Laredo–Nuevo Laredo

Laredo-Nuevo Laredo Metropolitan Area
Nickname(s): "Los Dos Laredos"[1]
Laredo Borderplex
Largest city	Laredo, Texas - Nuevo Laredo, TM
Other cities	Campanario Rio Bravo El Cenizo
Subdivisions	Texas   -Webb County Tamaulipas   -Municipality of Nuevo Laredo Nuevo León   -Municipality of Anahuac Coahuila   -Municipality of Hidalgo
Area
• Total	418.96 km2 (161.76 sq mi)
Population (2010 official US Census / INEGI Census)
• Total	636,516
• Estimate (2010 World Gazetteer est.)	775,481
• Rank	157th in the Americas (2008)
• Density	3,643/km2 (1,407/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-6

The Laredo–Nuevo Laredo Metropolitan Area (UN/LOCODE: USLRD & MXNLD) is one of six bi-national metropolitan areas along the United States-Mexican border. The city of Laredo is situated in the American state of Texas on the northern bank of the Rio Grande and Nuevo Laredo is located in the Mexican State of Tamaulipas in the southern bank of the river. This metropolitan area is also known as the Two Laredos or the Laredo Borderplex. The metropolitan area is made up of one county: Webb County in Texas and three municipalities: Municipality of Nuevo Laredo in Tamaulipas, Municipality of Hidalgo in Coahuila, Municipality of Anahuac in Nuevo León in Mexico. Two urban areas: the Laredo Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Zona Metropolitana Nuevo Laredo (Nuevo Laredo Metropolitan Zone) three cities and 12 towns make the Laredo–Nuevo Laredo Metropolitan area which has a total of 636,516 inhabitants according to the INEGI Census of 2010^[2] and the United States Census estimate of 2010.^[3] The Laredo–Nuevo Laredo is connected by four International Bridges and an International Railway Bridge. According to World Gazetteer this metropolitan area ranked 157th largest in North and South America in 2010 with an estimated population of 775,481. This area ranks 66th in the United States^[4] and 23rd in Mexico.^[5]

Populated Places

Laredo–Nuevo Laredo metropolitan area is formed by the following populated places:

Urban Areas

• Nuevo Laredo: 373,725
• Laredo: 236,091

Cities

Texas

• Río Bravo: 5,553
• El Cenizo: 3,545

Tamaulipas

• Campanario: 4,538

Towns

Texas

• Laredo Ranchettes: 1,845
• Larga Vista: 742
• Penitas West: 520
• La Presa: 508

Coahuila

• Hidalgo: 1,638^[6]

Tamaulipas

• Álvarez: 1,257
• Nuevo Progreso: 393
• América: 263
• América II: 253
• Los Artistas: 175
• Miguel Alemán: 165
• La Cruz: 100

Nuevo León

• Colombia: 541^[7]

History

Map of Laredo in 1892

Villa de San Agustin de Laredo was founded in 1755 by Don Tomas Sanchez while the area was part of a region called Nuevo Santander in the Spanish colony of New Spain. Villa de San Agustin de Laredo got its name from Laredo, Cantabria, Spain and in honor of Saint Augustine of Hippo. In 1840, Laredo was the capital of the independent Republic of the Rio Grande, set up in rebellion to the dictatorship of Antonio López de Santa Anna and brought back into Mexico by military force. In 1846, during the Mexican–American War the town was occupied by the Texas Rangers. After the war the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo ceded the land to the United States. A referendum was taken in the town, which voted overwhelmingly to petition the American military government in charge of the area to return the town to Mexico. However, this petition was rejected, and in response the bulk of the population moved over the river into Mexican territory to found the new town of Nuevo Laredo.

The origin of name of Laredo is unclear. Some scholars say the name might stem from Glaretum which means "sandy, rocky place" others state that Laredo stems from Euskaro and means "beautiful prairies".^[8][9] Laredo might also stem from Laridae which means gull or it might be made up of two Latin words lar which means home and edo which means birth.

Economy

The Laredo National Bank is one of the strongest banking institutions in Laredo, Texas

Map of the Laredo-Nuevo Laredo Metropolitan Area

Trade

More than 47% of United States international trade headed for Mexico and more than 36% of Mexican international trade crosses through the Laredo–Nuevo Laredo port of entries.^[10][11] This is the reason that the borderplex's economy rotates around commercial and industrial warehousing, import, and export. The Laredo International Airport serves the Laredo area which has one-way flights to Houston, Dallas, Orlando, and Las Vegas. The city of Nuevo Laredo has the Quetzalcóatl International Airport which has daily flights to Mexico City. These airports also handle merchandise to export to the neighboring country. The Laredo–Nuevo Laredo port of entry has five international bridges crossing the Rio Bravo in 2007.

