Communities
Laredo has 24 neighborhoods, or barrios, as they are commonly called. The City’s barrios include Bent Tree Plantation, Breeze Meadow, Buena Vista, Cielito Lindo, College Heights, Deerfield, Fiesta, Independence Hills, La Bota Ranch, Lakeside, Los Presidentes, Miramar, Mockingbird Heights, North Laredo, Village Heights, and Winfield.
Several of Laredo’s barrios have colorful histories and rich heritages of their own. El Azteca, located east of the centro on the banks of the Rio Grande, is considered one of the oldest residential areas in Laredo. It is nationally recognized for its architecture and urban form, with more than 140 buildings eligible for the National Register.
El Cuatro is another early barrio which developed west of the centro. Many early residents were employed with the railroads, and their box-shaped board and batten houses are still present throughout the neighborhood. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, several African-American army units were stationed at the neighboring Fort McIntosh. The El Cuatoro barrio became the home to many of these soldiers and their families. Their descendants have also made their homes in El Cuatro and the small barrio across the tracks known as El Tonto.
The St. Peter’s neighborhood is considered to be one of Laredo’s more elite communities established between 1881 and World War I by European and Jewish emigrants who came to call Laredo home. Many would become respected and prominent members of the community.