Alton, Texas | |
|---|---|
 Show Alton Show Hidalgo County Show Texas Show the United States | |
| Coordinates:26°17′4″N98°18′21″W / 26.28444°N 98.30583°W /26.28444; -98.30583 | |
| Country |  United States of America |
| State |  Texas |
| County | Hidalgo |
| Incorporated | 1978[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 7.31 sq mi (18.94 km2) |
| • Land | 7.31 sq mi (18.93 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0039 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 161 ft (49 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 18,198 |
| • Density | 2,490/sq mi (961.3/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 78573 |
| Area code | 956 |
| FIPS code | 48-02212[4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1329468[5] |
| Website | www |
Alton is a city inHidalgo County,Texas, United States. The population was 18,198 at the2020 census.[3]
Alton was founded in 1910 or 1911 by citizens and railroad officials ofAlton, Illinois.[6]
On September 21, 1989, theAlton bus crash occurred; a Dr. Pepper truck hit aMission Consolidated Independent School District school bus and caused it to fall into acaliche pit, killing 21 students.[7]
Alton is located at26°17′4″N98°18′21″W / 26.28444°N 98.30583°W /26.28444; -98.30583 (26.284307, −98.305940).[8] It is bordered to the south byPalmhurst and to the north and east byMcAllen, although downtown McAllen is 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Alton. It is about 70 miles (110 km) north ofBrownsville.[9]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, Alton has a total area of 7.31 square miles (18.94 km2), of which 0.003 square miles (0.008 km2), or 0.04%, are water.[2]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 2,732 | — | |
| 1990 | 3,069 | 12.3% | |
| 2000 | 4,384 | 42.8% | |
| 2010 | 12,341 | 181.5% | |
| 2020 | 18,198 | 47.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[10] | |||
Alton is part of theMcAllen–Edinburg–Mission andReynosa–McAllen metropolitan areas.
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 439 | 2.41% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 47 | 0.26% |
| Native American orAlaska Native (NH) | 5 | 0.03% |
| Asian (NH) | 22 | 0.12% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 27 | 0.15% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 12 | 0.07% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 17,646 | 96.97% |
| Total | 18,198 |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 18,198 people, 4,566 households, and 3,959 families residing in the city.
As of thecensus[4] of 2000, there were 4,384 people, 1,059 households, and 988 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,075.5 inhabitants per square mile (801.4/km2). There were 1,175 housing units at an average density of 556.3 per square mile (214.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 79.33%White, 0.05%African American, 0.32%Native American, 19.02% fromother races, and 1.28% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 97.90% of the population.
There were 1,059 households, out of which 58.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.7% weremarried couples living together, 17.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 6.7% were non-families. 6.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.14 and the average family size was 4.29.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 37.9% under the age of 18, 12.1% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 14.7% from 45 to 64, and 6.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.
Themedian income for a household in the city was $22,097, and the median income for a family was $23,563. Males had a median income of $18,487 versus $15,341 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $6,230. About 38.7% of families and 42.7% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 51.9% of those under age 18 and 39.3% of those age 65 or over.
Most of Alton is a part of theMission Consolidated Independent School District. Small portions are within theSharyland Independent School District andLa Joya Independent School District.[13][14]
Much of Alton was in the Alton Independent School District until January 27, 1975, when that district merged into Mission CISD.[15]
In 2018 city manager Jorge Arcaute stated that some families moved to Alton specifically to put their children in the Mission CISD and Sharyland ISD schools.[16]
All of Hidalgo County is in the service area ofSouth Texas College.[17]
Mission CISD operates the following elementary schools that serve sections of Alton:[18][19]
Mission CISD operates Alton Memorial Junior High School, named in honor of the Mission CISD students who died in the 1989 bus crash, in Alton.[7] Students zoned to Cantu, Cavazos, and Waitz elementaries are zoned to Alton Memorial, while those zoned to Alton Elementary, Midkiff, and Salinas are zoned to Rafael A. Cantu Junior High School in Palmhurst. Sections of Alton are zoned toMission High School andVeterans Memorial High School inMission.[19]
There is a Mission CISD alternative high school: Mission Collegiate High School, in Alton.[22] Sharyland ISD operates Jesse Jensen Elementary School in Alton.[14] Sharyland ISD sections of Alton are zoned to Jensen, North Junior High School inMcAllen, andSharyland Pioneer High School inunincorporated Hidalgo County.[23]
La Joya ISD operates Domingo Treviño Middle School in Alton.[14][18] The sections of Alton in La Joya ISD are divided between:
In addition,South Texas Independent School District operates magnet schools that serve the community.
Josefa Garcia Park is in Alton. It previously had 5 acres (2.0 ha) of land. In 2018Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) gave a $500,000 grant to increase the park's size to 55 acres (22 ha). The park includes a memorial to the 1989 bus accident, with 21 crosses, one per deceased victim, and a statue of Jesus Christ.[27]
