Lower Rio Grande Valley
Region
Images, from top down, left to right: Skyline ofSouth Padre Island; McAllen Performing Arts Center; Interior of the Quinta Mazatlan; Entrance toMcAllen Public Library;Cameron County Courthouse (1914), Reynaldo G. Garza & Filemon B. Vela Courthouse, Cameron County Administrative Building,Port of Brownsville,La Plaza Multimodal Terminal,TSC Performing Arts Center,U.S. Post Office, Villa del Sol Apartments, Market Square,Resaca, Hotel El Jardin,Lone Star National Bank Tower
Map of the Lower Rio Grande Valley
Coordinates:26°13′N98°07′W / 26.22°N 98.12°W /26.22; -98.12
Country	United States
State	Texas
Principal cities	Brownsville,Harlingen,Donna,Weslaco,Pharr,McAllen,Edinburg,Mission,Rio Grande City,Raymondville
Largest city	Brownsville, Texas
Area
• Land	4,276 sq mi (11,070 km2)
Population
• Total	1,433,308
Demonym	Valleyite

Lower Rio Grande Valley (Spanish:Valle del Río Grande), often referred to as theRio Grande Valley (RGV) of South Texas, is a region located in the southernmost part of Texas, along the northern bank of the Rio Grande. It is also known locally asTheValley,El Valle, or956 (the area code for the region). It is a region spanning the border ofTexas with Mexico located in afloodplain of theRio Grande near itsmouth.^[1] The region includes the southernmost tip ofSouth Texas. It consists of theBrownsville-Harlingen andMcAllen-Edinburg-Mission metropolitan areas, and theRio Grande City-Roma andRaymondville micropolitan areas.^[2][3] The area is generally bilingual in English and Spanish, with a fair amount ofSpanglish^[4] due to the region's diverse history andtransborder agglomerations.^[5] It is home to some of the poorest cities in the nation, as well as many unincorporated,persistent poverty communities calledcolonias.^[6][7] A large seasonal influx occurs of "winter Texans" – people who come down from the north for the winter and then return north before summer arrives.^[8]

Native peoples lived in small tribes in the area before the Spanish conquest.^[9] The native tribes in South Texas were known to be hunter-gatherer peoples.^[10] The area was known for its smaller nomadic tribes collectively calledCoahuiltecan.^[10] Native archaeological excavations near Brownsville have shown evidence of prehistoric shell trading.^[11]

Initially, the Spanish had a hard time conquering the area due to the differences in native languages, so they mainly focused on the coast of theGulf of Mexico also known as theSeno Mexicano.^[12] Also, a major conflict existed on who would conquer the region. Antonio Ladrón de Guevara wanted to colonize the region, but theViceroy of New Spain José Tienda de Cuervo doubted Ladrón de Guevara's character, eventually leading to a royal Spanish declaration preventing Ladrón de Guevara from participating in colonization efforts.^[13]

The firstvillas in the region were settled inLaredo andReynosa in 1767.^[12] In 1805, the Spanish government solidified the autonomy of the region by defining the territory ofNuevo Santander as south ofthe colony of Tejas from theNueces River south toTampico,Charcas, and Valles.^[12][14] The local government of the region had a rough start with various indigenous wars up until 1812.^[15] In 1821 after theMexican War of Independence, the state was renamedTamaulipas.

TheTexas Revolution of 1835–1836 put the majority of what is now called the Rio Grande Valley under contested Texan sovereignty.^[5] The area also became a thoroughfare for runaway slaves fleeing to Mexico.^[16]

In 1844, the United States under PresidentJames K. Polk annexed the Republic of Texas, against British and Mexican sentiments,^[17] contributing to the onset of theMexican–American War.^[17] The area along the Rio Grande was the source of several major battles, including theBattle of Resaca de la Palma near Brownsville.^[18] The war ended in 1848 with the signing of theTreaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo which defined the United States' southern border as the Rio Grande. The change in government led to a mass migration from Tamaulipas to the United States side of the river.^[12]

From the end of the Mexican-American War, the population of the Valley began to grow, and farmers began to raise cattle in the area.^[12] Despite the end of the formal war in 1848, interracial strife continued between native peoples and the white settlers over land through the 1920s.^[9][19]

