HOME WEB NEWS IMAGES CLASSIFIEDS YELLOW PAGESPOLLS - SURVEYS WIKI COUNTRIES PHOTOS US UK INDIA
Cities Stocks Weather Movies Coupons Travel Blogs Health Horoscope Maps ASIA EUROPE Classifieds Yellow Pages
|
|
|
|
This article or section is missing citations or needs footnotes. Using inline citations helps guard against copyright violations and factual inaccuracies. (November 2007) |
Laredo is the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, on the north bank of the Rio Grande (Río Bravo) river, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. According to the 2006 census estimate, the city population was 231,470. Laredo is part of the Laredo-Nuevo Laredo Metropolitan Area with a total population of 589,309. 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 four professional sports teams: the Bucks, Broncos, Heat, and Lobos. 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.
Contents |
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. In 1849, the military set up Fort McIntosh (originally Camp Crawford) by the town. Laredo was rechartered as a city in 1852.
A graphical timeline is available here:
Laredo is one of the oldest border crossing points along the U.S.-Mexico border, and the nation\'s largest inland port of entry. In 2005, Laredo celebrated the 250th anniversary of its founding. 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"Laredo OriginLaredo Origin(Spanish). 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.(232 km) southwest of San Antonio. 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. The City of Laredo\'s Mayor is Raul Salinas.
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\'s weather is attributed to its location between Mexican mountains to the west and the Gulf of Mexico to the east. Much of Laredo\'s year-round dry and hot weather is influenced by the deserts of Northern Mexico and any moisture from the Pacific is cut-off by the Mexican mountain range. While Laredo does receive moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, its geographic location causes Laredo to have extreme weather events such as long periods of heat to sudden violent storms with sometimes even tornadoes in a short period of time. Laredo is cold for south Texas standards during winter, the average daytime highs are around 66 °F (19 C) and overnight lows around 43 °F (6 C); although it is rare for snow to fall in Laredo, there was actually snow on the ground for a few hours on the morning of Christmas Day 2004.
Laredo typically experiences an average high temperature of about 99 °F (37 C), and an average low of about 75 °F (24 C) during summer, and 20 inches (510 mm) of rain per year. As Laredo sometimes undergoes drought, a water conservation ordinance was implemented in 2003.
| Weather averages for Laredo, Texas | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 92 (33) | 94 (34) | 99 (37) | 108 (42) | 112 (44) | 112 (44) | 111 (44) | 112 (44) | 109 (43) | 101 (38) | 99 (37) | 93 (34) | 104 (40) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 66 (19) | 71 (22) | 80 (27) | 88 (31) | 92 (33) | 96 (36) | 99 (37) | 99 (37) | 93 (34) | 86 (30) | 76 (25) | 68 (20) | 84 (29) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 43 (6) | 47 (8) | 55 (13) | 63 (17) | 69 (21) | 73 (23) | 75 (24) | 75 (24) | 74 (22) | 63 (17) | 53 (12) | 45 (7) | 61 (16) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 26 (-3) | 29 (-2) | 33 (1) | 38 (3) | 54 (12) | 66 (19) | 68 (20) | 64 (18) | 56 (13) | 42 (6) | 33 (1) | 15 (-9) | 43.6 (7) |
| Precipitation inch (cm) | 1.0 (2.5) | 1.1 (2.7) | 0.8 (1.9) | 1.8 (4.5) | 2.6 (6.6) | 3.2 (8.1) | 1.5 (3.8) | 2.7 (6.8) | 3.1 (7.9) | 2.5 (6.4) | 1.2 (2.9) | 0.9 (2.4) | 22.2 (56.5) |
| Source: worldclimate.comWeatherbase: Historical Weather for Laredo, Texas United States of America. Retrieved on May 21, 2007. May 2007 | |||||||||||||
According to the censusAmerican FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. estimate of 2006U.S. Census Bureau Estimate for the Laredo, Texas Area in 2005 U.S. Census Bureau Estimate for the Laredo, Texas Metropolitan Area in 2006, there were 231,470 people. In the 2005 estimate there were 99,675 males and 108,112 females living in 60,816 households, out of those 33,832 were owner occupied. The average household size has 3.69 occupants. The population density was 2,250.5 people per square mile (868.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 179,887 or 86.6% White, 1,012 or 0.5% African American, 599 or 0.3% Native American, 779 or 0.4% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 23,932 or 11.5% from other races, and 1,578 or 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino accounts for 197,198 or 94.9% of the population in terms of ethnicity.
