Understand
[edit]Katy is a pretty typical town in Texas, with all the typical quirks of Texas and the Southwestern United States. It is neither a rural area nor a big, bustling, city. Its motto is "Small Town Charm with Big City Convenience", and that most certainly is the case, as long as you have a car. If you don't, then it will be hard getting more than a few miles away from a house or apartment or even a few yards away from a hotel. It really does have all the charm of a small town—if you look in the right places.
History
[edit]Katy was historically a railroad town along the MKT (Missouri–Kansas–Texas) railroad. Its fertile soil made it an appealing location to grow different crops, but rice became the main cash crop. The city is named after the MKT Railroad Company, also called "the K-T" , which soon became "the Katy". The company had an important depot station in the town, which made people call the area Katy, and creating the city name people know today.
People
[edit]In 2023 the population of Katy was estimated at 26,000. According the US Census Bureau's population estimates, the city is 52.3% White, 28.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% two or more races, 9.3% Black, 9.1% Asian, and 1.8% American Indian. This makes Katy a very diverse city, with lots of different cultural heritages and places, so, just like Houston, it has a very "Texan" feel, but has many different cultural communities within. Most neighborhoods have residents of many different origins.
Climate
[edit]Katy is just like its bigger sister Houston in terms of climate: hot, humid, and subtropical, but very tropical compared to the rest of Texas. In Houston (which also means in Katy, since the two are close together), temperatures soar as high as 109°F (43°C) and only get as low as 9°F (-13°C), but weather will not go below freezing often, and when it does, more than a light dusting of snow is a very rare sight. It rains a fair amount for America, averaging about 4.6 in. (117 mm) per month. Thunderstorms (sometimes with hail or tornadoes) are common in May and June with hurricanes or tropical storms possible throughout the summer and early fall months.
Visitor information
[edit]Get in
[edit]By plane
[edit]While the closest commercial airports are in other parts of Houston, about 30-45 minutes' drive from Katy, there are two general aviation airports near Katy that can be used by small private planes to the Katy area.
- 1 Houston Executive Airport, (FAA LID: TME) 4.85 miles west of Katy in Brookshire. It is closest to western Katy (such as the Grand Parkway) and Old Katy.
- 2 West Houston Airport, (IWS IATA) West Houston Airport is convenient to the eastern side of Katy, just off SH 6 as it crosses the Addicks Reservoir.
By bus
[edit]There are bus services to Katy from Houston via Metro bus services.
- 39 Katy Freeway is a local bus route serving the Katy Freeway. It goes from Memorial City to Spring Branch Central, right in the middle of Katy. Buses run every 40 minutes.
- 221 Kingsland P&R is a park and ride going from Downtown Houston to Kingsland Park and Ride, which is in the Katy area but closer to Houston. This is close to a few stores and venues. Buses run every 15 minutes on weekdays, with no service on weekends.
- 222 Grand Parkway P&R is a park and ride that also comes from Downtown Houston, but has a terminus at Grand Parkway Park and Ride instead. This is close to Katy Asian Town and University of Houston-Victoria at Katy. Buses run every 4 minutes on weekdays, with no service on weekends.
- 228 Addicks P&R is a park and ride coming from Downtown Houston just like the previous 2 listed, but ends at Addicks Park and Ride. Buses run every 15 minutes on weekdays, with no service on weekends.
- 229 Grand Parkway / Kingsland / Addicks is a park and ride that comes from downtown Houston, but stops at all 3 Park and Rides, ending at Grand Parkway Park and Ride. Buses run every hour on weekdays, with no service on weekends.
- 298 Katy Freeway / TMC P&R is a park and ride that runs from Kingsland Park and Ride to TMC Transit Center, also stopping at Kingsland Park and Ride. Buses run every 15 minutes on weekdays, with no service on weekends.
Other companies do serve Katy, too.
- Flixbus is a bus company serving Katy, but with only one stop in Katy available, although there is a second listed on their website.
- Greyhound is in the same situation, listing the Food Mart and I-10 Frontage Road stations like Flixbus, but only serving the Food Mart stop.
- Trailways is a website where you can book with other companies through the website, and it lists three stops in Katy: Katy (Food Mart), Houston (Katy Mills Mall), and Katy (Shell Gas Station). You can only book trips to the Food Mart and Shell Gas Station.
