Laredo

Laredo, Texas 

On the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, directly across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, is Laredo, a city and the county seat of Webb County in Texas, the United States. Laredo is notable for flying seven flags (the flag of the former Republic of the Rio Grande, which is now the flag of the city, in addition to the Six Flags of Texas).  

Laredo, which was established in 1755, developed from a little village to become the short-lived Republic of the Rio Grande's capital and the biggest inland port on the Mexican border. The mainstays of Laredo's economy are international trade with Mexico, the largest trading partner of the United States, and its importance as a key hub for three modes of transportation: land, rail, and air freight. The city is located at the southern terminus of Interstate 35, a crucial commerce corridor that connects northern Mexican manufacturing to the United States. It contains one railroad bridge in addition to four international bridges. 

The city had 255,205 residents as of the 2020 census, making it the eleventh-most populous city in Texas and the third-most populous American city on the Mexican border, behind El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California. With a population of 267,114, Webb County is completely included in its metropolitan area, which is the 178th-largest in the nation. Along with Nuevo Laredo, Laredo is a part of the cross-border Laredo-Laredo metropolitan region, which is home to around 636,516 people. 

With a Hispanic population of almost 95%, Laredo has the greatest percentage of Hispanic Americans of any city outside of Puerto Rico in the United States. It is one of the American cities with the least ethnic diversity. Laredo is the 19th-least diverse of the country's 313 biggest cities when economic, household, and social diversity are taken into account. Laredo is home to Texas A&M International University and Laredo College. The Quetzalcoatl International Airport is close by in Nuevo Laredo on the Mexican side, while Laredo International Airport is located inside the municipal limits of Laredo. 

The largest celebration, the Washington's Birthday Celebration, draws tens of thousands of visitors during the latter part of January and most of February. 

History 

Don Tomás Sánchez Barrera established the Spanish colony of Villa de San Agustin de Laredo in 1755 while the territory was a part of the Nuevo Santander region in the Spanish viceroyalty of New Spain. Laredo, Cantabria, Spain's Villa de San Agustin de Laredo was given its name in homage to Saint Augustine of Hippo. Laredo served as the seat of the independent Republic of the Rio Grande in 1840, which was established in defiance of Antonio López de Santa Anna. Laredo was forcibly reincorporated into Mexico. 

The Texas Rangers took control of the town in 1846 during the Mexican-American War. The United States received the land as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo following the war. The community held a referendum and decided to ask the American military government in command of the region to hand the town back to Mexico. Many locals who had lived in the area for centuries went across the river into Mexican territory after this petition was denied, where they established Nuevo Laredo. Many more remained and eventually became Texans, particularly the first land grantees on the north bank of the Rio Grande. The American Army built Fort McIntosh in 1849. (Originally Camp Crawford). In 1852, Laredo received a new municipal charter. 

The biggest interior port of entry in the country is located in Laredo, one of the oldest border crossings between Mexico and the United States. Laredo commemorated the birth of the city 250 years ago in 2005. 

Laredo, a Spanish town, has a name that is not entirely apparent in its etymology. According to some academics, the word derives from glaretum, which is Latin for "sandy, rocky location." Some claim the name Laredo is derived from a Basque term that means "beautiful pastures." Larida, a gull in Latin, is another possible origin for the word Laredo. 

The Plaza Theater debuted in downtown Laredo in 1946 but closed in 1999 after the city bought the building from United Artists. The Laredo City Council approved a feasibility study in 2001 to ascertain what potential uses the former theater might still have. A consultant proposed making the Plaza into a multipurpose performing arts venue in 2003, featuring dance performances, concerts, live theater, and sporadic movie screenings. For the Plaza's refurbishment, the city was awarded a grant for economic development in 2006. By 2008, the theater's marquee and blade design have undergone changes. Two Laredo businessmen, Danny Lopez Jr. and Victor Trevino Jr., proposed a public-private collaboration in 2011, however their plan was unsuccessful. The city council approved the hiring of nonprofit groups and for-profit businesses to run the theater in 2018. The council is also looking for advice from architects on the concept and architecture of the building restorations. 

In April 2019, cellist Yo-Yo Ma performed at the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge as part of his Bach Project. 

Climate 

Semi-arid Laredo has a climate that is warm in the summer and moderate in the winter. According to Köppen, the climate is hot and dry (BSh). The Chihuahuan Desert in Northern Mexico and West Texas, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains in the west and east all have an impact on the region's weather. The Mexican Mountain range blocks off Pacific moisture. 