There were a total of 60,816 households out of which 56,247 or 92.5% were occupied, 33,832 were owner occupied units and 22,415 were renter occupied units. 62.0% were married couples living together, 18.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.7% were non-families. 12.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.69 and the average family size was 4.18
In the city the population was spread out with 35.5% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 15.8% from 45 to 64, and 7.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,019, and the median income for a family was $32,577. The per capita income for the city was $12,269. 29.2% of families were below the poverty line.
According to the United States Census Bureau, at a 2000 census, Laredo was the second fastest growing city in the United States, (Las Vegas, Nevada, being the first).
Webb County Administration Building
Laredo\'s municipal government is controlled by a strong city council-weak mayor system. Although the mayor presides over the city council, he/she may only vote to break a tie. City Council elections are based on single-member districts and campaigns have no party affiliations. City elections are held in May of even numbered years. The municipal government is administered by the city manager who is hired by the city council. All city elected offices have a four-year term and are technically nonpartisan though most officials have a party preference or affiliation. City council meetings are held on Mondays and can be viewed on the public access channel. Laredo\'s main website is [1]
City Mayor - Raul G. Salinas
City Manager - Carlos Villareal
City Council:
District 1 - Mike Garza
District 2 - Hector "Tito" Garcia
District 3 - Dr. Michael Landeck
District 4 - Johnny Amaya
District 5 - Johnny Rendon
District 6 - Gene Belmares
District 7 - Juan Chavez
District 8 - Juan Ramirez
Texas House of Representatives
District 31 - Ryan Guillen, Democrat
District 42 - Richard Peña Raymond, Democrat
Texas Senate
District 21 - Judith Zaffirini, Democrat
United States House of Representatives
District 28 - Henry Cuellar, Democrat
250px
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 DistrictLISD Home Page (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 is also served by three school|magent 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 DistrictUISD Home Page 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 in construction and/or in development stages. 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:
Laredo is home to the Laredo Community CollegeLaredo Community College Home Page (LCC) and Texas A&M International UniversityTexas A&M International University Home Page (TAMIU). The University of Texas Health Science CenterUniversity of Texas Health Science Center Laredo Campus Home Page 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 modern second campus is located in deep south Laredo along United States Highway 83. The 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 to the Mexican army in the 1800s. Several of the fort\'s old building 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[2], 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[3] [4]. On May 12 2007, Christine Bernadas made history as the university\'s first Ph.D. graduate in International Business [5][6]. 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[7].” The university\'s campus is located in Northeast Laredo along Texas State Highway 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 United States Route 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.
The Laredo National Bank is one of the strongest banking institutions in Laredo, Texas
Laredo is the destination for many Mexican shoppers that come from as far away as Mexico City. Due to Laredo\'s location new hotels have been built around the city such as the Embassy Suites.
More than 47% of United States international trade headed for Mexico and more than 36% of Mexican international trade crosses through the Laredo port of entryLaredo Morning Times "National report lists Laredo as largest inland port"Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas "Southwest Economy ". Laredo\'s economy and everyday lifestyle revolves around commercial and industrial warehousing, import, and export. As a major player of international trade, Laredo\'s economy has benefit with the passing of the North American Free Trade Agreement. The city\'s Laredo International Airport has non-stop flights to Houston, Dallas, and Las Vegas. The Laredo port of entry consists of five international bridges crossing the Rio Grande into the Mexican states of Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon.
