South Texas is a region of the U.S. state of

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 ...

that lies roughly south of—and includes—

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

. The southern and western boundary is 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 ...

, and to the east it is the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...

. The population of this region is about 4.96 million according to the 2017 census estimates.
/ref> The southern portion of this region is often referred to as the

Rio Grande Valley The Lower Rio Grande Valley ( es, Valle del Río Grande), commonly known as the Rio Grande Valley or locally as the Valley or RGV, is a region spanning the border of Texas and Mexico located in a floodplain of the Rio Grande near its mouth. Th ...

. The eastern portion along the

is also referred to as the Coastal Bend.

Greater Houston Greater Houston, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land, is the fifth-most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States, encompassing nine counties along the Gulf Co ...

and Beaumont–Port Arthur are occasionally tied to the region, both for physically being on the southern end of the state and for businesses that use "South Texas" in its name. (i.e. South Texas School of Law, South Texas State Fair, etc). However, the two are more commonly associated with

East Texas East Texas is a broadly defined cultural, geographic, and ecological region in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Texas that comprises most of 41 counties. It is primarily divided into Northeast and Southeast Texas. Most of the region consi ...

Southeast Texas Southeast Texas is a cultural and geographic region in the U.S. state of Texas, bordering Southwest Louisiana and its greater Acadiana region to the east. Being a part of East Texas, the region is geographically centered on the Greater Houston ...

Geography

There is no defined northern boundary, although it is believed to be at the city of San Antonio and from an east to west line extending from the

near Maverick County to the

, but turning southeast at or near Lavaca County, and continuing towards the Gulf of Mexico to separate it from

and

. The Rio Grande serves as the western and southern boundaries and separates Texas from

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. The eastern portion of South Texas is bordered by the

. South Texas consists of 41 counties. Its terrain is flat, lying on the coastal plain. South Texas is so vast, that there are even subregions. The very southern tip of South Texas, called the

, has fertile soils and is known for its citrus production. The eastern portion of South Texas is often referred to as the Coastal Bend; here, coastal salt marshes, estuaries, and wetlands are scattered all around. The western and central parts are known as the South Texas Plains or the Brush Country.

Mesquite Mesquite is a common name for several plants in the genus ''Prosopis'', which contains over 40 species of small leguminous trees. They are native to dry areas in the Americas. They have extremely long roots to seek water from very far under grou ...

trees and crop fields dominate the Brush Country.

Counties

*The fastest growing county in South Texas is Guadalupe County, growing by 31.3% from

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

. *The slowest growing county in South Texas is Refugio County, shrinking by 8.7% from 2010 to 2020.

Cities

Some people consider

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

to be in South Texas for several reasons: numerous businesses in the Houston region contain 'South Texas' in their titles. The

United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas The United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas (in case citations, S.D. Tex.) is the federal district court with jurisdiction over the southeastern part of Texas. The court's headquarters is in Houston, Texas and has six ...

includes the Houston division. However, Houston is most accurately classified as being within

, a subregion of

Rivers

Lakes and reservoirs

Choke Canyon Reservoir Choke Canyon Reservoir is a reservoir in South Texas, United States. The lake and the dam that creates it are owned by the United States Bureau of Reclamation and managed by the City of Corpus Christi. Geography Choke Canyon Reservoir is 4 mi ...

Lake Corpus Christi Lake Corpus Christi is a reservoir in coastal southern Texas. The lake was created by impoundment of the Nueces River by the Wesley E. Seale Dam opened in 1958. The lake and the dam that creates it are managed by the City of Corpus Christi. Lak ...

* Falcon Lake *

Lake Amistad Amistad Reservoir ( es, Presa Amistad) is a reservoir on the Rio Grande at its confluence with the Devils River northwest of Del Rio, Texas. The lake is bounded by Val Verde County on the United States side of the international border and by ...

* Lake Findley * Mitchell Lake * Lake Casa Blanca * Brauning Lake * Calaveras Lake

Bays

Padre Island National Seashore - sand dunes3

Corpus Christi Bay Corpus Christi Bay is a scenic semi-tropical bay on the Texas coast found in San Patricio County, Texas, San Patricio and Nueces County, Texas, Nueces counties, next to the major city of Corpus Christi, Texas, Corpus Christi. It is separated from ...

San Antonio Bay San Antonio Bay is a bay on the Texas Gulf Coast situated between Matagorda and Aransas Bay. It consists mainly of the combined waters of the San Antonio and Guadalupe rivers, and is located at the mouth of the Guadalupe River, about 55 miles ...

Baffin Bay Baffin Bay ( Inuktitut: ''Saknirutiak Imanga''; kl, Avannaata Imaa; french: Baie de Baffin), located between Baffin Island and the west coast of Greenland, is defined by the International Hydrographic Organization as a marginal sea of the Arct ...

