The metropolitan area is the 178th-largest United States metropolitan area and covers all of Webb county, with a population of 250,304. It is also a part of the Laredo-Nuevo Laredo Metropolitan Area with an estimate population of 636,516.

Communities

Cities

* El Cenizo * Laredo (county seat) * Rio Bravo

Census-designated places

* Aguilares * Bonanza Hills *

Botines ''Botines'' ( es, Bounties) was a 2005 Argentine miniseries, produced by Pol-Ka. Each episode had a specific cast, and the plot was based on a real crime, either from Argentina or another country. Diego Peretti won the Martín Fierro Award and t ...

Bruni Bruni can refer to: * Bruni (surname) * Bruni, Texas * Bruni (horse), an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse * Bruni Olympic .380 BBM blank firing revolver See also * Bruno (disambiguation) Bruno may refer to: People and fictional characters * ...

* Colorado Acres * Four Points * Hillside Acres * La Coma * La Moca Ranch Colonia * La Presa * Laredo Ranchettes * Laredo Ranchettes West * Larga Vista * Las Haciendas *

Las Pilas Las Pilas (or El Hoyo) is a complex volcano located in the western part of Nicaragua. Part of a 30-km-long volcanic massif, Las Pilas has a series of well-preserved flank vents surrounding a central cone. Las Pilas last erupted in the 1950s and be ...

* Los Altos *

Los Arcos Los Arcos is a town and Spanish municipality, in the Chartered Community of Navarre, situated in the administrative division of Estella, in the region of East Estella and is 62 km from the capital of the community, Pamplona Pamplona (; e ...

* Los Centenarios * Los Corralitos * Los Fresnos * Los Huisaches * Los Minerales * Los Nopalitos * Los Veteranos I * Los Veteranos II *

Mirando City Mirando City is a census-designated place (CDP) in Webb County, Texas, United States. It is three hundred eighty-four miles southwest of Houston. The population was 166 at the 2010 census. The town gets its name from Nicolás Mirando, a Spani ...

* Oilton * Pueblo East * Pueblo Nuevo * Ranchitos East * Ranchitos Las Lomas * Ranchos Penitas West * San Carlos I * San Carlos II * Sunset Acres * Tanquecitos South Acres * Tanquecitos South Acres II * Valle Verde

Additional unincorporated communities

Source: Webb County Planning and Physical Development Department *Antonio Santos Colonia *Cactus * Callaghan *D-5 Acres Colonia * Darwin *Del Mar East * Fort McIntosh *Gate Acres Colonia * Islitas *Las Blancas Colonia * Las Tiendas * Los Ojuelos *Minera * Nye * Old Milwaukee East * Old Milwaukee West *One River Place Colonia *Orvil *Palafox * Pescadito *Ranchitos los Mesquites Colonia *Regency Village Colonia *Rodriguez Addition Colonia *San Pablo *San Ramon * Santo Tomás *Village East Colonia *

Webb Webb most often refers to James Webb Space Telescope which is named after James E. Webb, second Administrator of NASA. It may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Webb Glacier (South Georgia) * Webb Glacier (Victoria Land) *Webb Névé, Victoria ...

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.4%) is water.

Major highways

Interstate 35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...

Interstate 69W Interstate 69W (I-69W) is a relatively short north–south Interstate Highway running through South Texas in the United States. The freeway begins northeast of the middle of World Trade International Bridge in Laredo and ends at I-35. In ...

(Under construction) *

U.S. Highway 59 U.S. Route 59 (US 59) is a north–south United States highway (though it was signed east–west in parts of Texas). A latecomer to the U.S. numbered route system, US 59 is now a border-to-border route, part of the NAFTA superhighway, NAFTA ...

U.S. Highway 83 U.S. Route 83 (US 83) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that extends in the central United States. Only four other north–south routes are longer: US 1, US 41, US 59, and US 87, while US ...

