Location

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. The area consists of a few hills and flat land covered with grasses, oaks, and mesquite.

Bodies of water

Notable geographic features are the Rio Grande and Chacon Creek's man-made reservoir, Lake Casa Blanca, in Lake Casa Blanca International State Park. The lake is 371 acres (1.5 km²) of land and 1,650 acres (7 km²) of 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 Ildefonso Creek Lake (second-largest reservoir), and the Sombrerillito Creek Lake (third-largest reservoir).

Nearby cities

Climate

Laredo's climate is semiarid with very hot temperatures in the summer and mild temperatures during the winter. The climate is considered to be hot semiarid (Köppen: BSh). 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. Moisture from the Pacific is cut off by the Mexican mountain range.

The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from 57.6 °F (14.2 °C) in January to 89.1 °F (31.7 °C) in August; official record temperatures range from 11 °F (−12 °C) on December 30, 1983, up to 115 °F (46 °C) on May 7, 1927, June 17, 1908, and June 19, 2023.^[18] On average, temperatures reach 100 °F (37.8 °C) or higher on 74.2 days annually, and fall to or below the freezing mark on 4.6 days, although, in five years, the most recent being 2015, the annual minimum temperature was above freezing.^[18][19]

Precipitation averages 19.7 in (500 mm) annually, with higher amounts typically occurring from May to October. Although snowfall is rare in Laredo, measurable snow occurred most recently on Christmas Eve 2004, with 1.1 in (2.8 cm), and December 7–8, 2017, with 1.3 in (3.3 cm).^[18]

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, 255,205 people, 72,328 households, and 58,294 families resided in the city.

2010 census

As of the 2010, Laredo is the 81st-most populous city in the United States and the 10th-largest in Texas. According to the 2010 census^[6][27][28] there were 236,091 inhabitants in the city.

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the racial composition of Laredo was:

• Whites: 87.7%, non-Hispanic Whites: 3.86%
• Black or African American: 0.5%
• Native American: 0.4%
• Asian: 0.6%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.00%
• Two or more races: 1.5%
• other races 9.3%

Ethnically, the city was:

• Hispanic or Latino (of any race) – 95.6% (Mexican 86.9%, Puerto Rican 0.4%, Cuban 0.1%, other Hispanic or Latino 8.3%)

Map of racial distribution in Laredo, 2010 U.S. Census. Each dot is 25 people: ⬤ White ⬤ Black ⬤ Asian ⬤ Hispanic ⬤ Other

According to respondents' self-identification on the 2010 Census, the vast majority of Laredo's 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). About 84.3% of the population identifies as white Hispanic, while only 11.3% identifies as Hispanic but not white; 4.4% of the population was not Hispanic or Latino (3.4% non-Hispanic White, 0.2% non-Hispanic Black or African American, 0.6% non-Hispanic Asian, 0.1% from some other race (non-Hispanic), and 0.1% of two or more races (non-Hispanic)).

The 2005 estimate listed 99,675 males and 108,112 females. The average household contained 3.69 occupants. The population density was 2,250.5 inhabitants per square mile (868.9/km²).

Of the 60,816 households, 56,247 or 92.5% were occupied: 33,832 were owner-occupied units and 22,415 were renter-occupied units. About 62.0% were married couples living together, 18.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.7% were not families. Around 12.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.69, and the average family size was 4.18.

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. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,019, and for a family was $32,577. The per capita income for the city was $12,269; 29.2% of families were below the poverty line.

According to the United States Census Bureau, at a 2000 census, Laredo was the second-fastest growing city in the United States, after Las Vegas.^[29]

In 2016, the violent crime rate in Laredo dropped to 379 per 100,000 inhabitants, according to AreaVibes. The violent crime rate in Dallas was 694 per 100,000 inhabitants. In Houston, it was 967 per 100,000 inhabitants.

