Located within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area, Jersey Village is a city in west-central Harris County, Texas. The city’s position at the intersection of U.S. Highway 290, Farm to Market Road 529, and the Southern Pacific Railroad makes it a strategic hub for transportation and commerce.
According to the 1936 Harris County highway map, there were a number of houses in the area. Clark W. Henry owned a large tract of land, where he operated a dairy farm and raised Jersey cattle. However, Henry had to stop his dairy operation due to health issues, and in 1953, he surrendered the land so that a residential community could be constructed. In February 1954, Henry and LeRoy Kennedy, who were both members of the Garden Oaks Baptist Church, started developing the community. Initially, the city had 5 miles of streets and services such as drainage, gas, sewage, and water. Numerous houses were built along Jersey Drive, and the first family moved into the subdivision in late October 1954. Over time, the community established a school, a park, and even an 18-hole golf course. On April 16, 1956, Jersey Village was officially incorporated, with 58 votes in favor of incorporation and a volunteer police force. Thanks to this incorporation, Houston did not annex Jersey Village’s territory into its city limits.
Jersey Village can be found at coordinates 29°53′26″N 95°34′7″W (29.890569, –95.568579).
Based on data from the United States Census Bureau, the city covers a land area of 3.4 square miles and a water area of 0.04 square miles, making up approximately 0.87% of the total area.
According to the 2020 population count conducted by the United States government, the city was home to 7,921 individuals, 3,465 households, and 2,217 families.
Jersey Village operates under a home rule charter and a council-manager form of government, which means the city manager serves as the chief executive officer. The mayor and five elected council members comprise the legislative body, voting on matters pertaining to city governance. Each member, including the mayor, serves a two-year term, with a maximum of four terms in any combination of mayor, council member, or both. In the event of a tie vote, the mayor casts the deciding vote. Although the city manager doesn’t have a voice in council decisions, they attend all meetings and offer advice. The city manager’s responsibilities include overseeing city affairs, implementing council directives and ordinances, and managing the city organization and employees.
The monthly council gathering takes place on the third Monday of every month, starting at 7:00 PM, in the Civic Center’s auditorium, situated at 16327 Lakeview Drive.
Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District provides educational services to the community of Jersey Village. The residential sections of Jersey Village are assigned to Post Elementary School, which can be found within the city itself. After completing elementary school, students then attend Cook Middle School in unincorporated Harris County and subsequently Jersey Village High School in Jersey Village. Although there are other elementary and middle schools in the city limits of Jersey Village, they are currently not inhabited and therefore do not significantly affect school zoning.