Webb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 193,117. In 2006 its population had been estimated to have reached to 231,470. Its county seat is Laredo. Webb County was named after James Webb, who served as secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of State, and Attorney General of the Republic of Texas, and later United States District Judge in the State of Texas. Webb County is the largest county in South Texas by area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,376 square miles (8,743 km²), of which, 3,357 square miles (8,694 km²) of it is land and 19 square miles (48 km²) of it (0.55%) is water.

Major highways

• Interstate 35
• U.S. Highway 59
• U.S. Highway 83
• State Highway 44
• State Highway 255
• State Highway 359

Complete List of Highways in Webb County, Texas

Adjacent counties and municipios

• Dimmit County (north)
• La Salle County (north)
• Duval County (east)
• Jim Hogg County (southeast)
• Zapata County (south)
• Maverick County (northwest)
• Guerrero, Coahuila, Mexico (west)
• Hidalgo, Coahuila, Mexico (west)
• Anáhuac, Nuevo León, Mexico (west)
• Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico (southwest)
• Guerrero, Tamaulipas, Mexico (southwest)

History

Webb County was split into two counties in 1856. Encinal County was established on 1 February 1856 and was to consist of the eastern portion of Webb County, Texas. The county was never organized and was finally dissolved on 12 March 1899. The Encinal territory was absorbed into Webb County.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 193,117 people, 50,740 households, and 43,433 families residing in the county. The population density was 58 people per square mile (22/km²). There were 55,206 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile (6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 82.16% White, 0.37% Black or African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 14.00% from other races, and 2.54% from two or more races. 94.28% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 50,740 households out of which 53.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.60% were married couples living together, 18.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.40% were non-families. 12.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.75 and the average family size was 4.10.

In the county, the population was spread out with 36.20% under the age of 18, 11.40% from 18 to 24, 29.30% from 25 to 44, 15.60% from 45 to 64, and 7.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 92.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,100, and the median income for a family was $29,394. Males had a median income of $23,618 versus $19,018 for females. The per capita income for the county was $10,759. About 26.70% of families and 31.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.40% of those under age 18 and 26.90% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Webb County is overwhelmingly Democratic and has voted for that party's electors since 1912. Although Texas as a whole voted for Republican John McCain in the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama won 33,435 votes (71 percent) of the ballots in Webb County. McCain was a distant second with 13,111 votes (28 percent). Other candidates secured a combined 1 percent of the ballots. Obama fared better than Democrat John Kerry had done in 2004. Latinos in Texas gave Obama 63 percent of their ballots, whereas Kerry had polled 50 percent of that group's votes. In Webb County, Kerry received 23,654 (57 percent) to George W. Bush's 17,753 (42 percent). Nearly 57,000 registered voters in Webb County did not cast ballots in the 2008 presidential election.

Webb County also voted for the Democratic candidate for the United States Senate, State Representative Rick Noriega of Houston, who failed to unseat Republican incumbent John Cornyn.

Communities

Cities

• El Cenizo
• Laredo
• Rio Bravo

Census-designated places

Botines Bruni La Presa

Laredo Ranchettes Larga Vista Mirando City

Oilton Ranchitos Las Lomas Ranchos Penitas West

Unincorporated areas

Aguilares, Texas Aguilares Acres Colonia Antonio Santos Colonia Cactus, Texas Callaghan, Texas Colorado Acres Colonia D-5 Acres Colonia Darwin Del Mar East Gate Acres Colonia El Cenizo Colonia Number 1 Fort McIntosh Four Points Colonia Hillside Acres Number 1 Colonia Hillside Acres Number 2 Colonia Islitas, Texas La Coma Colonia La Moca Ranch Colonia La Presa Colonia Laredo Ranchettes Colonia Larga Vista Colonia Las Blancas Colonia Las Pilas Colonia Number 1

Las Pilas Colonia Number 2 Las Tiendas, Texas Los Altos Colonia Los Corralitos Colonia Los Huisaches Colonia Los Huisaches Number 2 Colonia Los Minerales Colonia Los Ojuelos, Texas Los Veteranos 59 Colonia Los Veteranos 83 Colonia Minera, Texas Mirando City Addition Colonia Nye, Texas Old Milwaukee East Colonia Old Milwaukee West Colonia One River Place Colonia Orvil, Texas Palafox, Texas Pescadito, Texas Pueblo East Colonia Pueblo Nuevo, Texas Pueblo Nuevo Colonia Ranchitos 359 East Colonia

Ranchitos Las Lomas Colonia Ranchitos Las Lomas Number 2 Colonia Ranchitos los Arcos Colonia Ranchitos los Centenarios Colonia Ranchitos los Fresnos Colonia Ranchitos los Mesquites Colonia Ranchitos los Nopalitos Colonia Ranchitos los Veteranos Colonia Ranchos Penitas West Colonia Regency Village Colonia Rio Bravo Annex Colonia Rio Bravo Colonia Rodriguez Addition Colonia San Carlos Number 1 Colonia San Carlos Number 2 Colonia San Pablo, Texas San Ramon, Texas Santo Tomas, Texas Sunset Acres Colonia Tanquecitos South Acres Colonia Valle Verde Colonia Village East Colonia Webb, Texas

Education

Three school districts serve Webb County:

• Laredo Independent School District
• United Independent School District
• Webb Consolidated Independent School District

Prior to 1994 Webb CISD served only Bruni and Oilton. Mirando City Independent School District served the community of Mirando City from 1923 to 2005. Prior to 1994 all Mirando City children attended Mirando City ISD schools. After spring 1994, Mirando High School closed. Therefore, from Fall 1994 to July 1, 2005, WCISD served high schoolers from Mirando City while Mirando Elementary School in the Mirando City ISD served students from kindergarten through 8th grade. On May 9, 2005 the Texas Education Agency ordered the closure of Mirando City ISD. The district closed on July 1, 2005, and all students were rezoned to Webb CISD schools.

The private Holding Institute is a former United Methodist boarding school now operating as a downtown Laredo community center.

References

1. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/48479.html quickfacts.census.gov
2. Bogan, Jesse. " A school district counts its final days." San Antonio Express-News. May 9, 2005. 01A. Retrieved on April 11, 2009.

Further reading

• Lambert, R.B. (2004). Hydrogeology of Webb County, Texas [Scientific Investigations Report 2004-5022]. Reston, VA: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey.

External links

• Webb County government's website
• Webb County in Handbook of Texas Online at the University of Texas
• Webb County Heritage Foundation