Cotulla, Texas | |
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.jpg) Downtown Cotulla | |
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  Cotulla, Texas Location of Cotulla, Texas Show map of Texas Cotulla, Texas Cotulla, Texas (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:28°26′3″N99°14′11″W / 28.43417°N 99.23639°W /28.43417; -99.23639 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | La Salle |
| Area | |
• Total | 2.01 sq mi (5.21 km2) |
| • Land | 2.01 sq mi (5.21 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 440 ft (130 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 3,718 |
| • Density | 1,850/sq mi (714/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes | 78001, 78014 |
| Area code | 830 |
| FIPS code | 48-17216[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2410247[2] |
| Website | https://www.cityofcotulla.org/ |
Cotulla (/kəˈtjuːlə/kə-TEW-lə[4]) is acity in and thecounty seat ofLa Salle County, Texas, United States.[5] Its population was 3,718 as of the2020 census.[6]
Immigrant Joseph Cotulla, who was reared inSilesia, then a part ofPrussia, migrated to the United States in the 1850s. He joined theUnion Army inBrownsville, Texas. He lived inAtascosa County, but arrived in La Salle County in 1868[7] to establish what became a large ranching operation. After learning that theInternational-Great Northern Railroad intended to lay tracks in La Salle County, he worked to establish the town that bears his name.
In 1881, Cotulla donated 120 acres of his land to the railroad, and in 1882, a depot was constructed there. In 1883, the town was granted a post office. The same year, Cotulla became the county seat byspecial election.[8]
In 1928, after completing his freshman year atSouthwest Texas State Teachers College,Lyndon Baines Johnson taught 5th, 6th, and 7th graders at the Welhausen School. He commented when he returned in 1965:
I shall never forget the faces of the boys and the girls in that little Welhausen Mexican School, and I remember even yet the pain of realizing and knowing then that college was closed to practically every one of those children because they were too poor. And I think it was then that I made up my mind that this Nation could never rest while the door to knowledge remained closed to any American. So here, today, back on the campus of my youth, that door is swinging open far wider than it ever did before.[9]
Joseph Cotulla's great-grandson, William Lawrence Cotulla (born around 1936), a former storekeeper in Cotulla, is a rancher in La Salle,Dimmit, andWebb Counties. In a 2013 interview with theLaredo Morning Times, William Cotulla noted the community of his birth has changed completely in less than 80 years, having gone through several phases, beginning with emphasis on farming, then ranching, thereafter hunting leases, and nowpetroleum andnatural gas through theEagle Ford Shale boom.[7] With declining gasoline prices, though, the Eagle Ford boom took a sharp downturn by the fall of 2015.[10]
In 1973, two railroad locomotives collided in Cotulla, and three people were killed as a result.[11] In 2008, the area around Cotulla burned in a huge grass fire.[citation needed]
Cotulla is located at28°26′3″N99°14′11″W / 28.43417°N 99.23639°W /28.43417; -99.23639 (28.434144, –99.236343). This is 81 mi (147 km) southwest ofSan Antonio.[12]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2), all land. TheNueces River flows through southern Cotulla in a southeastward direction to theGulf of Mexico, nearCorpus Christi.
According to theKöppen climate classification, Cotulla has ahumid subtropical climate,Cfa on climate maps.
