α.^12 Area, city density, metro population/density and CSA population/density as of the 2017 estimate.[6][7] β.^ Urban population/density as of the 2020 Census.[8]
The city was founded in 1848 by American entrepreneurCharles Stillman after he developed a successful river-boat company nearby. It was named forFort Brown, itself named after MajorJacob Brown, who fought and died while serving as aU.S. Army soldier during theMexican–American War (1846–1848). As acounty seat, the city and county governments are major employers. Other primary employers fall within the service, trade, and manufacturing industries, including a growingaerospace andspace transportation sector. It operates international trading through thePort of Brownsville. The city experienced a population increase in the early 1900s, when steel production flourished.
In 1781, Spanish government officials granted José Salvador de la Garza 59 leagues of land (408 sq mi). He used the land to construct a ranch several miles northwest of the area. During the early 1800s, Brownsville was known to residents aslos tejidos (English: "pasturelands").[11] Settler presence grew around 1836 when Texas colonial ruledeclared its independence from Mexico. On February 4, 1846, United States PresidentJames K. Polk instructed American GeneralZachary Taylor and his troops, including 2nd LT. Ulysses S. Grant, to begin moving south towards what was still remembered aslos tejidos. Once Taylor arrived, he builtFort Texas. It was later renamedFort Brown for Major Jacob Brown,[12] one of two American soldiers who died during thesiege of Fort Texas.[11][13]
Charles Stillman arrived in Matamoros in 1828 fromConnecticut to help his father in the cotton trade.[11] Brownsville became part of Texas after the signing of theTreaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. During that year, Stillman formed a partnership with Samuel Belden[14] and Simon Mussina to form the Brownsville Town Company.[15] They reportedly sold lots valued at $1,500 following displacement of prior residents. Brownsville was originally established as a U.S. recognized city in late 1848 following Stillman's colonization efforts, and was made the county seat of Cameron County on January 13, 1849. The state originally incorporated the city on January 24, 1850. This was repealed on April 1, 1852, because of a land-ownership dispute between Stillman and its former owners (includingJuan Cortina, a Mexican rancher). The state reincorporated the city on February 7, 1853; this remains in effect. The issue of ownership was not decided until 1879, when theUnited States Supreme Court ruled in favor of Stillman.[15]
On April 25, 1846, CaptainSeth B. Thornton received reports of Mexican troops crossing the Rio Grande. Thornton and 63U.S. dragoons moved to Rancho de Carricitos and discovered several houses in the area. Mexican General Anastasio Torrejón crossed the Rio Grande the previous day. He commanded 1,600 cavalry and infantry troops to surround Thornton's troops in fractions. Due to heavy force from Torrejón's troops, Thornton's troops surrendered. Eleven American casualties were reported; 45 troops and Thornton were held as prisoners. Reports of the incident were sent to President James K. Polk, who announced, "American blood has been spilled upon the American territory." On May 13, theUnited States Congress declared war against Mexico.[16]
American GeneralZachary Taylor retreated from Fort Texas on May 1, 1846; Mexican GeneralMariano Arista began preparing artillery and troops from across the Rio Grande.[17] On May 3, Arista and the Mexican Army began the siege of Fort Texas, during the first active campaign in the Mexican–American War. This was counteracted by theUnited States 7th Infantry Regiment.[13] Despite heavy strikes, Mexican GeneralPedro de Ampudia outlined a traditional siege to move forward. Taylor was notified of the incident and began moving towards Fort Texas. Mexican troops intercepted them nearPalo Alto, about 5 mi (8.0 km) north of present-day Brownsville,[18] resulting in the first battle of the war.[19]
The following day, Mexican troops had retreated. Taylor's troops charged up to them, resulting in theBattle of Resaca de la Palma, which took place within the present limits. When Taylor arrived at the besieged Fort Texas, he found that two soldiers, including the fort's commander, Major Jacob Brown, had died. Brown, who suffered an injury when a cannonball hit his leg, died three days after his injury on May 9. In his honor, General Taylor renamed the facility as Fort Brown. An old cannon at theUniversity of Texas at Brownsville andTexas Southmost College marks the spot where Major Brown received his fatal wound.[20]