International Bridges

• Gateway to the Americas International Bridge
• Juárez-Lincoln International Bridge
• World Trade International Bridge (commercial traffic only)
• Colombia-Solidarity International Bridge
• Texas-Mexican Railway International Bridge

Major highways

Major highways in Laredo and their starting and ending points:

• Interstate 35 Laredo-Duluth
• U.S. Highway 59 Laredo-Lancaster
• U.S. Highway 83 Brownsville-Laredo-Westhope
• State Highway 255 Laredo-Colombia
• State Highway 359 Laredo-Skidmore

• Complete List of Highways in Laredo, Texas

Major highways in Nuevo Laredo and their starting and ending points:

• Mexican Federal Highway 85 Nuevo Laredo-Mexico City
• Mexican Federal Highway 2 Matamoros-Nuevo Laredo-Colombia-Ciudad Acuña
• Tamaulipas State Highway 1 Nuevo Laredo-Monterrey
• Nuevo León State Highway Spur 1 Colombia-Anáhuac

Retail Sales

Foggy morning at Mall Del Norte

Retail sales also helps the Laredo–Nuevo Laredo economy, it attracts shoppers from Northern Mexico and South Texas.^[12] The major mall is Mall del Norte. The Streets of Laredo Urban Mall is an association created by businesses located in Iturbide Street in the San Agustin historical district to beautify and renovate the area.^[13]

Media

Newspapers

Television

According to Nielsen Media Research, the Laredo region (which includes Webb and Zapata counties) is ranked 185th market by population size in the United States.^[14] The first station to broadcast in Laredo was KGNS in 1956, followed by KVTV in 1973, then KJTB (now KLDO) in 1985.

Notably television networks missing from Laredo's airwaves are PBS and The CW. Laredo once had a full-power local affiliate, KGNS-DT2 until the affiliation switched to ABC. Prior to that KJTB channel 27, was affiliated to ABC from January 1985 to October 1988. KJTB was later bought by Entravision and affiliated the station to Telemundo and changed its callsign to KLDO. Today KLDO is affiliated to Univision. Before KJTB, KGNS, an NBC affiliate had a secondary affiliation to ABC from its founding in 1956 through KJTB's founding in 1985. On November 6, 2013, KGNS reached an agreement with the ABC Television Network to add the ABC affiliation. The launch for the ABC affiliate will be on February 2014 on KGNS's subchannel 8.2 and will carry ABC's entire schedule.^[15] It's unknown if Laredo CW 19 would move to either 8.3 or to just disaffiliate with the network entirely.

In December 2014, all Nuevo Laredo stations must discontinue analog television broadcasting and broadcast digitally only.^[16]

^CP: Construction Permit

Radio

According to Arbitron, the Laredo region (which includes Jim Hogg, Webb, and Zapata counties) is ranked 191st market by population size.^[17]

AM radio

Long range AM stations

The following Clear Channel AM stations can be heard in Laredo:

FM radio

^PR:Suspected pirate radio stations since they are not licensed with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States or COFETEL in Mexico.^[18][19] Some pirate stations are suspected, due to the fact that other licensed stations nearby share the same frequency, such as 106.5 Radio Voz and KMAE from nearby Bruni, Texas and 103.3 Radio 33 and XHAHU-FM from nearby Anáhuac, Nuevo León, each city less than 50 miles from Laredo.

Internet Radio

Sports

Laredo is home to four semiprofessional sports teams. The Laredo Bucks are a Central Hockey League hockey team in the Southern Conference's Southeast Division. The Bucks have been the League's Champion twice in 2003 and 2005. The Laredo Heat is a Premier Development League soccer team in the Southern Conference's Mid South Division. Laredo are the current USL Premier Development League champions, having defeated 2006 champions Michigan Bucks in a penalty shootout, following a 0-0 draw in the 2007 championship game. The Laredo Broncos are a baseball team in the United League. Nuevo Laredo is home to the Mexican Soccer League's Second Division Bravos de Nuevo Laredo. Both Laredo were home to the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos which were the only Mexican Baseball League team to play in both the United States and Mexico. The Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos were the Mexican Baseball League Champions in 1953, 1954, 1958, 1977, and 1989. In 2008 the Tecolotes came back to Nuevo Laredo and they are known as the Tecolotres de Nuevo Laredo.

