Laredo Vacations, Laredo Vacation Reviews, Tourism Guide

Laredo Vacation Guide

Laredo is the nation's largest inland port and one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. With 700 of the Fortune 1000 companies doing business in Laredo, the city is ranked fourth in overall trade behind New York, Los Angeles, and Detroit.

Laredo is known as the Gateway to Mexico. It is located on the US-Mexico border, just 150 miles southwest of San Antonio, 135 miles west of Corpus Christi, and 150 miles north of Monterrey, Mexico.

According to the United States Census Bureau, at a 2000 census, Laredo was the second fastest growing city in the United States behind Las Vegas, Nevada. A notable geographic feature is Lake Casa Blanca in Lake Casa Blanca International State Park.

The city's lake consists of 371 land acres and 1650 lake surface acres. It is located on the east part of the city in Webb County. The park was operated jointly by the City of Laredo and Webb County before it was acquired by the state in 1990 and opened in March 1991.

The town of Laredo was founded in 1755 while the area was part of the Nuevo Santander region in the Spanish colony of New Spain. Laredo is one of the oldest border crossing points along the U.S.-Mexico border, and the nation's busiest inland port. In 2005, Laredo celebrated the 250th anniversary of its founding.