How The Texas Triangle Shaped America
Megaregions have replaced cities and states as important drivers of the U.S. economy. The Texas Triangle has emerged as America's top megaregion. Learn how this came to be.
Early Settlement And Expansion
Once Mexico had won its independence from Spain (1821), it encouraged American settlement in Texas. After the establishment of the Republic of Texas (1836), many people settled in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio.
- San Antonio was established around Spanish missions dating to the early 1700s;
- Houston was founded in 1836 after Texas independence;
- Dallas developed as a trading post in the 1840s;
- Austin was selected as the state capitol in 1839.
The arrival of railroads in the late 1800s was an in important factor in the development of the region, connecting these growing cites and facilitating commerce. This also established a foundation of interconnectedness that would contribute to the growth of the megaregion.
There were some other key factors that contributed to the Texas Triangle's early growth:
- Texas joined the United States in 1845, accelerating development in the region;
- the discovery of oil at Spindletop near Beaumont in 1901 transformed the Texas economy;
- military investments during World Wars 1 and 2 brought significant government spending to the region;
- the development of air conditioning in the early part of the 20th century made the hot climate more manageable, encouraging population growth;
- the establishment of NASA's Johnson Space Center near Houston in 1961 brought high-tech industry to the region;
- the 1970s oil boom further accelerated growth in all Triangle cities.
Establishment Of A Megaregion
During the 80s and 90s, the concept of "megaregions" gained academic attention. Urban planners started to recognize the increased economic and transportation integration between Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio.
The 1990s and 2000s saw increasing economic ties between the Triangle's cities, with companies operating across multiple metros and workers commuting between cities. The rise of the technology sector in Austin, medical research in Houston, and corporate headquarters in Dallas created complementary economic strengths. Supply chains and business networks increasingly operated across the entire Triangle rather than within individual metro areas. The expansion of interstate highways (I-35, I-45, and I-10) created stronger physical connections between the Triangle's vertices.
By the early 2000s, about 80% of Texas's population was living within the borders of the Triangle. At this time, the term "Texas Triangle" was popularized in urban planning literature especially at the University of Texas and Texas A&M. The recognition of the Texas Triangle as a megaregion prompted new approaches to regional planning and infrastructure development.
The Texas Triangle was formally identified in 2005 as one of America's 11 emerging megaregions by the US 2050 initiative. This designation recognized the region's economic significance, population growth, and integrated transportation infrastructure.
Urban expansion began to fill in previously rural areas between the major cities, particularly along the I-35 corridor between San Antonio and Austin.
Regional airports grew substantially, with DFW becoming one of the world's busiest airports and facilitating business travel within the Triangle.
From 1990-2010, the Triangle experienced explosive population growth, with its metro areas consistently ranking among the fastest-growing in the nation.
Comparison To Other Megaregions
There are almost a dozen established megaregions throughout the USA, but we'll focus on the top 5.
-
The Northeast Corridor (BosWash)
- Has a population of around 50 million.
- Spans from Boston through New York City and Philadelphia to Washington D.C.
- Is America's oldest and most densely populated megaregion.
- Economic powerhouses include Wall Street, prestigious universities, and the federal government.
- Accounts for approximately 20% of U.S. GDP despite occupying less than 2% of land area. -
The Great Lakes Megalopolis (ChiPitts)
- Has a population of around 40 million.
- Centers on Chicago and extends through Detroit, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh.
- Contains historic manufacturing hub transitioning to more diverse economic sectors.
- Contains critical transportation infrastructure connecting the eastern U.S. with the Midwest.
- Significant global trade presence through the Great Lakes waterway system. -
The Southern California Megalopolis
- Population: around 23 million.
- Anchored by Los Angeles and San Diego.
- Dominant industries include entertainment, technology, aerospace, and international trade.
- Massive port complex handles about 40% of all U.S. container imports.
- strong cultural and economic connections to the Pacific Rim. -
Texas Triangle (Texaplex)
- Has a population of around 20 million.
- Defined by Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio-Austin.
- Fastest-growing major megaregion in the U.S.
- Diverse economy including energy, technology, healthcare, and aerospace. -
The Northern California Megalopolis
- Has a population of around 12 million.
- Centered on the San Francisco Bay Area and extending to Sacramento.
- Global technology hub with Silicon Valley.
- Leading center for venture capital, innovation, and research.
- Major industries include technology, biotech, finance, and agriculture.
Amazing Texas Triangle Facts
Here are 20 amazing facts about the Texas Triangle:
- The Texas Triangle encompasses approximately 60,000 square miles, roughly the size of Georgia, yet contains nearly 70% of Texas's population (Texas A&M Transportation Institute).
- The Triangle's three corners are anchored by Dallas-Fort Worth to the north, Houston to the southeast, and San Antonio to the southwest, with Austin positioned along the western side (America 2050).
- If the Texas Triangle were an independent country, its economy would rank as the 9th largest in the world, ahead of Canada and South Korea (Rice University).
- The Dallas, Austin, Houston and San Antonio are expected to grow to 40.7 million by 2040 (American Enterprise Institute).
- The region is home to 4 of the 11 largest cities in the United States: Houston (#4), San Antonio (#7), Dallas (#9), and Austin (#11) (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023).
- Dallas and Houston hosts more than 50 Fortune 500 company headquarters, including ExxonMobil, AT&T, Dell, and American Airlines (RealPage, 2024).
- Houston's Port ranks as the largest in the United States by total tonnage (Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2024).
- The Texas Medical Center in Houston is the world's largest medical complex, ranks as the 8th largest business district in the U.S., spans over 1,100 acres and 120,000 employees (Texas Medical Center).
- Austin has the highest concentration of tech startups per capita outside of Silicon Valley, with venture capital investment exceeding $5 billion annually (Austin Chamber of Commerce, 2023).
- The Triangle generates approximately 75% of Texas's gross domestic product despite occupying only 10% of its land area (Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2022).
- The region's interstate highway system handles over 2.5 million commercial truck movements monthly, making it one of the busiest freight corridors in North America (Texas Department of Transportation, 2022).
- The Triangle's airports collectively handle more than 150 million passengers annually, with Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport ranking as the second-busiest in the United States (Federal Aviation Administration, 2023).
- The region contains over 100 colleges and universities, including six major research institutions that together secure over $2 billion in annual research funding (Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, 2022).
- The San Antonio River Walk attracts over 14 million visitors annually, making it the second most visited tourist attraction in Texas after the Alamo (Visit San Antonio).
- Houston's NASA Johnson Space Center has controlled all human spaceflight for NASA since 1965, including the Apollo moon landings and International Space Station operations (NASA).
- Austin's South by Southwest (SXSW) festival generates over $377.3 million in economic impact annually and has grown from a small music festival to one of the world's premier creative industry conferences (SXSW Economic Impact Report, 2024).
- The State Fair of Texas in Dallas is the largest state fair in the United States by attendance, drawing over 2.4 million visitors during its 24-day run (State Fair of Texas, 2023).
- The region contains the highest concentration of professional sports teams of any of the megaregions.
- The Triangle spans three distinct ecological zones: the Blackland Prairie, Gulf Coastal Plains, and Edwards Plateau, creating one of the most biodiverse urban regions in North America (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 2021).
- Houston's energy corridor accounts for approximately 30% of U.S. petroleum refining capacity and 40% of the nation's petrochemical production (American Petroleum Institute, 2022).
The Texas Triangle is steadily expanding. Hopefully this blog post gave you some background how this powerhouse was built. Please leave a comment!
* preliminary research done with the assistance of Claude AI. Further research was done using information from Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research and other resources where specified.
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