Gallery

Pictures of Laredo, Texas

• 

  Laredo National Bank Headquarters

• 

  San Agustin Cathedral in Laredo

• 

  San Agustin Cathedral Tower

• 

  University of Texas Health Science Center Laredo Campus Clock Tower

• 

  San Agustin Cathedral rear

• 

  Republic of the Rio Grande Capitol Building Museum

• 

  Foggy morning at the Mall del Norte

• 

  Holiday Inn in Laredo

• 

  Pocket Communications Laredo Branch

• 

  University of Texas Health and Science Center Laredo Campus

• 

  Embassy Suites in Laredo

• 

  Laredo Medical Center

• 

  Webb County administration building

• 

  Laredo Community Health Center

• 

  Laredo Public Library

• 

  Mall del Norte Northwest wing

• 

  Laredo Police Department

• 

  Rio Grande Plaza Hotel

• 

  Laredo Duty-free Zone Building

• 

  Tex-Mex Railway International Bridge view from Laredo

• 

  El Portal Center Eastside

• 

  El Portal Center view from Nuevo Laredo

Pictures of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico

• 

  Vicente Guerrero Statue

• 

  H-E-B Plaza

• 

  Hilton Garden Inn

• 

  Camino Real Hotel

• 

  Founder's Monument

• 

  Mother's Monument Royal Crowne Plaza in the background

• 

  Technical Institute

• 

  Federal Palace

• 

  Municipal Palace Garden

• 

  Municipal Palace

• 

  Soriana Reforma Plaza

• 

  Tex-Mex Railway International Bridge view from Nuevo Laredo

• 

  Gateway to the Americas International Bridge Mexican side

See also

• San Diego–Tijuana
• El Paso-Juárez
• Reynosa–McAllen Metropolitan Area
• Matamoros–Brownsville Metropolitan Area
• List of Texas metropolitan areas
• United States metropolitan area
• List of United States metropolitan statistical areas by population
• Metropolitan areas of Mexico
• Transnational conurbations Mexico/USA

External links

• City of Laredo Official Website
• City of Nuevo Laredo Official Website (Spanish)
• City of El Cenizo Official Website
• Webb County Official Website

City of Laredo Attractions and Sports Republic of the Rio Grande Capitol Building Museum Washington's Birthday Celebration Uni-Trade Stadium Laredo Energy Arena Veterans Field Student Activity Complex Texas A&M International University Soccer Complex Laredo Heat Laredo Lemurs Business Falcon International Bank International Bank of Commerce Laredo National Bank Mall del Norte The Outlet Shoppes at Laredo Taco Palenque History Cathedral of San Agustin Don Tomás Sánchez Colonel Santos Benavides Battle of Laredo Fort McIntosh Laredo Air Force Base Republic of the Rio Grande San Agustin de Laredo Historic District Flag of the Republic of the Rio Grande River Drive Mall Geography Chacon Creek Lake Casa Blanca Rio Grande San Ildefonso Creek San Ygnacio Creek Santa Isabel Creek Sombrerillito Creek Zacate Creek Education Laredo Community College Laredo Community College South Campus Laredo Independent School District Texas A&M International University UT Health Science Center Laredo Campus United Independent School District Media Newspapers English Laredo Morning Times LareDOS Zapata Times Spanish El Diario de Nuevo Laredo El Mañana Primera Hora Última Hora Television XEFE Televisa local 2.1 KGNS NBC–HD 8.1 KGNS-DT2 ABC–HD 8.2 KGNS-DT3 Telemundo 8.3 XHBR Canal de las Estrellas–HD 11.1 KYLX CBS–HD 13.1 KYLX-LD2 CW 13.2 KLMV BVB 15.1 KLMV-LD2 Infomercials 15.2 KLMV-LD3 Vida Vision 15.3 XHLNA Azteca 13–HD 21.1 XHLNA-TDT2 Proyecto 40–HD 21.2 KLDO Univision–HD 27.1 KLDO-DT2 LATV 27.2 KETF UniMás 31.1 XHLAT Azteca 7–HD 33.1 KXOF-CD Fox–HD 39.1 KXOF-CD2 MundoMax 39.2 XHNAT Multimedios 45.1 XHNAT-TDT2 Milenio TV–HD 45.2 XHNAT-TDT3 TeleRitmo 45.3 XHLAR Televisa Nuevo Laredo–HD 57.1 Radio AM 790 XEFE 890 KVOZ 960 XEK 1000 XENLT 1090 XEWL 1300 KLAR 1340 XEBK 1370 XEGNK 1410 XEAS 1490 KLNT 1550 XENU FM 88.1 KHOY 88.9 XHLDO 89.9 KBNL 91.3 XHNOE 92.7 KJBZ 94.1 XHTLN 94.9 KQUR 95.7 XHBK 97.1 XHNLO 98.1 KRRG 99.3 XHNK 101.5 XHAS 102.3 XHMW 103.3 XHAHU 104.9 XHNLR 106.1 KNEX 106.5 La Tremenda 107.3 XHGTS Transportation International bridges Gateway to the Americas International Bridge Juárez–Lincoln International Bridge Texas Mexican Railway International Bridge World Trade International Bridge Colombia – Solidarity International Bridge Highways I-35 I-35 Bus. I-69W Proposed I-2 US 59 US 83 SH 255 SH 359 Loop 20 Spur 260 Spur 400 FM 1472 FM 3338 Transit El Metro Transit El Aguila Airport Laredo International Airport Neighborhoods Downtown Nye San Agustin de Laredo Historic District San Isidro Parkway

