Missouri City is located approximately 20 miles southwest of downtown Houston, in northeast Fort Bend County. A small portion of the City extends into the southwestern section of Harris County, where its boundaries adjoin the City of Houston. The northern portion of Missouri City is traversed by U.S. Highway 90A, which intersects U.S. Highway 59 (Southwest Freeway), within three miles of the City. State Highway 6, one of the principal “outer loops” partially encircling the City of Houston, serves the southern portion of Missouri City. Beltway 8, an 83-mile freeway providing a second freeway loop around the City of Houston, was opened in early 1997 and extends through the northeast portion of Missouri City. The beltway ties U.S. Highway 90A to U.S. Highway 59, Interstate 10, and State Highway 288. On the east side of Missouri City, the Fort Bend Tollway, which connects Beltway 8 to State Highway 6, opened to traffic in August 2004. The City of Missouri City was founded in 1890 by R.M. Cash and L.E. Luckle, two Houston real estate investors. They advertised in the St. Louis, Missouri newspaper and in surrounding towns, referring to the property as the “Land of sunshine and eternal summer.” In 1893, W.P. McElroy bought 80 acres in the vicinity and began to promote the area. To boost sales in Missouri, it was named Missouri City. The first business was a blacksmith shop, and then the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railroads were built north of the town, in 1853, and a depot was constructed in 1902. The town was the railroad shipping point for the Blue Ridge oil field and salt mine. Another rail line, known as the Sugar Land Railroad, served the sugar cane industry.