Most of Citrus City was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2003. Below: maps from 1940 on and the census since 2000.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Citrus City is more historic than 3% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Citrus City’s overall grade.
Few Texas towns list much on the Register (a typical Texas town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Citrus City’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (34% of Texas towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1943.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to D. The pre-1940 share (±2.2 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Citrus City’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Citrus City yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Citrus City is a census-designated place (CDP) in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,291 at the 2020 census. It is part of the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town was founded in 1943 during World War II by Howard Moffitt, a builder known for his vernacular Moffitt cottage architectural style, as part of a planned regional orange and grapefruit growing community. The local irrigation system proved to be too saline for fruit production, and the plans for a large town were revised. A few Moffitt houses survive in Citrus City.
Citrus City was established in 1943. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 2,321 to 3,291 (+42%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
By decade
No old photos in the archives yet
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.
Hamlets and corners on the map
El Flaco Chiquito ColoniaWestern Estates Number 1 Colonia
Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Citrus City’s history
What year was Citrus City founded?
In 1943, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 2000 counted 941 people here.
How does Citrus City rank for history?
Citrus City is more historic than 3% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Citrus City?
0.0% of Citrus City’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.2 points), against a typical 1.6% for a Texas town; the median home was built in 2003.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
