Pasadena is a city southeast of Houston in Harris County, Texas — it is the largest suburb anchoring the Houston Metropolitan Area. It was founded in 1893 by John H. Burnett of Galveston, Texas. At the time of its founding, the land's lush vegetation inspired Burnett to name the city after Pasadena, California.

As of the U.S. Census 2000, the city population was 141,674 and boasts the largest all volunteer municipal fire department (Pasadena Volunteer Fire Department). The city's employment is closely linked to the nearby Houston Ship Channel and its related industrial districts, as well as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in the nearby Clear Lake area.

Because of its location near the enormous amount of refineries that dot the ship channel (which help to make Houston's petrochemical complex the largest in the nation), Pasadena has been dubbed by locals with the nickname "Stinkadena," though many of the refineries that give the city its moniker are in fact located in Houston proper. Another reason for the name may be the large sewage treatment plant located along Texas State Highway 225 that links Houston to Pasadena. Another nickname, "Pasa-get-down-dena", was coined in the mid-1980s by a Houston morning radio DJ named Moby on his show Moby in the Morning on the long gone station, 97 Rock. At least two country music songs have been recorded with "Pasa-get-down-dena" as the title: one by Kenefick on their album "Hard Road," and John Evans on his album "Biggest Fool in Town."

Pasadena was enshrined in film history when John Travolta, Debra Winger and others descended on the city to film the 1980 hit movie Urban Cowboy, which depicted life and young love in Pasadena. The film centered around the city's enormous honky-tonk bar Gilley's, which was co-owned by country music star Mickey Gilley. In 1989 Gilley's suffered an arson fire that gutted the interior, but the building's shell was still standing until 2006 when it was demolished by the Pasadena Independent School District, its current owner. Only the old sound recording studio remains. (the old sign can be found at the Cowboy Ranch, a local restaurant). Gilley still makes his home in Pasadena.

The city has several museums, including the Pasadena Historical Museum, the Bay Area Museum and Armand Bayou Nature Center. Pasadena also has a community theater, rodeo and orchestra (the Pasadena Philharmonic). The city's newspaper is the Pasadena Citizen.