LAREDO-NUEVO LAREDO METROPOLITAN AREA

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 north of the Rio Grande and Nuevo Laredo is located in the Mexican State of Tamaulipas south 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 Leon 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 589,309 inhabitants according to the INEGI Census of 2005^[1] and the United States Census estimate of 2006^[2]. The Laredo- Nuevo Laredo is connected by four International Bridges and an International Railway Bridge. According to World Gazetteer this metropolitan area ranks 167th largest in North and South America in 2007 with an estimated population of 683,503^[3].

Contents

Populated Places

Urban Areas

Cities

Texas

Tamaulipas

Towns

Texas

Coahuila

Tamaulipas

Nuevo Leon

History

Population Growth

Economy

Trade

International Bridges

Major Highways

Retail Sales

Media

Television

Radio

Newspapers

Sports

External Links

References

See also

Populated Places

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

Urban Areas

★ Nuevo Laredo: 355.827

★ Laredo: 231.470

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: 1.516^[4]

Tamaulipas

★ Álvarez: 1.257

★ Nuevo Progreso: 393

★ América: 263

★ América II: 253

★ Los Artistas: 175

★ Miguel Alemán: 165

★ La Cruz: 100

Nuevo Leon

★ Colombia: 496^[5]

History

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"^[6][7]. 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.

Population Growth

Year	Population	Count Type[3]
1990	343,442	Census
2000	519,801	Census
2007	683,503	Estimate

Economy

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^[9][10]. This is the reason that the borderplex's economy rotates around commercial and industrial warehousing, import, and export. The city of Laredo has an airport called Laredo International Airport which has one-way flights to Houston, Dallas, 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 Grande 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 Leon State Highway Spur 1 Colombia-Anáhuac

Retail Sales

Retail sales also helps the Laredo-Nuevo Laredo economy, it attracts shoppers from Northern Mexico and South Texas^[11]. There are 2 indoor shopping malls located in the area and dozens of plazas. 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^[12]. By 2009 Laredo will have an additional 2 malls which are currently under construction:




★ Mall Del Norte 1,198,199 ft²

★ El Portal Mall 380,000 ft²

★ Laredo Town Center Mall 580,577 ft² (to open in 2009}^[13]

★ Piazza del Sol Mall 1,000,000+ ft² (to open in 2009)^[14]

★ Streets of Laredo Urban Mall

Media

Television

The Laredo Borderplex has 14 television stations, 8 in Laredo and 6 located in Nuevo Laredo. They are affiliated with United States and Mexico's major networks including KVTV CBS affiliate, KGNS NBC affiliate, KXOF FOX affiliate, KGNS The CW affiliate, KLDO Univision affiliate, KETF Telefutura, XHLAT TV Azteca 7 affiliate, XHLNA TV Azteca 13 affiliate, XHBR XEW affiliate, and other Televisa networks and independent stations.
:
★ '''Complete list of television stations in the Laredo Borderplex area'''

Radio

There are 13 AM radio stations (8 in Nuevo Laredo five in Laredo) and 20 FM radio stations (8 in Laredo 12 in Nuevo Laredo). Formats available in the region are: Classic Rock, Country, Easy Listening,
Urban Contemporary, International, Mexican Regional Music, Spanish Contemporary, Spanish Christian, Spanish Talk, and Tejano.
:
★ '''Complete list of AM radio stations in the Laredo Borderplex area'''
:
★ '''Complete list of FM radio stations in the Laredo Borderplex area'''

Newspapers

Laredo has four English newspapers: Laredo Morning Times^[15], LareDOS^[16], Laredo Chameleon^[17], and LaredoPolitics^[18]. Nuevo Laredo has four Spanish newspapers: El Diario de Nuevo Laredo^[19], El Mañana de Nuevo Laredo^[20], Primera Hora^[21], and Ultima Hora^[22]. Other out of town newspapers are sold in the most sold are San Antonio Express, Corpus Christi Caller Times, El Norte de Monterrey, New York Times, El Universal (Mexico City), and USA Today.

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. The Laredo Broncos are a baseball team in the United League. The Laredo Lobos are an Af2 arena football team in the National Conference's Central Division. 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

External Links

★ City of Laredo Official Website

★ City of Nuevo Laredo Official Website

★ City of El Cenizo Official Website

★ Webb County Official Website

References

1. INEGI Mexican Census results for 2005 See Tamaulipas > Nuevo Laredo
2. United States Census 2006 estimate Laredo, Texas
3. World Gazetteer List of Metropolitan Areas in both Americas
4. INEGI Mexican Census results for 2005 See Coahuila > Hidalgo
5. INEGI Mexican Census results for 2005 See Nuevo Leon > Colombia
6. Laredo Origin
7. Laredo Origin
8. World Gazetteer List of Metropolitan Areas in both Americas
9. Laredo Morning Times "National report lists Laredo as largest inland port"
10. Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas "Southwest Economy "
11. Shopping Demographics in the Laredo Area
12. LareDOS Article "Streets of Laredo Urban Mall
13. Laredo Town Center Plans
14. Piazza del Sol Plans
15. Laredo Morning Times
16. LareDOS
17. The Laredo Chameleon
18. LaredoPolitics
19. El Diario de Nuevo Laredo
20. El Mañana de Nuevo Laredo
21. Primera Hora
22. Ultima Hora

See also

★ 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