 | Parts of this article (those related to politics, government, and the economy) need to be updated. (March 2019) |
Cameron County | |
|---|---|
 The Cameron County Courthouse in Brownsville
Administration Building | |
 Seal  Logo | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Texas | |
 Texas's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 26°09′N 97°27′W / 26.15°N 97.45°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| Founded | 1848 |
| Named for | Ewen Cameron |
| Seat | Brownsville |
| Largest city | Brownsville |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,276 sq mi (3,300 km2) |
| • Land | 891 sq mi (2,310 km2) |
| • Water | 386 sq mi (1,000 km2) 30% |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 421,017 |
| • Density | 330/sq mi (130/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 34th |
| Website | www |
Cameron County, officially the County of Cameron, is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 421,017.[1][2] Its county seat is Brownsville.[3]
The county was founded in 1848 and is named for Captain Ewen Cameron,[4] a soldier during the Texas Revolution and in the ill-fated Mier Expedition. During the later 19th century and through World War II, Fort Brown was a US Army outpost here, stimulating the development of the city of Brownsville.
Cameron County comprises the Brownsville–Harlingen, TX metropolitan statistical area, as well as the Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville combined statistical area, which itself is part of the larger Rio Grande Valley region.
The second-largest city in the county is Harlingen.
The county is home to the SpaceX Starbase spaceport, situated in Boca Chica; it is also the residence of Elon Musk, the second richest person in the world.[5]
- ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Cameron County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 4, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
- ^ "Cameron County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 25, 2022. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "DeWitt Colony Militia Captains". Tamu.edu. Archived from the original on January 10, 2011. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
- ^ "Rare Photo of the Elon Musk's $50,000 Tiny Home Shared by Biographer". The New York Observer. August 7, 2023.