Laredo

Laredo is a city in and the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas. It is the third-most populated U.S. city on the Mexican border, after San Diego, California, and El Paso, Texas. Laredo's economy is primarily based on international trade with the United States largest trading partner Mexico, and as a major hub for three areas of transportation: land, rail, and air cargo. The city is on the southern end of I-35, which connects manufacturers in northern Mexico through Interstate 35. The Spanish colonial settlement of Villa de San Agustin de Lareda was founded in 1755 by Don Tomás Sánchez Barrera while the area was part of the Nuevo Santander region in the Spanish colony of New Spain. In 1840, Laringo was the capital of the independent Republic of the. Rio Grande, set up in opposition to Antonio López de Santa Anna; it was brought back into Mexico by. military force. In 1846 during the MexicanAmerican War, the town was occupied by the Texas Rangers. After the war, the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo ceded the land to the United. States. A referendum was taken in the town, which voted to petition the American military government in charge of the area to return the town to Mexico. When this petition was rejected, many who had been in the area for generations, moved across the river into Mexican territory. Many others, especially original land grantees, remained, becoming Texans in the process. In 2005, the city celebrated the 250th anniversary of its founding.

History

Laredo is the primary city name, but also El Cenizo, Rio Bravo are acceptable city names or spellings. The official name is City of Laredo. The Spanish colonial settlement of Villa de San Agustin de Laredo was founded in 1755 by Don Tomás Sánchez Barrera. The town was the capital of the independent Republic of the Rio Grande, set up in opposition to Antonio López de Santa Anna; it was brought back into Mexico by military force in 1840. In 1846 during the MexicanAmerican War, the town was occupied by the Texas Rangers. After the war, the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo ceded the land to the United States. Many who had been in the area for generations, moved across the river into Mexican territory, where they founded Nuevo Larede. In 2005, the city celebrated the 250th anniversary of its founding. In 1946, the Plaza Theater opened in downtown Lareda, but it closed in 1999, when the municipal government purchased the property from United Artists. In 2001, the Laredi City Council authorized a feasibility study to determine what use the old theater might yet have. In 2018, the council authorized the solicitation of private entities and nonprofit organizations to operate the theater. The council is also seeking input from architects for the concept and design of renovations to the structure. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma brought his Bach Project to the JuarezLincoln International Bridge in April 2019. The city received an economic development grant for renovation of the Plaza in 2006. By 2008, renovations were made to the theater marquee and blade design. In 2011, a public-private partnership was attempted by two Laredon businessmen, Danny Lopez Jr. and Victor Trevino Jr., but that initiative never materialized.

Geography

Laredo is on the west end of the Rio Grande Plains, south of the Edwards Plateau, west of the Coastal Plains, and east of the Mexican Mountains. Its climate is semi-arid with very hot temperatures in the summer and mild temperatures during the winter. The city has a total area of 102.6 square miles (265.7 km²), of which 1.37% is covered by water. The six major creeks are Chacon Creek, San Ildefonso Creek, San Ygnacio Creek, Santa Isabel Creek, Sombrerillito Creek, and Zacate Creek, all of which drain into the. Rio Grande. Several man-made reservoirs include the San Ilderfonso Creek Lake (second-largest reservoir), and the Sombrersito Creek Lake. Laredo has a population of 1.2 million. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the city's population at 1.3 million. Laringo is located on the Texas-New Mexico border, near the border with Texas, Mexico, and New Mexico. It is located in the southern part of the Big Bend region of the United States, and is located near the Texas/New Mexico state line. Its weather is affected by the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains to the west, the Gulf of Mexico to the east, and the Chihuahuan Desert of Northern Mexico and West Texas to the north. The average annual temperature is 100 °F (37.8 °C) or higher on 75 days annually, and fall to or below the freezing mark on 5.1 days.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 255,205 people, 72,328 households, and 58,294 families residing in Laredo. According to the 2010 census there were 236,091 inhabitants in the city. The city's population is distributed as 35.5% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 29.5%) from 25 to 44, 15.8% from 45 to 64, and 7. 8% who were 65 years of age or older. In the 2005 estimate there were 99,675 males and 108,112 females. The average household contained 3.69 occupants. The median income for a household in theCity was $32,019. The per capita income for the city was $12,269; 29.2% of families were below the poverty line. In 2016, the violent crime rate inLaredo dropped to 379 per 100,000 inhabitants. The violent crime Rate in Dallas was 694 per 100, 000 inhabitants, and in Houston it was 967 per100,000. In 2010, the vast majority of the population is of Hispanic origin (95.6%), mostly Mexican (86.9%). Most Hispanics who did not identify themselves as Mexican identified as "other Hispanic or Latino" (8.3% of the total population). 84.3%. of thePopulation identifies as white Hispanic, while only 11.3.% identifies as Hispanic but not white. 4.4%. of population was not Hispanic or. Latino (3.4%) non-Hispanic White.