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
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
The Mall del Norte is one of the largest malls in South Texas
Retail sales also helps the Laredo-Nuevo Laredo economy, it attracts shoppers from Northern Mexico and South TexasShopping Demographics in the Laredo Area. There are 2 indoor shopping malls located in the area and dozens of shopping centers. 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 areaLareDOS Article "Streets of Laredo Urban Mall. By 2009 Laredo will have an additional 2 malls which are currently under construction:
As of October 2007, Laredo\'s labor market was comprised of the following industries by percentage of number employed: Trade, Transportation and Utilities (32%), Information (1%), Financial Activity (5%), Professional and Business Services (6%), Education and Health Services (15%), Leisure and Hospitality (10%), Government (23%), Mining and Construction (5%), Manufacturing (2%), and Other Services (2%).
Laredo has increased the number of non-agricultural jobs from 55,100 in January 1996 to 86,600 in October 2007. Laredo has experienced higher than the state in average job growth rate (2%-6.5%) during the same period due to expansion of international trade as the result of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Thus far, for 2007, Laredo has experienced a job growth rate of 2.5%. As of October 2007, the Laredo unemployment rate is 4.1% or 3,700 unemployed persons as compared to 3.9% Texas statewide. This is a significant drop since the mid-1990s when Laredo\'s unemployment was over 15%.
Although statistically Laredo has experience positive job market growth since the mid-1990s, setbacks in the Mining (oil/gas) industry shifted a few thousand workers to other industries such as international trade and construction. Many large employers in the oil and gas industries shut down operations in Laredo and across Texas and shifted to foreign countries. The same effect occurred in the garment industry (Levis and Haggar) along the Texas border area, but Laredo experienced the closing of the one and only garment-producing company (Barry) of about 300 workers. Laredo\'s strong job growth rate in retail and transportation services contributed in limiting the adverse effects of long-term unemployment in the few massive layoffs of the late 1990s. Laredo\'s vulnerability continue to exist in international trade due to unforeseen changes to Mexico\'s economy, immigration laws (along with daily border crossings: shoppers and commercial trade) and terrorism as the result of September 11th. Otherwise, Laredo moves forward as major investments continue to show promising job growth rates in most industries.[citation needed]
The Washington\'s Birthday Celebration (WBCA) Washington\'s Birthday Celebration Association Home Page is an almost month long held event that celebrates George Washington\'s Birthday. It was founded in 1898 by the Improved Order of the Red Men, local chapter Yaqui Tribe #59. It is the largest celebration of its kind in the United States with approximately 400,000 attendees annually. The first celebration was a phenomenal success and its success and popularity grew rapidly and in 1923 it received its state charter. In 1924, the Celebration featured its first Colonial Pageant, which featured thirteen young girls from Laredo, representing the thirteen original colonies. The celebration includes parades, a carnival, an air show, fireworks, live concerts and a city-wide prom during which many of Laredo\'s elite dress in very formal attire. One of its main events, the Jalapeño Festival, has recently been named one of the United States\' top 10 eating festivals due to its Jalapeño Eating Contest. The WBCA has become a Laredo institution, with its history closely tied to the history of the community.
Jamboozie is held in late January in downtown Laredo as part of the Washington Birthday Celebrations. As somewhat of an imitation of New Orlean\'s Mardi Gras, the Jamboozie is known to be a colorful event, with many people dressed in beads and masks and sometimes flamboyant outfits. Besides many concession stands and up to four stages that feature local and regional bands (mostly alternative rock, classic rock and Spanish music), there are also several bars along the proximity that are open.
Lake Casa Blanca International State ParkTexas Parks and Wildlife, Lake Casa Blanca International State Park, located on Loop 20, contains a 1,680-acre (7 km²) artificial lake along with cooking out, camping, picnicking, lake swimming, skiing, boating, mountain biking, and the most popular recreational use of the lake is fishing. A boat ramp and fishing pier is available on the eastern side of the lake. Although the park is opened for day-use only, campsites are available on eastern side of the lake. The lake is a popular destination for winter Texans (northern state retirees who make southern states their winter home). The park was operated jointly by the City of Laredo and Webb County before it was acquired by the state in 1990 and opened in March 1991.
Laredo has many known nightlife establishments. Next to the arena is Hal\'s Landing, a restaurant that also serves as a bar and an arcade. Across the street is Las Cananas, an upscale Mexican-flavored nightclub that plays mostly international and house music, as well as playing host to mostly international bands. Other clubs/bars around the area are El Sitio, Club Eros and South Beach.
