Images, from top down, left to right: Chase Bank Tower in downtown McAllen; Interior of the Quinta Mazatlan;McAllen Convention Center at night; McAllen Performing Arts Center; Entrance toMcAllen Public Library
From its settlement in 1904, the area around McAllen was largely rural and agricultural in character, but the latter half of the 20th century had steady growth, which has continued in the 21st century in the metropolitan area. The introduction of themaquiladora economy and theNorth American Free Trade Association led to an increase in cross-border trading with Mexico.[7]
In 1904, the Hidalgo and San Miguel Extension (now the Sam Fordyce Branch) of theSt. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway reached the Santa Anita Ranch. John McAllen and his son James had donated land to the railroad to guarantee it would cross this area. On December 5, 1904, the McAllen Townsite Company was formed by Uriah Lott, Leonidas C. Hill Sr., John McAllen (1826-1913), James Ballí McAllen (1862-1916), and John J. Young. The new community, which was named for John McAllen, had the depot nearest the county seat,Hidalgo, 8 mi (13 km) to the south.
By 1911, 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) were under cultivation in East McAllen: commodity crops of cotton, alfalfa,broom corn, citrus fruits, grapes, and figs were raised. East McAllen had an estimated population of 1,000 that year, and West McAllen had ceased to exist. In 1911, the town applied for and was issued a charter of incorporation under the name McAllen. In 1916, 20,000 New York state troops were stationed at McAllen to help quellborder disturbances related to the Mexican Civil War. The resulting economic boom increased the population from 1,200 in 1916 to 6,000 in 1920.[8]
McAllen adopted ahome rule charter in 1927. Canning factories, a winery, tortilla plants, wood-working plants, and some oil exploration increased the population to 9,074 by 1930. In 1936, Hiram Garner opened the Valley Distillery, Incorporated, which produced wines from citrus juices. The town was a petroleum andfarm chemurgic center with a population of 11,877 in 1940, by which time it had adopted the nickname "The City of Palms". In 1941, asuspension bridge replaced the old bridge from Hidalgo to Reynosa inTamaulipas; the new toll bridge was purchased by McAllen and was named theMcAllen–Hidalgo–Reynosa International Bridge. Its construction resulted in increased tourist trade, making McAllen a winter resort and port of entry to Mexico.
The discovery of oil in the Reynosa area in 1947 attracted a large migration of people from the Mexican interior to jobs in the region. They both constituted a new tourist market and a cheap labor supply for McAllen. The sister cities were linked as a result of the increased traffic between them. The population of McAllen was 20,005 in 1950 and 32,728 in 1960. In 1954 the McAllen–Hidalgo–Reynosa International Bridge was the number-two port of entry into Mexico.[9]
McAllen was an agricultural, oil, and tourist center in 1970, when the population reached 37,636. By the start of the 1970s, McAllen had a 200-bed hospital and a new air-conditioned high school, the first school in the nation featuring on-site power generated bynatural gas-powered turbines. The tourism industry continued to expand as people traveled to the area from both Mexico and the northern United States. The population continued to grow steadily through the 1970s, and reached 66,281 by 1980. During the late 1980s, the McAllen Foreign Trade Zone was an important general-purposeforeign trade zone.[10] At the time, McAllen's main industries were retail, tourism and farming, and each was in trouble. The devaluation of theMexican peso in the 1980s put a damper on cross-border shopping; local tourism was down because of therecession. In 1983, a freeze took out much of the valley's citrus crop.
In the mid-1980s, fueled by trade and the growth of themaquiladora (in which components are shipped to Mexico from the United States, assembled, and shipped back as finished products), the economy began to improve in Hidalgo County. McAllen sits across the border from Reynosa, a large manufacturing center. After the peso devalued, Mexico was more successful in attracting companies to run their plants in Mexico, with support operations in Texas.
The mayor emphasized how safe and secure the city is whenU.S military troops were mobilized in the city to help the Border Patrol.[14] Portions of therazor wire coils considered unnecessary by the city were removed after troops had placed it at the border.[14] The troops assisted by usingmilitary helicopters to carry border patrol agents to and from locations along theMexico–United States border and by maintaining vehicles.[11] During these border support activities, they are prohibited from law enforcement activities, such as detaining migrants or seizing drugs.[11] U.S. military troops are prohibited from carrying outlaw enforcement duties.[15] TheMarine Corps Commandant GeneralRobert Neller expressed concerns about the impact of continuingborder support on combat readiness for the troops.[11]
McAllen, located in southern Hidalgo County,[16] is bordered to the southwest byGranjeno; to the west byMission,Palmhurst, andAlton; to the north byEdinburg, the Hidalgocounty seat; to the east byPharr; and to the south byHidalgo. The McAllen city limits extend to the southwest as far as the Rio Grande, directly north of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, in Mexico. TheAnzalduas International Bridge crosses the Rio Grande at this point, 11 mi (18 km) southwest of downtown McAllen.
