Kingsville is a city in the southern region of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

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 ...

and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

Kleberg County Kleberg County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 31,040. The county seat is Kingsville. The county was organized in 1913 and is named for Robert J. Kleberg, an early settler. Kleberg County is ...

. Located on the

U.S. Route 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, w ...

corridor between Corpus Christi and Harlingen, Kingsville is the principal city of the Kingsville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the larger

Corpus Christi-Kingsville Combined Statistical Area The Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice Combined Statistical Area is made up of six counties in South Texas. The statistical area consists of the Corpus Christi Metropolitan Statistical Area, the Kingsville Micropolitan Statistical Area, and the Ali ...

. The population was 26,213 at the 2010 census, and in 2019 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population at 25,315. Named in honor of Richard King, the city was founded to provide infrastructure for the adjacent

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 loc ...

, as well as serve as the headquarters of the newly founded St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway. In 1904, the first tracks were laid and the first buildings constructed for the planned city. In 1911, the city was incorporated. It is home to

Texas A&M University-Kingsville 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 ...

, a member of the

Texas A&M University System The Texas A&M University System is a state university system in Texas and is one of the state's six independent university systems. The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the United States, with a bu ...

, and

Naval Air Station Kingsville Naval Air Station Kingsville or NAS Kingsville (NASK) is a United States Navy Naval Air Station located approximately 3 miles east of Kingsville, Texas in Kleberg County. NAS Kingsville is under the jurisdiction of Navy Region Southeast and i ...

, one of the U.S. Navy's three locations for jet aviation training.

History

The history of Kingsville is closely intertwined with the city's main creek, the Santa Gertrudis. The first recorded inhabitants of the area were the Coahuiltecan Malaquites, surviving on seafood from nearby

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 ...

, with settlements along the Santa Getrudis and San Fernando creeks, and the Cayo del Grullo branch of

. Large herds of mustangs roamed the south Texas plains, often drinking from the waters of spring fed creeks in and around present-day Kingsville. In 1803, Jose Lorenzo de la Garza established a settlement along the Santa Gertrudis. In 1846, General

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 ...

and his army camped along the banks of the Santa Gertrudis prior to their campaign into Mexico. In 1899, after many failed attempts, King ranch manager Robert J. Kleberg, Jr., was finally able to tap into an underground lake of water. The discovery of readily accessible water paved the way for a future settlement next to the ranch.

20th Century

With the continued growth of the

in the mid to late 19th century, the desire for a railroad through the region increased, both to connect the communities of 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. The ...

to the rest of

, and to serve the King Ranch. At the turn of the 20th century,

Henrietta King Henrietta Maria King (née Chamberlain; July 21, 1832 – March 31, 1925) was a rancher and philanthropist. She was the wife of Richard King, who founded King Ranch, the largest ranch in Texas. Their daughter Alice Gertrudis King Kleberg is the n ...

, widow of Richard King, deeded a portion of the ranch to entice the construction of a town and to bring a railroad adjacent to the ranch. Robert J. Kleberg, Jr. formed the Kleberg Town and Improvement Company in 1903, tasked with planning and constructing the town, at the bequest of his mother-in-law, Henrietta. In 1904, the community was planned three miles (4.8 km) from the King Ranch headquarters and was named in honor of the founder of the King Ranch, Richard King. The community would also house the headquarters of the newly formed St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway, a deal that was reached with railroad magnate Benjamin Yoakum. The first buildings were constructed, track was laid through the town, and the first train passed through Kingsville on July 4, 1904, considered the founding date of the city. Kingsville's first post office was also established that year. By the close of the first decade of the 20th century, Kingsville already had a thriving business scene, with an active commercial club, that was the forerunner of the city's

chamber of commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to ad ...

today. In 1909, a library was established, an opera house built in 1910, and by 1911, the city was incorporated and the first city government was chartered. Two years later, in 1913, Kingsville was named the county seat of the newly established

