Nederland ( ) is a city in Jefferson County, Texas, United States. The population was 18,856 at the 2020 census.
The city was settled in 1897 along what became Boston Avenue and was incorporated in 1940. It was settled by Dutch immigrants on land sold by the Kansas City Southern Railway. It is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area. Nederland is also a part of an area known as "the Golden Triangle", which comprises Beaumont, Port Arthur, and Orange. The city is adjacent to the Jack Brooks Regional Airport.
History
Nederland was founded in 1897 by Dutch settlers as a repayment for financial services of Dutch bankers who financed the Kansas City Southern railroad line that runs through the center of the city. (Nederland, which literally translates to "Lowland", is the Dutch name for the Netherlands.) The more prominent families were named Rienstra, Doornbos, and Van Oostrom, and their descendants still live in the area today. Tradition says they were attracted to the flat coastal terrain that reminded them of their homeland (although the heat most certainly did not).
Nederland's early economy was driven by rice and dairy farming. However, the depression of 1907 and overproduction caused the rice industry in the town to collapse. Many Dutch settlers moved away from the area during this time, but a small percentage remained. After the Spindletop gusher discovery of 1901 and the establishment of the Sun Oil (Now Entergy Transfer) terminal near Nederland, the town became a residential community for the workers of the nearby oil terminals.
Nederland became incorporated as a city in 1940. The surrounding larger cities of Beaumont, Port Arthur, and Orange came to be known as the Golden Triangle. In the 1940s and 1950s, the Port of Port Arthur and the Port of Beaumont were as important as New Orleans, Houston, or Galveston, and Nederland thrived as a result.
The refineries also attracted a large population of blue-collar laborers into the area. The area drew particularly heavily from southern Louisiana, and a strong Cajun flair is evident throughout the community. With the decline of oil prices in the 1980s, the local economy suffered and Nederland experienced slight population losses, but has stabilized in the late 1990s and 2000s.
Nederland is the ending location of the Keystone Pipeline.
Geography Nederland is located in eastern Jefferson County and is bordered to the east by Port Neches, to the south by Port Arthur, and to the north by unincorporated Central Gardens. Texas State Highway 347 runs through the northeastern side of the city, close to downtown, and the U.S. Route 69/96/287 freeway runs through the southwestern side. Nederland is southeast of downtown Beaumont and northwest of the center of Port Arthur. It is approximately east of Houston.Christian, Carol. "East Texas town blocks sex offenders from areas with 4 or more kids." Houston Chronicle. September 10, 2013. Retrieved on September 10, 2013.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Nederland has a total area of , of which are land and , or 2.19%, are water.
Climate
Nederland is on a subtropical coastal plain. The proximity to the coast contributes to high humidity during the summer months. The region also has its share of tropical storms.
On September 23, 2005, Nederland was hit by Hurricane Rita, a category 3 hurricane causing $12 billion of damage in southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana.
On September 13, 2007, Nederland was hit by Hurricane Humberto, a category 1 hurricane. The eye of the hurricane passed over the city.
On September 13, 2008, Nederland was hit by hurricane-force winds of Hurricane Ike, a category 2 hurricane that came ashore at Galveston and pushed an storm surge ahead of it. The Golden Triangle area of Nederland, Port Arthur, Port Neches and Beaumont were spared from the surge by the sea wall that surrounds Port Arthur. Bridge City, Orange and the outlying areas were severely flooded.
From August 26 to 30, 2017, Hurricane Harvey set the record for the highest rainfall from a tropical cyclone in United States history, when of precipitation fell in Nederland.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 18,856 people, 7,542 households, and 4,448 families residing in the city.
The median age was 37.8 years. 23.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.6 males age 18 and over.
There were 7,542 households in Nederland, of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.0% were married-couple households, 19.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 8,135 housing units, of which 7.3% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.1%.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 14,118 74.9% Black or African American 843 4.5% American Indian and Alaska Native 121 0.6% Asian 823 4.4% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 10 0.1% Some other race 1,241 6.6% Two or more races 1,700 9.0% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 3,376 17.9% 2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 17,547 people, 6,761 households, and 4,448 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 7,226 housing units at an average density of .
The racial makeup of the city was 69.7% White, 17.9% Hispanic or Latino, 4% African American, 0.37% Native American, 4.33% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 0.29% from other races, and 3.12% from two or more races.
There were 6,761 households, out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.25.
