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Pearland, Texas

Pearland, Texas
Pearland Town Center
Motto: Where Town Meets Country;
Classic Gulf Coast
Location in Brazoria County in the state of Texas
Location in Brazoria County in the state of Texas
Coordinates: 29°33′16″N 95°17′45″W / 29.55444°N 95.29583°W / 29.55444; -95.29583Coordinates: 29°33′16″N 95°17′45″W / 29.55444°N 95.29583°W / 29.55444; -95.29583
Country United StatesUnited States
State TexasTexas
Counties Brazoria, Fort Bend, Harris
Government
 • Type Council-Manager
 • City Council Mayor Tom Reid
Mayor Pro Tem Tony Carbone
Derrick Reed
Gary Moore
Keith Ordeneaux
Greg Hill
 • City Manager Clay Pearson
Area
 • Total 47.5 sq mi (122.9 km2)
 • Land 47.0 sq mi (121.8 km2)
 • Water 0.5 sq mi (1.2 km2)
Elevation 49 ft (15 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 91,252
 • Estimate (2015) 108,821
 • Density 2,315/sq mi (893.7/km2)
Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes 77581, 77584, 77588
Area code(s) 281, 713, 832
FIPS code 48-56348
GNIS feature ID 1343734
Website www.cityofpearland.com

Pearland (/ˈpɛərlænd/ PAIR-land) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, within the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area. Most of the city is in Brazoria County, with portions extending into Fort Bend and Harris counties. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 91,252, up from a population of 37,640 at the 2000 census. Pearland's population growth rate from 2000 to 2010 was 142 percent, which ranked Pearland as the 15th fastest growing city in the U.S. during that time period, compared to other cities with a population of 10,000 or greater in 2000. Pearland is the third largest city in the Houston MSA, and from 2000 to 2010, ranked as the fastest growing city in the Houston MSA and the second fastest growing city in Texas. As of 2015 the population had risen to an estimated 108,821.

The area that is now Pearland had its humble beginnings near a siding switch on the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway in 1882. When a post office was established in 1893, the community was originally named "Mark Belt". On September 24, 1894, the plat of "Pear-Land" was filed with the Brazoria County courthouse by Witold von Zychlinski, a man of Polish nobility. At the time Pearland had many fruits harvested by residents. Zychlinski saw the pear trees and decided that "Pearland" would make a good name for the community.

Pearland was promoted by developers Allison & Richey Land Company as an "agricultural Eden". The first subdivision was called "Suburban Gardens". The Galveston hurricane of 1900 and the Galveston hurricane of 1915 destroyed most of the fruit trees and slowed growth for a considerable period of time, and caused a period of desertification in the area. In 1914, with agriculture rebounding and the end of desertification, Pearland had a population of 400, but a devastating freeze in 1918 was another setback to the local farming enterprises. Oil was discovered nearby in 1934, which led to the development of the Hastings Oilfield, though it did not spur much growth, as the population fluctuated between 150 and 350. From the 1970s, the town has grown to its present-day population.


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