. Around 1920, oil and natural gas were discovered near Kingsville, leading to the city's first population boom. Segregationalist policies and

Jim Crow The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States. Other areas of the United States were affected by formal and informal policies of segregation as well, but many states outside the Sout ...

laws were present in Kingsville during the beginning of the 20th century. By the 1920s, three distinct segregated communities had emerged, the Spanish-speaking

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 ...

and migrant Mexican community of farm workers to the north, the

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

community that mostly worked the railroad to the south, and the

Anglo-American Anglo-Americans are people who are English-speaking inhabitants of Anglo-America. It typically refers to the nations and ethnic groups in the Americas that speak English as a native language, making up the majority of people in the world who spe ...

community in the center of the city along the downtown region. Common practice in Anglo-American controlled towns in South Texas, in the early 20th century, was to create segregated neighborhoods, evidenced by the planning of separate schools and churches for the three segregated communities. The

Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist, right-wing terrorist, and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and ...

had a presence in the town, boosting a mayor to election in 1922, and was responsible for the lynching of a visiting African-American physician from nearby

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

in 1923. In 1925, the South Texas Teachers College opened, one of only six

normal schools A normal school or normal college is an institution created to Teacher education, train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high s ...

in the entire state of Texas at the time, and the only south of

College Station, Texas College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East-Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley, towards the eastern edge of the region known as the Texas Triangle. It is northwest of Houston and east-northeast of Austin. ...

. The effort to open the school, led by

heir Caesar Kleberg and the city's commercial club, had been delayed due to political considerations in the state legislature, and funding issues from

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. Later changing its name in 1929 to the Texas College of Arts and Industries (Texas A&I), then to Texas A&I University in 1967, the university went on to adopt its current name,

in 1993, after it joined the

in 1989. In addition to offering a large swath of undergraduate and graduate degrees, the university is home to the National Natural Toxins Research Center, the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, and the Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, the doctorate of pharmacy program for the Texas A&M University system. During the national defense build up to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, local civic leaders and Congressman Richard Kleberg, another heir to the

, lobbied the War Department to choose Kingsville and other South Texas communities as a future site for a military airfield. In 1941, a naval air station opened in nearby Corpus Christi, after lobbying efforts by Congressman Kleberg, and began training pilots for the Navy and Marine Corps. Following

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...

and the United States' entry into the war, the need for increased pilot training and additional auxiliary airfields led to the Navy selecting Kingsville as the site of one, among several other municipalities. Plans were drawn up in 1941 and, in 1942, the U.S. Navy opened the new training airfield, Naval Air Auxiliary Station Kingsville, just to the east of town. Following World War II, the field was placed into a mothball status, but reopened shortly thereafter in 1951, and has been continuously operating since. NAS Kingsville is one of three major Naval Aviation jet training facilities for the Navy, and has had a significant impact on the economy and Kingsville's history. Several major industries have called Kingsville home throughout the city's history. In 1944, the

Celanese Corporation Celanese Corporation, formerly known as Hoechst Celanese, is an American technology and specialty materials company headquartered in Irving, Texas. A Fortune 500 corporation, the company is the world’s leading producer of acetic acid, produc ...

opened a plant north of Kingsville that is still in operation today. In the early 1960s, Humble Oil and Refining Company, now known as

Exxon ExxonMobil Corporation (commonly shortened to Exxon) is an American multinational oil and gas corporation headquartered in Irving, Texas. It is the largest direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil, and was formed on November 30, ...

, relocated a district office to Kingsville due to the city's close proximity to nearby oil fields. Population steadily increased in Kingsville, peaking at just under 30,000 residents in the mid 1980s. Since that time, the city has experienced a mild economic slump, with the closing of Exxon's district office, decreased enrollment at the university, and the decreased economic impact of the petroleum industry all cited as factors for the city's decline.

Geography

Kingsville is located in

South Texas South Texas is a region of the U.S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of—and includes—San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico. The population of this region is about 4.96 ...

