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Rio Grande Valley
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- location
Gulf of Mexico
Area
12,619 km²
- elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Area code
956
Similar
Padre Island, Quinta Mazatlan, Bentsen‑Rio Grande Valley St, State Farm Arena, Laguna Madre
Usl live rio grande valley fc vs san antonio fc 3 26 17
The Rio Grande Valley (RGV), The Valley, is an area located in the southernmost tip of South Texas. It lies along the northern bank of the Rio Grande river, which separates Mexico from the United States. The four-county region, consisting of Hidalgo, Cameron, Willacy, and Starr counties, is one of the fastest growing places in the United States. From having about 325,000 people in 1969, to today a population over 1,300,000 in 2014. Some of the biggest cities in the region are; Brownsville, McAllen, Mission, Edinburg, Pharr, Weslaco, Harlingen, Rio Grande City, and Hidalgo.
The Rio Grande Valley is not a true valley, but a floodplain, containing many oxbow lakes or resacas formed from pinched-off meanders in earlier courses of the Rio Grande. Early 20th-century land developers, attempting to capitalize on unclaimed land, utilized the name "Magic Valley" to attract settlers and appeal to investors. The Rio Grande Valley is also called El Valle, the Spanish translation of "the valley", by those who live there. The residents of the Rio Grande Valley occasionally refer to the area as "El Mágico Valle del Río Grande" ("The Magical Valley of the Rio Grande"), and also simply by the initials R.G.V.
The main region is within four Texan counties: Starr County, Hidalgo County, Willacy County, and Cameron County. As of January 1, 2012, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population of the Rio Grande Valley at 1,305,782. According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2008, 86 percent of Cameron County, 90 percent of Hidalgo County, 97 percent of Starr County, and 86 percent of Willacy County are Hispanic.
The largest city is Brownsville (Cameron County), followed by McAllen (Hidalgo County). Other major cities include Harlingen, Edinburg, Mission, Rio Grande City, Raymondville, Weslaco, Hidalgo and Pharr.
Tourism
The Lower Rio Grande Valley encompasses landmarks that attract tourists, and popular destinations include: Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, and Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park; and on the coast: South Padre Island, Brazos Island, and the Port Isabel Lighthouse.
The Valley is a popular waypoint for tourists visiting Northeast Mexico. Popular destinations across the border and Rio Grande include: Matamoros, Nuevo Progreso, Río Bravo, and Reynosa, all located in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas.
The Valley also attracts tourists from the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Nuevo León, Coahuila, and Mexico, D.F. (México City).
Places of historical interest
First Lift Station
Los Ebanos Ferry, last hand-operated ferry on the Rio Grande
La Lomita Historic District
Fort Brown
Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Site
Resaca de la Palma
Rancho de Carricitos
USMC War Memorial original plaster working model, located on the campus of the Marine Military Academy in Harlingen
Museum of South Texas History, originally the County Court House and Jail, built in the late 19th century
Battle of Palmito Ranch, location of the last battle of the Civil War
Brownsville Raid
Battle of Resaca de la Palma
Economy
The Valley is historically reliant on agribusiness and tourism. Cotton, grapefruit, sorghum, maize, and sugarcane are its leading crops, and the region is the center of citrus production and the most important area of vegetable production in the State of Texas. Over the last several decades, the emergence of maquiladoras (factories or fabrication plants) has caused a surge of industrial development along the border, while international bridges have allowed Mexican nationals to shop, sell, and do business in the border cities along the Rio Grande. The geographic inclusion of South Padre Island also drives tourism, particularly during the Spring Break season, during which South Padre Island becomes reminiscent of New Orleans during Mardi Gras. During the winter months, many retirees (commonly referred to as "Winter Texans") arrive to enjoy the warm weather, access to pharmaceuticals and health care in Mexican border crossings such as Nuevo Progreso. There is a substantial health-care industry with major hospitals and many clinics and private practices in Brownsville, Harlingen, and McAllen.