Nueces Bay Nueces Bay is a northwestern extension of Corpus Christi Bay in the San Patricio and Nueces Counties of Texas. The bay is fed by the Nueces River, forming a natural estuary, which renders it ecologically and economically vital to the surrounding ...

Oso Bay Oso Bay is a bay bordered by Corpus Christi, Texas. The bay is fed freshwater by Oso Creek and saltwater from Corpus Christi Bay. The Hans and Pat Suter Wildlife Refuge is located on the bay's western shore near the Pharaoh Valley subdivision, ...

Copano Bay Copano Bay is a northwestern extension of Aransas Bay, west of Rockport, Texas in Refugio and Aransas counties. It is supplied with seawater from the Gulf of Mexico via Aransas Bay, and fed freshwater from the Aransas River, Mission River and C ...

Aransas Bay Aransas Bay is a bay on the Texas Gulf Coast, approximately northeast of Corpus Christi, and south of San Antonio. It is separated from the Gulf of Mexico by San José Island (also referred to as St. Joseph Island). Aransas Pass is the m ...

* Matagorda Bay *

Lavaca Bay Lavaca Bay () is a northwestern extension of the Matagorda Bay system found mostly in Calhoun County, Texas, United States. The ports of Port Lavaca and Point Comfort have been established on the bay, and are the main areas of human habitation ...

*Redfish Bay *Mission Bay

Estuaries and waterways

Rincon Bayou Rincon Bayou is in the Nueces River delta, and located northwest of Corpus Christi. The Rincon Bayou is subject to freshwater inundation following seasonal rainfall events farther inland along the Nueces River. The freshwater inundation provides t ...

- a bayou in the Nueces River Delta, just north of the mouth of the Nueces River, for Location, see

*Elm Bayou - a bayou on the Victoria-Refugio County line *

Gulf Intracoastal Waterway The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway is the portion of the Intracoastal Waterway located along the Gulf Coast of the United States. It is a navigable inland waterway running approximately from Carrabelle, Florida, to Brownsville, Texas. The waterwa ...

- a navigable route along the

without many of the hazards of travel on the open sea *Resacas of the Rio Grande Valley - many oxbow lakes found scattered throughout the lower Rio Grande Valley *

Laguna Madre The Laguna Madre is a long, shallow, hypersaline lagoon along the western coast of the Gulf of Mexico in Nueces, Kenedy, Kleberg, Willacy and Cameron Counties in Texas, United States. It is one of seven major estuaries along the Gulf Coast ...

- a long, hypersaline bay that creates a barrier between

Padre Island Padre Island is the largest of the Texas barrier islands and the world's longest barrier island. The island is located along Texas's southern coast of the Gulf of Mexico and is noted for its white sandy beaches. Meaning ''father'' in Spanish, it ...

and mainland Texas

Islands

North Padre Island North Padre Island is a barrier island along the coast of Texas. It and South Padre Island were formed after the creation of the Port Mansfield Channel split Padre Island in two. From north to south, North Padre Island is located in parts of Nu ...

South Padre Island South Padre Island is a barrier island in the U.S. state of Texas. The remote landform is located in Cameron County, Willacy County, and accessible by the Queen Isabella Causeway. South Padre Island was formed when the creation of the Port Man ...

Mustang Island Mustang Island is a barrier island on the Gulf Coast of Texas in the United States. The island is 18 miles (29 km) long, stretching from Corpus Christi to Port Aransas. The island is oriented generally northeast–southwest, with the Gulf ...

Matagorda Island Matagorda Island (), ''Spanish for'' "thick brush," is a 38-mile (61 km) long barrier island on the Texas Gulf coast, located approximately south of Port O'Connor, in the southernmost part of Calhoun County. The traditional homeland of ...

* Ward Island * San José Island

Climate

The climate of South Texas is varied. The area along the Mexican border is generally

semi-arid A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-ar ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

''BSh''), while the area from the coast inland to just west of San Antonio has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(Köppen ''Cfa''). South Texas weather is affected by the

Sierra Madre Oriental The Sierra Madre Oriental () is a mountain range in northeastern Mexico. The Sierra Madre Oriental is part of the American Cordillera, a chain of mountain ranges (cordillera) that consists of an almost continuous sequence of mountain ranges that f ...

mountains to the west, the Gulf of Mexico to the east, and the

Chihuahuan Desert The Chihuahuan Desert ( es, Desierto de Chihuahua, ) is a desert ecoregion designation covering parts of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. It occupies much of far West Texas, the middle to lower Rio Grande Valley and the lower P ...

