Cotulla, Texas
10 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1929 and the latest in 2002. It stands in the Cotulla census division. It lies in ZIP code area 78014. The Survey maps it on the Cotulla quadrangle. 3,718 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 427 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in Cotulla
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 3 records
La Salle County Courthouselisted 2007- Cotulla Ranchlisted 2014
- Welhausen School and Florita Plazalisted 2021
Population over time
2 figuresCotulla grew from 3,603 to 3,718 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 3,603 | |
| 2020 | 3,718 | +115 (+3%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
9 surveys from 10 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1929 USGS Cotulla quadrangle1:125000
- 1940 USGS Cotulla quadrangle1:62500
- 1953 USGS Crystal City quadrangle1:250000
- 1955 USGS Crystal City quadrangle1:250000
- 1961 USGS Crystal City quadrangle1:250000
- 1968 USGS Crystal City quadrangle1:250000
- 1974 USGS Cotulla quadrangle1:24000
- 1985 USGS Cotulla quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
- 2002 USGS Cotulla quadrangle1:50000
Fires near this place
152 since 2006Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 152 fires within 5 miles of Cotulla between 2006 and 2019, burning about 1,810 acres in total. None started naturally. 2 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 93 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 29 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 10 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 6 |
| Smoking | 5 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 4 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 2 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 2 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 September 2011 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Texas A & M Forest Service | MADISON POINTE |
| 4 September 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 125 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | FM 469 3 MILES FROM FM 468 |
| 30 September 2013 | Debris and open burning | 1.5 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | 35 GRASSFIRE |
| 19 September 2009 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Texas A & M Forest Service | AVANT HWY97 |
| 15 September 2011 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | MM72 W SIDE |
| 14 September 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Texas A & M Forest Service | GUADALUPE FIRE |
| 14 September 2013 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | CITY WATER TOWER |
| 9 August 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Texas A & M Forest Service | MILE MARKER 62 |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Storms near this place
46 since 1995Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Cotulla in 46 storm reports between 1995 and 2025: 22 hail, 13 thunderstorm wind, 8 flash flood, 2 flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2023 | Hail | Cotulla | $300,000 | La Salle County Sheriff's Office reported hail damage to cars, including broken windshields, in Cotulla from hail up to the size of softballs. The large hail broke windows in several homes. |
| October 2013 | Flood | Cotulla | $50,000 | Major flooding along the Nueces River occurred near Cotulla. Some farm and ranch equipment were flooded. Cattle were cut off by the flood waters also. |
| May 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cotulla | $24,000 | Two tractor trailers blown over 5 SSW of town (estimated on I-35). |
| April 2016 | Hail | Cotulla | $20,000 | Ping pong ball sized hail occurred in Cotulla causing damage to plants. Images relayed to the NWS through Facebook. |
| April 2016 | Hail | Cotulla | $10,000 | Quarter sized hail occurred at the Big's Travel Center near Interstate 35 in Cotulla. |
| June 2007 | Flash Flood | Cotulla | $10,000 | TXDOT reported a large section of F.M. 624 in rural southeastern La Salle county closed due to flooding. A culvert along 624 was washed out due to the heavy rain. The road remained closed into the next day.| |
| July 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cotulla | $5,000 | Business signs and power lines were blown down near Interstate 35 in Cotulla. |
| April 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cotulla | $1,000 | Thunderstorm wind damage report in Cotulla of chance fencing blown down at the Tx DOT facility. |
| May 2025 | Heavy Rain | Cotulla | - | Observed 1.19. The period of the Rain event was 30 minutes. |
| April 2024 | Hail | Cotulla | - | Trained spotter reported quarter size hail in Cotulla. |
| April 2023 | Hail | Cotulla | - | Public reported through social media that golf ball sized hail occurred in Cotulla. |
| August 2022 | Flash Flood | Cotulla | - | Farm to Market Road 624 southeast of Cotulla had flood waters covering the road. |
| May 2015 | Flood | Cotulla | - | The Nueces River crested at 20.63 feet at Cotulla on the 23rd but was in major flood category from the 22nd to the 30th. The flooding caused several roads around Cotulla to be closed. The frontage road on Interstate 35 near the KOA campground was closed. Farm to Market Road 3408 and Valley Wells Road were closed. |
| April 2015 | Hail | Cotulla | - | Picture received via social media of at least quarter sized hail in Cotulla. Time estimated by radar. |
| October 2013 | Flash Flood | Cotulla | - | Road closures along portions of Texas Highway 97 and Farm to Market Road 624 in Cotulla with 2 feet of water moving over the roads. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cotulla | - | Numerous large tree limbs were snapped throughout the city of Cotulla. |
| March 2006 | Hail | Cotulla | - | Quarter-size hail reported in Cotulla as well as in Los Angeles from same storm. |
| May 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cotulla | - | 63 mph wind gust measured at Cotulla (COT). Roof was blown off trailer on Houston Street in Cotulla. Sheriff Office reported wind damage to the I-35 bridge at F.M. 468, where concrete chunks were lying under the bridge. |
| May 2006 | Hail | Cotulla | - | Reported at a truck stop on I-35 near the La Salle and Frio County line (between Millet and Dilley). |
| September 2006 | Flash Flood | Cotulla | - | Law enforcement officials reported water over several roads in Cotulla, requiring barricades. |
| April 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cotulla | - | Railroad crossing snapped in two and tree blown down onto vehicle. |
| June 2004 | Flash Flood | Cotulla | - | Texas DPS reported water over Interstate 35 at mile marker 53. Several cars reported off the roadway. Doppler radar estimated 3 to 5 inches of rain fell just south of Cotulla, near and just east of Artesia Wells. |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cotulla | - | Power lines and poles were blown down in Cotulla. |
| March 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cotulla | - | Several power lines blown down in city. |
| May 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cotulla | - | Tree blown over on power line which started fire. |
| August 2001 | Hail | Cotulla | - | 5 mi SE of Cotulla. |
| May 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cotulla | - | Downed highway signs along I-35 |
| May 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cotulla | - | Thunderstorm wind gust downed numerous large trees and destroyed a roof. |
| March 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cotulla | - | Numerous reports of several trees blown down and uprooted along with damage to mobile homes by strong thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| May 1997 | Hail | Cotulla | - | Sheriff report of golfball sized hail. |
| June 1997 | Flash Flood | Cotulla | - | Sheriff report of flooded roadways. |
| June 1997 | Flash Flood | Cotulla | - | Sheriff and border patrol report of flooded streets. |
| May 2008 | Hail | Cotulla | - | no account filed |
| May 2006 | Hail | Cotulla | - | no account filed |
| May 2006 | Hail | Cotulla | - | no account filed |
| May 2006 | Hail | Cotulla | - | no account filed |
| February 2004 | Hail | Cotulla | - | no account filed |
| July 2004 | Hail | