Pharr is a city in

Hidalgo County, Texas Hidalgo County (; ) is located in the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat 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's independence from Spain. I ...

, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 70,400, and in 2019, the estimated population was 79,112. Pharr is connected by

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

to the Mexican city of

Reynosa, Tamaulipas Reynosa () is a border city in the northern part of the state of Tamaulipas, in Mexico. It is also the municipal seat of Reynosa Municipality. The city is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande in the international Reynosa–McAllen Met ...

. Pharr is part of the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission and Reynosa–McAllen metropolitan areas.

Geography

Pharr is located in southern Hidalgo County at (26.206334, –98.185174). It is bordered to the west by the city of

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 ...

, to the north by Edinburg, 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 ...

, to the east by San Juan, and to the southwest by

Hidalgo Hidalgo may refer to: People * Hidalgo (nobility), members of the Spanish nobility * Hidalgo (surname) Places Mexico * Hidalgo (state), in central Mexico * Hidalgo, Coahuila, a town in the north Mexican state of Coahuila * Hidalgo, Nuevo Le� ...

. The Pharr city limits extend south in a narrow band to the Rio Grande and the

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 ...

into Mexico. According to the

United States 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 t ...

, Pharr has a total area of , of which , or 0.12%, is covered by water. Communities: * Las Milpas (annexed in 1987)

History

The community was named after sugar planter

Henry Newton Pharr Pharr is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 70,400, and in 2019, the estimated population was 79,112. Pharr is connected by bridge to the Mexican city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas. Pharr is p ...

. For a number of years centering around early 1900, Henry N. Pharr was director of the State National Bank of

New Iberia, Louisiana New Iberia (french: La Nouvelle-Ibérie; es, Nueva Iberia) is the largest city in and parish seat of Iberia Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The city of New Iberia is located approximately southeast of Lafayette, and forms part of the La ...

, and was a former president of the Louisiana–Rio Grande Sugar Company and the Louisiana–Rio Grande Canal Company, which at one time owned and which, in 1910, built the town of Pharr on this land. Pharr was the Republican nominee for Louisiana governor in 1908, as his father John Newton Pharr had been in

1896 Events January–March * January 2 – The Jameson Raid comes to an end, as Jameson surrenders to the Boers. * January 4 – Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state. * January 5 – An Austrian newspaper reports that ...

. Pharr has grown rapidly since the late 20th century, from a population of 32,921 in 1990 to an estimated 77,320 in 2016 and 79,112 in 2019. In 1987, Pharr annexed Las Milpas.LAS MILPAS, TX
" Handbook of Texas. Retrieved on September 27, 2013. In 2006, Pharr received "The All-America City" award.

Climate

Pharr has a humid subtropical climate, similar to that of the

Tampa Bay Area The Tampa Bay area is a major populated area surrounding Tampa Bay on the west coast of Florida in the United States. It includes the main cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater. It is the 18th largest metropolitan area in the Unite ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, but with less precipitation and slightly higher summer maximum temperatures. The average high in January is , and the average low is . In August, the average high is , and the average low is . The warm season is long, with average highs and lows similar to August's from June through September. The average annual precipitation is . Most precipitation occurs in the warm season, with the least precipitation distinctly occurring in the cooler winter. As September is the peak of the north Atlantic hurricane season and tropical storms and hurricanes occasionally drop copious amounts of rainfall on the region, this month tends to be by far the wettest, averaging of precipitation. The driest month is March, with of precipitation. Despite frequent temperatures above , occasionally as early as February and as late as the end of October, the highest temperature ever recorded in Pharr is , once in 1998 and once in 1999. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Pharr is , on January 12, 1962, which is far lower than would be expected at the same latitude in Florida or on the west coast of North America, due to Pharr's location closer to the middle of the continent.

Demographics

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 79,715 people, 22,668 households, and 18,420 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, 46,660 people, 12,798 households, and 10,878 families were residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical ...

was 2,240.2 people/sq mi (864.9/km). The 16,537 housing units averaged 794.0/sq mi (306.5/km). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the city was 79.46% White, 0.24% African American, 0.72% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 17.32% from other races, and 2.04% from two or more races. About 90.62% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 12,798 households, 47.1% had children under 18 living with them, 64.2% were married couples living together, 16.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.0% were not families. About 13.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.64 and the average family size was 4.02. In the city, the age distribution was 34.8% under 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 15.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $24,333, and for a family was $25,916. Males had a median income of $19,169 versus $16,737 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $9,462. 35.5% of the population and 30.8% of families 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 t ...