At the turn of the 20th century trade and immigration between Mexico and the United States was a normal part of society.^[2] The development of theSt. Louis, Brownsville, and Mexico Railway in 1903 and the irrigation of the Rio Grande allowed the Rio Grande Valley to develop into profitable farmland.^[20] Droughts in the 1890s and early 1900s caused smaller farmers and cattle ranchers to lose their lands. Rich white settlers brought by the railroad bought the land and displaced theTejano ranchers.^[21]

Meanwhile, across the river, Mexico was dealing with theMexican Revolution.^[20] The revolution spilled over the border through cross-border supply raids, and in responsePresident Taft sent theUnited States Army into the region beginning in 1911 and continuing until 1916 when the majority of the United States armed forces were stationed in the region. Texas governorOscar Colquitt also sent theTexas Rangers into the area to keep the peace between Mexicans and Americans.^[2]

The region played host to several well-known conflicts including the backlash from thePlan of San Diego, and the racially fueled violence of Texas Ranger Harry Ransom.^[2] In 1921 theUnited States Border Patrol came to the region with less than 10 officers.^[22] Initially the agency was focused on import and export business, especially alcohol duringProhibition in the United States, but later moved to detaining illegal aliens.^[23]

The region had a significant increase of Border Patrol agents duringWorld War I in conjunction with theZimmermann Telegram.^[24] The Texas Rangers also increased their presence as law enforcement in the region with a new class of Ranger that focused on determining Tejano loyalty.^[25] They were often violent, carrying out retaliatory murders.^[24] They were never held accountable to the law even though charges were brought in the Texas senate.^[26]

There were two major military training facilities in the Valley inBrownsville andHarlingen duringWorld War II.^[27]

TheNorth American Free Trade Agreement, also known as NAFTA, was established in 1994 as a trade agreement between the three North American countries, The United States, Mexico, and Canada. NAFTA was supposed to increase trade with Mexico as they lowered or eliminated tariffs on Mexican goods.^[28] Exports and imports tripled in the region and accounted for a trade surplus of $75 billion.^[28] The Rio Grande Valley benefited from NAFTA in retail, manufacturing, and transportation. Due to the influx of jobs and exportation, many people migrated to the RGV, both documented and undocumented.^[29] According to Akinloye Akindayomi inDrug violence in Mexico and its impact on the fiscal realities of border cities in Texas: evidence from Rio Grande Valley counties, NAFTA also indirectly aids the rise in immigration and drug smuggling practices between cartels in the region, with cartels profiting with over $80 billion.^[29] TheTrump Administration decided to make new accords with Mexico and Canada and replaced NAFTA with the new trade agreement,United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) in 2018.^[30]

After theSeptember 11 attacks, the Customs Border Security Act of 2001 establishedUnited States Border Patrol interior checkpoints with some situated at the north end of the Rio Grande Valley.^{[citation needed]}

The organizationWe Build the Wall built a section of the border wall in the Valley. Residents expressed concerns about the project including the site's proximity to theNational Butterfly Center and the Rio Grande with its potential for seasonal flooding.^[31] TheU.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission ordered We Build the Wall to stop until they can review whether or not the construction violates aTreaty to resolve pending boundary differences and maintain the Rio Grande and Colorado River as the international boundary between the United States and Mexico signed in 1970.^[32]

The Rio Grande Valley is not a truevalley, but ariver delta. "Valley" is often used in the western United States to refer to a large expanse with rivers. Most such valleys, including the Rio Grande, have good agricultural production.^[33][1] Early 20th-century land developers, attempting to capitalize on unclaimed land, utilized the name "Magic Valley" to attract settlers and appeal to investors. The Rio Grande Valley is also calledEl Valle, the Spanish translation of "the valley", by those who live there.^[34] The region is within four counties in Texas:Starr,Hidalgo,Willacy, andCameron.

The largest city isBrownsville (Cameron County), followed byMcAllen (Hidalgo County). Other major cities includeHarlingen,San Benito,Edinburg,Mission,Rio Grande City,Raymondville,Weslaco,Hidalgo,Pharr,^[35] andStarbase.

