The U.S. 290 Corridor continues to surge as Houston’s next major growth market with significant residential and commercial projects and transactions. Due to the business-friendly climate, strong school district, and enhanced mobility, Waller County is primed for expansion for years to come.
Business-Friendly Environment, Strategic Location Drive Commercial Development
Waller County is drawing national attention as a hotspot for industrial and logistics growth. With direct access to Houston, Austin, and College Station via the expanded U.S. 290, the region has become a magnet for global companies across manufacturing, energy, and supply chain sectors.
Over the past three years, Waller County has added around 1,000 new jobs, according to Vince Yokom, Executive Director of the Waller County Economic Development Partnership. The county is seeing continued interest from major employers. In 2024, several major companies chose Waller County for their next location. H-E-B broke ground on a 500-acre distribution campus in Hempstead. Grainger began construction of a 1.2 million-square-foot distribution center in Hockley, set to open in 2026. 84 Lumber leased a 142,100-square-foot Class A facility at the Barker Cypress Distribution Center. Mustang Cat announced a $30 million headquarters in Hempstead. OYH Construction Materials launched a $100M roofing products plant, with production beginning in 2025. TMEIC Corp. Americas began production at its new 144,000-square-foot solar inverter factory in Brookshire. Waaree Solar commenced commercial production of photovoltaic modules at its new Brookshire facility. And, in March 2025, Waller County approved tax abatement for a Tesla Megapack battery storage manufacturing facility in Brookshire at the Empire West Industrial Park. The project is expected to bring approximately 1,500 advanced manufacturing jobs to the area.
With 3.4 million square feet under construction in Q4 2024, Houston’s Northwest Far submarket led the metro in industrial development. Expansion continues in Waller County and along the 290 Corridor, including: Kingsland Ranch Logistics Center (Falcon Development) a 500,000-square-foot addition in summer 2025. Prologis Legacy Point (Cypress) a 5 million-square-foot facility starting in late March. Northwest 99 Business Park (Clay Development) a 2.3 million square foot business park in November 2024. Brookhollow West (Alliance Industrial) a 185,000 square foot distribution center with expected delivery in 2026. Cypress Business Park (Trammell Crow) final phase began in February 2025 with completion expected by October.
Waller County’s Growth Fuels Housing Boom
Waller County saw a large population increase among Houston-area counties from 2020 to 2024, growing 13.4% according to the Texas State Demographer. Over the past decade, its population has surged nearly 40% to more than 66,000 and is projected to reach 120,000 by 2040, per the Houston-Galveston Area Council. Home sales reflect this rapid growth. In 2024, area towns Brookshire, Waller, and Hockley ranked among the top 10 Houston-area communities for sales increases—rising 144.7%, 49.3%, and 43.2%, respectively.
Residential development is accelerating across the U.S. 290 Corridor, driven by strong population growth and expanding infrastructure. Major master-planned communities are underway from leading developers, including Howard Hughes’ Bridgeland in Cypress, Johnson Development’s Jubilee in Hockley, and Starwood Land’s Wildrye, a 1,400-home community in Waller. New projects continue to emerge throughout the region: Johnson Development launched home sales at The Grange, a 1,130-acre community in south Waller County, in 2024. In addition to its 4,300-home Jubilee, which welcomed its first residents in July 2024, Johnson announced a second Hockley community with 1,000 homes expected to begin sales in 2026. Starwood Land plans to deliver initial lots for Sunterra Lakes—a 1,463-acre development west of Katy—in summer 2025. The project will ultimately add 4,000 homes to Waller County. In October 2024, Century Communities acquired 300 acres north of Brookshire near FM 529 and FM 362, with plans for 700 to 1,000 homes. Another 240 acres along these corridors is under contract with a separate builder. Just north on FM 362, Gamal is preparing an 838-home community with 22 acres designated for commercial use. Bold Fox Development began home sales at its 1,200-home Attwater community in Waller and is actively developing La Segarra, a 215-acre project in Pattison, near Brookshire. Signorelli Company open home sales at it’s 350-acre Bluestem in Brookshire in June 2024 and will add 1,300 homes. Maple Development broke ground on Azalea, just west of Katy, a 270-acre single-family community, in November 2024.
Together, these developments represent thousands of new homes across Waller County and the broader U.S. 290 growth corridor—further underscoring the region’s rapid transformation into a residential hub.
Education
Waller ISD enrollment rose 7.4% YOY between February 2024 and 2025, with projections for the total enrollment to triple in the next 10 years. The district currently serves 10,025 students across 10 campuses, including Lowe and McReavy Elementary schools which opened in August 2024 in Bridgeland and Dellrose. Recent developments include: Land purchase for a multi-school site in Jubilee (Hockley), with plans for an elementary, junior high and high school. Future schools planned in Ember’s community, The Grand Prairie (Hockley) and Starwood Land’s community Wildrye. Voter-approved Proposition A (Nov. 2024), funding school construction and land acquisition for future district facilities.
Higher education is expanding along the U.S. 290 Corridor. Prairie View A&M University has launched a new solar research lab to support its electrical and computer engineering programs, marking another step toward its goal of becoming a Tier 1 (R1) research institution. Meanwhile, the Blinn College District acquired 100 acres in Waller in October 2024 for the development of a new campus, signaling a commitment to serve the region’s growing student population.
Population Growth Propels Healthcare Expansion
Healthcare providers are expanding rapidly to keep pace with population growth along the U.S. 290 Corridor. Kelsey-Seybold is transforming its Cypress Clinic into the Northwest Campus with a new 120,000-square-foot building and upgrades to its existing facility. HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest is investing $100 million in a new patient tower—adding 53 beds and expanding critical care services—set to open in spring 2026. Memorial Hermann Cypress Hospital announced a $277.5 million expansion in July 2024, including a six-story North Tower with rehabilitation and dialysis facilities, expected to be completed in 2027. Houston Methodist Cypress Hospital opened in March 2025 with 100 beds and full specialty care, bringing 2,900 new jobs once fully staffed.
Infrastructure Improvements
The expansion of U.S. 290 and the completion of Grand Parkway Segment E (linking I-10 to U.S. 290) have significantly reduced regional commute times and opened new corridors for residential, commercial, and industrial growth. In response to continued demand, Segment E is scheduled to be widened from four to six lanes beginning in 2026.
Recent traffic data from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) shows a sharp increase in volume through western Waller County, with counts at key intersections exceeding 58,000 vehicles per day in 2023—a 35 percent increase since 2021. To accommodate this surge and maintain mobility, TxDOT and local partners are implementing a series of targeted access improvements along U.S. 290. These include new interchanges, expanded frontage roads, auxiliary lanes, and U-turns at critical junctions—each aimed at enhancing regional connectivity and supporting long-term economic growth.
These improvements are being delivered through a collaborative public-private partnership involving state, county, and local stakeholders. By aligning infrastructure investments with development activity, the region is laying the groundwork for sustainable, well-connected growth.