Kingsville is located just southwest of Corpus Christi toward Harlingen along US 77 near Cayo Del Gruillo and Alazan Bay.
The seat of Kleberg County, it is home of the Texas A&M University-Kingsville campus.
Many of the first businesses were established by the King Ranch, which built a hotel, an ice plant, a waterworks, and a cotton gin and started a weekly newspaper. Kingsville became a trade center for farm and ranch families. Many of the farmers ran dairies and sold large quantities of cream to a local creamery.
Ups and downs followed.
A decline in enrollment at the university, the closing of the district office of Exxon in 1985, and the depressed condition of the petroleum industry were the most important factors retarding the city's growth. In 1985 the population of Kingsville was 29,949, and by 1990 the number of residents had fallen to 25,276.