As of 2024, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population of the Rio Grande Valley at 1,433,308. Hidalgo County has the largest population with an estimate of 914,820.^[36] Cameron County has the second-highest population estimated at 431,874. Starr County has the third-largest population estimated at 66,587. Willacy County has the fourth-largest population estimated at 20,027.^[36]

According to theU.S. Census Bureau in 2008, 86 percent of Cameron County, 90 percent of Hidalgo County, 97 percent of Starr County, and 86 percent of Willacy County areHispanic.^[37]

The major metropolitan areas in the Rio Grande Valley are surrounded by smaller rural communities calledcolonias.^[38] These communities are primarily poor and Hispanic.^[39] The areas often lack basic services like sanitation and sewage, and suffer from flooding.^[40][38] Many of these colonias are mixes of mobile homes and self-constructed houses owned by the residents.^[41] TheBracero program enacted in the 1940s allowed Mexicans to cross the border and work in the agricultural fields. Most worked in the Rio Grande Valley, and due to a shortage of affordable houses, developers started selling them land in unincorporated areas; these clusters of homes over time became what are now known as colonias.^[38] According to the Housing Assistance Council, a nonprofit organization that tracks rural housing, approximately 1.6 million people live in 1,500 recognized colonias alongside theMexican border.^[38]

The residents of the Lower Rio Grande Valley are generally bilingual in English and Spanish often mixing intoSpanglish depending on demographics and context.^[39][42] Government statistics for the region are often underreported due to underlying immigration issues.^[43]

The Spanish language plays an important role in all aspects of life. In 1982 a statistically significant majority of people in the Rio Grande Valley spoke Spanish.^[44] People speak Spanish to communicate in all aspects of life including business, government, and at home.^[42]

People often prefer Spanish to English when interacting with government officials as seen in the response to the region's 2018 flooding.^[46]

The Catholic Church has been present in the Rio Grande Valley since the Spanish colonization of the region.^[47] InSan Juan, Texas theBasilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle is a major Catholic shrine.

One of the offshoots of the Catholic Church, worship ofSanta Muerte, has a small but significant following in the valley. There has been public outcry against followers erecting shrines at their homes and in public places.^[48][49] In 2015, a Santa Muerte statue was involved with a bomb scare inSan Benito, Texas.^[50] This followed the desecration of a Santa Muerte statue in the San Benito Municipal Cemetery in January of the same year.^[51][49]

In addition to the Catholic Church, several other Christian denominations are present in the Rio Grande Valley, including several organized Protestant churches in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.^[52] There are also 26 congregations ofthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with about 17,000 members.Sikh,Muslim,Hindu,Jewish,Buddhist andBaháʼí Faith communities thrive in the Rio Grande Valley.^{[53][54][55][56][57][58]}

The area is largely bilingual and bicultural, according toTexas Highways; in 2024 nearly 90% of the population identified asHispanic.^[59]Mexican cuisine andTejano cuisine are popular in the area.^[60] Green spaghetti or espagueti verde, a Mexican style of spaghetti with roastedpoblano cream sauce, is a common celebration dish little known in the United States outside the Rio Grande Valley.^{[61][62][63][64]} The local style of barbecue isbarbacoa.^[65][66] Brownsville'sVera's Backyard BBQ is a notable barbacoa restaurant.^[65]

The Lower Rio Grande Valley experiences a warm and fair climate that brings visitors from many surrounding areas.^[8] Temperature extremes range from triple digits during the summer months to freezing during the winter.^[67] While the Valley has seen severe cold events before, such as the2004 Christmas snow storm and2021 cold snap, the region rarely experiences temperatures at or below freezing, especially by the coast, which transitions into aTropical climate.^[67]

The region's proximity to the Gulf of Mexico makes it a target forhurricanes. Though not impacted as frequently as other areas of the Gulf Coast of the United States, the Valley has experienced major hurricanes in the past. Hurricanes that have made landfall in or near the area includeHurricane Beulah (1967),Hurricane Allen (1980),Hurricane Gilbert,Hurricane Bret,Hurricane Dolly (2008),Hurricane Alex (2010), andHurricane Hanna (2020). Having an especially flat terrain, the Valley usually experiences the catastrophic effects of tropical cyclones in the form of flooding.^[46]

The Lower Rio Grande Valley encompasses landmarks that attract tourists. Popular destinations includeLaguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge,Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge,Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park,South Padre Island,Brazos Island, and thePort Isabel Lighthouse.

