Sugar Land, Texas

Sugar Land is the largest city in Fort Bend County, Texas, United States. It is part of the big area around Houston, called the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area. Sugar Land sits about 19 miles southwest of downtown Houston and is a busy suburban place where many people live and work.

Long ago, in the 1800s, the land where Sugar Land now stands was used for a big sugar plantation along the Brazos River. In 1908, many small sugar farms joined together to form Imperial Sugar Company. This helped Sugar Land grow. The city became official in 1959 and has been growing fast ever since, especially after adding new neighborhoods in 2017.

Today, Sugar Land is one of the fastest-growing cities in Texas. Many new people have moved there, and lots of jobs have been created. Even though the big sugar factory is no longer there, the old sugar company’s logo is still a symbol of the city.

History

Geography

Sugar Land is in northeast Fort Bend County, about 20 miles southwest of downtown Houston. It is bordered by Houston to the northeast and by Stafford, Missouri City, and Meadows Place to the east. The city covers an area of 42.9 square miles, with most of it being land and a small part covered by water. The land in Sugar Land sits between 70 and 90 feet above sea level.

Map of Sugar Land

Two important waterways, the Brazos River and Oyster Creek, run through Sugar Land. Developers have created many artificial lakes connecting to these rivers as part of new planned communities. The area is experiencing sinking ground, which is getting worse each year. This sinking, or subsidence, is caused by climate change, building in the area, and not enough water added back into the ground. It has caused problems like flooding and damage to buildings. Special districts and studies are working to manage this issue.

Sugar Land has many planned communities with golf courses, country clubs, and lakes. The city includes areas known as "Old Sugar Land" in the north and newer, larger communities in the south and southeast. These southern areas have many shops, recreational spots, and major commercial centers. The southwestern part of Sugar Land is separated by the Brazos River and includes communities like Greatwood and River Park. The western part of the city was fully included in 2017 and has communities such as New Territory and Telfair.

Demographics

As of the 2020 census, Sugar Land had a population of 111,026 people. The city has many homes, and most people live in houses instead of apartments.

In 2020, the city had people from many different backgrounds. About 40.7% were white or European American, 7.32% were black or African-American, and 38.58% were Asian. Many families live there, and about half of all adults have finished college.

In 2010, Sugar Land had many Asian Americans. People came from places like India, China, and Vietnam. The city has special places for different religions, like churches, temples, and mosques.

Map of racial distribution in Sugar Land, 2020 U.S. census. Each dot is one person: ⬤ White ⬤ Black ⬤ Asian ⬤ Hispanic ⬤ Multiracial ⬤ Native American/other

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1950	2,285	—
1960	2,802	22.6%
1970	3,318	18.4%
1980	8,826	166.0%
1990	24,529	177.9%
2000	63,328	158.2%
2010	78,817	24.5%
2020	111,026	40.9%
U.S. Decennial Census

**Sugar Land city, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition**
*Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.*
Race / ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	2020	2010	2000	1990	1980
White alone (NH)	38.1% (42,305)	44.4% (35,014)	60.8% (38,526)	73.8% (18,110)	83.5% (7,367)
Black alone (NH)	7.2% (7,969)	7.3% (5,744)	5.1% (3,242)	4.9% (1,196)	4.9% (434)
American Indian alone (NH)	0.1% (150)	0.2% (135)	0.2% (112)	0.2% (38)	0% (0)
Asian alone (NH)	38.4% (42,639)	35.1% (27,672)	23.8% (15,042)	12.6% (3,100)	1.1% (94)
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	0% (30)	0% (26)	0% (18)
Other race alone (NH)	0.5% (578)	0.2% (179)	0.2% (109)	0% (8)	0% (0)
Multiracial (NH)	3.5% (3,925)	2.2% (1,723)	1.9% (1,226)	—	—
Hispanic/Latino (any race)	12.1% (13,430)	10.6% (8,324)	8% (5,053)	8.5% (2,077)	10.5% (931)

Racial composition as of the 2020 census
Race	Number	Percent
White	45,186	40.7%
Black or African American	8,122	7.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native	367	0.3%
Asian	42,831	38.6%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	40	0.0%
Some other race	3,482	3.1%
Two or more races	10,998	9.9%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	13,430	12.1%

Economy

Minute Maid headquarters, Sugar Land Town Square, First Colony

Sugar Land, like the rest of the Greater Houston area, has many jobs in the energy industry, especially in oil and gas. The city is home to the main office of CVR Energy, Inc., a big company that was ranked among the top public companies in the Houston area. Sugar Land also has many international companies in energy, software, engineering, and products.

Sugar Land was once the home of the Imperial Sugar Company’s main factory and distribution center, but these closed in 2003. In 1995, Schlumberger, a large oil services company, moved its Houston-area offices to a big campus in Sugar Land. Schlumberger was one of the biggest employers in the city.

Other companies with major offices in Sugar Land include Fluor Daniel, Minute Maid, and BMC Software.