On July 13, 1859, Juan Cortina saw Brownsville city Marshal Robert Sheers arrest and beat an elderly man who had been a ranch hand at his mother's ranch. Cortina approached the marshal, questioning his motives, before shooting him twice after he refused to release the man. The first shot reportedly missed Sheers, but the second struck his shoulder, causing him to fall to the ground. Cortina and the elderly man rode off on a horse.[21][22] The following year, Cortina returned with troops, executing four Anglo men and simultaneously releasing several Mexican prisoners. He then issued a proclamation explaining his reasons for the attack.[23]
Map showcasing the location of the Battle of Palmito Ranch
During theAmerican Civil War, Brownsville served as a smuggling point for Confederate goods into Mexico. Most significantly, cotton was smuggled to European ships through the Mexican port ofBagdad to avoid Unionblockades.[24] The city was located at the end of the "Cotton Road",[25] southwest of theCotton Belt.[26] In November 1863, Union troops landed atPort Isabel and marched towards Brownsville to take control of Fort Brown.[27] In the ensuingBattle of Brownsville, Confederate forces abandoned the fort, blowing it up with 8,000 lb (3,600 kg) of explosives. In 1864, Confederate forces commanded by ColonelJohn Salmon Ford reoccupied the town, and he became mayor of Brownsville.[28][29]
Robert E. Lee and his Confederate army surrendered to Union commanderUlysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865, signing a hand-written document at theAppomattox Court House, effectively ending the American Civil War.[30] Theodore Barrett was ordered to move 50062nd Regiment troops of colors towards Brazos Island. On May 11, Barrett's troops moved inland towards Brownsville and spotted Confederate soldiers.[31] John Salmon Ford received news of this and prepared to attack. On May 15, 1865, 34 days after thesigning of the surrender, theBattle of Palmito Ranch took place. Confederates killed or wounded around 30 opponents and captured more than 100 other troops.[31] This is accepted by some historians as the last battle of the American Civil War.[32] President Grant sent Union GeneralFrederick Steele to Brownsville to patrol the United States–Mexico border after the Civil War to aid theJuaristas with military supplies.[33][34][35]
Texas, like other Southern states, passed a new constitution andJim Crow laws that established racial segregation and disenfranchised African Americans at the turn of the 20th century, generally by raising barriers to voter registration. While Hispanic residents were considered white under the terms of the United States annexation of Texas, legislatures found ways to suppress their participation in politics.[36]
On August 13 and 14, 1906, Brownsville was the site of theBrownsville affair. Racial tensions were increasing between white townsfolk and black infantrymen who were stationed at Fort Brown. On the night of August 13, one white bartender was killed, and a white police officer was wounded by rifle shots in the street.[37] Townsfolk, including the mayor, accused the infantrymen of the murders. Without affording them a chance to defend themselves in a hearing, PresidentTheodore Roosevelt dishonorably discharged the entire 167-member regiment due to their alleged "conspiracy of silence".[37] Investigations in the 1970s revealed that the soldiers were not responsible for the attacks, and theNixon Administration reversed all dishonorable discharges.[37] Fort Brown was decommissioned after the end ofWorld War II in 1945. In 1948, the city and college acquired the land.[38]
In the spring of 1991, a cluster ofanencephaly cases in the area made national headlines,[39] prompting a public health investigation. A high anencephaly rate, of 19.7 per 10,000 live births, was found. Additionally, it was discovered that otherneural tube defects, includingspina bifida andencephalocele, had been an ongoing, undetected issue in pregnant Mexican-American women for years in the area.[40] Subsequently, multiplerisk factors were found, such asfolate deficiency, and that increasing dietary folate intake had a protective effect.[41]