, approximately 33 miles (54 km) southwest of Corpus Christi, 91 miles (146 km) north of Harlingen and 101 miles (163 km) east of Laredo. According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2010, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.22%) is water. Kingsville is located in the geographic

Gulf Coastal Plain The Gulf Coastal Plain extends around the Gulf of Mexico in the Southern United States and eastern Mexico. This coastal plain reaches from the Florida Panhandle, southwest Georgia, the southern two-thirds of Alabama, over most of Mississippi, wes ...

region of the United States, known as the Coastal Bend in Texas, bordered by 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 ...

and

to the east, and the South Texas Plains or brush country to the north, west and south.

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 are found throughout the region, along with several types of

cacti A cactus (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Greek ...

. Several creeks, fed by fresh-water springs, run through the city, including the San Fernando, Santa Gertrudis, and Escondido Creeks, all feeding into

Wind damage from TS Hermine 2010 in Kingsville, Texas

Kingsville is located in the historic Wild Horse Desert, an area of South Texas and northern Mexico where enormous herds of wild mustangs roamed. Due to water pumping and other environmental factors, the abundance of spring-fed creeks has decreased. Wildlife surrounding Kingsville include deer, wild turkey, and javelinas. Additionally, Kingsville is a winter home to a large number of waterfowl species, including geese, ducks, and pelicans. The city is surrounded by farmland producing various crops including

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...

and

sorghum ''Sorghum'' () is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the grass family (Poaceae). Some of these species are grown as cereals for human consumption and some in pastures for animals. One species is grown for grain, while many othe ...

. The terrain around Kingsville is generally flat, with an elevation of 59 feet above sea level at city center. The city was planned in a grid system, and consists mostly of neighborhoods and subdivisions, as well as retail strip malls, located north and south of the main downtown area. Historic downtown runs from City Hall to the Kleberg County Courthouse, and features several buildings dating back to the turn of the century.

is located in the northwest section of the city, and

is located east of U.S. Highway 77, which bisects the city north to south. There are several buildings in Kingsville recognized on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

, including the Kleberg County Courthouse, the Nance-Jones House, the

John B. Ragland Mercantile Company Building The John B. Ragland Mercantile Company Building, also known as Raglands, is a historic building at 201 E. Kleberg Ave. in Kingsville, Texas. It was designed by Jules Leffland and was built in 1909 to replace a small frame store built by John Ragl ...

located in the historic downtown area, which is also recognized as a historic district, and the original schoolhouse for the Henrietta M. King High School, which was recently renovated and houses the offices of the city government today.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

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 ...

system, Kingsville 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° ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. Due to the city's close proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, several hurricanes and tropical storms have made landfall in Kingsville. In 1916, a category 4 hurricane made landfall at Baffin Bay and directly hit Kingsville, inflicting nearly $100,000 of damage. Illinois' Governor

Edward Fitzsimmons Dunne Edward Fitzsimmons Dunne (October 12, 1853 – May 24, 1937) was an American politician who was the 24th Governor of Illinois from 1913 to 1917 and previously served as the 38th mayor of Chicago from April 5, 1905 to 1907. Dunne is the onl ...

, who had been in the state inspecting Army camps along the Texas-Mexico border, was marooned in Kingsville overnight during the storm.

Demographics

In 2009, the

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

of Kingsville was . There were 10,427 housing units, with an average density of 753.8 per square mile (291.1/km²).

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 25,402 people, 9,399 households, and 5,813 families residing in the city.

2007-2011 ACS 5-Year Estimate

There were 25,994 residents in 9,103 households, and 5,837 families living in the city. 1,192 housing units were vacant. The rental vacancy rate was 9.3 percent while the homeowner vacancy rate was 3.9 percent. 57.1 percent of all housing units were built between 1950 and 1979. Only 9.9 percent were built in 2000 or later. The median value of an owner-occupied unit was $69,500. Of the 9,103 households, 36.5 percent had children under the age of 18. 40.6 percent were married couples living together, 17.5 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9 percent were non-families. 25.0 percent of all households were made up of single individuals, and 8.5 percent had someone living alone who was aged 65 or above. The average household size was 2.67, and the average family size was 3.26. The racial makeup of the city was 83.3 percent

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 4.7 percent

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 2.8 percent

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.6 percent Native American, 0.1 percent

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 6.8 percent from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.7 percent from two or more races.