* State Highway 44 * State Highway 255 * State Highway 359

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 193,117 people, 50,740 households, and 43,433 families residing in the county. The county gained 57,000 additional residents between 2000 and 2010. The population density was 58 people per square mile (22/km²). There were 55,206 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile (6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 82.16%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.37%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.47% Native American, 0.43%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 14.00% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2.54% from two or more races. 94.28% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. There were 50,740 households, out of which 53.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.60% were married couples living together, 18.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.40% were non-families. 12.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.75 and the average family size was 4.10. In the county, the age distribution of the population shows 36.20% under the age of 18, 11.40% from 18 to 24, 29.30% from 25 to 44, 15.60% from 45 to 64, and 7.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.90 males. The median income for a household in the county was $28,100, and the median income for a family was $29,394. Males had a median income of $23,618 versus $19,018 for females. The per capita income for the county was $10,759. About 26.70% of families and 31.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.40% of those under age 18 and 26.90% of those age 65 or over.

Laredo top employers

Colleges and universities

Laredo is home to

Laredo Community College Laredo College (LC) is a public community college in Laredo, Texas. Founded as Laredo Junior College in 1947, it is part of the Laredo Independent School District. As defined by the Texas Legislature, the official service area of LC includes the ...

and

Texas A&M International University Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) is a public university in Laredo, Texas. It is part of the Texas A&M University System and home to over 8,500 students each academic semester. TAMIU offers over 70 undergraduate and graduate degrees in f ...

(TAMIU). The

University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) is a public academic health science center in San Antonio, Texas. It is part of the University of Texas System. UT Health San Antonio is the largest health scie ...

has a campus in Laredo. The Laredo Community College is a two-campus institution which offers two-year

Associate's An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelor's degree. The f ...

degrees. The main campus is located at the western end of downtown Laredo near the

Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The length of the Rio G ...

, on the site of the former Fort McIntosh. This fort played a major role in the development of Laredo, as it served to protect the community from Indian raids in its early history. Several of the old buildings at the fort were converted into classrooms, but after renovation programs nearly all of the campus structures are now modern. The smaller, newer second campus,

Laredo Community College South Campus Laredo College (LC) is a public community college in Laredo, Texas. Founded as Laredo Junior College in 1947, it is part of the Laredo Independent School District. As defined by the Texas Legislature, the official service area of LC includes the ...

, is located in south Laredo along

U. S. Route 83 U.S. Route 83 (US 83) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that extends in the central United States. Only four other north–south routes are longer: US 1, US 41, US 59, and US 87, while US ...

. The Texas A&M International University is a 4/6-year university that offers

bachelor's A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ye ...

and

master's A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

degrees. On April 22, 2004, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in Austin, Texas provided its approval for Texas A&M International University to grant its first PhD in International Business Administration. TAMIU's College of Business Administration has been named an outstanding business school in ''The Princeton Review's'' "Best 282 Business Schools", 2007 Edition, and ranked third in the nation for the category: "Greatest Opportunity for Minority Students." The university's campus is located in Northeast Laredo along Loop 20. The university was once an extension of Texas A&I-Kingsville and later the former Laredo State University. Prior to its current location along

Bob Bullock Robert Douglas Bullock Sr. (July 10, 1929 – June 18, 1999), was an American Democratic Party (United States), Democratic politician from Texas, whose career spanned four decades. His service culminated in his term as the 38th List of lieu ...

Loop 20, the university was housed with the Laredo Community College downtown campus. The University of Texas Health Science Center campus is located in East Laredo near

and the Laredo Medical Center. The campus is an extension university from UTHSC in San Antonio, Texas. The university offers doctoral degrees in the medical and dental fields.

Media

Newspapers

Television

According to

Nielsen Media Research Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...

, the Laredo region (which includes

and Zapata counties) is ranked 185th market by population size in the United States. The first station to broadcast in Laredo was

KGNS KGNS-TV (channel 8) is a television station in Laredo, Texas, United States, affiliated with NBC and ABC. It is owned by Gray Television alongside low-power dual CBS/ CW+ affiliate KYLX-LD (channel 13) and Telemundo affiliate KXNU-LD (channel ...

in 1956, followed by

KVTV KVTV, virtual and VHF digital channel 13, was a CBS- affiliated television station licensed to Laredo, Texas, United States. The station was owned by Eagle Creek Broadcasting. On July 1, 2015, Gray Television, owner of NBC affiliate KGNS-T ...

in 1973, then KJTB (now KLDO) in 1985. Notably television networks missing from Laredo's airwaves are

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

and

The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

. Laredo once had a full-power local The CW affiliate, KGNS-DT2, but on July 3, 2014, the affiliation switched to

