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Metropolitan region in South Texas
Photo: USDA NRCS Texas, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
The Rio Grande Valley (informally called The Valley) is a region in Deep South Texas, which includes Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy counties. To the east this region is bordered by the Gulf Coast of Texas. To the south it is bordered by the Rio Grande River and the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. To the north and west it is bordered by the Texas counties of Kenedy, Brooks, Jim Hogg, and Zapata.
By train
There is no passenger rail service to this region. The nearest Amtrak station is in San Antonio, which is about 240 miles north of the Rio Grande Valley.
By bus
By car
When traveling south of this region towards Mexico, it is strongly advised to carry a passport and other important identification with you.
By boat
There are no commercial boat lines that make port this region.
By bus
The whole region is interconnected, so finding a route between other cities will be relatively easy.
By foot or bicycle
Since most big cities in this region are far apart, walking and cycling are not the best options to get across the area.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
McAllen · Regional · MFE
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The southernmost port city of the continental U.S. and an important border town, is the second most historical location in the state of Texas. The city played an important role in two historical events: the Civil War and the Mexican–American War and has many battlefield and state park sites dedicated in their name. It is home to the only enclosed zoo in the region, the Gladys Porter Zoo and will be the world's first commercial orbit facility for SpaceX. Brownsville is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico along with three international bridges that connect itself with its border town, Matamoros, Mexico. For this reason, the city adopted the motto, "On the Border, By the Sea" in 1966.
On the shore of the Gulf of Mexico, SPI is an international tourism destination with a wide range of accommodations, attractions, restaurants, RV parks, and bars. It has five continuous miles of traffic-free beach, an active nightlife, and several bay side and beach side cafes, bars and restaurants. There is a large birding and nature center, a sea turtle center, a marine lab, and large water park.
The City of Port Isabel, population 6,300 in 2019, is the southernmost city and port on the Texas coast. It is a tourism, retirement, sports fishing and commercial fishing destination and the gateway to South Padre Island.
Harlingen is a city in Texas.
McAllen, the City of Palms, is in the southern plains of Texas, USA. It is the largest city in Hidalgo County and the second largest city in the Rio Grande Valley after Brownsville. It is near the Rio Grande River on the border with Mexico.
With the naturalist in mind.
South Padre Island is a small resort town on the southern tip of Padre Island off the coast of Texas, close to the border with Mexico. It is a popular spring break destination for college students.
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