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 ...

s or

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

s of any race made up 72.4 percent of the population. The population was spread out, with 30.1 percent under 20 years of age, 39.2 percent aged 20 to 44, 18.9 percent aged 45 to 64, and 11.9 percent aged 65 or above. The median age was 27.6. For every 100 females, there were 106.5 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 107.3 males. For every 100 females aged 18 to 64, there were 114.1 males. For every 100 females aged 65 and over, there were 74.2 males. The median household income in the city was $33,785, and that for a family was $43,167.Kingsville, Texas, 2007-11 Five Year Estimate, American Community Survey, United States Census Bureau
/ref> Males had a median income of $44,854 versus $26,447 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,271. About 20.0 percent of families and 27.7 percent of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.7 percent of those under 18 and 12.0 percent of those aged 65 or over. The unemployment rate expressed as a percentage of persons aged 16 and over, was 6.7 percent. The unemployment rate, when expressed as a percentage of labor force participants aged 16 and over, was 11.4 percent.

Economy

The main economic driving forces in the city and the surrounding region are agriculture, oil and natural gas production, chemical refining, tourism, and the military. Westwater Resources owns and operates one of only a handful of

uranium mines Uranium production is carried out in about 13 countries around the world, in 2017 producing a cumulative total of 59,462 tonnes of uranium (tU). The international producers were Kazakhstan (39%), Canada (22%), Australia (10%), Namibia (7.1%), Nig ...

in Texas in Kingsville. The mine, called the Kingsville Dome mine and processing plant, has operated on and off between 1989 and 2009, and produced nearly 4.2 million pounds of uranium through an in situ recovery process, pulling uranium from groundwater. NAS Kingsville has had a large economic impact on the city since it opened in 1942. Today, an estimated one in seven residents of the Kingsville area are in some way associated with the base. The base employs just over 1,600 residents.

Education

The main campus of

(TAMUK) is located in the northwest portion of the city. Additionally, the Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy (part of the

Texas A&M Health Science Center Texas A&M Health, also known as Texas A&M University Health, and Texas A&M University Health Science Center, is the medical education component of Texas A&M University, and offers health professions research, education and patient care in dentistr ...

) is located on the campus of TAMUK.

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 ...

has a campus in Kingsville offering several certificate and associate degree programs. Public

primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Works * ...

and

secondary Secondary may refer to: Science and nature * Secondary emission, of particles ** Secondary electrons, electrons generated as ionization products * The secondary winding, or the electrical or electronic circuit connected to the secondary winding i ...

schools are operated by the Kingsville Independent School District (KISD) and the

Santa Gertrudis Independent School District Santa Gertrudis Independent School District (SGISD) is a public school district in Kingsville, Texas, Kingsville, Kleberg County, Texas, United States. The district covers approximately , and is located in south of the city of Corpus Christi, T ...

(SGISD). There are two high schools serving Kingsville students, Henrietta M. King High School operated by KISD, and Academy High School operated by SGISD. Other KISD schools include Memorial Middle, John S. Gillett Intermediate, and A.D. Harvey, Alice G.K. Kleberg, Jesus R. Perez, and N.M. Harrel elementary schools. Additionally, KISD operates the Pogue Options Alternative Academy. SGISD operates one primary school, the Santa Gertrudis School. In 2018, KISD received an 'F' rating from the

Texas Education Agency The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is the branch of the government of Texas responsible for public education in Texas in the United States.