. Of the total population, 46.6% of those under 18 and 23.1% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Government and infrastructure

Pharr City Hall is located at 118 S Cage Blvd, Pharr, Texas 78577. The Innovation and Technology Department operates its official website (http://pharr-tx.gov), as well as its local government television on Time Warner Cable channel 17.12. All current social media platforms are used to allow for interactive governmental operations. The

is operated by the city of Pharr. The

Texas Department of Transportation The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT ) is a government agency in the American state of Texas. Though the public face of the agency is generally associated with the construction and maintenance of the state's immense state highway system ...

operates the Pharr District Office in Pharr. The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...

operates the Pharr Post Office in Pharr.

Transportation

Highways

* Pharr has I-2/ U.S. 83 as its major east–west artery.

U.S. 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 ...

runs north–south through the city and intersects I-2/U.S. 83 at the center of the city and continues south to the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge. From I-2/U.S. 83 at the center of the city north to Edinburg (and eventually to George West), U.S. 281 is co-signed with

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 ...

Education

Primary and secondary schools

The majority of Pharr is served by the

Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District is a public school district based in Pharr, Texas (U.S.) in the Rio Grande Valley. The district serves Pharr, San Juan, and Alamo as well as a small portion of McAllen. PSJA ISD's total studen ...

, which has five high schools in the city:

PSJA North Pharr-San Juan-Alamo North Early College High School is a public school in Pharr, Texas (United States). It is part of the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District and is one of the district's six high schools. Located at 500 E. Nolana ...

with around 2,700 students, PSJA Southwest Early College High School with about 1,750, Thomas Jefferson TSTEM Early College High School, PSJA Sonia M. Sotomayor Early College High School (new to 2016–17 school year), and Buell Central DAEP. Zoned PSJAISD schools include PSJA North and PSJA Southwest. A small fringe portion of the city is a part of the

Hidalgo Independent School District The Hidalgo Independent School District is a public school district based in Hidalgo, Texas, United States. The district serves most of Hidalgo and the city of Granjeno as well as small portions of McAllen, Pharr (including sections of Las Milp ...

. Another small portion is a part of the Valley View Independent School District, which has one campus with around 2,000 students.SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP (2010 CENSUS): Hidalgo County, TX
"

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 ...

. Retrieved on January 2, 2017. In addition, residents are allowed to apply to magnet schools operated by the South Texas Independent School District.

Area colleges and universities

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 ...

in Edinburg *

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, ...

in McAllen

Public libraries

Pharr Memorial Library serves the city.

Sister cities

* San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí,

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 ...

* Zacualpan de Amilpas, Tetela del Volcan, and

Ocuituco Ocuituco is a town in the Mexican state of Morelos and the municipal head for the Municipality of Ocuituco which includes the towns of Ocuituco, Huejotengo, Huecahuaxco, Huepalcalco, Metepec, and Ocoxaltepec, as well as a number of settlements wi ...

, Morelos, Mexico.

Notable people

Leo Araguz Leobardo Jaime Araguz (born January 18, 1970) is a former professional American football punter. He played since 1996 with the Oakland Raiders, the Detroit Lions, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Seattle Seahawks. In 2001, he played for the New Y ...

, former NFL punter and kicker *

Pedro Borbón Pedro Borbón Rodriguez (December 2, 1946 – June 4, 2012) was a Dominican professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) most notably as a member of the Cincinnati Reds dynasty that won four National League pennants a ...

, relief pitcher for Major League Baseball * Cali Carranza, Tejano musician *

Baldemar Velasquez Baldemar Velásquez (born February 15, 1947)''Hispanic Americans Information Directory,'' 1991, p. 408. is an American labor union activist. He co-founded and is president of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee, AFL-CIO. He was named a MacArthur ...

, labor-union activist

References

External links

City of Pharr official website

Pharr.LIFE
community website
''Pharr, TX'' in Handbook of Texas Online
{{authority control Cities in Hidalgo County, Texas Cities in Texas

Texas 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 ...

Texas populated places on the Rio Grande