From its roots as a lumbering and agricultural market town, the community of Willis is located just eight miles north of Conroe. As late as 1968, the small town's population was just 900. In the late '60s and 1970s came a surge of growth with the construction of Lake Conroe on the west fork of the San Jacinto River. Interstate 45 opened the door for the Willis area to integrate its rural atmosphere into the regional economy, offering a prime location for industry and residential development to blossom. Another population boom occurred in the 1980s, as the Conroe and Houston urban areas spilled over into the pristine countryside. Newcomers to Willis will find a stable and welcoming town with a sure sense of civic identity and deeply rooted family values. The close proximity of Conroe adds a wealth of educational, employment, retail, cultural, and recreational advantages.