to the west/northwest. Moisture from the Pacific is cut off by the Mexican

Sierra Madre Occidental The Sierra Madre Occidental is a major mountain range system of the North American Cordillera, that runs northwest–southeast through northwestern and western Mexico, and along the Gulf of California. The Sierra Madre is part of the American C ...

and Oriental mountain ranges. Along the coast the climate is best exemplified in the summers when humidity is extremely high though at times arid, depending upon whether tropical moisture from the Gulf and sometimes from the Pacific is flowing in or if the region is cut off from any moisture by high pressure systems, causing long droughts, which occur every few years. Temperatures reach freezing only a few times in the winter and snowfall is rare, usually three inches or less. Summers in this zone are hot and humid, with daily averages above . In addition, areas in Texas that are slightly inland from the Gulf of Mexico, such as San Antonio that border the semi-arid climate zone, generally see a peak of precipitation in the spring, and a deep, drought-like nadir in midsummer. The region itself sees a short

wet season The wet season (sometimes called the Rainy season) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. It is the time of year where the majority of a country's or region's annual precipitation occurs. Generally, the sea ...

from March to May and another one from late August to October, and a

dry season The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The te ...

elsewhere in the year. Night-time temperatures are around in summer. The region of South Texas includes the semi-arid ranch country and the wetter Rio Grande Valley. Considered to be the southernmost tip of the American Great Plains region, the inland region has rainfall similar to that of the Northern Plains. The coastal areas are warm most of the year due to currents of the Gulf of Mexico, but can get cold in winter if a strong front comes in, occasionally causing snow at sea level. Rain in the coastal region is more abundant than in the inland region, and subtropical forests line the

. Inland, where it is drier, ranches dominate the landscape, characterized by thick, spiny brush and grasslands. The winters in the inland region are cooler and drier, as Arctic air can make it into the region, but snow is rare due to the lack of humidity. Summers are for the most part hot and dry, but at times can be humid if winds come off the warmer Gulf of Mexico. Tornadoes can occur in this region, but less frequently than in other parts of the state.

Hurricanes A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

are the most dangerous weather systems to affect South Texas. Hurricane season is between June and November. However, the Texas coast gets affected usually between August and September, when systems sporadically organize in the southern Gulf around the Bay of Campeche or western Caribbean and the latter months forming off the coast of Africa.

Drought A drought is defined as drier than normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D. Jiang, A. Khan, W. Pokam Mba, D. Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, an ...

s- Although South Texas summers generally see rainfall in summer months, some years the lack of rain is persistent and leads to water shortages; lake levels drop significantly and lead to municipal water restrictions. In the summer of 2011, numerous records were set. On August 28, 2011, most of South Texas had temperatures reaching 110 °F, breaking many cities' record highs. Furthermore, 95% of the state faced an extreme or exceptional drought, according to the office of the Texas state climatologist. These drought conditions led to a string of dangerous

wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire ...

s across the state, and the enforcement of burn bans in 250 of the 254 counties in Texas.

Tornadoes A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...

do occur in this part of the state, but not as frequently as other parts. They approach, usually from the northwest to southeast, as a line of severe

thunderstorms A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorms are someti ...

, mostly in the summer months and by cold fronts in fall. Snow rarely falls south of San Antonio or on the coast except in rare circumstances. Of note is the 2004 Christmas Eve snowstorm, when 6 inches (150 mm) of snow fell as far south as

McAllen McAllen is the largest city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States, and the 22nd-most populous city in Texas. It is located at the southern tip of the state in the Rio Grande Valley, on the Mexico–United States border. The city limits extend ...

Wildlife

Reptiles

Mammals

Sealife

Arthropods

Birds

Demographics and culture

Multicultural influences

South Texas is well known for strong

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 ...

, primarily Mexican American and ''

Tejano Tejanos (, ; singular: ''Tejano/a''; Spanish for "Texan", originally borrowed from the Caddo ''tayshas'') are the residents of the state of Texas who are culturally descended from the Mexican population of Tejas and Coahuila that lived in the ...

'' (the Spanish term for "

Texan Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by bo ...

") influences, due to its proximity to

. Tejanos and Mexicans living in South Texas are descended from the Spanish and

Sephardic Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), ...