| Climate data for Cotulla, Texas (Cotulla–La Salle County Airport), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1901–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 94 (34) | 100 (38) | 106 (41) | 106 (41) | 109 (43) | 116 (47) | 111 (44) | 111 (44) | 112 (44) | 104 (40) | 98 (37) | 95 (35) | 116 (47) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 85.9 (29.9) | 90.3 (32.4) | 93.6 (34.2) | 99.3 (37.4) | 103.2 (39.6) | 105.0 (40.6) | 104.5 (40.3) | 106.3 (41.3) | 102.4 (39.1) | 97.1 (36.2) | 89.7 (32.1) | 84.7 (29.3) | 108.1 (42.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 67.4 (19.7) | 73.6 (23.1) | 79.7 (26.5) | 86.0 (30.0) | 92.8 (33.8) | 97.9 (36.6) | 99.2 (37.3) | 100.3 (37.9) | 93.9 (34.4) | 86.6 (30.3) | 75.7 (24.3) | 68.7 (20.4) | 85.2 (29.5) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 55.7 (13.2) | 60.9 (16.1) | 67.2 (19.6) | 73.4 (23.0) | 80.7 (27.1) | 85.7 (29.8) | 87.0 (30.6) | 87.7 (30.9) | 82.4 (28.0) | 74.7 (23.7) | 64.0 (17.8) | 56.8 (13.8) | 73.0 (22.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 43.9 (6.6) | 48.3 (9.1) | 54.8 (12.7) | 60.7 (15.9) | 68.6 (20.3) | 73.6 (23.1) | 74.7 (23.7) | 75.0 (23.9) | 70.8 (21.6) | 62.8 (17.1) | 52.4 (11.3) | 44.9 (7.2) | 60.9 (16.0) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 27.9 (−2.3) | 30.7 (−0.7) | 35.9 (2.2) | 44.0 (6.7) | 54.8 (12.7) | 68.0 (20.0) | 70.1 (21.2) | 70.5 (21.4) | 60.1 (15.6) | 42.9 (6.1) | 33.1 (0.6) | 28.6 (−1.9) | 25.3 (−3.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 16 (−9) | 16 (−9) | 23 (−5) | 36 (2) | 44 (7) | 56 (13) | 62 (17) | 63 (17) | 50 (10) | 35 (2) | 26 (−3) | 20 (−7) | 16 (−9) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 0.85 (22) | 1.26 (32) | 1.57 (40) | 1.33 (34) | 3.01 (76) | 2.20 (56) | 2.26 (57) | 1.67 (42) | 2.98 (76) | 2.39 (61) | 1.15 (29) | 1.01 (26) | 21.68 (551) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 6.1 | 5.7 | 5.4 | 4.9 | 6.3 | 4.8 | 5.9 | 3.5 | 7.1 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 6.0 | 64.7 |
| Source 1: NOAA[13] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[14] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 672 | — | |
| 1910 | 1,880 | — | |
| 1920 | 1,058 | −43.7% | |
| 1930 | 3,175 | 200.1% | |
| 1940 | 3,633 | 14.4% | |
| 1950 | 4,418 | 21.6% | |
| 1960 | 3,960 | −10.4% | |
| 1970 | 3,415 | −13.8% | |
| 1980 | 3,912 | 14.6% | |
| 1990 | 3,694 | −5.6% | |
| 2000 | 3,614 | −2.2% | |
| 2010 | 3,603 | −0.3% | |
| 2020 | 3,718 | 3.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[15] | |||
As of the2020 census, 3,718 people, 1,294 households, and 1,110 families resided in the city. The median age was 36.9 years. 27.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 89.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.0 males age 18 and over.[16]
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[17]
There were 1,294 households in Cotulla, of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 37.9% were married-couple households, 18.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 34.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[16]
There were 1,683 housing units, of which 23.1% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 20.0%.[16]
| Race | Number | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1,555 | 41.8% |
| Black or African American | 17 | 0.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 5 | 0.1% |
| Asian | 4 | 0.1% |
| Native Hawaiian andOther Pacific Islander | 0 | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 429 | 11.5% |
| Two or more races | 1,708 | 45.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 3,244 | 87.3% |
As of thecensus[3] of 2000, 3,614 people, 1,208 households, and 901 families were residing in the city. Thepopulation density was 1,831.8 people per mi2 (708.3/km2). The 1,504 housing units averaged 762.3 per mi2 (294.8/km2). Theracial makeup of the city was 83.45% White, 0.64% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 12.67% from other races, and 2.35% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 83.56% of the population.
Of the 1,208 households, 39.0% had children under 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 17.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4% were not families. About 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.95, and the average family size was 3.50.
In the city, the age distribution was 33.6% under 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $23,250 and for a family was $25,951. Males had a median income of $21,199 versus $17,415 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $10,856. About 27.9% of families and 30.1% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 39.0% of those under age 18 and 28.1% of those age 65 or over.
Cotulla is governed by a five-member city council and a mayor. The La Salle County Courthouse in downtown Cotulla has undergone extensive renovation.
Municipalities and communities ofLa Salle County, Texas,United States | ||
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