Islitas

Islitas is a ghost town in southwestern Webb County, Texas, sitting at coordinates that place it in a remote stretch of the state near the Rio Grande. Its origins trace to 1882, when it was founded as both a railroad stop and a coal shipping center along the Rio Grande and Pecos Valley Railroad — two roles that gave the community an early economic purpose.

The town reached its high point in 1914, when roughly 300 people called it home. That same period marked the beginning of the end: local mine output began to fall, and the population followed. By 1920, the final census count recorded just 100 residents, and the community faded from there.

Today Islitas is a true ghost town. Visitors drawn to its history should expect a sparse, remote setting with little infrastructure. The appeal is largely historical and photographic — a quiet remnant of a brief railroad-and-coal era in deep South Texas.