Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States and is one of the two largest economic areas in Texas. It is the county seat of Harris County6 and the far west portion of Houston also extends into Fort Bend County. Houston is situated in East Texas. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 1,953,631. Houston is one of the newest and fastest growing major cities in the United States. 50 years ago there were less than 500,000 people here, and 100 years ago Houston was the 85th largest town in the U.S.
JP Morgan Chase Tower
The 75-Story J.P. Morgan Chase Tower of Houston, Texas, formerly the Texas Commerce Tower, is the tallest building in Houston and Texas. It is also one of the tallest structures in the world. The tower was built in Downtown Houston in 1981 as the Texas Commerce Tower. It was designed by I.M. Pei & Partners and 3D/International. The building was supposed to be 80 stories, but the FAA felt that the additional five floors was a risk for aircraft going into and out of William P. Hobby Airport. The building was the tallest building in the United States west of the Mississippi River until the Library Tower, now known as the U.S. Bank Tower was built in Los Angeles.