Brownsville has received significant media attention surrounding immigration policies and border-wall funding costs. In 2006, PresidentGeorge W. Bush signed into law theSecure Fence Act of 2006. The act administered the construction of a tall border "fence" extending from thePacific Ocean (atSan Diego andTijuana's border crossing), through the entry of thePort of Brownsville.[42] In 2008, theUnited States Department of Homeland Security issued a proposal to add 70 mi (110 km) of border fence, an action which would potentially reallocate portions of theUniversity of Texas at Brownsville campus.[43][44] The proposal would have transferred 180 acres (73 ha) of university land, including several historical monuments and the university's golf course, to Mexico.[45] The proposal was altered afterAndrew Hanen, a federal district judge, rejected the department's idea.[45]
In 2016, Republican presidential candidateDonald Trump proposed building a border wall along the United States-Mexico border. Trump's proposed wall, if completed, would consist of 2,000 mi (3,200 km) "of hardenedconcrete, and ...rebar, andsteel" across the southern border, including Brownsville.[46] On January 25, 2017, days after assuming office, Trump issuedExecutive Order 13767, directing construction for the border wall. Brownsville was also the center of controversy surrounding the new administration's continuation of an Obama-era policy of housing immigrant children separate from adults (except for mothers) who entered the country unlawfully. The issue surroundedCasa Padre, the largestjuvenile immigration detention center in America, which is located within Brownsville's city limits.[47]
Downtown Brownsville has received several revitalization projects from the city government to increase tourism and safety.[48] TheTexas Historical Commission named Brownsville as part of its Main Street Program in 2016.[49] Several historic buildings were restored, including the Stegman Building, a historic building named after Baldwin G. Stegman, one of the city's firststreetcar line developers.[50] TheEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA) selected Brownsville as one of six cities for their "Greening America's Communities" program.[51] The agency worked on a revitalization project for Market Square, a building constructed in 1850.[52] The city also received a $3.4 million grant from the Façade Improvement Program for this project.[53]
Brownsville is one of the southernmost cities in thecontiguous United States;[54] only a handful of municipalities inFlorida'sMiami-Dade andMonroe Counties (plusEverglades City,Collier County) are located farther south than Brownsville. The city has a total area of 84.867 sq mi (220 km2), of which 81.528 sq mi (211 km2) are land and 3.339 sq mi (9 km2) are water, according to the United States Census Bureau of 2017.[55]
Brownsville is situated at the intersection of several differentclimates zones, such as thesubtropics, theChihuahuan Desert, theGulf Coastal Plain, and the southern reach of the AmericanGreat Plains, thus attracting high numbers of migratory birds, and creating a uniquebiome for many species of plants and animals. Its idiosyncratic network ofresacas (English:oxbow lakes),distributaries of theRio Grande, provide habitat for numerous nesting and breeding birds, typically during the spring and fall migrations.[56][57] Brownsville's vegetation is classified asgrassland.[58]
Brownsville is in one metropolitan statistical area as defined by the United States Census Bureau. TheBrownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville combined statistical area consists of Cameron County andWillacy County. It includes the Brownsville metropolitan area and the micropolitan area of Raymondville. The city of Raymondville is the county seat of Willacy County. The Brownsville-Harlingen-Raymondville combined statistical area is home to 445,309 people (2017 estimated), making it the106th-largest combined statistical area in the United States.[59] Based on theUniform Crime Report conducted by theFederal Bureau of Investigation in 2013, the Brownsville metropolitan area ranked last on its list of the "Most Dangerous Cities" in Texas, with "240 incidents of violent crime per 100,000 people" and a murder rate of 1.4. Robbery crimes make up 25% of overall crime in the city, with a rate of 58.1 per 100,000 residents.[60]
In 2011, Brownsville became one of the first cities in the United States to require stores to charge a fee for single-use plastic shopping bags. The ordinance was enacted to reduce pollution and litter around the city.[61] The city repealed the ordinance in 2018 after it was ruled illegal by theSupreme Court of Texas.[62]Forbes identified Brownsville as one of 12 metropolitan areas in the United States with the cleanest air.[63] In 2018, the Brownsville–Harlingen area was among the "Cleanest U.S. Cities for Ozone Air Pollution" in theAmerican Lung Association's "State of the Air" in 2018.[64]
TheSabal mexicana (Texas sabal palm) is a native plant species in Brownsville.
