Sugar Land is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, within Houston--The Woodlands--Sugar Land metropolitan area and Fort Bend County. It is one of the most affluent and fastest-growing cities in Texas, having grown more than 158 percent in the last decade. In the time period of 2000--2007, Sugar Land also enjoyed a 46.24% job growth. As of the 2010 census, its population was 78,817. In 2012, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that the city's population was 82,480, with a median family income of $113,261 and a median home price of $369,600. Founded as a sugar plantation in the early mid-20th century and incorporated in 1959, Sugar Land is the largest city and economic center of Fort Bend County. The city is the third-largest in population and second-largest in economic activities of the Houston area. Sugar Land is home to the headquarters of Imperial Sugar and the company's main sugar refinery and distribution center was once located in this city. Recognizing this heritage, the Imperial Sugar crown logo can be seen in the city seal and logo. The city is the national headquarters of CVR Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CVI). CVR Energy, Inc. was listed as the city's only resident 2012 Fortune 500 company and was ranked No. 5 public company according to the Houston Chronicle. Sugar Land also holds the headquarters for Western Airways and a major manufacturing facility for Nalco Chemical Company. In addition, Sugar Land has a large number of international energy, software, engineering, and product firms. Sugar Land has the most master-planned communities in Fort Bend County, which is home to the largest number of master-planned communities in the nation—including Greatwood, First Colony, Sugar Creek, River Park, Riverstone, New Territory, Telfair, and many others. As of 2007, Sugar Land held the title of "Fittest City in Texas" for the population 50,000--100,000 range, a title it has held for four consecutive years. In 2006 CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Sugar Land third on its list of the 100 Best Cities to Live in the United States. In 2007, CQ Press has ranked Sugar Land fifth on its list of Safest Cities in the United States (14th annual "City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan American"), and in 2010 it was ranked the twelfth Safest City in the United States, making it the safest city in Texas. In 2008, Forbes selected Sugar Land along with Bunker Hill Village and Hunters Creek Village as one of the three Houston-area "Top Suburbs To Live Well", noting its affluence despite its large population. Sugar Land is the home of the Sugar Land Skeeters minor-league baseball team and their new stadium Constellation Field. Sugar Land is the home of the Sugar Land Imperials an Tier III Junior "A"ice hockeyteam that plays in the Sugar Land Ice & Sports Complex History Sugar Land's founding Sugar Land's heritage traces its roots back to the original Mexican land grant to Stephen F. Austin. One of the first settlers of the land, Samuel M. Williams, called this land "Oakland Plantation" because there were many different varieties of oaks on the land, such as willow oak, post oak, water oak, southern red oak, and live oak. Williams' brother, Nathaniel, purchased the land in 1838. They operated the plantation by growing cotton, corn, and sugarcane. During these early years, the area that is now Sugar Land was the center of social life along the Brazos River. In 1853, Benjamin Terry and William J. Kyle purchased the Oakland Plantation from the S. M. Williams family. Terry is known for organizing Terry's Texas Rangers during the Civil War and for naming the town. Upon the deaths of Terry and Kyle, Colonel E. H. Cunningham bought the 12,500 acres (51 km2) plantation soon after the Civil War, and developed the town around his sugar-refining plant around 1879. Company town Attribution: Article text available under CC-BY-SA sourced from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_Land,_TexasPublic domain image sourced from http://wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sugarland_Town_Square.jpg

• published: 18 Sep 2013
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