The biggest festival,Washington's Birthday Celebration, is held during the later part of January and the majority of February, attracting hundreds of thousands of tourists.[13]
Map of Laredo in 1892Laredo Center for the Arts in the downtown squareThough the facility has been closed since 1999, the marquee of the Plaza Theater in downtown Laredo has been renovated. A citizens committee sought without success to establish aprivate–public partnership to reopen the Plaza as a live-entertainment venue.[14] In 2018, the city council sought private entities, nonprofit organizations, and an architect to make the facility useful again.
In 1846 during theMexican–American War, the town was occupied by theTexas Rangers. After the war, theTreaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo ceded the land to the United States. A referendum was taken in the town, which voted to petition the American military government in charge of the area to return the town to Mexico. When this petition was rejected, many who had been in the area for generations, moved across the river into Mexican territory, where they foundedNuevo Laredo. Many others, especially original land grantees on the north side of the Rio Grande remained, becoming Texans in the process. In 1849, the United States Army set upFort McIntosh (originally Camp Crawford). Laredo was rechartered as a city in 1852.
Laredo is one of the oldestcrossing points along the Mexico–United States border, and the nation's largest inland port of entry. In 2005, Laredo celebrated the 250th anniversary of its founding.
The etymology of the name for the Spanish town of Laredo is unclear. Some scholars say the name stems fromglaretum, which means "sandy, rocky place". Others state Laredo stems from aBasque word meaning "beautiful pastures".[15][16] Laredo might also stem from theLatinlarida, which meansgull.[17]
NASA satellite image of Laredo and Nuevo Laredo (2007)
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 102.6 square miles (265.7 km2), of which 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2) (1.37%) are covered by water.[20]
Laredo is on the west end of the Rio Grande Plains, south of the Edwards Plateau, west of the Coastal Plains, and east of the Mexican Mountains. The area consists of a few hills and flat land covered with grasses, oaks, and mesquite.
Laredo is considered to have ahot semi-arid climate (Köppen,BSh). with sweltering temperatures in the summer and mild temperatures during the winter. Its weather is affected by theSierra Madre Oriental mountains to the west, the Gulf of Mexico to the east, and theChihuahuan Desert of Northern Mexico and West Texas. Moisture from the Pacific is cut off by the Mexican mountain range.
The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from 57.6 °F (14.2 °C) in January to 89.1 °F (31.7 °C) in August; official record temperatures range from 11 °F (−11.7 °C) on December 30, 1983, up to 115 °F (46.1 °C) on May 7, 1927, June 17, 1908, and June 19, 2023.[21] On average, temperatures reach 100 °F (37.8 °C) or higher on 74.2 afternoons annually, and fall to or below the freezing mark on 4.6 mornings, although, in five seasons,[a] the annual minimum temperature was above freezing.[21][22]
Rainfall averages 19.7 in (500 mm) annually, with higher amounts typically occurring from May to October, with peaks in May and September separated by a secondary minimum due to a westward shift of thesubtropical anticyclone and divergence between thewesterlies andtrade winds.[23] Actual annual rainfall has ranged from 6.65 inches or 168.9 millimetres in 2011 to 42.28 inches or 1,073.9 millimetres in 1971. The highest monthly rainfalls have been 12.94 inches or 328.7 millimetres in September 1923, 12.45 inches or 316.2 millimetres in July 1919, 12.29 inches or 312.2 millimetres in June 1973 and 11.54 inches or 293.1 millimetres in September 1971. The heaviest daily rainfall has been 7.55 inches or 191.8 millimetres on July 28, 1903. In contrast, not even a trace fell for 108 days from May 12 to August 28 of 1917.
Measurable snow in Laredo has occurred in only five seasons since records began in 1902:[21]
on December 27–28, 1925 and January 22–23, 1926, totalling 3.7 inches (0.094 m)
on December 14, 1947, with 1.0 inch (0.025 m)
on January 9, 1967, with 2.7 inches (0.069 m)
on Christmas Eve 2004, with 1.1 inches (0.028 m)
on December 7–8, 2017, with 1.3 inches (0.033 m)
Climate data for Laredo, Texas (1991–2020 normals,[b] extremes 1902–present[c])
Laredo city, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of the 2010, Laredo is the 81st-largest city in the United States and the 10th-largest in Texas. According to the 2010 census[8][32][33] there were 236,091 inhabitants in the city.
