Nuevo Laredo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nuevo Laredo
City
Monumento Fundadores (Founders' Monument)
Coat of arms
Nickname(s):  Capital Aduanera de Latino América (Customs Capital of Latin America) Puerta a México (Door to Mexico)
Motto(s):  Siempre con la Patria (Always with the Motherland)
Nuevo Laredo Location in Tamaulipas Show map of Tamaulipas Nuevo Laredo Location in Mexico Show map of Mexico Nuevo Laredo Location in North America Show map of North America
Country	Mexico
State	Tamaulipas
Municipality	Nuevo Laredo Municipality
Settled	1755
Established	1848
Founded by	Tomás Sánchez
Area
• City	1,334.02 km2 (515.07 sq mi)
Population  (2010 census)
• City	373,725
• Metro	636,516
	Metro area includes Laredo, Texas, Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Colombia, Nuevo León, & Villa Hidalgo, Coahuila.
Time zone	UTC−6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Codigo Postal	88000
Area code(s)	867
Federal Routes
Website	Official Site: https://nld.gob.mx/
Airport: Quetzalcoatl International Airport MMNL

Nuevo Laredo is a city in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. It sits right on the Rio Grande river, directly across from Laredo, Texas in the United States. In 2010, about 373,725 people lived in the city. When you include Laredo, Texas, the whole area has over 636,516 people.

Nuevo Laredo is super important for trade! It's known as the "customs capital of Latin America." This is because a huge amount of goods pass through here, making it a key spot for trade with the U.S. It's connected to Laredo, Texas, by three international bridges and a special bridge just for trains.

History of Nuevo Laredo

Nuevo Laredo was once part of a bigger settlement called Laredo, which was founded in 1755 by Don Tomás Sánchez from Spain. This original Laredo was located on the northern side of the Rio Grande.

However, after the Mexican–American War (1846-1848), the land was divided. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 split Laredo between the United States and Mexico. Many families in Laredo wanted to stay Mexican citizens. So, on May 15, 1848, seventeen families moved across the Rio Grande. They founded Nuevo Laredo on the Mexican side. They even brought the bones of their ancestors with them! This showed how much they wanted to keep their Mexican heritage.

Geography and Nature

Nuevo Laredo is located at the very top of Tamaulipas state. It's on the western edge of the Rio Grande Plains. The Rio Grande is the main source of water for everyone living in the city.

There's also a natural lake called El Laguito (which means "The Small Lake"). It gets its water from El Coyote Creek. The area around Nuevo Laredo has some small hills and flat lands. You'll find lots of grass, oak trees, and mesquite plants growing there.

Economy and Trade

The Monument to Mothers in front of the Best Western Plus Nuevo Laredo hotel

Nuevo Laredo is a major hub for international trade. It's considered the most important trade border crossing in Latin America. About 8,500 trucks cross the Mexico–United States border here every single day!

Because of its location, Nuevo Laredo has become a specialist in international trade. It has a very strong logistics and transportation industry. This means there are many companies that help move goods around. The city also has many hotels, restaurants, and a cultural center for events.

Nuevo Laredo is on a main trade route that connects Canada, the United States, and Mexico. It's a key entry point to Mexico's growing industries. The main highway and railroad from Central Mexico meet major U.S. rail lines and Interstate 35 here. This allows for quick access to important cities and seaports in Texas and beyond.

There are three main bridges in the Nuevo Laredo area that connect it to the U.S.:

• Gateway to the Americas International Bridge (the oldest one)
• Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge (also known as Juarez-Lincoln; no pedestrians allowed)
• World Trade International Bridge (for cargo trucks only)

There's also the Colombia-Solidarity International Bridge about 20 kilometers (12 miles) northwest of the city. Nuevo Laredo is a good place for businesses to invest. It has six industrial parks, which are areas set up for factories and businesses.

Education and Learning

Nuevo Laredo has many schools and universities. There are 288 school sites in total. This includes 71 kindergartens, 148 elementary schools, 34 junior high schools, and 14 high schools.

Higher Education Opportunities

The city has twelve universities where students can continue their studies after high school. Most undergraduate programs take at least three years to complete. Some universities also offer postgraduate studies, like a Master's degree.