Jewish settlers of Mexico, from Mexican indigenous groups allied with the Spanish, such as

Tlaxcaltec The Tlaxcalans, or Tlaxcaltecs, are a Nahua people who live in the Mexican state of Tlaxcala. Pre-Columbian history The Tlaxcaltecs were originally a conglomeration of three distinct ethnic groups who spoke Nahuatl, Otomi, and Pinome that compr ...

and

Otomi The Otomi (; es, Otomí ) are an indigenous people of Mexico inhabiting the central Mexican Plateau (Altiplano) region. The Otomi are an indigenous people of Mexico who inhabit a discontinuous territory in central Mexico. They are linguisticall ...

peoples, and from local indigenous groups of South Texas who were missionized by the Spanish, particularly Coahuiltecans. These migrations occurred and have been ongoing since the early 1700s in South Texas. The

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ( es, Tratado de Guadalupe Hidalgo), officially the Treaty of Peace, Friendship, Limits, and Settlement between the United States of America and the United Mexican States, is the peace treaty that was signed on 2 ...

in the 1840s failed to secure land belonging to the Mexican settlers. The disputed area was between the

Nueces River The Nueces River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas, about long. It drains a region in central and southern Texas southeastward into the Gulf of Mexico. It is the southernmost major river in Texas northeast of the Rio Grande. ''Nueces'' ...

south of San Antonio and Corpus Christi, the

King Ranch King Ranch is the largest ranch in the United States. At some it is larger than the state of Rhode Island and country of Luxembourg. It is mainly a cattle ranch, but also produced the Triple Crown winning racehorse Assault. The ranch is lo ...

, and the Rio Grande. Recognized by neither Mexico nor the United States, the

Republic of the Rio Grande The Republic of the Rio Grande ( es, República del Río Grande) was an independent nation that insurgents fighting against the Centralist Republic of Mexico sought to establish in northern Mexico. The Republic of the Rio Grande was one of a se ...

was established in this region in 1840, lasting less than a year. Laredo served as its capital. The Rio Grande Valley area played a significant role in the

Mexican War of Independence The Mexican War of Independence ( es, Guerra de Independencia de México, links=no, 16 September 1810 – 27 September 1821) was an armed conflict and political process resulting in Mexico's independence from Spain. It was not a single, co ...

, the Texas Revolution, the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

, and the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, with many historical battle sites around the area. General Robert E. Lee resided at Fort Ringold (

Rio Grande City Rio Grande City is a city in and the county seat of Starr County, Texas. The population was 14,411 at the time of the 2020 census. The city is west of McAllen. The city also holds the March record high for the United States at . The city is c ...

) during this time as a colonel. President

Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military leader who served as the 12th president of the United States from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States Army, rising to th ...

was General of the Army at

Fort Brown Fort Brown (originally Fort Texas) was a military post of the United States Army in Cameron County, Texas, during the latter half of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century. Established in 1846, it was the first US Army military ...

( Brownsville) during the Mexican–American War. The Texas Rangers gained popularity for their actions in South Texas during the Mexican bandit raids in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. On May 25, 1876, a band of 40 Texas Rangers rode out of Laredo and headed north to the Nueces Strip. Their mission was to find, kill or capture

John King Fisher John King Fisher (October 1853 – March 11, 1884) was a gunslinger from the U.S. state of Texas during the heyday of the American Old West. Early life and education Fisher was born during October 1853 in Collin County, north of Dallas, Tex ...

, leader of a band of cattle rustlers and cut-throats who had been terrorizing the area. The Rangers were members of a select group known as the Special Force. Led by

Leander McNelly Leander Harvey McNelly (March 12, 1844 – September 4, 1877) was a Confederate officer and Texas Ranger captain. McNelly is best remembered for leading the "Special Force", a quasi-military branch of the Texas Rangers that operated in south Te ...

, the Special Force was given the task to bring law and order to an area of South Texas that lay between Corpus Christi and the

Mexican border Mexico shares international borders with three nations: *To the north the United States–Mexico border, which extends for a length of through the states of Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas. *To the southe ...

. San Antonio has the most significant African American population in all of South Texas.

Economy

Rice

An important event in the development of South Texas and the Texas Gulf Coast rice industry was the introduction of seed imported from Japan in 1904. The Houston Chamber of Commerce and the Southern Pacific Railroad invited Japanese farmers to Texas to help area farms in the production of rice. The seed the Japanese farmers brought with them was a gift from the Japanese emperor. The production of Japanese rice began at Webster in Harris County. The Gulf Coast rice industry is credited to the Saibara family.

Transportation

Air

San Antonio International Airport San Antonio International Airport is an international airport in San Antonio, Texas. It is in Uptown Central San Antonio, about north of Downtown. It has three runways and covers . Its elevation is above sea level. SAT averages 260 daily dep ...

Corpus Christi International Airport Corpus Christi International Airport is west of Corpus Christi, in Nueces County, Texas. It opened in 1960, replacing Cliff Maus airport at , where the Lozano Golf Center is now located. The airport's six-gate Hayden Wilson Head Terminal, ...

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 ...

