Klein is an unincorporated community in Harris County, Texas, United States, roughly bordering Texas State Highway 99 to the north, Texas State Highway 249 to the west, Interstate 45 to the east, and the city of Houston to the south. It includes the entire area of Klein ISD. Residents of the zip codes 77066, 77069, 77086, 77379, 77388, 77389 and 77391 can use Klein as their postal city. Klein is one of the most diverse, as well as being one of the largest unincorporated areas of Houston.
It is named after Adam Klein, a German immigrant whose best-known great-great-grandson is singer Lyle Lovett. Other famous sons and daughters of the Klein community include actor Jim Parsons, actor Lee Pace, actor Matthew Bomer, actress Lynn Collins, actress Sherry Stringfield, singer/songwriter Derek Webb, songwriter Aaron Tate, singer/songwriter Chase Hamblin, actor Ben Rappaport, Major League Baseball players David Murphy and Josh Barfield, NFL players Randy Bullock, Ashton Youboty, Mike Green (running back), and Olympic gold medalists Laura Wilkinson, Simone Biles, and Chad Hedrick as well as Kevin M. Klein chef and restaurateur
Klein is served by David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport, one of just a few privately owned airports in the U.S. to have a Federal Aviation Administration control tower, and home to Civil Air Patrol's Delta Composite Squadron.
Geography
Klein has a Humid subtropical climate with a 9a Hardiness zone. The area is susceptible to hurricanes and flooding.
The area serves as a fringe ecocline boundary between the Piney Woods, southern post oak savanna, and prairie land as an extension of the Western Gulf coastal grasslands.
Much of the original ecosystem had been cleared for farming. Since then, the community has been rapidly built up by subdivisions, businesses, and mixed land use — and thus very little of the area represents its native ecosystem.
Most of the core Klein area sits between Spring Creek to the north, separating Tomball to the northwest by Willow Creek, and Cypress Creek is the waterway that passes through the center of the greater Klein area. Both these creeks are tributaries to lower Spring Creek (Harris County, Texas) and ultimately Lake Houston.
Parcels along Cypress Creek contain a mix of older undisturbed bottomland forest, private residence, and well-maintained bike trails through public parks.
Prairie-like stretches of oak (Quercus virginiana) and various hardwoods, draped in Spanish moss, are present in and around the Raveneaux Country Club, Klein High School, as well as in public spaces such as Meyer Park.
The Klein Kissing Tree is in Klein. In April 2020 the Texas A&M Forest Service designated it as one of several historic "kissing trees" in the state.
Flora
A well-preserved oxbow lake habitat can be found in the Ponderosa Walking Park. Dwarf palmetto Sabal minor and southern magnolia Magnolia grandiflora trees are found in the understory and near the edges of bodies of water and swamps, as well as bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), water oak (Quercus nigra), and black tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica) all being present.
Fauna
Reptiles from common species like the Red-ear slider turtle, and green anole (Anolis carolinensis), American green tree frog, to more precarious species such as the venomous Texas coral snake Micrurus tener, and the American alligator.
Government and infrastructure
Local government
Harris County ESD 16 dba "Klein Fire Department", headquartered at 16810 Squyres Road and operates with eight stations, serves areas considered to be Klein. KFD stations in areas with Klein postal addresses. Klein FD is funded by Harris County ESD 16.
Harris County ESD 16 "Klein Fire Department" is governed by 5 elected commissioners.
Klein FD is operated under a Fire Chief, 2 Deputy Fire Chiefs, 6 District Chiefs and 1 Safety Officer.
Klein FD station locations.
Station 31 at 18337 Stuebner-Airline Rd. - Engine 31, Tanker 30, Air 30, Foam 30
Station 32 at Gladebrook and West FM 1960. - Engine 32
Station 33 at 9755 Landry Blvd. - Engine 33, HUT 33, Training Engine 301
Station 34 at 16810 Squyres Rd. - Engine 34, Tower 34, Air 30, District 30
Station 35 at Boudreaux near Miramar Lake Blvd. - Engine 35, Rehab 35
Station 36 at N. Eldridge Parkway at North Point Blvd. - Engine 36, Tower 36, Booster 36
Station 37 at 5518 Winding Ridge Dr. - Engine 37, Tower 37, Utility 37, Rescue Boat 37