kids encyclopedia robot

Webb County, Texas facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Webb County
County
County of Webb
Webb County Courthouse in Laredo
Official seal of Webb County
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Country  United States
State  Texas
Established January 28, 1848
Organized March 16, 1848
Named for James Webb
County seat Laredo
Largest city Laredo
Area
 • Total 3,375 sq mi (8,740 km2)
 • Land 3,361 sq mi (8,700 km2)
 • Water 14 sq mi (40 km2)  0.4%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 267,114
 • Density 79.145/sq mi (30.558/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Area code 956
FIPS code 48479
GNIS feature ID 1384025
Website webbcounty.com
Texas Travel Bureau in Webb County, TX IMG 3176
The Texas tourism travel station is located at the intersection of Interstate 35 and U.S. Route 83 north of Laredo.
Ranch road, Webb County, TX IMG 6080
Typical Webb County ranch road north of Texas State Highway 359 (2012)

Webb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 267,114. Its county seat is Laredo. The county was named after James Webb (1792–1856), who served as secretary of the treasury, secretary of state, and attorney general of the Republic of Texas, and later judge of the United States District Court following the admission of Texas to statehood. By area, Webb County is the largest county in South Texas and the sixth-largest in the state. Webb County includes the Laredo metropolitan area. Webb County is the only county in the United States to border three foreign states or provinces, sharing borders with Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas.

Webb County is also nearly unanimously Hispanic, with 95.2% of the population of the county identifying as such. This makes Webb the county with the second-highest proportion of Hispanic people in the continental United States, and it has the highest proportion of Hispanic people among counties with a population over 100,000.

History

See also: Timeline of Laredo, Texas

Webb County was split in 1856. Encinal County was established on February 1, 1856, and was to have consisted of the eastern portion of Webb County. However, Encinal County was never organized and was finally dissolved on March 12, 1899, with its territory returned as part of Webb County.

Much of Webb County history is based on the prevalence of ranching in the 19th century and continuing thereafter. The Webb County Heritage Foundation is a nonprofit organization that seeks to preserve documents and artifacts of the past to guarantee that the regional history is not lost to upcoming generations. In 2015, the foundation, headed by President James E. Moore, presented Heritage Awards to such local notables as the artist Janet Krueger, the journalist Maria Eugenia Guerra, and the Laredo Community College art instructor Martha F. Fenstermaker (1943-2014).

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,376 square miles (8,740 km2), of which 3,361 square miles (8,700 km2) is land and 14 square miles (36 km2) (0.4%) is covered by water.

Major highways

Main page: List of highways in Webb County, Texas
  • I-35
  • BS I-35
  • I-69W
  • US 59
  • US 83
  • SH 12
  • SH 20
  • SH 44
  • SH 255 Toll
  • SH 359

Adjacent counties and municipalities

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1860 1,397 —
1870 2,615 87.2%
1880 5,273 101.6%
1890 14,842 181.5%
1900 21,851 47.2%
1910 22,503 3.0%
1920 29,152 29.5%
1930 42,128 44.5%
1940 45,916 9.0%
1950 56,141 22.3%
1960 64,791 15.4%
1970 72,859 12.5%
1980 99,258 36.2%
1990 133,239 34.2%
2000 193,117 44.9%
2010 250,304 29.6%
2020 267,114 6.7%
U.S. Decennial Census
1850–2010 2010 2020

2020 census

Webb County, Texas - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 8,345 9,495 3.33% 3.55%
Black or African American alone (NH) 487 788 0.19% 0.30%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 95 135 0.04% 0.05%
Asian alone (NH) 1,320 1,300 0.53% 0.49%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 11 25 0.00% 0.01%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 130 458 0.05% 0.17%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 263 559 0.11% 0.21%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 239,653 254,354 95.74% 95.22%
Total 250,304 267,114 100.00% 100.00%

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 can be of any race.

2015 Texas Population Estimate Program

As of the 2015 Texas Population Estimate Program, the population of the county was 273,536. The racial makeup of the county was 99.8% White and 0.2% Black or African American. The ethnic makeup of the county was non-Hispanic whites 8,699 (3.2%), Black Americans 552 (0.2%), and other non-Hispanic 2,134 (0.8%). Hispanics and Latinos (of any race) 262,151 (95.8%).