Economy

Laredo is the largest inland port in the United States, and Nuevo Laredo the largest in Latin America. In January 2014, the Laringo customs district processed "$20 billion in two-way trade with Mexico", about half that for the entire US with Mexico for the month. Lareda has had a higher job growth rate (2%6.5%) than the state as a whole because of expanded international trade through the North American Free Trade Agreement. As of October 2007, Larede's unemployment rate was 4.1% or 3,700 unemployed persons, as compared to 3.9% in Texas statewide. The number of non-agricultural jobs has increased from 55,100 in January 1996 to 86,600 in October 2007. Many large employers in the oil and gas industries shut down operations and shifted to foreign countries. The same effect occurred in the Texas border industry (Levis and Haggar) which lost its only garment-producing company (Barry) in the 1990s. Researchers are concerned about developing pyrethroid resistance for the cattle in the state of Cattle, plus micro-synophusplus (synusplus) for the ranching and ranching industry. The U.S.-Mexico border is a major center for commercial and industrial warehousing, import, and export. There are dozens of shopping centers, including Banana Republic, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, Brooks Brothers, OshKosh B'Gosh, Old Navy, and Kay Jewelers.

Arts and culture

The Washington's Birthday Celebration (WBCA) is a month-long event that celebrates George Washington's birthday. The Republic of the Rio Grande Museum is in the downtown historical district next to the historic La Posada Hotel. The Lamar Bruni Vergara Science Center Planetarium is on the Texas A&M International University campus. Most of Laredo's architecture is Spanish Colonial, Mexican American, and modern. More modern American architecture can be seen along Interstate 35. The city is populated with both adult and family entertainment, such as bars, movie theaters, and other entertainment venues. The main library, which still uses the Dewey Decimal Classification system, has a 60,000 sq ft (6,2). main library is in central Larede; the Bruni Plaza Branch is in downtown east, and the Santi Niño Branch is south of the city. Two new libraries opened in 2014, one in March and another in July, sometime in July. Lareda is home to the Texas State Museum, which offers guided tours for school-age children and adults year-round. It also has a science and technology museum and a planetarium, which shows the motions and cycles of the Sun, Moon, planets, and constellations in the sky. It is also home to a Little Theater, which provides live stage performances for children, adults, and children of all ages. It was named in honor of Joe A. Guerra, a former member of the Laringo City Council known for his support for the library and a personal passion for reading.

Sports

Laredo Heat is a Premier Development League team. Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos are a Mexican League baseball team. Laredo Honey Badgers were a proposed professional indoor soccer team that was to make its debut in the Professional Arena Soccer League with the 2013-2014 season. Sames Auto Arena, is at Loop 20 and Jacaman Road. The 178,000-square-foot (16,500 m2), $36.5 million facility seats 8,002 people for ice hockey and arena football, and up to 10,000 for concerts. It was completed in mid-2002 through an increase in the Laringo sales tax of.25 percent. Sports that can be played at the SamesAuto Arena include ice hockey, arena football, indoor soccer, basketball, wrestling, and boxing. Well-known artists and bands that have performed in the arena include Lil Wayne, Rihanna, Kesha, Pitbull, Flo Rida, Shakira, Enrique Iglesias, Tool, Aerosmith, Kiss, El John, St. John, REO Speedwagon, ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Tacris, Hilary Duff, Monster Jam, and WWE. The Uni-Trade Stadium is near the city's newest baseball field. The stadium was home to the independent American Association from 2012 to 2016. The team was disbanded before the 2017-2018 season. The Laredi Rose's were a professional women's full contact football team in the South Texas Sugar N Spice Football League.

