Nuevo Laredo

[nwey-voh luh-rey-doh, noo-ey-; Sp. nwe-vaw lah-re-thaw]

Nuevo Laredo, city (1990 pop. 218,413), Tamaulipas state, NE Mexico, across the Rio Grande from Laredo, Tex. Linked with the United States by automobile and railroad bridges, Nuevo Laredo is the northern terminus of the national railroad and the Inter-American Highway, as well as the chief point of entry for U.S. tourists driving to Mexico. It is also a center of international trade and the distribution point for an agricultural (mainly cotton) and livestock-raising area. Nuevo Laredo has been one of the many Mexican cities affected by an influx of foreign capital, primarily due to the establishment of foreign-owned industrial plants, known as maquiladoras. Founded in 1755, the city was part of Laredo until the end of the Mexican War in 1848. Nuevo Laredo played a role in the Mexican revolution of 1910 and was burned extensively in 1914.

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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 northern bank of the Rio Grande and Nuevo Laredo is located in the Mexican State of Tamaulipas in the southern bank 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 and the United States Census estimate of 2006. The Laredo- Nuevo Laredo is connected by four International Bridges and an International Railway Bridge. According to World Gazetteer this metropolitan area ranked 167th largest in North and South America in 2007 with an estimated population of 683,503 in 2008 it ranks 162nd with a population of 718,073. This area ranks 66th in the United States and 23rd in Mexico.

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

Coahuila

Hidalgo: 1.516

Tamaulipas

Nuevo Leon

Colombia: 496

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. 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
1990	343,442	Census
2000	519,801	Census
2007	683,503	Estimate
2008	718,073	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. 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

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. 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. 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}
Piazza del Sol Mall 1,000,000+ ft² (to open in 2009)
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, LareDOS, Laredo Chameleon, and LaredoPolitics. Nuevo Laredo has four Spanish newspapers: El Diario de Nuevo Laredo, El Mañana de Nuevo Laredo, Primera Hora, and Ultima Hora. 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. Laredo are the current USL Premier Development League champions, having defeated 2006 champions Michigan Bucks in a penalty shootout, following a 0-0 draw in the 2007 championship game. The Laredo Broncos are a baseball team in the United League. 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. In 2008 the Tecolotes came back to Nuevo Laredo and they are known as the Tecolotres de Nuevo Laredo.