West
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Town West have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Town West
      • Town West is located in Fort Bend County
    • Arcola
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Arcola have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arcola
      • Arcola is located in Fort Bend County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,775 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Arcola <3>
    • Dewalt
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Trammels
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • First Colony
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for First Colony have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for First Colony
      • First Colony is located in Fort Bend County
  • Galveston County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Houston, with the one closest to Houston listed first.
    • Quaker Village
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Quaker Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quaker Village
      • Quaker Village is located in Galveston County
    • Friendswood
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Friendswood have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Friendswood
      • Friendswood is located in Galveston County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 40,011 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Friendswood <3>
    • Parkwood Village
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Parkwood Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parkwood Village
      • Parkwood Village is located in Galveston County
    • Carmel Village
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Carmel Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carmel Village
      • Carmel Village is located in Galveston County
    • League City
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Clear Lake Shores
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clear Lake Shores have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clear Lake Shores
      • Clear Lake Shores is located in Galveston County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,209 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Clear Lake Shores <3>
    • South Shore Village
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Shore Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Shore Village
      • South Shore Village is located in Galveston County
    • Kemah
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kemah have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kemah
      • Kemah is located in Galveston County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,048 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kemah <3>
    • Bacliff
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Dickinson
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dickinson have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dickinson
      • Dickinson is located in Galveston County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 21,216 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dickinson <3>
    • Santa Fe
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Santa Fe have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Santa Fe
      • Santa Fe is located in Galveston County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 13,461 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Santa Fe <3>
  • Liberty County
  • Montgomery County

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Houston, see our County-by-County Page for Houston.

Cemeteries Near Houston ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Houston.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Houston covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Houston, with the one closest to Houston listed first.

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Houston had a population of 27,557 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Houston had a population of 2,316,120 people.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Houston, with the one closest to Houston listed first.

  • Magnolia Park
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Harrisburg
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Harrisburg have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harrisburg
    • Harrisburg is located in Harris County
  • Pierce Junction
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pierce Junction have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pierce Junction
    • Pierce Junction is located in Harris County
  • Piney Point Village
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
  • Jeanetta
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jeanetta have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jeanetta
    • Jeanetta is located in Harris County
  • Aldine
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
  • Red Bluff
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Red Bluff have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red Bluff
    • Red Bluff is located in Harris County
  • Genoa
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Genoa have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Genoa
    • Genoa is located in Harris County
  • Stafford
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
  • Sheldon
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sheldon have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sheldon
    • Sheldon is located in Harris County
  • Humble
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
  • Addicks
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Arcola
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Arcola have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arcola
      • Arcola is located in Fort Bend County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,775 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Arcola <3>
    • Arcola Junction
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Arcola Junction have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arcola Junction
      • Arcola Junction is located in Fort Bend County
    • Lynchburg
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lynchburg have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lynchburg
      • Lynchburg is located in Harris County

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Houston. See our List of 1890's Communities around Houston.

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Houston ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 267 newspapers that have been published in the area around Houston.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Houston. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Houston and those printed in the larger area surrounding Houston.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 9 miles [14.5 km]<7> of Houston.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These helpful websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Houston:

The official website for Houston: www.cityofhouston.gov/

The official website for Harris County: www.co.harris.tx.us/

The official website for State of Texas: https://texas.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<2>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<3>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<4>If we found a location and have questions about the accuracy of our information, we will simply say that the marker is 'in the vicinity'. We are not confident about the location and the position of our marker is only a rough guide. If we have too many doubts about the location, we will not include it in our database.
<5>The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.
<6>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Houston, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<7>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Houston) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Houston. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 29.7550, Longitude: -95.3541    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025