The Mercedes Area Chamber of Commerce extends to you a
Welcome to Mercedes
THE QUEEN CITY OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY
 
 
 
 
 
FOR MORE INFORMATION CHOOSE AND CLICK A SUBJECT BELOW OR PHOTO ABOVE
 
 
Chamber Officers and Directors
 Mercedes EDC City of Mercedes City of Mercedes Utilities Municipal Government
History & Location Rio GrandeValley  Livestock Show Shopping and Business Centers Transportation Education
More Information Recreational Facilities  Commercial Facilities /Service Major Employers Mercedes Police Department
Population Climate Labor Force Taxes Government Offices
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Mercedes Area Chamber of Commerce Officers
Bob Price--President
Jim Beale -1st Vice President
Rudy Salinas - 2nd Vice President
Barry Jones - Treasurer
Rafie Flores - Imm. Past  President
 
 
 Mercedes Area Chamber of Commerce Directors
Mary Bunton / Bill Bunton Auto Supply
Nino Cantu / The Print Shop
Bricy Casas / Mercedes Family Dentistry
Mario Dominguez / State Farm Insurance
Kenneth Eilers / Borderland Hardware of Mercedes
George Garcia / Garcia-Trevino Funeral Home
Tony Garza / McAfee Agency
Vickie Solis / H&H Foods
Eduardo Infante / MISD
Edna Martinez / First National Bank Mercedes
Jayshri Patel / Marble Arch Convention Center
Patricia Phillipp / Texas State Bank
Joe Powell / The Palms at Mid Valley Golf Course
 
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 THE HISTORY AND LOCATION OF MERCEDES
(First some history)
The city of Mercedes was founded September 15, 1907 by the American Rio Grande Land & Irrigation Company, and was incorporated March 8, 1909.
The city was located in Capisallo Pasture, part of Capisallo Ranch owned by Jim Welles.   This location was known as the Pear Orchard owing to the vast numbers of prickly pear cactus growing there at that time.
 
The original name given to the city was Diaz in honor of Porfirio Diaz, then president of Mexico.   Later it was renamed Mercedes Diaz in honor of the president's wife and from that,  Mercedes became the Queen City.
 
General Zachary Taylor's headquarters was just to the south east of Mercedes near the river.   There the old Rabb Ranch was famous for it's stage coach stop and riverboat landing for the riverboats that plied up and down the Rio Grande River carrying supplies to the settlements and military installations.
 
The old Toluca Ranch still stands just east of the International Bridge at Progreso, our sister city to the south.  This Ranch was just a stones throw from the river and a prized target for the banditos during the days of Poncho Villa.   It was built with many secret rooms and passages and heavy wooden shutters on the windows to protect its residents.
 
 
LOCATION
   
Highway Mileage From Mercedes To:
City    

Miles

Hours Minutes
Harlingen

10

 -- 15
McAllen

20

 -- 25
Corpus Christi

150

 3 --
San Antonio 250 4 30
Mexico 8 -- 10
Padre Island 45 1 --
 
 
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CLIMATE
A. Temperature ;

Average Winter Temperature

50F

Average Summer Temperature

98F
Average Annual Temperature

72F

 

B. Precipitation ;

Average Annual Precipitation

18 to 20 in

 

 C. Prevailing Winds

S.E.
 
 
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POPULATION
 
A.  Trends CITY COUNTY
1970* 9,335 181,535
1980* 11,851 148,870
1990* 12,694 383,545
2000* 13,649 569,463
 * Based on Official Census
Current Estimate 15,000 600,000
B.  Ethnic Groups
White 12% 15%
Hispanics 88% 85%

 
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 TAXES
A.  Real Property Rates/$100  Assessment Ratio
City 0.8627 100%
County 0.5626 100%
 School 1.4100 100%
B.   Local Taxes Local sales Tax 2 %
C.   State Taxes Corporate Income 0 %
State Sales Tax 6 1/4 %
Individual Income 0 %
* Franchise Tax $5,50
  * ( Per $1000 of Stated Capital & Retained Earnings )

  

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LABOR FORCE
 
City  
County

A.  Total Labor Force

 6,803 180,737

B.  Employed

 5,802 148,870

C.  Unemployed Rate

 17.2 % 17.5 %
Detailed Labor Information Upon Request

 

                                                                                                                       
               
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UTILITIES
 

             A. Electricity
                     Distributor ....................... Cenrtal Power & Light Co. 
                     Transmission ................... 345 KV,     138 KH
                     Distribution ...................... 12 KV
                     Valley Cap: ...................... 1200 MW  Load  915 MW

              B. Tele Communications
                     Telephone Co.................. Southwestern Bell Telephone Co
.
              C. Natural Gas
                     Distributor .......................... Southern Union Gas Co.
                     Transmission Line serving area......... 12 in. @ 500 psi
                     Distribution Line Pressure .............................. 45 psi
                     Average BTU per cubic foot ............. 1,000 BTU/CF

              D. Water
                      Source: ... 1. Rio Grande River...... 2. Well (Reserve)
                      Maximum Daily System Capacity: ............ 3.5 MGD
                      Maximum Daily Use : .............................. 2.8 MGD
                      Overhead Storage Capacity: .........................  .5 MG
                      Ground Storage Capacity: ........................... 1.5 MG
                      Size Of Mains: ..................................  10 to 12 inch
                      Pressure of Mains: .............................. 55 t0 60 psig
                      System Looped: ...........................................YES...

