Del Rio, city, seat of Val Verde County, southwestern Texas, a port on the Río Grande opposite Ciudad Acuña, Mexico; incorporated 1911. A gateway to Mexico, it is the site of several U.S.-Mexican “twin plants” that produce plastic items and appliances. Laughlin Air Force Base, the Amistad National Recreation Area, and the Amistad Reservoir are nearby. Native American rock art, from 3500 BC, is found in caves near here. Del Rio's name is derived from that of the Spanish mission of San Felipe del Rio, built here about 1675. Population 30,034 (1980); 30,705 (1990); 33,867 (2000).
