Conroe is the county seat of Montgomery County, about 40 miles north of downtown Houston on I-45, just north of The Woodlands. The historic town of Montgomery sits about 15 miles west along SH 105, near the western shore of Lake Conroe. Together they offer lake access, a historic downtown and national forest at the edge of town, with apartment communities spread along the I-45 and SH 105 corridors.
Conroe and Montgomery at a glance
Downtown Conroe's historic district includes the restored Crighton Theatre, along with shops, restaurants and breweries around the county courthouse. Lake Conroe, a roughly 21,000-acre reservoir on the West Fork of the San Jacinto River, stretches northwest of the city, with marinas and waterfront restaurants. The Sam Houston National Forest lies just north and west. Montgomery, one of the older towns in the region, has a small historic downtown of its own. Lone Star College-Montgomery has a campus in south Conroe.
On our site, the area covers ZIP codes 77301, 77304, 77356 and 77316. The Census figures below use the City of Conroe, from the American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020–2024).
Getting around
Walk Score rates Conroe 24 out of 100 for walking, with a Bike Score of 38, at the time of writing. Downtown Conroe is walkable; elsewhere, plan to drive.
I-45 is the main route south through The Woodlands and Spring to Houston. Loop 336 circles much of Conroe, and SH 105 runs west to Montgomery and east toward Cleveland. The Grand Parkway and the Hardy Toll Road are reachable to the south. The Census puts mean travel time to work at 28.6 minutes for the City of Conroe.
What's nearby
Lake Conroe. Boating, fishing and waterfront dining around the lake's marinas and parks.
Forests and trails. The Sam Houston National Forest has hiking along the Lone Star Hiking Trail, and W.G. Jones State Forest in south Conroe has trails and birding.
Downtown Conroe. The Crighton Theatre hosts live performances, and the surrounding blocks have shops, restaurants and breweries.
Food. Bar-A-BBQ on Eva Street in Montgomery made both Texas Monthly's 2025 top 50 barbecue list and the Houston Chronicle's 2025 Top 100. Jennings & Co. BBQ, a weekend food truck on Walden Road in Montgomery, also made Texas Monthly's 2025 list. In Conroe, Rancho Grande Conroe Bar & Grill has served Mexican and Tex-Mex since 1990, and GuadalaHARRY's Bar & Grill moved to a larger downtown space in 2025.
The apartment landscape
- Garden-style communities are the main type, ranging from older complexes near downtown Conroe to newer communities along I-45, Loop 336 and SH 105 with resort-style pools and garages.
- Build-to-rent communities and single-family homes for rent, common in the newer subdivisions around Conroe.
- Lake-area rentals, including condos and homes near Lake Conroe leased by individual owners.
The Census reports a median gross rent of $1,393 a month for the City of Conroe (ACS 2024 5-year), and about 46% of its occupied homes were renter-occupied. Gross rent is the Census measure of contract rent plus estimated utilities, and it covers every rented home in the ZIP, from older duplexes to new towers, so treat it as a baseline rather than a quote for any one building. Communities outside the city limits and near the lake can price differently, so call us for current numbers.
Tips for renting in Conroe and Montgomery
- Test the I-45 drive. If you commute south to The Woodlands or Houston, drive the route at rush hour before you sign.
- Ask about utilities. Outside city limits, water and sewer may come from a municipal utility district or be billed back by the property. Ask for typical monthly totals.
- Read the flood disclosure. Texas Property Code §92.0135 requires landlords to tell you in writing whether a unit is in a 100-year floodplain and whether it has flooded in the past five years. This matters near the lake and the San Jacinto River's West Fork.
- For lake rentals, ask whether the owner allows 12-month leases, who maintains docks or common areas, and what HOA rules apply.
- Read concessions as effective rent at newer communities, and ask how any offer is applied.
- Check internet service at more rural addresses before signing, especially if you work from home.
- Compare with The Woodlands. Communities in south Conroe along I-45 sit a few minutes from The Woodlands' Town Center and its employers. Ask us to price both before you decide.
Start your search in Conroe and Montgomery
Our neighborhood guide to Conroe and Montgomery maps every 4-star-and-above building we work with in the area. When you are ready, tell us your budget, move date and must-haves on Find Your Apartment, or call us at (713) 357-6339. We do in one conversation what takes most renters weeks on their own — and the properties pay us, so it costs you nothing.
Sources
- www.walkscore.com/TX/Conroe
- www.visitconroe.com/things-to-do/attractions/
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Conroe
- www.fs.usda.gov/r08/texas
- tfsweb.tamu.edu/about/state-forests-and-arboretums/wg-jones-state-fore
- www.houstonchronicle.com/project/top-100-restaurants-houston/
- www.texasmonthly.com/bbq/jennings-and-co-bbq-montgomery/
- communityimpact.com/conroe-montgomery/dining/rancho-grande-conroe-bar-
- communityimpact.com/conroe-montgomery/business/guadalaharrys-bar-grill
- censusreporter.org/data/table/?table=B25064&geo_ids=16000US4816432
- statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PR/htm/PR.92.htm