Laredo, Texas

**Laredo** is a mid-sized city in southern Texas, United States established in the year 1755. Laredo has a population of 255,205. Hispanics make up 90% of the total population, and the city is largely Catholic. Laredo is a border city which is part of the bi-national metropolitan area of Laredo, Texas - Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico with a total population over 600,000. The main sources of income for Laredo is international trade, followed by retail sales.

## History

Laredo was founded by Don Tomas Sanchez under the name of Villa de San Agustin de Laredo in 1755 in a colony called Nuevo Santander in  New Spain. Today, most of Nuevo Santander is part of Texas.

## Infobox (settlement)

- **name**: Laredo, Texas
- **settlement type**: City
- **image skyline**: Laredo Downtown.JPG
- **imagesize**: 250px
- **image caption**: Downtown Laredo
- **image flag**: Flag of the Republic of the Rio Grande.svg
- **image shield**: Laredo Coat of Arms.gif
- **nickname**: "The Gateway City" and "The City Under Seven Flags"
- **image map**: Webb County Laredo.svg
- **mapsize**: 250px
- **pushpin map**: Texas#USA
- **pushpin map caption**: Location within Texas##Location within the United States
- **pushpin relief**: 1
- **pushpin label**: Laredo
- **subdivision type**: Country
- **subdivision name**: United States
- **subdivision type1**: State
- **subdivision type2**: List of counties in Texas, County
- **subdivision type3**: Metropolitan area
- **subdivision name1**: Texas
- **subdivision name2**: Webb County, Texas, Webb
- **subdivision name3**: Laredo–Nuevo Laredo Metropolitan Area
- **established title**: Founded
- **established date**: August 25, 1755
- **established title2**: Settled as
- **established date2**: _Villa de San Agustín de Laredo_
- **founder**: Tomás Sánchez (captain), Tomás Sánchez
- **named for**: Laredo, Spain
- **government type**: Council–manager government, Council–manager
- **leader title**: Mayor
- **leader title1**: City Council
- **leader title2**: City manager
- **unit pref**: Imperial
- **area total km2**: 279.61
- **area total sq mi**: 107.96
- **area land km2**: 275.81
- **area land sq mi**: 106.49
- **area water km2**: 3.80
- **area water sq mi**: 1.47
- **area metro km2**: 418.96
- **area metro sq mi**: 161.76
- **elevation m**: 137.2
- **elevation ft**: 438
- **population total**: 255,205
- **population as of**: 2020 United States Census, 2020
- **population density sq mi**: 2396.5
- **population urban**: 251,462 (List of United States urban areas, US: 162nd)
- **population density urban sq mi**: 3,916.6
- **population metro**: 267,114 (US: List of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, 187th)
- **population density metro km2**: auto
- **population density metro sq mi**: auto
- **postal code type**: ZIP Codes
- **postal code**: 78040–78046, 78049
- **area code**: Area code 956, 956
- **area code type**: North American Numbering Plan, Area code
- **website**: [http://www.laredotexas.gov/ laredotexas.gov]
- **leader title3**: Police chief
- **timezone**: CST
- **utc offset**: −6
- **timezone dst**: CST
- **utc offset dst**: −5
- **blank name**: Federal Information Processing Standards, FIPS code
- **blank info**: 48-41464
- **blank1 name**: Geographic Names Information System, GNIS feature ID
- **blank1 info**: 1339633