College Station is a city inBrazos County, Texas, United States, situated in East-Central Texas in theBrazos Valley, towards the eastern edge of the region known as theTexas Triangle. It is 83 miles (130 kilometers) northwest ofHouston and 87 miles (140 km) east-northeast ofAustin. As of the2020 census, College Station had a population of 120,511.[5] College Station andBryan make up theBryan-College Station metropolitan area, the 15th-largest metropolitan area in Texas with 268,248 people as of 2020.[6]
College Station's origins date from 1860, when theHouston and Texas Central Railway began to build through the region.[7] Eleven years later, the site was chosen as the location for the proposed Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, a land-grant school.[7] In 1876, as the nation celebrated itscentennial, the school (renamedTexas A&M University in 1963) opened its doors as the first public institution of higher education in the state of Texas.[7]
College Station's population grew slowly, reaching 350 in 1884 and 391 at the turn of the century.[7] However, during this time, transportation improvements took place in the town. In 1900, theI&GN Railroad was extended to College Station[8] (theMissouri Pacific Railroad Company abandoned the line in 1965),[9] and 10 years later, electricinterurban service was established between Texas A&M and the neighboring town of Bryan.[7] A city bus system replaced the interurban in the 1920s.[7]
In 1930, the community to the north of College Station, known as North Oakwood, was incorporated as part of Bryan.[7] College Station did not incorporate until October 19, 1938, after a 217-39 vote,[10] with John H. Binney as the first mayor.[7] Within a year, the city established azoning commission, and by 1940, the population had reached 2,184.[7]
The city grew under the leadership of Ernest Langford, called by some the "Father of College Station", who began a 26-year stretch as mayor in 1942. Early in his first term, the city adopted a council-manager system of city government.[7]
Population growth accelerated followingWorld War II as the nonstudent population reached 7,898 in 1950, 11,396 in 1960, 17,676 in 1970, 30,449 in 1980, 52,456 in 1990, and 67,890 in 2000.[7] The Bryan-College Station metropolitan area's population crossed 270,000 people in 2018.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 49.6 sq mi (128.5 km2), of which 49.4 sq mi (128.0 km2) is land and 0.19 sq mi (0.5 km2), or 0.35%, is covered by water.[11]
College Station has ahumid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa). Winters are mild with periods of low temperatures usually lasting less than two months, while summers are hot and humid.
Snow and ice are rare; most recently, College Station received three to five inches of snowfall on February 15, 2021.[12]
Summers are hot and humid with occasional showers and thunderstorms being the only real variation in weather.[13]
Climate data for College Station, Texas (Easterwood Airport), 1991–2020 normals,[a] extremes 1882–present[b]
Northgate is a mixed-use district north of Texas A&M University that features a combination of businesses, restaurants, apartments, churches, and entertainment. It is known for its eclectic mix ofrestaurants andbars.[17][18] A large portion of the stores, bars, and restaurants in Northgate are frequented, patronized, and staffed by Texas A&M students.[18] In total, the district spans about 145 acres (0.59 km2), bounded by Wellborn Road to the west, South College Avenue to the east, the College Station city limits to the north, and University Drive to the south. The district is the home of theDixie Chicken.
Northgate's roots started in the 1930s as the city began enjoying rapid population growth from the influx of Texas A&M University students, professors, and their families. Realizing that proximity to the campus would be a boon for revenues, the first business district was established in College Station near the campus, taking its name for the closest on-campus landmark: the north gate. When the city was incorporated in 1938, its first City Hall was opened in the new district. In 1994, restoration efforts began to revitalize the ailing area. A four-day music festival, "North By Northgate", was introduced in 1998 and has become an annual tradition, renamed the "Northgate Music Festival" in 2002. In 2006, the city council incorporated Northgate as a special tax zone to finance additional improvements and expansions.[19]
Live music is a major draw to the Northgate area. Many well-known musicians, especially in theTexas country music scene, initially performed in the Northgate area. Notable names includeRobert Earl Keen, Grammy award-winnerLyle Lovett, Dub Miller, andRoger Creager. The district is bisected to the north by Church Street, made famous by the Robert Earl Keen and Lyle Lovett duet "The Front Porch Song".[20]
View of the Lofts at Wolf Pen Creek in College Station
Wellborn became a community in 1867 as a construction camp on the Houston and Texas Central Railroad. The town's name has been attributed to a well at the construction camp, a foreman named E.W. Wellborn, or a landowner named W.W. Willburn. Also in 1867, a post office opened in the community under the name Wellborn Station. In 1870, the name was shortened to Wellborn.[21] On April 14, 2011, the City Council of College Station voted 5–2 to annex Wellborn, thus making the community the Wellborn district. Wellborn is often mispronounced as 'well-born' but is pronounced by locals as 'Well-burn'.[22]
College Station 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.