Trade

View across the Rio Grande at Laredo, Texas (postcard, circa 1909)

More than 47% of United States international trade headed for Mexico and more than 36% of Mexican international trade crosses through the Laredo port of entry.^[32][33] Laredo's economy revolves around commercial and industrial warehousing, import, and export. As a major player in international trade, the Laredo area benefited from passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement, which has encouraged trade. The Laredo port of entry consists of four international bridges (with a proposed fifth one) crossing the Rio Grande into the Mexican states of Tamaulipas and Nuevo León.

Retail sales

Retail sales attract shoppers from Northern Mexico and South Texas.^[34] There is one indoor shopping mall in Laredo, Mall del Norte, The Outlet Shoppes at Laredo, and another has not progressed past planning: Laredo Town Center, part of downtown redevelopment. There are dozens of shopping centers. The Streets of Laredo Urban Mall is an association created by businesses on Iturbide Street in the San Agustin historical district to beautify and renovate the area, which has a pedestrian scale.^[35]

• Mall Del Norte 1,198,199 sq ft (111,316.3 m²)
• The Outlet Shoppes at Laredo^[36]
• Streets of Laredo Urban Mall

Labor market information

As of October 2007, Laredo's labor market was in the following industries by percentage of number employed: Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (32%), Information (1%), Financial Activity (5%), Professional and Business Services (6%), Education and Health Services (15%), Leisure and Hospitality (10%), Government (23%), Mining and Construction (5%), Manufacturing (2%), and Other Services (2%).

Laredo has increased the number of nonagricultural jobs from 55,100 in January 1996 to 86,600 in October 2007. Laredo has had a higher job growth rate (2%–6.5%) than the state as a whole because of expanded international trade through NAFTA. In 2007, Laredo experienced a job growth rate of 2.5%. As of October 2007, the Laredo unemployment rate was 4.1% or 3,700 unemployed persons, as compared to 3.9% in Texas statewide. This is a significant drop since the mid-1990s, when Laredo's unemployment was over 15%.

Laredo has had positive job market growth since the mid-1990s; setbacks in the mining (oil/gas) industry shifted a few thousand workers to other industries such as international trade and construction. Many large employers in the oil and gas industries shut down operations in Laredo and across Texas, and shifted to foreign countries. The same effect occurred in the garment industry (Levis and Haggar) along the Texas border area. Laredo lost its only garment-producing company (Barry), costing the jobs of about 300 workers. Laredo's strong job growth rate in retail and transportation services limited the adverse effects of long-term unemployment from the few massive layoffs of the late 1990s. Laredo's success with international trade is also a vulnerability; it depends on changes to Mexico's economy, that status of immigration laws (along with daily border crossings: shoppers and commercial trade), and terrorism.^[37][38]

Agriculture

Laredo is a major center for the cattle ranching in the state.^[39] Cattle here suffer from the cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus microplus (syn. Boophilus microplus).^[39] Researchers and ranchers are concerned about pyrethroid resistance developing and spreading here, as it has in nearby areas of the state and neighboring Tamaulipas state.^[39] Because the situation is so severe, the main office of the country's Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program is located here.^[40] This program is operated by USDA APHIS.^[40] The Deutch Strain of this tick was collected here by Davey et al., 1980 and is now a commonly used laboratory strain negative for pyrethroid resistance.^[41]

Annual celebrations

The Washington's Birthday Celebration,^[42] a month-long event that celebrates George Washington's birthday, is the largest annual celebration of its kind in the United States, with 400,000 attendees. It was founded in 1898 by the Improved Order of Red Men, local chapter Yaqui Tribe No. 59. The first celebration was a success, and its popularity grew rapidly; in 1923, it received its state charter. In 1924, the celebration held its first colonial pageant, which featured 13 girls from Laredo, representing the 13 original colonies. The celebration includes parades, a carnival, an air show, fireworks, live concerts, and a citywide prom during which many of Laredo's elite dress in very formal attire. The related Jalapeño Festival is one of the United States' top 10 eating festivals.

Jamboozie is held in late January in downtown Laredo as part of the Washington's birthday celebrations. Similar to New Orleans' Mardi Gras, the Jamboozie is a colorful event, with many people dressed in beads, masks, and flamboyant outfits.

