Mcallen

McAllen is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas. It is located at the very southern tip of Texas in an area known as the Rio Grande Valley. McAllen is also fondly referred to as the City of Palms due to the several palm trees that can be found in this area.

History:

Even though travelers had passed through and explored South Texas, it wasn't until the 1740's that established settlements started to take interest in this area.

When a guy named John McAllen arrived in the Rio Grande Valley during the early 1850's, the area we now know as McAllen started to develop. In 1904, John McAllen and a few others established a town area and called it West McAllen. And in 1907, other developers started a town on their own land and named it East McAllen.

The two groups then joined forces soon after that. As a result, by 1910 many businesses, churches and residences had been built

The city grew immensely during the 1970's. By 1980, the city almost doubled in population and continued to grow steadily.

Geography:

As claimed by the United States Census Bureau, the city offers a total area of approximately 119.8 km. While 119.1 km of it is land, almost 0.8 km of it is water.

Climate:

McAllen has a subtropical climate. The warm season is longer in this area. The average high in January is around 71.4 F and the average low is about 51.8 F. In August, the average high is approximately 96.4 F and the average low is around 75.8 F.

The average yearly precipitation in McAllen is around 23 inches. Most of it occurs during the warm season. September tends to be the wettest month averaging around 4.1 inches of rain. This is mainly since September is the peak month of the North Atlantic Hurricane Season and therefore tropical storms and hurricanes drop plentiful amounts of rainfall onto this area. The driest month is March with approximately 0.72 inches of rain.

So far, the highest temperature ever recorded in McAllen is 110 F - once in 1998 and once in 1999. And the lowest temperature ever recorded is 17 F - in 1962.

Economy:

McAllen's economy seemed to have improved after NAFTA (a free trade agreement among Canada, the United States of America and Mexico) went into action on January 1, 1994. Prior to this agreement, economic activity in McAllen was mainly based on agriculture. But now, several multinational companies such as Maytag, Nokia, and General Electric have established themselves in McAllen. This industrial area includes an international airport, two international bridges: The McAllen-Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge and the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge (with a third under construction), and a foreign trade zone.

It seems that over the last three decades, McAllen has transformed into the business and government leader in the Rio Grande Valley area. The city has not only become home to many multinational businesses, but is also considered the center of most state and federal government operations in the Rio Grande Valley. Therefore, it doesnt come as a surprise that according to the McAllen Economic Development Corporation, the McAllen metropolitan area is considered one of the fastest growing in Texas as well as the U.S.

Education:

The McAllen Independent School District serves most of the city, while some small portions of the city extend into the Hidalgo Independent School District, the La Joya Independent School District, the Sharyland Independent School District and the Valley View Independent School District.

McAllen is also home to some respected institutes of higher education such as the South Texas College and the University of Texas-Pan American

Transportation:

The McAllen Express bus service covers six different routes throughout the city from Monday through Friday.

In terms of passengers, the McAllen-Miller International Airport is the second busiest airport in the Rio Grande Valley area (the busiest is the Valley International Airport in Harlingen, Texas).

Attractions:

McAllen offers several activities and attractions for its visitors. Although they have a little something for everyone, its those nature-lovers that are in for a real treat.

The McAllen Botanical Gardens (also known as McAllen Nature Center or the Valley Nature Center) are a great example of that. Established in 1962, it offers beautiful botanical gardens as well a nature preserve. They also contain several picnic areas and hiking trails.

McAllen is also considered one of the most popular places in the United States for birdwatching. Located on the migratory path between North and South America, it offers a chance to witness unique and exciting bird expeditions.

But thats not all. Several events take place throughout the year in downtown McAllen as well, such as the Street Market held the first Sunday of each month from January through March and the Mini Grand Prix Car Race - hosted the last weekend in February.

McAllen is a city that has come a long way from when it was established and is still continuing to grow. Trying to fulfill every requirement an individual may have, McAllen is surely a wonderful place.

Other Articles

1. texas saltwater fishing
     Texas has a world class salt water fishery. Salt Water Fishing in Texas is as good as anywhere along the US coas...
2. loans in dallas
     Loans in DallasLoan is a form of debt or financial help given by lender to borrower. It is supposed to be return...
3. texas resorts
     Texas ResortA resort is a place meant for relaxation or recreation. A resort is different from other lodgings li..