The Valley is a popularwaypoint for tourists visiting northeast Mexico.^[68] Popular destinations across the border and Rio Grande include:Matamoros,Nuevo Progreso,Río Bravo, andReynosa, all located in the Mexican state ofTamaulipas.

The region also attracts tourists from the Mexican states ofTamaulipas,Nuevo León,Coahuila, andMexico, D.F. (México City).

• Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle
• First Lift Station
• Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge
• Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge
• Hugh Ramsey Nature Park
• Los Ebanos Ferry, last hand-operated ferry on the Rio Grande
• La Lomita Historic District
• Fort Brown
• Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Site
• Resaca de la Palma
• Rancho de Carricitos^[69]
• USMC War Memorial original plaster working model, located on the campus of theMarine Military Academy inHarlingen
• Museum of South Texas History, originally the County Court House and Jail, built in the late 19th century
• Battle of Palmito Ranch, location of the last battle of the Civil War
• Brownsville Raid
• Battle of Resaca de la Palma

The Valley is historically reliant onagribusiness andtourism.Cotton,grapefruit,sorghum,maize, andsugarcane are its leading crops, and the region is the center of citrus production and the most important area of vegetable production in the State of Texas. Over the last several decades, the emergence ofmaquiladoras (factories or fabrication plants) has caused a surge of industrial development along the border, while international bridges have allowed Mexican nationals to shop, sell, and do business in the border cities along the Rio Grande. The geographic inclusion ofSouth Padre Island also drives tourism, particularly during theSpring Break season, as its subtropical climate keeps temperatures warm year-round.^[70] During the winter months, many retirees (commonly referred to as "Winter Texans") arrive to enjoy the warm weather,^[8] access to pharmaceuticals and healthcare in Mexican border crossings such asNuevo Progreso.^[71] There is a substantial health-care industry with major hospitals and many clinics and private practices inBrownsville,Harlingen, andMcAllen.

Texas is the third largest producer of citrus fruit in the United States, the majority of which is grown in the Rio Grande Valley.Grapefruit make up over 70% of the Valley citrus crop, which also includesorange,tangerine,tangelo andMeyer lemon production each Winter.^[72]

One minor professional sports team plays in the Rio Grande Valley: TheRio Grande Valley Vipers (basketball). Defunct teams that previously played in the region include: theEdinburg Roadrunners (baseball),La Fiera FC (indoor soccer),Rio Grande Valley Ocelots FC (soccer),Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings (baseball),Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees (ice hockey),Rio Grande Valley Sol (indoor football) and theRio Grande Valley FC Toros (soccer)

One of the Valley's major tourist attractions is the semi-tropical wildlife. Birds and butterflies attract a large number of visitors every year all throughout the entire region. Ecotourism is a major economic force in the Rio Grande Valley.^[73][74]

The Rio Grande Valley is served by three commercial airports:Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport in Brownsville, Texas,Valley International Airport in Harlingen, Texas, andMcAllen Miller International Airport in McAllen, Texas.^[75]American Airlines^[76] andUnited Airlines^[77] provide service to all three airports, withAvelo Air also providing service to Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport,^[78]Allegiant Air also providing service to McAllen Miller International Airport,^[79]Southwest Airlines,Sun Country Airlines andDelta Air Lines also providing service to Valley International Airport.^[80]

There are several bus lines that run through the Lower Rio Grande Valley including Metro Connect (McAllen), McAllen Paratransit, McAllen Metro Services, Brownsville Metro/ADA Paratransit Service Island Metro (South Padre Island), andGreyhound Lines.^[81][82]

TheInterstate Highway System in the United States is well developed in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and connects Brownsville, Hidalgo, McAllen,Raymondville,Edinburg,Pharr, andLaredo.^{[citation needed]}

Freight trains run betweenHarlingen,Mission, Edinburg, andSanta Rosa connecting to theUnion Pacific Railroad.^[83]

Sea trade runs through the deepwater seaport, thePort of Brownsville and theForeign Trade Zone 62.^[84] As of 2025^[update], the Port also features an export terminal forliquid natural gas under construction,Rio Grande LNG, with a competing LNG export terminal, theTexas LNG project, planned to commence construction in the near future.

SpaceX South Texas launch site is located near Brownsville.