McAllen is 238 mi (383 km) south ofSan Antonio, 158 mi (254 km) southwest ofCorpus Christi, 148 mi (238 km) southeast ofLaredo, 60 mi (97 km) northwest ofBrownsville, and 150 mi (240 km) northeast ofMonterrey.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 48.6 square miles (126.0 km2), of which 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km2), or 0.62%, is covered by water.[17]
McAllen, like much ofSouth Texas, has asubtropical climate.[18] Under theKöppen climate classification, the city features a subtropicalsemiarid climate (BSh), featuring long, very hot and humid summers, and brief, warm winters. The city has two distinct seasons, awet season from May to October and adry season from November to April. The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from 62.8 °F (17.1 °C) in January to 89.3 °F (31.8 °C) in August.[19] The warm season is extremely long, as average high temperatures from May through September are above 90 °F (32 °C) and average low temperatures are above 70 °F (21 °C), with relatively highdew point values, resulting in higherrelative humidity andheat index values. Heat indices consistently reach over 110 °F (43 °C) during these months. Winter temperatures in McAllen and surrounding Rio Grande Valley are some of the warmest in thecontiguous United States outside ofSouth Florida, and comparable to theCoachella andImperial Valleys andYuma Desert, but with warmer nighttime lows and higherdew points.
Average annual precipitation is 22.31 in (567 mm). Most precipitation occurs in the warm season, with the least precipitation distinctly occurring in the cooler winter. As September is the peak of the northAtlantic hurricane season and tropical storms and hurricanes occasionally drop copious amounts of rainfall on the region, this month tends by far to be the wettest, averaging 4.74 in (120 mm) of rain. The driest month is February, with only 0.66 in (17 mm) of precipitation. Since 1941, it has snowed twice, once when the city received 1.7 in (43 mm) onDecember 25, 2004.[19]
Temperatures consistently rise above 100 °F (38 °C) from June through August, with exceptionally high humidity. The highest temperature ever recorded in McAllen was 111 °F (44 °C), set on June 22, 2017 and May 9, 2024. The lowest temperature ever recorded in McAllen was 13 °F (−11 °C), on January 12, 1962.[19]
While usually a hot, humid, but relatively dry climate, McAllen has received unusual weather phenomena. In 2013, McAllen received a large hailstorm that destroyed many vehicles and buildings. The storm came suddenly, and many people were unprepared. In December 2017, McAllen received almost 3 in (76 mm) of snow, nearly 13 years after the previous snowfall, which took place during the2004 Christmas Eve United States winter storm. In February 2021, McAllen reached record low temperatures between 10 °F (−12 °C) and 20 °F (−7 °C) and lost power, heat, and water for a week due toWinter Storm Uri. In addition to these fluke weather events, McAllen is prone to tropical storms, hurricanes such asHurricane Dolly (2008) andHurricane Hanna (2020), and heatwaves.
McAllen, 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 thecensus of 2010, 129,877 people, 41,573 households, and 31,823 families resided in the city. Of the 45,862 housing units, 4,289, or 9.4%, were vacant.
Theracial makeup of the city was 83.9% White, 0.9% African American, 0.4% Native American, 2.6% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 10.4% some other race, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 84.6% of the population.
Of the 41,573 households, 46.0% had children under 18 living with them, 52.2% were married couples living together, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.5% were not families. About 19.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.9% were someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.10, and the average family size was 3.58.
In the city, the age distribution was 30.1% under 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% 65 or older. The median age was 32.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.
For the period 2012–2016, the estimated median annual income for a household in the city was $45,568, and for a family was $50,184. Theper capita income for the city was $21,726. About 22.5% of families and 25.7% of the entire population were below thepoverty line, including 36.6% of those under age 18 and 21.4% of those age 65 or over.[25]
Based on the Texas Department of Public Safety'sAnnual Crime in Texas report and the FBI'sCrime in the United States report, five murders were reported during 2022.[26] The city has been consistently ranked among the safest cities in Texas.[27]
McAllen was the focus of a 2009 article inThe New Yorker byAtul Gawande entitled "The Cost Conundrum", an inquiry into the factors that contribute to the cost of health care. The McAllen area had the highest taxpayer-sponsored spending per beneficiary in the United States, despite areas with similar demographics and health profiles having half the cost per recipient. The article noted that while the area has a higher prevalence of obesity and diabetes, its rates ofinfant mortality,HIV, andtobacco use were lower than the national average.[28]
McAllen was the mostobese metropolitan area in the country in 2012, with 38.5% of the adult population considered obese. The high obesity rate has likely contributed to area residents' poor health. More than 21% of the population has been diagnosed withdiabetes, more than any other metro area in the United States. Poverty may play a large role in the community's health problems, as well. Over 25% of the city population was living below the poverty line during the period 2012–2016.[25] More than 29% of the population also lacked health coverage during that time.[25]
McAllen is featured inSupersize vs Superskinny,[29] a British television programme on Channel 4 that features information about dieting and extreme eating lifestyles. One of the main show features is a weekly comparison between an overweight person and an underweight person. In the show, the overweight participant visits morbidly obese McAllen residents to find motivation for lifestyle and diet changes.
