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- The geographic areas of Houston are generally classified as either being inside or outside Interstate 610, colloquially called "the Loop". The Loop generally encircles the central business district and the "island cities" of West University Place (West U.), Southside Place, and a portion of Bellaire. ("Island cities" refers to the city of Houston's practice of annexing around the existing boundaries of incorporated municipalities.) Other "island cities" include the Memorial Villages – Bunker Hill Village, Hedwig Village, Hilshire Village, Hunters Creek Village, Piney Point Village, and Spring Valley Village. The outlying areas of Houston, as well as the rest of Bellaire, the Memorial Villages, the airports, and the city's suburbs and enclaves are outside the loop. Another ring road, Beltway 8 (also known simply as "the Beltway"), encircles the city 5 mi (8.0 km) further out. A third road, State Highway 99 or Grand Parkway, has begun construction roughly 10 mi (16 km) beyond the Beltway, around the outer suburbs and currently extends from north of Interstate 10/U.S. Highway 90 east of Katy to Interstate 69/U.S. Highway 59 in Sugar Land. Locations within the Houston city limits inside Beltway 8 had traditionally used the 713 area code. Those outside Beltway 8 but within city limits had received the 281 or 832 area code. The geographic division between 713, 281, and 832 has been eliminated, and newly issued phone numbers (especially for cell phones and fax machines) within that zone may be assigned any of the three codes. There is also a new, 346 area code. Areas far north, west, east and south of the inner-city also use 936 and 409. Zip codes in Houston range from 77002 to 77099. A small portion of northeast Houston uses zip codes 77339 and 77345. Houston is the most populated city in the United States without zoning laws. City voters rejected creation of separate commercial and residential land-use districts in 1948, 1962 and 1993. As a result, Houston has grown in an unusual manner. Rather than a single “downtown” as the center of the city's employment, five additional business districts have grown throughout the inner city, including one for Houston's medical center complex. If these business districts were combined, they would form the third largest downtown in the United States. The city also has one of the largest skylines in the United States, but because it is spread a few miles apart, pictures of the city show, for the most part, the main downtown area. (en)
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