Hidalgo County (; ) is located 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 870,781, making it the ninth-most populous county in Texas, and the most populous county outside of the counties in the Texas Triangle. The

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 Edinburg and the largest city is McAllen. The county is named for Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, the priest who raised the call for

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

's independence from

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. It is located in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas and is one of the fastest-growing counties in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Hidalgo County is designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission metropolitan statistical area, which itself is part of the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission-Rio Grande City, Texas combined statistical area with neighboring Starr County. With a population that is 91.9% Hispanic as of 2020, it is Texas' second-most populous majority-Hispanic county and the fifth-largest nationwide. It is also the largest county which is over 90% Hispanic. It is also the southernmost landlocked county in the United States, and in 2021, it was the largest county in the nation with a total fertility rate above the replacement level (at 2.13).

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the county has a total area of , of which (0.8%) are covered by water. The northern part of the county has sandy and light loamy soils over deep reddish or mottled, clayey

subsoil Subsoil is the layer of soil under the topsoil on the surface of the ground. Like topsoil, it is composed of a variable mixture of small particles such as sand, silt and clay, but with a much lower percentage of organic matter and humus. The su ...

s. In some areas, limestone lies within of the surface. The southern part of the county has moderately deep to deep loamy surfaces over clayey subsoils. Along the Rio Grande, brown to red clays are found. Hidalgo County is in the South Texas Plains vegetation area, which features grasses, mesquite, live oaks, and chaparral. Native plants, reduced in recent years by extensive farming, include chapote, guayacán, ebony, huisache,

brasil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

, and yucca. Natural resources included caliche, sand, gravel, oil, and gas. Oil and gas production in 1982 totaled of gas-well gas, 139,995 barrels of crude oil, 1,101,666 barrels of condensate, and of casinghead gas. The climate is subtropical and humid. Temperatures range from an average low of in January to an average high to in July; the average annual temperature is . Rainfall averages a year, and the growing season lasts for 320 days of the year.

Major highways

Adjacent counties and municipalities

* Brooks County (north) * Kenedy County (northeast) * Willacy County (east) * Cameron County (east) * Starr County (west) * Gustavo Díaz Ordaz Municipality,

Tamaulipas Tamaulipas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas, is a state in Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into 43 municipalities. It is located in nor ...

(south) * Reynosa Municipality, Tamaulipas, Mexico (south) * Río Bravo Municipality, Tamaulipas, Mexico (south) * Matamoros Municipality, Tamaulipas, Mexico (south) * Camargo Municipality, Tamaulipas, Mexico (south)

National protected areas

* Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge (part) * Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 774,769 people living in the county. 88.0% were

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 1.0% Asian, 0.6% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 8.8% of some other race and 1.3% of two or more races. 90.6% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). There were 216,471 households, and 179,668 families living in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 248,287 housing units at an average density of . There were 216,471 households, out of which 54.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.00% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 18.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.0% were non-families. 14.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.55 and the average family size was 3.94. In the county, the population was spread out, with 34.7% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28.3 years. For every 100 females there were 94.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.90 males. The median income for a household in the county was $30,134, and the median income for a family was $31,760. Males had a median income of $22,635 versus $17,526 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $12,130. About 32.60% of families and 35.80% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 47.4% of those under age 18 and 29.8% of those age 65 or over. The county's per-capita income makes it one of the poorest counties in the United States. In 2009, it was tied with Bronx County, New York for "the greatest share of people receiving food stamps: 29 percent." Las Milpas, previously unincorporated, was annexed by Pharr in 1987.LAS MILPAS, TX
"

Handbook of Texas The Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) is an American nonprofit educational and research organization dedicated to documenting the history of Texas. It was founded in Austin, Texas, United States, on March 2, 1897. In November 2008, the ...

. Retrieved on September 27, 2013.

Metropolitan Statistical Area

The McAllen–Edinburg–Mission Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), is a U.S. metropolitan statistical area defined by the

, consisting of one county – Hidalgo – in the Rio Grande Valley region of

South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

, anchored by the cities of McAllen, Edinburg, Pharr and Mission. It is ranked the fifth most populated metropolitan area in the state of Texas. It is also part of the transnational metropolitan area of Reynosa–McAllen. It has the lowest per capita income of the 276 MSAs within the 50 states at $9,899. Its median household income is also the lowest within the 50 states at $24,863. In a survey done in over 190 metropolitan areas it had the highest obesity rate of residents at 38.8 percent. Today, the states with the highest poverty rates (of over 20 million living on $2 a day) are all in the southern part of the country (Table 1) and the nation's poorest large metropolitan area is McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas. Census-designated places ''Note: All

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 ...

s are unincorporated.'' Unincorporated places * El Gato * Hargill * Runn * Val Verde

Government and politics

Hidalgo County tends to vote for the Democratic Party, although there is representation of the Republican Party in some of the offices that affect the county. Hidalgo County is represented by Monica De La Cruz of and Vicente González of . In the 2012 presidential election, 70.4% voted for

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

, while 28.6% voted for

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 ...

