Webb County is a county in Texas, United States, on the Rio Grande directly across from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. It had a population of 267,114 at the 2020 census and covers 3,375 square miles (8,740 km2), centred near 27°46′N 99°20′W.
Laredo is the county seat, and its postal code is 78040. The county has three incorporated cities, more than thirty census-designated places, and lies in the Central time zone. Its FIPS code is 48479.
Towns & Villages in Webb County
Almost the entire county population lives in or around Laredo. The rest of Webb County is a scatter of small ranching communities, colonias and census-designated places along US 83, I-35 and the county’s rural roads.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laredo | City · seat | 255,205 | 78040–78046, 78049 |
| El Cenizo | City | — | 78046 |
| Rio Bravo | City | — | 78046 |
| Mirando City | CDP | — | 78369 |
| Oilton | CDP | — | 78371 |
| Bruni | CDP | — | 78344 |
| Aguilares | CDP | — | 78041 |
| Los Ojuelos | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Callaghan | Unincorp. | — | — |
Beyond these, dozens of small colonias (Colorado Acres, Las Pilas, Los Huisaches, Rancho Penitas West, San Carlos and similar) sit on the county’s rural subdivisions south and west of Laredo; the Census Bureau tracks most as CDPs but does not publish separate population counts for many of the smallest.
ZIP Codes
- 78040–78046, 78049 — Laredo (also serves El Cenizo and Rio Bravo)
- 78041 — Aguilares
- 78344 — Bruni
- 78369 — Mirando City
- 78371 — Oilton
Most of the county’s smaller colonias share a Laredo-area ZIP code rather than having their own post office.
Geography
Webb County sits on the South Texas Plains, a flat to gently rolling brush country of mesquite, huisache and cactus, cut by the Rio Grande along its southern edge. Laredo, the historic river crossing, anchors the county’s northeast bank of the river. Away from the river the terrain is dry ranchland with little surface water outside stock tanks and the Rio Grande floodplain.
Webb County borders Maverick County to the northwest, Dimmit County to the north, La Salle County to the northeast, Duval County to the east, Jim Hogg County to the southeast, and Zapata County to the south. Across the Rio Grande it borders the Mexican states of Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas — the only U.S. county that touches three Mexican states.
Demographics
Webb County had 267,114 residents at the 2020 census, with a 2025 estimate of about 281,224. Laredo is by far the largest community; El Cenizo and Rio Bravo are the next-largest incorporated places. The county’s population is over 95 percent Hispanic or Latino, one of the highest shares of any county in the continental United States. Webb County’s median household income trails the Texas figure of $75,780; population density is concentrated almost entirely in and around Laredo, with most of the county’s rural expanse sparsely settled ranchland.
Economy & Local Life
Laredo is the largest inland port on the U.S.-Mexico border, and international trade through its bridges and rail crossings drives the county economy — trucking, freight forwarding, customs brokerage and warehousing employ a large share of the workforce. Ranching remains part of the rural economy outside Laredo, a legacy of the 19th-century cattle operations the area was built on. Laredo College and Texas A&M International University are major local employers alongside Laredo Medical Center and the Webb County and City of Laredo governments. Laredo hosts the Washington’s Birthday Celebration each February, a monthlong civic festival that is one of the largest of its kind in the country.
History
Webb County was established on January 28, 1848, and organized on March 16, 1848, shortly after the Mexican-American War fixed the Rio Grande as the international border and split the older settlement of Laredo from its sister town, Nuevo Laredo, on the Mexican side. The county was named for James Webb (1792–1856), who served as secretary of state and attorney general of the Republic of Texas before becoming a U.S. federal judge after statehood. Laredo itself predates the county by a century, founded in 1755 as a Spanish colonial villa on the river.
Getting There
Interstate 35 reaches its southern terminus in Laredo at the Mexican border, and US 83 and US 59/I-69W also run through the county. Texas state highways 44, 84, 255 and 359 connect the smaller communities to Laredo.
- San Antonio — about 150 miles northeast
- Eagle Pass — about 100 miles northwest
- Corpus Christi — about 150 miles east
- Rio Grande City — about 90 miles southeast
Laredo International Airport, inside the Laredo city limits, offers commercial flights. Webb County has no current Amtrak service; the nearest station is in San Antonio.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Webb County?
It is in South Texas, on the Rio Grande directly across from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.
What is the Laredo postcode?
Laredo’s ZIP codes range from 78040 to 78046, plus 78049.
What county seat serves Webb County?
Laredo is the county seat.
How big is Webb County?
It covers 3,375 square miles (8,740 km2), making it one of the largest counties in Texas by land area.
What is Webb County’s population?
It had a population of 267,114 at the 2020 census.
Which Mexican states border Webb County?
Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas, across the Rio Grande.
What is Webb County’s main industry?
International trade and logistics through the Laredo border crossings, alongside ranching in the rural areas.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.