Why McAllen
Situated at the southern tip of Texas within the Rio Grande Valley, McAllen lies directly along the border with Mexico. As the most populous municipality in Hidalgo County, its southern limits extend to the Rio Grande directly opposite the Mexican city of Reynosa. Together with neighboring communities, McAllen anchors a large binational metropolitan area connected by international river crossings, including the McAllen–Hidalgo–Reynosa International Bridge and the Anzalduas International Bridge.
Geographically, the city is positioned roughly 238 miles south of San Antonio and 60 miles northwest of Brownsville. Though historically nicknamed "The City of Palms," tropical plant life is only locally prominent. The surrounding landscape features a mix of thorny shrubs and deciduous tree species, such as honey mesquite, cedar elm, and Rio Grande ash.
McAllen was established following the 1904 expansion of the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway onto donated ranch land, earning incorporation as a town in 1911. Early development centered on farming, with cultivated fields producing citrus fruits, cotton, grapes, figs, and alfalfa. Mid-century petroleum discoveries and the construction of an international toll bridge subsequently transformed the city into a regional oil center, agricultural processor, and winter resort serving cross-border travelers.
Throughout the latter half of the 20th century, McAllen shifted from a primarily rural economy into an international commerce hub. The expansion of the cross-border maquiladora industry—wherein materials are assembled in Mexican facilities and transported across the border—alongside foreign trade zone status and international commercial agreements, established the city as a major point for trade, retail, and transit between the United States and Mexico.
McAllen experiences a hot semi-arid subtropical climate defined by long, humid summers and brief, mild winters. The year is split into a wet season between May and October and a dry season from November to April. Summer afternoon temperatures regularly top 90 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit with high heat index values, while September usually delivers the highest rainfall due to tropical weather. Winter conditions remain warm compared to most of the contiguous United States, with February marking the driest period of the year.
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