- El Expreso, Tornado and other Mexican trans-border bus lines stop in Katy at the Food Mart on the I-10 Frontage Road at Katy-Ft.Bend Road. See Bus travel in Mexico for more info.
There are likely other bus companies not listed here.
By car
[edit]Katy is quite a well connected town by road, being right next to Houston and having a fairly big size. You can get there via many roads, but to get there through Houston, take the Katy Freeway, part of I-10 as it is the most direct route, or, if you're willing to pay a fee, take the Katy Tollway, since it should be faster. If needed for some reason, you can get there by going on I-69 and then north, or Route 290, then south.
Get around
[edit]
By car
[edit]Katy has a few major highways, making it easy to get to places quickly. The city has a well-developed road system, so it is very easy to get around by car. Navigating the city is easy enough if you have a map, but may be quite hard if you have nothing to navigate with, just like other towns. The roads are average, and roads may be blocked due to typical construction and other hazards.
By public transportation
[edit]Cars are the main way to get around Katy, with public transportation being a lackluster alternative only usable in some locations. However, Metro does routine bus routes through Katy, which you can use to get to some locations. Fort Bend County, one of the three counties, has its own bus service, which will open a park and ride. It was scheduled to open on April 28, 2025, but has not yet. However, Fort Bend County does provide Demand Response Service, which is "shared-ride bus services to the citizens of Fort Bend County." Call ☏ +1 866-751-TRIP (8747) between 8AM and 4PM on a weekday, and follow the prompt to reserve a trip. You can make a reservation 10 business days or up to 1 business day before the reserved time Harris County does provide public transportation services, but the area is big, and encompasses multiple cities, only some of which have public transit. Katy does not. Waller County simply does not provide any public transit services.
By bicycle
[edit]Bicycle transportation is nearly impossible in an American suburban town like Katy, but if you are staying at someone's house or a vacation rental, you may be able to bike to nearby shops. Some hotels will be close enough to other places that you can possibly bike. However, in general, biking is simply not possible in a majority of locations.
See
[edit]- 1 Katy Heritage Park, 5990 George Bush Drive, ☏ +1 281-377-5710, [email protected]. Daily 6AM-9PM. The park has many restored historical buildings. There is also great landscaping, as well as a brick plaza. It is a great place to walk around. You can rent the buildings by calling the Katy Heritage Society at ☏ +1 281-391-2550.
- Mary Jo Peckham Park, 5597 Gardenia Lane. daily 7AM-10PM. This is a big but still quite green park. You can play mini golf or disc golf, go fishing, or go for a walk. They have a playground where children can play, an exercise station, and a spot for picnicking. Great for families, but anyone can come.
- 2 MKT Depot Museum, 5615 1st St, ☏ +1 281-391-8400, [email protected]. Th-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su 11AM-5PM. The museum does free tours, but donations are appreciated. It is a great place to learn more about the MKT railroad's history. The museum has a caboose that you can enter and is located along a railroad. It also provides information about tourism in Katy.
Do
[edit]
- Andretti Indoor Karting & Games, 1230 Grand West Boulevard, ☏ +1 832-974-2201. M-Th 11AM-11PM, Sa 10AM-1AM, Su 10AM-midnight. Andretti has indoor go-karting, as well as games from arcade classics to VR experiences. They also have laser tag, and the Hyperdeck, which, according to the website, is a "four-person VR experience combines strong wind, heating fans and a platform that lifts and lowers you to correspond with the action."
- Momentum Indoor Climbing, 25410 Katy Mills Parkway, ☏ + 1 832-437-9091. M-F 8AM-11PM, Sa 8AM-10PM, Su 8AM-8PM. An indoor climbing gym with many activities to do, from bouldering to yoga. Very fun if you like being very active. Great for people who are the sporty type.
- 1 Typhoon Texas, 555 Katy Fort Bend Road, ☏ +1 832-426-7071, [email protected]. Summer 11AM-6PM; rest of the year open occasionally 11AM-5PM; check the calendar on their website for a schedule. Typhoon Texas is a large waterpark with slides, a lazy river, a wave pool, and more. Great to go on hot summer days to cool down or just to have fun.
