Alton, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alton, Texas
City
Country	United States of America
State	Texas
County	Hidalgo
Incorporated	1978
Area
• Total	7.31 sq mi (18.94 km2)
• Land	7.31 sq mi (18.93 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation	161 ft (49 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	18,198
• Density	2,489.8/sq mi (961.3/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	78573
Area code(s)	956
FIPS code	48-02212
GNIS feature ID	1329468

Alton is a city located in Hidalgo County, Texas, in the United States. In 2020, about 18,198 people lived there.

History of Alton

Alton was started around 1910 or 1911. It was founded by people and railroad workers from Alton, Illinois.

A very sad event happened in Alton on September 21, 1989. A truck hit a school bus, causing it to fall into a pit. This tragic accident led to the loss of 21 students' lives. This event is remembered in the community.

Alton's Location and Size

Alton is located in southern Texas. It is next to Palmhurst to the south. To the north and east, it borders McAllen. Downtown McAllen is about 10 miles (16 km) southeast. Alton is also about 70 miles (113 km) north of Brownsville.

The city covers a total area of about 7.31 square miles (18.94 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. Only a very small part, about 0.04%, is water.

Alton's Population Growth

Alton is part of two larger city areas. These are the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission area and the Reynosa–McAllen area.

In 2020, the city had 18,198 people living there. There were 4,566 households and 3,959 families. Most of the people in Alton are of Hispanic or Latino background.

Education in Alton

Most students in Alton attend schools in the Mission Consolidated Independent School District. Some smaller parts of Alton are served by the Sharyland Independent School District and La Joya Independent School District.

Before 1975, Alton had its own school district. It then joined the Mission CISD. In 2018, the city manager said that some families moved to Alton just for its good schools.

All of Hidalgo County is also served by South Texas College. This college offers higher education programs.

Local Schools in Alton

Mission CISD runs several elementary schools in Alton:

• Alton Elementary School
• Arturo Cantu Elementary School – named after a teacher who saved students.
• Raquel Cavazos Elementary School
• Waitz Elementary School
• Hurla M. Midkiff Elementary School – located in Palmhurst.
• Salinas Elementary School – now part of McAllen.

Mission CISD also has Alton Memorial Junior High School in Alton. This school is named to honor the students who passed away in the 1989 bus accident. Students from Cantu, Cavazos, and Waitz elementary schools go to Alton Memorial. Other students go to Rafael A. Cantu Junior High School in Palmhurst.

High school students in Alton attend Mission High School or Veterans Memorial High School in Mission. Mission CISD also has an alternative high school in Alton called Mission Collegiate High School.

Sharyland ISD operates Jesse Jensen Elementary School in Alton. Students from this area go to North Junior High School in McAllen. They then attend Sharyland Pioneer High School in an unincorporated part of Hidalgo County.

La Joya ISD has Domingo Treviño Middle School in Alton. Students in this district attend different elementary and middle schools. They then go to Juarez-Lincoln High School or Palmview High School.

Additionally, South Texas Independent School District has special magnet schools. These schools are open to students from the community.

Parks and Fun in Alton

Josefa Garcia Park is a public park in Alton. It used to be 5 acres (2 hectares) in size. In 2018, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department gave a grant to make the park much bigger. It is now 55 acres (22 hectares).

The park has a special memorial. It remembers the 1989 bus accident. There are 21 crosses, one for each student who died. There is also a statue of Jesus Christ.

See also

In Spanish: Alton (Texas) para niños