Alamo, Texas

Alamo (/ˈæləmoʊ/ AL-ə-moh), located in the Rio Grande Valley in what is nicknamed the "Land of Two Summers", is a city in the irrigated area of southern Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. Known as the "Refuge to the Valley", it is located in an area of abundant vegetable farming and citrus groves, and is a noted winter resort/retirement town near the Mexico–U.S. border. Alamo is one of the Rio Grande Valley's gateways to Mexico, via U.S. Route 281 and Nuevo Progreso, Tamaulipas, as well as a gateway to the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge. Alamo's population was 18,353 at the 2010 census[5] and an estimated 19,910 in 2019.[7]

This article is about the town located in the Rio Grande Valley and having no affiliation with the Alamo Mission in what is now downtown San Antonio, Texas, nor the San Antonio suburb of Alamo Heights, Texas. For other uses, see Alamo, Texas (disambiguation).
Alamo, Texas
City
Nickname(s): 
The Refuge to the Valley
Location of Alamo, Texas
Alamo, Texas
Location of Alamo, Texas
Alamo, Texas
Alamo, Texas (the United States)
Alamo, Texas
Alamo, Texas (North America)
Coordinates: 26°11′6″N 98°7′4″W
Country United States of America
State Texas
County Hidalgo
IncorporatedMay 12, 1924[1]
Area
 • Total7.51 sq mi (19.45 km2)
 • Land7.51 sq mi (19.45 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
98 ft (30 m)
Population
 • Total18,353
 • Estimate 
(2019)[4]
19,910
 • Density2,650.78/sq mi (1,023.42/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
78516
Area code(s)956
FIPS code48-01576[5]
GNIS feature ID1329296[6]
Websitewww.alamotexas.org

History

Alamo was laid out in 1909, and named after the Alamo Mission in San Antonio.[8]Alamo is the Spanish/Mexican word for Cottonwood tree.

Geography

Alamo is located in southern Hidalgo County at 26°11′6″N 98°7′4″W (26.185113, -98.117892).[9] It is bordered to the west by the city of San Juan and to the east by the city of Donna.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Alamo has a total area of 7.1 square miles (18.4 km2), all land.[5]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
19301,018—
19401,94491.0%
19503,01755.2%
19604,12136.6%
19704,2914.1%
19805,83135.9%
19908,21040.8%
200014,76079.8%
201018,35324.3%
2019 (est.)19,910[4]8.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]

Alamo is part of the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission and Reynosa–McAllen metropolitan areas.

As of the census[11] of 2000, 14,760 people, 4,621 households, and 3,826 families resided in the city. The population density was 2,580.8 people per square mile (996.3/km2). The 6,208 housing units averaged 1,085.5 per square mile (419.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 83.61% White (including Hispanics or Latinos), 0.21% African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 13.73% from other races, and 1.94% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos people of any race were 78.10% of the population.

Of the 4,621 households, 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.2% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.2% were not families. About 15.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.19 and the average family size was 3.57.

In the city, the population was distributed as 30.0% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 19.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $23,928, and for a family was $24,827. Males had a median income of $17,476 versus $14,683 for females. The per capita income for the city was $10,564. About 24.9% of families and 32.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 48.0% of those under age 18 and 12.9% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

The current City Officials are Mayor Diana Martinez, Mayor Pro-Tem Robert De La Garza, Commissioner Oscar Salinas (Place 1), Commissioner Pete Morales (Place 2) and Commissioner Maria Del Pilar Garza (Place 4).[12] The current Chief of Police is Richard Ozuna, a former Captain at the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office.[13]

The United States Postal Service operates the Alamo Post Office.[14]

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Most of Alamo's population resides within the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (PSJAISD), although a portion does reside in the Donna Independent School District boundaries.[15]

Elementary schools in the PSJAISD located in Alamo include Zeferino Farias Elementary, Agusto Guerra Elementary, Santos Livas (previously North Alamo) Elementary, Marcia R. Garza Elementary, and John McKeever Elementary.[16] Middle schools: Alamo Middle School and Audie Murphy Middle all serve Alamo.[17] Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Memorial High School is the zoned high school of PSJAISD Alamo.[18]

Captain D. Salinas II Elementary, Sauceda Middle School, and Donna High School serve the Donna ISD portion.[19]

In addition, all Alamo residents are allowed to apply to magnet schools operated by the South Texas Independent School District.

Valley Christian Heritage School is in Alamo.

Idea Public School District enrolls local students in any of a variety of area campuses in located in Alamo, San Juan, Pharr, Donna, and Edinburg.

Public libraries

Sergeant Fernando de la Rosa Memorial Library is located in Alamo.[20] The library is named after United States Army Sergeant Fernando "Nando" De La Rosa, who died during a roadside bomb explosion on October 27, 2009, in the Arghandab River Valley in Afghanistan.[21]

Radio stations
  • KFRQ (94.5 FM)
  • KJAV (104.9 FM)
  • KVLY (107.9 FM)
  • KKPS (99.5 FM)

References
  1. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-07-12. Retrieved 2018-07-12.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  3. "State and County Quick Facts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 6, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  4. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  5. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Alamo city, Texas". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  6. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  7. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  8. Tarpley, Fred (5 July 2010). 1001 Texas Place Names. University of Texas Press. p. 5. ISBN 978-0-292-78693-6.
  9. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  10. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  11. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  12. "City of Alamo Officials." City of Alamo, Texas. Retrieved on January 2, 2020.
  13. "Sullivan City police chief to take on top cop position in Alamo." KRGV. Retrieved on March 2, 2020.
  14. "Post Office Location - ALAMO Archived 2010-05-04 at the Wayback Machine." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on May 9, 2010.
  15. "SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP (2010 CENSUS): Hidalgo County, TX." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on January 2, 2017.
  16. "PSJA Elementary School Zones." Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District. 2015. Retrieved on January 3, 2017.
  17. "PSJA Middle School Zones." Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District. 2015. Retrieved on January 3, 2017.
  18. "PSJA High School Zones." Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District. 2015. Retrieved on January 3, 2017.
  19. "2013-2014 District and Campus Boundaries." Donna Independent School District. Retrieved on July 9, 2017. Pages: 3 (high school), 4 (middle school), and 5 (elementary school)
  20. "Home Archived 2009-06-12 at the Wayback Machine." Sergeant Fernando de la Rosa Memorial Library. Retrieved on May 9, 2010.
  21. "Sergeant Fernando de la Rosa Archived 2011-09-03 at the Wayback Machine." Sergeant Fernando de la Rosa Memorial Library. Retrieved on May 9, 2010.
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