Willis, a lumber and agricultural community in Montgomery County, began to develop in 1870 after the railroad, now known as Union Pacific, was built through the area. The extension of Interstate Highway 45 through here in the early 1960s helped integrate the community into a regional economy and provided a corridor through which both industrial and suburban development could begin. Today, Willis is home to nearly 2,000 households, primary and secondary public schools, nearby recreation courtesy of Lake Conroe, and much more.