Broadleaf evergreen plants, includingpalms, dominate Brownsville neighborhoods to a greater degree than other locations in Texas, including nearby cities such asHarlingen andMcAllen. Brownsville is home to theSabal mexicana,[65] the only species ofpalmetto palm native to Texas with a significant trunk (Sabal minor, also native to Texas, is nearly trunkless).[66] Though it used to cover a large portion of the land next to the Rio Grande, the city contains one of the last native stands ofS. mexicana.[67]Citharexylum berlandieri (Tamaulipan fiddlewood),[65]Rivina humilis (pigeonberry), andLeucophyllum frutescens (Texas sage) are also native flora.[65]
Soils are mostly of clay to silty clay loam texture, moderately alkaline (pH 8.2) to strongly alkaline (pH 8.5) and with a significant degree ofsalinity in many places;[68] other types of soils present around the city include Cameron clay and sporadic amounts of Laredo silt loam. Due to Brownsville's proximity to the coast, Lomalta clay is common around the swamp areas of the vicinity.[69] Several parts of the city have a high risk of localized flooding because of flat topography, ubiquitous low-permeability clay soils, and inadequate infrastructure funding.[70]
According to theUnited States Geological Survey, Brownsville's soils are primarilyalluvium and windblown deposits.[71] The majority of the city's soil is made of floodplain deposits from the Rio Grande; it consists of clay, sand, silt, gravel, and organic matter. Windblown deposits are made up of "active dunes and dune complexes" that contain mostly clay and silt near the coastal region and combination of clay, sand, and silt inland.[71]
Brownsville has ahumid subtropical climate (KöppenCfa). Winters are warm, and summers are hot and humid.[72] Due to its location on theGulf Coast about 2.49° north of theTropic of Cancer, the climate closely borders atropical savanna climate. Due to its proximity to the deserts of Chihuahua andGulf Coastal Plains, Brownsville's geographic location lies near the boundary of a hotsemi-arid climate.[72] Snow is a very rare event in Brownsville. Itswet season is concentrated during the late summer and early fall, peaking in September, when the threat fromtropical cyclones is greatest. In most years, November through April is thedry season. As such, Brownsville receives modest annual rainfall, averaging about 26.78 in (680 mm) annually based on records between 1991 and 2020.[73]
The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 62.9 °F (17.2 °C) in January to 87 °F (30.6 °C) in August. Heat waves during the summer have caused 141 days of high temperatures over 90 °F (32.2 °C) and fewer than five days of temperatures above 100 °F (37.8 °C). The city is located along the boundary ofUSDA hardiness zones 9b and 10a.[74] The hottest temperature on record in Brownsville occurred on March 27, 1984, and August 28, 2023, when the city reached 106 °F (41 °C). On the other extreme, freezing temperatures occur once or twice a year typically.[73] On December 25, 2004, Brownsville recorded its first instance of measurable snow in 109 years with 1.5 in (3.8 cm), and the first recordedWhite Christmas.[75] Brownsville's lowest temperature on record occurred onFebruary 13, 1899, when the city reached 12 °F (−11 °C).[76] Based on 30-year averages obtained from theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration'sNational Climatic Data Center weather records,24/7 Wall St. ranked Brownsville the fifth-hottest city in America in 2016.[77]
Brownsville is the 18th-most populous city in Texas. It ranks as one of the top U.S. cities in terms of the percentage of Hispanic residents.[93] According to thePew Research Center, its metropolitan area holds the 26th-largest Hispanic population with roughly 373,000 (88.7%) sharing this distinction. Of that percentage, 96.7% are Mexican and 0.8% are Puerto Rican.[94]
Brownsville 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.
The median age was 29.9 years old. A total of 12.0% of the population was 65 or older, with 7.1% between the ages of 65 and 74, 3.3% between the ages of 75 and 84, and 1.6% 85 or older. A total of 25.9% of the population were foreign born, with 35.7% of those being US citizens, and 64.3% of those were not US citizens.[99]
The median household income was $47,435, with families having $50,127, married couples having $59,604, and non-families had $18,322. A total of 22.0% of the population were in poverty, with 36.4% of people under 18, 21.2% of people between the ages of 18 and 64, and 28.2% of people 65 or older were in poverty.[99]
As of thecensus[4] of 2010,[100] 175,023 people, 49,871 households, and 41,047 families were residing in the city. Thepopulation density was 1,207.1 people/sq mi (466.0/km2). The 53,936 housing units averaged 372.0/sq mi (143.6/km2). Theracial makeup of the city was 88% White, 0.4% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 9.1% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 93.2% of the population.[101]
Of the 38,174 households, 50.1% had children under 18 living with them, 59.3% were married couples living together, 20.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 15.7% were not families. About 13.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.62, and the average family size was 3.99.[100]
In the city, the age distribution was 34.6% under 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 17.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males.[100]
Despite a fast-growing economy, Brownsville has one of the highest poverty rates in the nation. The median income for a household in the city was $24,468, and the median income for a family was $26,186. Males had a median income of $21,739 versus $17,116 for females. Theper capita income for the city is $9,762. It is frequently cited as having the highest percentage of residents in the nation below thefederal poverty level. About 31.6% of families and 35.7% of the population were below the federalpoverty line, including 48.4% of those under 18 and 31.5% of those 65 or over.[102][103]
