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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 located in Hidalgo County, in the state of Texas, United States. It's a busy place with a growing population. In 2020, about 85,778 people lived here, and by 2022, that number grew to an estimated 86,635. Mission is part of two larger city areas: the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission and the Reynosa–McAllen areas.

Where is Mission, Texas?

Mission is located in the southern part of Hidalgo County. It shares its borders with other cities. To the east, you'll find McAllen, which is the biggest city in the county. To the north is Palmhurst, and to the west is Palmview. The city's southern border is along the Rio Grande, which is also the Mexico–United States border.

How to Get Around Mission

A major highway, Interstate 2/U.S. Route 83, runs through Mission, just south of the city center. This highway makes it easy to travel. You can drive east about 5 miles (8 km) to reach downtown McAllen. If you go further, about 41 miles (66 km) east, you'll get to Harlingen. If you head west from Mission, Interstate 2 ends after about 7 miles (11 km). However, US 83 continues west for about 34 miles (55 km) to Rio Grande City.

Land and Water in Mission

Mission covers a total area of about 34.05 square miles (88.2 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. Only a small part, about 0.08 square miles (0.2 square kilometers), is covered by water. This means that only about 0.20% of Mission's total area is water.

Who Lives in Mission?

The number of people living in Mission has grown a lot over the years. Here's a quick look at how the population has changed:

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

Mission's Population in 2020

According to the 2020 census, there were 85,778 people living in Mission. These people lived in 25,172 households, and 20,139 of these were families.

What Does Mission Do? (Economy)

Mission's economy is growing, much like its neighbor McAllen. The Mission Economic Development Corporation works to help businesses and the city grow.

The Home of the Ruby Red Grapefruit

Since 1921, Mission has been known as the "Home of the Ruby Red Grapefruit". This is because many grapefruits are grown in the area. The city is also home to the Texas Citrus Exchange, which helps with the grapefruit business. Every year, Mission holds the Texas Citrus Fiesta Parade. This parade is a big event with floats decorated with fruit, bands, and local officials.

Other Important Places

Moore Air Force Base used to be located about 15 miles (24 km) north of Mission. It's no longer active. This base was also home to the First Lift Station of the Mission Canal Company. This company used to water 15,000 acres (61 square kilometers) of farmland in the Rio Grande Valley.

Learning in Mission (Education)

Most students in Mission attend schools that are part of the Mission Consolidated Independent School District. Some parts of the city are also served by the La Joya Independent School District and the Sharyland Independent School District.

High Schools in Mission

  • Mission CISD runs Mission High School and Veterans Memorial High School.
  • Students in the Sharyland ISD part of Mission go to either Sharyland High School or Sharyland Pioneer High School.
  • Students in the La Joya ISD part of Mission attend Palmview High School.
  • There are also special magnet schools run by the South Texas Independent School District that serve the community.
  • San Juan Diego Academy is a Catholic high school in Mission. It is managed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brownsville.

Mission's Public Library

The Speer Memorial Library serves the people of Mission. It's a large building with about 48,760 square feet (4,530 square meters) of space.

The library started in March 1914. A group called the Civic League of Mission wanted to create a park and a library. In 1929, the city of Mission made the library an official part of the city government. Over the years, the library moved to different locations, including the First National Bank and Mission City Hall. In 1976, a new, larger library building was built thanks to a donation from Juanita Speer Farley. This new building opened in 1977. It has been expanded several times since then to make more space for books and people.

Media and Radio in Mission

Mission has several radio stations that broadcast to the area:

  • 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

Famous People from Mission

Many notable individuals have connections to Mission:

  • Fortunato Benavides: A judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, born in Mission.
  • Lloyd Bentsen: A former U.S. senator and a candidate for Vice President, born in Mission in 1921.
  • William Jennings Bryan: A presidential candidate and former Secretary of State, lived in Mission for a time.
  • Jorge Cantu: An MLB player who played for several teams like the Tampa Bay Rays and Florida Marlins. He went to Sharyland High School.
  • Koy Detmer: A football player who led the Mission Eagles football team to the semi-finals. He is the brother of Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer.
  • Jaime Garcia: A professional MLB player who played for the St. Louis Cardinals, winning the World Series in 2011. He also attended Sharyland High School.
  • Kika de la Garza: A former state and U.S. representative, who chaired the Agriculture Committee.
  • Lena Guerrero: The first woman and first person of ethnic minority to serve on the Texas Railroad Commission.
  • Joe M. Kilgore: A former U.S. representative, who grew up partly in Mission.
  • Tom Landry: A Hall of Fame coach for the Dallas Cowboys, born and raised in Mission. He played for Mission High School.
  • Ana Liz Pulido: A James Beard Award winner for Best Chef: Texas in 2024.
  • Tito Santana (also known as Merced Solis): A former World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) star.
  • Trinidad Silva: An actor.
  • Jamaar Taylor: Attended Mission High School and played football. He was drafted by the New York Giants. After retiring, he coached at Mission Veterans Memorial High School for a short time.

Sister Cities

Mission has special connections with several cities in Mexico. These are called "sister cities":

Images for kids

  • Texas - Mission through Nixon - NARA - 68149606 (cropped)

    Mission in 1933

See also

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

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