Brownsville: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Brownsville is a city of 186,738 people in United States (Texas), 17 m (56 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport (BRO), 7 km (4 mi) from the centre. It has 1 railway station on record, including Southern Pacific Railroad Passenger Depot.
Key facts
Open Brownsville in Google Maps
Daylight in Brownsville runs from about 10 h 34 min a day in late December to 13 h 48 min in late June (computed for 25.9° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Brownsville is served by 5 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport (BRO), 7 km (4 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 7,399 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft. The alternatives are General Servando Canales International Airport (MAM, 15 km), Valley International Airport (HRL, 40 km), General Lucio Blanco International Airport (REX, 74 km), McAllen Miller International Airport (MFE, 80 km).
Flights to Brownsville: every airport, routes and times
By rail: stations on record include Southern Pacific Railroad Passenger Depot. Trains to Brownsville
Buses to Brownsville · Driving and car hire
What people come for
| Sight | Visitors a year | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park | 97,860 | 2020 |
The busiest is Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park at 97,860 visitors in 2020. Figures are the latest each site has published, so they are not all for the same year.
Tours, tickets and day trips from Brownsville
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Monterrey, 283 km (Mexico) — flights · trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Saltillo, 353 km (Mexico) — trains
- Guadalupe, 278 km (Mexico) — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Reynosa, 81 km (Mexico) — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Heroica Matamoros, 3 km (Mexico)
- Ciudad Apodaca, 270 km (Mexico) — buses · car rental · tours
- Ciudad General Escobedo, 282 km (Mexico) — buses · car rental · tours
- Nuevo Laredo, 266 km (Mexico) — buses · car rental · tours
- San Nicolás de los Garza, 281 km (Mexico) — buses · car rental
- Ciudad Victoria, 292 km (Mexico) — buses · car rental
Twin towns and sister cities: Barranquilla, Heroica Matamoros, Guadalajara.
Common questions
Which airport serves Brownsville?
Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport (BRO), 7 km (4 mi) from the centre, plus 4 other airports with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Brownsville?
About 186,738 people live in Brownsville, across 379 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Brownsville in?
America/Chicago, currently UTC-5.
What currency is used in Brownsville?
The Dollar (USD). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near Brownsville?
Monterrey (283 km), Saltillo (353 km), Guadalupe (278 km), Reynosa (81 km), Heroica Matamoros (3 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.