Conroe is the county seat of Montgomery County in the U.S. state of Texas within the Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 36,811 (though a 2004 estimate placed the population at 43,402). The number of residential building permits issued per year has doubled in the last three years as the region has gone from a sleepy town north of Houston to a booming Houston suburb. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 98.1 km² (37.9 mi²). 97.9 km² (37.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.21%) is water.

As of the census of 2000, there were 36,811 people, 13,145 households, and 8,728 families residing in the city. The population density was 376.1/km² (974.1/mi²). There were 14,378 housing units at an average density of 146.9/km² (380.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 71.16% White, 11.13% African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 13.38% from other races, and 2.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 32.62% of the population.