Rios is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in Duval County,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. According to the ''

Handbook of Texas The ''Handbook of Texas'' is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). History The original ''Handbook'' was the brainchild of TSHA President Wal ...

'', the community had an estimated population of 100 in 2000.

Geography

Rios is located at (27.4517023, -98.2650068). It is situated along FM 1329 in southeastern Duval County, approximately 13 miles southeast of Benavides, 16 miles northeast of Premont, and 21 miles south of

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

. Although Rios lacks any official boundaries, many locals consider the stretch of FM 1329 between County Road 233 to the south and Victor's Farm and Ranch Store to the north, as part of the community.

History

Permanent settlement in the area predates the independent

Republic of Texas The Republic of Texas ( es, República de Tejas) was a sovereign state in North America that existed from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846, that bordered Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande in 1840 (another breakaway republic from Mex ...

and Texas statehood, but a community did not begin to develop at the site until the 1890s. The community was initially known as La Gloria, but by the time a post office was established in the late 1930s, that name had already been taken. Felipe V. Rios, who eventually became postmaster, then suggested the name Vera after a local rancher, Saturnino Vera. That name, however, was also in use by another community in northern Texas. His final submission was the name Rios, after his family whose roots in the area date back to the late 19th century, which was approved by postal authorities. Rios had an estimated population of 75 with four businesses in the early 1940s. The population remained at that level for the remainder of the 20th century. By 2000, the community was dispersed and the number of inhabitants had risen to 100.

Education

Public education in the community of Rios is provided by the

Premont Independent School District The Premont Independent School District is a public school district based in the city of Premont, Texas, Premont, Texas, United States. The district is about south of Corpus Christi, Texas, Corpus Christi.Mellon, Ericka.North Forest appeals clos ...

. All of the district's campuses are located in the city of Premont, approximately 16 miles southeast of Rios. Premont ISD has served Rios since the late 1960s.

References

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Duval County, Texas Unincorporated communities in Texas