Bryan is a city in east-central Texas and the county seat of Brazos County, located in the Brazos Valley about 96 miles northwest of Houston. It is the northern half of the twin-city Bryan–College Station area, bordering College Station to the south. Together the two cities form a metropolitan region anchored by Texas A&M University, one of the largest universities in the state, and their histories are closely entwined: Bryan was incorporated in 1871, the same year the Texas Legislature established the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas that became Texas A&M. Bryan's own roots reach back to the mid-19th century, when the arrival of the railroad and the decline of the earlier county seat at Boonville shifted the area's center of gravity to Bryan. As the county seat and a railroad town, Bryan grew as a trading and agricultural hub for the Brazos Valley, and its position in the Texas Triangle — the region linking Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, and San Antonio — has since made it a practical location for industry and distribution. Today Bryan balances its historic identity with steady growth. Downtown Bryan has been revitalized into a dining, live-music, and events district, while the city's economy draws on Texas A&M, health care, and a regional industrial park that hosts manufacturers such as Honeywell and Sanderson Farms. Bryan ISD serves roughly 16,000 students, and the city maintains an extensive parks system with 51 parks and more than 40 miles of trails. For homebuyers, Bryan offers a range of housing, from older ranch-style neighborhoods near downtown to newer subdivisions near the university and Highway 6. It appeals to university employees and students, families, and workers in the area's industrial and health-care sectors, with College Station's amenities immediately adjacent and Houston within a roughly hour-and-a-half drive.