Museums

Republic of the Rio Grande Capitol Building Museum

The Republic of the Rio Grande Museum^[43] is in the downtown historical district next to the historic La Posada Hotel. What was once the Capitol building now showcases memorabilia from the short lived Republic of the Rio Grande. It displays pictures, books, and furniture from the 19th century Laredo area, and offers guided tours for school-aged children and adults year-round. Because of this Republic, Laredo had flown seven flags instead of the traditional Six Flags over Texas.

The Laredo Center for the Arts^[44] is located in downtown Laredo. The building houses three galleries: the Goodman Gallery, the Laredo Art League Gallery and the Lilia G. Martinez Gallery. The Center for the Arts, in the former City Hall offices known as "The Mercado", displays regional artwork and provides community events for children and adults. The Laredo Little Theater provides Laredo with live stage performances. The theater also hosts comedians.

Imaginarium of South Texas^[45] (formerly Laredo Children's Museum), in Mall del Norte, provides a hands-on experience with science, technology, and art for Laredo's youth. A second museum is planned on the Texas A&M International University campus.^[46]

The Nuevo Santander Museum Complex is composed of restored buildings of Fort McIntosh, a historical collection of photographs of the fort, the main guardhouse, which has World War I (1914–1918) memorabilia, and a science and technology museum.

Planetarium

The Lamar Bruni Vergara Science Center Planetarium^[47] is on the Texas A&M International University campus. The planetarium surrounds audiences in a dome with an accurate image of the night sky showing all the motions and cycles of the Sun, Moon, planets, and constellations in the sky.

Library

The Joe A. Guerra Laredo Public Library at the intersection of McPherson Road and Calton Street

The Joe A. Guerra Laredo Public Library^[48] was first housed on the second floor of the City Hall, now known as the Market Hall, in 1916. In 1974, the Laredo Public Library moved to the historic Bruni Plaza in downtown Laredo. In 1993, the citizens of Laredo approved the construction of a new main library at McPherson and Calton Roads, which opened on February 1, 1998.^[49] The Laredo Public Library has a 60,000 sq ft (6,000 m²). main library and two branches. The main library is in central Laredo; the Bruni Plaza Branch^[50] is downtown east of Washington Street, and the Santo Niño Branch is in south Laredo.^[51]

Two new libraries opened in 2014, one in northwest Laredo, the Fasken Library on March 14, and another in the south sometime in July.^[52]

Market Plaza and Flores Avenue, Laredo, Texas (postcard, c. 1907)

Churches and architecture

San Agustin Cathedral

Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church

Renovated St. Patrick's Catholic Church is on Del Mar Boulevard across from the Laredo Fire Department

The First United Methodist Church near the intersection of McClelland and Guadalupe; the cornerstone from the 1916 building on Hidalgo Street downtown was moved to the current location in 1949.

Most of Laredo's architecture is of Spanish Colonial, American, and Mexican flavor. Most of Laredo's Spanish Colonial-style buildings are in downtown Laredo. More modern American architecture can be seen along Interstate Highway 35, as well as in the downtown area^[53]

Our Lady of Guadalupe is an imposing structure in Romanesque Revival Lombard (North Italian) style. It was designed by Leo M. J. Dielmann of San Antonio, a popular architect of Catholic buildings, and built for a Mexican-American and Hispanic congregation in the inner city, at San Jorge Avenue and Callaghan St. Dielmann was commissioned by church authorities to design churches for similar congregations in Houston and San Antonio. He also did the San Agustin parish school, and may have had a hand in the San Agustin church, itself.^[54]

Both the First United Methodist Church, in 1949, and the Christ Church Episcopal, were designed by Henry Steinbomer, a popular and prolific San Antonio architect who is credited with more than 100 churches and related buildings during the 1940s and 50s, from the Lower Rio Grande Valley mostly in South and West Texas, from the Sacred Heart Cathedral in San Angelo to Union Church in Monterrey, Mexico.^[55]

Other Laredo churches include Baptist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Assembly of God, Mormon, and nondenominational congregations.

