Zapata County is a county in Texas, United States, on the shore of Falcon International Reservoir along the Rio Grande in the state’s southern brush country. It had a population of 13,889 at the 2020 census. The county covers 1,058 square miles (2,740 km2) — 998 square miles (2,580 km2) of land and 60 square miles (160 km2) of water — centred near 27°00′N 99°11′W.
Zapata is the county seat. Its postal code is 78076. The county has no incorporated cities or towns; residents live across 12 census-designated places and dozens of smaller rural colonias. Zapata County sits in the Central time zone (UTC−6, UTC−5 during daylight saving) and carries FIPS code 48505.
Towns & Villages in Zapata County
The Census Bureau recognizes 12 census-designated places in Zapata County, clustered mainly along the Falcon Lake shoreline and the Rio Grande. Zapata itself, the county seat, holds nearly 40% of the county’s population.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zapata | CDP · seat | 5,383 | 78076 |
| Falcon Lake Estates | CDP | — | — |
| Falcon Mesa | CDP | — | — |
| Las Palmas | CDP | — | — |
| Lopeño | CDP | — | — |
| Los Lobos | CDP | — | — |
| Medina | CDP | — | — |
| Morales-Sanchez | CDP | — | — |
| New Falcon | CDP | — | — |
| Ramireno | CDP | — | — |
| San Ygnacio | CDP | — | — |
| Siesta Shores | CDP | — | — |
Beyond these CDPs, the county also contains numerous small colonias and lakeside subdivisions — among them Bustamante, Escobas, Falcon, Linda Vista and Valle Verde — that are unincorporated and not separately tracked by the Census Bureau.
ZIP Codes
- 78076 — Zapata (post office town; serves the county seat and most of the communities around Falcon Lake)
Individual ZIP assignments for the smaller CDPs and rural colonias were not confirmed for this profile; residents outside Zapata generally use the 78076 address or a neighboring Laredo-area code.
Geography
Zapata County sits in the brush country of South Texas, on the western edge of the Rio Grande Plain. The Rio Grande forms the county’s western border, impounded here as Falcon International Reservoir, a binational lake shared with Mexico’s Guerrero Municipality across the water. Away from the lakeshore, the terrain is flat to gently rolling rangeland covered in mesquite, huisache and prickly pear. Zapata County borders Webb County to the north, Jim Hogg County to the east, and Starr County to the southeast.
Demographics
Zapata County had a population of 13,889 at the 2020 census. Zapata and San Ygnacio are the two largest communities. Residents are overwhelmingly Hispanic or Latino, at 93.6% of the population, and about four in five live in the urbanized cluster around the county seat. Texas’s 2023 ACS median household income was $75,780; a current county-level figure was not confirmed for this profile, though Zapata County’s rural, resource-dependent economy has historically kept local incomes below the state average. Population density works out to roughly 14 people per square mile of land.
Economy & Local Life
Oil and gas production, ranching, trade and services, and tourism anchor the local economy. Zapata County sits on part of the South Texas oil patch developed in the early 1920s by Laredo oilman Oliver Winfield Killam, and mining and energy work remains among the largest private-sector employers alongside construction, retail trade, health care and government. Falcon International Reservoir draws anglers and boaters from across South Texas and is the base for Zapata County Airport, whose steady lake thermals have hosted world-record hang-gliding distance flights. Zapata County Independent School District serves the entire county, and residents commute to Laredo Community College for higher education.
History
Zapata County was created and organized on January 22, 1858, and named for Colonel José Antonio de Zapata, a Rio Grande rancher and cavalry commander who fought against Mexican centralist rule and was executed in 1839. The original town of Zapata stood directly on the Rio Grande until the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built Falcon Dam in the early 1950s; the entire town was relocated to higher ground in 1953 ahead of the reservoir filling behind the dam, and the earlier townsite now lies under Falcon Lake. Oil drilling that began in the county in the early 1920s, part of the wider South Texas oil boom, brought the county its first sustained non-agricultural income.
Getting There
U.S. Highway 83 runs the length of the county along the reservoir, and Texas State Highway 16 connects Zapata to ranch country to the north. Nearby communities:
- Laredo — about 50 miles north via US 83
- Rio Grande City — about 45 miles southeast via US 83
- Roma — about 35 miles southeast via US 83
The nearest commercial airport is Laredo International Airport, roughly 50 miles north. Amtrak does not serve Zapata County; the closest station is in San Antonio, about 190 miles northeast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Zapata County?
It is in the Rio Grande Plain of South Texas, on the U.S.–Mexico border along Falcon International Reservoir, between Laredo and Rio Grande City.
What is the Zapata postcode?
The county seat’s ZIP code is 78076.
What is the population of Zapata County?
13,889 people, per the 2020 census.
What is the county seat of Zapata County?
Zapata is the county seat.
Are there any incorporated cities in Zapata County?
No. Every community, including the county seat, is unincorporated; the largest are recognized by the Census Bureau as census-designated places.
What is Zapata County named after?
Colonel José Antonio de Zapata, a Rio Grande rancher who fought against Mexican centralist rule and was executed in 1839.
What body of water borders Zapata County?
Falcon International Reservoir, an impoundment of the Rio Grande shared with Mexico.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.