Texas is the third largest producer of citrus fruit in United States, the majority of which is grown in the Rio Grande Valley. Grapefruit make up over 70% of the Valley citrus crop, which also includes orange, tangerine, tangelo and Meyer lemon production each Winter.
There are two semi-professional sports teams that play in the Rio Grande Valley: The Rio Grande Valley Vipers (basketball), and The Rio Grande Valley FC Toros (soccer). Previous teams that are now defunct include: the Edinburg Roadrunners (baseball), La Fiera FC (indoor soccer), Rio Grande Valley Ocelots FC,(soccer), Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings (baseball), The Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees (ice hockey), and the RGV Sol (indoor football).
One of the Valley's major tourist attractions is the semi-tropical wildlife. Birds and butterflies attract a large amount of visitors every year all throughout the entire valley. Ecotourism is a major economic force in the Rio Grande Valley.
Politics
As of 2016, officeholders tend to be Democrat. It is common for voters to be influenced by members of their own extended families and by prominent families in their towns, so politicians often try to make friends with family groups to increase their chances of getting elected. As of 2006, about 20,000 to 30,000 people in Cameron County habitually vote in primary elections, and Presidential elections have higher turnouts. Politiqueras, women hired to help elderly people vote, are crucial in South Texas elections. Cecilia Ballí of Texas Monthly wrote that voters expect to get favors from politicians they vote for, and if they do not get these favors they become resentful of politicians as a whole.
Education
Colleges and universities located in the Rio Grande Valley include:
Texas A&M Health Science Center, School of Public Health - McAllen
Texas A&M University - McAllen Campus (A direct branch of the main Texas A&M University campus in College Station expected to open in 2017.)
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley — Entered into full operation in 2015 with the merger of the University of Texas at Brownsville and the University of Texas–Pan American. UTRGV will include a new medical school.
Texas Southmost College
Texas State Technical College
South Texas College
University of Texas Health Science Center - Regional Academic Health Center
Hospitals
Cornerstone Regional Hospital, Edinburg, Texas
Edinburg Children's Hospital, Edinburg, Texas
Edinburg Regional Medical Center, Edinburg, Texas
Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, Edinburg, Texas
Harlingen Medical Center, Harlingen, Texas
McAllen Heart Hospital, McAllen, Texas
McAllen Medical Center, McAllen, Texas
Rio Grande Regional Hospital, McAllen, Texas
Rio Grande State Hospital, Harlingen, Texas
Solara Hospital, Harlingen, Texas
VA Health Care Center at Harlingen. Harlingen, Texas
Valley Baptist Medical Center, Harlingen, Texas
Valley Baptist Medical Center, Brownsville, Texas
Valley Regional Medical Center, Brownsville, Texas
Knapp Medical Center, Weslaco, Texas
Mission Regional Medical Center, Mission, Texas
Magazines
The Go Guide - published by Above Ground Media, LLC rgvgoguide.com
Celebrity Group Magazines - owned by Celebrity Group Advertising Agency
Rio Grande Magazine
((www.viva-el-valle.com)) owned by viva el valle magazine
((http:..www.tots-tweens.com - owned by J&L Publishing LLC
RGV Drives Magazine - Published by MAT Media Solutions
Newspapers
Valley Town Crier - owned by Gatehouse Media
The Edinburg Review - owned by Gatehouse Media
Valley Bargain Book - owned by Gatehouse Media
El Periódico USA - owned by www.elperiodicousa.com
El Extra - owned by AIM Media Texas