Parks and recreation

The City of Laredo owns eight recreational centers, thirty-four developed parks, twenty-two undeveloped parks or under construction, five baseball fields, and four plazas. Lake Casa Blanca International State Park, on Loop 20, has a 1,680-acre (680 ha) artificial lake along with cooking out, camping, picnicking, lake swimming, skiing, boating, and mountain biking. The David B. Barkley Plaza has a bronze statue of David Barkley and an American flag measuring 100 ft by 50 ft and is 308 ft tall making it the tallest flagpole in the United States. A memorial honoring the forty-one Hispanic soldiers who have received the Medal of Honor was built in Lareda, Texas in 2002. The city has three 18-hole golf courses: the Laredi Country Club, the Casa Blanca Golf Course, and the Max A. Mandel Municipal Golf Course. It also has a 4-mile dirt trail called the Shiloh Trail, which is approximately 4 miles of single-track dirt trails, widening occasionally to double-track. It is well-marked and improvements continue to be made. The trail is located off ShilOH Road at the end of Livingston Road. The parks total area is 618 acres (2.50 km²) and the park system has a total area of 2.5 million acres (8.5 km²). The city is located at 27°3022N 99°308W.

Government

The Laredo city government is a strong city council weak mayor system. The mayor presides over the eight-member city council, but only votes to break a tie. City Council elections are based on single-member districts and campaigns have no party affiliations. City council members receive a monthly gross salary of $1,000 plus $750 monthly for maintaining a home office, $150 per month for a city cell phone, and $ 750 monthly for fuel expenses. The United States Postal Service operates its main Post Office at 2700 East Saunders Street south of Laredi International Airport. The U.S. Border Patrol operates its Larede Sector Headquarters at 207 W. Del Mar Blvd. The Texas Army National Guard armory is at 6001 E. Bob Bullock Loop 20. The Rio Grande Detention Center opened in 2008 and holds a maximum of 1900 federal detainees. In March 2014, it was reported that it was reporting a child abuse rate at nearly double the state average. In 2013, 515 child clients were served by the Children's Advocacy Center in Laringo, 105 of whom were victims of physical abuse and 360 for sexual abuse. A special investigator for Child Protective Services said he sees 17 to 21 percent of children being abused in the city, but that the state rate for physical abuse is 17 to 19 percent. The city's mayor is Pete Saenz, who was elected in 2014 to succeed his fellow Democrat, the term-limited Raul G. Salinas. The municipal government is administered by the city manager.

Education

Laredo is home to Laredo College and Texas A&M International University. The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio has a campus in the city. The city also has several charter schools, including Gateway Academy K12 and Saint Augustine High School, a Catholic school, now elementary and middle, PK8th, established 1928, enrollment 485 (2008) The city is located on the site of the former Fort McIntosh, which protected the community from Indian raids in its early history. There are two school districts and eight private schools that serve the city, as well as a number of charter schools and a private day school. The UISD is one of the state's fastest growing districts, serving almost forty thousand students and covering an area the physical size of Rhode Island. The university offers doctoral degrees in the medical and dental fields, and was named an outstanding business school in The Princeton Review's "Best 282 Business Schools" 2007 Edition. It was an extension of Texas A/I-Kingsville and later the former Laredi State University. It is located near U.S. Highway 59 and the Laringo Medical Center. It offers two-year Associate's degrees and four-year Bachelor's and master's degrees. The main campus is at the western end of downtown Lareda near the Rio Grande. The smaller, newer second campus is in south Larede along U. S. Route 83. The campus is an extension university from UTHSC in San Antonio.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Laredo, Webb County, Texas = 96.2. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 91. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 91. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Laredo = 5.8 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 3,988 individuals with a median age of 26.8 age the population grows by 27.76% in Laredo, Webb County, Texas population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 2,396.5 residents per square mile of area (925.3/km²). There are average 3.68 people per household in the 60,234 households with an average household income of $35,859 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 8.10% of the available work force and has dropped -0.01% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 31.88%. The number of physicians in Laredo per 100,000 population = 89.4.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Laredo = 21.5 inches and the annual snowfall = 0.1 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 59. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 220. 100 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 44.6 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 8, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Laredo, Webb County, Texas which are owned by the occupant = 61.77%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 17 years with median home cost = $111,280 and home appreciation of -5.46%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $16.38 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,713 per student. There are 16.2 students for each teacher in the school, 528 students for each Librarian and 411 students for each Counselor. 5.49% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 9.51% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 5.83% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).