Several other clubs populate the city such as Agave Azul(a bar on Del Mar Blvd. known for playing international music), Old No.2(a small bar that plays host to hard rock bands and is popular with the 18-24 college crowd), Chelseas(a bar downtown that caters primarily to the homosexual community yet is attended by many heterosexuals as well), and the upcoming FLounge, which in it\'s previous incarnation as FBar featured well known DJ\'s such as Boston\'s Joe Bermudez.
Today a part of the Republic of the Rio Grande\'s Capitol building is used as a museum in Laredo, Texas that showcases pictures and history of the short lived republic
Republic of the Rio Grande Capitol Building MuseumRepublic of the Rio Grande Museum Home Page is located in the downtown historical district next to the historical La Posada Hotel. It was once the Republic of the Rio Grande Capitol building now showcases memorabilia from the short lived Republic of the Rio Grande. It displays pictures, books, and furniture from the 19th century Laredo area. It offers guided tours for school age children and adults year-round. Because of this Republic, Laredo had flown seven flags instead of the traditional Six Flags over Texas.
The Laredo Center for the ArtsLaredo Center for the Arts Home Page is located in historic downtown Laredo. The building houses three galleries: the Goodman Gallery, the Laredo Art League Gallery and the Lilia G. Martinez Gallery. The Center for the Arts, located in the former City Hall offices known as the Mercado, displays regional artwork and provides community events for children and adults. Across the street, the former Plaza Theater is currently under consideration for renovation for a future performing arts theater. Located in east Laredo in an area what is known as the "base" or airport grounds, the Laredo Little Theater provides Laredoans with live stage performances. The theater also hosts comedians.
Imaginarium of South TexasImaginarium of South Texas Home Page (formerly Laredo Children\'s Museum), located in Mall del Norte, provides a hands-on experience with science, technology, and art for Laredo\'s youth. A second museum is planned on the Texas A&M International University campusSecond Imaginarium Museum on TAMIU Campus.
The Lamar Bruni Vergara Science Center Planetarium The Lamar Bruni Vergara Science Center Planetarium Home Page is located in the Texas A&M International University Laredo campus. The Planetarium surrounds audiences in a dome with an accurate image of the night sky. It can show all the motions and cycles of the sky. It can create a multi-media experience that reveals the wonders of the cosmos. It can interpret the Universe in a way that appeals to both the mind and eye. The Planetarium will introduce you to a life-long acquaintance with the sky and the Universe. The Digistar 3 system at the TAMIU Planetarium can take audiences on a fantastic voyage through the cosmos.
The Laredo Public Library main building
The Laredo Public LibraryLaredo Public LIbrary Homepage was first housed on the second floor of the City Hall, now known as the Market Hall, in 1916. In 1974, the Laredo Public Library moved to the historic Bruni Plaza in downtown Laredo. In 1993, the citizens of Laredo approved the construction of a new main library. The new main library opened its doors for the first time in February 1, 1998. The Laredo Public Library has a 60,000 sq ft (6,000 m²). main library and two branches that serve the City of Laredo. The main library is located in central Laredo and the Bruni Plaza BranchLaredo Public Library Bruni Branch is located in downtown, and the Santo Niño Branch is located in south LaredoLaredo Public LIbrary Santo Niño Branch.
Main Article: List of buildings in Laredo, Texas
250px
Laredo’s architecture is of Spanish Colonial, American, and Mexican flavor. Most of Laredo\'s Spanish colonial buildings are located in downtown Laredo especially in the San Agustin Historical District but they are also spread out throughout the whole city which includes the Laredo Medical Center, Texas National Bank headquarters and branches, the Laredo Town Center, and others. American architecture can be seen along Interstate Highway 35. Some of the buildings of American architecture are the Hamilton Hotel, Rio Grande Plaza, Walker Plaza, the Laredo Federal Courthouse, and the Laredo City Hall.
