Editing Cotulla, Texas

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Cotulla, Texas
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|image_skyline            = Downtown Cotulla2 (1 of 1).jpg
|imagesize                = 250px
|image_caption            = Downtown Cotulla
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               = 
|pushpin_map              = Texas
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Cotulla, Texas
|image_map1               = LaSalle County Cotulla.svg
|mapsize1                 = 250px
|map_caption1             = 
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Texas]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Texas|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[La Salle County, Texas|La Salle]]
|unit_pref  = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_48.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 7, 2020}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 5.21
|area_land_km2            = 5.21
|area_water_km2           = 0.00
|area_total_sq_mi         = 2.01
|area_land_sq_mi          = 2.01
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 3718
|population_density_km2   = auto
|population_density_sq_mi = 
|timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 440
|coordinates              = {{coord|28|26|3|N|99|14|11|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]s
|postal_code              = 78001, 78014
|area_code                = [[Area code 830|830]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 48-17216<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2410247<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2410247}}</ref>
}}

[[Image:Cotulla, TX Historic District sign IMG 7715 1 1 1.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Cotulla Historic District sign downtown (erected 2013)]]
[[File:At higher level, the Nueces River in Cotulla, TX IMG 2475.JPG|thumb|right|200px|The [[Nueces River]]]]

'''Cotulla''' ({{IPAc-en|k|ə|ˈ|tj|uː|l|ə}} {{respell|kə|TEW|lə}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.texastripper.com/pronounce/locations-c.html|title=How to Pronounce: C Cities|date=23 September 2014}}</ref>) is a [[city]] in and the [[county seat]] of [[La Salle County, Texas]], United States.<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=2011-06-07 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=2011-05-31 }}</ref> Its population was 3,718 as of the [[2020 United States Census|2020 census]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US4817216|title=Census - Geography Profile: Cotulla city, Texas|access-date=December 10, 2021}}</ref>

==History==

Immigrant Joseph Cotulla, who was reared in [[Silesia]], then a part of [[Prussia]], migrated to the United States in the 1850s. He joined the [[Union Army]] in [[Brownsville, Texas]]. He lived in [[Atascosa County, Texas|Atascosa County]], but arrived in La Salle County in 1868<ref name=lmt/> to establish what became a large ranching operation. After learning that the [[International-Great Northern Railroad]] intended to lay tracks in La Salle County, he worked to establish the town that bears his name.

In 1881, Cotulla donated 120 acres of his land to the railroad, and in 1882, a depot was constructed there. In 1883, the town was granted a post office. The same year, Cotulla became the county seat by [[special election]].<ref name=leffler>{{cite web|last=Leffler|first=John|title=Cotulla, TX - Handbook of Texas Online|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hgc16|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=24 May 2011}}</ref>

Joseph Cotulla's great-grandson, William Lawrence Cotulla (born around 1936), a former storekeeper in Cotulla, is a rancher in La Salle, [[Dimmit County, Texas|Dimmit]], and [[Webb County, Texas|Webb]] Counties. In a 2013 interview with the ''[[Laredo Morning Times]]'', William Cotulla noted the community of his birth has changed completely in less than 80 years, having gone through several phases, beginning with emphasis on farming, then ranching, thereafter hunting leases, and now [[petroleum]] and [[natural gas]] through the [[Eagle Ford Shale]] boom.<ref name=lmt>Ricardo R. Villarreal, "City experiences tremendous growth, activity due to oil and gas production", ''Laredo Morning Times'', June 29, 2013, pp. 1, 12A</ref> With declining gasoline prices, though, the Eagle Ford boom took a sharp downturn by the fall of 2015.<ref>Jennifer Hiller, "Hard Times Hit Eagle Ford", ''[[San Antonio Express-News]]'', January 3, 2016, pp. 1, A20</ref>

In 1973, two railroad locomotives collided in Cotulla, and three people were killed as a result.<ref name=glenewinkel>{{cite web|last=Glenewinkel|first=Jay|title=Missouri Pacific Disaster in Cotulla, Texas 1973|url=http://www.trainweb.org/screamingeagle/cotulla.html|publisher=trainweb.org|access-date=24 May 2011}}</ref> In 2008, the area around Cotulla burned in a huge grass fire.

