Transportation
Highways
Valley highways are safe, scenic, plentiful, and convenient. U.S Highway 83, connecting the Valley to West Texas, is an obvious choice for those who wish to see a large chunk of the Texas border. It travels through Starr County, continuing through Mission, McAllen, Weslaco, Harlingen, Brownsville and all the Valley communities in between. One of the interesting features of Expressway 83 is that during your trek through the Valley on this well-marked, four-laner, you are never much more than 10 miles from the Mexican border. Business 83 or "Old 83" runs parallel to Expressway 83 winding through the downtown areas of all the cities you speed past on the expressway. As a matter of fact, Old 83 is often called the "Main Street of the Valley," because, at many points, the towns have grown together, forming a sort of mini-metropolis.U.S Highway 281 from San Antonio has become more popular since it was made four lanes. U.S. 281 extends past Edinburg with an impressive new interchange in Pharr connecting 281 with Expressway 83. The multilevel interchange has eased traffic in the busy intersection and was a welcome change for Valleyites.
Business 281 runs through Edinburg and Pharr and will take you all the way down to the Rio Grande, where it Ts off east and west. This is where 281 becomes known as Military Highway, running parallel to Expressway 83, right along the river, all the way to Brownsville. This scenic route was once the lifeline to soldiers stationed at outposts such as Fort Brown (Brownsville), Fort Ringgold (Rio Grande City) and Fort McIntosh (Laredo).
U.S. Highway 77 connects the Valley to the Coastal Bend region. Emerging from true Texas ranch country, Raymondville welcomes travelers on U.S. 77 to the Valley. The flat four-laner runs through Willacy County down to Harlingen where it hooks up with Expressway 83. From there 77/83 runs southeast to Brownsville.
For the beachcomber, Highway 100 just south of Harlingen gets you from 77/83 through Los Fresnos and Port Isabel to South Padre Island.
Air Travel
Valley airports are convenient, spacious and easy to navigate. Valley International Airport in Harlingen is a beautiful, modern facility with all the amenities of a big city airport but with none of the hassles. Plenty of parking, gift shops and restaurants await the traveler arriving in Harlingen. Valley International Airport is served by Continental, Southwest, American and Sun Country Airlines.Private aircraft operators should check out the Weslaco Airport, centrally located just north of Expressway 83 in Weslaco. With a new terminal, car rentals, and expanded runways, this private airfield is primed and ready for corporate customers.
McAllen Miller International Airport has American, Continental and TWA flights from it's beautiful terminal. Parking is free and downtown McAllen and most major hotels are only a short hop away.
The Brownsville-South Padre Island International Airport has several Continental Airlines flights daily to Houston and connections nationwide. This airport is home to the Valley Wing of the Confederate Air Force, with its museum of World War II airplanes and memorabilia, and is the site of the wing's CAF Airshow in March.