El Nuevo Heraldo - owned by AIM Media Texas
Mega Doctor News - owned by www.megadoctornews.com
Texas Border Business - owned by www.texasborderbusiness.com
The Brownsville Herald - owned by AIM Media Texas
The Island Breeze - owned by AIM Media Texas
The Mid Valley Town Crier - Owned by AIM Media Texas
The Monitor - owned by AIM Media Texas
Valley Morning Star - owned by AIM Media Texas
Valleywood Magazine - owned by Valleywood Publications
((www.viva-el-valle.com)) - owned by Viva el Valle internet magazine
Local Blogs
Viva South Texas - owned by White Coyote Productions
Ouch, My Ego! - Local alt news blog
Television
KGBT-TV/DT Action 4 News, CBS Affiliate
KRGV-TV/DT Newschannel 5, ABC Affiliate
KVEO-TV/DT News Center 23, NBC Affiliate
KCWT-CD 21, The CW Affiliate
KTFV-CD 32, Telefutura Affiliate
KMBH TV/DT 38, PBS Affiliate
KLUJ-TV/DT 44, TBN Affiliate
KTLM-TV/DT 40, Telemundo Affiliate
KNVO TV/DT 48, Univision Affiliate
KFXV-LD 67, Fox 2 News, Fox Affiliate
[{XERV-TV] 9.1 TELEVISA
[XHAB-TV] 7.1 VALLEVISION, TELEVISA
Notable people
A list of notable people who were born, lived, or died in the Rio Grande Valley includes:
David V. Aguilar (Chief Border Patrol Agent, United States Border Patrol; Rio Grande Valley Station, Texas)
Micaela Alvarez (Federal judge; Donna, Texas)
Natalia Anciso (Contemporary Artist; Weslaco and Mercedes, Texas)
Gloria E. Anzaldúa (Writer/Poet; Hargill, Texas)
Cathy Baker (T.V. performer; Edinburg, Texas)
Lloyd Bentsen (U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative; Mission, Texas)
James Carlos Blake (Novelist, Brownsville)
Harlon Block (Iwo Jima flag raiser, died on Iwo Jima; Weslaco, Texas)
David Bowles (Critic, author and translator; Donna, Texas)
William S. Burroughs American writer, his time as a farmer in the valley in Pharr, Texas is briefly chronicled in his books Junky and Queer
Rolando Cantú is a Mexican football player who used to play for the Arizona Cardinals in the U.S. and graduated from McAllen High School; McAllen, Texas.
Raúl Castillo (Actor; McAllen, Texas)
Thomas Haden Church (Actor; Harlingen, Texas)
Freddy Fender (Musician/Actor lyricist; San Benito, Texas)
Mike Fossum (Astronaut; McAllen, Texas)
Reynaldo Guerra Garza (Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit; Brownsville, Texas)
Kika de la Garza (U.S. Representative; Mission, Texas)
Roberto Garza (Professional Football Player Chicago Bears; Rio Hondo, Texas)
Xavier Garza (Children's author and illustrator; Rio Grande City, Texas)
Tony Garza (U.S. Ambassador to Mexico; Brownsville, Texas)
Alfredo C. Gonzalez (Medal of Honor Recipient, U.S. Marine Veteran; Edinburg, Texas)
Matt Gonzalez (2008 Vice Presidential candidate; former president of the Board of Supervisors of San Francisco, California; born, McAllen, Texas)
Bobby Morrow (Olympic gold medalist; San Benito, Texas)
Eduardo “Eddie” Perez (Tejano Roots Hall of Fame inductee 2005, Tejano Academy Of Musicians Legacy Award 2008, Latin Grammy winner 2013, Edinburg, Texas)
Major Samuel Ringgold (Father of modern artillery, served at what is now Fort Ringgold; Rio Grande City, Texas)
Charles M. Robinson III (Author; San Benito, Texas)
Valente Rodriguez (Actor; Edcouch, Texas)
James Nicholas "Nick" Rowe (February 8, 1938 – April 21, 1989) McAllen,TX Col, USASF Green Beret 5th Group Battalion Commander, Vietnam POW, Created modern day Survive, Evade, Resist, Escape (SERE) training for most at risk Military personnel and civilians still used today by SOCOM community
Ricardo Sanchez (U.S. Army lieutenant general; Ground forces commander in Iraq; Rio Grande City, Texas)
Julian Schnabel (Filmmaker; Brownsville, Texas)
Merced Solis aka Tito Santana (Wrestler; Mission, Texas)