According to the2010 U.S. census, the racial composition of Laredo was:
Hispanic or Latino (of any race) – 95.6% (Mexican 86.9%, Puerto Rican 0.4%, Cuban 0.1%, other Hispanic or Latino 8.3%)
Map of racial distribution in Laredo, 2010 U.S. Census. Each dot is 25 people:⬤ White⬤ Black⬤ Asian⬤ Hispanic⬤ Other
According to respondents' self-identification on the 2010 Census, the vast majority of Laredo's population is of Hispanic origin (95.6%), mostly Mexican (86.9%). Most Hispanics who did not identify themselves as Mexican identified as "other Hispanic or Latino" (8.3% of the total population). About 84.3% of the population identifies as white Hispanic, while only 11.3% identifies as Hispanic but not white; 4.4% of the population was not Hispanic or Latino (3.4% non-Hispanic White, 0.2% non-Hispanic Black or African American, 0.6% non-Hispanic Asian, 0.1% from some other race (non-Hispanic), and 0.1% of two or more races (non-Hispanic)).
The 2005 estimate listed 99,675 males and 108,112 females. The average household contained 3.69 occupants. The population density was 2,250.5 inhabitants per square mile (868.9/km2).
Of the 60,816 households, 56,247 or 92.5% were occupied: 33,832 were owner-occupied units and 22,415 were renter-occupied units. About 62.0% were married couples living together, 18.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.7% were not families. Around 12.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.69, and the average family size was 4.18.
The city's population is distributed as 35.5% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 15.8% from 45 to 64, and 7.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,019, and for a family was $32,577. The per capita income for the city was $12,269; 29.2% of families were below the poverty line.
In 2016, the violent crime rate in Laredo dropped to 379 per 100,000 inhabitants, according toAreaVibes. The violent crime rate in Dallas was 694 per 100,000 inhabitants. In Houston, it was 967 per 100,000 inhabitants.[citation needed]
The Walker Plaza office complex in Laredo was built in the early 1990s by the family of South Texas rancherGene S. Walker Sr.Laredo Federal Credit Union on McPherson RoadThe former Cotulla Barbeque on McPherson Road at Taylor Street was closed, razed in 2012, and replaced by office buildings.
Laredo is the largest inland port in the United States, andNuevo Laredo the largest in Latin America. This is due to their respective locations, served byInterstate Highway 35 /Mexican Federal Highway 85, the effects of NAFTA, dozens oftwin assembly plants on the Mexican side, and dozens ofimport export agencies to expedite trade. In January 2014, the Laredo customs district processed "$20 billion in two-way trade with Mexico", about half that for the entire US with Mexico for the month.[35] Laredo is a shopping destination for Mexican shoppers from Northern Mexico. In 2015, theSan Antonio Express-News reported the number of Mexican shoppers has declined due to drug war-related violence in Nuevo Laredo.[36]
View across the Rio Grande at Laredo, Texas (postcard,c. 1909)
More than 47% of United States international trade headed for Mexico and more than 36% of Mexican international trade crosses throughthe Laredo port of entry.[37][38] Laredo's economy revolves around commercial and industrial warehousing, import, and export. As a major player in international trade, the Laredo area benefited from passage of theNorth American Free Trade Agreement, which has encouraged trade. The Laredo port of entry consists offour international bridges (with a proposed fifth one) crossing the Rio Grande into the Mexican states ofTamaulipas andNuevo León.
Retail sales attract shoppers from Northern Mexico and South Texas.[39] There is one indoor shopping mall in Laredo,Mall del Norte,The Outlet Shoppes at Laredo, and another has not progressed past planning: Laredo Town Center, part of downtown redevelopment. There are dozens of shopping centers. The Streets of Laredo Urban Mall is an association created by businesses on Iturbide Street in the San Agustin historical district to beautify and renovate the area, which has a pedestrian scale.[40]
As of October 2007, Laredo's labor market was in the following industries by percentage of number employed: Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (32%), Information (1%), Financial Activity (5%), Professional and Business Services (6%), Education and Health Services (15%), Leisure and Hospitality (10%), Government (23%), Mining and Construction (5%), Manufacturing (2%), and Other Services (2%).
Laredo has increased the number of nonagricultural jobs from 55,100 in January 1996 to 86,600 in October 2007. Laredo has had a higher job growth rate (2%–6.5%) than the state as a whole because of expanded international trade through NAFTA. In 2007, Laredo experienced a job growth rate of 2.5% with the unemployment rate as of October 2007, standing at 4.1% or 3,700 unemployed persons, as compared to 3.9% in Texas statewide. This is a significant drop since the mid-1990s, when Laredo's unemployment was over 15%.