Here are a few of the universities in Nuevo Laredo:

• Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas (UAT)
• Instituto Tecnologico de Nuevo Laredo (ITNL)
• Universidad Valle del Bravo-Valle de Mexico (UVB-UVM)
• Universidad Tecnologica de Nuevo Laredo (UT)
• Centro de Estudios Superiores Royal (CES-R, Royal University)
• Instituto de Ciencias y Estudios Superiores de Tamaulipas (ICEST)
• Universidad TecMilenio (UTM)
• Universidad Del Norte De Tamaulipas (UNT)
• Universidad Panamericana (UP)

The city also has three programs for training teachers:

• Normal Básica Cuauhtemoc
• Normal Superior De Tamaulipas
• Universidad Pedagógica Nacional (UPN)

Transportation Around the City

Air Travel

Nuevo Laredo has its own airport, the Quetzalcóatl International Airport. You can catch daily flights from here to Mexico City. The nearby Laredo International Airport in Texas also offers flights to other major U.S. cities like Houston and Dallas.

City Buses

Transporte Urbano de Nuevo Laredo (TUNL) is the city's bus system. It helps millions of passengers get around each year. The buses follow fixed routes, and the main bus hub is in downtown Nuevo Laredo. There are many different bus routes that serve various parts of the city.

Major Roads

Here are some of the main highways that connect Nuevo Laredo to other cities:

• Mexican Federal Highway 85: This road goes from Nuevo Laredo all the way to Mexico City.
• Mexican Federal Highway 2: This highway connects Matamoros, Nuevo Laredo, Colombia, and Ciudad Acuña.
• Tamaulipas State Highway 1: This road goes from Nuevo Laredo to Monterrey.
• Nuevo León State Highway Spur 1: This road connects Colombia to Anáhuac.

Nearby Cities

Nuevo Laredo is close to several other important cities:

Sports in Nuevo Laredo

Nuevo Laredo is a city that loves sports! You can find many different teams and places to play here.

Baseball Action

Ciudad Deportiva Baseball Park

The Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos (Owls of the Two Laredos) are a famous baseball team. They play in the Mexican Baseball League. What's cool is that they split their games between Nuevo Laredo and Laredo, Texas! The Tecolotes have won the Mexican League Championship several times, including in 1953, 1954, 1958, 1977, and 1989.

Their home games in Nuevo Laredo are played at Parque la Junta. This park opened way back in 1947 and can hold 6,000 fans.

There's also the Liga Oriente, a local baseball team for kids. They've even represented Mexico in the Little League World Series! Liga Oriente won the Mexican Nationals championship in 2010 and 2021.

Football Fun

The Bravos de Nuevo Laredo is a football (soccer) club. They play in the Tercera División de México, which is a professional league. Their home stadium is the Unidad Deportiva Benito Juárez. The Bravos team was started in 2004 by local business people. They hoped to build a strong professional football club in the city.

The Ciudad Deportiva (Sports City) is a big sports complex built in 2007. It has a baseball park that can seat up to 12,000 fans. There are plans to add a new soccer stadium and a gym for basketball, volleyball, and gymnastics.

Basketball Teams

The Toros de Nuevo Laredo is a professional basketball team. They play in the Mexican professional league called Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP). The Toros play their games at the Ciudad Deportiva Indoor Stadium. They joined the league in 2009.

Volleyball Excitement

The COBAT high school women's team, led by their coach Erika Edith Garza Dominguez and their captain Erika Castro, 2018 champions of the Nuevo Laredo Sport Week

Nuevo Laredo has many local volleyball leagues. Some players and coaches from these leagues have even become famous nationally. The city is also home to professional volleyball teams in the Mexican National League. These include the Jaguars of Nuevo Laredo (men's team) and the Venadas of Nuevo Laredo (women's team).

Charreria (Mexican Rodeo)

Charrería is a traditional Mexican sport, similar to a rodeo. It's very popular in Nuevo Laredo. There are several teams, like Asociación de Charros Rancho Media Luna and Santa María 05. The Santa María 05 team has won many competitions, including the Tamaulipas state championship in 2010. The city has special arenas for charrería called lienzo charros.

