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Brownsville, Texas

"Gateway to Mexico"

Sitting at the southernmost tip of Texas on the Mexican border, Brownsville is where the last battle of the Civil War was fought — a month after Lee surrendered.

Founded 1848 | Population 194,626 | Peak 194,626 (2024) | County Cameron County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Brownsville, Texas

1846Mexican-American War Begins: The first shots of the Mexican-American War were fired at Fort Texas (later Fort Brown) across from Matamoros, Mexico.

1865Last Civil War Battle: The Battle of Palmito Ranch near Brownsville was the last land battle of the Civil War, fought on May 13, 1865 — over a month after Lee's surrender.

1967Longest Bridge: The Gateway International Bridge connected Brownsville to Matamoros, facilitating one of the busiest border crossings in the U.S.

2014SpaceX Arrives: SpaceX began building its Starbase launch facility at nearby Boca Chica Beach, bringing rocket launches to the Rio Grande Valley.

2023Starship Launch: SpaceX launched its massive Starship rocket from Boca Chica, making Brownsville a global space destination.

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Latest News in Brownsville

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Complete Historical Timeline

1846 Disaster

Mexican-American War starts here

1848 Government

City founded after war ends

1865 Disaster

Last Civil War battle fought nearby

1904 Transport

Railroad reaches Brownsville

1967 Transport

Gateway International Bridge opens

2014 Science

SpaceX begins building Starbase

2023 Science

Starship launches from Boca Chica

Did You Know?

The last battle of the Civil War was fought near Brownsville on May 13, 1865 — 34 days after Lee surrendered at Appomattox.

SpaceX's Starbase at Boca Chica Beach makes Brownsville the unlikely launch point for humanity's journey to Mars.

Brownsville is the most affordable metro area in the U.S. and also one of the most Hispanic at over 93% Latino population.

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