Uvalde, Texas

Founding

Uvalde was founded by Reading Wood Black in 1853 as the town of Encina. In 1856, when the county was organized, the town was renamed Uvalde after Spanish governor Juan de Ugalde (Cádiz, Andalusia, 1729–1816) and was chosen as county seat.^[11] It is the southern limit of the Texas Hill Country and is part of South Texas. Uvalde is known for its production, dating back to the 1870s, of huajillo honey (also spelled guajillo), a mild, light-colored honey.^[12][13]

1900s

In 1924, aviator Charles Lindbergh landed his Canadian-built version of the Curtiss JN Jenny biplane in the town square. He was misoriented and low on fuel. After refueling, he found he was unable to take off as he had landed. He maneuvered his aircraft onto a nearby street and attempted to take off. He hit an obstruction and struck a hardware store causing slight damage to both the building and his aircraft. He was able to leave after replacing the propeller.^[14]

One renowned resident of Uvalde was Franklin Roosevelt's first vice president who served from 1933 to 1941, John Nance Garner.^[15] Garner notably used his legislative experience and Congressional friendships to steer New Deal legislation through the U.S. Congress.^[16][17]

Robb Elementary shooting

On May 24, 2022, 19 children and two adults were murdered, and 18 others were injured, in the Robb Elementary School shooting. It is the deadliest school shooting in Texas history, and the third deadliest school shooting in US history.^[18][19]

Transportation

Uvalde is located at the crossroads of U.S. Hwy 90 and U.S. Hwy 83.^[21] U.S. Route 90 runs east–west through the center of Uvalde as Main Street, leading west 39 miles (63 km) to Brackettville and east 22 miles (35 km) to Sabinal. U.S. Route 83 runs north–south through the center of Uvalde, following Milam Street on the north side of the city and a portion of S Getty Street on the south city of the city. It leads south 20 miles (32 km) south La Pryor and north 40 miles (64 km) to Leakey. Texas State Highway 55 runs northeast from Uvalde 39 miles (63 km) to Camp Wood and 69 miles (111 km) to Rocksprings.

The closest airport with commercial airline service is Del Rio International Airport, on the west side of Del Rio, 72 miles (116 km) from Uvalde to the west, and the closest commercial airline service hub is San Antonio International Airport, on the north side of San Antonio 88 miles (142 km) to the east.

Climate

The climate in this region is characterized by hot, humid summers and mild, dry winters. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Uvalde has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa (inclining toward Cwa), on climate maps.^[22]

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Uvalde had a population of 15,217 in 5,332 households, including 3,663 families. The median age was 35.7 years, 25.9% of residents were under the age of 18, and 16.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.3 males age 18 and over.^[41]

99.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.1% lived in rural areas.^[42]

Of those households, 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 44.1% were married-couple households, 16.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.^[41]

There were 5,995 housing units, of which 11.1% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.9%.^[41]

2010 census

At the 2010 United States census,^[7] the population was 15,751.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census, 14,929 people, 4,796 households and 3,716 families resided in the city. The population density was 2,220.2 inhabitants per square mile (857.2/km²). The 5,313 housing units averaged 790.1 per square mile (305.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 78.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% White, 0.47% African American, 0.62% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0% from other races, and 2.97% from two or more races.

Of the 4,796 households, 41.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 16.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.5% were not families; 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.50.

About 32.4% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males.

The household median income was $25,259 and for a family was $27,897. Males had a median income of $25,600 compared with $15,674 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,735. About 24.2% of families and 29.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.1% of those under age 18 and 23.8% of those age 65 or over.

Roads