==Geography==

Cotulla is located at {{coord|28|26|3|N|99|14|11|W|type:city}} (28.434144, –99.236343). This is 81&nbsp;mi (147&nbsp;km) southwest of [[San Antonio]].<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|2.0|sqmi|km2}}, all  land. The [[Nueces River]] flows through southern Cotulla in a southeastward direction to the [[Gulf of Mexico]], near [[Corpus Christi, Texas|Corpus Christi]].

==Climate==

According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Cotulla has a [[humid subtropical climate]], abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

{{Weather box
|location = Cotulla, Texas ([[Cotulla–La Salle County Airport]]), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1901–present
|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 94
|Feb record high F = 100
|Mar record high F = 106
|Apr record high F = 106
|May record high F = 109
|Jun record high F = 116
|Jul record high F = 111
|Aug record high F = 111
|Sep record high F = 112
|Oct record high F = 104
|Nov record high F = 98
|Dec record high F = 95

|Jan avg record high F = 85.9
|Feb avg record high F = 90.3
|Mar avg record high F = 93.6
|Apr avg record high F = 99.3
|May avg record high F = 103.2
|Jun avg record high F = 105.0
|Jul avg record high F = 104.5
|Aug avg record high F = 106.3
|Sep avg record high F = 102.4
|Oct avg record high F = 97.1
|Nov avg record high F = 89.7
|Dec avg record high F = 84.7
|year avg record high F = 108.1

|Jan high F = 67.4
|Feb high F = 73.6
|Mar high F = 79.7
|Apr high F = 86.0
|May high F = 92.8
|Jun high F = 97.9
|Jul high F = 99.2
|Aug high F = 100.3
|Sep high F = 93.9
|Oct high F = 86.6
|Nov high F = 75.7
|Dec high F = 68.7
|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 55.7
|Feb mean F = 60.9
|Mar mean F = 67.2
|Apr mean F = 73.4
|May mean F = 80.7
|Jun mean F = 85.7
|Jul mean F = 87.0
|Aug mean F = 87.7
|Sep mean F = 82.4
|Oct mean F = 74.7
|Nov mean F = 64.0
|Dec mean F = 56.8
|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 43.9
|Feb low F = 48.3
|Mar low F = 54.8
|Apr low F = 60.7
|May low F = 68.6
|Jun low F = 73.6
|Jul low F = 74.7
|Aug low F = 75.0
|Sep low F = 70.8
|Oct low F = 62.8
|Nov low F = 52.4
|Dec low F = 44.9
|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = 27.9
|Feb avg record low F = 30.7
|Mar avg record low F = 35.9
|Apr avg record low F = 44.0
|May avg record low F = 54.8
|Jun avg record low F = 68.0
|Jul avg record low F = 70.1
|Aug avg record low F = 70.5
|Sep avg record low F = 60.1
|Oct avg record low F = 42.9
|Nov avg record low F = 33.1
|Dec avg record low F = 28.6
|year avg record low F = 25.3

|Jan record low F = 16
|Feb record low F = 16
|Mar record low F = 23
|Apr record low F = 36
|May record low F = 44
|Jun record low F = 56
|Jul record low F = 62
|Aug record low F = 63
|Sep record low F = 50
|Oct record low F = 35
|Nov record low F = 26
|Dec record low F = 20

