Cameron County, Texas
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. Its county seat is Brownsville.
Cameron County | |
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The Cameron County Courthouse in Brownsville
Administration Building | |
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Seal Logo | |
Location within the U.S. state of Texas | |
Texas's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 26°09′N 97°27′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 |
The county was founded in 1848 and is named for Captain Ewen Cameron, 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 and the county also contains Boca Chica, which is site to the SpaceX Starbase spaceport; it is also the residence of Elon Musk, the world's second-richest person and wealthiest US citizen.