Cameron County, officially the County of Cameron, is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 421,017. Its county seat is Brownsville. The county was founded in 1848 and is named for

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Ewen Cameron, a soldier during the Texas Revolution and in the ill-fated Mier Expedition. During the later 19th century and through World War II, Fort Brown was a US Army outpost here, stimulating the development of the city of Brownsville. Cameron County comprises the Brownsville– Harlingen, TX metropolitan statistical area, as well as the Brownsville–Harlingen– Raymondville combined statistical area, which itself is part of the larger Rio Grande Valley region.

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 are land and (30%) are covered by water. To the east, the county borders the Gulf of Mexico.

Major highways

* Interstate 2 *

Interstate 69E Interstate 69E (I-69E) is a north–south freeway 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 toward Housto ...

U.S. Highway 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 ...

* Interstate 169/ State Highway 550 *

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 ...

U.S. Highway 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 ...

* State Highway 4 * State Highway 48 * State Highway 100 * State Highway 107 * State Highway 345

Adjacent counties and municipalities

Willacy County Willacy County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 20,164. Its county seat is Raymondville. The county was created in 1911 and organized the next year. Willacy County comprises the Raymondville m ...

(north) * Gulf of Mexico (east) * Matamoros Municipality, Tamaulipas, Mexico (south) * Hidalgo County (west)

National protected areas

* Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge (part) *

Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge The Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge located in the Lower Rio Grande Valley region of southern Texas. It is along the northern banks and reaches of the Lower Rio Grande, north of the Mexico—Unit ...

(part) * Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park

Demographics

''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.'' As of the census of 2010, 406,220 people, 119,631 households, and 96,579 families were residing in the county. The population density was 370 people per square mile (143/km²). The 141,924 housing units averaged 132 per square mile (51/km²). The Race (United States Census), racial makeup of the county was 87.0% White, 0.5% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 9.8% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. About 88.1% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 119,631 households, 50.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.80% were married couples living together, 20.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.3% were not families. About 16.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.36, and the average family size was 3.80. In the county, the age distribution was 33.0% under the age of18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.10% who were 65 or older. The median age was 30.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.90 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 86.30 males. The median income for a household in the county was $31,264, and for a family was $33,770. Males had a median income of $21,410 versus $15,597 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,695. About 30.0% of families and 34.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 46.8% of those under age 18 and 24.8% of those age 65 or over. A 2000 Texas A&M study stated that of the residents of Cameron County, 43% do not have basic literacy skills. Within the 2010s decade, a noticeable trend in the county population showed that growth among the county's northern cities (defined as major towns whose city limits lie entirely north or east of U.S. Highway 83 in the county) on average has been greater than those cities on U.S. Highway 83 in the county, suggesting a possible desire among both locals and new residents from outside the Rio Grande Valley to move away from the population centers of the county. This trend has also been shared by nearby Hidalgo County. Los Fresnos, Texas, Los Fresnos, for example, grew by 42.2% from 2010 to 2018. Other major cities, such as Indian Lake, Texas, Indian Lake, Primera, Texas, Primera, and Rio Hondo, Texas, Rio Hondo, all grew by more than 15% in the same period. In contrast, the cities of Harlingen, La Feria, Texas, La Feria, and San Benito, Texas, San Benito, all cities along U.S. Highway 83, have seen growths less than 1% in the same period. The city that grew the most among the Highway 83 cities in the county was Brownsville, which grew by 4.4% from 2010 to 2019.

Government and infrastructure

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operates the Port Isabel Service Processing Center, located in an unincorporated area adjacent to the Port Isabel-Cameron County Airport, which is itself owned and operated by the county. The airport has four runways and offers fuel and other general aviation services.. Federal Aviation Administration, Effective 26 April 2018. U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen stated in 2013 that the corruption in the county judiciary and legal system was so pervasive that most people would not believe it "unless they heard it themselves."

Politics

Cameron County leans toward the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party in presidential elections. The last Republican Party (United States), Republican to win the county was George W. Bush in 2004. Donald Trump's 2016 showing of 32.0% was the lowest received by a Republican candidate in the county since Alf Landon in 1936. However in 2020, Trump's performance of 43% was the best for a Republican in the county since 2004. As of 2006, officeholders tend to be Democrats. As of 2006, about 20,000 to 30,000 people in Cameron County vote in primary elections, and presidential elections have higher turnouts. ''Politiqueras'', women hired to help elderly people vote, are crucial in South Texas elections.

Education

Cameron County is served by several school districts. They include: * Brownsville Independent School District * Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District * La Feria Independent School District * Los Fresnos Consolidated Independent School District * Lyford Consolidated Independent School District (partially) * Point Isabel Independent School District * Rio Hondo Independent School District * San Benito Consolidated Independent School District * Santa Maria Independent School District * Santa Rosa Independent School District In addition, residents are eligible to apply to South Texas Independent School District's magnet schools. All of the county is in the service area of Texas Southmost College.

