Woodforest Marks 16 Years

We turned 16 this year, and what an incredible journey it’s been since our beginnings in 2009 to now having more than 5,000 homes and 14,000 residents!

Today, Woodforest is a bustling hometown, with restaurants, shops, services, an onsite school, churches and more. While home sales are still ongoing, although slowing as only about 150 available new homes and homesites remain. Here’s a look back at our growth through the years.

Early Days

Home sales began in early 2009, with a wide range of floor plans — a characteristic that has defined Woodforest throughout the years. Pricing was from the $210s to the millions, with builders working on model homes opened in the spring and custom homes that were featured in a 2010 Showcase of Homes. The public was invited to a summer Discovery Day event, one of many public events that would be held throughout the years in Woodforest.

Also in 2009, the first phase of a FM 1488 expansion project from Texas 242 to FM 2978 opened, a $69.6 million project that included converting the two-lane road to four lanes with a continuous turning lane. Lake Creek Bridge also opened, extending Fish Creek Thoroughfare to FM 2854. An overpass bringing Fish Creek Thoroughfare over FM 2854 opened in 2011. The roadway then connected to existing McCaleb Road, providing direct access to State Highway 105. It was the final piece of a regional mobility project that has had a profound impact on accessibility for Woodforest residents and the entire southern Montgomery County corridor, allowing for an alternate evacuation route and aiding north/south mobility.

A Top-Seller

It didn’t take long for builders to construct 100 homes in Woodforest — work began on No. 100 in 2010 — and by early 2012, the community celebrated 300 homes sold. In just three years — including two of the worst for the Houston housing market in 15 years — Woodforest has gone from a start-up to becoming the most active community in booming Montgomery County, according to a report released by Bohlke Consulting Group. And in early 2013, real estate think tank Robert Charles Lesser & Co. (RCLCO) listed Woodforest among the nation’s 20 top-selling communities. Woodforest would be ranked among the nation’s top-selling master-planned communities 10 times over the past 14 years.

Also in 2013, Woodforest’s builder list expanded to 16. Woodforest would continue adding to the number and variety of builders and floor plans, and in 2015 announced a 100-acre gated neighborhood of custom homes, Pine Island. Lots in the community, which is surrounded by the west nine holes of Woodforest Golf Club, range up to three-quarters of an acre.

Going Big on Amenities

Woodforest’s earliest residents could meet and relax at several parks in the community, but that was just the beginning of the amenities to come. The Lily Pad Park spray ground opened in 2011, and Forest Island — a complex with a pool anchored by a 42-foot water tower, lighted tennis courts and a full-size basketball court — debuted in 2013.

Stampede Sportsplex opened in 2018, featuring soccer fields managed in a partnership with the Woodforest Owners Association and the Houston Dynamo/Dash Youth Soccer Club. Several parks opened in 2018, including the 33-acre Christine Allen Nature Park and Wallaroo Park, an all-inclusive park featuring a Sona Play Arch. The Vue launched in 2023, bringing a third community pool to Woodforest and a 4,000-square-foot open-air party pavilion.

More Than Homes

Envisioned as a hometown, Woodforest developers have always endeavored to introduce features to serve resident needs without them having to leave the community. That included an elementary school — Stewart Elementary — that opened in 2014. The community’s first retail was also announced that year, a CVS pharmacy that opened in 2015. Retail development flourished in Woodforest in 2015, with the opening of Kiddie Academy and the purchase of 12.8 acres by The Woodlands United Methodist Church for a new Woodforest campus. The Church at Woodforest held its first regular Sunday service in January 2016, with a permanent structure opening in 2019.

Parents of young children got more resources for childcare, preschool and nearby after-school care close to home with the 2017 opening of Children’s Lighthouse. RUSH Cycle was the first tenant to open in The Shops at Woodforest, paving the way for more retail in the community. Crust Pizza quickly followed along with Woodforest Dental Loft, Grand Liquor, HOTWORX and Exxon Star Stop. The 100,000-square-foot Woodforest Professional Plaza, where Sterling Ridge Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine opened in 2021, is home to a number of medical providers.

Pine Market

When it comes to retail, however, a major milestone was met in 2019 when the first businesses started opening in Pine Market. Among them were Plush Nail Bar, Anytime Fitness, Sandstone Family Health, Luv Coffee and Adventure Kids Playcare. The Harvest Market “grocerant” opened in early 2021, offering even more conveniences to Woodforest residents.

Today, the 40-acre Pine Market town center is home to dozens of restaurants, shops and services. Many of the businesses host concerts, game nights and more throughout the week, and the Park at Pine Market is another gathering spot for movie nights, seasonal festivals, summer concerts and more.

Going, But Not Gone Yet

There’s still time to become part of the Woodforest story, with five builders offering townhomes, single-family homes and custom homes priced from the $299s into the millions. Choose from homes that are move-in ready or select your floor plan and build from the ground up. See what’s available here.