Representative Review

Nederland, Texas

City in the United States in Jefferson County

About Nederland

Nederland ( NEE-dər-lənd) 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.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

How Nederland is governed

Form of government not yet listed.

0 of 14 positions listed. Gray dashed boxes are placeholders waiting for a name.

Residents of Nederland

Registered voters elect the officials below.

  • Mayor

    Executive

    Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this

    The city's chief elected official. Presides over the executive branch, proposes the budget and represents the city.

    • City Manager / Administrator

      Executive

      Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this

      The professional administrator who runs day-to-day operations (in some cities appointed by the council instead of the mayor).

  • City Council

    Legislative

    Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this

    The elected body that passes ordinances, sets the tax rate and approves the budget.

    • City Clerk

      Administration & departments

      Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this

      Keeps the official records, runs meeting agendas and, often, local elections.

    • City Attorney

      Administration & departments

      Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this

      The city's lawyer; advises officials and prosecutes ordinance violations.

    • Boards & Commissions

      Legislative

      Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this

      Citizen advisory bodies, such as planning, zoning appeals and library boards.

  • Municipal Court

    Judicial

    Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this

    Hears traffic, ordinance and other minor cases.

Looking for your county, state and federal representatives too? See who represents 77627 or everyone in Texas.

Population over time

From 17,547 in 2010 to 18,856 in 2020 (+7.5%).

2010 2020
Show the numbers
YearPopulation
202018,856
201017,547

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.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Other cities in Texas

All Texas cities →

We use cookies to run this site and, with your permission, to measure traffic and support the affiliate links that help fund it.