The Woodlands may technically be considered suburban Houston, but it is the rare suburb with national name recognition and its own well-defined identity. In 2021, The Woodlands was named the “Best City to Live in America” by Niche, cementing its status as a destination it its own right. Created in 1974 by gas baron George P. Mitchell, The Woodlands was envisioned as a self-contained community where residents could live, work, and play without ever leaving the area. Today, The Woodlands has succeeded beyond what its original planners could have ever imagined, with a flourishing town center, corporate campuses, and a beautiful waterway. There are nine residential villages, each with its own character, set amid lush and heavily forested land. The Woodlands, technically a special-purpose district rather than a city, stretches across two counties, Montgomery County and Harris County, and the schools, police, and other public services are under each local district’s jurisdiction.