Airports
Harlingen is known as the logistics center of the Rio Grande Valley. The city's airport, Valley International Airport (HRL), has a service area that encompasses the lower Rio Grande Valley and northern Mexico, serving more than two million people on both sides of the US-Mexico border. It is the largest international airport in the region and handles approximately 50% of all passenger traffic in the Rio Grande Valley. Valley International Airport lies in the northeastern portion of Harlingen and offers an attractive border-crossing option via the Free Trade Bridge at Los Indios. The airport has aligned itself as the Air Cargo Hub of the Rio Grande Valley and works closely with carriers such as UPS, DHL, FedEx, BAX Global, Menlo Worldwide, and Southwest Cargo. In 1975, Southwest Airlines began to fly to the Rio Grande Valley via the Harlingen Airport with four roundtrips each business day. Additional airlines that serve the airport include Continental Airlines and Sun Country Airlines. Sun Country Airlines offers direct seasonal service to Minneapolis/St. Paul during the winter season from November to April.
Highways
Two six-lane divided highways intersect in Harlingen: U.S. Highway 77 and U.S. Highway 83. U.S. Highway 77 connects to Interstate 37 at Corpus Christi. U.S. Highway 83 connects with Interstate 35 at Laredo.
International Trade Bridges
The Free Trade Bridge at Los Indios is a state of the art international bridge located just 10 miles south of Harlingen. This four-lane international 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. 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. With the completion of Mexico's State of Tamaulipas new 'autopista', the Free Trade Bridge will provide a seamless highway connection for more efficient distribution of industrial products to interior Mexico.