TheRio Grande Valley began its rapid development with the introduction ofirrigation in 1898 and the construction of the railroad in 1904. These major additions turned a once relatively desolate area into a major agricultural center. Throughout much of the 1900s, McAllen was a rural, agriculture-based economy characterized by sporadic growth.
Today, the area is transforming into a major international trade area. As recently as 1990, McAllen's unemployment rate was at 22.6%. By the end of 2005, that figure had dropped to 7.7%. However, in 2011, census.gov listed the McAllen metro area the poorest in the nation.[30] As of 2012, the average cost of a home in McAllen was the third-least expensive in the country, at $178,000, while average monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment was $708. In 2012, the cost of living in McAllen was 16.2% lower than the national average.[31]
Since the 1980s and especially since the ratification of theNorth American Free Trade Agreement in 1994, the focal point of economic activity has shifted from agriculture to international trade, health care, retail, and tourism.
The McAllen Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) is located south of McAllen between McAllen and Reynosa. Commissioned in 1973, it was the first inlandforeign-trade zone in the United States. Also, an FTZ designation site is at theMcAllen Miller International Airport to facilitate air cargo needs. Under U.S. and Mexican laws and NAFTA provisions, the FTZ designation offers specific cost-saving opportunities to manufacturers. Products can be brought into the FTZ duty-free. Services have recently expanded to include full logistic support services, including public warehouse services such as pick and pack, order processing, inventory control, incoming/outgoing quality inspection, and kitting.[32]
McAllen is positioned on a major flyway, the migratory path of birds between North and South America, presenting opportunities for bird and butterfly expeditions. The landscape hosts a diverse wildlife population. The Quinta Mazatlan, a historic Spanish colonial mansion, is used as McAllen's wing of the World Birding Center.[33] The McAllen Nature Center is a popular spot for bird-watchers and nature enthusiasts alike. This preserved green space offers visitors a chance to explore walking trails, climb a small hill, and has a cactus garden - all without any charge for admission.
The Bicentennial Bike Path runs from Highway 83 on the south side to Bicentennial and Trenton Road on the north side. The International Museum of Art & Science,[34] Smithsonian affiliate and AAM-accredited museum founded in 1967, is located near the path at the corner of Bicentennial and Nolana Avenue.
The Zinnia Spray Water Park is McAllen's firstsprayground park. It is located at 29th and Zinnia Ave.[35]
Champion Lakes Golf Course is located on South Ware Road just south of Highway 83. The golf course has 18 holes plus a driving range. This course hosts numerous tournaments year round.[36]
TheUnited States Postal Service operates two post offices in McAllen: McAllen Post Office, located at 620 Pecan Blvd, and the McAllen Downtown Post Office at 406 12th Street.[40][41]
The 2LT Luis G. Garcia United States Army Reserve Center located at 600 S Col Rowe Blvd is home for theUnited States Army Reserve 961st Quartermaster Company, 461st Transportation Detachment, and 519th Transportation Detachment.
Metro McAllen (formerly McAllen Express Transit – MET) has provided public transportation for the City of McAllen since June 1997. In the beginning, McAllen Express was administered by theLower Rio Grande Valley Development Council. Since 2005, Metro McAllen has been operated as a department of the city of McAllen. Metro McAllen now has 12 fixed routes and paratransit, serving residents and visitors. It operates seven days a week, from 6am–9pm Monday through Saturday and from 8am-6pm on Sunday. LRGVDC continues to operate regional buses under the name Valley Metro.
The City of McAllen also operates the bus terminal facility in downtown McAllen, known as McAllen Central Station. Central Station serves as a hub for MET and for 14 private domestic and international bus lines. Around 60 buses depart from Central Station on a daily basis. It is centrally located in downtown McAllen at 1501 W Hwy 83.
South Texas College has a total of more than 27,000 students attending its five campuses in Hidalgo and Starr counties, and the eSTC virtual campus. The main campus is in McAllen.
McAllen Public Library operates a main library and two branches, the Lark Branch and the Palm View Branch. The New Main Library opened in the fall of 2011 inside a formerWalmart big-box store.[45] The library earned high praise and received the International Interior Design Association's 2012 Library Interior Design Award.[46]
International Museum of Art & Science (IMAS), founded in 1967, is a Smithsonian Affiliate and American Alliance of Museums (AAM) accredited museum located in McAllen at the corner of Bicentennial and Nolana Avenue.
^Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020