Communities

Cities

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Ghost towns

Gallery

  • Webb-Encinal Counties 1895

    Map of Webb and Encinal Counties in 1895

  • Webb County Courthouse

    Webb County Courthouse in 1905

  • Webb County Courthouse 2007

    Webb County Courthouse today

  • Webb County, TX courthouse annex IMG 1780

    Entrance to the William N. "Billy" Hall Administrative Building annex of the Webb County Courthouse in Laredo

  • Webb County, TX, Appraisal District Office IMG 2011

    The Webb County Appraisal District Office in Laredo appraises taxable real property for municipal and county governments, Laredo Community College, and both public school districts.

  • J.O. Walker Ranch entrance, Webb County, TX IMG 6066

    Entrance to the J. O. Walker, Jr., Piedra Parada Ranch in eastern Webb County

  • South Texas cactus; Webb County IMG 6060

    Opuntia cacti abound throughout much of Webb County.

  • Cactus Jack Ranch in Webb County, TX IMG 1983

    The Cactus Jack Ranch in northwestern Webb County is named for U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's first vice president, John Nance Garner of Uvalde. Imported saguaro cacti are planted at the gate.

  • Entrance to La Esperanza Ranch, Webb County, TX IMG 1255

    Entrance gate to La Esperanza (Hope) Ranch in northwestern Webb County near the Dimmit County boundary

  • Abandoned building off U.S. Highway 83 in Webb County, TX IMG 1926

    This abandoned building along U.S. Route 83 in northwestern Webb County reflects the isolation of the South Texas ranch country.

Education

Three school districts serve Webb County:

  • Laredo Independent School District
  • United Independent School District
  • Webb Consolidated Independent School District

Prior to 1994, Webb CISD served only Bruni and Oilton. Mirando City Independent School District served the community of Mirando City from 1923 to 2005. Prior to 1994, all Mirando City children attended Mirando City ISD schools. After the spring of 1994, Mirando City High School closed. Therefore, from the fall of 1994 to July 1, 2005, WCISD served high schoolers from Mirando City, while Mirando Elementary School in the Mirando City ISD served pupils from kindergarten through eighth grade. On May 9, 2005, the Texas Education Agency ordered the closure of Mirando City ISD. The district closed on July 1, 2005, and all students were rezoned to Webb CISD schools.

The private Holding Institute is a former United Methodist boarding school operating as a downtown Laredo community center.

Images for kids

  • Webb-Encinal Counties 1895

    Map of Webb and Encinal Counties in 1895

  • Webb County Courthouse (1905)

    Webb County Courthouse in 1905

  • Webb County Courthouse 2007

    Webb County Courthouse today

  • Webb County, TX courthouse annex IMG 1780

    Entrance to the William N. "Billy" Hall Administrative Building annex of the Webb County Courthouse in Laredo

  • Webb County, TX, Appraisal District Office IMG 2011

    The Webb County Appraisal District Office in Laredo appraises taxable real property for municipal and county governments, Laredo Community College, and both public school districts.

  • J.O. Walker Ranch entrance, Webb County, TX IMG 6066

    Entrance to the J. O. Walker, Jr., Piedra Parada Ranch in eastern Webb County

  • South Texas cactus; Webb County IMG 6060

    Opuntia cacti abound throughout much of Webb County.

  • Cactus Jack Ranch in Webb County, TX IMG 1983

    The Cactus Jack Ranch in northwestern Webb County is named for U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's first vice president, John Nance Garner of Uvalde. Imported saguaro cacti are planted at the gate.

  • Entrance to La Esperanza Ranch, Webb County, TX IMG 1255

    Entrance gate to La Esperanza (Hope) Ranch in northwestern Webb County near the Dimmit County boundary

  • Abandoned building off U.S. Highway 83 in Webb County, TX IMG 1926

    This abandoned building along U.S. Route 83 in northwestern Webb County reflects the isolation of the South Texas ranch country.

  • Road through Tamaulipan thornscrub 2, Webb County, Texas, USA (10 June 2016)

    Road through Tamaulipan thornscrub, Webb County, Texas, USA (10 June 2016)

  • Road through Tamaulipan thornscrub 1, Webb County, Texas, USA (10 June 2016)

    Road through Tamaulipan thornscrub, Webb County, Texas, USA (10 June 2016)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Webb para niños

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Webb County, Texas Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.