Fun Things to Do

Nuevo Laredo has many cool places to visit and things to do!

• Cultural Center: Opened in 2004, this center has a main theater, a natural history museum, and the Reyes Meza museum. It also has a library, a book shop, and a gourmet restaurant.
• Natural History Museum: This museum opened in 2007. It shows human skeletons, dinosaur bones, and fossils. You can learn about the history of the region, its animals, plants, and geography.
• Jose Reyes Meza Museum: Named after a famous painter from Tamaulipas, this museum shows many different art pieces. It opened in 2008.
• Regional Zoo: Located next to the Ecological Park "Viveros," the zoo has many different animal species. It's a popular spot for visitors every day.
• Word Station Gabriel García Márquez: This cultural space is dedicated to the famous writer Gabriel García Márquez. It has an auditorium, an art gallery, reading rooms, and a children's room.
• The House of Culture: This place hosts cultural events and offers classes in music, painting, dance, and literature.
• Old Customs Building: This historic building was restored and now serves as a cultural space. It has a concert hall and an exhibition gallery.
• Longoria Bank Museum: Built in 1929, its lobby is now used to display art and photography.
• Historical Archive: This place keeps the city's history in documents and photos. It also has a museum section with old railroad items.
• Parque Viveros (Viveros Park): This is a large forest park (about 124 acres) that looks over the Rio Grande. It has a zoo, two big swimming pools, walking trails, and picnic areas.
• IMSS Theater: Here you can watch plays, musicals, and movies.
• Sports City (Ciudad Deportiva): This complex has a baseball stadium, a basketball gym, tennis courts, and soccer fields.
• Market Maclovio Herrera: Located in the historic city center, this market is a great place to find all kinds of Mexican crafts. You can buy costumes, jewelry, traditional candies, and piñatas.
• Narciso Mendoza Park: This park has a library, a walking trail, a FutRap court, and a playground.
• Polyforum Dr. Rodolfo Torre Cantu: This is a large venue for events and entertainment. It opened in 2013 and can hold over 5,000 people.

Nuevo Laredo also has many places for night-time fun, like clubs, bars, and restaurants. Most of these are in the historic district. You can also find shopping malls like Paseo Reforma, Plaza Real, and Plaza 2 Laredos.

Theaters for Shows

Nuevo Laredo has three main theaters: the "Centro Cultural," "Teatro de la Ciudad," and "Casa de Cultura."

• The Centro Cultural is the biggest theater. It can seat 1,200 people and hosts many high-quality shows, plays, and concerts. It also has a museum and a library.
• The Teatro de la Ciudad (City Theater) also presents plays, dance shows, and concerts.
• The Casa de Cultura (House of Culture) offers workshops in music, painting, dance, and literature. It also hosts art exhibitions and other cultural events.

Media and News

Nuevo Laredo has various ways for people to get news and entertainment.

Newspapers

You can find several newspapers in Nuevo Laredo, both in Spanish and English.

Radio Stations

The city has many AM and FM radio stations. They offer different types of music, news, and talk shows. Some stations are in Spanish, and some are in English.

Television Channels

Nuevo Laredo also has several television channels, offering a variety of programs.

Notable People from Nuevo Laredo

Here are some well-known individuals who are from Nuevo Laredo:

• Norma Elia Cantú - a writer and English professor.
• Brenda Cardenas Thomae - a Congresswoman for Nuevo Laredo in the Congress of Tamaulipas.
• Mauricio González de la Garza - a journalist, writer, and music composer.
• Melissa Lopez Zendejas - a singer (from the pop group Jeans) and TV presenter.
• Laredo Kid - a masked professional wrestler.
• Rolando Quintanilla - a racing driver.
• Juan E. Richer - a historian who wrote about the city.
• Arturo Santos Reyes - a boxer.

Images for kids

• 

  The Monument to Mothers in front of the Best Western Plus Nuevo Laredo hotel

• 

  Ciudad Deportiva Baseball Park

• 

  The COBAT high school women's team, led by their coach Erika Edith Garza Dominguez and their captain Erika Castro, 2018 champions of the Nuevo Laredo Sport Week

See also

In Spanish: Nuevo Laredo para niños