Del Rio, Texas
| Del Rio, Texas | |
|---|---|
| City | |
| City of Del Rio | |
 Location of Del Rio, Texas |
|
| Coordinates: 29°21′50″N 100°54′00″W / 29.364°N 100.900°WCoordinates: 29°21′50″N 100°54′00″W / 29.364°N 100.900°W | |
| Country |
 United States |
| State |
 Texas
|
| County | Val Verde |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-Manager |
| • Mayor | Robert Garza |
| • City Manager | Henry Arredondo |
| Area | |
| • Total | 52.3 km2 (20.2 sq mi) |
| • Land | 52.2 km2 (20.2 sq mi) |
| • Water | 0.1 km2 (0.04 sq mi) |
| Population (2015 est) | |
| • Total | 40,549 |
| • Density | 780/km2 (2,000/sq mi) |
| Time zone | CST (UTC−6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CST (UTC−5) |
| ZIP code | 78840-78843, 78847 |
| Area code | 830 |
| Website | CityOfDelRio.com |
Del Rio is a city in and the county seat of Val Verde County, Texas . It is one hundred fifty-two miles west of San Antonio. As of 2015, the city had a population of 40,549. Del Rio is connected with Ciudad Acuña via the Lake Amistad Dam International Crossing and Del Río – Ciudad Acuña International Bridge. Del Rio is also home to Laughlin Air Force Base, the busiest United States Air Force pilot training complex in the world.
The Spanish established a small settlement south of the Rio Grande in present-day Mexico, and some Spaniards settled on what became the United States side of the Rio Grande as early as the 18th century. U.S. development on the north shore of the Rio Grande did not begin until after the American Civil War.
The San Felipe Springs, about 8 mi (13 km) east of the Rio Grande on the U.S. side of the border, produces 90×106 US gal (340,000 m3) of water a day. Developers acquired several thousand acres of land adjacent to the springs, and to San Felipe Creek formed by the springs, from the State of Texas in exchange for building a canal system to irrigate the area. The developers sold tracts of land surrounding the canals to recover their investment and show a profit. The initial investors (William C. Adams, John P. Grove, Donald Jackson, John Perry, Joseph Ney, Randolph Pafford, A. O. Strickland, and James H Taylor) formed the San Felipe Agricultural, Manufacturing, and Irrigation Company in 1868. The organization completed construction of a network of irrigation canals in 1871. Residents referred to the slowly developing town as San Felipe Del Rio because local lore said the name came from early Spanish explorers who offered a Mass at the site on St. Philip's Day, 1635.
In 1883, local residents requested a post office be established. The United States Postal Department shortened "San Felipe del Rio" to "Del Rio" to avoid confusion with San Felipe de Austin. In 1885, Val Verde County was organized and Del Rio became the county seat. The City of Del Rio was incorporated on November 15, 1911.
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Wikipedia