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Mission
City
Mission, Texas
Mission, Texas
Motto(s): 
Home Of The Grapefruit
Location of Mission, Texas
Location of Mission, Texas
Country United States
State Texas
County Hidalgo
Founded 1907
Incorporated 1910
Government
 • Type Council-manager
Area
 • City 36.39 sq mi (94.26 km2)
 • Land 36.34 sq mi (94.11 km2)
 • Water 0.07 sq mi (0.18 km2)
Elevation
141 ft (43 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • City 85,778
 • Estimate 
(2022)
 86,635
 • Rank US: 403rd
TX: 46th
 • Density 2,384/sq mi (920.6/km2)
 • Urban
779,553 (US: 56th)
 • Urban density 2,389.7/sq mi (922.7/km2)
 • Metro
888,367 (US: 65th)
Time zone UTC–6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC–5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
78503, 78572, 78573, 78174
Area code(s) 956
Sales tax 8.25%
GNIS feature ID 1341738

Mission is a city in Hidalgo County, in the US state of Texas, United States. The population was 85,778 at the 2020 census and an estimated 86,635 in 2022. Mission is part of the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission and Reynosa–McAllen metropolitan areas.

Geography

Texas - Mission through Nixon - NARA - 68149606 (cropped)
Mission in 1933

Mission is in southern Hidalgo County. It is bordered to the east by McAllen, the largest city in the county, to the north by Palmhurst, to the west by Palmview, and to the south by the Mexico–United States border along the Rio Grande.

The Interstate 2/U.S. Route 83 freeway passes through Mission, south of the center of town. The highway leads east 5 miles (8 km) to downtown McAllen and 41 miles (66 km) to Harlingen. Interstate 2 ends 7 miles (11 km) west of Mission; US 83 leads west 34 miles (55 km) to Rio Grande City.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Mission has a total area of 34.1 square miles (88.2 km2), of which 0.1 square miles (0.2 km2), or 0.20%, is covered by water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1920 3,847 —
1930 5,120 33.1%
1940 5,982 16.8%
1950 2,940 −50.9%
1960 14,081 378.9%
1970 13,043 −7.4%
1980 22,589 73.2%
1990 31,100 37.7%
2000 45,408 46.0%
2010 77,058 69.7%
2020 85,778 11.3%
2022 (est.) 86,635 12.4%
U.S. Decennial Census
2020 Census

2020 census

Mission city, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000 Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 8,033 9,465 7,625 17.69% 12.28% 8.89%
Black or African American alone (NH) 115 321 349 0.25% 0.42% 0.41%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 37 71 51 0.08% 0.09% 0.06%
Asian alone (NH) 266 1,135 1,232 0.59% 1.47% 1.44%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 2 11 15 0.00% 0.01% 0.02%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 13 57 190 0.03% 0.07% 0.22%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 148 186 360 0.33% 0.24% 0.42%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 36,794 65,812 75,956 81.03% 85.41% 88.55%
Total 45,408 77,058 85,778 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

As of the census of 2020, there were 85,778 people, 25,172 households, and 20,139 families were residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 77,058 people, _ households, and _ families resided in the city.

Economy

Mission shares the same economic growth that nearby McAllen is experiencing. The Mission Economic Development Corporation promotes development in the area.

The city has been advertised as the "Home of the Ruby Red Grapefruit" since 1921, due to the fruit being commonly grown in the area. The city is also home to the Texas Citrus Exchange. The city holds the annual Texas Citrus Fiesta Parade along Conway Avenue, which features fruit-decorated floats, bands, law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and many local and city government officials.

Moore Air Force Base (deactivated) is located 15 miles (24 km) north of the city. It is the location of the First Lift Station of the Mission Canal Company that once irrigated 15,000 acres (61 km2) of farmland in the Rio Grande Valley.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Most of Mission is a part of the Mission Consolidated Independent School District. Other portions extend into the La Joya Independent School District and the Sharyland Independent School District.

Mission CISD operates Mission High School and Veterans Memorial High School. Sharyland ISD Mission is divided between Sharyland High School and Sharyland Pioneer High School. LJISD Mission is zoned to Palmview High School.

In addition, South Texas Independent School District operates magnet schools that serve the community.

Mission is also the site of San Juan Diego Academy, a Catholic high school operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brownsville.

Public libraries

The Speer Memorial Library serves Mission. The facility has 48,760 square feet (4,530 m2) of space.

The library originated in March 1914, when the Civic League of Mission was formed to maintain a park and form a library. The first library board included officers from the civic league. In 1929, the city of Mission passed an ordinance making the library a part of the city government. In 1930, the library was in a room in the First National Bank. Later, it moved to the Mission City Hall. From the early 1930s until 1947, the city library shared facilities with the school library. By 1960, it outgrew the building it had occupied. In 1976, Juanita Speer Farley donated the deed to her property to the city. A new library, designed by Warren Suter, an architect from Mission, was constructed in 1976 and 1977. The official completion date of the 14,000 square feet (1,300 m2) library was June 1, 1977. An addition in 1988 increased the library's area to 18,660 square feet (1,734 m2). An additional expansion of 30,100 square feet (2,800 m2), designed by architect TAG International, LLP, and constructed by Velasco Construction, was scheduled to be completed in March 2005, and the renovation of the older portions of the library was scheduled to begin afterwards.

Media

Radio

  • KCAS 91.5 FM
  • KFRQ 94.5FM
  • KKPS 99.5FM
  • KNVO 101.1FM
  • KVLY 107.9FM
  • KVMV 96.9FM
  • KTEX 100.3FM
  • KFCC 97.9FM

Notable people

  • Fortunato Benavides, judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, born in Mission
  • Lloyd Bentsen, former U.S. senator and vice-presidential nominee, born in Mission in 1921
  • William Jennings Bryan, presidential candidate and former Secretary of State, lived for a time in Mission
  • Jorge Cantu, MLB player from Sharyland High School, who played for Tampa Bay Rays, Cincinnati Reds, Florida Marlins, Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, and now playing for Colorado Rockies
  • Koy Detmer, brother of Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer, played for and carried the Mission Eagles football team to the semi-finals in Texas 5A football under the leadership of his father, Sonny Detmer
  • Jaime Garcia, professional MLB player from Sharyland High School playing with 2011 World Series champions St. Louis Cardinals
  • Kika de la Garza, former state representative and former U.S. representative, chairman of the Agriculture Committee
  • Lena Guerrero, the first woman and first ethnic minority person to serve on the regulatory Texas Railroad Commission
  • Pierre Yves Kéralum (1817–1872), priest and architect
  • Joe M. Kilgore, former U.S. representative, reared partly in Mission
  • Tom Landry, Hall of Fame coach of the Dallas Cowboys, born and raised, played for Mission High School
  • Ana Liz Pulido, James Beard Award winner for Best Chef:Texas in 2024
  • Tito Santana (aka Merced Solis), former World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) star
  • Trinidad Silva, actor
  • Jamaar Taylor, attended Mission High School and played football, and later was drafted by the New York Giants. After his retirement, he helped coach at Mission Veterans Memorial High School for a brief period.

Sister cities

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Mission (Texas) para niños

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