List of the tallest buildings

The former Hamilton Hotel, the tallest building in Laredo

Rank[56]	Building Name	Height	Floors	Year Built
01	Hamilton Hotel	150 ft (46 m)	12	1923
02	San Agustin Cathedral	141 ft (43 m)	N/A	1872
03	Rio Grande Plaza	–	15	1975
04	Holiday Inn Laredo	–	14	1984
05	Laredo National Bank	–	10	1926
06	Senior Citizens Home	–	8	–
07	Laredo Medical Center	–	7	1999
08	Gateway Inn	–	6	–
09	Rialto Hotel	–	6	1925
10	Walker Plaza	–	5	1995

Laredo in multimedia

Current teams

Defunct teams

Stadiums and arenas

Sames Auto Arena

With the City of Laredo's approval on July 1, 2018, the SMG-managed venue signed a five-year contract with the oldest local dealership Sames Auto Group.

The Sames Auto Arena is at Loop 20 and Jacaman Road. The arena was strongly pushed to fruition by former Laredo Mayor Betty Flores and was home to the former Laredo Bucks. 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 has fourteen luxury suites, four meeting rooms and a private club for two hundred charter members. It was completed in mid-2002 through an increase in the Laredo sales tax of .25 percent. Sports that can be played in the arena include ice hockey, arena football, indoor soccer, basketball, wrestling, and boxing. The arena has hosted many events such as The Laredo Hunting and Fishing Show, Miss Texas USA, Laredo Home and Garden Show and the South Texas Collectors Exp's Comic Con. Every year, Laredo College, TAMIU, United ISD and Laredo ISD have their graduation ceremonies here. 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, Elton John, Styx, REO Speedwagon, ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ricky Martin, George Lopez, T.I., Ludacris, Cher, Hilary Duff, Monster Jam and WWE.

Student Activity Complex

Entrance to the Student Activity Complex

United Independent School District's students use the Student Activity Complex on State Highway 359 for football, soccer, and baseball. Opened in the summer of 2002, it has the city's first artificial grass stadium. The SAC was also the home of the Laredo Heat. The capacity is 8,500 spectators.

Lake Casa Blanca

Lake Casa Blanca International State Park,^[82] 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 most popular recreational use of the lake is fishing. A boat ramp and fishing pier is available on the lake's eastern side. The lake is a popular destination for winter Texans. The park was operated by the City of Laredo and Webb County before it was acquired by the state in 1990 and opened in March 1991.

Golf

Laredo has three 18-hole golf courses: the Laredo Country Club,^[83] the Casa Blanca Golf Course.^[84] and Laredo's newest course Max A. Mandel Municipal Golf Course.^[85] The Laredo Country Club is an 18-hole private course with 7,125 yards (6,515 m) of golf. The golf course has a rating of 74.6, a slope rating of 133, and has a par of 72. The country club was designed by Joseph S. Finger and was opened in 1983.^[86] The Casa Blanca Golf Course is an 18-hole course with 6,590 yards (6,030 m) of golf. The golf course has a rating of 72.5, a slope rating of 125, and has a par of 72. The golf course was designed by Leon Howard and was opened in 1967.^[87] The Max A. Mandel Municipal Golf Course is an 18-hole course with 7,200 yards (6,600 m) of golf. The golf course has a par of 72. The golf course was designed by Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Architects and was opened in 2012.

Parks, recreational centers, plazas, and baseball fields

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. The parks total area is 618 acres (2.50 km²).^[88]

David B. Barkley Plaza

David B. Barkley Plaza flag

A memorial honoring the forty-one Hispanic soldiers who have received the Medal of Honor was built in Laredo, Texas in 2002. The plaza was named after the only Laredo Medal of Honor recipient David B. Barkley. The David B. Barkley Plaza has a bronze statue of David B. 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.^[89][90] The memorial is at 27°30′22″N 99°30′8″W / 27.50611°N 99.50222°W / 27.50611; -99.50222 (David B. Barkley Plaza).^[91]

Municipal government

Administrative headquarters of the Laredo Fire Department are on Del Mar Boulevard across from St. Patrick's Catholic Church.