In the city the population was spread out, with 27.3% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $53,231, and the median income for a family was $61,149. Males had a median income of $43,691 versus $25,457 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,285. About 5.4% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over. Economy
According to the city of Nederland's 2022 Annual Financial Report the top employers in the city are:
Ranking Employer # of Employees Percentage of total city employment 1 Nederland Independent School District 682 7.87% 2 Energy Transfer 213 2.46% 3 Mid-County Extended Care Hospital (Closed in 2023) 169 1.95% 4 Phillpott Motors 133 1.53% 5 Time Warner 130 1.50%6 Five Point Credit Union 125 1.44% 7 City of Nederland 124 1.43%8 DuPont 75 0.87% 9 Whataburger 72 0.83% 10 Unocal 66 0.76% 11 JK Chevrolet 65 0.75% 12 Hargrove Engineers 58 0.67%
Government and infrastructure
City government The City of Nederland completed a new $1.3 million City Hall building at 207 N. 12th street in September 2013. The previous City Hall was shared with police and fire services and received a $3.6 million upgrade for police and fire services only. The older building is now named the Homer E. Nagel Public Safety Complex. The safety complex was completed in August 2014.
Nederland has a council-manager system of government.
Current city officials are (as of 2025): Position Name Mayor Jeff Darby Councilmember Ward I Bret Duplant Councilmember Ward II Britton Jones Councilmember Ward III Randy Sonnier Councilmember Ward IV Mayor Pro-Tem Jeff Ortiz City Manager Manuel “Manny” Delarosa
State government Dade Phelan [R]: State Representative for District 21.
Robert Nichols [R]: State Senator for District 3.
US government
Randy Weber [R] is the representative of the 14th congressional district of Texas for the 118th US Congress.
John Cornyn [R] is the senior United States senator representing Texas in the 118th United States Congress.
Ted Cruz [R] is the junior United States senator representing Texas in the 118th United States Congress.
The United States Postal Service Nederland Post Office is located at 223 North 14th Street."." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.
Culture
Arts and theater
The Nederland Performing Arts Theater, on the campus of Nederland High School, hosts performances for the high school, in addition to plays and concerts. It also houses the Nederland High School Band and the Nederland Drama Department. The center was built in 1999 from a bond that was passed by the voters.
The Dutch Windmill Museum is an authentic replica of a Dutch windmill and was created to honor the settlers from the Netherlands that founded Nederland. It was built in 1969 and contains donated items from Nederland's history. The museum is in Tex Ritter Park on Boston Avenue.
The La Maison Des Acadiens house is a replica of houses used by early French settlers of the area. It is located next to the Dutch Windmill Museum.
Tourism and recreation
Boston Avenue
Boston Avenue is part of the original plot of Nederland when it was founded in 1897. It carries both its modern name and the original Dutch name on street signs (Heeren Straats). The Boston Avenue shopping district offers boutique shopping and events throughout the year. These events include the Nederland Heritage Festival, Christmas Parade, Homecoming Parade, and Third Thursday shopping events. Boston Avenue is also the location of the Nederland Windmill and Le Maison de Acadiens Museums and Tex Ritter Park.
Events The Nederland Heritage Festival began on the 75th anniversary of the founding of the town in 1973 as part of the city's Diamond Jubilee and has become known area wide, attracting over 100,000 people over the week of festivities. It includes multiple events during the week with carnival rides, pageants, a parade, golf tournament and live music to name a few. , Nederland Heritage Festival website
The carnival is usually held on the second or third week of March, during the Nederland Independent School District's spring break. The other events are held beginning in February and running through the end of the carnival itself.
The Nederland Parks department in conjunction with the Nederland Chamber of Commerce created a Fourth of July celebration that is held at Doornbos Park starting in 2012. The celebration includes fireworks, food and music along with entertainment for children. It is open to anyone in the area. The celebration is in its tenth year as of 2022.
Nederland's annual Christmas parade is usually held the second or third week of December, weather permitting. The parade is hosted by the Chamber of Commerce and allows businesses and organizations throughout the area to enter bands, floats or other vehicles. This parade is a lighted parade that goes through the historic Boston Avenue downtown area and Nederland Avenue.
Parks and recreation
The city of Nederland manages six parks located throughout the city.
Nederland Veterans Park – This park commemorates all veterans and also contains a Wall of Honor for veterans from Nederland. The park is located next to the new City Hall on North 12th st.