Economy

SpaceX has been approved by the FAA to build a private spaceport east of Brownsville on the Gulf Coast. The SpaceX South Texas Launch Site is projected to employ 75–100 full-time workers in the early years with up to 150 full-time employees/contractors by 2019. In 2014, SpaceX acquired additional land near Boca Chica, which they consolidated into a subdivision called "Mars Crossing", possibly named after the novel by science-fiction writer Geoffrey A. Landis. File:SpaceX Starbase launch facility (51438071556).jpg, View of SpaceX's launch pad at Boca Chica Village near Brownsville. File:USA - Texas - Boca Chica - Starbase (51286054441).jpg, SN15 and SN16. File:USA - Texas - Boca Chica - Starbase (51285307187).jpg, SpaceX Starship, Starship and Super heavy-lift launch vehicle, SuperHeavy production site. The Southern Cattle Tick (''Rhipicephalus microplus'') is invasive here. Populations here have also become highly Permethrin#Resistance, permethrin resistant. In 2014 the problem had become so severe that spread to neighboring counties was feared, and a Temporary Preventative Quarantine Area was established to preserve efficacy in those counties. All quarantine efforts have been somewhat unsuccessful, due at least in part to the ticks' infestation of wildlife including whitetail (''Odocoileus virginianus'').

Media

Radio stations

* KFRQ 94.5FM * KKPS 99.5FM * KNVO 101.1FM * KVLY 107.9FM * KVMV 96.9FM

Newspapers

* ''The Brownsville Herald'' (A Freedom Communications, Inc. newspaper based in Brownsville, TX) * ''Valley Morning Star'' (A Freedom Communications, Inc. newspaper based in Harlingen, TX) * ''El Nuevo Heraldo'' (AIM Media Texas newspaper based in Brownsville, TX)

Communities

Cities

* Brownsville (county seat) * Harlingen * La Feria, Texas, La Feria * Los Fresnos, Texas, Los Fresnos * Palm Valley, Cameron County, Texas, Palm Valley * Port Isabel, Texas, Port Isabel * Rio Hondo, Texas, Rio Hondo * San Benito, Texas, San Benito

Towns

* Bayview, Texas, Bayview * Combes, Texas, Combes * Indian Lake, Texas, Indian Lake * Laguna Vista, Texas, Laguna Vista * Los Indios, Texas, Los Indios * Primera, Texas, Primera * Rancho Viejo, Texas, Rancho Viejo * Santa Rosa, Texas, Santa Rosa * South Padre Island, Texas, South Padre Island

Village

* Rangerville, Texas, Rangerville

Census-designated places

* Arroyo Colorado Estates, Texas, Arroyo Colorado Estates * Arroyo Gardens, Texas, Arroyo Gardens * Bixby, Texas, Bixby * Bluetown, Texas, Bluetown * Cameron Park, Texas, Cameron Park * Chula Vista, Cameron County, Texas, Chula Vista * Del Mar Heights, Texas, Del Mar Heights * El Camino Angosto, Texas, El Camino Angosto * Encantada-Ranchito-El Calaboz, Texas, Encantada-Ranchito-El Calaboz * Grand Acres, Texas, Grand Acres (former) * Green Valley Farms, Texas, Green Valley Farms * Iglesia Antigua, Texas, Iglesia Antigua * Juarez, Texas, Juarez * La Feria North, Texas, La Feria North * La Paloma, Texas, La Paloma * La Tina Ranch, Texas, La Tina Ranch * Lago, Texas, Lago * Laguna Heights, Texas, Laguna Heights * Las Palmas II, Texas, Las Palmas II * Lasana, Texas, Lasana * Laureles, Texas, Laureles * Lozano, Texas, Lozano * Olmito, Texas, Olmito * Orason, Texas, Orason * Palmer, Cameron County, Texas, Palmer * Ratamosa, Texas, Ratamosa * Reid Hope King, Texas, Reid Hope King * Rice Tracts, Texas, Rice Tracts * San Pedro, Texas, San Pedro * Santa Maria, Texas, Santa Maria * Solis, Texas, Solis * South Point, Texas, South Point * Tierra Bonita, Texas, Tierra Bonita * Villa del Sol, Texas, Villa del Sol * Villa Pancho, Texas, Villa Pancho * Yznaga, Texas, Yznaga

Other unincorporated communities

* Arroyo City, Texas, Arroyo City * Boca Chica Village (to be incorporated as "Starbase")

Ghost town

* Santa Rita, Texas, Santa Rita

References

External links

*
Cameron County at Texas State Historical Association
{{coord, 26.15, -97.45, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-TX_source:UScensus1990 Cameron County, Texas, 1848 establishments in Texas Populated places established in 1848 Lower Rio Grande Valley Majority-minority counties in Texas Hispanic and Latino American culture in Texas