Cameron County is the southernmost

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

in the U.S. state of

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 ...

. As of the 2020 census, its population was 421,017. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

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 or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

Ewen Cameron, a soldier during the

Texas Revolution The Texas Revolution (October 2, 1835 – April 21, 1836) was a rebellion of colonists from the United States and Tejanos (Hispanic Texans) against the Centralist Republic of Mexico, centralist government of Mexico in the Mexican state of ...

and in the ill-fated Mier Expedition. During the later 19th century and through World War II,

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 ...

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. The second-largest city in the county is Harlingen. The county is home to the

SpaceX Starbase SpaceX Starbase—previously, SpaceX South Texas Launch Site and SpaceX private launch site—is an industrial complex and rocket launch facility that serves as the main testing and production location for SpaceX Starship, Starship launch vehi ...

spaceport, situated in Boca Chica; it is also the residence of

Elon Musk Elon Reeve Musk ( ; born June 28, 1971) is a businessman. He is known for his leadership of Tesla, SpaceX, X (formerly Twitter), and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk has been considered the wealthiest person in th ...

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 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 The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

Major highways

Interstate 2 Interstate 2 (I-2) is a partially completed Interstate Highway running through the Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. It begins at the intersection of US Highway 83 (US 83) and Business US 83 (Bus. US 83) in ...

* Interstate 69E/ U.S. Highway 77 * Interstate 169/ State Highway 550 * U.S. Highway 83 * U.S. Highway 281 * State Highway 4 * State Highway 48 * State Highway 100 * State Highway 107 * State Highway 345

Adjacent counties and municipalities

* Willacy County (north) *

(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 (part) * Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park

Demographics

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 . The 141,924 housing units averaged . The 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 The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of unde ...

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 Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...

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, for example, grew by 42.2% from 2010 to 2018. Other major cities, such as Indian Lake, Primera, and Rio Hondo, all grew by more than 15% in the same period. In contrast, the cities of Harlingen,

La Feria LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note *"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smi ...

, and 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 The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE; ) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security. ICE's stated mission is to protect the Un ...

operates the Port Isabel Service Processing Center, located in an

unincorporated area An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

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 General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...

services.. Federal Aviation Administration, Effective April 26, 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 has historically leaned toward the Democratic Party in presidential elections, supporting the party in all but three between 1960 and 2020. Republican candidate

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

carried the county in the 2004 election, but no Republican would do so again until

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

won in

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

. Many voters supported Trump while voting for down-ballot Democratic politicians. Trump outperformed

Ted Cruz Rafael Edward Cruz (; born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz was the solicitor general of Texas from 2003 ...

in the area in the 2024 election. Trump's 2016 showing of 32.0% was the lowest received by a Republican candidate in the county since

Alf Landon Alfred Mossman Landon (September 9, 1887October 12, 1987) was an American oilman and politician who served as the 26th governor of Kansas from 1933 to 1937. A member of the Republican Party, he was the party's nominee in the 1936 presidential ...

in 1936. Four years later, however, Trump's performance of 43% in

2020 The year 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 even ...

was the best for a Republican in the county since 2004, while in 2024, Trump won the county with a majority of 52.51% as part of the continued Republican trend in the Rio Grande Valley. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' stated that

placed significant economic development in the county, opposed

illegal immigration Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of that country's immigration laws, or the continuous residence in a country without the legal right to do so. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upward, wi ...

, and did considerable campaigning for Trump in Cameron County, so "Mr. Trump didn't have to campaign very hard in Cameron." In the

Texas House of Representatives The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. There are no Term limits in the United States, term limits. The ...

, Cameron County is covered by districts 35, 37, and 38.

Education

Cameron County is served by several

school districts A school district is a special-purpose district that operates local public primary or secondary schools or both in various countries. It is not to be confused with an attendance zone, which is within a school district and is used to assign stud ...

. 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 Point Isabel Independent School District is a public school district based in Port Isabel, Texas, United States. In addition to Port Isabel, the district serves the towns of Laguna Vista and South Padre Island, as well as the unincorporated ...

* 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 South Texas Independent School District (STISD) is a magnet school district headquartered in Mercedes, Texas ( USA). STISD operates magnet schools that draw students from three counties: Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy. STISD covers an area o ...

's magnet schools. All of the county is in the service area of Texas Southmost College.

Economy

Cameron County has been considered one of the poorest urban counties in the US. The FAA approved a

SpaceX Space Exploration Technologies Corp., commonly referred to as SpaceX, is an America, American space technology company headquartered at the SpaceX Starbase, Starbase development site in Starbase, Texas. Since its founding in 2002, the compa ...

private spaceport east of Brownsville on the Gulf Coast. The SpaceX South Texas Launch Site was originally 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 Geoffrey Alan Landis (; born May 28, 1955) is an American aerospace engineer and author, working for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on planetary exploration, interstellar propulsion, solar power and photovoltaics. He h ...

. 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,

Starship A starship, starcraft, or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for interstellar travel, traveling between planetary systems. The term is mostly found in science fiction. Reference to a "star-ship" appears as early as 1 ...

and SuperHeavy production site The southern cattle tick ('' Rhipicephalus microplus'') is invasive here. Populations here have also become highly 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 *

* Los Fresnos * Palm Valley * Port Isabel * Rio Hondo * San Benito * Starbase

Towns

* Bayview * Combes * Indian Lake * Laguna Vista * Los Indios * Primera * Rancho Viejo * Santa Rosa *

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 Ma ...

Village

* Rangerville

Census-designated places

* Arroyo Colorado Estates * Arroyo Gardens * Bixby * Bluetown * Cameron Park * Chula Vista * Del Mar Heights * El Camino Angosto * Encantada-Ranchito-El Calaboz * Green Valley Farms * Iglesia Antigua * Juarez * La Feria North * La Paloma * La Tina Ranch * Lago * Laguna Heights * Las Palmas II *

Lasana Lasana is a small village located northeast of the city of Calama in the Calama province of Chile's northern Antofagasta Region. It sits along the banks of the Loa River. Pukará de Lasana, ( Quechua ''pukara'' fortress), a pre-Columbian fortre ...

* Laureles * Lozano * Olmito * Orason * Palmer * Ratamosa * Reid Hope King * Rice Tracts * San Pedro * Santa Maria * Solis * South Point * Tierra Bonita * Villa del Sol * Villa Pancho * Yznaga

Former census-designated places

* Arroyo Gardens-La Tina Ranch (split into the Arroyo Gardens and La Tina Ranch CDPs) * Bluetown-Iglesia Antigua * Chula Vista-Orason * Grand Acres * Las Palmas-Juarez

Other unincorporated communities

* Adams Gardens * Arroyo Alto * Arroyo City * Buena Vista * Carricitos * Cavazos * Holly Beach * La Penusca * Landrum *

Lantana ''Lantana'' () is a genus of about 150 species of perennial plant, perennial flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. They are native to tropics, tropical regions of the Americas and Africa but exist as an introduced species in num ...

* Las Yescas * Los Cuates * Monte Grande * Russelltown * Villa Nueva

Ghost towns

* Del Mar * La Leona * Las Rusias * Santa Rita * Stuart Place

References

External links

*
Cameron County at Texas State Historical Association
{{coord, 26.15, -97.45, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-TX_source:UScensus1990 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