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. Municipal elections are now held in November (formerly in May) of even-numbered years. The municipal government is administered by the city manager hired by the city council. All city elected offices have a four-year term and are nonpartisan though most officials have a Democratic party preference or affiliation.

City council meetings are held on Mondays and can be viewed on the public-access television cable TV channel or live online at Public Access Channel live stream.^[92]

List of mayors of Laredo, Texas

Name	Portrait	Term start	Term end
William Franklin Alexander[93]		1852	1854
Bartolome Garcia		1855	1855
Santos Benavides		1856	1856
Refugio Benavides		1857	1857
Bartolome Garcia		1858	1858
Refugio Benavides		1859	1859
Tomas Treviño		1860	1860
Juan Francisco Farias		1861	1861
Bartolome Garcia		1862	1864
Nicolas Sanchez		1865	1865
Agustin Salinas		1866	1867
Samuel M. Jarvis		1868	1868
Agustin Salinas		1866	1867
Hugh James		1874	1876
Atanacio Vidaurri		1877	1877
Rosendo Garcia		1878	1878
Julian Garcia		1879	1880
Porfirio Benavidez		1881	1882
Dario Sanchez		1883	1883
Porfirio Benavides		1884	1884
Dario Sanchez		1885	1885
E. A. Atlee		1886	1890
C. A. McLane		1891	1894
Andrew Hans Thaison		1895	1895
L. J. Christian		1896	1898
A. E. Vidaurri		1899	1900
Amador Sanchez		1901	1909
Robert McComb		1910	1919
L. Villegas		1920	1925
Albert Martin		1926	1939
Hugh Cluck		1940	1953
J. C. Martin Jr.		1954	1977
Aldo Tatangelo		1978	1990
Saul N. Ramirez Jr.		1990	1997
Betty Flores		1998	2006
Raul G. Salinas		2006	2014
Pete Saenz		2014

The council then named the assistant city manager, Horacio De Leon, as the acting city manager.^[94][95] Robert Alexander Eads was selected as City Manager on March 4, 2020,^[96]

State and federal representation

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas Laredo division is a relatively new building adjacent to the Webb County Courthouse.

The United States Border Patrol Laredo Sector Headquarters is at 207 W. Del Mar Blvd, Laredo, Texas.

The United States Postal Service operates its main Post Office at 2700 East Saunders Street south of Laredo International Airport.^[97] Postal branches are downtown and at 2395 East Del Mar Boulevard.^[98][99]

The Texas Army National Guard armory is at 6001 E. Bob Bullock Loop 20 Laredo, Texas.

The Colburn Memorial United States Army Reserve Center is at 1 W End Washington St, Laredo, Texas.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) operates the Laredo Parole Office.^[100]

The private prison operator GEO Group runs the Rio Grande Detention Center in Laredo, which opened in 2008 and holds a maximum of 1900 federal detainees.^[101]

Elementary and secondary

Newman Elementary School at 1300 Alta Vista Blvd., is named for the late businessman B. P. Newman and his widow, Peggy.

Two school districts, the Laredo Independent School District and the United Independent School District, and eight private schools serve Laredo.

The Laredo Independent School District^[102] (LISD) serves the areas in central Laredo. The LISD high schools are Cigarroa High School, Martin High School, J. W. Nixon High School and the Laredo Early College High School. LISD also has three magnet schools: Dr. Dennis D. Cantu Health Science Magnet School, LISD Magnet for Engineering and Technology Education, and Vidal M. Trevino School of Communications and Fine Arts.

The United Independent School District^[103] serves the rest of Laredo and northern Webb County. The UISD high schools are John B. Alexander High School, Lyndon B. Johnson High School Laredo Early College High School, United High School, and United South High School. UISD has three magnet schools: John B. Alexander Health Science Magnet, United Engineering Magnet, and the United South Business Magnet. There are thirty-nine schools within UISD and more are under construction or development. United ISD is one of the state's fastest growing districts, serving almost forty thousand students and covering an area the physical size of Rhode Island.