The region is represented byTed Cruz andJohn Cornyn in theUnited States Senate and byMonica De La Cruz,Vicente Gonzalez, andHenry Cuellar in theUnited States House of Representatives.^[86]

In the twenty-first century, the dominance ofagribusiness has caused political issues, as jurisdictional disputes regardingwater rights have caused tension between farmers on both sides of theU.S.-Mexico border. Scholars, including Mexican political scientistArmand Peschard-Sverdrup, have argued that this tension has created the need for a re-developed strategictransnationalwater management.^[87] Some have declared the disputes tantamount to a "war" over diminishingnatural resources.^[88] Climatologists believewater scarcity in the Valley will only increase asclimate change alters theprecipitation patterns of the region.^[89]

The Lower Rio Grande Valley has historically been one of the most strongly Democratic regions in the country, having only briefly voted Republican during the1950sEisenhower years and the1972 landslide election of RepublicanRichard Nixon. Continued Democratic dominance would depend on maintaining the loyalty of Latino voters, who make up 91.5% of the population.^[90] Recently, the GOP has made large inroads, causing loyalties to shift. Latino men, particularly young men, rural Latinos, the growing number of Latino evangelical Protestants, devout Catholics, socially conservative, pro-life voters, and working class-blue collar voters without a college degree have begun to join highly educated, urban Latino and white voters in supporting the Republican Party at majority levels.

Culturally, the state GOP successfully galvanized the majority Latino region against Democrats on several hot-button social issues, namely gender identity and transgender-related concerns. The Lower Rio Grande Valley, like Texas itself, is socially conservative. Over 60% of voters outright reject a variety of transgender rights.^[91][92] GOP Spanish ads denigrating pronouns, denouncing gender-theory curriculum, opposing gender-affirming care for minors, and "protecting girls' sports and locker rooms" by banning transgender athletes in sports flooded the campaign trail. These sentiments are now influencing local races in the region and across Texas, signaling a new source of Republican strength.^{[93][94][95][96]}

Economically, the GOP emphasized strong support for the state's oil and gas industry, which is 33% Latino.^[97] Other ideas communicated through the campaign trail were lowering taxes and supporting entrepreneurs and small business owners within the Latino community who signaled they trustedDonald Trump to manage the economy over the Democrats. Pundits also noted the Trump campaign was able to build much-needed trust in the Latino community for Trump's immigration plans, often criticizing illegal immigration and asylum-seekers, which polls showed Latinos began to believe his rhetoric was about "other people" not "me."^{[98][99][100][101][102][103]}

In 2016, Trump won only 29 percent of the region's vote, an 80-year low for Republicans. However, shocking pundits in 2020, he significantly strengthened the Republican vote in the Rio Grande Valley, reducing Democrats' winning margins from 38.6 in 2016 to 15.1 in 2020 and then outright winning the region in 2024 by 4.4 points, ultimately a 43-point shift from 8 years prior.^{[104][105][106]} Cruz on the same ballot lost the region by 5 points, a significant improvement from losing 2–1 in 2018.

Historically, education has posed significant challenges to schools in the region. Schools in the early 1920s through the 1940s were racially segregated in the Rio Grande Valley. In 1940 a study showed the need for improvement in cultural differentiation of instruction.^[107] TheTexas Supreme Court inDel Rio ISD v. Salvatierra reinforced the racial segregation.^[108] In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Bilingual Education Act, helping students whose second language was English. The Act gave financial assistance to local schools to create bilingual programs, enabling Mexican students to integrate white schools.^[108] The area, like many others, had a hard time integrating.^[109] Texas still has the bilingual program, while states like California, Arizona, and Massachusetts, have removed the bill and passed similar propositions stating that students would only be taught in English.^[108] The bilingual program in the Rio Grande Valley is still in effect, especially with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals students in the area.^[108]

Colleges and universities located in the Rio Grande Valley include:

• Texas A&M Health Science Center, School of Public Health – McAllen
• Texas A&M University Higher Education Center at McAllen^[110]
• University of Texas Rio Grande Valley – entered into full operation in 2015 with the merger of theUniversity of Texas at Brownsville and theUniversity of Texas–Pan American
• University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine
• Texas Southmost College
• Texas State Technical College
• South Texas College
• University of Texas Health Science Center – Regional Academic Health Center^[111]

