Mercedes, Texas
Mercedes is a city of 16,733 people in Hidalgo County, Texas, founded in 1907.
Why visit Mercedes
Townapedia lists 12 museums and landmarks, 7 parks and trails, 5 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include WesMer Drive-In Theatre, Estero Llano Grande State Park and Mercedes Sports Complex & Walking Trail.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 97°F; January lows average 50°F.
Weather in Mercedes
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Mercedes
Mercedes is a U.S. city in Hidalgo County, Texas. As of the 2020 census, Mercedes had a population of 16,258. It is part of the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission and Reynosa–McAllen metropolitan areas.
From the Wikipedia article Mercedes, Texas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks12
Parks, trails and playgrounds7
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Restaurants and cafes5
History
Mercedes is known as "The Queen City of the Valley" or "La Reina del Valle". Mercedes was founded September 15, 1907, by the American Rio Grande Land & Irrigation Company, and was incorporated March 8, 1909. It is one of the oldest towns in the Rio Grande Valley, and the city celebrated its centennial in 2007.
The city was located in Capisallo Pasture, part of Capisallo Ranch owned by Jim Welles. This location was known as the Pear Orchard because of the vast numbers of prickly pear cactus growing there at that time.
The origin of the city name - Mercedes - is not clear. A common claim is that the first name given to the city was "Diaz" in honor of Porfirio Diaz, then president of Mexico. Later it was supposedly renamed "Mercedes Diaz" in honor of the president's wife, and from that, Mercedes became the Queen City. This story, however, is historically inaccurate, given that neither of Diaz's two wives were named Mercedes.
During President Woodrow Wilson's administration, Camp Llano Grande was founded in 1916 southwest of Mercedes. Today, its location is in Weslaco, Texas, a town that didn't exist in 1916 and Mercedes was the nearest town. The National Defense Act called for the establishment of several National Guard camps, including Camp Llano Grande, to counter cross-border attacks led by Pancho Villa.
From the History section of Mercedes, Texas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay3
Quality Inn & Suites At The Outlets Mercedes/Weslaco
Motel and hotel · 1.4 mi
4701 East Expressway 83, Mercedes
Palm Aire Hotel & Suites
Motel and hotel · 2.8 mi
415 International Boulevard, Weslaco
Churches and places of worship6
Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 0.6 mi
322 South Vermont Avenue, Mercedes
Shopping2
Rio Grande Valley Premium Outlets
Shopping center · 1.7 mi
5001 East Expressway 83, Mercedes
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries58
Texas A&M University-Kingsville Citrus Center
School · 2.8 mi
312 North International Boulevard, Weslaco
Map of Mercedes
98 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 71°F | 50°F | 1.0 in |
| Feb | 75°F | 54°F | 0.9 in |
| Mar | 81°F | 60°F | 1.4 in |
| Apr | 86°F | 65°F | 1.5 in |
| May | 90°F | 72°F | 2.6 in |
| Jun | 95°F | 76°F | 2.8 in |
| Jul | 96°F | 76°F | 2.2 in |
| Aug | 97°F | 76°F | 1.9 in |
| Sep | 92°F | 73°F | 5.6 in |
| Oct | 87°F | 66°F | 2.8 in |
| Nov | 80°F | 58°F | 1.6 in |
| Dec | 72°F | 52°F | 1.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Weslaco (4 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Hidalgo County has had 24 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2025-05-21: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2024-07-09: Hurricane Beryl (Hurricane)
- 2021-02-19: Severe Winter Storms (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2021-02-14: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2020-07-26: Hurricane Hanna (Hurricane)
- 2020-03-25: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Valley International Airport (HRL) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 17 miles away.
- Donna 8 mi west, about 12 min by car
- Alamo 13 mi west, about 21 min by car
- Harlingen 14 mi east, about 22 min by car
- Edinburg 19 mi northwest, about 30 min by car
- McAllen 21 mi west, about 34 min by car
- Hidalgo 21 mi west, about 34 min by car
- Mission 26 mi west, about 42 min by car
- Alton 26 mi west, about 42 min by car
- Brownsville 29 mi southeast, about 47 min by car
- La Homa 29 mi west, about 47 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Mercedes historic downtown, Akissforme, CC BY-SA 3.0
- A resaca in Estero Llano Grande State Park, Hidalgo County, Texas, USA (13 April 2016), William L. Farr, CC BY-SA 4.0
- WR at the Texas Street Festival, Sergiotamez2, CC BY-SA 4.0
- ROLAND S. ARRIOLA, Smoothraul, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Homalocephala texensis 6, johnyochum, CC BY 4.0
- Echinocereus berlandieri 1, johnyochum, CC BY 4.0
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