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

. Prior to that KJTB channel 27, from January 1985 to October 1988 was Laredo's ABC affiliate. KJTB was later bought by

Entravision Entravision Communications Corporation is an American media company based in Santa Monica, California. Entravision primarily caters to the Spanish-speaking Hispanic community and owns television and radio stations and outdoor media, in several of ...

and affiliated the station to

Telemundo Telemundo (; formerly NetSpan) is an American Spanish-language Terrestrial television, terrestrial television network owned by NBCUniversal Television and Streaming#NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, a divi ...

and changed its callsign to KLDO. Today KLDO is affiliated to

Univision Univision () is an American Spanish-language free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. It is the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content. The network's programming is aimed at the Latino public and includes ...

. Before KJTB,

, an

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

affiliate had a secondary affiliation to ABC from its founding in 1956 through KJTB's founding in 1985. On November 6, 2013, KGNS reached an agreement to add the ABC affiliation. The ABC affiliate was to have been launched in February 2014 on KGNS's subchannel 8.2. But it was not until July 2014 when KGNS dropped The CW programming and added ABC programming. In December 2014, all Nuevo Laredo stations must turn off

analog television Analog television is the original television technology that uses analog signals to transmit video and audio. In an analog television broadcast, the brightness, colors and sound are represented by amplitude, instantaneous phase and frequency, ...

broadcasting and broadcast only digitally. ^CP:

Construction permit Planning permission or developmental approval refers to the approval needed for construction or expansion (including significant renovation), and sometimes for demolition, in some jurisdictions. It is usually given in the form of a building perm ...

Radio

According to

Arbitron Nielsen Audio (formerly Arbitron) is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio broadcasting audiences. It was founded as the American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by mergin ...

, the Laredo region (which includes

Jim Hogg James Stephen "Jim" Hogg (March 24, 1851March 3, 1906) was an American lawyer and statesman, and the 20th Governor of Texas. He was born near Rusk, Texas. Hogg was a follower of the conservative New South Creed which became popular following ...

, and Zapata counties) is ranked 191st market by population size.

AM radio

=Long-range AM stations

= The following clear channel AM stations can be heard in Laredo:

FM radio

^PR:Suspected pirate radio stations since they are not licensed with

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction ...

(FCC) in the United States or COFETEL in Mexico. Some pirate stations are suspected, due to the fact that other licensed stations nearby share the same frequency, such as 106.5 Radio Voz and KMAE from nearby

Bruni, Texas Bruni is a census-designated place (CDP) in Webb County, Texas, United States. The population was 379 at the 2010 census. It is one of several colonias in the county. History Bruni was named after Antonio Mateo Brunibr> a local Italian immigr ...

and 103.3 Radio 33 and XHAHU-FM from nearby Anáhuac, Nuevo León, each city less than 50 miles from Laredo.

Internet radio

Infrastructure

Health care

In addition to the

University of Texas Health Science Center The University of Texas System (UT System) is an American government entity of the state of Texas that includes 13 higher educational institutions throughout the state including eight universities and five independent health institutions. The UT& ...

branch, there are five other principal medical centers in Laredo: the

Laredo Medical Center Laredo may refer to: Places * Laredo, Cantabria, the original Spanish town with this name * Laredo District, La Libertad, Peru United States and Mexico * Laredo–Nuevo Laredo, a bi-national metropolitan area ** Laredo, Texas *** Downtown La ...

, Doctor's Hospital, Gateway Community Health Center, Providence Surgical & Medical Center, and the Laredo Specialty Hospital. Doctors Hospital is the second-largest medical center in Laredo. The hospital complex is over , with 180 licensed beds on a campus. Affiliated with

Universal Health Services Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) is an American Fortune 500 company that provides hospital and healthcare services, based in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. In 2021, its annual revenues were $12.6 billion. Company history Alan B. Miller, ...

