Uvalde, Texas

Uvalde is a city in and the county seat of Uvalde County, Texas, United States. The population was 15,751 at the 2010 census.

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, Andalucía, 1729-1816) and was chosen as county seat. It is usually considered the southern limit of the Texas Hill Country or the most northerly part of South Texas. Historically, Uvalde is known as the Honey Capital of the World for production of huajillo (also spelled guajillo) honey, a mild, light-colored honey, dating back to the 1870s.

Uvalde was the home of John Nance "Cactus Jack" Garner, former Speaker of the House and Vice President of the United States. Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey, actress Dale Evans, and former Governor of Texas Dolph Briscoe (after whom the post office is named), were born in Uvalde. The city is also home to the Grammy Award-winning Tejano/Norteño group Los Palominos.

Geography
Uvalde is located at 29.21444°N, -99.78972°W (29.214313, -99.789644) at the crossroads of U.S Hwy 90 and U.S. Hwy 83.

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

Uvalde is known as one of the best locations for soaring in the United States. It is the site of the 1991 and 2012 World Gliding Championships.

Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Uvalde has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa, on climate maps.

Demographics
At the 2010 census, the population was 15,751 people

At the 2000 census, 14,929 people, 4,796 households and 3,716 families resided in the city. The population density was 2,220.2 per square mile (857.8/km²). The 5,313 housing units averaged 790.1 per square mile (305.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 73.27% White, 0.47% African American, 0.62% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 22.12% from other races, and 2.97% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 75.48% of the population.

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 median household 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
The city is served by the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District which serves Uvalde, Real and Zavala Counties. The school district has 10 schools.

Southwest Texas Junior College has a campus near Uvalde, next to Garner Field.

Cultural attractions
Also located in Uvalde:
 * The John Nance Garner Museum in Uvalde, which was home to John Nance Garner for 30 years, chronicles his life. Garner served as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1931–1933 and as Franklin D. Roosevelt's Vice President from 1933 to 1941.
 * The Aviation Museum at Garner Field, which has displays of World War II aircraft
 * The Briscoe Art and Antique Collection, which displays the collection of former Texas governor Dolph Briscoe
 * The Janey Slaughter Briscoe Grand Opera House, which hosts community theater and concerts

Religion

 * Life Church
 * First Presbyterian Church
 * Episcopal Church
 * First United Methodist Church
 * First Baptist Church
 * Baptist Temple Church
 * Sacred Heart Catholic Church
 * Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church – Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod
 * The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Transportation
Uvalde, along with San Antonio, Carrizo Springs, Crystal City, and Corpus Christi, was a major stop on the defunct San Antonio, Uvalde and Gulf Railroad, which operated from 1909 until it was merged into the Missouri Pacific Railroad in 1956. From 1909 to 1912, the SAU&G was known as the Crystal City and Uvalde Railroad. The San Antonio-to-Corpus Christi freight route is now within the Union Pacific system.

The City of Uvalde owns Garner Field, a general aviation airport east of Uvalde.

Notable people

 * Dolph Briscoe, governor of Texas
 * Dale Evans, movie star and singer-songwriter, wife of Roy Rogers
 * King Fisher, gunslinger, buried in Uvalde
 * John Nance Garner, U.S. Vice President
 * Matthew McConaughey, movie actor
 * Vann McElroy, former NFL star and Super Bowl winner
 * Los Palominos, Tejano music group
 * Harvey Hildebran, Texas state representative
 * Marshall Ashmun Upson, author, buried in Uvalde
 * John Patrick ("Pat") Lowe, attorney and part-time art critic

Media

 * Uvalde Leader-News KHJQ93.1 FM Radio playing country music airs Dallas Cowboys football and Texas State Radio News Network