Valley International Airport Valley International Airport (VIA) is owned by the City of Harlingen, in Cameron County, Texas, United States. It is operated by a nine-member airport board appointed by the mayor. HRL is centrally located in the Rio Grande Valley and is refer ...

* Victoria Regional Airport *

McAllen Miller International Airport McAllen International Airport is in McAllen, in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021 categorized it as a small hub ''primary commercial service'' airport. Runways McAllen Inter ...

Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport is east of downtown Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas. The Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport serves two airlines, six air taxis and offers three fixed-base operations ...

* Alice International Airport * South Texas International Airport at Edinburg *

Aransas County Airport Aransas County Airport is in Aransas County five miles (7 km) north of Rockport, Texas. The FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2009–2013 categorized it as a ''general aviation'' facility. Facilities The airport cover ...

Aransas County Airport Website
Aransas Co Airport Call Sign: RKP(U.S), KRKP(International) * Kleberg County Airport * Duval-Freer Airport * Mustang Beach Airport * San José Island Airport

Passenger rail

* San Antonio Amtrak station, serving two Amtrak lines; the '' Sunset Limited'' and the ''

Texas Eagle The ''Texas Eagle'' is a daily passenger train route operated by Amtrak between Chicago and San Antonio in the central and western United States. Prior to 1988, the train was known as the ''Eagle''. Trains #21 (southbound) and 22 (northbound) ...

''; and Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach route serving Harlingen, Brownsville, and

McAllen, Texas McAllen is the largest city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States, and the 22nd-most populous city in Texas. It is located at the southern tip of the state in the Rio Grande Valley, on the Mexico–United States border. The city limits extend ...

Major highways

Interstate

I-2 *

I-10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally pl ...

I-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 ...

I-37 *

I-69C Interstate 69C (I-69C) is a north–south freeway running through South Texas. Once complete, the freeway (with connections to Mexican Federal Highway 97) will begin at I-2/ U.S. Highway 83 (US 83) in Pharr and head northward ...

I-69E *

I-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 ...

I-169 *

I-410

US Routes

US 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 Corridor Highway Sy ...

US 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 Mexican border, whe ...

US 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 ...

US 87 U.S. Highway 87 (US 87) is a north–south United States highway (though it is signed east–west in New Mexico) that runs for 1,998 miles (3,215 km) from northern Montana to southern Texas, making it the longest north-south roa ...

US 90 U.S. Route 90 or U.S. Highway 90 (US 90) is an east–west major United States highway in the Southern United States. Despite the "0" in its route number, US 90 never was a full coast-to-coast route. With the exception of a short-lived ...

US 181 U.S. Highway 181 is a south–north U.S. Highway located entirely in the state of Texas. Both termini are at Interstate 37, the road that it mainly parallels to the east. US 181 begins in Corpus Christi, Texas at mile marker 0 to the south, ...

US 281 U.S. Route 281 (US 281) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway. At it is the longest continuous three-digit U.S. Route. The highway's northern terminus is at the International Peace Garden, north of Dunseith, North Dakota, at t ...

Texas State Highways

TX 4 *

TX 16 State Highway 16 (SH 16) is a south–north state highway in the U.S. state of Texas that runs from Zapata on the boundary with Mexico to U.S. Highway 281 south of Wichita Falls. It is the longest state highway in Texas at almost , but is o ...

TX 44 *

TX 107 *

TX 141 *

TX 151 *

TX 255 *

TX 285 *

TX 286 *

TX 336 *

TX 358 *

TX 359 *

TX 361 *

TX 495

International bridges

Laredo *

Gateway to the Americas International Bridge The Gateway to the Americas International Bridge is one of four vehicular international bridges located in the cities of Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, that connect the United States and Mexico over the Rio Grande (Río Bravo). ...

Juárez–Lincoln International Bridge The Juárez–Lincoln International Bridge (also known as Laredo International Bridge 2) is one of four vehicular international bridges located in the cities of Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, that connect the United States and ...

Texas Mexican Railway International Bridge The Texas Mexican Railway International Bridge is an international railway bridge across the Rio Grande and U.S.-Mexico border between Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, the only rail link between these cities. Owned and operated by Te ...

World Trade International Bridge The World Trade International Bridge is one of four international bridges located in the cities of Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, that connect the United States and Mexico over the Rio Grande (Río Bravo). It is owned and opera ...

Laredo–Colombia Solidarity International Bridge The Laredo–Colombia Solidarity International Bridge is one of four vehicular international bridges located on the U.S.-Mexico border in the city of Laredo, Texas; it connects Laredo over the Rio Grande (Rio Bravo) with Colombia in Anáhuac ...

Eagle Pass *

Eagle Pass–Piedras Negras International Bridge The Eagle Pass–Piedras Negras International Bridge is an international bridge which crosses the Rio Grande connecting the United States-Mexico border cities of Eagle Pass, Texas and Piedras Negras, Coahuila. The bridge is also known as "Eagle P ...