, it is located on Loop 20 in north Laredo. The Doctors Regional Cancer Treatment Center offers comprehensive cancer services. The Providence Surgical & Medical Center is an ambulatory health care center located in north-central Laredo and also owned by Universal Health Services. The Gateway Community Health Center is the third-largest medical center in Laredo. The health center's main building is . The Medical center moved to its new $11,000,000 building in 2006. The main Gateway Community Health Center is located in East Laredo, close to

. It also has three branches in the Laredo area: the South Clinic, El Cenizo Community Center, and Quad City Community Center.
Gateway Community Health Center services include: The Laredo Specialty Hospital is the fourth-largest medical center in Laredo. It is owned by Ernest Health Inc. and was founded by Elmo Lopez, Jr., on May 22, 2006, and admitted its first patient within hours of operation. The grand opening was held in March 2007.

Transportation

Air

Laredo is served by the

Laredo International Airport Laredo International Airport is three miles northeast of downtown Laredo, Texas, Laredo, in Webb County, Texas, Webb County, Texas. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021 FAA airport categories, categorized it as ...

. Daily flights are available to Houston (

George Bush Intercontinental Airport George Bush Intercontinental Airport is an international airport in Houston, Texas, United States, serving the Greater Houston metropolitan area. Located about north of Downtown Houston between Interstate 45 and Interstate 69/U.S. Highway 59 ...

) and to

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport , also known as DFW Airport, is the primary international airport serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and the North Texas Region in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the largest hub for American Air ...

. Tri-weekly flights to

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

are available. After Laredo Air Force Base closed in the mid-1970s, the federal government handed over the old air force base and property to the City of Laredo for a new municipal airport. From the mid-1970s until the mid-1990s, the airport utilized a small terminal for passenger airline service and several old hangars for air cargo and private aircraft. A new state-of-the art passenger terminal was built along the then newly constructed Loop 20 to accommodate larger jets and to increase passenger air travel through Laredo. Expansion of air cargo facilities, taxiways and aprons, air cargo carriers such as DHL, FedEx, UPS, BAX, and others have responded by adding commercial air cargo jet services. Laredo also has two medical

helipad A helipad is a landing area or platform for helicopters and powered lift aircraft. While helicopters and powered lift aircraft are able to operate on a variety of relatively flat surfaces, a fabricated helipad provides a clearly marked hard s ...

s, at Laredo Medical Center and Doctor's Hospital.

Mass transit

El Metro is the public transit system that operates in the city with 21 fixed routes and Paratransit services, with approximately 4.6 million passengers per year. El Metro works with a fleet of over 47 fixed route buses, 2 trolleys and 18 Paratransit/El Lift vans. The El Metro hub is located in downtown Laredo at El Metro Transit Center. The center also houses Greyhound Bus Lines and provides fee-based daily parking for downtown shoppers and workers.

Rural transit

Rural transportation is provided by the

Webb County Webb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 267,114. Its county seat is Laredo. The county was named after James Webb (1792–1856), who served as secretary of the treasury, secreta ...

operated "El Aguila Rural Transportation" (the Eagle) bus services. El Aguila serves fixed daily routes from rural communities (

, El Cenizo,

, Oilton, and Rio Bravo) to the downtown El Metro Transit Center.

Sports

Laredo Heat

The

Laredo Heat Laredo Heat is an American soccer team based in Laredo, Texas, United States. Founded in 2004, the team plays in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. They were members of the USL Premier Devel ...

is a

United Soccer Leagues United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...

Premier Development League USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional developmental association football, soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the United Stat ...

team. The team's home stadium is the

Texas A&M International University Soccer Complex Texas A&M International University Soccer Complex (also known as Dustdevil Field and TAMIU Soccer Complex) was built in 2006 and renovated in 2007. The soccer complex is located in Laredo, Texas in the Texas A&M International University campus. Th ...

. The team was founded in 2004. It plays in the Mid-South Division of the Southern Conference in the 2006 season the Laredo Heat finished Runner-up yet made it only to the first round of the Open Cup. In the 2007 season, the Laredo Heat were the Southern Conference champions. And in 2007 Laredo heat won its first PDL Championship.

Laredo Honey Badgers

The

Laredo Honey Badgers The Laredo Honey Badgers were an American professional indoor soccer franchise based in Laredo, Texas. Founded in April 2013, the team was expected to make its debut in the Professional Arena Soccer League with the 2013–14 season but that launc ...

