956 Area Code 🌍☎️

Laredo, Texas is a city in South Texas and the county seat of Webb County, located on the north bank of the Rio Grande across from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, serving as the nation's largest inland port of entry and a major hub for international trade. Founded in 1755 as Villa de San Agustín de Laredo by Don Tomás Sánchez de la Barrera, the city was briefly the capital of the independent Republic of the Rio Grande in 1840 before becoming a U.S. city following the Mexican-American War and the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo in 1848. With a 2020 census population of 255,205, Laredo is Texas's 11th-most populous city and the third-most populated U.S. city on the Mexican border, with a metropolitan area of 267,114 and a cross-border population of 636,516 including Nuevo Laredo. The city's economy is driven by international trade with Mexico and operates as a major transportation hub with four international bridges, two railway bridges, and connectivity to I-35, which links manufacturers throughout North America. Laredo's 95.15% Hispanic population is among the highest in the United States outside Puerto Rico, and the city is home to Texas A&M International University, Laredo College, and hosts the Washington's Birthday Celebration festival, which attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists in January and February. McAllen is a city of 148,782 residents located at the southern tip of Texas in the Rio Grande Valley on the Mexican border, directly across from Reynosa, Mexico, making it the 23rd-most populous city in Texas and anchor of the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the state with 914,820 residents. Founded in 1904 when the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway reached the Santa Anita Ranch after John McAllen and his son donated land, the city was incorporated in 1911 and adopted a home rule charter in 1927. The economy evolved from its agricultural roots - featuring cotton, citrus, and grapes - to include oil exploration, canning factories, and a distillery, with the 1941 completion of the McAllen-Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge transforming it into a major tourist destination and port of entry to Mexico. The discovery of oil in nearby Reynosa in 1947 spurred migration and population growth from 1,200 in 1916 to 66,281 by 1980, and McAllen earned the nickname "The City of Palms." Today, the maquiladora economy and the North American Free Trade Association have driven continued growth and cross-border trade, with the binational Reynosa-McAllen metropolitan area now exceeding 1.5 million residents. Brownsville is the largest city and county seat of Cameron County, located on the western Gulf Coast in South Texas adjacent to Mexico, covering 145.2 square miles with a population of 186,738 at the 2020 census, making it the 136th-most populous city in the United States. Founded in 1848 by Connecticut-born entrepreneur Charles Stillman following the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the city was named after Fort Brown and Major Jacob Brown, who died during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). The city played a pivotal role in early American military history, hosting the siege of Fort Texas and the first engagements of the Mexican-American War including the Battle of Palo Alto and Battle of Resaca de la Palma, along with significant Civil War battles such as the Battle of Brownsville and Battle of Palmito Ranch. Known for its year-round subtropical climate and as a major international trading hub through the Port of Brownsville, the city's economy is driven by government employment, service and manufacturing industries, and a growing aerospace and space transportation sector. With a 93.9% Hispanic population - the fourth-highest proportion among U.S. cities outside Puerto Rico - Brownsville is distinguished by its Hispanic culture, multiple National Register historic sites, and role as a wildlife refuge center.