• Cornerstone Regional Hospital, Edinburg, Texas
• Edinburg Children's Hospital, Edinburg, Texas
• Edinburg Regional Medical Center, Edinburg, Texas
• Driscoll Children's Hospital Rio Grande Valley
• Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, Edinburg, Texas
• Harlingen Medical Center, Harlingen, Texas
• McAllen Heart Hospital, McAllen, Texas
• McAllen Medical Center, McAllen, Texas
• Rio Grande Regional Hospital, McAllen, Texas
• Rio Grande State Hospital, Harlingen, Texas
• Solara Hospital, Harlingen, Texas
• VA Health Care Center at Harlingen. Harlingen, Texas
• Valley Baptist Medical Center, Harlingen, Texas
• Valley Baptist Medical Center, Brownsville, Texas
• Valley Regional Medical Center, Brownsville, Texas
• Knapp Medical Center, Weslaco, Texas
• Mission Regional Medical Center, Mission, Texas

• The Go Guide (published by Above Group Advertising Agency)
• Rio Grande Magazine
• Viva el Valle
• RGV Drives Magazine (published by MAT Media Solutions)
• RGVision Magazine (published by RGVision Media)

• Valley Town Crier – owned by Gatehouse Media
• The Edinburg Review – owned by Gatehouse Media
• Valley Bargain Book – owned by Gatehouse Media
• El Periódico USA
• El Nuevo Heraldo – owned by AIM Media Texas
• Mega Doctor News
• Texas Border Business
• The Brownsville Herald – owned by AIM Media Texas
• The Island Breeze – owned by AIM Media Texas
• The Monitor – owned byAIM Media Texas
• Valley Morning Star – owned by AIM Media Texas
• Valleywood Magazine – owned by Valleywood Publications
• The Donna News – owned by Valleywood Publications
• Weslaco World – owned by Valleywood Publications
• La Feria Journal – owned by Valleywood Publications
• South Padre Island Post – owned by Valleywood Publications
• Edinburg Daily Review – owned by Valleywood Publications
• The Alamo News – owned by Valleywood Publications
• Pharr Press – owned by Valleywood Publications
• Harlingen Times – owned by Valleywood Publications
• Progreso Gazette – owned by Valleywood Publications

• KGBT-TV/DT channel 4,Antenna TV/MyNetworkTV Affiliate
• KRGV-TV/DT Channel 5 News,ABC Affiliate
• KVEO-TV/DT NBC 23/CBS 4 (DT-2),NBC/CBS Affiliate
• KCWT-CD 21,The CW Affiliate withPBS on DT4
• KTFV-CD 32,UniMás Affiliate
• KFXV TV/DT 60,FOX Affiliate
• KLUJ-TV/DT 44,TBN Affiliate
• KTLM-TV/DT 40,Telemundo Affiliate
• KNVO TV/DT 48,Univision Affiliate
• KMBH-LD 67, Fox 2 News,Fox Affiliate
• XERV-TDT 9.1 /XHTAM-TDT 2.1Las Estrellas,Televisa
• XHAB-TDT 8.1 Televisa Tamaulipas, Televisa
• XHOR-TDT 7.1 Azteca 7, TV Azteca
• XHREY-TDT /XHMTA-TDT 1.1 Azteca Uno, TV Azteca
• XHVTV-TDT 6.1 Canal 6, Multimedios
• XHCTRM-TDT 13.1 Imagen Televisión, Grupo Imagen

Notable people who were born, lived, or died in the Rio Grande Valley include:

