On October 19, 1974, The Woodlands celebrated its grand opening. As the creation and vision of founder George Mitchell, this monumental moment was commemorated by a ribbon-cutting ceremony officiated by his wife, Cynthia Woods Mitchell, marking the birthday of our great hometown.
Forty-five years later, The Woodlands is a premier master planned community, serving as a benchmark example for other communities across the nation.
In the beginning, the initial flurries of The Woodlands began with the construction markings on dirt roads for what would become Woodlands Parkway. As a major artery today, its humble beginnings were only a few blocks of paved roads west of Interstate 45 at the time.
Soon, neighborhoods were established in the Village of Grogan’s Mill that included single-family homes and charming townhomes. The Woodlands Resort was later developed which included a golf course. The “Wharf” soon opened, offering residents a boutique grocery store, shops, and an ice rink. In 1990, The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion was added followed by The Woodlands Mall in 1994.
Throughout the decades, eight more villages were developed, providing an abundance of choices for residents to call home, mixed with forest preserves and natural open spaces.
Today, The Woodlands boasts a population of more than 117,000 people, a thriving economic hub with many large companies a workforce of nearly 68,000 people, a mini-medical center with five top-notch hospitals and a cancer treatment center, top-rated school districts and higher education. The Woodlands also features world-class shopping and entertainment facilitated by the development of Market Street and the award-winning Hughes Landing. Plus, The Woodlands is home to the world-renowned Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, one of the top-selling outdoor amphitheaters in the world.
It is known as one of the best places to live in Texas and is one of the top-selling master planned communities in Texas and the nation.
“We are proud to mark the forty-fifth anniversary of The Woodlands,” said Heath Melton, Senior Vice President, MPC, Residential Development for The Howard Hughes Corporation. “Over the decades, it has evolved into a thriving place live, work, play, and discover. We strive to maintain Mr. Mitchell’s original vision and have advocated endeavors for environmental preservation and social consciousness. The Woodlands community is truly a hometown for its residents and future generations to come.”
