Transportation

Harlingen is home to the premier airport in the Rio Grande Valley, not only in terms of passenger travel, but as a hub for cargo and freight activity. The Port of Harlingen Authority is located 4 miles east of Harlingen and is an important link in the extensive transportation network of the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. In addition to these two very valuable assets, Harlingen offers rail accessibility, nearby border crossing points and traditional 4-lane expressways, making Harlingen one of the few locations in the country that offers truly multi-modal transportation options!

Air Service – Valley International Airport Harlingen’s Valley International Airport makes it easy to travel and from Harlingen. Valley International Airport is the Rio Grande Valley's leading airport in terms of passenger activity, infrastructure, and services. The FAA selected Valley International Airport as Texas’ Best Regional Airport. VIA is served by Southwest Airlines, Continental Express, and Sun Country Airlines (seasonal).

Border Crossing – Free Trade Bridge at Los Indios The Free Trade Bridge at Los Indios provides passage from Texas into Mexico. This state-of-the-art international bridge is located just 10 miles from Harlingen. This four-lane crossing is one of the largest and most modern ports of entry in South Texas. With a full U.S. Customs inspection facility that accommodates up to 75 trucks simultaneously, the Free Trade Bridge is acclaimed as the most time-efficient crossing for “Just in Time” production materials. The Free Trade Bridge accesses a four-lane highway in northern Mexico, offering a fast route to the border cities of Matamoros and Reynosa, as well as the industrial city of Monterrey.

Highways

Two four-lane divided expressways intersect in Harlingen: U.S. Highway 77 and U.S. Highway 83.

• U.S. Highway 77 links the Rio Grande Valley to the rest of the state. It connects to Interstate 37 at Corpus Christi.
• U.S. Highway 83 runs east to west through the Valley, and connects to Interstate 35 at Laredo.
• Interstate 69 will eventually connect the Valley to all points north. Check on status of the project here.

NAFTA CargoPort Federal Express, United Parcel Service, Airborne Express, and several private charter operators provide airfreight services. Federal Express provides international service to Mexico from the VIA terminal. The CargoPort provides multiple tenants with 38,800 square feet of warehouse space, truck docks for intermodal accessibility and a public (non-tenant air freighter) ramp. Current tenants include Menlo Forwarding and BAX Global. The CargoPort is a perfect location for logistics and distribution companies and their suppliers seeking proximity to scheduled air cargo hubs.

Port Access – The Port of Harlingen Authority The Port of Harlingen is located four miles east of Harlingen on Highway 106. It is 25 miles west of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, which stretches from the Mexican border at Brownsville along the entire coast of the Gulf of Mexico to Florida. The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway provides over 1,300 miles of protected waterway, 12’ deep and 125’ wide. The Harlingen Channel is maintained to a width of 125 feet and a depth of 12 feet. It is supplied by the Arroyo Colorado, a freshwater river.

The Port of Harlingen’s services include barges, stevedoring and bridges, and utilities (including electric, natural gas and water service). Their facilities include 650’ concrete general dry cargo wharf, 100’ dry bulk wharf, 5 smaller docks (50’ x 25’) located near the turning basin and extending down the Harlingen channel, and unlimited acres of open storage. Over 150 acres of on-and-off channel sites are available for industrial firms requiring economical transportation and attractive land lease rates.

Rail – Union Pacific Railroad

Union Pacific Railroad has a local terminal and switching yard in Harlingen. The Harlingen Industrial Parks and the Port of Harlingen have direct rail access.

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