Crystal City, Texas
Crystal City lies in Zavala County in the Rio Grande Valley / Border region of South Texas, about 83 miles northwest of Laredo and roughly 94 miles southwest of San Antonio. The town sits amid the flat, irrigated farmland of the Winter Garden district, and it became widely known as the "Spinach Capital of the World" for the vegetable crops grown in the area; a statue of the cartoon character Popeye stands in town as a nod to that reputation. Crystal City also figures in Texas history as an early center of Mexican-American political organizing.
Property here runs through the Zavala Central Appraisal District and the county tax office — the homestead exemption, the appraisal cap, protests, and any MUD, PID, or special districts all sit at the parcel level. The Zavala County notes below cover the practical details, with the official county directory for the appraisal district and tax office.
Zavala County notes
What to know around Crystal City
Property Tax
Two offices handle your property taxes in Zavala County
Zavala County has a separate appraisal district and a tax assessor-collector. They do different jobs, and you need to know which one to contact.
Mineral Rights
Oil and gas have been produced in Zavala County since 1937
Zavala County has an oil and gas production history going back to 1937, which matters if you are buying land and want to know what is underground.
Local History
Crystal City built its identity on spinach farming and the Popeye statue
Crystal City earned the name Spinach Capital of the World in the 1930s. The county still has a Popeye statue from that era.
History
A WWII internment camp once held thousands in Crystal City
The U.S. government ran one of its largest WWII civilian internment camps in Crystal City from 1942 to 1948, holding Japanese, German, and other civilians.
Political History
Zavala County was the center of a major Mexican American political movement in the 1960s and 70s
In 1963, Mexican Americans in Crystal City organized and won city council seats. That win, called the Crystal City Revolt, sparked a broader civil rights movement.
Nearby
Places near Crystal City
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Dimmit County
7 local notes · Rio Grande Valley / Border
Maverick County
20 local notes · Rio Grande Valley / Border
Frio County
6 local notes · San Antonio / South Central
Uvalde County
11 local notes · San Antonio / South Central
La Salle County
6 local notes · Rio Grande Valley / Border
Kinney County
6 local notes · Rio Grande Valley / Border
Next steps for Crystal City
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