Former downtown campus of St. Augustine Parochial School

Several private schools also serve the city:

• Saint Augustine High School, Catholic school, 9th–12th^[104]
• Laredo Christian Academy, Assemblies of God, Grades PK–12th
• United Day School, PK–8th
• Mary Help of Christians School, Catholic school, PK–8th
• Blessed Sacrament School, Catholic school, PK–7th
• Our Lady of Guadalupe School, Catholic school, PK–6th
• St. Peter Memorial School, Catholic school, PK–6th
• Saint Augustine School, Catholic school, now elementary and middle, PK–8th, established 1928, enrollment 485 (2008)

The city also has several charter schools, including:

• Gateway Academy K–12

Colleges and universities

Laredo is home to Laredo College^[105] and Texas A&M International University^[106] (TAMIU). The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio^[107] has a campus in Laredo.

Laredo College is a two-campus institution which offers two-year Associate's degrees. The main campus is at the western end of downtown Laredo near the Rio Grande, on the site of the former Fort McIntosh. This fort played a major role in the development of Laredo, as it protected the community from Indian raids in its early history. Several of the old buildings at the fort were converted into classrooms, but after renovation programs nearly all of the campus structures are now modern. The smaller, newer second campus, Laredo College South Campus, is in south Laredo along U. S. Route 83.

Texas A&M International University Library

The Texas A&M International University is a 4/6-year university that offers bachelor's and master's degrees. On April 22, 2004,^[108] the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in Austin, Texas approved Texas A&M International University to grant its first PhD in International Business Administration.^[109][110] TAMIU's College of Business Administration has been named an outstanding business school in The Princeton Review's "Best 282 Business Schools", 2007 Edition, and ranked third in the nation for the category: "Greatest Opportunity for Minority Students."^[111] The university's campus is in Northeast Laredo along Loop 20. The university was an extension of Texas A&I-Kingsville and later the former Laredo State University. Prior to its current location along Bob Bullock Loop 20, the university was housed with the Laredo College downtown campus.

The University of Texas Health Science Center campus is in East Laredo near U.S. Highway 59 and the Laredo Medical Center. The campus is an extension university from UTHSC in San Antonio, Texas. The university offers doctoral degrees in the medical and dental fields.

Newspapers

Television

According to Nielsen Media Research, the Laredo region (which includes Webb and Zapata counties) is ranked 185th market by population size in the United States.^[113] The first station to broadcast in Laredo was KGNS in 1956, followed by KVTV in 1973, then KJTB (now KLDO) in 1985.

The only notable television network missing from Laredo's airwaves is PBS. Laredo had a full-power local The CW affiliate, KGNS-DT2, but on July 3, 2014, the affiliation switched to ABC. Prior to that KJTB channel 27, from January 1985 to October 1988 was Laredo's ABC affiliate. KJTB was later bought by Entravision and affiliated the station to Telemundo and changed its callsign to KLDO. Today KLDO is affiliated to Univision. Before KJTB, KGNS, an NBC affiliate had a secondary affiliation to ABC from its founding in 1956 through KJTB's founding in 1985. On November 6, 2013, KGNS reached an agreement to add the ABC affiliation. The ABC affiliate launched in July 2014 when KGNS dropped The CW programming and added ABC programming.^[114] In October 2015 KVTV now KYLX started broadcasting The CW Programming on its digital subchannel 13.2.^[115]

In December 2014, all Nuevo Laredo stations turned off analog television broadcasting and started broadcasting digitally only.^[116]

Radio

According to Arbitron, the Laredo region (which includes Jim Hogg, Webb, and Zapata counties) is ranked 191st market by population size.^[117]

Health care

Laredo Medical Center, formerly Mercy Hospital, is the largest hospital in Laredo.