Based on data collected from theUnited States Census Bureau's American Community Survey, the Brownsville metropolitan area ranked as the second-poorest urban area in the country, behind theMcAllen metropolitan area.[104] In 2017, the city's unemployment rate was 6.2% with 18.1% adults holding abachelor's degree.[105] It reported a 5.8% jobless rate the following year.[106] Despite high unemployment rates, the urban area is also one of the fastest growing in the United States.[107]
The Port of Brownsville constructed the Ocean Onyx deepwater rig in 2013[108]
Brownsville's economic activity is derived from the service and manufacturing industries. Government and theUniversity of Texas Rio Grande Valley are both large contributors to the local economy.[109] Other prominent industries in Brownsville include education and aerospace and space transportation. During the first decade of the 1900s, the city's population increased after a boom in theagriculture industry. Brownsville's subtropical climate has made it a commercial hub for the citrus industry.[110]
The Port of Brownsville produces significant revenue for the city of Brownsville. The port, located 2 mi (3.2 km) from the city, provides a link between the road networks of nearby Mexico and theGulf Intracoastal Waterway of Texas.[111] The port has become an important economic hub forSouth Texas, where shipments arrive from other parts of the United States, Mexico, and other foreign countries.[112] The port also participates inship recycling; it has five of the country's eight ship-recycling companies.[113] It received a $1.8 million grant from theUnited States Department of Commerce to support business and infrastructure development. The grant is expected to create 700 jobs and generate $3 million in private investments.[114]
Brownsville's economy is based mainly on itsinternational trade with Mexico under theNorth American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Due to Matamoros'maquiladora (English:textile factory) boom, Brownsville experienced growth in theair cargo industry during the late 1980s.[115] It is home to one of the fastest-growingmanufacturing sectors in the United States.[116] Brownsville has been recognized as having one of the best pro-business climates in the United States,[117] and the city has been ranked among the least-expensive places to live in the country.[118] President Barack Obama signed a bill in 2016 allowing for the deepening of theBrownsville Ship Channel from 42 ft (13 m) to 52 ft (16 m).[119]
The Sams Memorial Stadium is located in Brownsville. It has a capacity of 10,000 and opened in 1957. The stadium is used mostly forAmerican football andsoccer.
Atracking station antenna (pictured) installed at SpaceX Starbase
Entrepreneur and innovatorElon Musk announced the construction of theSpaceX South Texas launch site (nowStarbase), aspaceport forprivate spaceflight east of Brownsville, on the Gulf Coast, in 2014.[122][123] The launch facility is estimated to produceUS$85 million for the city of Brownsville and generate approximatelyUS$51 million in annual salaries from the roughly 500 jobs to be created (by 2024).[124] The facility, itself, was projected to employ 75–100 full-time workers in its first years of operation, with up to 150 full-time employees/contractors by 2019.[125] Musk further helped to fund a revitalization of downtown Brownsville, with new restaurants and bars.[126]
As of October 2014[update], the University of Texas at Brownsville and the Brownsville Economic Development Council (BEDC), in collaboration with SpaceX, are buildingradio-frequency (RF) technology facilities forSTARGATE (Spacecraft Tracking and Astronomical Research into Gigahertz Astrophysical Transient Emission). The facility is intended to provide students and faculty access to radio frequency technologies used inspaceflight operations, and will includesatellite andspacecrafttracking.[127]
SpaceX's presence caused the median price for a home in the area to spike, increasing to $239,000 in April 2022, almost $100,000 higher than three years prior.[126] BEDC purchased five lots inStarbase, totaling 2.3 acres (0.93 ha) near the SpaceX launch site, and renamed it as the "Stargate" subdivision. The beach location will include a 12,000 sq ft (1,100 m2) tracking center.[128] Stargate received several startup grants includingUS$1.2 million from the United StatesEconomic Development Administration.[129]
El Sal Del Rey inside the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge
Brownsville has 37 parks connected by a 1,200-acre (1.9 sq mi) system of parkland and 32 mi (51 km) of bike lanes. The city also has three gymnasiums, two public pools, and 55 athletic fields.[130]
Brownsville has acouncil–manager government. The mayor and a six-member city commission are selected innonpartisan elections.[143] Four members are elected from geographic districts; the remaining two members are elected at-large. Since Brownsville is the county seat of Cameron County, many county offices are in Brownsville. The city's public library system has two branches.[144] The primary law enforcement agency for the city is the Brownsville Police Department. The Brownsville Fire Department has nine stations around the city; its central office is located on the eastern side of the city.[145]
Most of Brownsville is represented by two county commissioners of the five-memberCommissioners' Court (one member, theCounty Judge, represents all of Cameron County).[146] County offices are partisan; the Democratic and Republican Parties hold primaries in March of the year that their office term expires.