, and no grade for 2019, due to data integrity. Conversely, SGSID received a grade of 'A' for both 2018 and 2019. Private schools include the St. Gertrude School, Epiphany Episcopal School, Christian Life Academy, and the Presbyterian Pan American School. Due to the structure and zoning of Texas Independent School districts, many students residing in Kingsville also attend schools in both the

Riviera Independent School District Riviera Independent School District is a public school district based in the community of Riviera, Texas ( USA). Located mostly in Kleberg County, Text list/ref> a very small portion of the district extends into Kenedy County. It includes the s ...

and

Ricardo Ricardo is the Spanish and Portuguese cognate of the name Richard. It derived from Proto-Germanic ''*rīks'' 'king, ruler' + ''*harduz'' 'hard, brave'. It may be a given name, or a surname. People Given name *Ricardo de Araújo Pereira, Portugu ...

Independent School District, south of the city, as well as the Bishop Consolidated Independent School District to the north.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Highways

U.S. Highway 77 I-69E

(Future

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 ...

) *

State Highway 141

Air travel

* Kleberg County Airport (in Kingsville) *

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, ...

(in Corpus Christi)

Railway

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

Notable people

Lynn Adams Lynn Adams is a retired American racquetball player. A native of California, Adams was one of the dominant players in the 1980s, as she was ranked #1 or #2 every pro season between 1980 and 1991. Adams was attending Orange Coast College, and a ...

, golfer, a one-time winner on the

LPGA Tour The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is an American organization for female golfers. The organization is headquartered at the LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida, and is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekl ...

* Ronnie Bull, professional football player * Jeff & Greg Burns, composers of electronic and orchestral music *

Laura Canales Laura Canales (August 19, 1954 – April 16, 2005) was an American Tejano musician and an original inductee in the Tejano Roots Hall of Fame. Canales was born in Kingsville, Texas. Early years Laura Canales was raised in Kingsville, Texas. Sh ...

, Tejano musician * Brothers

Lauro Cavazos Lauro Fred Cavazos Jr. (January 4, 1927 – March 15, 2022) was an American educator and politician. He served as the United States Secretary of Education, and was the first Hispanic to serve in the United States Cabinet. Early life and educat ...

and

Richard E. Cavazos Richard Edward Cavazos (January 31, 1929 – October 29, 2017) was a United States Army four-star general. He was a Korean War recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross as a first lieutenant and advanced in rank to become the United States Ar ...

. Lauro served as Secretary of Education and was the first Hispanic to serve in the United States Cabinet. Richard was the U.S. Army's first Hispanic four-star general and served as head of the U.S. Army Forces Command *

Chuck Clements Chad "Chuck" Clements (born August 29, 1973) is a former American football quarterback who played one season with the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the New York Jets in the sixth round of the 1997 NFL Draf ...

, quarterback for the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...

* Kennedy M. Crockett, U.S. Ambassador to Nicaragua from 1967 to 1970 *

Matthew Dear Matthew Dear (born April 4, 1979) is an American electronic music producer and DJ. History Texas-born Dear moved to Michigan as a teenager, where he was inspired by the sound of Detroit Techno. Dear met Sam Valenti IV at a party while attendin ...

, music producer,

D.J. A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include Radio personality, radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music f ...

and electronic avant pop artist *

Steve Denton Steve Denton (born September 5, 1956) is a former professional tennis player for the ATP Tour. He is currently the head men's tennis coach at Texas A&M University. After becoming an all-American at the University of Texas in 1978, Denton spent ...

, professional tennis player, and tennis coach at Texas A&M University * M. Stanton Evans, journalist, author and educator *

Roberto Garza Roberto Garza (born March 26, 1979) is a former American football center. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round (99th overall) of the 2001 NFL Draft, and in 2005, joined the Chicago Bears, spending ten seasons with the team ...

, a football player for the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...

Darrell Green Darrell Ray Green (born February 15, 1960) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins from 1983 to 2002. He is widely considered to be one of the gr ...