Laredo has had positive job market growth since the mid-1990s; setbacks in the mining (oil/gas) industry shifted a few thousand workers to other industries such as international trade and construction. Many large employers in the oil and gas industries shut down operations in Laredo and across Texas, and shifted to foreign countries. The same effect occurred in the garment industry (Levis and Haggar) along the Texas border area. Laredo lost its only garment-producing company (Barry), costing the jobs of about 300 workers. Laredo's strong job growth rate in retail and transportation services limited the adverse effects of long-term unemployment from the few massive layoffs of the late 1990s. Laredo's success with international trade is also a vulnerability; it depends on changes to Mexico's economy, that status of immigration laws (along with daily border crossings: shoppers and commercial trade), and terrorism.[42][43]
Laredo is a major center for thecattle ranching in the state.[44] Cattle here suffer from the cattle fever tick,Rhipicephalus microplus (syn.Boophilus microplus).[44] Researchers and ranchers are concerned aboutpyrethroid resistance developing and spreading here, as it has in nearby areas of the state and neighboringTamaulipas state.[44] Because the situation is so severe, the main office of the country'sCattle Fever Tick Eradication Program is located here.[45] This program is operated byUSDA APHIS.[45] TheDeutch Strain of this tick was collected here by Daveyet al., 1980 and is now a commonly usedlaboratory strain negative for pyrethroid resistance.[46]
TheWashington's Birthday Celebration,[47] a month-long event that celebrates George Washington's birthday, is the largest annual celebration of its kind in the United States, with 400,000 attendees. It was founded in 1898 by theImproved Order of Red Men, local chapter Yaqui Tribe No. 59. The first celebration was a success, and its popularity grew rapidly; in 1923, it received its statecharter. In 1924, the celebration held its first colonial pageant, which featured 13 girls from Laredo, representing the 13 original colonies. The celebration includes parades, a carnival, an air show, fireworks, live concerts, and a citywideprom during which many of Laredo's elite dress in very formal attire. The relatedJalapeño Festival is one of the United States' top 10 eating festivals.
Jamboozie is held in late January in downtown Laredo as part of the Washington's birthday celebrations. Similar to New Orleans'Mardi Gras, the Jamboozie is a colorful event, with many people dressed in beads, masks, and flamboyant outfits.
TheRepublic of the Rio Grande Museum[48] is in the downtown historical district next to the historic La Posada Hotel.[49] What was once the capitol building now showcases memorabilia from the short livedRepublic of the Rio Grande. It displays pictures, books, and furniture from the 19th century Laredo area, and offers guided tours for school-aged children and adults year-round. Because of this Republic, Laredo had flown seven flags instead of the traditional Six Flags over Texas.
TheLaredo Water Museum,[50] opened in 2017,[51] is a facility operated by the Laredo Utilities Department which focuses on educating the public about Laredo's water infrastructure. The museum is located at 2702 Anna St. next to the Jefferson Water Treatment Plant; likewise theRio Grande. Some topics include:water treatment,river ecology, history along theRio Grande, andwater footprints.[52] Admission is free, and operation hours can be found on their homepage.[50]
TheImaginarium of South Texas[53] (formerly Laredo Children's Museum), located in a restored building on theLaredo College Fort McIntosh Campus, is achildren's museum that provides a hands-on experience with science, technology, and art for Laredo's youth. A second museum was planned on theTexas A&M International University campus; however there has been no further development.[54]
TheNuevo Santander Museum Complex[citation needed] is composed of restored buildings ofFort McIntosh, a historical collection of photographs of the fort, the main guardhouse, which has World War I (1914–1918) memorabilia, and a science and technology museum.[citation needed]
Current center for the arts entranceMarket Plaza and Flores Avenue, Laredo, Texas (postcard,c. 1907)
TheLaredo Center for the Arts(LC4A)[55] is anon-profit gallery located in the historic city hall and market building at the Old Mercado Plaza in downtown Laredo. The center consists of one gallery and ahall: the Lilia G. Martinez Gallery and the Mezzanine Hall, respectively. The LC4A displays artwork from regional artists and provides community events for children and adults.