Doctor's Hospital in Laredo

Laredo Specialty Hospital, near the Laredo Medical Center, handles certain patients requiring long-term care.

In addition to the University of Texas Health Science Center branch, there are five other principal medical centers in Laredo: the Laredo Medical Center, Doctor's Hospital, Gateway Community Health Center, Providence Surgical & Medical Center, and the Laredo Specialty Hospital.

Doctors Hospital^[120] is Laredo's second-largest medical center. The hospital complex is over 250,000 square feet (23,000 m²), with 180 licensed beds on a 58-acre (23 ha) campus. Affiliated with Universal Health Services, it is on Loop 20 in north Laredo. The Doctors Regional Cancer Treatment Center offers comprehensive cancer services.

The Providence Surgical & Medical Center^[121] is an ambulatory health care center in north-central Laredo and also owned by Universal Health Services.

The Gateway Community Health Center^[122] is the third-largest medical center in Laredo. The health center's main building is 64,000 square feet (5,900 m²). The Medical center moved to its new $11,000,000 building in 2006. The main Gateway Community Health Center is in East Laredo, close to U.S. Highway 59. It also has three branches in the Laredo area: the South Clinic, El Cenizo Community Center, and Quad City Community Center.

Gateway Community Health Center services include:

The Laredo Specialty Hospital^[123] is the fourth-largest medical center in Laredo. It is owned by Ernest Health Inc. and was founded by Elmo Lopez Jr. on May 22, 2006. It admitted its first patient within hours of operation. The grand opening took place in March 2007.

Transportation

In 2016, 82.3 percent of working Laredo residents commuted by driving alone, 10.2 percent carpooled, 0.9 percent used public transportation, and 1.9 percent walked. About 2 percent of working Laredo residents commuted by all other means, including taxi, bicycle, and motorcycles. About 2.6 percent worked at home.^[124]

In 2015, 6.5 percent of city of Laredo households were without a car, which decreased slightly to 5.9 percent in 2016. The national average was 8.7 percent in 2016. Laredo averaged 1.85 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8 per household.^[125]

Air

Laredo International Airport

Tex-Mex Railway International Bridge view from Laredo

Laredo is served by the Laredo International Airport. Daily flights are available to Houston (George Bush Intercontinental Airport) and to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Tri-weekly flights to Las Vegas, Nevada are available. After Laredo Air Force Base closed in the mid-1970s, the federal government handed over the old air force base and property to the City of Laredo for a new municipal airport. From the mid-1970s until the mid-1990s, the airport used a small terminal for passenger airline service and several old hangars for air cargo and private aircraft. A new state-of-the art passenger terminal was built along the then newly constructed Loop 20 to accommodate larger jets and to increase passenger air travel through Laredo. Expansion of air cargo facilities, taxiways and aprons, air cargo carriers such as DHL, FedEx, UPS, BAX, and others have responded by adding commercial air cargo jet services. Laredo also has two medical helipads, at Laredo Medical Center and Doctor's Hospital.

Born in Laredo

• Americo Alejandro Garcia (Born 1991)

of Boombox Cartel

Tom DeLay, the Republican House Majority Leader from 2003 to 2006, was born in Laredo.

