McAllen

McAllen, the City of Palms, is in the southern plains of Texas, USA. It is the largest city in Hidalgo County and the second largest city in the Rio Grande Valley after Brownsville. It is near the Rio Grande River on the border with Mexico.

Understand
McAllen has grown rapidly over the past century. In 1910 the population was about 150. The city now has a population exceeding 130,000. Over 85% of the city's population is Hispanic or Latino; almost everyone is bilingual to some degree. The first real development in the area that would later become McAllen occurred in the 1850s. That development was led by John McAllen. In 1904, he established a town site then known as West McAllen. In 1907, a separate group of developers established a town known as East McAllen. Eventually, the two towns merged and the City of McAllen was incorporated in 1911.

McAllen has warm winter weather and a low cost of living. In the winter months, large numbers of retirees live in the McAllen area. Affectionately called Winter Texans, they come predominantly from the Midwestern United States and Canada and stay in RV parks, apartments, second homes and extended-stay hotels. Winter is the "season" for McAllen, and the time with most of the social activities, many planned especially for Winter Texans.

McAllen is a popular birders destination. There are dozens of birding spots in the McAllen area, including the World Birding Center, a complex of 9 sites dedicated to wildlife watching. 528 bird species and over 300 butterfly species have been recorded in the area.

McAllen is surrounded by several medium size towns and cities. These cities are interconnected and sometimes appear to be one larger city. For census purposes the federal government includes all these areas under the heading McAllen–Edinburg–Mission Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).

By plane

 * Aeromexico Connect to Mexico City AIFA
 * American Eagle/American Airlines to Dallas-Ft Worth
 * United Airlines/United Express to Houston
 * Allegiant Air to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, St Petersburg/Clearwater
 * Delta Connection to Austin
 * Volaris to Cancun
 * Volaris to Cancun

For travelers not renting a car click here for a list of taxi companies and their rates. Otherwise there is the McAllen Metro #4 bus to go into town as the least expensive way.

The next nearest commercial airport in the US with Delta (to Minneapolis St Paul), Southwest Airlines, and Sun Country is in Harlingen Valley International Airport, 45 min east on I-2/US 83. Both United & American/American Eagle serve the area through Harlingen, Brownsville and McAllen from their respective hubs in Houston and Dallas-Ft Worth. VivaAerobus flies into Reynosa's Gen Lucio Blanca International Airport (REX) and through Monterrey International Airport (MTY) from multiple cities in Mexico. Monterrey is also served by Areus, Aeromexico, Mexicana, TAR, and Volaris from multiple cities in Mexico as well as international flights from Atlanta (Delta), Madrid (Aeromexico), Panama City (Copa), Toronto (Air Canada), and Seoul (to resume August 1, 2024 with Aeromexico).

By train
There is no passenger rail service or Amtrak Thruway connections to McAllen. However, you can take Amtrak to San Antonio and connect via bus to McAllen.

By bus
The on 1500-1501 W US Business 83 serves as a bus station for:

By car

 * US 83.svg I-2.svgUS 83 runs east and west connecting McAllen to Brownsville and Laredo.
 * US 281.svg US 281 runs north to I-37, which connects McAllen to Corpus Christi and San Antonio.
 * McAllen - Hidalgo - Reynosa International Bridge is located in nearby Hidalgo, TX connects McAllen to Reynosa, Mexico.
 * Carretera_federal_40.svg MX 40 goes frim Mazatlan, Durrango, Torreon, Saltillo, Monterrey to Reynosa and McAllen
 * Carretera_federal_97.svg MX 97 connect to the 97 from the 180 leaving Victoria Mexico (or arriving from Tampico: enter the McAllen area from Reynosa,

By car
The best way to get around McAllen is by car. There are several rental car services located in Mcallen: Hertz, Alamo, Budget, Enterprise, and others. Many of these can be found at the airport.

By taxi
Several taxi companies serve McAllen. Customers should call ahead to arrange a pick up.

By bus
Metro Mcallen is the bus system that serves McAllen. These buses run from 6AM to 11PM Monday through Saturday, and 8AM to 8PM on Sunday. The bus system covers only limited routes but also interfaces with RioTransit buses, which connect to other towns in the Rio Grande Valley.

Walking and biking
McAllen has several hike and bike trails that run north and south.

Public libraries
McAllen has three public libraries, including the main library and two branch libraries.
 * Main Library - 4001 N 23rd St.
 * Lark Branch Library - 2601 Lark Ave.
 * Palm View Branch Library - 3401 Jordan Ave.

Buy
Convention Center at the corner of Ware Rd and Expressway 83. Large number of shops and restaurants surround the convention center.

Downtown has lots of shopping available especially along Main Street.

10th Street is a designated retail street with many shops both near downtown and the North 10th area from Dove to Trenton and the surrounding area. 10th Street near downtown has many eclectic and locally owned stores, and as you go north, these mix with more national retailers.



Eat
With over 600 dining establishments in the City, excellent dining choices is one of McAllen's strengths. Tex-Mex is of course very popular, as is Chinese, barbecue, seafood and sushi, among others. Many restaurants serve meals featuring organic, locally grown products, and you will find a variety of live music featured in many establishments.

Entertainment District
McAllen has a lively entertainment district in downtown along 17th Street. There are many bars and nightclubs in the area.



Sleep
McAllen has 40 hotels and over 3,300 rooms, ranging from full-service to budget.

Consulates
The Central American consulates are next to each other within the same building, SE of the intersection of S Broadway and Galveston Ave W. The Mexican consulate is a block north towards Fresno Ave next to a medical clinic. The nearest city for additional foreign consulates is Houston:
 * 🇸🇻 El Salvador
 * 🇬🇹 Guatemala
 * 🇭🇳 Honduras
 * 🇲🇽 Mexico

Go next
Get on 23rd Street and go south about 17 miles to Reynosa, Mexico.

Get on US 83 and go east 35 miles to Harlingen, TX.

Get on US 83 and go east 59 miles to Brownsville, TX.

Get on US 83 and go east 51 miles until you get to TX 100. Then take TX 100 east about 23 miles to South Padre Island. It will take you a total of 80 miles to get to this location.

Get on US 281 and go north about 94 miles. Turn right on TX 141 and go east 15 miles to Kingsville, TX, and visit the historic King Ranch.

Get on US 83 and go west 148 miles to Laredo, TX.