City of Nuevo Laredo Attractions and Sports Bravos de Nuevo Laredo Casa de Cultura Centro Cultural Ciudad Deportiva Estadio Nuevo Laredo Estudiantes Tecnológico de Nuevo Laredo Gimnasio Multidisciplinario Nuevo Laredo Parque la Junta Parque Viveros Paseo Reforma Teatro de la Ciudad Toros de Nuevo Laredo History Catedral del Espíritu Santo Tomás Sánchez San Agustin de Laredo Historic District Republic of the Rio Grande Flag of the Republic of the Rio Grande Media Newspapers El Diario de Nuevo Laredo El Mañana Primera Hora Última Hora Laredo Morning Times LareDOS Zapata Times Television XEFE Televisa Regional 2.1 KGNS NBC–HD 8.1 KGNS-DT2 ABC–HD 8.2 KGNS-DT3 Telemundo 8.3 XHBR Canal de las Estrellas–HD 11.1 KYLX CBS–HD 13.1 KYLX-LD2 CW 13.2 KLMV BVB 15.1 KLMV-LD2 Infomercials 15.2 KLMV-LD3 Vida Vision 15.3 KLMV-LD4 Televida Laredo 15.4 XHLNA Azteca 13–HD 21.1 XHLNA-TDT2 Proyecto 40–HD 21.2 KLDO Univision–HD 27.1 KLDO-DT2 LATV 27.2 KETF UniMás 31.1 XHLAT Azteca 7–HD 33.1 KXOF-CD Fox–HD 39.1 KXOF-CD2 MundoMax 39.2 XHNAT Multimedios Plus 45.1 XHNAT-TDT2 Milenio TV–HD 45.2 XHNAT-TDT3 TeleRitmo 45.3 XHLAR Televisa Regional 57.1 Radio AM 790 XEFE 890 KVOZ 960 XEK 1000 XENLT 1090 XEWL 1300 KLAR 1340 XEBK 1370 XEGNK 1410 XEAS 1490 KLNT 1550 XENU FM 88.1 KHOY 88.9 XHLDO 89.9 KBNL 91.3 XHNOE 92.7 KJBZ 94.1 XHTLN 94.9 KQUR 95.7 XHBK 97.1 XHNLO 98.1 KRRG 99.3 XHNK 101.5 XHAS 102.3 XHMW 103.3 XHAHU 104.9 XHNLR 106.1 KNEX 106.5 La Tremenda 107.3 XHGTS Transportation Gateway to the Americas International Bridge Juárez-Lincoln International Bridge Texas-Mexican Railway International Bridge World Trade International Bridge Colombia-Solidarity International Bridge Mexican Federal Highway 2 Mexican Federal Highway 85 Mexican Federal Highway 85D Tamaulipas State Highway 1

References

Coordinates: 27°30′01″N 99°30′10″W / 27.5002397°N 99.5027876°W / 27.5002397; -99.5027876