, is professional

indoor soccer Indoor soccer or arena soccer (known internationally as indoor football, fast football, or showball) is five-a-side version of minifootball, derived from association football and adapted to be played in walled hardcourt indoor arena. Indoor socc ...

team to be based in Laredo, Texas. Founded in April 2013, the team is expected to make its debut in the

Professional Arena Soccer League A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skil ...

with the 2013–14 season. The team will play its home games at the

Laredo Energy Arena The Sames Auto Arena (formerly known as the Laredo Entertainment Center and Laredo Energy Arena) is a multi-purpose arena in Laredo, Texas. It is located next to Bob Bullock Loop (US 59/Loop 20), on the northeastern side of Laredo. Within the Sam ...

. The official name and colors (black and chrome) of the team were decided with fan participation.

Laredo Lemurs

The

Laredo Lemurs The Laredo Lemurs were a professional baseball team based in Laredo, Texas, that played in the independent American Association from 2012 to 2016. The team played their home games at the Uni-Trade Stadium in Laredo, replacing the Laredo Broncos o ...

, a professional baseball team based in Laredo, played their first season in the independent

American Association American Association may refer to: Baseball * American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891 * American Association (1902–1997), a minor league active from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997 * American Association of Profe ...

in 2012. They won the South Division in their inaugural season, but were eliminated in the first playoff round. They play their home games at

Uni-Trade Stadium The Uni-Trade Stadium is a baseball stadium in Laredo, Texas. The stadium is the United States home to The Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos, a bi-national Mexican League professional baseball team, and the Laredo Roses, a women's full-contact American ...

Laredo Roses

The Laredo Roses are a professional women's full contact football team in the South Texas Sugar N Spice Football League that began play in the 2012 season. The Roses play their home games at the

. The female players use short shorts and halfcut jerseys during games.

Defunct teams

Stadiums and arenas

Laredo Energy Arena

The

, formerly Laredo Entertainment Center, is located at Loop 20 and Jacaman Road. The LEA was strongly pushed to fruition by former Laredo Mayor

Betty Flores Elizabeth G. "Betty" Flores (born December 28, 1944) is an American banker and former mayor of Laredo, Texas. She was the first Latina woman to be mayor in Laredo's 240 year history. Career Flores was originally hired by Laredo National Bank to ...

. LEA was home to the former Laredo Bucks. The , $36.5 million facility seats 8,002 people for ice hockey and arena football, and up to 10,000 for concerts. It has fourteen luxury suites, four meeting rooms and a private club for two hundred charter members. It was completed in mid-2002 through an increase in the Laredo sales tax of .25 percent. Sports that can be played at the LEA include

hockey Hockey is a term used to denote a family of various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor such as in a gymnasium. While these sports vary in specific rules, numbers o ...

arena football Indoor American football, or arena football, is a variation of gridiron football played at ice hockey-sized indoor arenas. While varying in details from league to league, the rules of indoor football are designed to allow for play in a smaller ...

, basketball,

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

, and

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

. The arena also hosts many events such as the Laredo Hunting and Fishing Show, Miss Texas USA, Laredo Home and Garden Show, and high school graduation ceremonies. Well-known artists and bands that have performed in the arena include

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...

Kesha Kesha Rose Sebert (; born March 1, 1987), formerly stylized as Ke$ha, is an American singer and songwriter. In 2005, at age 18, Kesha was signed to Kemosabe Records. Her first major success came in early 2009 after she was featured on America ...

Pitbull Pit bull is a term used in the United States for a type of dog descended from bulldogs and terriers, while in other countries such as the United Kingdom the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The term was f ...

Flo Rida Tramar Lacel Dillard (born September 16, 1979), better known by his stage name Flo Rida (, ), is an American rapper and singer. His 2007 breakout single " Low" was number one for 10 weeks in the United States and broke the record for digital dow ...

Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the " Queen of Latin Music" and is ...

Enrique Iglesias Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler (; (born 8 May 1975) is a Spanish singer and songwriter. He started his recording career in the mid-1990s on the Mexican indie label Fonovisa and became the bestselling Spanish-language act of the decade. By the ...

Tool A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates ba ...

Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whi ...

Kiss A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

Styx In Greek mythology, Styx (; grc, Στύξ ) is a river that forms the boundary between Earth (Gaia) and the Underworld. The rivers Acheron, Cocytus, Lethe, Phlegethon, and Styx all converge at the centre of the underworld on a great marsh, whic ...