* Camino Real International Bridge * Union Pacific International Railroad Bridge Brownsville *

Brownsville & Matamoros International Bridge The Brownsville & Matamoros International Bridge, also known as B&M International Bridge, Brownsville-Matamoros International Bridge and Express Bridge, is one of three international bridges that cross the U.S.-Mexico border between the cities ...

Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates The Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates is one of three international bridges that span the Mexico–United States border between the cities of Brownsville, Texas, and Matamoros, Tamaulipas. It is also known as simply as the Veterans Brid ...

Gateway International Bridge Gateway International Bridge is one of three international bridges that cross the U.S.-Mexico border between the cities of Brownsville, Texas, and Matamoros, Tamaulipas. It is owned and operated by Cameron County. Over the past century, it ha ...

Los Indios *

Free Trade International Bridge The Free Trade International Bridge is an international bridge which crosses the Rio Grande connecting the United States-Mexico border United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an ...

Falcon Heights *

Lake Falcon Dam International Crossing The Lake Falcon Dam International Crossing is a bridge across the Rio Grande south of Falcon Lake. The dam connects the United States-Mexico border cities of Falcon Heights, Texas and Nueva Ciudad Guerrero, Tamaulipas. The dam is also known as "F ...

Hidalgo
McAllen *

McAllen–Hidalgo–Reynosa International Bridge The McAllen–Hidalgo–Reynosa International Bridge is a road bridge completed in 1926, crossing the Rio Grande between the state of Tamaulipas in northeastern Mexico and the state of Texas in the southwestern United States. Route The Hidalgo T ...

Anzalduas International Bridge Anzalduas International Bridge is an international bridge over the Rio Grande, which connects the western outskirts of both the city of Mission, Texas in the United States and the city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas state, in Mexico. It provides cross-b ...

Pharr *

Pharr–Reynosa International Bridge The Pharr–Reynosa International Bridge ( es, Puente Internacional Reynosa–Pharr) is an international bridge across the Rio Grande, along the U.S.–Mexico border. It connects the city of Pharr in the U.S. state of Texas with the city of Rey ...

Progreso *

Progreso–Nuevo Progreso International Bridge The Progreso–Nuevo Progreso International Bridge ( es, Puente Internacional Nuevo Progreso–Progreso), officially the Weslaco–Progreso International Bridge and also known as the B&P Bridge, is an international bridge over the Rio Grande on ...

Rio Grande City *

Rio Grande City–Camargo International Bridge The Rio Grande City – Camargo International Bridge is an international bridge along the United States–Mexico border between the U.S. state of Texas and the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. It is a crossing of the Rio Grande that connects the citie ...

Roma * Roma–Ciudad Miguel Alemán International Bridge

Tourism

San Antonio *

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is a National Historical Park and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site preserving four of the five Spanish frontier missions in San Antonio, Texas, USA. These outposts were established by Catholic r ...

* The Alamo *

Tobin Center for the Performing Arts The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts is San Antonio's performing arts center. Located next to the San Antonio Riverwalk, it is named for Robert L. B. Tobin, one of the city's most prominent residents. History The 1738-seat venue was first b ...

Six Flags Fiesta Texas Six Flags Fiesta Texas, formerly known simply as Fiesta Texas, is a theme park located in Northwest San Antonio. It opened on March 14, 1992, in the La Cantera, San Antonio, La Cantera master-planned development and district as the first busines ...

San Antonio River Walk The San Antonio River Walk is a city park and special-case pedestrian street in San Antonio, Texas, one level down from the automobile street. The River Walk winds and loops under bridges as two parallel sidewalks lined with restaurants and shop ...

San Antonio Zoo The San Antonio Zoo is an Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoo in Midtown San Antonio, Texas, United States. It is located in the city's Brackenridge Park. San Antonio Zoo is a 50+ acre zoo home to over 750 species, some of whic ...

SeaWorld San Antonio SeaWorld San Antonio is a marine mammal park, oceanarium and animal theme park in the Westover Hills District of San Antonio, Texas, on the city's west side. It is the largest of the three parks in the SeaWorld chain owned and operated by SeaW ...

San Antonio Museum of Art The San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) is an art museum in Downtown San Antonio, Texas, USA. The museum spans 5,000 years of global culture. The museum is housed in the historic former Lone Star Brewery (1886) on the Museum Reach of the San Antonio ...

San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo is a livestock show and rodeo held in San Antonio, Texas annually during the month of February. It is part of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) schedule. For 14 consecutive years it was awarded t ...

