Weslaco ( ) is a city in

Hidalgo County, Texas Hidalgo County (; ) is located in the U.S. state of Texas. 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 ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census the population was 41,103, Studies from 2023 show the population is 43,053 and in 2020 the estimated population was 40,160. It is at the southern tip of Texas in the

Rio Grande Valley Lower Rio Grande Valley (), often referred to as the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) of South Texas, is a region located in the southernmost part of Texas, along the northern bank of the Rio Grande. It is also known locally as the Valley or the 956 (the ...

near the Mexican border, across the

Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( or ) in the United States or the Río Bravo (del Norte) in Mexico (), also known as Tó Ba'áadi in Navajo language, Navajo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the Southwestern United States a ...

from the city of Nuevo Progreso, Rio Bravo, Tamaulipas. Weslaco derives its name from the W.E. Stewart Land Company. It was the hometown of Harlon Block, one of the Marines photographed raising the flag at

Iwo Jima is one of the Japanese Volcano Islands, which lie south of the Bonin Islands and together with them make up the Ogasawara Subprefecture, Ogasawara Archipelago. Together with the Izu Islands, they make up Japan's Nanpō Islands. Although sout ...

, and of film and television actor David Spielberg.

Geography

Weslaco is located in southeastern Hidalgo County at (26.159130, –97.987374). It is bordered to the east by the city of Mercedes and to the west by the city of Donna.

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 ...

and U.S. Route 83 pass through Weslaco, leading west to McAllen and east to Harlingen. Weslaco is north of Progreso and north of the

bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...

over the

to Nuevo Progreso in the Mexican state of

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 ...

. 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 ...

, Weslaco has a total area of , of which are land and , or 0.49%, are water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by two seasons; a wet season from April to September and a dry season from October to March. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Weslaco has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

, abbreviated "''Cfa''" on climate maps. It is the most easterly city in the central states of the

Great Plains The Great Plains is a broad expanse of plain, flatland in North America. The region stretches east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and grassland. They are the western part of the Interior Plains, which include th ...

with a

bounded by a

semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of se ...

to the west, reflecting in its most shrubby vegetation. The average high in January is and the average low is . The average high is and the average low is in August. The warm season is extremely long, as average high temperatures from May through September are above and average low temperatures are above , with relatively high dew point values resulting in higher relative humidity values and heat index values. Heat index values can consistently reach over during these months. Average annual precipitation is only . Most precipitation occurs in the

wet season The wet season (sometimes called the rainy season or monsoon season) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Generally, the season lasts at least one month. The term ''green season'' is also sometimes used a ...

which occurs from April to September, with the least precipitation distinctly occurring in the

dry season The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The t ...

from October to March. As September is the peak of the north

Atlantic hurricane season The Atlantic hurricane season is the period in a year, from June 1 through November 30, when Tropical cyclone, tropical or subtropical cyclones are most likely to form in the North Atlantic Ocean. These dates, adopted by convention ...

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 rain. The driest month is February, with only of precipitation. The record snowfall was on December 25, 2004. It snowed again on December 8, 2017. Weslaco received 10-12 inches of rain in October of 2015 that impacted several areas, particularly with drainage systems being overflooded. Temperatures are frequently above , occasionally as early as February and as late as the end of October, the highest temperature ever recorded in Weslaco was on April 17, 1920. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Weslaco was , on January 12, 1962 and December 23, 1989.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 40,160 people, 12,671 households, and 9,998 families residing in the city.

2000 census

According to 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 2000, there were 26,935 people, 8,295 households, and 6,602 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 10,230 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 14.92%

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 ...

, 0.27%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.49% Native American, 1.14% Asian, 0.06%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, 20.93% from other races, and 2.19% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 83.76% of the population. There were 8,295 households, out of which 41.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.2% 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, 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.4% were non-families. 18.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.21 and the average family size was 3.68. In the city, the population was spread out, with 31.8% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 17.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,573, and the median income for a family was $29,215. Males had a median income of $24,202 versus $19,688 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 city was $11,235. About 26.5% of families and 30.9% 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 40.6% of those under age 18 and 23.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Trade

Following the ratification of the

North American Free Trade Agreement The North American Free Trade Agreement (, TLCAN; , ALÉNA), referred to colloquially in the Anglosphere as NAFTA, ( ) was an agreement signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States that created a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The ...

in 1994, cross-border cargo and vehicular traffic in the county increased 345% and 36.4% respectively since the beginning of the 1990s, from 228,133 to 1,015,554 cargo trucks in 2008 and from 10.92 million to 14.9 million automobiles. US/Mexico trade crossing the international bridge in Hidalgo County increased from $5.0 billion in 1994, pre-NAFTA, to $12.56 billion in 2000 and $19.9 billion in 2006. From 1995 to 2006 the Rio Grande Valley share of NAFTA trade increased 168% from $11.1 billion to $31.6 billion.

