Eagle Pass Is a Deeply Bicultural Border City

Eagle Pass sits right across the Rio Grande from Piedras Negras, Coahuila. The two cities grew up side by side. A trading post opened at the crossing in 1850. The Mexican National Railway came in 1882. That rail link tied both sides together for trade.

The local economy has long run on cross-border trade. Ranching, irrigated farming, and maquiladora plants all play a role. Maquiladoras are border factories that make goods, mostly for sale in the United States.

By 1980, Eagle Pass was reported to be about 94 percent Hispanic. That comes from a deep Tejano and Mexican-American history. It shows up in local food, language, and daily life. If you are moving to or buying in Maverick County, plan on a place where Spanish and English are both used every day. Ties to Mexico are not just old history here. They are part of normal life.