- 2 George Bush Park (Barker Reservoir), 16756 Westheimer Parkway, Houston. 7AM - 10PM. A large park that covers 7,800 acres, with over 11 miles of hiking/biking trails with wooded paths along Buffalo Bayou and a long loop trail along the top of the Barker Dam that also connects to the Terry Hershey Park providing bike paths all the way east to the Sam Houston Tollway. The extensive recreation facilities in the park include soccer and baseball fields, picnic areas with tables and grills, a dog park (with ponds), a shooting center with trap, skeet, and rifle target ranges, and equestrian trails (but no stable, so bring your own horse). Runway for radio-controlled airplanes. Be aware that the park is closed due to flooding whenever there's been recent thunderstorms or hurricanes (the land is actually owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who built the dam and manage the land as a flood control project for the Greater Houston area).
Buy
[edit]- 1 Katy Mills. M-Th 10AM - 8PM, F Sa 10AM-9PM, Su 11AM-6PM. Shopping mall with over 150 stores. Very big, so it has lots of parking. A great place to go for shopping in Katy.
- 2 LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch, 23501 Cinco Ranch Boulevard, ☏ +1 281-395-5533. M-Th Sa 10AM-8PM, F 10AM-6PM, Su noon-6PM. An outdoor shopping center with many stores to choose from, from vet clinics to restaurants to soap stores. You can eat, drink, and shop here. It's great if you like to shop and stroll outside.
Eat
[edit]Every cookie-cutter chain restaurant has one or very many locations in Katy's myriad strip shopping centers. All are as average as every other suburban chain restaurant. Fortunately, a few places with unique character standout.
- 1 Katy Asian Town, 23119 Colonial Pkwy (TX-99 and I-10), ☏ +1 346-998-8000. Daily 7AM-11:30PM. A shopping plaza with many stores. While the website of Katy Asian Town considers it to only be the area surrounding H-Mart, there are many other stores also considered a part of the area, particularly near Merchants Parkway. Katy Asian Town has a wide variety of Asian cuisines to try. It is located at the junction of Grand Parkway (TX 99) and I-10.
- 2 Astor's Table, 1590 S. Mason Road, ☏ +1 832-913-6465. Tu-Th 11AM-9PM, F-Su 9AM-11PM, M 11AM-4PM. Farm-to-table restaurant serving South African cuisine with dashes of Latin American flair. Try the South African sampler which includes servings of biltong, Boerewors sausage, bobotie, and droewors. Extensive wine list. $70+.
Drink
[edit]- 1 No Label Brewing Co., 5351 1st St. M-Th 3-10PM, F Sa noon-midnight, Su noon-8PM. Brewery with taproom. Regular brews include two IPAs, a lager, a hefeweissen and a blonde. They also let you rent out the taproom, and taste their seasonal and year round beers, some of which have won awards.
Sleep
[edit]There are several chain hotels in Katy. A few of them are listed below, but there are a plethora of other options if none of these suit you.
- 1 The Red Lion / America's Best Value Inn, 25633 Kingsland Boulevard. You can book a room in this hotel as the Red Lion or as America's Best Value Inn, with very similar looking rooms - compare the prices on the two sites for your stay.
- Aloft Katy Mills, 25330 Kingsland Boulevard, ☏ +1 281-688-2555. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. A hotel near Katy Mills Mall, with a pool. Close to a few other Katy attractions, like Mary Jo Peckham Park (4 miles) and Typhoon Texas (1 mile), and 2 miles away from I-10.
- Hyatt Place Houston/Katy, 1401 N. Westgreen Boulevard, ☏ +1 832-913-1244. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. A hotel in a more suburban area, located 9 miles from Seismique and 5 miles away from the Great Southwest Equestrian Center.
Connect
[edit]
If you're in Katy, you really just have to use the Wi-Fi of the hotel, vacation rental, or friend's house you're staying at. In addition, there is one internet cafe close to Katy, called Black Ants Gaming Lab, although it is in Houston Chinatown (Dun Huang Plaza, 9889 Bellaire Blvd), not in Katy.
If you're visiting, the Katy Mills shopping mall has Wi-Fi, connect to "#Free Simon Wi-Fi". Because Katy is suburban and on the grid, most other stores will also provide Wi-Fi.
Cope
[edit]- 1 St. Matthias Anglican Church, 4142 Dayflower Dr, Katy, TX 77449. Sunday Worship in English: 10:30AM, Spanish 2PM. St. Matthias is the Cathedral Parish of the Diocese of Mid-America of the Reformed Episcopal Church. Sunday services typically have about 60 worshippers in English and 25 in Spanish.
Go next
[edit]| Routes through Katy |
| San Antonio ← Seguin ← | W  E
|
→ West Houston → Houston |