The Rio Grande Valley is an area located in the southernmost tip of South Texas. It lies along the northern bank of the Rio Grande, which separates Mexico from the United States.

The ironic thing is that the Rio Grande Valley is not really a valley, but a delta or floodplain. It seemed that the term "delta" was not something northern investors or tourists would find attractive, so the term "Valley" was adopted instead, hence the Rio Grande Valley. The Rio Grande Valley has a few nicknames used by its locals; such as, "RGV", "Valley", or its Spanish translation, "El Valle".

The region is made up of four counties: Starr County, Hidalgo County, Willacy County, and Cameron County. As of January 1, 2007, the Texas State Data Center estimated the population of the Rio Grande Valley at 1,139,581. Over 87% of the residents of the Valley are either "Hispanic" or "Latino".