Formed January 1, 1885 (227th county)
Val Verde County (47,584), Del Rio (34,689)
The classic tan stone Second Empire courthouse is on Pecan and Losoya streets. The site is two blocks south of United States Highway 277. The structure was built in 1887 but has had some remodeling. Larmour & Watson designed this facility. The building was restored in 1915 and an Annex was added in 1978. A 1912 post office was converted into a Justice Center in 1996. There have been no other courthouses since the January 1, 1885 county founding. The county was originally part of Kinney, Crockett, and Pecos counties and the 227th county. Val Verde is a take-off of the Spanish words for “green valley.” The name actually comes from a Civil War battle. Del Rio got its name from its founding on the river on Saint Phillip’s Day, San Felipe del Rio. San Felipe was later dropped from the name.
The area of the county is 3171 square miles. It is 7 out of 254 in the state. It ranks 72 out of 254 in population in the state. It has a density of 15.0 persons per square mile making it 148 out of 254 in the state. Val Verde County has 72.9% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 90 crosses east to west from Kinney County into Terrell County. United States Highway 277 enters from the northeast, Edwards County, and exits to the southeast, Terrell County. United States Highway 377 comes from Edwards County and terminates in Val Verde County. The county is shaped like a small Y with straight borders on the west, north, and east. The Rio Grande forms the southern border. The county is a right-sided pentagon with nearly flat borders on the north, west, and south. The Pecos River enters the Rio Grande in the west part of the county. Del Rio is in the far southeast corner of the county. Del Rio is the county seat and, as the only incorporated city, it is the largest city. It is 72.9% of the county population.
Val Verde County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners. One District Court Judge serves Val Verde, Edwards, Kinney, and Terrell counties, One District Court Judge serves Val Verde, Pecos, and Terrell counties, and Two County Court Judges serve Val Verde County. Val Verde County is west of San Antonio, Texas and northwest of Laredo, Texas in south Texas. The county center is 43.5 miles Northwest of Del Rio nearer Comstock. The county is surrounded clockwise by Sutton, Edwards, and Kinney counties and Mexico and Terrell and Crockett counties. This county is in the Del Rio Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Del Rio
