 Laredo (pronounced /ləˈreɪdoʊ/ "luh-RAID-o" in English, [laˈɾeðo] in Spanish) is the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, located on the north bank of the Rio Grande (Río Bravo) in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. According to the 2006 census estimate, the city population was 217,559. Laredo is part of the Laredo-Nuevo Laredo Metropolitan Area with an estimate population of 737,396. Laredo's economy is primarily based on international trade with Mexico whereas it has the distinction of being the largest inland port in the United States. Most major transportation companies have a facility in Laredo. Laredo's location along the southern end of IH-35 and in proximity with maquiladoras (manufacturers) in North Mexico promotes its vital role in trade between the United States and Mexico.
Laredo has the distinction of having seven flags flown over the city. Having been founded in 1755, Laredo grew from a villa to the Capital of the brief Republic of the Rio Grande to the largest inland port on the United States-Mexican Border. Today, it has four international bridges and one railway bridge. Laredo's weather is semi-arid during the summer and mild during the winter. Laredo International Airport is within the Laredo city limits, while the Quetzalcoatl International Airport is nearby in Nuevo Laredo in Mexico. The city has three professional sports teams: the Bucks, Broncos, and Heat. Texas A&M International University and Laredo Community College call Laredo home. The biggest festival, Washington's Birthday Celebration is during February all month long, attracting hundreds of thousands of tourists. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 79.6 square miles (206.0 km²), of which, 78.5 square miles (203.2 km²) of it is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²) of it (1.37%) is water. Laredo is located on the west end of the Rio Grande Plains which is south of the Edwards Plateau, Coastal Plains to the east, and Mexican Mountains to the west. The area consists of a few hills and flat land covered mostly of brush: grass lands, drawf oak, and mesquite. It is a prime location for deer and javelina hunting for the annual Cola Blanca Contest that brings hunters from across the United States and Mexico. A notable geographic feature is Lake Casa Blanca in Lake Casa Blanca International State Park. The city's lake consists of 371 acres (1.5 km²) of land and 1,650 acres (7 km²) of lake.
Weather
Spring temperatures for the City of Laredo average at 89ºF maximum and 54ºF minimum; Summer temperatures average at 98ºF maximum and 73ºF minimum; Fall temperatures average at 95ºF maximum and 70ºF minimum; Winter temperatures average 71ºF maximum and 46ºF minimum. On average, there are 179 days out of the year that exceed 90ºF weather and 14 days that fall below 32ºF. The average annual precipitation is 19 inches, and the annual average humidity is 62%.
Industry and Commerce
Laredo is located in the primary trade route connecting Canada, the United States and Mexico, and the gateway to Mexico''s industrial corridor, Laredo offer an growing market and business opportunities and profit potential for investors.
Locally known as Los Laredos, Laredo and Nuevo Laredo are actually one city divided only by the Rio Grande. Originally settled by the Spaniards in 1755, Laredo-Nuevo Laredo became the first "official" Port of Entry on the US-Mexico border in 1851. Now, the Laredo Customs District handles more trade than the ones in Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico and West Texas combined.
Laredo is the only U.S./Mexico border city strategically positioned at the convergence of all land transportation systems. Mexicos principal highway and railroad leading from Central America through Mexico City, Queretaro, San Luis Potosí, Saltillo and Monterrey, the industrial corridor of Mexico, converge at Laredo to meet two major U.S. rail-lines, Inter-state 35 and other roads which fan outwards to the urban centers and seaports of Texas and beyond to Northern States and Canadian Provinces including Illinois, Michigan, New York and Ontario.
Education Laredo is served by two school districts: the Laredo Independent School District and the United Independent School District and 8 private schools. The Laredo Independent School District(LISD) serves the areas in central Laredo. The LISD high schools are Cigarroa High School, Martin High School, J. W. Nixon High School and the Laredo Early College High School. LISD also contains three school|magnet schools: Dr. Dennis D. Cantu Health Science Magnet School, LISD Magnet for Engineering and Technology Education, and Vidal M. Trevino School of Communications and Fine Arts. The United Independent School District serves the areas in other parts of Laredo and northern Webb County. The name "United" derived from several school districts coming together and forming one district. The UISD high schools are John B. Alexander High School, Lyndon B. Johnson High School, United High School, United South High School. UISD also has three magnet schools: John B. Alexander Health Science Magnet, United Engineering Magnet, and the United South Business Magnet. Currently, there are 39 schools within UISD and more are under construction and/or in the development stage. United ISD is one of the fastest growing districts in the state, serving almost 40,000 students and covering an area near the size of Rhode Island. The city is also served by eight private schools: Saint Augustine High School Catholic School, 8th-12th Laredo Christian Academy, Assemblies of God, Grades PK-12th United Day School, Nonpartisan, PK-8th Mary Help of Christians School, Catholic School, PK3-8th Blessed Sacrament School, Catholic School, PK-5th Our Lady of Guadalupe School, Catholic School, PK-5th St. Peter Memorial School, Catholic School, PK-5th Saint Augustine Elementary School, Catholic School, PK-6th
Laredo is home to the Laredo Community College (LCC) and Texas A&M International University (TAMIU). The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio has a campus in Laredo. The Laredo Community College is a two-campus institution which offers two-year Associates Degrees. The main campus is located in west Laredo near the Rio Grande. The smaller but newer second campus is located in deep south Laredo along United States Highway 83. The main campus is located at the western end of downtown Laredo on the land formerly known as Fort McIntosh. This fort played a major role in the development of Laredo as it served to protect Laredo's border from Indian raids in its early history. Several of the fort's old buildings were converted into classrooms. The Texas A&M International University is a 4/6 year university that offers Bachelors and Master's Degrees. On April 22 2004, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in Austin provided its approval for Texas A&M International University to grant its first Ph.D. in International Business Administration. On May 12 2007, Christine Bernadas made history as the university's first Ph.D. graduate in International Business. TAMIU's College of Business Administration has been named an outstanding business school in "The Princeton Review's" "Best 282 Business Schools," 2007 Edition, and ranked third in the nation for the category: "Greatest Opportunity for Minority Students." The university's campus is located in Northeast Laredo along Loop 20. The university was once an extension of Texas A&I-Kingsville and later changed to Laredo State University. Prior to its current location along Loop 20, the university was housed on Laredo Community College's downtown campus grounds. The University of Texas Health Science Center campus is located in East Laredo near U.S. Highway 59 and the Laredo Medical Center. The campus is an extension university from UTHSC in San Antonio, Texas. The university offers Doctoral Degrees in the medical and dental fields.  Important Links:
 City of Laredo
Webb County Webb County Heritage Foundation Nuevo Laredo, Tamps., Mexico Laredo Development Foundation Laredo Chamber of Commerce Texas A&M International University Laredo Community College Laredo Independent School District United Independent School District United Day School Laredo Entertainment Center Imaginarium of South Texas
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