Corpus Christi *

Mirador de la Flor Mirador de la Flor ( en, Overlook of the Flower) is a monument in Corpus Christi, Texas, that honors Tejano musician Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, who was murdered in 1995 at age 23. About 30,000 people visit the monument every year. It is locate ...

(

Selena Selena Quintanilla Pérez (; April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995), known mononymously as Selena, was an American Tejano singer. Called the " Queen of Tejano music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most celebrated Mex ...

Memorial Statue) *

Texas State Aquarium __NOTOC__ The Texas State Aquarium is a nonprofit aquarium located in Corpus Christi, Texas, United States. It aims to promote environmental conservation and rehabilitation of the wildlife of the Gulf of Mexico. It has been accredited by the Asso ...

* USS Lexington Museum Ship *

and Mustang Island State Park *

Padre Island National Seashore Padre Island National Seashore (PINS) is a national seashore located on Padre Island off the coast of South Texas. In contrast to South Padre Island, known for its beaches and vacationing college students, PINS is located on North Padre Isla ...

near Corpus Christi *

Bayfest Bayfest may refer to the following annual music festivals: * Bayfest (Corpus Christi), Texas *Bayfest (Mobile) BayFest was an annual three-day music festival held in the heart of downtown Mobile, Alabama. Founded in 1995, the festival offered a v ...

Schlitterbahn Schlitterbahn is an American brand of water parks and resorts owned by Cedar Fair. It was previously a company family-owned-and-operated by the Henry family that was based in New Braunfels, Texas. Schlitterbahn opened its first location, Schlitt ...

Laredo * San Agustin de Laredo Historic District * Republic of the Rio Grande Capitol Building Museum *

Washington's Birthday Celebration The Washington's Birthday Celebration (WBCA) is an almost month-long event held each February in Laredo, Texas, Laredo, the seat of Webb County, Texas, Webb County in south Texas, that celebrates Presidents' Day, the birthday of George Washingto ...

festivities during January and February Rio Grande Valley *

Gladys Porter Zoo Gladys Porter Zoo is a zoological and botanical park located in Brownsville, Texas, United States. The zoo officially opened on September 3, 1971, and currently averages over 424,000 visitors annually. Situated on , the zoo houses about 400 anim ...

in Brownsville *

Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle The Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle is a minor basilica of the Catholic Church located in San Juan, Texas, United States. It is also a national shrine under the direction of the Diocese of Brownsville. History ...

Other *

near Kingsville *

Aransas National Wildlife Refuge Aransas National Wildlife Refuge is a 115,324-acre (466.7 km2) protected area situated on the southwest side of San Antonio Bay along the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Texas. It is located in parts of Aransas, Refugio, and Calhoun Cou ...

Image:SanAntonio-RiverWalk-5160.jpg,

Image:South Padre Island beach.jpg,

Image:SeaWorldTexas1.jpg,

Image:Mission San Antonio aka Alamo.jpg, The Alamo Image:December_20_-_Corpus_-_003.jpg, Corpus Christi File:USS Lexington Corpus.JPG, USS Lexington floating museum in Corpus Christi File:San Agustin Cathedral Tower.JPG, San Agustin Cathedral in Laredo's San Agustin de Laredo Historic District File:Rio Grande Republic Capitol.jpg, Republic of the Rio Grande Capitol building is located in Laredo File:Virgin_de_San_Juan_Church.JPG, Basilica of San Juan del Valle in San Juan

Education

Colleges

* Alamo Community College District **

San Antonio College San Antonio College (SAC) is a public community college in San Antonio, Texas. It is part of the Alamo Colleges District and the oldest public two-year college in Texas. The college has an average semester enrollment of 22,028 credit students an ...

Palo Alto College Palo Alto College is a public community college on the South Side of San Antonio, Texas. It is one of five separately accredited colleges in the Alamo Colleges District The Alamo Colleges District (previously the Alamo Community College Dis ...

** St. Philip's College ** Northeast Lakeview College **

Northwest Vista College Northwest Vista College is a public community college in San Antonio, Texas. It is one of five community college institutions that comprise the Alamo Colleges District and is located in the Westover Hills neighborhood of San Antonio's Far West ...

Coastal Bend College Coastal Bend College (CBC), formerly known as Bee County College (BCC), is a community college that has its main campus in Beeville, Texas, and which operates branch campuses in Alice, Kingsville, and Pleasanton, Texas. As defined by the Texas ...

** Alice Campus ** Main Campus (Beeville) ** Kingsville Campus ** Pleasanton Campus *

Del Mar College Del Mar College (DMC) is a public community college in Corpus Christi, Texas. Founded in 1935, DMC encompasses two primary campuses and one campus annex with combined physical assets of more than $99 million. As defined by the Texas Legislature ...