As of the2020 United States census, there were 120,511 people, 41,682 households, and 20,487 families residing in the city.
As of thecensus of 2000, 67,890 people, 24,691 households, and 10,370 families resided in the city.Of the 24,691 households, 21.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.2% weremarried couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 58.0% were not families. About 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.98. The racial makeup of the city as of 2019 was 77.45% White, 7.74% African American, 0.30% Native American, 10.25% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 6.32% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any ethnicity/nationality were 15.6% of the population.
In the city, the population was distributed as 14.4% under the age of 18, 51.2% from 18 to 24, 21.3% from 25 to 44, 9.4% from 45 to 64, and 3.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.0 males.
Data from theACS 1-year estimates indicates that the median income for a household in College Station was $47,632,[40] a decrease from $52,397 reported in the 2020census.[41] According toForbes, approximately 28.5% of the population lived below thepoverty line in 2021,[42] including 16.4% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those aged 65 or older. The ACS 1-year estimates suggest this percentage may be as high as 30.2%,[40] the highest poverty rate among U.S. cities with populations over 100,000.[42] However, this statistic is likely impacted by the fact thatTexas A&M University has thelargest student enrollment in the U.S.. TheU.S. Census Bureau has noted that "both in small counties with a large university and in large counties with multiple universities, the presence of college students who live off campus raises the community's poverty rate."[43]
In 2023, the total real gross domestic product (GDP) of the College Station–Bryan area is $15.8 billion, which has been growing steadily since 2020.[44] Anchored by education and research, the region had contributed an estimated $22.3 billion in income to the Texas economy (approximately 1% of state GSP) in fiscal year 2022–23. Texas A&M University is the largest employer in the metro area, with almost 21,000 employees on the main campus.
As of 2025, the localunemployment hovered around 3 to 3.5%, among the lowest in Texas. This rate is largely attributed to the significant role the university plays in the local economy.[45][46][47]However,underemployment is an ongoing issue.[48]
Post Oak Mall was the city's first mall and is currently the largest mall in theBrazos Valley. The 82-acre (330,000 m2) mall is home to 125 stores; its opening on February 17, 1982, helped create the impetus for growing economic and commercial developments for College Station.[50] It is currently the largest taxpayer in College Station and the second-largest in the Brazos Valley, though the anchor stores are free-standing units that are privately owned and taxed separate from the mall proper.[51] Over 75% of retail sales in the Brazos Valley come from sales at the mall's stores.[50]
The city of College Station has acouncil-manager form of government. Voters elect the members of a city council, who pass laws and make policy. The council hires a professional city manager who is responsible for day-to-day operations of the city and its public services.[52]
Students living in the portion of Bryan ISD located in the City of College Station are zoned for: Stephen F. Austin Middle School,[54] andBryan High School.[55]
Two full power local commercial television stations included CBS affiliateKBTX-TV (which also includes subchannels affiliated with CW and Telemundo) and MyNetworkTV affiliateKYLE-TV which also airs Fox programming (via Waco-basedKWKT-TV) on its second digital subchannel. Low power television stationsKAGS-LD andKRHD-CD respectively air programming from NBC (via Temple-basedKCEN-TV) and ABC (via Waco-basedKXXV). PBS member stationKAMU, which is owned byTexas A&M University, is also based in College Station.
TheBrazos Transit District (formerly Brazos Valley Transit Authority) provides public bus transportation in the Bryan/College Station area.
Texas A&M Transportation Services provides bus transportation throughout College Station and Bryan for students, faculty, and staff of Texas A&M University and Blinn College. On Texas A&M football game days, the department provides additional park-and-ride service to and fromKyle Field.
Starline Travel offers weekend service from Texas A&M's campus to downtownHouston, with additional Houston service for Aggie game days and additional service toDallas during major A&M breaks.
Groundshuttle provides daily shuttles to and from Houston airports (Hobby and Bush).
FlixBus provides service to Fort Worth and Houston.
Matthew Berry, ESPN fantasy sport analyst[58] and son of College Station mayor Nancy Berry
Norman Borlaug, "The Man Who Saved a Billion Lives", agronomist, humanitarian, andNobel laureate who has been called "the father of the Green Revolution"
^Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1981 to 2010.
^Official records for College Station have been kept at Easterwood Airport since August 1951 and at an undisclosed location 6 mi (9.7 km) to the southwest of the city center from May 1, 1882 until July 1951.[14]
^Matthew Watkins (May 4, 2008)."CS man has fantasy gig at ESPN". The Bryan College Station Eagle. Archived from the original on September 11, 2009. RetrievedJune 16, 2008.