. In the 2020 presidential election, Hidalgo County saw a significant shift to the Republican Party, with

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 ...

increasing the Republican vote from 27.9% in 2016 to 41%. However, as an urban county, the shift was not as large as nearby less densely populated counties. In 2024, on his third run, Trump won the county by 3 points, following a trend that resulted in many Hispanic-majority counties in Texas and Florida flipping red, the first time the county voted for the Republican nominee since

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...

. In the Texas House of Representatives, it is covered by districts 39, 40, and 41.

County services

The Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office operates jail facilities and is the primary provider of law enforcement services to the county's unincorporated areas.

County government

Education

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 ...

. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brownsville operates three PK-8th Grade schools, two lower-level elementary schools and two high schools. The Edinburg campus of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (formerly University of Texas-Pan American) is located in Hidalgo County. All of the county is in the service area of South Texas College. The Pecan, Mid-Valley, Technology, and Nursing & Allied Health campuses of South Texas College are located in Hidalgo County.

Economy

In 2020, the total value of products produced in Hidalgo was $11.5 billion. In 1982, 91% of the land was in farms and ranches, with 52% of the farmland under cultivation and 85% irrigated; 51 to 60% of the county was considered prime farmland. The primary crops were sorghum, cotton, corn, and vegetables; Hidalgo County led Texas counties in the production of cabbage, onions, cantaloupes, carrots, and watermelons. The primary fruits and nuts grown in the county were grapefruit, oranges, and pecans. Cattle, milk cows, and hogs were the primary livestock products. Hidalgo is the highest-producing county in the state for oilseeds and dry beans. 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 in Cameron that spread here (and to other neighboring counties) was feared. A Temporary Preventative Quarantine Area was established in Cameron to preserve efficacy in these counties. This was unsuccessful however, due at least in part to the ticks' infestation of wildlife including whitetail ('' Odocoileus virginianus'').

Media

Newspapers

* ''The Community Press'' * ''The Valley Town Crier'' * '' The Monitor'' * ''The Mercedes Enterprise'' * ''RGV Business Journal'' * ''The Progress Times'' * ''Texas Border Business'' * ''Mega Doctor News''

Radio stations

* KGBT 98.5 FM * KYWW 1530 AM * KBTQ 96.1 FM * KFRQ 94.5 FM * KKPS 99.5 FM * KNVO 101.1 FM * KVLY 107.9 FM * KURV 710 AM * KVMV 96.9 FM * KTEX 100.3 FM * KQXX 105.5 FM

Magazine

* '' Contempo Magazine''

Communities

Cities

* Alamo * Alton * Donna * Edcouch * Edinburg * Elsa * Granjeno * Hidalgo * La Joya * La Villa * McAllen * Mercedes * Mission * Palmhurst * Palmview * Peñitas * Pharr * Progreso * Progreso Lakes * San Juan * Sullivan City * Weslaco

Census-designated places

* Abram * César Chávez * Citrus City * Cuevitas * Doffing * Doolittle * Harding Gill Tract * Hargill *

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...

* Indian Hills * La Blanca * La Coma Heights * La Homa *

Laguna Seca Laguna Seca Raceway (branded as WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, and previously Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for sponsorship reasons) is a paved Racing track#Motorsport, road racing track in central California used for both auto racing and Motorcyc ...

* Linn * Llano Grande * Lopezville * Los Ebanos * Midway North * Midway South * Mila Doce * Monte Alto * Muniz * Murillo * North Alamo * Olivarez * Palmview South * Perezville * Relampago * Salida del Sol Estates * San Carlos *

Scissors Scissors are hand-operated shearing tools. A pair of scissors consists of a pair of blades pivoted so that the sharpened edges slide against each other when the handles (bows) opposite to the pivot are closed. Scissors are used for cutting var ...

* South Alamo * Villa Verde * West Sharyland

Former census-designated places

* Alton North (annexed to Alton) * Faysville (annexed to Edinburg in 2015)

Unincorporated community

* McCook

References

External links

*
Historic photos of Hidalgo County
hosted by th
Portal to Texas History

Hidalgo County in ''Handbook of Texas Online''
at the

University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 students as of fall 2 ...

Hidalgo County Profile from the Texas Association of Counties
* {{Coord, 26.39672, -98.18107, format=dms, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-TX_source:wikidata 1852 establishments in Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley Populated places established in 1852 Majority-minority counties in Texas Hispanic and Latino American culture in Texas