How similar are Dallas and Houston in layout/suburbs/cities? (San Antonio: homes, employment)

[DejaBlue]

Forgive my ignorance but I've always been curious on the Houston vs Dallas arguments.

The last time I was in Dallas I was 3 or 4 so I don't remember jack. But forever I've heard/am hearing how Dallas and Houston are oh so similar. But I don't think I've ever read anything about the cities itself being similar.

So I'm thinking if I went to Dallas I could find my way around. I have a real bad sense of direction and still get lost in my own city. A few years back I was trying to get to downtown Houston and somehow ended up in Missouri city

So besides similar demographics exactly how similar are the two? I've heard bits and pieces on how Plano is like the rich area of "Dallas" and looking on a map, it's sort of it's own city up there from Dallas proper so I'm saying "Okay so Plano is like Houston's The Woodlands, Garland is kind of country like in the boonies-people live there but it's like Humble, etc"

I'm a creature of habit so when I eventually do move in the next year

So how similar are they in layout?

Houston, this big metro has got a: Spring, Conroe, The Woodlands, Humble, the Heights, Montrose, Rice Military, Sugar Land, Katy, Pearland, Friendswood, etc.

So are the Dallas cities of: Garland, Dallas, Irving, Grand Prairie, Carrollton, Mesquite, Highland Park work for a good match of The Woodlands = Plano, Irving = similar to _______ and so forth.

For me, I would call the two cities very similar if that ____ = ____ work.

[HtownLove]

Originally Posted by DejaBlue

Forgive my ignorance but I've always been curious on the Houston vs Dallas arguments.

The last time I was in Dallas I was 3 or 4 so I don't remember jack. But forever I've heard/am hearing how Dallas and Houston are oh so similar. But I don't think I've ever read anything about the cities itself being similar.

So I'm thinking if I went to Dallas I could find my way around. I have a real bad sense of direction and still get lost in my own city. A few years back I was trying to get to downtown Houston and somehow ended up in Missouri city

So besides similar demographics exactly how similar are the two? I've heard bits and pieces on how Plano is like the rich area of "Dallas" and looking on a map, it's sort of it's own city up there from Dallas proper so I'm saying "Okay so Plano is like Houston's The Woodlands, Garland is kind of country like in the boonies-people live there but it's like Humble, etc"

I'm a creature of habit so when I eventually do move in the next year

So how similar are they in layout?

Houston, this big metro has got a: Spring, Conroe, The Woodlands, Humble, the Heights, Montrose, Rice Military, Sugar Land, Katy, Pearland, Friendswood, etc.

So are the Dallas cities of: Garland, Dallas, Irving, Grand Prairie, Carrollton, Mesquite, Highland Park work for a good match of The Woodlands = Plano, Irving = similar to _______ and so forth.

For me, I would call the two cities very similar if that ____ = ____ work.

I think they are slightly different in terms of city formation.

Dallas has a ton of municipalities with some variation from place to place.

Houston on the other hand has a city of 2M and about 1.5-2M more in unincorporated residents that are not officially Houston residents but still not belonging to any other city. Therefore Houston covers a much larger area, and a lot more people living in a more uniform area. The look in Houston is maintained for a lot longer than in DFW. Its not that they are very different looking, its just that you don't see as much variation in Houston.

Houston therefore has a lot less suburbs and smaller cities than DFW.

Thats the biggest difference I can tell.

EDIT: When I say variation, I mean in municipality development not individual home styles. There is quite a lot of variety in individual home styles

[nakold23]

Originally Posted by HtownLove

I think they are slightly different in terms of city formation.

Dallas has a ton of municipalities with some variation from place to place.

Houston on the other hand has a city of 2M and about 1.5-2M more in unincorporated residents that are not officially Houston residents but still not belonging to any other city. Therefore Houston covers a much larger area, and a lot more people living in a more uniform area. The look in Houston is maintained for a lot longer than in DFW. Its not that they are very different looking, its just that you don't see as much variation in Houston.

Houston therefore has a lot less suburbs and smaller cities than DFW.

Thats the biggest difference I can tell.

EDIT: When I say variation, I mean in municipality development not individual home styles. There is quite a lot of variety in individual home styles

This is very true. We often talk about the polarity of the Metros. In Houston, everything is centered around Houston, whereas Dallas is more spread into various cities (multipolar area). Both city propers are large cities, but in Dallas the suburbs hold more importance, but in Houston with its massive land area and annexation powers, the city itself is more in the center.