Imperial Sugar offices

Largest employers

According to the city's 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are:

No.	Employer	No. of employees
1	Methodist Sugar Land Hospital	2,400
2	Fluor Enterprises, Inc	1,980
3	Schlumberger	1,900
4	Nalco Champion	1,216
5	Memorial Hermann Sugar Land	800
6	St. Luke's Hospital Sugar Land	473
7	Accredo Packaging	425
8	Baker Hughes	422
9	Applied Optoelectronics	396
10	AmerisourceBergen Drug Company	380

Government and infrastructure

Sugar Land uses a council-manager style of government. In this system, the council picks a city manager who runs the city's day-to-day activities. The manager handles city programs and reports to the council.

City of Sugar Land City Hall, Sugar Land Town Square, First Colony

Sugar Land has had several mayors and city managers over the years, showing steady leadership. The city hall is located in the Sugar Land Town Square area.

In recent years, Sugar Land has shifted in its voting patterns. It is part of Texas's 22nd congressional district, represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by a Republican. The city is also represented in the Texas Legislature by members from both political parties.

The grounds of Sugar Land Fire Department #1 house the City of Sugar Land Fire Department offices, and at one time housed City Hall.

The area around Sugar Land has several medical centers, though the county does not have its own hospital district. The United States Postal Service runs post offices in Sugar Land.

Culture and sports

Sugar Land has many people with jobs that need good education, especially in Houston's energy industry.

In 2004, Sugar Land was chosen as one of the best places to live in the United States. This was because of good schools, safety, jobs, and homes.

People in Sugar Land love sports. The city has a swim team called the Sugar Land Sharks. It started in 1967 and is still going.

Sugar Land has a big concert hall called the Smart Financial Centre. It can hold 6,400 people for concerts, shows, and graduations. There is also a new outdoor arts area being built nearby.

The city is also home to a baseball team called the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. They started in 2012 and play at Constellation Field. The team used to be called the Sugar Land Skeeters.

In 2014, a children's cricket club called the Sugar Land Youth Cricket Club was started. By 2016, the club played its games at Everest Academy in Stafford.

Local attractions

Sugar Land Town Square is the main place for fun in Sugar Land and Fort Bend County. You can find many restaurants, cafes, shops, a Marriott Hotel, and city offices there. There’s also a big public plaza where festivals and special events happen.

Next to this area is the First Colony Mall, a big shopping place with inside and outside areas to shop and park.

Sugar Land also has an Ice and Sports Center where you can go ice skating or learn hockey. Famous skater Tara Lipinski once practiced there.

In the future, Sugar Land plans to build new places to live and visit, including a special hotel near an old sugar factory and more developments near the Smart Financial Centre.

Education

A branch of Wharton County Junior College and a branch of University of Houston are in Sugar Land. Wharton County Junior College offers many classes to help students go to four-year colleges.

All public schools in Sugar Land are run by the Fort Bend Independent School District. Some parts of Sugar Land are also served by the Lamar Consolidated Independent School District. High schools include Clements High School, Dulles High School, and Kempner High School. Some of these schools are known as some of the best in Texas.

There are also private schools in the area, including Catholic schools. The city has several public libraries, like the Sugar Land Branch, First Colony Branch, and University Branch.

Media

Movie and television references

Some early scenes from the 1974 movie The Sugarland Express were filmed in Sugar Land. This film was one of the first directed by famous director Steven Spielberg. In 2010, another film called The Legend of Action Man was made in Sugar Land by a local comedy group. The city is also a setting in the TV show The Client List, and it is mentioned in the TV series The Rookie.

Music references

The folk musician Lead Belly wrote a song called "Midnight Special" that mentions Sugar Land. The country music group Sugarland gets its name from the city. Bruce Springsteen also wrote a song named "Sugar Land" but never released it.

Newspapers and magazines

The main newspaper for Sugar Land is the Houston Chronicle, which includes a special section for the area on Thursdays. Other local papers include the Fort Bend Independent, the Fort Bend Star, and the Sugar Land Sun. The Fort Bend Herald and Texas Coaster also covers news from Sugar Land.

Television

Sugar Land gets its television broadcasts from the Houston area. The city has its own public-access channel on cable that shows local government meetings and community events. Most people in Sugar Land get their cable from Comcast-owned Xfinity, with other options available from companies like AT&T U-verse.

Transportation

Main article: Transportation in Sugar Land, Texas

Sugar Land does not have its own public transportation system yet. There are plans for a train line along U.S. Highway 90A to connect with Houston’s train system. The city is not part of Houston’s public transport group, so it does not help pay for it. But there is a bus service that takes people from Sugar Land to Houston.

The main roads in Sugar Land include Interstate 69/U.S. Highway 59, which has been made wider for more traffic. U.S. Highway 90 Alternate goes through the older part of the city. State Highway 6 goes through a large planned community called First Colony. State Highway 99/Grand Parkway passes through newer communities and will be extended further east soon.

Sugar Land has its own airport, Sugar Land Regional Airport, used mainly for private and business planes. It has a customs office, which helps companies that work in other countries. The airport does not have regular passenger flights; people usually fly from Houston’s two big airports instead.

Notable people

Sugar Land has been home to many talented people. Some of them are Katie Armiger, a country singer, and Nicholas Alexander Chavez, an actor who spent part of his early childhood there. Others include Tom DeLay, a former United States representative, and Tara Lipinski, an Olympic gold medalist in figure skating. The city has also seen athletes like Kevin Bass, a former outfielder for the Houston Astros, and Simone Manuel, an Olympic gold medalist in swimming, along with many more artists, athletes, and entertainers.