WELCOME TO TEXAS 288 SOUTH
Brazos Bend State Park
residing in the suburbs. In Central Houston the Texas Medical Center continues to add new facilities for education, research and technology to its ever expanding, worldclass campus. Houston, one of only three municipalities with two international airports, has direct access to Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica and Jamaica from Hobby Airport. While Houstonians are world travelers, there is always something exciting to do from theatre and dining to professional sporting events in Houston’s Sports District. Houstonians often use the phrase “inside the loop” or “outside the loop” as a location reference. Loop 610 or “the Loop” is a 38-mile ring around central Houston. Exits off Texas 288 provide quick access to attractions inside the Loop: downtown, the Museum District, NRG Stadium, Hermann Park, Montrose, the Houston Zoo, Rice University, The Galleria, and the Texas Medical Center. The Museum District is adjacent to Montrose - one of Houston’s most diverse neighborhoods. Rice University, The Glassell School of Art, Contemporary Arts Museum, C.G. Jung Educational Center, The Museum of Fine Arts, and Rothko Chapel are located in this vibrant district. Nearby museums include the Children’s Museum, Holocaust Museum and the Museum of Health & Medical Science. The
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TEXAS 288 SOUTH NEWCOMER GUIDE
Houston Museum of Natural Science is situ-
Due to its size and proximity to Houston,
ated near Miller Outdoor Theatre.
Brazoria County is experiencing steady economic growth. In lower Brazoria county,
TEXAS 288 CORRIDOR
billions of dollars are being invested in
The Texas 288 Corridor takes on its distinct
industrial complexes and new business enter-
personality outside the Beltway where
prises, and Port of Freeport is expanding to
cosmopolitan
into
accommodate projected growth in imports
suburban areas and an immense ecosystem
and exports due to the widening of the
in Brazoria County — “Where Texas
Panama Canal.
Houston
transitions
Began” almost 200 years ago. While the Texas 288 Corridor spans parts of Fort Bend, Harris and Galveston Counties most of the region lies within Brazoria County. Part of Stephen F. Austin’s “Old Three Hundred” colony of families arrived in the early 1820s. Brazoria County takes its name from the Brazos River, the 11th-longest river in the United States. Early Spanish explorers called the Brazos the Rio de los Brazos de Dios, The River of the Arms of God. Texas 288 can tout proximity to Houston’s largest employment centers including downtown Houston, the Texas Medical Center, The Galleria, Hobby Airport, NASA, and the Houston Energy Corridor. In addition to being a tourist destination, the Brazosport area is home to Dow Texas
Pearland, one of the fastest growing suburbs in the Houston area, and Friendswood, currently recognized as one the one of the safest cities in the Houston area, anchor the Texas 288 Corridor on the north. South of Pearland, Manvel and Alvin are shaping up to be the next residential and retail hubs. Key to their growth is direct access to both Texas 288 and Texas 6 (SH 6), a major gateway into Fort Bend County and Sugar Land.
The
nationally-acclaimed
Alvin
Community College campus was founded in Alvin almost 70 years ago. Angleton, the county seat for Brazoria County, and Lake Jackson are centers of commerce in lower Brazoria County. Sun-loving Houstonians head to Clute, Surfside and Quintana Beach in the Brazosport Area.
Operations, BASF and Port Freeport. Texas
In the Cities South chapter, you will learn
288 is ideally situated between the Port of
more about each city and what makes the
Houston, the largest container port on the
Texas 288 Corridor a quality place to live,
Texas Gulf Coast and Port Freeport.
visit, work and play.
– SPRING/SUMMER 2018