Westchase, Houston
Westchase is a business district and neighborhood in western Houston, Texas, bounded by Westheimer Road on the north, Gessner Road on the east, Houston Center Boulevard on the west, and Westpark Tollway on the south. The area is bisected by Beltway 8. Westchase is adjacent to Greater Sharpstown, the International District (which includes part of Chinatown), and the Royal Oaks Country Club subdivision. The area is immediately northeast of Alief.
Westchase | |
|---|---|
Business district of Houston, Texas | |
Marker of the Westchase District | |
| Coordinates: 29.729°N 95.564°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Harris |
| City | Houston |
| Government | |
| • Type | Special district |
| • Body | Westchase Management District |
| Area | |
| • Total | 11.2 km2 (4.32 sq mi) |
| Population (2012) | |
| • Total | 26,122 |
| • Density | 2,300/km2 (6,000/sq mi) |
| Time zone | Central Standard Time (CST) |
| ZIP Code | 77057, 77063 |
| Area codes | 281, 346, 713, 832 |
| Website | westchasedistrict |
A large portion of Westchase is covered by a special district, the Westchase Management District, which was created by the Texas Legislature in 1995. This entity, funded by a tax increment on businesses within its boundaries, provides branding, urban planning, and public safety functions for its constituents.
More than 1,500 businesses reside in Westchase; several are associated with the petroleum industry, for which Houston is considered a major capital. Major employers that have offices in Westchase include ABB Group, BMC Software, Chevron, Phillips 66, Dow Chemical, Petrochina, and Jacobs Engineering. The Westchase management district is approximately 4.32 square miles (11.2 km2) in size, with 16.3 million square feet (1,510,000 m2) of office space contained in 118 buildings.
In 2006 Westchase was described by John Nova Lomax of the Houston Press as suburban in nature, with a high concentration of chain stores along its major arterial roads.