List of the tallest buildings in Laredo, Texas:
| RankEmporis; Laredo Buildings | Building Name | Height | Floors | Year Built |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Hamilton Hotel | 150 ft (46 m) | 12 | 1923 |
| 02 | San Agustin Cathedral | 141 ft (43 m) | N/A | 1872 |
| 03 | Rio Grande Plaza | - | 15 | 1975 |
| 04 | Holiday Inn Laredo | - | 14 | 1984 |
| 05 | Laredo National Bank | - | 10 | 1926 |
| 06 | Senior Citizens Home | - | 8 | - |
| 07 | Laredo Medical Center | - | 7 | - |
| 08 | Gateway Inn | - | 6 | - |
| 09 | Rialto Hotel | - | 6 | 1925 |
| 10 | Walker Plaza | - | 5 | - |
The Laredo Medical Center is the largest medical center in Laredo
There are five medical centers in Laredo, the Laredo Medical Center, Doctor\'s Hospital, Gateway Community Health Center, Providence Surgical & Medical Center, and the Laredo Specialty Hospital. The largest hospital in Laredo is the Laredo Medical Center.
The Laredo Medical CenterLaredo Medical Center Homepage (formally Mercy Hospital) is a 650,000-square-foot (60,000 m²) complex in a 50 acre campus with 325 licensed beds and 180 active physicians. Its main building is located in central Laredo along United States Route 59. Besides its main building, the Laredo Medical Center has specialized branches throughout the city, the main ones are: the Ambulatory Care Center North is an outpatient facilityAmbulatory Care Center North, McClelland Diagnostic Center is an out-patient diagnostic centerMcClelland Diagnostic Center, Laredo Medical Sleep CenterLaredo Medical Sleep Center
Laredo Medical Center Services include:
|
|
Doctor\'s HospitalDoctor\'s Hospital Of Laredo Homepage is the second largest medical center in Laredo. The hospital complex is over 250,000-square-foot (23,000 m²) complex with 180 licensed beds in a 58 acre campus and is affiliated to Universal Health Services. It is located in Texas State Highway Loop 20 in north Laredo. Behind the main building the Doctors Regional Cancer Treatment Center which offers comprehensive cancer services. The Providence Surgical & Medical CenterProvidence Surgical & Medical Center is an ambulatory health care center located in north-central Laredo which is also owed by Universal Health Services.
Doctor\'s Hospital services include:
|
|
|
|
The Gateway Community Health CenterGateway Community Health Center is the third largest medical center in Laredo. The health center\'s main building is 64,000 square feet (5,900 m²) and three stories high. The Medical center recently moved in 2006 to its new $11,000,000 building. The main Gateway Community Health Center is located in East Laredo close to United States Route 59. It also has three branches in the Laredo area: the South Clinic, El Cenizo Community Center, and Quad City Community Center.
Gateway Community Health Center services include:
|
|
|
The Laredo Specialty Hospital
The Laredo Specialty HospitalLaredo Specialty Hospital is the fourth largest medical center in Laredo. It is owned by Ernest Health Inc. and was founded by Elmo Lopez Jr. on May 22, 2006 and admitted it\'s first patient within hours of operation. Although in operation, it was not celebrated a "Grand Opening" by Webb County due to unannounced reasons until March 2007 when it was granted.
Laredo is home to the two-time President\'s Cup Champion Laredo Bucks hockey team, which play at the Laredo Entertainment Center. The Bucks\' successful coach is the native Canadian Terry Ruskowski (born 1954). The Laredo Bucks are part of the Southeast Division of the Central Hockey League and were inaugurated in the 2002-2003 season. The Bucks were awarded Franchise of the Year in their first year of operation. The Laredo Bucks are the 2003-2004 and the 2005-2006 Central Hockey League President\'s Cup Champions as well as the 2003-04 Governors’ Cup Regular Season Champions. They have made the playoffs since the first year in play and have gone to the finals the past four years, setting a new CHL/WPHL record for consecutive Finals appearances and have won 2/4. They have also been the Southeast Division and Southern Conference Champions the last 4 years. The Laredo Bucks have also been in the top 5 every year since their inauguration in attendance.
