Val Verde County, Texas

Val Verde County is a county in Texas, United States, on the Edwards Plateau along the Rio Grande border with Mexico. It had a population of 47,586 at the 2020 census and covers 3,233 square miles (8,370 km2) centred near 29°53′N 101°09′W.

Del Rio is the county seat and its postal code is 78840. The county has one incorporated city, four unincorporated communities and several census-designated places, sits in the Central time zone, and carries FIPS code 48465.

Towns & Villages in Val Verde County

Val Verde County has one incorporated city (Del Rio, the seat) and a scatter of unincorporated communities and census-designated places (CDPs) along U.S. 90 and the Amistad Reservoir shoreline. Most named “colonias” are small residential subdivisions rather than historic settlements; long-abandoned rail-line names such as Osman, Lull, and Vinegarone are included for reference.

A cluster of small platted subdivisions and colonias sits around Del Rio and Amistad Reservoir, including Amistad Acres, Amistad Village, Bakers Crossing, Box Canyon Estates, Cienegas Terrace Colonia, Corner Windmill, Devils Shores, Hackberry Crossing, Lake View Addition Colonia, Los Campos Number 1 2 and 5 Colonia, Los Campos Number 3 and 4 Colonia, Owens Addition Number 1 Colonia, Owens Addition Number 2 Colonia, Payment Colonia, Rio Bravo Colonia, Rough Canyon Colonia, Val Verde Park Colonia, and Val Verde Park Number 2 Colonia. Johnstone and Vinegarone are historic rail-siding names with no current population data.

ZIP Codes

• 78840 — Del Rio (also serves Amistad, Val Verde Park, Lake View, Box Canyon and Cienegas Terrace)
• 78843 — Laughlin AFB
• 78837 — Comstock
• 78852 — Pandale
• 78871 — Langtry

Smaller unincorporated places such as Juno, Loma Alta, Shumla and Pumpville share a Del Rio-area rural route rather than a distinct ZIP of their own.

Geography

Val Verde County sits on the southern edge of the Edwards Plateau, where the plateau’s limestone canyons break toward the Rio Grande. The Rio Grande and Pecos River join within the county at Amistad Reservoir, a binational lake shared with Mexico that also backs up the Devils River near its mouth. The terrain is mostly semi-arid brush country and rangeland, with steep canyon country along the Pecos and Devils rivers in the county’s east.

The county borders Crockett County to the north, Sutton County to the northeast, Edwards County and Kinney County to the east, Terrell County to the west, and the Mexican municipalities of Ciudad Acuña and Jiménez, Coahuila, across the Rio Grande to the south.

Demographics

Val Verde County had 47,586 residents at the 2020 census. Del Rio is by far the largest community, with Laughlin AFB and the Amistad-area CDPs a distant second tier. Median household income in the county runs well below the Texas median of $75,780, reflecting a rural border economy centred on one mid-sized city. Population density is about 15 people per square mile, concentrated almost entirely around Del Rio.

Economy & Local Life

Del Rio and Laughlin Air Force Base, an active U.S. Air Force pilot-training base established in 1952, anchor the county’s economy alongside U.S. Customs and Border Protection operations at the Del Rio international bridge. Ranching, hunting leases, and Amistad Reservoir tourism (fishing, boating, and diving) support the rural areas. Val Verde Winery, one of the oldest continuously operating wineries in Texas, is a longtime local landmark.

History

Val Verde County was organized in 1885 and takes its name from the Battle of Valverde, an 1862 Civil War engagement in New Mexico Territory in which Texas Confederate troops from Sibley’s Brigade took part. Del Rio grew around a Rio Grande crossing and irrigated farmland; Laughlin Field opened as an Army Air Forces training base during World War II and became Laughlin Air Force Base in 1953. The Amistad Dam, completed in 1969 as a joint U.S.–Mexico project, created Amistad Reservoir and reshaped the county’s northern communities.

Getting There

U.S. Routes 90 and 277, U.S. 377, and State Highway 163 all pass through the county, converging at Del Rio.

• Del Rio — county seat, at the junction of US-90 and US-277
• Comstock — about 30 miles northwest of Del Rio on US-90
• Langtry — about 55 miles northwest of Del Rio on US-90
• Amistad Reservoir — about 12 miles northwest of Del Rio

Del Rio International Airport offers commercial service; Laughlin Air Force Base sits just north of the city.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Val Verde County, Texas?
It is in southwest Texas on the Rio Grande, on the Edwards Plateau roughly 150 miles west of San Antonio.

What is the population of Val Verde County?
47,586 people at the 2020 census.

How big is Val Verde County?
3,233 square miles (8,370 km2), of which 88 square miles is water — mostly Amistad Reservoir.

What is the county seat of Val Verde County?
Del Rio is the county seat.

How many towns are in Val Verde County?
One incorporated city (Del Rio) plus several unincorporated communities and census-designated places, including Comstock, Langtry, Pandale, Juno, and the Amistad-area CDPs.

What ZIP codes are in Val Verde County?
78840 (Del Rio), 78843 (Laughlin AFB), 78837 (Comstock), 78852 (Pandale) and 78871 (Langtry).

What is Val Verde County named after?
The 1862 Battle of Valverde, a Civil War engagement fought in New Mexico Territory.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.