Healthcare services

Prime Healthcare Services, through its subsidiary Knapp Medical Center, serves Weslaco's emergency medical needs. The facility is outfitted with a Heli-Pad, Level 3 Trauma Unit and 233 hospital beds. Surrounding Knapp Medical is an unofficial healthcare district featuring a concentration of physicians, medical services and pharmacies. This district draws patients from the entire Mid-Valley. There is a double board certified, fellow trained Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in Total Joint Replacement and fracture care. Dr. Michael D. Sander is a native of Weslaco, Texas. Weslaco residents can check with local providers for other specialized needs.

Government

The mayor was Adrian Gonzalez as of 2020.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Public education in Weslaco is provided by the Weslaco Independent School District, Idea Public Schools, and

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 ...

. There are 4 private schools: San Martin de Porres Catholic School, Valley Grande Adventist Academy, Mid-Valley Christian School, and First Christian Academy. Weslaco also has two Charter schools: Horizon Montessori and Technology Education Charter High School. The city has a

Head Start Program Head Start is a program of the United States Department of Health and Human Services that provides comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and families. It is the olde ...

, pre-kinder programs as well as several privately owned day care centers.

College and trade schools

Continuing education facilities located within Weslaco include South Texas College (Mid-Valley Campus), South Texas Vocational Technical Institute, and Valley Grande Institute for Academic Studies.

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 ...

operates an agricultural research center in Weslaco.

Public library

The Mayor Joe V. Sanchez Public Library serves Weslaco.

Notable people

* Natalia Anciso,

contemporary art Contemporary art is a term used to describe the art of today, generally referring to art produced from the 1970s onwards. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a ...

ist and

educator A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

, born in Weslaco * Harlon Block,

United States Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionary ...

; lived in Weslaco and graduated from Weslaco High School * Omar Figueroa Jr., professional boxer, former WBC Lightweight world title holder; lives in Weslaco and graduated from Weslaco East High School * Roberto García, professional boxer; former WBC Middleweight Silver title holder; lives in Weslaco and graduated from Weslaco High School * Pat Hingle,

actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

; lived in Weslaco and graduated from Weslaco High School * Chuck Leah; Americana singer-songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist born in Weslaco * Gonzalo Lopez, criminal, born in Weslaco * David Spielberg, actor, born in Weslaco

Museum

The Weslaco Museum has exhibits and hosts events for local residents.

Parks

Weslaco is home to one of the nine sites of the World Birding Center in the

. The site is located within the Estero Llano Grande State Park. The Valley Nature Center is a six-acre park and

environmental education Environmental education (EE) refers to organized efforts to teach how natural environments function, and particularly, how human beings can manage behavior and ecosystems to live sustainably. It is a multi-disciplinary field integrating discipli ...

center that focuses on the plants and animals of the Rio Grande Valley.

City parks

The City of Weslaco Parks & Recreation Department maintains six city parks, and three public swimming pools.

Tourism

Weslaco is a Winter Texan destination and a gateway between Texas and Mexico."." Retrieved on November 8, 2015.

References

English: Home located at 1027 S. Texas Blvd. Weslaco, Texas, coordinates 26°8′54″N 97°59′22″W. Presently it is well preserved and only the facade of a 15-acre nature preserve in the heart of the City of Weslaco in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas providing a haven for birds, butterflies and other wildlife that thrive among the native habitats of its Tamaulipan Thornscrub forest, orchard butterfly garden, wetlands, and ponds, according to fronteraaudubon.org.

External links

City of Weslaco official website

Weslaco Area Chamber of Commerce

Economic Development Corporation

"Weslaco, TX"
in ''Handbook of Texas Online'' {{authority control Cities in Hidalgo County, Texas Cities in Texas Populated places established in 1919