, professional football player for the

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

* Donald Hollas, professional football player *

Zona Jones Zona Jones (born 1963 in Corpus Christi, Texas; raised in Valentine, Texas) is an American country music singer and attorney. Signed to D/Quarterback Records in 2004, he released his debut album ''Harleys & Horses'' and charted three singles fro ...

, country music singer, and attorney *

Richard M. Kleberg Richard Mifflin Kleberg Sr. (November 18, 1887 – May 8, 1955), a Democrat, was a seven-term member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas's 14th congressional district over the period 1931–1945 and an heir to the King Ranch i ...

, a seven-term member of U.S. House of Representatives and an heir to King Ranch * David L. Lindsey, a novelist working primarily in the mystery and crime fiction genres *

Eva Longoria Eva Jacqueline Longoria Bastón ( Longoria; March 15, 1975) is an American actress, producer, and director. After a number of guest roles on several television series, she was recognized for her portrayal of Isabella Braña on the CBS daytime ...

, an actress, and model * J. M. Lozano, member of 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. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abou ...

since 2011 from Kingsville *

Jack Mildren Larry Jack Mildren (October 10, 1949 – May 22, 2008), was an All-American quarterback at the University of Oklahoma, and professional football player with the Baltimore Colts and New England Patriots. A native Texan, he was later an oil compa ...

, an All-American quarterback at The University of Oklahoma, professional football player, oil company owner, 13th Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma, and bank executive *

Jim Morrison James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, poet and songwriter who was the lead vocalist of the Rock music, rock band the Doors. Due to his wild personality, poetic lyrics, distinctive voice, unpredicta ...

, musician *

Dwayne Nix Dwayne Nix (born October 10, 1946) is a former American football player, in the position of tight end. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003. He played in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics championship g ...

, football player elected to the College Football Hall of Fame *

Luke Patterson Lucas Patterson (born September 19, 1987) is a former American football offensive lineman who played in the National Football League. Patterson was signed as undrafted free agent in 2011. Patterson has been released and re-signed to the practic ...

, professional football player *

Kit Pongetti Kit Pongetti (born June 15, 1970) is an American actress, musician, writer and director, known for several acting roles, including playing Lady, the wife of the Janitor, in the show '' Scrubs'' and also for her role as Marta Trundel in '' iCarl ...

, actress, singer, and writer *

John Randle John Anthony Randle (born December 12, 1967) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings and the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He was a six-time first-tea ...

, professional football player for the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...

* Irma Rangel, lawyer and state representative from Kingsville *

Kimberly Scott Kimberly Aileen Scott is an American actress. She received a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play nomination for her performance in the 1988 play ''Joe Turner's Come and Gone''. Scott later appeared in films including ''The Abyss'' (198 ...

, actress * Heath Sherman, professional football player for the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

Gene Upshaw Eugene Thurman Upshaw Jr. (August 15, 1945 – August 20, 2008), also known as "Uptown Gene" and "Highway 63", was an American professional football player for the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League (AFL) and later the National Foot ...

, professional football player for the

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...

Reality Winner Reality Leigh Winner (born December 4, 1991) is an American former enlisted US Air Force member and NSA translator. In 2018, she was given the longest prison sentence ever imposed for unauthorized release of government information to the media a ...

(born 1991), American intelligence specialist pled guilty to felony transmission of national defense information *

Willie Wood William Vernell Wood Sr. (December 23, 1936February 3, 2020) was an American professional football player and coach. He played as a safety with the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League (NFL). Wood was an eight-time Pro Bowler an ...

, a professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour, and Champions Tour

References

External links

*
Kingsville Chamber of Commerce
{{Authority control Cities in Kleberg County, Texas County seats in Texas Kingsville, Texas micropolitan area Populated places established in 1904 1904 establishments in Texas Cities in Texas

History

20th Century

Geography

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

2007-2011 ACS 5-Year Estimate

Economy

Education

Infrastructure

Transportation

Highways

Air travel

Railway

Notable people

See also

References

External links