Brownsville

Brownsville, Texas 

In the U.S. state of Texas, Brownsville (/branzvl/) is a city and the county seat of Cameron County. It is on the border with Matamoros, Mexico, on South Texas' western Gulf Coast. The city has a total area of 145.2 square miles (376.066 km2), and the population was 186,738 in 2020. It is the 18th-largest city in Texas and the 139th-largest city in the entire US. It is a part of the metropolitan region of Brownsville and Matamoros. The city is well-known for its subtropical climate throughout the year, deep-water port, and Spanish heritage. 

Charles Stillman, an American businessman, established the city in 1848 after building a prosperous riverboat operation nearby. It was given the name Fort Brown in honor of Major Jacob Brown, a U.S. Army soldier who fought and lost his life during the Mexican-American War (1846–1848). The city and county governments serve as the county seat and are the largest employers. The service, trade, and manufacturing sectors are home to additional major jobs, including the expanding aerospace and space transportation industry. With the Port of Brownsville, it conducts international business. In the early 1900s, while steel manufacturing was booming, the city's population increased. It is commonly mentioned as having one of the highest rates of poverty in the country. 

Many homes and war sites in the city are included on the National Register of Historic Places as a result of major historical occurrences. Numerous significant American Civil War battles, including the Battle of Brownsville and the Battle of Palmito Ranch, took place there. The city also took part in the Mexican-American War and the Texan Revolution. Due to its peculiar geographic setting, Brownsville serves as a center for wildlife refuge. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department guards a number of state parks and historic locations. 

With a Hispanic population of 93.9%, Brownsville has the third-highest percentage of Hispanic Americans outside of Puerto Rico of any city in the United States. 

Geography 

Only a few communities in Florida's Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties (plus Everglades City in Collier County) are located further south than Brownsville, making it one of the most southern cities in the contiguous United States. According to the 2017 United States Census Bureau, 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. 

Because of its location at the confluence of several climates—subtropical, Chihuahuan Desert, Gulf Coast plain, and Great Plains—the city experiences high rates of bird migration. Many nesting/breeding birds of various sorts can be found in its peculiar network of resacas (English: oxbow lakes), distributaries of the River Grande, typically during the spring and fall migrations. Grassland is the classification of Brownsville's vegetation. 

Climate  

(Köppen Cfa) Brownsville has a humid subtropical climate. Summers are hot and muggy, and winters are mild. The Gulf Coast region's climate is quite similar to that of the tropical savanna because of its location 2.49° north of the Tropic of Cancer. Brownsville is situated on the edge of a hot, semi-arid environment because of its proximity to the deserts of Chihuahua and the Gulf Coastal Plains. In Brownsville, snow is an extremely uncommon occurrence. While tropical cyclones provide the greatest threat, its rainy season is focused in the late summer and early fall, peaking in September. In most years, the dry season lasts from November to April. As a result, Brownsville experiences only moderate annual precipitation, with records from 1991 to 2020 showing an average of roughly 26.78 in (680 mm) yearly. 

In January, the average daily temperature is 62.9 °F (17.2 °C), while in August, it is 87 °F (30.6 °C). 141 days with highs exceeding 90 °F (32.2 °C) and less than five days with temperatures above 100 °F (37.8 °C) have been attributed to summertime heat waves. The city is situated where USDA hardiness zones 9b and 10a meet. On March 27, 1984, Brownsville had its warmest day on record, with a high of 106 °F (41 °C). On the other end of the spectrum, cold temperatures often happen once or twice a year. With 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) of snowfall on December 25, 2004, Brownsville experienced its first measurable snowfall in 109 years and the city's first-ever White Christmas. On February 13, 1899, Brownsville recorded its coldest temperature ever, dropping to 12 °F (11 °C). According to 24/7 Wall St., Brownsville was the fifth-hottest city in America in 2016 based on 30-year averages taken from the National Climatic Data Center weather records of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

One of the first US localities to mandate that shops charge customers for single-use plastic shopping bags was Brownsville in 2011. The regulation was put into place to lessen litter and pollution in the city. After the Texas Supreme Court declared the legislation to be unconstitutional, the city abolished it in 2018. One of the top 12 American urban regions with the cleanest air, according to Forbes, is Brownsville. According to the American Lung Association's "State of the Air" report, the Brownsville-Harlingen region ranked among the "Cleanest U.S. Cities for Ozone Air Pollution" in 2018. 

Economy 

The service and manufacturing sectors are the main sources of economic activity in Brownsville. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and the government both make significant contributions to the local economy. Aerospace and space transportation, as well as education, are other significant industries in Brownsville. The city's population grew throughout the first ten years of the twentieth century as a result of a boom in the agricultural sector. Due to its subtropical environment, Brownsville is a commercial center for the citrus sector. 

For the city of Brownsville, the Port of Brownsville generates a sizable amount of cash. The port, which is 3.2 kilometers (2.2 miles) from the city, serves as a conduit between the Texas Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and the surrounding Mexican road networks. As shipments arrive from other regions of the United States, Mexico, and other international countries, the port has developed into a significant economic hub for South Texas. Five of the eight ship-recycling businesses in the nation are located in the port, which also engages in ship recycling. The US Department of Commerce awarded it a grant of $1.8 million to help with infrastructural and commercial growth. It is anticipated that the funding will lead to the creation of 700 employment and $3 million in private investments. 

