The City of Brownsville is the largest city in the Rio Grande Valley. It is located at the southernmost tip of Texas with an approximate population of 187,831. It is in Cameron County which boasts a population of 422,135, is rich in history and one of the fastest-growing areas in the United States. The City has a semi-tropical climate recognized as one of the most delightful in the nation. It has an average temperature of 74 degrees and an average rainfall of 25.55 inches. The comfortable year-round climate provides for an abundance of recreational fun and activities!
Brownsville is On the Border, By the Sea, and Beyond!
In the past 15 years, the City has nearly quadrupled its wealth with an assessed valuation of more than $7.5 billion. Downtown Brownsville is a certified Main Street District with $57.6 million in recent revitalization investments and was recently distinguished as a National Registered District.
The City is strategically placed at the epicenter of international trade hubs. A robust multi-modal transportation system, including rail, sea, air, land, and space ports, connects to interstate access and three international bridges.
Brownsville actively promotes an economic frontier that is on the leading edge of technology, with SpaceX building its prototype for space exploration in this City. Since arriving in the City in 2021, SpaceX has shown an economic impact with more than 1,700 jobs at Starbase, more than 61,000 jobs in Cameron County, nearly $431 Million direct investment in payroll construction and CAPEX, $903 Million in gross economic output from aggregate market value of goods and services produced in the U.S. economy, and millions of dollars invested on improving Highway 4, which leads to Starbase.
The City’s Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport is a modern 91,000 square-foot passenger terminal which better serves the functional and efficient needs of business and leisure travel. Additionally, the City has 13 bus routes, making Brownsville-Metro the largest mass transit system in the Rio Grande Valley. The City also features three international ports of entry, which includes the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge, Gateway International Bridge, and Veterans International Bridge — all connecting with the sister city of Matamoros, Mexico.
The City offers a distinct natural beauty and fantastic entertainment, with its tree-lined resacas, oxbow lakes nestled throughout neighborhoods, and outdoor recreation opportunities like kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding. Brownsville’s Gladys Porter Zoo spans 28-acres with lush tropical plants and approximately 1,600 animals. Art, history, children’s museums, two innovative libraries, and an observatory are also available here.
Residents congregate and celebrate at the annual Charro Days and Sombrero Festival events, as well as participate in the City’s rich cultural traditions. For even more adventure, Brownsville is only a short distance from both South Padre Island!
The City has a wide selection of restaurants, from family-owned to national franchises. It is a two-time All American City award recipient and a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Winner.
Brownsville features hike and bike trails that link the rich natural, cultural, and historical resources to create a regional identity for outdoor tourism, promote healthier lifestyles, and generate a new sense of community pride. Our City offers an outstanding quality of life, an affordable cost of living, safe neighborhoods.
Brownsville is one of the Top 16 safest metro areas in which to live, according to a 2019 report by the U.S. News & World Report. The City’s recent awards include:
• IDC Smart Cities North America Winner in the category of Digital Equity and Accessibility
• A Top 5 Best Place to Live for Quality of Life in the U.S. – per U.S. News and World Report
• A Top 10 Safest Place to Live in Texas – per U.S. News and World Report
• A Top 20 Safest Place to Live in the U.S. – per U.S. News and World Report
• The 16th Safest City in the United States – per Smartasset
Our City also offers excellent educational opportunities, including higher education institutions – Texas Southmost College and The University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley.
The City of Brownsville operates on a Vision to enhance the quality of life for the community by approaching needs through proactive, inspired actions. With this stated, it is the City leadership’s goal to make the City of Brownsville:
• A destination community that is recognized for its high quality of life and active lifestyle.
• A vibrant, innovative, high-quality community with an engaged population.
• A border community with Mexico- an example of safe, prosperous, and attractive community for investment.
• A responsive, transparent, and highly accountable local government.
Welcome to the City of Brownsville!