Kingwood, Humble and the Lake Houston area make up the wooded northeast corner of the Houston region, about 20 to 25 miles from downtown along US-59/I-69. Kingwood, marketed as "The Livable Forest," was annexed by the City of Houston in 1996. Humble is an older city to its southwest, close to George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Lake Houston, a reservoir on the San Jacinto River, borders the area to the east.
The area at a glance
Kingwood is organized into villages with homes set among tall pines, linked by a greenbelt trail system of roughly 75 miles. Humble has its own historic downtown, Deerbrook Mall on US-59 and the commercial corridors along FM 1960. Atascocita, between Humble and the lake, has grown quickly with new subdivisions. Lake Houston Wilderness Park, a city-owned nature park of nearly 5,000 acres, sits to the northeast near New Caney.
On our site, the area covers ZIP codes 77339, 77345, 77338 and 77346. The Census figures below use ZCTA 77339, in Kingwood, from the American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020–2024).
Getting around
We don't have a published Walk Score for this area. Like most of suburban Houston, it is laid out for driving, so plan on a car for most errands. Kingwood's greenbelt trails are the exception: they connect many neighborhoods to parks and shopping off-street.
US-59/I-69 (the Eastex Freeway) is the main route to downtown, with an HOV lane for buses and carpools. METRO operates the Kingwood and Townsen Park & Ride lots, with weekday express buses to downtown. FM 1960 runs west from Humble toward IAH and I-45, the Grand Parkway connects to the north, and Beltway 8 is to the south. George Bush Intercontinental Airport is a short drive west of Humble, which can matter if you travel often for work. The Census puts mean travel time to work at 28.5 minutes for ZCTA 77339.
What's nearby
Parks and trails. Kingwood's greenbelt trails wind through the villages. Lake Houston Wilderness Park has trails, camping and wooded acreage. Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center, along Spring Creek in Humble, has a nature center and trails.
Shopping. Deerbrook Mall on US-59 in Humble and the shopping centers along Kingwood Drive and FM 1960 cover most needs.
Food. Titas Taco House on Wilson Road in Humble made the Houston Chronicle's 2025 Top 100. In Kingwood, Amedeo's Italian Restaurant on Loop 494 marked 40 years in 2025, The Veranda is a reservation-only fine-dining restaurant on Chestnut Ridge Drive, and Fire Craft BBQ moved from a food truck to a Royal Forest Drive storefront.
The apartment landscape
- Garden-style communities are the main type, many set among trees with pools, fitness centers and garages, along Kingwood Drive, Northpark Drive, FM 1960 and the US-59 corridor.
- Newer communities in Humble, Atascocita and along the Grand Parkway, often with resort-style amenities.
- Single-family homes and townhomes for rent in the Kingwood villages and Atascocita subdivisions.
The Census reports a median gross rent of $1,673 a month for ZCTA 77339 (ACS 2024 5-year), and about 44% 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. Call us for current pricing.
Tips for renting in Kingwood, Humble and Lake Houston
- Read the flood disclosure closely. Parts of Kingwood and Humble flooded during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, when the San Jacinto River and Lake Houston rose. 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. Ask about the property's history as well.
- Consider flood coverage. Standard renters insurance generally excludes flood. Ask your insurer about separate coverage for your belongings.
- Check Northpark and Kingwood Drive access. These are the main routes in and out of Kingwood to US-59, so test them at rush hour.
- Ask about utilities and fees. Get the full monthly cost, including water, sewer and trash billed by the property and any pet or garage fees.
- Read concessions as effective rent, and ask which lease terms qualify.
- If you fly often, compare the drive to IAH from Humble with the drive from Kingwood.
Start your search in Kingwood, Humble and Lake Houston
Our neighborhood guide to Kingwood, Humble and Lake Houston 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
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingwood,_Houston,_Texas
- www.kingwood.com/community/greenbelt.php
- houstontx.gov/parks/lakehoustonpark.html
- cp4.harriscountytx.gov/Parks/jesse-h-jones-park
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deerbrook_Mall
- www.ridemetro.org/riding-metro/transit-services/park-and-ride-bus
- www.houstonchronicle.com/project/top-100-restaurants-houston/
- communityimpact.com/houston/lake-houston-humble-kingwood/dining/2025/0
- communityimpact.com/houston/lake-houston-humble-kingwood/dining/2025/0
- communityimpact.com/lake-houston-humble-kingwood/dining/fire-craft-bbq
- www.fema.gov/flood-insurance
- censusreporter.org/data/table/?table=B25064&geo_ids=86000US77339
- statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PR/htm/PR.92.htm