TheDaphne Art Foundation is anon-profit gallery located on the intersection of Washington St. and Santa Maria Ave. in a former residence which also hosts regional artists and community events.[56]
ThePan American Courts Art Complex is a multipurpose event and art center which hosts alternatingfood trucks, art exhibitions, the MUSA Alternative Art Space, and vendors.[57] The site was originally a motel, the Pan American Courts and Cafe which opened on August 8, 1946.[58]
TheMUSA Alternative Art Space is an art gallery located at the Pan American Courts Art Complex.[59]
Casa Ortiz is a historic former residence which dates from the 1830s, and is used as an event venue and art gallery.[60][61]
Los Olvidados is a cafe and art gallery which hosts various artworks, performances by local musicians, and vendors markets.[62]
TheLaredo Little Theater[63] provides Laredo with live stage performances and hosts comedians.
The Lamar Bruni Vergara Science CenterPlanetarium[64] is on theTexas A&M International University campus. The planetarium surrounds audiences in a dome with an accurate image of the night sky showing all the motions and cycles of theSun,Moon, planets, and constellations in the sky.
The Joe A. Guerra Laredo Public Library at the intersection of McPherson Road and Calton Street
Laredo has five libraries as of 2025. The Joe A. Guerra Laredo Public Library[65] was first housed on the second floor of the City Hall, now known as the Laredo Center for the Arts, in 1916. In 1974, the Laredo Public Library moved to the historic Bruni Plaza in downtown Laredo. In 1993, the citizens of Laredo approved the construction of a new main library at McPherson and Calton Roads, which opened on February 1, 1998.[66] The Laredo Public Library has a 60,000 sq ft (6,000 m2).
TheJoe A. Guerra Laredo Public Library,[67] the main library, is in central Laredo; the Bruni Plaza Branch Library[68][69] is downtown north of Washington Street; theBarbra Fasken Branch Library[70] is located at the Barbra Fasken Recreation Center near Mines Road(FM 1472); theLamar Bruni Vergara Inner City Branch Library[71] is located in central laredo north of Lyon Street; and theSophie Christen McKendrick, Francisco Ochoa, and Fernando A. Salinas Branch Library(McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library)[72] is in south Laredo onU.S. Route 83.[73]
TheSan Isidro Branch Library is a proposed new library in north Laredo. The location and design of the library are still pending; however, the cost is estimated to be ~4.4 Million dollars for an estimated 12,000 sq.ft.[74]
San Agustin CathedralOur Lady of Guadalupe Catholic ChurchRenovated St. Patrick's Catholic Church is on Del Mar Boulevard across from the Laredo Fire Department.The FirstUnited Methodist Church near the intersection of McClelland and Guadalupe; thecornerstone from the 1916 building on Hidalgo Street downtown was moved to the current location in 1949.
Most of Laredo's architecture is ofSpanish Colonial,American, and Mexican flavor. Most of Laredo's Spanish Colonial-style buildings are in downtown Laredo. More modern American architecture can be seen along Interstate Highway 35, as well as in the downtown area[75]
Our Lady of Guadalupe is an imposing structure inRomanesque Revival Lombard (North Italian) style. It was designed byLeo M. J. Dielmann of San Antonio, a popular architect of Catholic buildings, and built for a Mexican-American and Hispanic congregation in the inner city, at San Jorge Avenue and Callaghan St. Dielmann was commissioned by church authorities to design churches for similar congregations in Houston and San Antonio. He also did the San Agustin parish school, and may have had a hand in the San Agustin church, itself.[76]
Both the First United Methodist Church, in 1949, and the Christ Church Episcopal, were designed byHenry Steinbomer, a popular and prolific San Antonio architect who is credited with more than 100 churches and related buildings during the 1940s and 50s, from the Lower Rio Grande Valley mostly in South and West Texas, from the Sacred Heart Cathedral in San Angelo to Union Church inMonterrey, Mexico.[77]
The 1983 filmEddie Macon's Run, based on a James McLendon novel, featuresJohn Schneider as Eddie Macon, who is wrongly convicted of mostly minor crimes. While performing at a prison rodeo inHuntsville, Texas, he escapes and heads for Laredo, where he hopes to join his family in Mexico. Carl "Buster" Marzack (Kirk Douglas) is a cop in hot pursuit of Eddie. Without transportation, Eddie journeys on foot. He ends up in the woods, where he is nearly killed. He meets Jilly Buck (Lee Purcell), a bored rich girl who agrees to help him.[83]
The 2011 series,Bordertown: Laredo, is a 10-episode documentary on theArts and Entertainment Network based on the work of the narcotics unit of the Laredo Police Department.[84]
Laredo has been the subject of several songs in popular culture. One of the most popular songs is the "Streets of Laredo", originally known as "A Cowboy's Lament" and written byFrank H. Maynard, who lived mostly inColorado. It has been recorded by artists such asJohnny Cash,Marty Robbins,Waylon Jennings,John Cale,Roy Rogers, andPrefab Sprout (who also made a lyrical reference to Laredo in an early song, "Cue Fanfare"), and is even featured in aCharlie's Angels episode ("Pretty Angels all in a Row", season two, episode three). On October 28, 1958, in the episode "The Ghost" of the ABC/WB Western series,Sugarfoot, "The Streets of Laredo" is performed by child actorTommy Rettig.[85] Another song isLaredo Tornado from the British rock bandELO.