The official record temperatures range from 11 °F (12 °C) on December 30, 1983, up to 115 °F (46 °C) on May 7, 1927, and June 17, 1908. The usual monthly mean temperature ranges from 57.6 °F (14.2 °C) in January to 89.1 °F (31.7 °C) in August. On average, temperatures hit 100 °F (37.8 °C) or higher on 75 days a year and dip to or below freezing on 5.1 days. However, the annual minimum temperature has been above freezing for the past five years, the most recent being in 2015. 

Annual precipitation is on average 19.7 in (500 mm), with higher totals often falling between May and October. Even though Laredo doesn't get much snow, the most recent measurable snowfalls were on Christmas Eve 2004 with 1.1 in (2.8 cm) and December 7-8, 2017, with 1.3 in (3.3 cm). 

Economy 

Falcon International Bank, International Bank of Commerce, and Texas Community Bank are some of the Laredo, South Texas banking organizations. 

The largest inland port in the United States is Laredo, and the biggest in Latin America is Nuevo Laredo. This is a result of their respective locations, which are connected by Interstate Highway 35 and Mexican Federal Highway 85, the consequences of NAFTA, numerous twin assembly plants on the Mexican side, and numerous import-export organizations that help to speed up commerce. The Laredo customs district processed "$20 billion in two-way trade with Mexico" in January 2014, which is almost half of the total amount of trade between the US and Mexico for the month. Mexican consumers from Northern Mexico travel to Laredo to shop. The San Antonio Express-News reported in 2015 that the violence brought on by the drug war in Nuevo Laredo has reduced the number of Mexican shoppers. 

Music 

In popular culture, there are several songs about Laredo. Frank H. Maynard, who spent most of his life in Colorado, wrote "Streets of Laredo," originally known as "A Cowboy's Lament." It is one of the most well-known ballads. It has been covered by musicians including Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, Waylon Jennings, John Cale, Roy Rogers, and Prefab Sprout (who also included a lyrical nod to Laredo in an early song titled "Cue Fanfare"). It was also included in a Charlie's Angels episode ("Pretty Angels all in a Row", season two, episode three). Tommy Rettig, a young actor, portrays "The Streets of Laredo" in the ABC/WB Western series Sugarfoot's episode "The Ghost" from October 28, 1958. 

"Meet Me Tonight in Laredo" was the opening track on Marty Robbins' 1966 album The Drifter. The song told the story of a young Comanchero who pursues a young woman over the opposition of her family. Together, the couple departs Laredo for the Sierre Madre Mountains to begin a new life. 

The six-person singing ensemble The Rondels dominated the Laredo music scene from 1959 through 1972. The band's lead singer, Carlos Saenz Landin, quit to work for the Dallas Independent School District but eventually came back to Laredo. Humberto Donovan, the band's lead guitarist, served in the US Marine Corps. Bass guitar was played by the late Roberto Alonzo. "Lo Mucho Que Te Quiero (The More I Love You)" was written by Sammy Ibarra, who also performed the piano. He later went on to become a pastor. Noe Adolfo Esparza, a singer, went to college and eventually worked for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company as a supervisor. He was still singing with the oldies band Los Fabulosos in Laredo as of 2017. Joe Lee Vera played the drums for The Rondels while while serving in the US Navy. Many of Vera's brothers also played the drums. The Auditorium at the Laredo Civic Center was full with Rondels. The songs "Ya-Ya" and "All Night Worker" are two more that define the group. Juan Cisneros of Laredo remembers that The Rondels' breakup "created a tremendous vacuum that will never be forgotten." 

Population 

The city of Laredo is situated in Webb County, Texas. It serves as Webb County's County seat as well. It is the 89th largest city in the United States and the 12th largest city in Texas with a projected population of 260,938 in 2023. Laredo's population has grown by 2.25% from the most recent census, which showed a population of 255,205 in 2020. The city is now expanding at a pace of 0.74% annually. Laredo has a population density of 2,468 persons per square mile with a total length of nearly 107 miles. 

Laredo has a 32.56% poverty rate and a $64,705 average household income. The median monthly cost of rent in recent years has been, and the median value of a home is. In Laredo, the median age is 28.9 years, with men being on average 27.8 years old and women 30 years old. 

Texas's state capital is the city of Laredo. The county seat of Webb County, where it is situated, is where it is situated. Tomas Sanchez founded it in the year 1755. Laredo is located on the Rio Grande's north bank and is a border city between the United States and Mexico. One of the safest cities in the country for drivers to drive in has been named as this one. The largest inland port in the US is located in Laredo, which considerably boosts the local economy.