Brownsville Independent School District (BISD) serves most of the city. Enrollment in the 2018–2019 school year was 44,402 students,[156] 95% of whom are economically disadvantaged. Enrollment at BISD reached a high of 49,991 students in 2010–2011, and has declined an average of 1,000 students per year since 2014–2015.[157] It is the 17th largest school district in Texas. There are seven high schools within the district:Homer Hanna,Gladys Porter,James Pace,Simon Rivera,Lopez,BECHS, andVeterans Memorial.[158]
Texas Southmost College is acommunity college located near the southern border of Brownsville. As of 2018, it had a total enrollment of 7,132.[165] Students usually transfer to the neighboring University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.[166] The city operates three vocational schools. These include the South Texas Vocational Technical Institute,[167]Brightwood College campus (formerly known as Kaplan College),[168] andSouthern Careers Institute.[169]
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health (UTSPH), is one of five regional campuses established by the Regional Academic Health Center program in 2001; it is located on the Brownsville campus of the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley. The campus offers a PhD program in epidemiology and a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) in health promotion, the only program of its kind available in South Texas. The campus directs its attention to health concerns in the Rio Grande Valley, includingdiabetes,obesity, andcardiovascular disease. It also centers its concerns on genetics and its relationship to infectious and chronic disease.[170]
Brownsville is served byInterstate 69E, sharing its alignment withU.S. Route 77. The highway connects to the cities ofKingsville andCorpus Christi. U.S. Route 77 was a proposed part of the North American Free Trade Agreement's completedInterstate 69 corridor. Other highways that serve the Brownsville area areU.S. Route 83,U.S. Route 281,SH 4 andSH 48.Interstate 169/SH 550 is a toll road that connects North Brownsville to the Port of Brownsville; it forms a loop around the outer city limits of Brownsville. An interchange in nearbyOlmito carries traffic from Interstate 69E onto the highway.[171]
Established in mid-Brownsville in 1978, theBrownsville Urban System (BUS), currently known as the Brownsville Metro, consists of three hubs that run 13 routes covering a large portion of Brownsville. The system provides 11paratransit vans to disabled passengers, complying with the standards for theAmericans with Disabilities Act. It is the only mass transit system in its county and one of the largest in the Rio Grande Valley.[citation needed] Annual ridership for 2015 was 1,384,474.[172]
The City of Brownsville currently has 64 mi (103 km) of hike and bike trails and on-street bike lanes.[175] In 2016, a bike-share program was established in Brownsville in collaboration with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.[176] Six bike stations were installed. The contract was renewed with another company to provide a "dockless ride-share program" in late 2018.[177]
Several attempts were made to attract a railroad, but theSt. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway did not reach Brownsville until 1904. In 1910, a railroad bridge was constructed between Brownsville and Matamoros (Mexico), and regular service between the two towns began. The introduction of the rail link to Brownsville opened the area for settlement by northern farmers, who subsequently arrived in the lower Rio Grande Valley in large numbers.[178]
The new settlers cleared the land of brush, built extensive irrigation systems and roads, and introduced large-scale truck farming. In 1904, H. G. Stillwell Sr. planted the first commercial citrus orchard in the area, thus opening the way for citrus fruit culture, one of the valley's leading industries. The expansion of farming in the area, and the railroad link to the north, brought new prosperity to Brownsville and spurred a host of civic improvements.[179]
Brownsville was served by theMissouri Pacific Railroadnight train from Houston, thePioneer (#315/316) until 1964, and a daily train from Houston, theValley Eagle (#321/322), until 1962.[180] Today, theBrownsville and Rio Grande International Railroad (reporting mark BRG) is a terminal switching railroad headquartered in Brownsville. It operates 45 mi (72 km) of line at the Port of Brownsville, and interchanges withUnion Pacific Railroad andTFM. BRG traffic includes steel, agricultural products, food products, and general commodities.[181]