The first song on Marty Robbins' 1966 LPThe Drifter was "Meet Me Tonight in Laredo".[86]
From 1959 to 1972, the six-member singing group, The Rondels, were part the musical scene in Laredo. Members were Carlos Saenz Landin, Humberto Donovan, Roberto Alonzo, Sammy Ibarra, Joe Lee Vera and Noe Adolfo Esparza. With their disbanding, a community member recalls The Rondels "left a large void that will never be forgotten."[87]
TheLaredo Honey Badgers were a proposed professionalindoor soccer team that was founded in April 2013, expected to make its debut in theProfessional Arena Soccer League with the 2013–2014 season. The team was to play its home games at theLaredo Energy Arena.[93][94] The official name and colors (black and chrome) of the team were decided with fan participation.[95] However, after several delays the team postponed its launch and eventually ceased operations.
TheLaredo Lemurs, a professional baseball team, played their first season in the independentAmerican Association in 2012 with home games atUni-Trade Stadium. They won the South Division in their inaugural season, but were eliminated in the first playoff round. The Lemurs won the league championship in 2015 but ceased operations after the 2016 season.
TheLaredo Roses were a professional women's full contact football team in the South Texas Sugar N Spice Football League[96] that began play in the 2012 season. The Roses played their home games at theUni-Trade Stadium. The female players used short-shorts and half-cut jerseys during games.[97]
Laredo Swarm was a semi-professional basketball in the relaunchedAmerican Basketball Association. They started playing in 2015 in Laredo Energy Arena. The team was disbanded before the 2017–2018 season.[98]
With the City of Laredo's approval on July 1, 2018, the SMG-managed venue signed a five-year contract with the oldest local dealership Sames Auto Group.
The Sames Auto Arena is at US 59/Loop 20 and Jacaman Road. The arena was strongly pushed to fruition by former Laredo MayorBetty Flores and was home to the former Laredo Bucks. The 178,000-square-foot (16,500 m2), $36.5 million facility seats 8,002 people for ice hockey and arena football, and up to 10,000 for concerts. It has fourteen luxury suites, four meeting rooms and a private club for two hundred charter members. It was completed in mid-2002 through an increase in the Laredo sales tax of .25 percent. Sports that can be played in the arena includeice hockey,arena football,indoor soccer,basketball,wrestling, andboxing. The arena has hosted many events such as The Laredo Hunting and Fishing Show, Miss Texas USA, Laredo Home and Garden Show and the South Texas Collectors Exp's Comic Con. Every year, Laredo College, TAMIU, United ISD and Laredo ISD have their graduation ceremonies here. Well-known artists and bands that have performed in the arena includeLil Wayne,Rihanna,Kesha,Pitbull,Flo Rida,Shakira,Enrique Iglesias,Tool,Aerosmith,Kiss,Elton John,Styx, REO Speedwagon,ZZ Top,Lynyrd Skynyrd,Ricky Martin,George Lopez,T.I.,Ludacris,Cher,Hilary Duff,Monster Jam, andWWE.
