Uvalde, Texas

Name

Uvalde was founded in 1853 as the town of Encina, but was renamed in 1856 as Uvalde. Its name is a misspelling of the Spanish governor Juan de Ugalde (Cádiz, Andalusia, 1729–1816). Ugalde is a name of Basque origin, meaning water-side or river.

Pronunciations of the name of the town vary. One common pronunciation is the fully Anglicized version ( ). A fully Spanish version is also in common use, which is often approximated by English speakers as . There are also pronunciations that combine the English and Spanish versions. The chosen pronunciation often shows how strong a person's connection with the Hispanic community is or general knowledge of its pronunciation.

History

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. 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.

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.

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

Robb Elementary shooting

Main article: Uvalde school 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.

Government

Since January 2025, Hector Luevano has served as mayor of Uvalde.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.8 sqkm, all land.

Transportation

Uvalde is located at the crossroads of U.S. Hwy 90 and U.S. Hwy 83. 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.

Demographics

|align-fn=center Texas Almanac: 1850–2000 1850–1900 1910 1920 1930 1940

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 15,217 people, 5,217 households, and 3,663 families residing in the city.

2010 census

At the 2010 United States census, 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 PD/sqmi. The 5,313 housing units averaged 790.1 per square mile (305.3/km). 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.

Education

Uvalde is within the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, which operates Uvalde High School. Southwest Texas Junior College has a campus next to Uvalde on the site of Garner Field. The Garner Field facility also houses a campus of Sul Ross State University.

Arts and culture

The John Nance Garner House in Uvalde, which was home to John Nance Garner for 30 years, chronicles his life. Garner served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1931 to 1933, and as Franklin D. Roosevelt's Vice President from 1933 to 1941. Also in Uvalde are:

• The Aviation Museum at Garner Field has displays of World War II aircraft.
• The Briscoe Art and Antique Collection displays the collection of former Texas governor Dolph Briscoe.
• The Janey Slaughter Briscoe Grand Opera House hosts community theater and concerts.

Parks and recreation

Uvalde is known as one of the best locations for gliding in the United States. It was the site of the 1991, 2012, and 2024 World Gliding Championships. The Uvalde area of the Texas Hill Country is home to many native and exotic species of animals, which allow sportsmen almost year-round hunting opportunities.

Outdoor Life magazine named Uvalde County one of the best white-tailed deer hunting areas in the world.

Transportation

Roads

Highways

Farm to Market Roads

Notable people

• Oscar Albarado, world champion boxer
• Bobby Bonner, former MLB shortstop
• Dolph Briscoe, former governor of Texas
• Pete Conrad, former astronaut, resident for 30 years
• Dale Evans, actress
• King Fisher, gunslinger, sheriff of Uvalde County 1881 and 1883, buried in Uvalde
• John Nance Garner, the 32nd Vice President of the United States
• Pat Garrett, Old West lawman, killer of Billy the Kid, one time resident of Uvalde
• Carlos Guevara, former MLB pitcher
• Harvey Hildebran, former Texas state representative
• Dave Hilton, former MLB third baseman
• Ben Kinchlow, former co-host of The 700 Club
• Matthew McConaughey, Oscar-winning actor
• Vann McElroy, former NFL star and Super Bowl winner
• Tom O'Folliard, American outlaw, friend of Billy the Kid
• Brooks Raley, MLB pitcher for the New York Mets
• Terry Shand, pianist, vocalist, bandleader and songwriter.
• Marshall Ashmun Upson, American journalist, ghostwriter of Pat Garrett's 1882 book The Authentic Life of Billy, the Kid, buried in Uvalde
• Los Palominos, Grammy award-winning tejano music band

Notes

References

Sources

• {{cite web |access-date=May 25, 2008 |archive-date=February 12, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100212071601/http://uvaldetx.com/content/history |url-status=dead

References

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2. (May 22, 2025). "Uvalde's new mayor discusses honoring Robb Elementary shooting victims and addressing city's needs". KSAT.
3. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
4. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
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8. [https://www.google.com/maps/ Google Maps] {{Webarchive. link. (July 24, 2018 (using "measure distance" tool))
9. (2001). "Ugalde". Bisabuelos.
10. Sarmiento, Isabella Gomez. (June 3, 2022). "How we pronounce Uvalde says a lot about the power of language in mixed communities". [[NPR]] News.
11. (May 24, 2022). "Facts about Uvalde, site of latest Texas school shooting". The Dallas Morning News.
12. "Nancy Beck Young, "San Antonio, Uvalde and Gulf Railroad Company"". [[Texas State Historical Association]] on-line.
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17. (May 25, 2022). "Texas shooting: 19 children among dead in primary school attack". BBC.
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19. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Uvalde city, Texas". [[United States Census Bureau]].
20. Sources in the city erroneously say it is "at the crossroads of the nation's two longest highways, U.S. 90 and U.S. 83." (e.g. http://www.visituvalde.com/attractions.html {{Webarchive. link. (July 11, 2014 ). Neither is the longest in the U.S.)
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39. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Uvalde city, Texas".
40. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Uvalde city, Texas".
41. "Uvalde". [[Southwest Texas Junior College]].
42. "Uvalde Campus". [[Sul Ross State University]].
43. "John Nance Garner Museum". The Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin.
44. "Intown Attractions". Uvalde Convention & Visitors Bureau.
45. (August 2012). "Why Uvalde? Why Indeed!".
46. (August 14, 2017). "Hunting".
47. (June 2010). "Best Towns".