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 ...

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 ...

South Texas College South Texas College (STC) is a public community college in the Rio Grande Valley region of South Texas. It is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award Bachelor of Applied Technology, ...

** Main Campus, McAllen ** Tech Campus, McAllen **

Nursing and Allied Health Campus, McAllen Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...

Mid-Valley Campus, Weslaco Mid valley or Midvalley may refer to: Malaysia *Mid Valley City, a mixed development project in Kuala Lumpur *Mid Valley Komuter station, a commuter train station in Seputeh, Kuala Lumpur *Mid Valley Link, a major highway in Kuala Lumpur *Mid Valle ...

** Starr County Campus, Rio Grande City *

Texas State Technical College Texas State Technical College (TSTC) is a public community college with 10 campuses throughout Texas. TSTC is the State of Texas's only public multicampus technical college, offering associate degrees and certificates in technical skills and trade ...

Texas Southmost College Texas Southmost College (TSC) is a public junior college located in Brownsville, Texas. History Early history Texas Southmost College was established in 1926 under the name of The Junior College of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, as a subsidiary ...

Public universities

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 ...

( Laredo) *

Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi (Texas A&M–Corpus Christi, TAMU-CC, A&M-Corpus Christi, or A&M-CC) is a public research university in Corpus Christi, Texas. It is part of the Texas A&M University System and classified among "R2: Doctora ...

Texas A&M University–Kingsville Texas A&M University–Kingsville is a Public university, public research university in Kingsville, Texas. It is the southernmost campus of the Texas A&M University System. The university developed the nation's first doctoral degree in bilingual ...

(Texas A&I) *

Texas A&M University–San Antonio Texas A&M University–San Antonio is a public university in San Antonio, Texas. It is part of the Texas A&M University System. The university was established on May 23, 2009, and held its first classes as a stand-alone university on August 20, 20 ...

University of Houston–Victoria The University of Houston–Victoria (UHV) is a public university in Victoria, Texas. It is part of the University of Houston System. Its campus spans in Victoria with a satellite location at UHV Katy. Founded in 1971, UHV has an enrollment o ...

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 ...

University of Texas at San Antonio The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is a Public university, public research university in San Antonio, Texas. With over 34,000 students across its four campuses spanning 758 acres, UTSA is the Education in San Antonio, largest universi ...

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) is a public research university with multiple campuses throughout the Rio Grande Valley region of Texas and is the southernmost member of the University of Texas System. The University of Texas ...

(2015) **

University of Texas at Brownsville , mottoeng = Cultivated mind is the guardian genius of democracy. , established = , closed = (merged with UT–Pan American to form The UTRGV) , type = Public State University , presid ...

University of Texas–Pan American , mottoeng = Education, the Guardian of Society , established = , closed = , type = Public university , endowment = $65 million , president = Dr. Havidan Rodriguez ...

Private universities

Our Lady of the Lake University Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU), known locally as the Lake, is a private Catholic university in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1895 by the Sisters of Divine Providence, a religious institute originating in Lorraine, France, duri ...

* St. Mary's University *

University of the Incarnate Word The University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) is a private, Catholic university with its main campus in San Antonio and Alamo Heights, Texas. Founded in 1881 by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, the university's main campus is located o ...

* Trinity University *

Texas Lutheran University Texas Lutheran University (TLU) is a private Evangelical Lutheran Church in America university in Seguin, Texas. History The university traces its roots back to 1891, to an academy of the first German Evangelical Lutheran Synod in Texas, in Br ...

Sports

The only major professional sports team in South Texas is the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...

in the

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

Area codes

* 210 -

Bexar County Bexar County ( or ; es, Béxar ) is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. It is in South Texas and its county seat is San Antonio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,009,324. Bexar County is included in the San Antonio–New Bra ...

* 361 - Corpus Christi, Alice,

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, Kingsville, Rockport,

Falfurrias Falfurrias ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Brooks County, Texas. Its population was 4,981 at the 2010 census, in a county that in the same census was just over 7,000. The town is named for founder Edward Cunningham Lasater's ranch, La Mot ...

726 __NOTOC__ Year 726 ( DCCXXVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 726 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar e ...

- San Antonio metropolitan area *

830 __NOTOC__ Year 830 ( DCCCXXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Britain * King Wiglaf of Mercia regains control from Wessex, and returns to the throne.S ...

- Eagle Pass, Floresville * 956 - Laredo, Brownsville,

Mission Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion *Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity *Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...

, Edinburg *

979 Year 979 ( CMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * March 24 – Second Battle of Pankaleia: An Ibero-Byzantine expeditionary ...

- only the southern half of this area is in South Texas

References

{{Coord missing, Texas Regions of Texas