TheUni-Trade Stadium is Laredo's newest baseball field. The stadium is near theLaredo Energy Arena. The project was approved by the city council and was voted in favor of (with 61.32% of the votes in favor 38.68% against) constructing it with money collected since 2004 by a .25 percentsales tax increase. There is a surplus of about $15 million.[99] The stadium was home to theLaredo Lemurs of the independentAmerican Association from 2012 to 2016. Beginning in 2018, theTecolotes de los Dos Laredos of theMexican League play half of their home games at the stadium and the other half atEstadio Nuevo Laredo.[92]
The original Shirley Field was next to the Civic Center and R&T Martin High School on San Bernardo Avenue. It was built in 1937, along with Martin High School. Shirley Field was the location for outdoor athletics for Laredo Independent School District and also hosts the annual Border Olympics events. It seats up to about 6,000 fans with additional seating at the 2 endzones. Professional Mexican soccer teams have played various exhibition games here, noting the real grass allows for "better" soccer games. The various sports played on the stadium are football, soccer and track & field events. Major renovations are slated for this historic stadium. In November 2009 Shirley Field was demolished and was rebuilt by the 2011 football season. The total cost of the reconstruction was $12,000,000 and it now seats 8,000 fans and features artificial turf.[101]
Krueger Field is in north Laredo and is owned byUnited Independent School District. The stadium has a capacity of 5,000 and is used to play football and soccer high school games. It is home toUnited High School's football and soccer teams.
Prior to the construction of the Laredo Energy Arena most major concerts and shows were performed at the Laredo Civic Center. The Laredo Civic Center complex has an auditorium with 1,979 seats and a banquet and exhibit hall with 1,635 seats.[102]
Laredo has three 18-hole golf courses: the Laredo Country Club,[104] the Casa Blanca Golf Course.[105] and Laredo's newest course Max A. Mandel Municipal Golf Course.[106] The Laredo Country Club is an 18-hole private course with 7,125 yards (6,515 m) of golf. The golf course has a rating of 74.6, aslope rating of 133, and has apar of 72. Thecountry club was designed byJoseph S. Finger and was opened in 1983.[107] The Casa Blanca Golf Course is an 18-hole course with 6,590 yards (6,030 m) of golf. The golf course has a rating of 72.5, aslope rating of 125, and has apar of 72. Thegolf course was designed byLeon Howard and was opened in 1967.[108]The Max A. Mandel Municipal Golf Course is an 18-hole course with 7,200 yards (6,600 m) of golf. The golf course has apar of 72. Thegolf course was designed byRobert Trent Jones II Golf Course Architects and was opened in 2012.
Parks, recreational centers, plazas, and baseball fields
The City of Laredo owns eight recreational centers, thirty-four developed parks, twenty-two undeveloped parks or under construction, five baseball fields, and four plazas. The parks total area is 618 acres (2.50 km2).[109]
A memorial honoring the forty-one Hispanic soldiers who have received theMedal of Honor was built in Laredo, Texas in 2002. The plaza was named after the only Laredo Medal of Honor recipientDavid B. Barkley. The David B. Barkley Plaza had a bronze statue of David B. Barkley, and had an American flag that measured 100 ft by 50 ft, with a flagpole measuring 308 ft tall, which made it the tallest in the United States from 2002 to 2005. The memorial was at27°30′22″N99°30′8″W / 27.50611°N 99.50222°W /27.50611; -99.50222 (David B. Barkley Plaza).[110]
Acuity Insurance built the former second tallest flagpole inSheboygan, Wisconsin, which is the location of the company's headquarters in 2004, but was toppled on News Year's Eve that year due to a windstorm. The David B. Barkley Plaza flagpole was removed in 2005, and that same yearAcuity Insurance built the former tallest flagpoles of the country. The second one was built in July 2005, but ended up being removed 2 years later in 2007. The third one was built in April 2008 but removed months later due to concerns over its movement in winds. The current tallest was also built by the same company in July 2014.[111][112][113]
Administrative headquarters of the Laredo Fire Department are on Del Mar Boulevard across from St. Patrick's Catholic Church.
The Laredo city government is astrong city council – weak mayor system. The mayor presides over the eight-member city council, but only votes to break a tie. City Council elections are based on single-member districts and campaigns have no party affiliations. Municipal elections are now held in November (formerly in May) of even-numbered years. The municipal government is administered by the city manager hired by the city council. All city elected offices have a four-year term and arenonpartisan though most officials have a Democratic party preference or affiliation.
City council meetings are held on Mondays and can be viewed on thepublic-access television cable TV channel or live online at Public Access Channel live stream.[114]
The council then named the assistant city manager, Horacio De Leon, as the acting city manager.[116][117] Robert Alexander Eads was selected as City Manager on March 4, 2020,[118]
Laredo College is a two-campus institution which offers two-yearAssociate's degrees. The main campus, Laredo College Fort McIntosh Campus, is at the western end of downtown Laredo near theRio Grande, on the site of the former Fort McIntosh. This fort played a major role in the development of Laredo, as it protected the community from Indian raids in its early history. Several of the old buildings at the fort were converted into classrooms, but after renovation programs nearly all of the campus structures are now modern. The smaller, newer second campus,Laredo College South Campus, is in south Laredo alongU. S. Route 83.
