West University Place — known locally as West U — is an incorporated city in southwestern Harris County, Texas, completely surrounded by the city of Houston. It occupies a compact area of roughly two square miles just west of Rice University and immediately adjacent to the Texas Medical Center, giving it one of the most central locations in the Houston metropolitan area. At the 2020 census the city had a population of 14,955. The community was platted beginning in 1917, when A.D. Foreman's Houston West End Realty Company offered its first lots for sale. The name reflects the development's defining relationship with the nearby Rice Institute, now Rice University, whose campus remains the city's closest landmark. Over the following century, West University Place incorporated as its own municipality and developed into one of Houston's most sought-after residential enclaves, prized for its mature trees, walkable streets, and strong schools. West U functions as a self-governing city with its own police and fire departments, public works, and an extensive parks and recreation system that includes Colonial Park, Friends Park, Evelyn's Park, and a full-service recreation center with pools and fitness facilities. Residents are zoned to the Houston Independent School District, and the neighborhood's schools are consistently among the highest rated in the region. Because it sits inside the loop, the city offers short commutes to downtown Houston, the Texas Medical Center, and the Galleria area, while maintaining a distinctly residential, low-key atmosphere. Its blend of historic bungalows and newer custom homes, top-ranked schools, and close-knit community life makes West University Place especially attractive to families, medical professionals, and academics who want walkable, convenient living without the scale of a large suburb.