              E. Sewer
                      Type of Treatment Plant: ..................Oxidation Ditch
                      Maximum Capacity: ................................. 2.3 MGD
                      Present Load: .......................................... 1.1 MGD 
 
              F. Industrial Waste Disposal
                     Service Available: .......................YES, 5 - 6 per week
 

 

               

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TRANSPORTATION
 

                     A.     Air
                                Nearest Airport:                          Rebel Field - Mercedes
                                    Runway length   (ft):  3,000                Surface:    Paved
                                    Lighted: No
                                Nearest Airport with Commercial Service
                                    1.  Valley International - Harlingen:                 15 miles
                                    2.  McAllen International - McAllen:               25 miles
                                 Lines Serving Area:  Continental, American, Southwest

                                 Air Freight:   Yes
                                 Helicopter:    Yes
                                 Private Air Service Available:   Yes
                     B.    Water
                                 Deep Water Port:                                           Brownsville
                                 Distance:                                                         35 miles
                                 Barge Canal:                                           Port of Harlingen
                                 Distance:                                                         15 miles
                     C.    Highways
                                 Major Highways                              US 83; US 281; US 77
                                 Nearest Interstate                           IH 37  & IH 35
                      D.    Motor Frieght
                                 Alamo Express
                                 Brown Express
                      E.     Rail:                                            Union Pacific  (MOPAC)
                      F.     Bus Service:                                Valley Transit - Trailways
                      G.    Parcel Service:  U.P.S. ; Federal Express ; Airborne Express

 

                      

 
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EDUCATION
                   
                     A.  School Districts
                               Number of School Districts in County                                  14
                               Total Enrollment - Mercedes ISD                                   5,072
                               Number of H,S, graduates                                                 270
                               Major ISD:  Mercedes Independent School District
                     B.  Summary of Educational Facilities in City
                                                                                                     Student/Teacher
                                                                       Pub.           Priv.              Ratio
                               # of Elem. Schools             5                -                   22/1
                               # of Jr. High Schools          1                -                   22/1
                               # of High Schools               3                -                   22/1
                      C.   Special Educational Programs Offered in Area:
                             Magnet Schools:
                                   South Texas H.S. for Health Proffessions
                                   South Texas Science Academy
                       D.  Adult Education Offered by Public Schools and/or Jr. College
                                    Adult Basic Education
                       E.  Public School Vocational Training Programs
                                    Agriculture Science;  Homemaking; Marketing; Voc. Office Education;
                                    Electrician; Drafting; Cosmotology; Mechanical; General Construction.
                        F.  Higher Educational Facilities
                                                                                Distance                ......Yes / No.......
                                                Name                                                       Miles - A.A. - B.S. - M.S. - PhD.
                                   - University of Texas
                                     Pan  American of Edinburg                                 28                    X         X        X
                                   - Texas State Technical
                                      College Harligen                                                  10          X
                                   - South Texas Vo- Tech
                                      Weslaco                                                                3            X
                                   - University of Texas
                                      Brownsville                                                          35                     X         X        X
                                   - South Texas Community
                                     College McAllen                                                  20           X
                                   - South Texas Community
                                     College Weslaco                                                  4             X

 

 
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COMMERCIAL FACILITIES & SERVICES
 
                A.  News Papers Available:
                                  Daily;    3            Weekly;       1        Bi-Weekly     1
                B.  Radio and Television:
                                  Cable available :       Yes
                C.  Telegraph:             Western Union
                D.  Financial Instatutions:
                                    Name:
                                      - Texas State Bank
                                      - First National Bank
                                        Edinburg / Mercedes (Branch)            
                                      - Mercedes National Bank                    

 

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GOVERNMENT OFFICES
                        A. Government Offices in City
                                         Department of Human Resources
                                      Empowerment Zone HQ
                                      International Boundry Water Commission
                                      Agricultural Research Services
                                      Hidalgo County Water District #9 HQ

 

 
  
 
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COMMUNITY & RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
 
                               A.  Lodging
                                                Hotels / Motels:           3
                                      B.  Medical
                                                Number of Physicians:  7
                                                Clinics:                         3
                                                Medivac Services:        Yes
                                                Number of Dentists:      1
                                                Ambulance Service:      Yes
                                                Eye Care Center           Yes
                                       C.  Number of Churches
                                                Catholic,  Lutheran,  Christian,  Presbyterian
                                                Seventh Day Adventist,  Living Word,  Nazarene,
                                                Baptist,  Methodist,  Assembly of God,  Church of God


 

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MAJOR EMPLOYERS
 

 

                                                                                                                                       
                          Name                                                   Product                   Employment                 Union
                         - H&H Meats                                          Meats/Meals                   370                                 No
                         - Queen City Apparel Master               Uniforms                            43                                 No
                        - Rios of Mercedes                                  Boots                                 65                                 No
                        - Anderson Bean Boot Co.                     Boots                                 27                                 No
                        - Borden's, Inc.                                         Dairy Products                 55                                 No
                        - NSC Corp'                                               Plastics                              25                                 No
                        - C&C Bakery, Inc.                                   Tortillas                           100                                 No
                        - HEB Food Store                                     Groceries                         145                                 No
                        - Magic Valley Electric Co-Op                Electricity                        160                                 No
                        - L & G Concrete                                       Construction                  300                                 No
                        - Mercedes I.S.D.                                      School                             850                                 Yes
                        - South Texas I.S.D.                                  School                             430                                        


 

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MORE INFORMATION
 
For More Information Contact:
 
Mercedes Area Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 37,  Mercedes, Texas 78570
Telephone:  956-565-2221
Tel-Fax: 956-565-2221
E-MAIL:  http:// www.macocrrs@ hiline.net
 
 
 
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-last update August 2001-
  This Page developed by the Magic Surfer
while waiting for the big wave!

Updated

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