The Woodlands area guide
Neighborhoods
From the original villages to the Waterway and neighboring cities, find the part of the area you want to explore.
Villages & neighborhoods
9
Grogan's Mill
The original Woodlands village, with mature trees and the village center where it all began.
Panther Creek
An established lakeside village with Northshore Park and easy access to Town Center.
Cochran's Crossing
A central village near Bear Branch Park, recreation facilities and the country club.
Indian Springs
The hilly Woodlands village with tucked-away streets, parks and The John Cooper School.
Alden Bridge
A large northern village near Jones State Forest, with parks and family neighborhoods.
College Park
The northeast village known for schools, hospitals and Harper's Landing.
Sterling Ridge
A western village with golf, parks and a mix of neighborhoods near the Mitchell Library.
Carlton Woods
Private gated estate neighborhoods in Sterling Ridge and Creekside Park.
Creekside Park
The southern Woodlands village, with a village green and the George Mitchell Nature Preserve.
Town Center
3East Shore
A walkable lakeside neighborhood with garden streets close to the Waterway.
Town Center & the Waterway
The walkable heart of The Woodlands, from Market Street and the Pavilion to the Waterway.
Hughes Landing
Lakefront restaurants, offices and apartments on the southern shore of Lake Woodlands.
Nearby communities
5Conroe
Montgomery County's growing seat, north of The Woodlands and close to Lake Conroe.
Spring
A broad community south of The Woodlands, with Old Town Spring and varied school zones.
Magnolia
A fast-growing community west of The Woodlands along FM 1488 and SH 249.
Shenandoah
A small city beside The Woodlands with major shopping and medical destinations.
Oak Ridge North
A small incorporated city with established streets near the I-45 corridor.
Quick comparison of the villages
The median prices below come from the same March 2026 Redfin snapshot so they can be compared side by side. Tax rates are total rates per $100 of value from the developer's 2025 tax sheet and vary by MUD within each village.
| Village | Opened | Median sale price | Total tax rate | School district |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grogan's Mill | 1974 | $345,500 | $1.70 to $1.84 | Conroe ISD |
| Panther Creek | 1977 | $460,000 | $1.72 to $1.79 | Conroe ISD |
| Cochran's Crossing | 1983 | $645,950 | $1.77 to $1.82 | Conroe ISD |
| Indian Springs | 1984 | $671,500 | $1.79 | Conroe ISD |
| Alden Bridge | 1994 | $535,000 | $1.80 to $1.84 | Conroe ISD |
| College Park | 1995 | $361,000 | $1.73 to $1.91 | Conroe ISD |
| Sterling Ridge | 1999 | $767,000 | $1.84 | Conroe ISD (one Magnolia ISD school) |
| Carlton Woods | 1998 to 2000 | $2,070,000 | Varies by section | Conroe ISD or Tomball ISD |
| Creekside Park | 2007 | $862,500 | $2.43 | Tomball ISD |
| East Shore (Town Center) | Late 1990s+ | $1,062,500 | $1.73 to $1.80 plus HOA | Conroe ISD |
The Woodlands at a Glance
The Woodlands opened on October 19, 1974, as the vision of oilman and developer George Mitchell, who wanted a hometown where the natural forest would be preserved and residents could live, work, learn and play in the same place. Mitchell began buying land in 1964 on property that once belonged to the Grogan-Cochran Lumber Company, and that original 2,800-acre purchase grew into a master-planned community of roughly 28,000 acres north of Houston. The 2020 census counted 114,436 residents, and Visit The Woodlands now puts the population at about 123,000.
The community is built around a Town Center surrounded by residential villages. Each village was planned with its own village center for groceries, services and dining so residents could handle daily errands close to home. Eight villages sit in Montgomery County. Creekside Park, the newest, crosses into Harris County. Carlton Woods began as its own village and is now a gated enclave within Sterling Ridge, with a second section in Creekside Park.
How The Woodlands Is Governed
The Woodlands is not a city. It is run by The Woodlands Township, a special-purpose district created by the Texas Legislature in 1993. The Township handles parks, recreation, fire service, covenant enforcement and community programs, and it is governed by a seven-member elected board. Each village also has a volunteer village association that meets monthly, and a Residential Design Review Committee (RDRC) of elected residents that reviews home improvement applications.
For 2026, the Township adopted a total tax rate of $0.1694 per $100 of taxable value, down from $0.1714 the year before. Four at-large board seats are on the November 3, 2026 ballot. In August 2026 the board approved an amendment to its long-standing agreement with the City of Houston that, if Houston approves, would remove any future possibility of Houston annexing The Woodlands while leaving the option to incorporate on the table.
Schools
Almost all of The Woodlands is served by Conroe ISD, one of the largest school districts in Texas. The two exceptions are Creekside Park, which is served by Tomball ISD, and May Valley, which is served by Magnolia ISD. The main Woodlands high schools are The Woodlands High School and The Woodlands College Park High School, with Oak Ridge High School and Grand Oaks High School serving neighboring areas to the east and south.
Covenants and Deed Restrictions
Every property in The Woodlands is covered by the Covenants and Residential Development Standards, which were last revised in 2024. Because the Township has no building department or traditional code enforcement, most exterior changes require a permit from your village RDRC. All house repainting requires a permit, removing any live tree six inches or more in diameter requires an application, and permanent generators need approval. Appeals and variances go to the Development Standards Committee. Covenant Administration can be reached at 281-210-3973.