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Raymondville, Texas facts for kids

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Raymondville, Texas
City of Raymondville
Willacy Court House
Willacy Court House
Location of Raymondville, Texas
Location of Raymondville, Texas
Willacy County Raymondville.svg
Country United States
State Texas
County Willacy
Area
 • Total 4.13 sq mi (10.68 km2)
 • Land 4.12 sq mi (10.66 km2)
 • Water 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)
Elevation
30 ft (9 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 10,236
 • Density 2,478.5/sq mi (958.4/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
78580, 78598
Area code(s) 956
FIPS code 48-60836
GNIS feature ID 1377181

Raymondville is a city in and the county seat of Willacy County, Texas, United States. The population was 10,236 at the 2020 census. It may be included as part of the Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville and the Matamoros–Brownsville metropolitan areas.

Raymondville was formed in 1904 by Edward Burleson Raymond, a foreman of the El Sauz Ranch portion of the King Ranch and owner of the Las Majadas Ranch.

Geography

Raymondville is located at 26°28′53″N 97°46′59″W / 26.48139°N 97.78306°W / 26.48139; -97.78306 (26.481464, –97.783013) and is known as the "Gateway to the Rio Grande Valley." According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.8 km2), all land.

Soils are mostly clay or sandy clay loams which are well drained or moderately well drained. Some fine sandy loams underlie the eastern part of town. These have near neutral pH. Other parts of town have moderately alkaline, somewhat saline soils. Around the southern edge of town is an area of strong salinity, which imposes limitations on farmers and gardeners.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, Raymondville has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.

Demographics

2020 census

Raymondville racial composition
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race Number Percentage
White (NH) 817 7.98%
Black or African American (NH) 418 4.08%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 15 0.15%
Asian (NH) 148 1.45%
Some Other Race (NH) 21 0.21%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) 19 0.19%
Hispanic or Latino 8,798 85.95%
Total 10,236

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 10,236 people, 2,826 households, and 2,151 families residing in the city.

Infrastructure

Raymondville is the location of three private prisons, all adjacent to each other:

  • The Willacy County Correctional Center (26°28′12″N 97°45′44″W / 26.469897°N 97.762176°W / 26.469897; -97.762176), owned and operated by the Management and Training Corporation under contract with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is located on the east side of Interstate 69E/U.S. Route 77. Constructed in 45 days, it opened in 2006 and closed in March 2015 after destructive riots; the center was a large "tent city" federal holding center for illegal immigrants.
  • The Willacy County Regional Detention Center, or the Willacy Detention Center (26°28′15″N 97°45′32″W / 26.470818°N 97.758837°W / 26.470818; -97.758837) opened in 2003. It is operated by Management and Training Corporation housing federal prisoners for the U.S. Marshal Service.
  • The Willacy County State Jail (26°28′01″N 97°46′03″W / 26.467076°N 97.767420°W / 26.467076; -97.767420), operated by the Corrections Corporation of America under contract with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, is a medium-security facility with a capacity of 1069. CCA has managed this facility since 2004. This facility was opened by Wackenhut, now GEO Group, in 1996. On April 26, 2001, inmate Gregorio De La Rosa, Jr., was beaten to death by other prisoners. This incident caused a $42.5 million civil settlement against Wackenhut.

The United States Postal Service operates the Raymondville Post Office.

The Raymondville Independent School District serves the city.

The Reber Memorial Library is located in Raymondville.

The Raymondville Chronicle and Willacy County News, a weekly newspaper, is published in Raymondville.

Notable people

  • Clinton Manges (1923–2010), businessman; lived in Raymondville, married a native belle, built and owned a bowling alley
  • Angela Via (born 1981), Singer; was born and raised in Raymondville

Films

Raymondville's history was the subject of the film, Valley of Tears. The movie visits the Mexican-American community that had worked the onion fields of rural South Texas in three different eras, observing how the seeds of change planted 20 years ago seem ready to bear fruit today. Politicians and officials interviewed in the film include Larry Spence, former District Attorney Juan Angel Guerra, Paul Whitworth, Wetegrove families, Dr. Allan Spence, and school-board and city-council members.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Raymondville (Texas) para niños

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