Electricity, water, and wastewater services in Brownsville are provided by theBrownsville Public Utilities Board. Since it is apublic utility, the city commission appoints six members of the utilities board with the mayor serving as the seventh member (ex-officio).[185] As of 2016, it is the 68th-largest public power utility in the country by number of customers served (48,232).[186] Its power generation was ranked 51st in the US with 1,638,579 megawatt-hours.[186]Renewable resources were projected to increase with partial help from the proposed addition of a 400-megawatt Tenaska combined-cycle electric generating plant in 2015.[187]
A series of wind turbines was also built in the northeast part of Cameron County.[188] The board operates three treatment plants in Brownsville; it also owns 92.91% of the Southmost Regional Water Authority groundwater treatment facility.[189] Severalliquefied natural gas companies are currently in the process of establishing pipelines in the city. Two were denied a review of their applications after missing several deadlines.[190]
Brownsville is known for its strong Mexican culture. Charro Days is a two-nation fiesta celebration held in Brownsville in cooperation with Matamoros, Mexico. It is accompanied withEl Grito, a joyous shout originating in Mexican culture.[191] Musicians and actors of Mexican heritage make appearances.Sombrero Festival is a continuation of Charro Days. It is a three-day event consisting of performances fromtejano,corrido and other traditional Mexican artists as well as a variety of contests. In 2016, a Mexican art gallery donated a statue calledMr. Charro that was unveiled at a park.[192]
A man looking at a painting at the 23rd Annual Brownsville Latin Jazz Festival
The city hosts the Latin Jazz Festival every year around early October in Downtown Brownsville. It is a three-day celebration of localLatin jazz performers, art and dance. The festival began in 1997, founded by American musicianTito Puente.[193] Brownsville has a growing number of arts galleries, including the Puente Art Studio,[194] the Flower Shop Art Studio & Residency, the first live-in art residency in the region, the B&E Art Studio,[195] and the Rusteberg Art Gallery.[196] The Brownsville Museum of Fine Arts features exhibitions of Egyptian and Astronomical art.[197] It was formerly known as the Brownsville Art League, formed by a group of eight women. The museum underwent a renovation in 1960, featuring a 4,000 sq ft (370 m2) studio. In 2002, it changed its name to its current name and underwent another renovation.[198] According to theAssociation of Art Museum Directors, women account for 38% of leadership positions.[199]
Brownsville also has several museums dedicated to historic artifacts and military equipment. The Historic Brownsville Museum opened to the public in 1986. The building was used as a Spanish Colonial Revival passenger depot and was later abandoned. It featuresSpanish architecture and education programs. Several renovations were made over time, including the addition of a Spanish-style fountain, a courtyard and an engine building.[200][201] The Commemorative Air Force Museum houses World War IIaircraft and holds tours on the early events of wars in Asia and Europe. It also documents the stories of pilots who were part of the 201st Mexican Fighter Squadron.[202]
Built in 1850 by Henry Miller, the Stillman House Museum was owned by Charles Stillman and Mexican consulManuel Pérez Treviño. It was the site of meetings with Mexican general and presidentPorfirio Diaz. The Stillman's great-grandson purchased the house after the previous homeowners sold it and donated it to the city after several renovations. It opened to the public in 1960. The home sustained damage fromHurricane Dolly in 2008 and reopened to the public the following year after it was restored.[203] Costumes of the Americas Museum is an indigenous clothing museum. Inspired by Bessie Kirkland Johnson, the museum was opened in 1997 featuring clothing from indigenous people in several Mexican states and other Latin American countries.[204]
The Brownsville Herald is the city's major daily newspaper. It has a circulation of 15,880 with 16,409 on Sundays.[211] Other newspapers that share content within Brownsville includeThe Monitor (headquartered inMcAllen),[212] theValley Morning Star (headquartered in Harlingen) andThe Rider,[213] the official weekly campus paper of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.[214]
^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.
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