• David V. Aguilar (Chief Border Patrol Agent, United States Border Patrol)
• Cristela Alonzo (comedian, actress, writer, producer fromSan Juan, Texas)
• Micaela Alvarez (federal judge)
• Abraham Ancer (professional golfer, Olympian)
• Natalia Anciso (contemporary artist)
• Gloria E. Anzaldúa (writer, poet, philosopher)
• Ramón Ayala (singer)
• Cathy Baker (television performer)
• Edgar Barrera (songwriter, producer, Grammy Award Winner;McAllen, Texas)
• Lloyd Bentsen (U.S. Secretary of the Treasury; U.S. Senator; 1988 vice-presidential candidate)
• James Carlos Blake (novelist)
• Harlon Block (Iwo Jima flag raiser)
• William S. Burroughs (writer; his time as a farmer in the Valley inPharr, Texas, is briefly chronicled in his booksJunky andQueer)
• Pedro Cano (Medal of Honor recipient)
• Rolando Cantú (football player)
• Raúl Castillo (actor)
• Chuck Charnichart, restaurateur
• Thomas Haden Church (actor)
• Maria D'Luz (singer, songwriter, pianist, recording artist, musician)
• Monica De La Cruz (first Republican woman to represent Texas's 15th congressional district fromBrownsville, Texas)
• Kika de la Garza (U.S. Representative)
• Freddy Fender (actor, musician, lyricist)
• Mike Fossum (astronaut)
• Grupo Frontera (regional Mexican band fromEdinburg, Texas)
• Reynaldo Guerra Garza (United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit judge)
• Roberto Garza (football player)
• Tony Garza (U.S. Ambassador to Mexico)
• Xavier Garza (author and illustrator)
• Alfredo C. Gonzalez (Medal of Honor recipient, U.S. Marine veteran)
• Matt Gonzalez (2008 vice-presidential candidate; former president of the Board of Supervisors of San Francisco, California)
• Raquel Gonzalez (wrestler)
• Bill Haley (musician)
• Catherine Hardwicke (writer, film director-producer)
• Rolando Hinojosa (author)
• Rubén Hinojosa (U.S. Representative)
• Esteban Jordan (accordionist)
• Kris Kristofferson (musician, actor, songwriter)
• Bobby Lackey (college football player; Weslaco, Texas)
• Tom Landry (American football coach, Mission, Texas)
• José M. López (Medal of Honor recipient)
• Domingo Martinez (author)
• Narciso Martínez ("father of conjunto music" fromLa Paloma, Texas)
• Rachel McLish (Ms. Olympia; actress)
• Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas (musician)
• Jack Morava (mathematician)
• Bobby Morrow (Olympic gold medalist)
• Elon Musk (founder and CEO ofSpaceX, moved into a $50,000 rental home inBoca Chica)
• Billy Gene Pemelton (1964 Olympian)
• Bobby Pulido (singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actor fromEdinburg, Texas)
• MajorSamuel Ringgold (father of modern artillery)
• Charles M. Robinson III (author)
• Valente Rodriguez (actor)
• Ricardo Sanchez (U.S. Army lieutenant general; ground forces commander in Iraq)
• Julian Schnabel (filmmaker)
• Siggno (American norteño/tejano band formed inSanta Rosa, Texas)
• Adela Sloss Vento
• Merced Solis, akaTito Santana (wrestler)
• Nick Stahl (actor)
• Emeraude Toubia (actress)
• Filemon Bartolome Vela (federal judge)
• Eric Miles Williamson (novelist, literary critic, professor)

• Flora of the Rio Grande valleys

Wikivoyage has a travel guide forLower Rio Grande Valley.

• Texas State Historical Association – Lower Rio Grande Valley
• Rio Grande Valley Partnership: Valley Chamber
• Rio Grande Valley Sports Information Center
• South Padre Island Turtle Cam
• Rgvattractions.com: Attractions in the Rio Grande Valley
• Rio Grande Valley Community Foundation
• RGVPride.com
• Los Ebanos, TX
• Wintertexaninfo.com: The Winter Texan Connection
• KERA documentary aboutagricultural workers,"A Thirst in the Garden," The Walter J. Brown Media Archives & Peabody Awards Collection at theUniversity of Georgia,American Archive of Public Broadcasting

• Lower Rio Grande Valley
• Rio Grande
• Valleys of Texas
• Valleys of Mexico
• Regions of Texas
• Wetlands of Texas
• Landforms of Cameron County, Texas
• Landforms of Hidalgo County, Texas
• Landforms of Starr County, Texas
• Landforms of Willacy County, Texas
• Landforms of Tamaulipas
• Rio Grande basin

• Pages using gadget WikiMiniAtlas
• CS1 maint: location missing publisher
• CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list
• CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list
• CS1 Spanish-language sources (es)
• CS1 errors: missing title
• CS1 errors: bare URL
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Coordinates on Wikidata
• Articles containing Spanish-language text
• All articles with unsourced statements
• Articles with unsourced statements from October 2025
• Articles with unsourced statements from October 2024
• Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2025
• All articles containing potentially dated statements