Houston is primarily in Harris County, but the metropolitan area spans 10 counties. Katy, Pearland, Missouri City and other cities cross county lines that can change which office provides certain services.
Updated September 25, 2026.
HOUSTON, Texas — Houston is not a county. It is a city located primarily in Harris County, although parts of its municipal boundaries also extend into Fort Bend and Montgomery counties.
The difference matters when paying property taxes, voting, searching records, applying for permits, or reporting problems on roads and utilities. An address that says Houston, Katy, Sugar Land, or Pearland does not always by itself identify which city or county has jurisdiction.
The current federal delineation of the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metropolitan area includes 10 counties: Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, San Jacinto, and Waller.
Correction and update: an earlier version of this guide described the metropolitan area as a nine-county region. The current federal delineation since 2023 added San Jacinto County and raised the total to 10.
Common cities and communities in the Houston area
- Houston: primarily in Harris County, with parts in Fort Bend and Montgomery counties.
- Katy: Harris, Fort Bend, and Waller counties.
- Sugar Land: Fort Bend County.
- Pasadena: Harris County.
- Pearland: primarily Brazoria County, with parts in Harris and Fort Bend counties.
- Missouri City: primarily Fort Bend County, with a part in Harris County.
- The Woodlands: primarily Montgomery County; Creekside Park is in Harris County.
- League City: Galveston and Harris counties.
- Baytown: Harris and Chambers counties.
- Conroe: Montgomery County.
- Galveston: Galveston County.
The Houston metropolitan area includes 10 counties
The current federal definition of Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands includes 10 counties around Houston.
| County | Common cities or communities | General location |
|---|---|---|
| Harris | Houston, Pasadena, Tomball, Humble, and parts of Katy, Baytown, Pearland, Missouri City, and The Woodlands | Central |
| Fort Bend | Sugar Land, Richmond, Rosenberg, Stafford, Fulshear, and parts of Katy, Missouri City, and Pearland | Southwest |
| Montgomery | Conroe and most of The Woodlands | North |
| Brazoria | Pearland, Alvin, Angleton, Lake Jackson, and Freeport | South |
| Galveston | Galveston, Texas City and much of League City | Southeast and coast |
| Chambers | Anahuac, Mont Belvieu and part of Baytown | East |
| Liberty | Liberty, Dayton and Cleveland | Northeast |
| San Jacinto | Coldspring, Shepherd and Point Blank | Northeast |
| Waller | Hempstead, Prairie View, Brookshire and part of Katy | West |
| Austin | Bellville and Sealy | West |
The metropolitan definition currently used by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics includes those 10 counties.
Houston is primarily in Harris County, but it crosses three counties
The greater part of the City of Houston is located in Harris County, including downtown, much of the Texas Medical Center, and most neighborhoods closely associated with Houston.
The municipal boundaries also extend into parts of Fort Bend and Montgomery counties.
Therefore, City of Houston and Harris County are not interchangeable terms. Harris County also includes independent cities and large unincorporated areas that do not belong to the City of Houston.
The difference is even reflected when reporting issues. Within municipal boundaries, Houston 311 handles city service requests such as potholes, trash, leaks, and other non-urgent situations.
Harris County operates a separate 311 system for county services and areas outside the municipal jurisdiction.
Katy belongs to Harris, Fort Bend and Waller counties
Katy is one of the clearest examples of a Houston-area city split across several counties.
The boundaries of the City of Katy extend across Harris, Fort Bend, and Waller counties.
Two residents with a Katy mailing address may therefore rely on different authorities for certain taxes, elections, and county services.
Furthermore, a Katy mailing address does not guarantee that the property lies within the city limits. The Katy postal area is substantially larger than the incorporated city.
Sugar Land is in Fort Bend County
Sugar Land is located in Fort Bend County, southwest of Houston.
The city provides its own municipal services, but a Sugar Land mailing address does not automatically determine that a residence lies within the city limits. There are unincorporated Fort Bend County properties that use a Sugar Land postal address.
Fort Bend County concentrates property tax, elections, public transit, roads, permits, libraries, and other services in its official service directory.
Pasadena is in Harris County and maintains its own municipal government
Pasadena is located southeast of Houston within Harris County.
Although it is part of the same metropolitan region and is connected to Houston by the Houston Ship Channel and its industrial corridors, Pasadena maintains its own municipal government, police, and services.
A decision made by the City of Houston does not automatically apply to Pasadena just because both cities are in Harris County.
Pearland crosses Brazoria, Harris and Fort Bend counties
Pearland is mainly in Brazoria County, but its municipal boundaries also include parts of Harris and Fort Bend counties.
The distribution is not small merely in administrative terms: Pearland’s current comprehensive plan places about 87% of the city in Brazoria County, 10% in Harris County, and 3% in Fort Bend County.
The exact location of a property can determine which county administers its assessment, elections, and other procedures.
Brazoria County provides access to property taxes, vehicle registration, elections, public records, and permits from its official portal.
Missouri City extends into Fort Bend and Harris counties
Missouri City is located primarily in Fort Bend County, though a portion of the city extends into Harris County.
The county that owns the property can change which office administers certain procedures related to elections, records, and taxes.
The Woodlands is primarily in Montgomery County
The Woodlands does not function as a traditional incorporated city. The community is governed by The Woodlands Township and is located primarily in Montgomery County.
The exception is Creekside Park, which is in Harris County.
That county boundary line can change which offices handle county government services. Montgomery County concentrates resources for taxes, elections, permits, GIS mapping, courts, and other services on its official portal.
League City and Baytown also cross county boundaries
League City extends into Galveston and Harris counties. Most of it lies in Galveston County, although the city limits reach into southern Harris County.
Baytown crosses Harris and Chambers counties.
In both cases, the city maintains its own municipal services, while the responsibilities of county government depend on the property’s exact location.
Galveston County maintains a directory of services that includes property taxes, elections, records, and permits.
H-GAC works with 13 counties, but it is not the same statistical region
Another commonly cited figure when talking about Houston is 13 counties.
The Houston-Galveston Area Council, or H-GAC, works with Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Walker, Waller and Wharton counties.
That 13-county region serves for planning and cooperation among local governments. It does not correspond to the federal delineation of the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metropolitan area, which currently comprises 10 counties.
The mailing address does not always identify the correct jurisdiction
In the Houston region, the city name used by the post does not always confirm that a residence is within its municipal limits.
This is especially true in suburban areas and unincorporated areas. A property may use Houston, Katy, or Sugar Land as a mailing address and receive certain services from a county, a Municipal Utility District, or another authority.
For property tax, voting, permits, and public services, the physical address and the official city and county boundaries are more important than the mailing name alone.
The current metropolitan delineation includes 10 counties, while cities such as Houston, Katy, Pearland, Missouri City, League City, and Baytown cross one or more county lines.
