About Us
History & Demographics

The Aldine community dates back to the 1800s when railroad companies established engine switching stations there for northbound routes. The stations served as a convenient delivery point for dairy, cattle, and poultry producers. Area industry and infrastructure was therefore built upon the goods and services supported by an agricultural economy.

Subsequent development near Aldine, however, has been less beneficial. Bush Intercontinental Airport , one of the largest airports in the U.S. , was completed in 1968, and Greenspoint Mall and Beltway 8 both opened in the 1980s.

While all three contributed somewhat to growth in Aldine, their greater impact was to entice the city of Houston to annex large sectors of land north and west of Aldine. This action left a relatively rural community surrounded on three sides by the city, and sandwiched between Houston 's central business district and its major international airport.

The district is disected by both Halls Bayou and Greens Bayou, natural resources that remain largely untapped. Water service in Aldine is provided by approximately 10 municipal utility districts, while nearly half of all residents rely on private water wells and septic systems for service.

The population in Aldine doubled in the years between 1970 and 2000 to a total of 50,188. Population density in Aldine is now twice that of similar sized communities.

Aldine experienced a major shift in ethnicity between 1980 and 1990, with whites representing 60 percent of the population in 1980 and Hispanics representing 47 percent of the population by 1990.

The district is home to the 10th largest school district in Texas . Although persons over the age of 25 without a high school diploma remain high (37%), those acquiring a college degree rose from 6 to 14 percent between 1990 and 2000.

Sixty-five percent of all homes in Aldine were built between 1960 and 1980. The rate of home ownership in Aldine is higher than in Harris County , although home values are generally lower than in other areas of the county.

In June 2001, area voters working through the Texas Legislature created the Aldine Improvement District to address the issues facing this community. The district consists of 14.8 square miles within northeast Harris County , bordered roughly by Little York Road, Hardy Toll Road , FM 525, and U.S. Highway 59.

In creating the improvement district, the citizens of Aldine sought to: present a unified voice for themselves; acquire maximum governmental services and supplement them where needed; render focused management of the area's needs; gain the authority to raise revenue for area improvements; and enhance the area's physical, social, and economic well being.

In August, 2001, voters of the district approved a one-cent sales tax that took effect on January 1, 2002. Today the tax generates approximately $1million in annual revenue for public improvement projects and services.

With input from area residents, business owners, and civic leaders, the district's board of directors created an eight-point Service and Action Plan outlining the community's goals and priorities. Since adopted in August 2002, the board has taken direct action to implement projects and services pursuant to this plan to improve the quality of life for those who live, work, and conduct business in Aldine.