Texas A&M International University Library
Texas A&M International University, one of the member schools of theTexas A&M University System, offersbachelor's,master's, and doctoral degrees. On April 22, 2004,[129] the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in Austin, Texas approved Texas A&M International University to grant its first PhD in International Business Administration.[130][131] TAMIU's College of Business Administration has been named an outstanding business school inThe Princeton Review's "Best 282 Business Schools", 2007 Edition, and ranked third in the nation for the category: "Greatest Opportunity for Minority Students."[132] The university's campus is in Northeast Laredo alongLoop 20. The university was an extension of Texas A&I-Kingsville and later the former Laredo State University. Prior to its current location alongBob Bullock Loop 20, the university was housed with the Laredo College downtown campus.
TheUT Center at Laredo is located north of the Laredo Medical Center andBusiness U.S. Highway 59. The center offers certificates, bachelors degrees, and doctoral degrees in various medical fields.
According toNielsen Media Research, the Laredo region (which includesWebb andZapata counties) is ranked 185th market by population size in the United States.[134] The first station to broadcast in Laredo wasKGNS in 1956, followed byKVTV in 1973, then KJTB (nowKLDO) in 1985.
The only notable television network missing from Laredo's airwaves isPBS orCozi TV. Laredo had a full-power localThe CW affiliate, KGNS-DT2, but on July 3, 2014, the affiliation switched toABC. Prior to that KJTB channel 27, from January 1985 to October 1988 was Laredo's ABC affiliate. KJTB was later bought byEntravision and affiliated the station toTelemundo and changed its callsign toKLDO. Today KLDO is affiliated toUnivision. Before KJTB,KGNS, anNBC affiliate had a secondary affiliation to ABC from its founding in 1956 through KJTB's founding in 1985. On November 6, 2013, KGNS reached an agreement to add the ABC affiliation. The ABC affiliate launched in July 2014 when KGNS dropped The CW programming and added ABC programming.[135] In October 2015 KVTV nowKYLX started broadcasting The CW Programming on its digital subchannel 13.2.[136]
In December 2014, all Nuevo Laredo stations turned offanalog television broadcasting and started broadcastingdigitally only.[137]
PR:Suspected pirate radio stations since they are not licensed withFederal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States orCOFETEL in Mexico.[139][140] Some pirate stations are suspected, due to the fact other licensed stations nearby share the same frequency, such as 106.5 Radio Voz and KMAE from nearbyBruni, Texas and 103.3 Radio 33 andXHAHU-FM from nearbyAnáhuac, Nuevo León, each city less than 50 miles from Laredo.
Laredo Medical Center, formerly Mercy Hospital, is the largest hospital in Laredo.Doctor's Hospital in LaredoLaredo Specialty Hospital, near the Laredo Medical Center, handles certain patients requiring long-term care.
In addition to theUniversity of Texas Health Science Center branch, there are five other principal medical centers in Laredo: theLaredo Medical Center, Doctor's Hospital, Gateway Community Health Center, Providence Surgical & Medical Center, and the Laredo Specialty Hospital.
Doctors Hospital[141] is Laredo's second-largest medical center. The hospital complex is over 250,000 square feet (23,000 m2), with 180 licensed beds on a 58-acre (23 ha) campus. Affiliated withUniversal Health Services, it is onLoop 20 in north Laredo. The Doctors Regional Cancer Treatment Center offers comprehensive cancer services.
The Providence Surgical & Medical Center[142] is an ambulatory health care center in north-central Laredo and also owned by Universal Health Services.
The Gateway Community Health Center[143] is the third-largest medical center in Laredo. The health center's main building is 64,000 square feet (5,900 m2). The Medical center moved to its new $11,000,000 building in 2006. The main Gateway Community Health Center is in East Laredo, close toU.S. Highway 59. It also has three branches in the Laredo area: the South Clinic, El Cenizo Community Center, and Quad City Community Center.
Gateway Community Health Center services include:
The Laredo Specialty Hospital[144] is the fourth-largest medical center in Laredo. It is owned byErnest Health Inc. and was founded by Elmo Lopez Jr. on May 22, 2006. It admitted its first patient within hours of operation. The grand opening took place in March 2007.
