COLLEGE STATION

city, Brazos county, southeastern Texas, U.S. It is adjacent to the city of Bryan and lies 96 miles (154 km) northwest of Houston. Having grown up around the Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University (inaugurated 1876 as a college, university status attained 1963), the city is essentially residential with its economy geared to that of the university. The college was located on the Houston and Texas Central Railroad (now the Southern Pacific) and was known as a flag station. When a post office was established in the locality in 1877, the words college and station were combined to form the name of the town. Texas A & M University remains the principal source of employment in College Station. Inc. 1938. Pop. (1991 est.) city, 53,575; BryanCollege Station MSA, 124,461.