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Laredo, Texas

"The Gateway City"

America's largest inland port and the most Hispanic major city in the country, Laredo has been a crossroads of nations for 270 years — where Texas, Mexico, and two cultures become one.

Founded 1755 | Population 264,142 | Peak 264,142 (2024) | County Webb County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Laredo, Texas

1994 NAFTA Transforms Laredo: The North American Free Trade Agreement supercharged cross-border commerce, making Laredo the busiest inland port in the Western Hemisphere with over $200 billion in annual trade.

1755 Spanish Colonial Founding: Captain Tomás Sánchez founded Villa de San Agustín de Laredo on the north bank of the Rio Grande, establishing one of the oldest settlements in Texas.

1846 Mexican-American War: The war placed Laredo firmly within the United States, though the city's cultural and family ties to Mexico remained unbroken across the new international border.

1881 International Bridge Opens: The first international bridge connected Laredo to Nuevo Laredo, formalizing cross-border trade and travel that had existed for over a century.

1840 Republic of the Rio Grande: Laredo briefly served as capital of the Republic of the Rio Grande, a short-lived secessionist state that attempted to break away from Mexico's centralist government.

1898 Washington's Birthday Celebration: Laredo began its annual Washington's Birthday Celebration, which grew into the largest such celebration in the country — a uniquely bicultural patriotic festival.

2000 Trucking Capital: Over 4 million commercial trucks crossed through Laredo annually, making it the single busiest commercial land port in the United States.

1920 Oil Discovery in Webb County: Oil was discovered in Webb County, diversifying the economy beyond ranching and trade and bringing new wealth to the border city.

1970 Texas A&M International University: TAMIU was established to serve the predominantly Hispanic population of South Texas, growing into an important regional university.

2020 COVID-19 Border Closure Impact: The pandemic closure of the U.S.-Mexico border devastated Laredo's economy, which depends on cross-border trade and movement.

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Latest News in Laredo

Mar 5, 2026

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Oct 20, 2015

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Complete Historical Timeline

1755 Government

Tomás Sánchez founds Laredo on the Rio Grande

1840 Government

Laredo briefly capital of Republic of the Rio Grande

1846 Government

Mexican-American War places Laredo in U.S.

1881 Transport

First International Bridge opens to Nuevo Laredo

1898 Culture

Washington's Birthday Celebration begins

1920 Industry

Oil discovered in Webb County

1970 Culture

Texas A&M International University established

1994 Business

NAFTA makes Laredo busiest inland port

2000 Business

4 million trucks cross annually

2020 Disaster

Border closure devastates economy

2024 Government

Population surpasses 264,000

Did You Know?

Laredo is the largest inland port in the United States, with over $200 billion in international trade crossing its bridges annually — more than any other land port.

Over 95% of Laredo's population identifies as Hispanic, making it the most Latino major city in the entire United States.

Laredo's Washington's Birthday Celebration is the largest such event in the country, featuring a month-long binational festival that is uniquely Texan and Mexican at the same time.