El Tonto hosts an entry point for the busy port city of Laredo
About two dozen trains roll through the El Tonto neighborhood every day as they haul car parts, computer components and gasoline between the U.S. and Mexico. El Tonto is a small neighborhood wedged between Laredo College and the Rio Grande, but it plays an important role in Laredo’s economy. The city typically ranks among the nation’s top trade ports, and it was the busiest U.S. port in 2024. Much of the billions of dollars of goods that flow through Laredo enter and exit at the rail bridge that straddles the Rio Grande between El Tonto and the Mexican city of Nuevo Laredo. This bustling element of the economy has translated to a steady demand for Laredo homes from both residents and transplants, says Cindy Cantu, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Ana Ochoa & Co. “The reason we have a lot of people upgrading [their homes] does have a lot to do with imports and exports in the city.”
Modest homes that may be near a railyard, Rio Grande flood zones
Small houses fill El Tonto’s city blocks; brick ranch-style homes and orange- and blue-painted bungalows are crammed together on compact lots, typically separated by chain-link fences or iron gates. Most houses lack yards, but a garden or row of orange trees may grow in a property’s patch of grass. A few newer contemporary and Spanish Revival homes in the neighborhood come with lots big enough for backyard pools. Homeowners near the Union Pacific railyard may hear the noise of passing trains. Federally designated flood zones cover much of the southern end of the neighborhood, so homeowners in these zones may need to buy flood insurance. There’s no record of recent home sales in El Tonto, but the average home value in the neighborhood is about $140,000. El Tonto’s CAP Index Crime Score is 9 out of 10, higher than the national average of 4.
Education options include Laredo Independent School District
Children who attend the Laredo Independent School District can begin at Anita T. Dovalina Elementary School, which gets a B-minus grade from Niche. Older students may attend C-rated Louis J. Christen Middle School and Raymond & Tirza Martin High, scored a B-minus. Martin High hosts the Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources P-Tech program. Students who join the program can study the animal science, agricultural engineering or plant science career pathway and earn an industry certification or associate degree by the time they graduate. El Tonto is directly south of Laredo College, a public college. Locals who don’t attend the college may still go to the campus to visit the Imaginarium of South Texas, a children’s museum, or catch a performance at the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center Theatre. Cantu works with many clients who relocate to Laredo, and she says Laredo College is one of the employers that draws people to the city. “[Transplants] can be anyone from a professor coming to the university to work, it can be a government agent, it can be an engineer.”
Fashion retailers and a farmers market at the Outlet Shoppes of Laredo
The Outlet Shoppes at Laredo rises on El Tonto’s east side. The purple and orange building is emblazoned with the logos of fashion brands, such as Coach and Tommy Hilfiger, that operate stores inside. El Centro de Laredo Farmers Market sets up at the mall a few Saturdays each year. Bands perform live at Casa Lopez Tapas Bar, which serves Spanish food. Piña’s Grocery sells snacks and drinks, while two supermarkets are about 2 miles away: Lowe’s Mercado and H-E-B. San Francisco Javier Church celebrates Mass in both English and Spanish.
Neighborhood parks include Riverbend, Laredo’s first nature preserve
The city government created Laredo’s first nature preserve in El Tonto. Known as Riverbend, it spans dozens of acres along the Rio Grande. Species such as the Morelet Seedeater and Green Heron flutter between the preserve’s trees and bushes, drawing bird-watchers from across Laredo and even other parts of the country. San Francisco Javier Park is tucked between a couple of homes on the west side of the neighborhood; the green space has a basketball court, exercise stations and a climbing net. On El Tonto’s east end, paths lead to John Peter & Consuelo Montalvo – Los Tres Laredos Park, where trails, picnic tables and a basketball court span across the Rio Grande riverfront.
Walkability is limited, but El Metro buses stop in the neighborhood
The availability of sidewalks makes it possible to walk through the neighborhood, but train tracks and a stone wall may make it difficult to walk to surrounding points of interest, such as the Outlet Shoppes at Laredo and Laredo College. Buses operated by El Metro Transit stop in El Tonto and take passengers to Laredo’s Central Business District. Medical staff perform emergency care and exams 4 miles away at Doctors Hospital Emergency Room Saunders. It’s about 7 miles to Laredo International Airport, where airlines fly directly to destinations such as Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth and Monterrey, Mexico.
Written By
Alex Soderstrom
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