[Metro Matt]

More of Dallas' burbs seem tidier looking to me overall.

Houston's suburbs while zoned just have a gritter appearance to them save a few...Katy, Sugar Land, & The Woodlands.

Where Houston comes out on top is that its the center of its metro region unlike Dallas.

Dallas has to compete a lot more with its suburbs (Richardson, Plano, Addison, Irving) for centers of employment than Houston does.

[TX75007]

Originally Posted by nakold23

This is very true. We often talk about the polarity of the Metros. In Houston, everything is centered around Houston, whereas Dallas is more spread into various cities (multipolar area). Both city propers are large cities, but in Dallas the suburbs hold more importance, but in Houston with its massive land area and annexation powers, the city itself is more in the center.

Correct. Harris Country controls most everything whereas in DFW the various communities work together to get things done. For DFW, this means decisions are less about politics and more about what's best for the region.

In Houston, its about Oil, the Port, and Clear Lake. DFW has a much greater diversity of businesses and you get a much more dynamic mix of interests as well.

[Metro Matt]

Originally Posted by TX75007

Correct. Harris Country controls most everything whereas in DFW the various communities work together to get things done. For DFW, this means decisions are less about politics and more about what's best for the region.

In Houston, its about Oil, the Port, and Clear Lake. DFW has a much greater diversity of businesses and you get a much more dynamic mix of interests as well.

Tell that to Farmers Branch (North Dallas) who wanted to evict all illegals from their homes & fine or arrest land lords who rented to them.

Still tied up in the legal system 5 years later.

That would never fly in Houston.


Dallas & its suburbs fight over who is entitled to what all the time.

Its the very reason Cowboys Stadium is located in Arlington/Tarrant County instead of Dallas or even Dallas County.

Its the very reason Exxon/Mobil is located in Las Colinas & not Downtown Dallas.

Its the very reason the Dallas Morning News has its distribution center in Plano/Collin County instead of Dallas.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Originally Posted by Metro Matt

Tell that to Farmers Branch (North Dallas) who wanted to evict all illegals from their homes & fine or arrest land lords who rented to them.

Still tied up in the legal system 5 years later.

That would never happen in Houston.

They city council passed it, but the Fedral Courts in Dallas overturned it saying that a law of that nature was unconstitutional. The city of Tomball tried to push for a similar measure, but rightfully learned from the mess in Farmers Branch.

In DFW, because you have so many more larger cities, there are more ideas about how to do things. Sometimes ideas clash.

[HtownLove]

Originally Posted by justme02

In DFW, because you have so many more larger cities, there are more ideas about how to do things. Sometimes ideas clash.

That is exactly why Houston is different. Houston City controls over 4M people. The burbs are few in number so the differences are less than there are in DFW

Originally Posted by Metro Matt

More of Dallas' burbs seem tidier looking to me overall.

Houston's suburbs while zoned just have a gritter appearance to them save a few...Katy, Sugar Land, & The Woodlands.

that is because the burbs in GH are so few. Apart from Pasadena, Sugarland, Pearland, Galveston and a few other small cities all the rest is Houston and its ETJ.

[Metro Matt]

Originally Posted by justme02

They city council passed it, but the Fedral Courts in Dallas overturned it saying that a law of that nature was unconstitutional. The city of Tomball tried to push for a similar measure, but rightfully learned from the mess in Farmers Branch.

In DFW, because you have so many more larger cities, there are more ideas about how to do things. Sometimes ideas clash.

At over 30 miles away from city center Tomball is a far flung Houston suburb out in the sticks so that wouldn't surprise me one bit. Roughly the distance from DT Dallas to Prosper, Tx.

Farmers Branch is a part of highly developed North Dallas just minutes from DT Dallas & the Galleria.

[ktulu7]

What's being said here about Houston also applies to San Antonio. The only real "suburbs" here would be New Braunfels and perhaps Seguin. Otherwise, it's pretty much all San Antonio with a few little enclaves (Leon Valley, Alamo Heights, Shavano Park, etc.). Once you drive outside the city limits, particularly much outside of Loop 1604, it's the Hill Country.

I wonder why Dallas' area is broken up so much into tons of little suburbs, while Houston (Harris County 4.1 million folks) and San Antonio (Bexar County 1.7 million folks) are each more like one giant city with just a few suburbs?