Welcome to the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. The valley is a tropical border and costal region in deep South Texas. It is made up of four counties, three that border Mexico (110 miles) and two that coast (66 miles) the Gulf of Mexico. The most populous counties are Cameron and Hidalgo. Each county offers its uniqueness to residents and visitors. Brownsville, located in Cameron, is the largest city followed by McAllen, located in Hidalgo. South Padre Island, located in Cameron County, is a beach resort destination. The neighboring counties are: Brooks, Jim Hogg, Kenedy and Zapata. San Antonio, Texas is 230 miles to the north. Monterrey, Mexico is 150 to the west. The lowest part of the valley is an alluvial delta with old river channels known as "resacas" that serve as outlets for flood waters of the Rio Grande River.

Johann Wolfang von Goethe once wrote, "Know'st thou the land where the lemon-trees bloom, Where the gold orange glows in the deep thicket's gloom, Where a wind eversoft from the blue heaven blows, And the groves are of laurel and myrtle and rose?" Such a place is the Rio Grande Valley.

Rio Grande Valley

County Seat, Cities and Towns

Cameron County (Border and Coast)

Brownsville, Harlingen, Port Isabel, San Benito, South Padre Island
La Feria, Los Fresnos, Rio Hondo
Olmito, Rancho Viejo, Santa Rosa
Arroyo City, Bayview, Laguna Vista, San Pedro, La Paloma, Los Indios

Mexican Side: Matamoros

Hidalgo County (Border)

Edinburg, McAllen, Mission, Mercedes, Pharr, Weslaco
Hidalgo, Progreso
Alamo, Donna, Edcouch, Elsa, La Joya, San Juan, Sullivan City, Palm View, Peñitas

Mexican Side: Nuevo Progreso, Reynosa

Starr County (Border)

Rio Grande City, Roma

Mexican Side: Ciudad Camargo

Willacy County (Coast)

Raymondville, Lyford, Port Mansfield, Sebastian