The Laredo Heat is a United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League team. The team\'s home stadium is the Student Activity Center. The team was founded in 2004. It plays in the Mid-South Division of the Southern Conference In the 2006 season the Laredo Heat finished Runner-up yet made it only to the first round of the Open Cup. In the 2007 season, the Laredo Heat were the Southern Conference champions. And in 2007 Laredo heat won its first PDL Championship.
The Laredo Lobos is an Arena Football 2 franchise team. The team was founded in 2006. It finished 6th with a 2-12 record in its first season, when it was a member of the Intense Football League. Laredo Entertainment Center is its home field.
The United Baseball League brought back professional baseball to Laredo. The Laredo Broncos plays its home games at Veterans Field, while its new state of the art baseball complex is built. The team was founded in 2005.
The Laredo Entertainment Center is located at Loop 20 and Jacaman Road. LEC is the home of the Laredo Bucks and the Laredo Lobos. The 178,000-square-foot (16,500 m²), $36.5 million facility seats 8,002 people for ice hockey and arena football, and up to 10,000 for concerts. It has 14 luxury suites, four meeting rooms and a private club for 200 charter members. It was completed in mid 2002 with the help of the Laredo sales tax increase of .25 percent. Sports that can be played at the LEC include Hockey, Arena Football, Indoor Soccer, Basketball, Wrestling, and Boxing. The arena also hosts many events such as The Laredo Hunting and Fishing Show, Miss Texas USA, Laredo Home and Garden Show, and high school graduation ceremonies. Well-known artists and bands have performed in the arena such as Tool, Aerosmith,KISS,Elton John, Styx, ZZ TOP, Ricky Martin, George Lopez and many more.
The Student Activity Center Sports Complex is located in the Texas State Highway 359. It is utilized for United Independent School District\'s students. It was built in 2004 and it contains the city\'s only artificial grass stadium. The SAC is also the home of the Laredo Heat. It\'s capacity is 8,500. Sports played at the SAC include football, Soccer, and Baseball.
Shirley Field is located next to the Civic Center and R&T Martin High School on San Bernardo Ave. It was built in 1937, along with Martin High School. Shirley Field is the location for outdoor athletics for Laredo Independent School District and also hosts the annual Border Olympics events. It seats between 6000 and 8000 fans with additional seating at the 2 endzones. Professional Mexican soccer teams have played various exhibition games here, notting that the real grass allows for "better" soccer games. The various sports played on the stadium are football, soccer and track & field events. Major renovations are slated for this historic stadium.
Veterans Field is a baseball park which was previously known as West Martin Field. It is the home field for the Laredo Broncos. Its capacity is about 5000. Major renovation is happening to update the 1950 ball park. Veterans Field was also the home to the five time champion Mexican Baseball League team Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos from 1985 to 2003.
Laredo is served by the Laredo International Airport. Daily flights are available to Houston (George Bush Intercontinental Airport) and to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Tri-weekly flights to Las Vegas, Nevada are available. After Laredo Airforce Base closed in the mid-1970s, the federal government handed over the old airforce base and property to the City of Laredo for a new municipal airport. From the mid-1970s until mid-1990s, the airport utilized a small terminal for passenger airline service and several old hangers for aircargo and private aircraft. A new state-of-the art passenger terminal was built along the newly constructed Loop 20 to accommodate larger jets and to increase passenger air travel through Laredo. Expansion of air cargo facilities, taxiways and aprons, air cargo carriers such as DHL, FedEx, UPS, BAX, and others have responded by adding commercial aircargo jet services. Laredo also has two medical helipads, at Laredo Medical Center and Doctor\'s Hospital.
El Metro is the mass transit system that operates in Laredo with 21 fixed routes and Paratransit services with approximately 4.6 million passengers per year. El Metro works with a fleet of over 47 fixed route buses, 2 trolleys and 18 Paratransit/El Lift vans. El Metro hub is located in downtown Laredo at El Metro Transit Center. The Center also houses Greyhound Bus Lines and provides fee-based daily parking for downtown shoppers and workers. Rural transportation is provided by "La Aguila" (the Eagle) bus services. La Aguila provides daily services from Rio Bravo and El Cenizo to downtown Laredo at Jarvis Plaza.
List of Laredo sister cities:Visit Laredo sister cities (twin cities)
