The city of Harlingen is situated around 30 miles from the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico and lies in the middle of the Rio Grande Valley. It is part of Cameron County and currently covers over 34 square miles, making it the second largest in the county. The population is about 64,849. The city of Harlingen is a principle city of the Borwnsville-Harlingen Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Approximately four miles east of Harlingen lies the Port of Harlingen. The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway is approximately 25 miles east of the port and stretches all the way from Brownsville's Mexican border to St. Marks, Florida. More than 1,300 miles of protected waterway, 12 feet deep and 125 feet wide, are provided by the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.
Initially, the city of Harlingen was established in the year 1904 by Lon C. Hill. He named the city as a tribute to Harlingen within the Netherlands. He made use of a big acreage of fertile land and created irrigation canals to be able to attract farmers to help cultivate the land. The economy in the start was mostly dependent on agriculture, such as cotton and vegetables.
Eventually, the city of Harlingen developed into a commerce and transportation center. The populations increased significantly during World War II, when military facilities were established within the city of Harlingen. The economy during the latter parts of the 1980's was centered around tourism, citrus fruit, grain, and cotton production.
Harlingen has many fascinating attractions for residents and visitors to enjoy. South Padre Island has a lot of beautiful beaches, the Valley Race Park hosts greyhound dog racing, while the city of Harlingen also boasts the National Shrine of Our Lady of San Juan del Valley. There are some unique shops to be found in the Jackson Street Historic District, that is also the site of outdoor movie nights and a variety of community events hosted by the city of Harlingen. Plazas from the Hispanic custom can be located at La Placita Diaz/Guiterrez Park, and concerts and theatrical performances are provided by the Harlingen Municipal Auditorium.
Because Harlingen is situated at the junction of two main flyways it makes a perfect location for tropical bird watching. The city is home to some of the Great Texas Birding Trail locations, such as the Harlingen Thicket Bird Sanctuary. Situated beside the spectacular Laguna Madre is the Laguna Atascosa NWR. Santa Ana NWR also offers tram tours during wintertime.
Amongst the most stunning places nearby is Los Ebanos Preserve. It consists of different birds and butterflies in a picturesque setting including several gardens and nature trails. The largest nature festival within the area, the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival, is situated here too. Other entertainment which can be found nearby includes the Arroyo Queen tour and the Extravaganza Folklorica, that includes dancing and music in addition to ethnic costumes.