| Laredo, Texas |
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Laredo is the County Seat of Webb County , Texas , United States , on the north bank of the Rio Grande (''Río Bravo''), across from Nuevo Laredo , Mexico . As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 176,576. A July 1 , 2003 Census estimate raised this number to 197,488. The Laredo Bucks is the city's professional hockey franchise. The city is served by Laredo International Airport . The city's main newspaper is the '' Laredo Morning Times ''. History The town of Laredo was founded in 1755 while the area was part of a region called Nuevo Santander in the Spanish colony of New Spain . In 1840 Laredo was the capital of the independent Republic Of 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 be part of Mexico rather than the United States . However, the U.S. Military refused the petition, and the bulk of the population moved over the river into Mexican territory to found the new town of Nuevo Laredo . In 1849 the military set up ''Fort McIntosh'' (originally ''Camp Crawford'') by the town. Laredo was rechartered as a city in 1852 . Laredo is one of the oldest Border Crossing points along the U.S.-Mexico Border , and the nation's busiest inland port. In 2005 , Laredo celebrated the 250th anniversary of its founding. Geography Laredo is located at 27°31'28" North, 99°29'26" West (27.524445, -99.490593). According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 206.0 Km&2 (79.6 Mi&2 ). 203.2 km&2 (78.5 mi&2) of it is land and 2.8 km&2 (1.1 mi&2) of it is water. The total area is 1.37% water. Laredo is at the southern end of Interstate 35 , which spans from Duluth, Minnesota , to Laredo. Also according to the United States Census Bureau , at a 2000 census, Laredo is the second fastest growing city in the United States , (Las Vegas, Nevada, being the first). Demographics As of the Census of 2000, there were 176,576 people, 46,852 households, and 39,964 families residing in the city. The Population Density was 868.9/km&2 (2,250.5/mi&2). There were 50,319 housing units at an average density of 247.6/km&2 (641.3/mi&2). The racial makeup of the city was 82.27% White , 0.37% African American , 0.44% Native American , 0.46% Asian , 0.03% Pacific Islander , 13.94% from Other Races , and 2.49% from two or more races. 94.13% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 46,852 households out of which 52.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.0% were Married Couples living together, 18.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.7% were non-families. 12.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.70 and the average family size was 4.05. In the city the population was spread out with 35.5% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 15.8% from 45 to 64, and 7.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $9,108, and the median income for a family was $12,449. Males had a median income of $4,070 versus $1,202 for females. The Per Capita Income for the city was $1,084. 29.6% of the population and 25.2% of families were below the Poverty Line . 97.7% of those under the age of 18 and 86.1% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. Sister cities
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