|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.85
|Feb precipitation inch = 1.26
|Mar precipitation inch = 1.57
|Apr precipitation inch = 1.33
|May precipitation inch = 3.01
|Jun precipitation inch = 2.20
|Jul precipitation inch = 2.26
|Aug precipitation inch = 1.67
|Sep precipitation inch = 2.98
|Oct precipitation inch = 2.39
|Nov precipitation inch = 1.15
|Dec precipitation inch = 1.01
|year precipitation inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 6.1
|Feb precipitation days = 5.7
|Mar precipitation days = 5.4
|Apr precipitation days = 4.9
|May precipitation days = 6.3
|Jun precipitation days = 4.8
|Jul precipitation days = 5.9
|Aug precipitation days = 3.5
|Sep precipitation days = 7.1
|Oct precipitation days = 4.6
|Nov precipitation days = 4.4
|Dec precipitation days = 6.0

|Jan snow inch = 
|Feb snow inch = 
|Mar snow inch = 
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|Jun snow inch = 
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|year snow inch =

|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 
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|Apr snow days = 
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|Jun snow days = 
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|source 1 = NOAA<ref name = NOAA>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00012947&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Cotulla La Salle CO AP, TX
|access-date = June 16, 2023
}}
</ref>
|source 2 = National Weather Service<ref name = NOWData>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=crp
|publisher = National Weather Service
|title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Corpus Christi
|access-date = June 16, 2023
}}
</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1890= 672
|1910= 1880
|1920= 1058
|1930= 3175
|1940= 3633
|1950= 4418
|1960= 3960
|1970= 3415
|1980= 3912
|1990= 3694
|2000= 3614
|2010= 3603
|2020= 3718
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===

{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Cotulla racial composition'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US4817216&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |access-date=2022-05-20 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref><br> (NH = Non-Hispanic){{efn|Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.<ref>{{cite web |title=About the Hispanic Population and its Origin |url=https://www.census.gov/topics/population/hispanic-origin/about.html |website=www.census.gov |access-date=18 May 2022}}</ref>}}
!Race
!Number
!Percentage
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] (NH)
|424
|11.4%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] (NH)
|9
|0.24%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] (NH)
|1
|0.03%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] (NH)
|4
|0.11%
|-
|Some Other Race (NH)
|5
|0.13%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed/Multi-Racial]] (NH)
|31
|0.83%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]
|3,244
|87.25%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''3,718'''
|
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 3,718 people, 1,485 households, and 1,110 families residing in the city.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, 3,614 people, 1,208 households, and 901 families were residing in the city. The [[population density]] was 1,831.8 people per mi<sup>2</sup> (708.3/km<sup>2</sup>). The 1,504 housing units averaged 762.3 per mi<sup>2</sup> (294.8/km<sup>2</sup>). The [[Race (United States Census)|racial makeup]] of the city was 83.45% White, 0.64% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 12.67% from other races, and 2.35% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 83.56% of the population.

Of the 1,208 households, 39.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 17.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4% were not families. About 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95, and the average family size was 3.50.

In the city, the age distribution was 33.6% under 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $23,250, and for a family was $25,951. Males had a median income of $21,199 versus $17,415 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $10,856. About 27.9% of families and 30.1% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 39.0% of those under age 18 and 28.1% of those age 65 or over.

[[Image:Brush Country Museum IMG 0460.JPG|200px|right|thumb|The Brush Country Museum in Cotulla preserves regional history.]]

[[File:First United Methodist Church of Cotulla, TX IMG 0461.JPG|thumb|right|200px|First [[United Methodist]] Church of Cotulla]]
[[File:Revised First Baptist Church of Cotulla, TX IMG_3327.JPG|thumb|right|200px|The First [[Baptist]] Church of Cotulla was established in the 1880s. The current sanctuary opened in 1948.]]
[[File:Prevailing Word Church, Cotulla, TX IMG 2476.JPG|200px|right|thumb|The Prevailing Word Church (nondenominational) in Cotulla]]

==Law and government==
The La Salle County Courthouse in downtown Cotulla has undergone extensive renovation.

