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Peñitas, Texas facts for kids

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Peñitas, Texas
Hidalgo County Penitas.svg
Country  United States
State  Texas
County Hidalgo
Area
 • Total 9.41 sq mi (24.36 km2)
 • Land 9.37 sq mi (24.26 km2)
 • Water 0.04 sq mi (0.11 km2)
Elevation
145 ft (44 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 6,460
 • Density 686.5/sq mi (265.19/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
78576
Area code(s) 956
FIPS code 48-56696
GNIS feature ID 1388195

Peñitas is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, in the United States. It is a growing community. In 2020, about 6,460 people lived there. This was a big jump from 4,403 people in 2010. Peñitas is part of a larger area that includes the cities of McAllen, Edinburg, and Mission. It is also connected to the Reynosa–McAllen metropolitan area, which crosses the border into Mexico.

Geography of Peñitas

Peñitas is located in the southwestern part of Hidalgo County. You can find it at these coordinates: 26.231111 degrees North and 98.445000 degrees West. The city of La Joya is right next to Peñitas on its western side.

Roads and Travel

U.S. Route 83 is a main road that goes through Peñitas. If you travel east on this road, you will reach McAllen in about 14 miles. Going west for about 26 miles will take you to Rio Grande City.

Land and Water

The city of Peñitas covers a total area of about 10.3 square kilometers. Most of this area is land. Only a very small part, about 0.08%, is water.

Population and People

Peñitas has seen its population grow quite a bit over the years. Here is how the number of people living in Peñitas has changed:

Historical population
Census Pop.
1990 1,077
2000 1,167 8.4%
2010 4,403 277.3%
2020 6,460 46.7%
U.S. Decennial Census

Who Lives in Peñitas?

The 2020 United States census counted 6,460 people living in Peñitas. These people lived in 1,537 households, and 1,400 of these were families.

Here is a closer look at the different groups of people in Peñitas, based on the 2020 census:

Peñitas ethnic composition
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Ethnies Number Percentage
White (NH) 109 1.69%
Black or African American (NH) 6 0.09%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 2 0.03%
Asian (NH) 7 0.11%
Some Other ethnies (NH) 7 0.11%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) 6 0.09%
Hispanic or Latino 6,323 97.88%
Total 6,460

This table shows that most people in Peñitas are of Hispanic or Latino background. There are also smaller numbers of people from other ethnic groups.

Education in Peñitas

Students in Peñitas attend schools that are part of the La Joya Independent School District.

Local Schools

Some of the schools serving the community include:

  • JFK Elementary School
  • C. Chavez Middle School
  • La Joya High School

Magnet Schools

The South Texas Independent School District also runs special "magnet schools." These schools offer unique programs and are open to students from Peñitas as well.

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