Government 

The political system in Brownsville is council-manager. Elections are held to choose the mayor and the municipal commission, which consists of six people. Geographic districts choose four members; the remaining two are chosen at-large. Many county offices are in Brownsville because it is Cameron County's County seat. There are two locations in the city's public library system. The Brownsville Police Department is the city's main law enforcement organization. The central office of the Brownsville Fire Department is situated on the eastern side of the city, and there are nine stations spread across it. 

Two county commissioners of the five-member Commissioners' Court represent the majority in Brownsville (one member, the County Judge, represents all of Cameron County). County offices are partisan; in the year that their terms end, the Democratic and Republican Parties contest primaries. 

Two Texas House of Representatives districts include Brownsville. Like with other partisan elected authorities, each representative is elected to a two-year term. Alex Dominguez (D) of District 37 and Eddie Lucio III (D) of District 38 are the elected officials (since 2007). Eddie Lucio Jr. (D) is the current senator for Texas Senate District 27, which includes Brownsville (since 1991). The 34th congressional district of Texas is in charge of this city. Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (D) is currently serving (since 2023). 

There are various federal office buildings in the city. In Brownsville, the United States Postal Service runs post offices. The Old Federal Courthouse, which serves as City Hall these days, is located in the heart of Brownsville. In east Brownsville, the National Weather Service maintains a building and a Nexrad weather radar station. For Deep South Texas and the nearby coastal seas, they offer forecasts and radar coverage. The Social Security Administration and the Reynaldo G. Garza-Filemon B. Vela United States Courthouse are two other government structures situated inside the boundaries of Brownsville. The Brownsville Armed Forces Reserve Center (AFRC), which houses units from the Texas Army National Guard and United States Army Reserve, as well as the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC). 

Culture and the Arts 

Brownsville is renowned for having a vibrant Mexican community. In collaboration with Matamoros, Mexico, Brownsville hosts Charro Days, a two-nation festivity. El Grito, a joyful yell with Mexican origins, is played in the background. Mexican-American musicians and actors make appearances. Charro Days are continued at Sombrero Festival. A number of competitions are held over the three-day festival, which include performances by tejano, corrido, and other traditional Mexican musicians. Mr. Charro, a statue that was unveiled in a park in 2016, was given as a gift by a Mexican art gallery. 

Every year, in the first few days of October, the city holds the Latin Jazz Festival in Brownsville. It is a three-day festival including local dancers, artists, and Latin jazz musicians. Tito Puente, an American musician, founded the festival, which debuted in 1997. The Puente Art Studio, the B&E Art Studio, and the Rusteberg Art Gallery are just a few of the expanding number of art galleries in Brownsville. Egyptian and astronomical art are on display in the Brownsville Museum of Fine Arts. The Brownsville Art League, which was founded by eight women, was its previous name. In 1960, the museum received renovations that included a 4,000 square foot (370 square meters) studio. It received yet another refurbishment and changed its name to what it is known as today in 2002. The Association of Art Museum Directors reports that 38% of leadership roles are held by women. 

Some museums in Brownsville are devoted to preserving historical items and military hardware. Public access to the Historic Brownsville Museum began in 1986. After serving as a passenger depot in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, the structure was abandoned. Both the architecture and the educational offerings are Spanish. Throughout time, a number of improvements were added, such as the addition of a courtyard, an engine building, and a Spanish-style fountain. In addition to housing World War II aircraft, the Commemorative Air Force Museum offers tours that cover the early phases of conflicts in Asia and Europe. Also, it chronicles the experiences of the 201st Mexican Fighter Squadron's pilots. 

Charles Stillman and Mexican consul Manuel Pérez Trevio were the owners of the Stillman House Museum, which Henry Miller built in 1850. Porfirio Diaz, the president of Mexico, and generals met there. After the previous owners sold it and donated it to the city after some improvements, the house was bought by the Stillmans' great-grandson. The public could enter in 1960. The house was damaged by Hurricane Dolly in 2008, but it was repaired and made public the following year. Native American clothes can be found at the Costumes of the Americas Museum. The museum, which opened in 1997 and displays clothes from indigenous people in a number of Mexico states and other Latin American nations, was inspired by Bessie Kirkland Johnson. 

Population 

A city called Brownsville is situated in Cameron County, Texas. It serves as Cameron County's County seat as well. It is the 141st largest city in the United States and the 18th largest city in Texas with a projected population of 190,254 in 2023. The population of Brownsville has grown by 1.88% from the most recent census, which showed a population of 186,738 in 2020, and is now rising at a pace of 0.62% annually. Brownsville's population density per square mile is 1,438 and it spans across 146 miles. 

Brownsville has an average household income of $53,996 and a poverty rate of 35.87%. The median monthly cost of rent in recent years has been, and the median value of a home is. In Brownsville, the median age is 30.9 years, with men being on average 28.5 years old and women 33.6 years old. 

South Texas' Cameron County, which is close to the border with Mexico, is where Brownsville is situated. The city is a part of the bordering Brownsville-Metamoros conurbation, which is thought to have 1.13 million people. One of the most southern cities in the country is Brownsville.