Edinburg, TX

Edinburg is a city in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, 15 miles from the Mexico border. It is the county seat of Hidalgo County, a mostly low-income Latino area. U.S. Highway 281, the "NAFTA highway" (future Interstate 69) that emanates from San Antonio, passes through town on its way to the border.

The population of Edinburg is just below 69,000, an increase of over 40 percent since 2000. The McAllen-Edinburg-Mission Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Hidalgo County, has a population of more than 710,000; it has the lowest per-capita income of any Metropolitan Statistical Area in the United States.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

Edinburg's neighborhoods include:

• City Center: The axis of Edinburg's street grid is Courthouse Square (Hidalgo Plaza), at the intersection of University Drive and Closner Boulevard. However, the town's center of gravity is slightly to the west, near the campus of the University of Texas-Pan American, and includes a commercial center, Schunior Street.
• Freddy Gonzales Drive/Closner area: South of the university, this is a district with suburban-style development and relatively high incomes.
• Jackson Road/Wisconsin Road: This neighborhood at the southern edge of town is the most affluent section of town.
• San Carlos/Doolittle: This poorer area extends northward along Highway 281 from the eastern section of Edinburg into the outlying community of Doolittle.
• Lull: This area, mostly north and west of the university, is usually considered part of Edinburg.

Other communities immediately surrounding Edinburg include:

• Red Gate
• San Carlos
• San Juan
• Cesar Chavez
• Nurillo
• Lopezville
• Muniz

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

Originally a ranching town, Edinburg developed agriculturally after the area put in irrigation systems in the early 20th century. In recent decades, the area's economy has diversified into manufacturing and trade-related businesses, taking advantage of low labor costs in factories just over the Mexican border. Some of the industries currently operating in Edinburg are:

• Grain processing and tortilla manufacturing
• Wholesaling and produce distribution
• Corrugated boxes and paperboard packaging
• Oilfield products
• Agricultural chemicals

Leading Edinburg employers include:

• Edinburg School District
• Edinburg Regional Medical Center
• University of Texas-Pan American
• City and county governments
• United States Customs and Border Patrol
• Wal-Mart

BEST BETS

• Museum of South Texas History (Hidalgo County Historical Museum), a collection of artifacts that provides a thorough overview of the region's history from indigenous tribes to Spanish colonization to NAFTA and today's immigration debates. The museum, at the center of town on Courthouse Square, is housed in one of Edinburg's most historic buildings. Built in 1909, it was originally the county jail (a gallows is one of the exhibits on display), then served as City Hall before becoming the museum's headquarters.
• Southern Pacific Train Depot, an historic depot built in 1927 that now serves as a Visitor Information Center run by Edinburg's Chamber of Commerce. It is located in Edinburg's compact, walkable downtown, midway between Courthouse Square and the university campus.
• Tejano Walk of Fame, a downtown sidewalk attraction celebrating South Texas' contribution to America's musical gumbo. Like the footprints at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, the Tejano walkway adds new stars every year during Hispanic Heritage month in October. A statue of Tejano star Jose Roberto Pulido, an Edinburg native, marks the spot where the walk begins.
• The University of Texas-Pan American has three art galleries on campus, displaying contemporary art, student work and works by modernists such as Salvador Dali and Man Ray.
• El Sal de Rey (Salt of the King), a salt lake mined by the Spanish from Conquistador days.
• Fiesta Edinburg is the city's annual festival, a four-day event held in February, highlights of which include a parade and rodeo.

FOR VISITORS

• Edinburg Municipal Park, a 90-acre green space on the eastern edge of town, with playing fields, picnic amenities, nature trails and man-made fishing lakes.
• The Edinburg Scenic Wetlands and World Birding Center, 40 acres of urban wetlands just west of the municipal park, and a sanctuary for waterfowl and butterflies. Visitors can watch the passing wildlife through floor-to-ceiling windows in the interpretive center, or take guided tours, including evening tours to experience "nature's night shift."
• Golf enthusiasts can choose from three courses in the nearby vicinity.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

• The Edinburg Coyotes baseball team plays in both the United Baseball League and the Texas Winter League. The team is professional, but not affiliated with any major league club. The Edinburg Professional Baseball Stadium is near the university at Sugar Road and Schunior Street.
• Sheriff's Posse Arena, a bit south of Edinburg at Highway 281 and West Wisconsin Road, features a weekly "Rio Round-up," cattle roping and the occasional rodeo.
• An International Racetrack Association facility 20 miles north of town offers drag- and motorcycle-racing year-round.

EDUCATION

• The University of Texas-Pan American serves more than 17,000 students, ranking it among the 10 largest campuses in the state.
• Rio Grande Bible Institute is a Bible college for Latin American students, and trains North Americans for missionary work in the Spanish-speaking world.

LOCAL MEDIA

• The Edinburg Review, formerly a daily, now prints twice a week.
• The McAllen Monitor is the nearest daily (circulation: 32,000).