In Fort Bend County, Needville is located southwest of Houston on Hwy 36.
In 1891, August Schendel named his new town Schendelville after himself. He applied for a post office in 1894 using the name of Needmore as a joke since they always needed more of everything. The post office amended the name to Needville since there was already a Needmore in Texas at that time.
The town grew slowly, reaching a population of 100 by 1914. The Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway built through the town in 1918, helping growth in the area. Most revenue in the area was raised from farming and ranching. During the 1920s and 30s, oil, natural gas and sulfur were found here, again helping it to grow.
During the 1980s the railroad line through Needville was discontinued and its tracks removed. The town had some 189 businesses and 2,609 inhabitants in 2000.