Hockley, Texas

Hockley is an unincorporated community located in Harris County, Texas on Texas State Highway 6 and U.S. Highway 290, approximately five miles southeast of the city hall of Waller, and thirty-six miles northwest of Downtown Houston.The community serves as the main hub for railway traffic serving Houston, Austin, and many parts of central Texas. The Southern Pacific (now known as Union Pacific) rail line is one of the community's major employers. The community is surrounded by grain farms and cattle ranches.HistoryGeorge Washington Hockley established Hockley in 1835. In 1906, a salt dome was discovered near Hockley and mined, especially for sulfur.EconomyIn September 2008 Hewlett-Packard acquired 97acre of land near Hockley in a proposed 389acre industrial park planned by John Beeson of Beeson Properties and Monzer Hourani of Medistar Corp. It paid an undisclosed sum to Beeson and Hourani, the land's previous owners. Hewlett Packard's proposed $250 million facility would be near the intersection of Betka Road and U.S. Highway 290, in close proximity to the Harris County-Waller County line, 18mi from HP's main Greater Houston offices, and northwest of the city of Houston.