• Pedro "Pete" Astudillo, composer
• David Barkley-Cantu, first Mexican-American to be awarded the Medal of Honor
• Freddie Benavides, former professional baseball player
• Santos Benavides, Confederate States of America colonel
• Esther Buckley (1948–2013), member of the United States Commission on Civil Rights from 1983 to 1992; Laredo educator
• Kaleb Canales (born 1978), assistant coach of the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association
• Quico Canseco, Republican U.S. Representative representing Texas's 23rd congressional district from 2010 to 2012
• Orlando Canizales, professional boxer, Career W 50 L 5 D 1
• Francisco G. Cigarroa, chancellor of University of Texas System
• Henry R. Cuellar, Democrat U.S. Representative from Texas's 28th congressional district since 2005, former Texas Secretary of State (2001) and state representative (1987–2001)
• Tony Dalton, actor and screenwriter
• Elizabeth De Razzo (born 1980), actress
• Tom DeLay, former U.S. Representative for Texas's 22nd congressional district, former House Majority Leader, Republican from Sugar Land, Texas
• Ramón H. Dovalina (born 1943), educator; president of Laredo Community College from 1995 to 2007
• Elma Salinas Ender (born 1953), first Hispanic woman state court judge in Texas; served on the 341st District Court from 1983 until her retirement in 2012
• Audrey Esparza (born 1986), actress
• Megan Frazee (born 1987), women's professional basketball player, (2009–)
• Betty Flores (born 1944), first woman mayor of Laredo, 1998–2006
• Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (born 1973), film and television director
• Carla Gonzalez (born 2001), professional wrestler known as Rok-C and Roxanne Perez
• Armando Hinojosa (born 1944), sculptor, designed Tejano Monument in Austin and "Among Friends There Are No Borders" at the Laredo International Airport
• Jovita Idar (1885–1946), was a Mexican-American journalist, political activist and civil rights worker, who fought for the rights of Mexican Americans and women
• John King, Professional baseball pitcher for The Texas Rangers
• Rodney Lewis (born 1954), oil and natural gas industrialist based in San Antonio
• Sebastián Ligarde (born 1954), actor
• Thomas C. Mann (1912–1999), Pointman for Latin America policy for President Lyndon Johnson.
• Jose C. "Pepe" Martin Jr. (1913–1998), mayor of Laredo from 1954 to 1978; convicted federal felon popularly known as el patron
• César A. Martínez (born 1944), artist, prominent in the Chicano world of art
• Alicia Dickerson Montemayor, Democratic political activist and educator
• Amado Maurilio Peña Jr. (born 1943), American visual artist and art educator
• Federico Peña, former mayor of Denver, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation, and former U.S. Secretary of Energy, Democrat
• William Merriweather Peña (1919–2018), architect
• Roel Ramírez (born 1995), professional baseball player
• Ana Rodriguez, Miss USA finalist, finished third runner up, 2011
• Johnny Rodriguez, Tex-Mex Country singer
• Pete Saenz (born 1951), mayor of Laredo since November 12, 2014; former trustee of Laredo Community College and Laredo lawyer
• Poncho Sanchez (born 1951), conga player, Latin jazz bandmaster & salsa singer
• Antonio R. "Tony" Sanchez Jr., oilman and banker, 2002 Democratic nominee for governor of Texas
• Edgar Valdez Villarreal (born 1973), nicknamed La Barbie, Mexican-American drug lord and former leader of Los Negros^[126]
• Kathleen King von Alvensleben, architect
• Peggy Webber (born 1925), actress
• Jack Wheeler (1944–2010), co-founder of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund; aide to U.S. Presidents Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush
• Judith Zaffirini (born 1946), First Latina elected to the Texas State Senate.

Other notable people

• Steve Asmussen (born 1965), horse breeder who won three legs of the Triple Crown
• Norma Elia Cantú (born 1947), Chicana postmodernist writer and a professor of English at the University of Texas at San Antonio
• Thomas Haden Church, actor in film Sideways and sitcom Wings
• Edmund J. Davis (1827–1883), governor of Texas from 1869 to 1873; resided in Laredo during parts of the 1850s
• Ned Kock, information systems professor affiliated with Texas A&M International University
• Jack Lanza, ex-professional wrestler, now WWE producer
• Juan L. Maldonado (born 1948), sixth president of Laredo Community College
• Saul N. Ramirez Jr., mayor of Laredo from 1990 to 1998
• Richard Peña Raymond, state representative from Webb County since 2001; previously represented Duval County
• Jerry D. Thompson (born 1943), historian affiliated with Texas A&M International University
• Jeremy Vuolo, (born 1987), is an American former soccer player for Major League Soccer and the North American Soccer League.
• Robert G. Whitehead (1916–2007), businessman/artist who marketed "Blue Star" first-aid ointment
• Roger L. Worsley (born 1937), president of Laredo Community College, 1985 to 1995