In 2016, 82.3 percent of working Laredo residents commuted by driving alone, 10.2 percent carpooled, 0.9 percent used public transportation, and 1.9 percent walked. About 2 percent of working Laredo residents commuted by all other means, including taxi, bicycle, and motorcycles. About 2.6 percent worked at home.[145]
In 2015, 6.5 percent of city of Laredo households were without a car, which decreased slightly to 5.9 percent in 2016. The national average was 8.7 percent in 2016. Laredo averaged 1.85 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8 per household.[146]
Laredo International AirportTex-Mex Railway International Bridge view from Laredo
Laredo is served by theLaredo International Airport. Daily flights are available to Houston (George Bush Intercontinental Airport) and toDallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Tri-weekly flights toLas Vegas, Nevada are available. After Laredo Air Force Base closed in the mid-1970s, the federal government handed over the old air force base and property to the City of Laredo for a new municipal airport. From the mid-1970s until the mid-1990s, the airport used a small terminal for passenger airline service and several old hangars for air cargo and private aircraft. A new state-of-the art passenger terminal was built along the then newly constructed Loop 20 to accommodate larger jets and to increase passenger air travel through Laredo. Expansion of air cargo facilities, taxiways and aprons, air cargo carriers such as DHL, FedEx, UPS, BAX, and others have responded by adding commercial air cargo jet services. Laredo also has two medicalhelipads, at Laredo Medical Center and Doctor's Hospital.
El Metro is the public transit system that operates in the city with 21 fixed routes and Paratransit services, with approximately 4.6 million passengers per year. El Metro works with a fleet of over 47 fixed route buses, 2 trolleys and 18 Paratransit/El Lift vans. The El Metro hub is in downtown Laredo at El Metro Transit Center. The center also housesGreyhound Lines and provides fee-based daily parking for downtown shoppers and workers.
Rural transportation is provided by theWebb County operated "El Aguila Rural Transportation" (the Eagle) bus services. El Aguila serves fixed daily routes from rural communities (Bruni,El Cenizo,Mirando City,Oilton, andRio Bravo) to the downtown El Metro Transit Center.
Interstate 2 is proposed to be extended to Laredo following US 83 and the southern end of Loop 20. If it is extended, I-2's terminus would be I-69W.
Interstate 27 is proposed to be extended to Laredo from Lubbock, Tx. following various routes till it meets with US 83. Once extended, I-27 will run concurrently with I-35 starting at mile marker 18 in north Webb County.
Ramón H. Dovalina (born 1943), educator; president of Laredo Community College from 1995 to 2007
Elma Salinas Ender (born 1953), first Hispanic woman state court judge in Texas; served on the 341st District Court from 1983 until her retirement in 2012
Jovita Idar (1885–1946), was a Mexican-American journalist, political activist and civil rights worker, who fought for the rights of Mexican Americans and women
During the month of July, Laredo sponsors the Laredo International Sister Cities Festival, which was founded in 2003. The festival is an international business, trade, tourism, and cultural expo. All of Laredo'ssister cities are invited to participate. In 2004, the Laredo International Sister Cities Festival received the best overall Program award from theSister Cities International.[154]
^Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
^Aguilar, Julian (March 13, 2014)."In Laredo, a Quiet Symbol of Closer Ties With Mexico".The New York Times. RetrievedJune 5, 2015.The South Texas city houses America's busiest inland port. In January alone, the Laredo customs district saw about $20 billion in two-way trade with Mexico, according to WorldCity, a Florida-based company that uses census data to track trade patterns. That figure represented about half of the $41 billion that the United States saw in overall trading with its southern neighbor for the month. "The City of Laredo Transfers Ownership of World Trade Bridge to GSA". United States General Services Administration. March 13, 2014. Archived fromthe original on January 18, 2016. RetrievedJune 5, 2015.Since its inception the World Trade Bridge Port of Entry has become the busiest commercial port on the southwest border.
^"Infraestructura de Estaciones de Radio FM" [FM Radio Station Infrastructure] (in Spanish). Dirección General Adjunta de Trámites y Servicios de la Unidad de Sistemas de Radio y Televisión. September 12, 2012. Archived fromthe original on June 30, 2014.
^"FM Query Results". Federal Communications Commission. Archived fromthe original on January 19, 2016. RetrievedJune 19, 2015.
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