08/26/2026
Why does The Woodlands pay Houston if we aren’t even part of Houston?
That question comes up a lot — and the answer goes back decades.
The Woodlands is not a city. We’re an unincorporated community governed by The Woodlands Township. But because much of The Woodlands was historically within Houston’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, annexation became a very real concern.
After Houston annexed Kingwood in 1996, local leaders worked to protect The Woodlands. That eventually led to the 2007 Regional Participation Agreement.
Under that agreement:
• Houston agreed not to annex The Woodlands for 50 years
• The Woodlands contributed money toward regional projects
• Residents gained the ability to determine our own future form of government
• The payment agreement was structured to last much longer than the annexation protection
Texas annexation laws have changed significantly since then, adding even more protections for residents.
With the Houston–The Woodlands agreement back in the news, I put together a simple timeline explaining how we got here.
If you live in The Woodlands, this is local history worth understanding — especially before forming an opinion about what should happen next.
