Navasota – So much, so close!
There’s so much to love about Navasota!
The Community:
With a population of 8,000 and growing, Navasota is an ideal location for businesses and families alike.
Navasota is located in the heart of the “Texas Triangle” near the Bryan-College Station and Houston metropolitan areas. Navasota takes pride as a clean, relaxing, safe community with a growing suburban area where commercial development and residential communities come to grow and prosper.
In 1822, Francis Holland purchased land located on a bend of the Navasota River in southeastern Grimes County. The site of present-day Navasota was named Hollandale in honor of its original settler.
More settlers followed Holland to the area. In 1831, Daniel Arnold, a Georgia planter, applied for and received a land grant along the Navasota River. Soon after, Daniel Tyler received a land grant in the same vicinity.
Navasota was built on sections of these two Montgomery County land grants. The county was divided in 1846, and Navasota became part of Grimes County.
Navasota is a growing community of 8.37 square miles located in southwestern Grimes County, east of the Navasota River. While it is a small town that retains its rural character and high quality of life, Navasota is the perfect distance to many metropolitan areas with convenient access to several means of transportation, making it a key location for economic development.
Navasota has a thriving business community, with over 1,500 working in major industries alone. There are many development sites available, a local workforce office, a live community theatre, a large number of city-owned parks for outdoor entertainment, golfing at Pecan Lakes Golf Course, downtown shopping & city hall plaza, live music venues, and a variety of dining options.
Navasota was awarded Train Town USA designation by Union Pacific Railroad and is certified by the Texas Department of Agriculture as a GO TEXAN Certified Retirement Community.
Navasota is the world headquarters for Heat Transfer Research, Inc. (HTRI) and boasts of having the largest drill stem manufacturer in the world located here.
The Texas legislature designated Navasota as “The Blues Capital of Texas”, as Navasota is where famed blues songster Mance Lipscomb was born and lived.
Bronze statues of Lipscomb, along with famous French explorer LaSalle and Texas Ranger Frank Hamer, who was the city marshal who led the search and demise of Bonnie & Clyde, stand throughout the city.
The Arts:
- Horlock Art Gallery & History Museum – This historical city-owned home offers the Navasota Artists in Residence program, giving artists the opportunity to live and create art at the Horlock House. The house features living quarters, studio space, and gallery space, combining to create a unique experience and atmosphere for the artists and visitors.
- The Gallery Downtown – Located in Historic Downtown Navasota with over 4,000 square feet of creative space for art. Music, and private events.
- Navasota Theatre Alliance – Began in 1985 as an effort to bring the joy of community theatre to Navasota and surrounding towns. Since the early 1990s, the Theatre has thrived in its donated historic downtown Navasota building becoming a respected, family-friendly entertainment venue.
Quality of Life:
- Navasota Public Library – The library hosts a variety of programs throughout the month such as story time and craft nights, yoga classes, and movie nights.
- Pecan Lakes Golf Club – This private golf club provides a full 18-hole golf course, exercise room, swimming pool, and a conference room for private events.
- August Horst Recreation Park – This 80-acre city park includes 2 softball fields, a youth football field, tennis courts, disc golf course, picnic tables, barbeque pits, and an abundance of open area recreation. Soon this park will be home to the city’s first dog park.
- Trails – The trail system along Cedar Creek connects downtown to Hwy 6.
- Navasota Center & Swimming Pool – The Navasota Center is a community center that is utilized by the residents and visitors. Next to the Navasota Center is the city’s 300,000-gallon swimming pool which is utilized by a local swim team and open to residents throughout the summer.
Education:
Within a short drive from Navasota, you will find multiple post-secondary educational opportunities such as Blinn College, Texas A&M University, and the TAMU Rellis Campus which hosts multiple colleges at their campus location.
Navasota Independent School District encompasses 362 square miles and has multiple campuses around town including Navasota High School, W.B. Bizzell Academy, Navasota Junior High, Brule Elementary, High Point Elementary, and John C. Webb Elementary. NISD serves over 3,000 students enrolled across these six campuses. NISD celebrates several accomplishments including:
- 100% of graduating students in 2018 were accepted to a college/trade school/military
- Over $800,000 in scholarships awarded to 2017 seniors
- Over $50,000 raised to support community organizations
- Student-teacher ratio 16.8:1 (K-5) & 17.4:1 (6-12)
- Over 35% of teachers have 11 or more years of experience
- 100% of students served free breakfast daily
- 60 college credit hours are earnable by Navasota High Students
Celebrations & Festivals:
Being a charming and historic community, Navasota frequently attracts visitors and residents alike that are looking for fun weekend activities. Navasota is home to several festivals and events that provide many options for family fun all year long.
These events and festivals attract visitors from all throughout Texas:
- Texas Birthday Bash – A two-day festival celebrating Texas’s Independence during the first weekend in March. Activities include live music, made in Texas craft vendors, food trucks, the kids’ zone, & more.
- Navasota Freedom Festival – Annual Fourth of July parade down Washington Ave., ending with a festival with live music, kid’s activities, local food trucks, fireworks, & more!
- Kid Fish – A free event for kids of all ages to come out and fish at Patout Pond.
- Monthly Farmers’ Market – A monthly Farmers’ Market held on the 2nd Saturday of each month at the Navasota Public Library featuring dozens of local agricultural, craft, and food vendors.
- Sounds of Summer Concert Series – The annual concert series hosted by the City of Navasota, featuring live music performances in Downtown Navasota.
- Veterans Day Parade – A collaboration between the City of Navasota and the Grimes County Veterans of Foreign War Post 4006 to honor Veterans.
- Treats on the Streets – Organized by the Navasota Police Department, this event promotes a safe environment on Halloween for Trick or Treaters of all ages.
- Navasota Home for the Holidays – A family-friendly event in December including live music, hot chocolate, and Christmas cookies, concluding with a lighted Christmas parade and the Christmas tree lighting.
Healthcare:
- CHI St. Joseph Health Grimes Hospital is a 25-bed critical access hospital in Navasota that strives to create a truly healing environment. From emergency care to in-patient care and skilled nursing to physical therapy, CHI St. Joseph is a full-service hospital. The hospital also offers a Level IV Trauma Center, in-patient and out-patient services, physical therapy, emergency care, occupational therapy, skilled nursing care, injury treatment, and more.
- The Navasota Baylor Scott & White Health Clinic is located on State Highway 6 and offers a variety of expertise and treatment options. Their primary care physicians provide expertise in pediatric care, women’s health, cancer screening, preventive health, general medical care, and the clinic is equipped with an onsite laboratory.
