Webb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 267,114.^[1][2] Its county seat is Laredo.^[3] The county was named after James Webb (1792–1856), who served as secretary of the treasury, secretary of state, and attorney general of the Republic of Texas, and later judge of the United States District Court following the admission of Texas to statehood. By area, Webb County is the largest county in South Texas and the sixth-largest in the state. Webb County comprises the Laredo metropolitan area. Webb County is the only county in the United States to border three foreign states or provinces, sharing borders with Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas.

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Webb County
County
County of Webb
Webb County Courthouse in Laredo
Seal
Interactive map of Webb County
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Country	United States
State	Texas
Established	January 28, 1848
Organized	March 16, 1848
Named for	James Webb
County seat	Laredo
Largest city	Laredo
Government
• Type	Commissioners Court
Area
• Total	3,375 sq mi (8,740 km2)
• Land	3,361 sq mi (8,700 km2)
• Water	14 sq mi (40 km2)  0.4%
Population  (2020)
• Total	267,114
• Density	79/sq mi (31/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Area code	956
FIPS code	48479
GNIS feature ID	1384025
Website	www.webbcountytx.gov

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Webb County has a minority majority, with 95.2% of the population of the county identifying as Hispanic. This makes Webb the county with the second-highest proportion of Hispanic people in the continental United States after Starr County, and it has the highest proportion of Hispanic people among counties with a population over 100,000.^[4]

Webb County was split in 1856. Encinal County was established on February 1, 1856, and was to have consisted of the eastern portion of Webb County. However, Encinal County was never organized and was finally dissolved on March 12, 1899, with its territory returned as part of Webb County.

Much of Webb County history is based on the prevalence of ranching in the 19th century and continuing thereafter. The Webb County Heritage Foundation is a nonprofit organization that seeks to preserve documents and artifacts of the past to guarantee that the regional history is not lost to upcoming generations. In 2015, the foundation, headed by President James E. Moore, presented Heritage Awards to such local notables as the artist Janet Krueger, journalist Maria Eugenia Guerra, and Laredo Community College art instructor Martha F. Fenstermaker (1943-2014).^[5]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,376 square miles (8,740 km²), of which 3,361 square miles (8,700 km²) are land and 14 square miles (36 km²) (0.4%) are covered by water.^[6]

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

As of the 2015 Texas Population Estimate Program, the population of the county was 273,536. The racial makeup of the county was 99.8% White and 0.2% Black or African American. The ethnic makeup of the county was non-Hispanic whites 8,699 (3.2%), Black Americans 552 (0.2%), and other non-Hispanic 2,134 (0.8%). Hispanics and Latinos (of any race) 262,151 (95.8%).^[11]

As of the census^[12] of 2000, 193,117 people, 50,740 households, and 43,433 families resided in the county. The county gained 57,000 additional residents between 2000 and 2010. The population density was 58 people/sq mi (22/km²). The 55,206 housing units averaged 16/sq mi (6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 82.16% White, 0.37% Black or African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 14.02% from other races, and 2.54% from two or more races. About 94% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 50,740 households, 53.20% had children under 18 living with them, 62.60% were married couples living together, 18.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.40% were not families; 12.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.75, and the average family size was 4.10.

In the county, the age distribution was 36.20% under 18, 11.40% from 18 to 24, 29.30% from 25 to 44, 15.60% from 45 to 64, and 7.60% who were 65 or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,100, and for a family was $29,394. Males had a median income of $23,618 versus $19,018 for females. The per capita income for the county was $10,759. About 26.70% of families and 31.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.40% of those under age 18 and 26.90% of those age 65 or over.

Given the overwhelming Democratic allegiance in Webb County, Republicans rarely proffer candidates for county office. In the March 4, 2014, primary, 1,151 (4.6 percent) voted in the Republican primary in Webb County, compared to 23,958 (95.4 percent) in the Democratic contests.^[14] Webb County elections administrator Carlos Villarreal reported a 24% turnout in the November 4, 2014, general election in Webb County. County officials have requested that Villarreal develop a plan to increase turnout for 2016. County Democratic Chairman Alberto Torres, Jr., suggested improvements in the election division website with clear maps of voter boundaries. Torres said that such better services might motivate persons to vote regularly.^[15]

Three school districts serve Webb County:^[16]

• Laredo Independent School District
• United Independent School District
• Webb Consolidated Independent School District

Prior to 1994, Webb CISD served only Bruni and Oilton. Mirando City Independent School District served the community of Mirando City from 1923 to 2005. Prior to 1994, all Mirando City children attended Mirando City ISD schools. After the spring of 1994, Mirando City High School closed.^[17] Therefore, from the fall of 1994 to July 1, 2005, WCISD served high schoolers from Mirando City, while Mirando Elementary School in the Mirando City ISD served pupils from kindergarten through eighth grade. On May 9, 2005, the Texas Education Agency ordered the closure of Mirando City ISD. The district closed on July 1, 2005, and all students were rezoned to Webb CISD schools.^[18]

The private Holding Institute is a former United Methodist boarding school operating as a downtown Laredo community center.

All residents are zoned to Laredo College.^[19]

• Map of Webb and Encinal Counties in 1895
• Webb County Courthouse in 1905
• Webb County Courthouse today
• Entrance to the William N. "Billy" Hall Administrative Building annex of the Webb County Courthouse in Laredo
• The Webb County Appraisal District Office in Laredo appraises taxable real property for municipal and county governments, Laredo Community College, and both public school districts.
• Entrance to the J. O. Walker, Jr., Piedra Parada Ranch in eastern Webb County
• Opuntia cacti abound throughout much of Webb County.
• The Cactus Jack Ranch in northwestern Webb County is named for U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's first vice president, John Nance Garner of Uvalde. Imported saguaro cacti are planted at the gate.
• Entrance gate to La Esperanza (Hope) Ranch in northwestern Webb County near the Dimmit County boundary
• This abandoned building along U.S. Route 83 in northwestern Webb County reflects the isolation of the South Texas ranch country.
• Road through Tamaulipan thornscrub, Webb County, Texas, USA (10 June 2016)
• Road through Tamaulipan thornscrub, Webb County, Texas, USA (10 June 2016)

• List of museums in South Texas
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Webb County, Texas
• Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Webb County
• Webb County Courthouse