, REO Speedwagon,

ZZ Top ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. For 51 years, they comprised vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard and vocalist-bassist Dusty Hill, until Hill's death in 2021. ZZ Top developed a signature sound ...

Lynyrd Skynyrd Lynyrd Skynyrd ( ) is an American rock music, rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida. The group originally formed as My Backyard in 1964 and comprised Ronnie Van Zant (lead vocalist), Gary Rossington (guitar), Allen Collins (guitar), Larry Ju ...

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, T.I.,

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and

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Uni-Trade Stadium

The

is Laredo's newest baseball field. The stadium is located near the

. The project was first approved by the city council and was voted in favor of (with 61.32% of the votes in favor 38.68% against) constructing it with money collected since 2004 by a .25 percent

sales tax A sales tax is a tax paid to a governing body for the sales of certain goods and services. Usually laws allow the seller to collect funds for the tax from the consumer at the point of purchase. When a tax on goods or services is paid to a govern ...

increase. There is a surplus of about $15 million. The stadium will be home to the

Student Activity Complex

Student Activity Complex The Student Activity Complex is a soccer, track and field and football stadium and performing arts auditorium in Laredo, Texas owned by the United Independent School District. The complex is better known outside of South Texas as the home stadium ...

is located on State Highway 359. It is utilized for

United Independent School District United Independent School District is a school district headquartered in Laredo, Texas. History The district was created in 1961 via the consolidation of the former Cactus, Johnson, and Nye school districts. The "Big Three" involved in the est ...

's students. It was opened in the summer of 2002 and it contains the city's first artificial grass stadium. The SAC was also the home of the Laredo Heat. The capacity is 8,500 spectators. Sports played at the SAC include

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

, soccer, and baseball.

Texas A&M International University Soccer Complex

(also known as Dustdevil Field and TAMIU Soccer Complex) was built in 2006 and renovated in 2007. The soccer complex is located at the

campus. The complex has two soccer stadiums with a seating capacity of four thousand each. The Dustdevil Field is the new home stadium to the 2007 champion team

member of the

(PDL) and the TAMIU

Dustdevils The Dustdevils (sometimes styled as DustDevils, Dust Devils, or DUSTdevils) were a noise rock band which was based in New York City for most of its history. It was active from the 1980s to the mid 1990s, and was among the first artists to be signed ...

women and men's soccer teams member of the

Heartland Conference The Heartland Conference was a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)'s Division II level, which was founded in 1999. The majority of members were in Texas, with additional members in A ...

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

Division II.

Shirley Field

The original Shirley Field was located next to the Civic Center and R&T Martin High School on San Bernardo Avenue. It was built in 1937, along with Martin High School. Shirley Field was the location for outdoor athletics for Laredo Independent School District and also hosts the annual Border Olympics events. It seats up to about 6,000 fans with additional seating at the 2 endzones. Professional Mexican soccer teams have played various exhibition games here, noting that the real grass allows for "better" soccer games. The various sports played on the stadium are football, soccer and track & field events. Major renovations are slated for this historic stadium. In November 2009 Shirley Field was demolished and was rebuilt by the 2011 football season. The total cost of the reconstruction was $12,000,000 and it now seats 8,000 fans and features artificial turf.

Krueger Field

Krueger Field is located in north Laredo and is owned by United independent school District. The stadium has a capacity of 5,000 and is used to play football and soccer high school games. It is home to United High School's and John B. Alexander High School's football and soccer teams.

Veterans Field

Veterans Field is a baseball park which was previously known as West Martin Field. Its capacity is about 5,000. Major renovation is happening to update the 1950 ball park. Veterans Field was also the home to the five-time champion

Mexican Baseball League The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country. The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...

team

Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos The Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos (''Owls of the Two Laredos''), formerly known as the Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo (''Owls of Nuevo Laredo''), are a Minor League Baseball team based in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, and Laredo, Texas in the Mexican Leagu ...

from 1985 to 2003. Veterans Field is also home to the

Division II Dustdevils baseball team.

Laredo Civic Center

Prior to the construction of the Laredo Energy Arena most major concerts and shows were performed at the Laredo Civic Center. The Laredo Civic Center complex has an auditorium with 1,979 seats and a banquet and exhibit hall with 1,635 seats.

References

{{Reflist, colwidth=30em Metropolitan areas of Texas