Harlingen, TX

Harlingen, Texas

Introduction to Harlingen, Texas

Harlingen is located in the Rio Grande Valley of the southern portion of Texas in Cameron County. It's close to the popular South Padre Island Beach as well as world class bird watching locations. Crossing over the border to nearby Mexico provides a variety of shopping opportunities.

History

In 1904 Lon C. Hill purchased a large acreage of fertile delta land and established irrigation canals in order to attract farmers form the Midwest. He named the town in tribute to Harlingen of the Netherlands which had a similar canal system. In the beginning, agriculture including vegetables and cotton were the primary factors for the economy.

The town became a prominent commerce and transportation center. During World War II, military facilities were established which produced a significant increase in the population. During the late 1980's citrus fruit, tourism, grain and cotton production were important parts of the economy.

Attractions

• Valley Race Park offers greyhound dog racing.
• South Padre Island Beaches.
• National Shrine of Our Lady of San Juan del Valley.
• Jackson Street Historic District provides unique shops, outdoor movie nights and a variety of community events.
• La Placita Diaz/Guiterrez Park includes plazas from the Hispanic custom.
• Harlingen Municipal Auditorium provides concerts and theatrical performances.

Museums and Structures

• Rio Grande Valley Museum.
• Port Isable Historical Museum.
• The Joyner Home is an attractive Italian-style villa.
• The Pink House is a southern Colonial style home.
• Tichenor Home has Georgian-style architecture.
• The Berly Home is an attractive three story home made from bricks.
• South Ward/Bowie Elementary School features an attractive facade featuring artwork resembling Toltec feather headdresses, Aztec heads and a fabled Mexican serpent.
• The Harlingen High School/Vernon Middle School was constructed in a Spanish revival style.

Activities

The city is well known for tropical bird watching due to being situated at the convergence of two primary flyways. Several of the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail locations are in Harlingen including the Harlingen Thicket Bird Sanctuary. The Laguna Atascosa NWR is located next to the beautiful Laguna Madre and the Santa Ana NWR is a notable location which provides tram tours during the winter.

The nearby Los Ebanos Preserve includes nature trails, gardens, a variety of birds and a vast amount of butterflies. World Birding Center offers a large trail area. The Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival is the largest nature festival in the region. The Arroyo Queen is a notable tour. The noteworthy Extravaganza Folklorica included ethnic costumes, music and dancing.

Transportation

The city is served by the Valley International Airport. The busy Free Trade Bridge is located near Harlingen and includes a prominent U.S. Customs inspection center.

Higher Education

A campus of the Texas State Technical College is situated in Harlingen. South Texas College, University of Texas Pan American and University of Texas at Brownsville are nearby.

High Points

Harlingen strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in Texas):

Category	Trophy
Affordability of Rents (vs. Peers)	Top 11%
Affordability of Property Taxes (vs. Peers)	Top 18%
Short Commute Times (vs. Peers)	Top 19%

Comparative Profile of Harlingen, TX

Comparing Harlingen to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in Texas (State):

Ratings range from (lowest) to (highest).

The People

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Children Under 5 Years Old
Female Share of the Population
Senior Citizens
Racial Diversity
Male Share of the Population
Age of the Population
Well-Paid Single Men

Families

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Average Household Size
Portion of People Married

Wealth

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
College Educated Adults
Median Family Income
People Above Poverty
People in Middle Class or Better

Commute & Sprawl

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Short Commute Times
Working at Home
Walking and Biking to Work
Public Transportation Use

Housing

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Seasonal and Vacation Housing
Affordability of Rents
Affordability of Property Taxes
Housing Recently Built
Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals
People Living Alone

Crime

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Low Violent Crime
Low Property Crime

Harlingen Almanac

Harlingen Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

• Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
• Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

Harlingen Population (2000)

(From 2000 Census, as reported by individuals)

Neighborhood and Nearby Area Names

According to the US Postal Service, Harlingen, its neighborhoods, and/or surrounding areas are also referred to as:

Note that not all alternate names are acceptable for use in US Post Office addresses.

Nearby Cities and Towns

Harlingen Public Libraries

More Information for Librarians

Harlingen Hospitals

HARLINGEN MEDICAL CENTER
(Proprietary)
5501 SOUTH EXPRESSWAY 77
(956) 365-1000
Emergency Service: Yes

VALLEY BAPTIST MEDICAL CENTER
(Voluntary non-profit - Church)
2101 PEASE ST
(956) 389-1100
Emergency Service: Yes

Starbucks in Harlingen

Wal-Mart in Harlingen

Harlingen High Schools (2004)

HARLINGEN H S
1201 E MARSHALL AVE
956-427-3600
A Title I school.
Serves 2,502 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 16.3

HARLINGEN H S - SOUTH
1701 DIXIELAND RD
956-427-3800
A Title I school.
Serves 1,911 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 14.6

KEYS ACAD
2809 N 7TH ST
956-427-3220
A Non-traditional School
A Title I school.
Serves 138 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 9.2

SECONDARY ALTER CTR
1310 SAM HOUSTON
956-427-3210
A Non-traditional School
Serves 70 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 10.8

CAMERON CO J J A E P
1409 E HARRISON ST
956-361-8271
A Non-traditional School
Serves 6 students.

VALLEY HOUSE SCH
1438 N 7TH
956-425-6567

Harlingen Colleges

Click school name for a detailed profile.

Texas State Technical College-Harlingen

University of Cosmetology Arts and Sciences

Vanguard Institute of Technology

(List of All Texas Colleges)

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