==Education==

* Cotulla is within the [[Cotulla Independent School District]]. Cotulla High School, with grades 9–12, is located east of town. The modern structure is divided into several noncontiguous units.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}

==Notable people==

* [[Josh Beckett]], retired [[Major League Baseball]] [[pitcher]], owns Herradura Ranch, a {{convert|7000|acre|km2|adj=on}} deer-hunting enclave located about {{convert|28|mi|km}} from Cotulla
* [[Jeff Bezos]], founder and CEO of Amazon.com, was the wealthiest person in the world, as of December 2017. His maternal ancestors were settlers who lived in Texas. Over the generations, the family acquired a {{convert|25000|acre|km2|adj=on}} ranch in Cotulla<ref>{{cite news|title=Jeff Bezos' roots could give Texas an edge as Amazon.com looks for new HQ site|date=September 7, 2017|access-date=January 19, 2018|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/business/retail/2017/09/07/amazoncoms-jeff-bezos-big-roots-intexas-give-state-edge|work=[[Puget Sound Business Journal]]}}</ref>
* [[John Lewis Gaddis]], known as the "Dean of [[Cold War]] Historians", was born in Cotulla in 1941
* [[O. Henry]], the short story writer, lived on a sheep ranch near Cotulla in the early 1880s with the successful goal of improving his health in the dry climate
* [[Lyndon B. Johnson]], [[U.S. President]]; taught [[Public school (government funded)|public school]] in Cotulla from 1928 to 1929<ref>{{cite book|author-link=Robert Caro|last=Caro|first=Robert A.|series=[[The Years of Lyndon Johnson]]|title=The Path to Power|year=1982|publisher=[[Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.]]|location=[[New York City|New York]]|isbn=0394499735|pages=164, 174}}</ref>
* [[Hailey Kinsel]], three-time world champion barrel racer, was born and raised on her parents' cattle ranch near Cotulla<ref>{{cite web |title=Kinsel, Hailey |url=http://wpra.com/index.php/kinsel-hailey |website=Women's Professional Rodeo Association |publisher=wpra.com |accessdate=January 9, 2019}}</ref> 
* [[Phil Lyne]], a former rodeo [[cowboy]] and 1979 [[ProRodeo Hall of Fame]] inductee, resides in Cotulla<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://www.tamupress.com/product/College-Rodeo,1472.aspx|title=College Rodeo: From Show to Sport|last=Mahoney|first=Sylvia Gann|publisher=Texas A&M University Press|year=2004|isbn=978-1-58544-331-4|pages=97}}</ref>
* [[J.B. Mauney]], an American professional [[rodeo]] [[cowboy]] who specializes in [[bull riding]], and competes in the [[Professional Bull Riders]] (PBR) and [[Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association]] (PRCA) circuits, he is a two time PBR World Champion in 2013 and 2015. He resides in Cotulla.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cowboy Biographies |url=http://prorodeo.com/prorodeo/cowboys/cowboy-biographies?id=1180 |website=Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association |publisher=prorodeo.com |access-date=April 25, 2019}}</ref>
* [[Kevin Patrick Yeary]], judge of the [[Texas Court of Criminal Appeals]], was born in Cotulla and raised in Laredo<ref>{{cite web|url=http://votesmarttexas.com/TxCourtCriminalAppeals.asp|title=Kevin Patrick Yeary|publisher=[[Project Vote Smart]]|access-date=December 19, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180818050756/http://votesmarttexas.com/TxCourtCriminalAppeals.asp|archive-date=August 18, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==References==
<references/>
{{notelist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Cotulla, Texas}}
* [https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hgc16 Handbook of Texas Online article]
* [http://www.cotullaairport.com/ Cotulla Airport] (Page Aviation)

{{La Salle County, Texas}}
{{Texas}}
{{Texas county seats}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Texas]]
[[Category:Cities in La Salle County, Texas]]
[[Category:County seats in Texas]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1882]]
[[Category:1882 establishments in Texas]]
[[Category:Nueces River]]