Riviera is a
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
in
Kleberg County,
Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, United States. As of the
2022 census, it had a population of 758.
It is located south of
Kingsville on
U.S. Route 77
U.S. Route 77 (US 77) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway which extends for in the central United States. As of 2005, Its southern terminus is in Brownsville, Texas, at Veteran's International Bridge on the U.S.-Mexico borde ...
(Future
Interstate 69E
Interstate 69E (I-69E) is a north–south Interstate Highway running through South Texas. Once complete, the freeway will begin in Brownsville and head northward before terminating near Victoria as both I-69W and I-69E merge into I-69 t ...
) and northeast of
Falfurrias on
Texas State Highway 285
State Highway 285 (SH 285) is a state highway that runs from Riviera in southern Texas, near Corpus Christi, west to Hebbronville.
Route description
Beginning at a junction with US 77 (Future I-69E) at Riviera in Kleberg County, SH 285 ru ...
.
History
Riviera was founded in 1906 by Theodore Fredrick Koch, a land promoter. He purchased land from the
King Ranch
King Ranch is the largest ranch in the United States. At some it is larger than the area of the European country Luxembourg. It is mainly a cattle ranch, but also produced the racehorse Assault (horse), Assault, who won the United States Tri ...
to sell to landseekers. He built a townsite along the
St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway and named it after the
French Riviera
The French Riviera, known in French as the (; , ; ), is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France. There is no official boundary, but it is considered to be the coastal area of the Alpes-Maritimes department, extending fr ...
. Koch ran a train from
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
to Riviera twice a month to bring more people to the area. Riviera witnessed growth in its first few years, but a drought hit the area in 1915 and then a terrible hurricane hit the area in 1916. When
U.S. Highway 77 was constructed, it helped the economy get back on its feet. Now its economy depends on farming. It is also the last stop for about to
Raymondville, going south, so its gas stations and restaurants are used by many travelers heading in that direction.
Education
Riviera is served by
Riviera Independent School District.
*Grades: 7–12 Kaufer High School
*Grades: PK–6 Nanny Elementary School
Under Texas law, people in Riviera ISD are zoned to
Del Mar College.
Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.167. Sec. 130.177. DEL MAR COLLEGE-CORPUS CHRISTI JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.
/ref>
Demographics
Riviera first appeared as a census designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
in the 2010 U.S. Census.[
]
See also
* Kingsville micropolitan area
References
External links
*
Riviera Music Festival
Unincorporated communities in Texas
Census-designated places in Kleberg County, Texas
Kingsville, Texas micropolitan area
Census-designated places in Texas
{{KlebergCountyTX-geo-stub