Del Rio
Del Rio, the county seat of Val Verde County, is on U.S. Highway 90 and the Southern Pacific Railroad near the confluence of the Rio Grande and San Felipe Creek, 154 miles west of San Antonio in the southern part of the county. The Spanish established a small presidial complex near the site of present Ciudad Acuña, the Mexican sister city of Del Rio, and some Spaniards settled on what became the United States side of the Rio Grande. The developments that led to the growth of Del Rio, however, took place after the Civil War. In the arid vastness of Southwest Texas, water was the key to survival; in the vicinity of Del Rio the San Felipe Springs provided millions of gallons. A number of developers acquired several thousand acres adjacent to San Felipe Creek and developed plans to sell small tracts of rich farmland to prospective buyers. These investors formed the San Felipe Agricultural, Manufacturing, and Irrigation Company in 1868. The organization soon constructed a network of irrigation canals, completed in 1871. Soon they began to sell small tracts of land to newly arriving settlers, who then established truck farms. Residents in the area referred to the slowly developing townsite as San Felipe del Rio. Local lore says that the name came from early Spanish explorers who offered a Mass at the site on St. Philip's Day, 1635. In 1883, after the first post office was opened, the United States Postal Department requested that the name be shortened to Del Rio to avoid confusion with San Felipe de Austin.
Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.
Robert C. Overfelt | © Texas State Historical Association
Del Rio at a Glance
Belongs to
Del Rio is part of or belongs to the following places.
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Currently Exists
Yes
Place type
Del Rio is classified as a Town
Associated Names
- (San Felipe del Rio)
Locations
-
- Latitude
- 29.37645360
- Longitude
- -100.89463000
Has Post Office
Yes
Is Incorporated
Yes
Photos of Del Rio and surrounding areas

Del Rio, Texas
View of the Val Verde Winery in Del Rio, Texas. Photograph by JherreraCODR.

Del Rio by the Numbers
Population Counts
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Population Counts
Del Rio
Pop. | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
34,753 | 2018 | Texas Demographic Center |
35,591 | 2010 | Texas Demographic Center |
33,867 | 2000 | Texas Demographic Center |
30,705 | 1990 | Texas Demographic Center |
30,034 | 1980 | Texas Demographic Center |
21,330 | 1970 | Texas Demographic Center |
18,612 | 1960 | Texas Demographic Center |
14,211 | 1950 | Texas Demographic Center |
13,343 | 1940 | Texas Demographic Center |
11,693 | 1930 | Texas Demographic Center |
10,589 | 1920 | Texas Demographic Center |
1,980 | 1890 | Texas Demographic Center |
50 | 1880 | Texas Demographic Center |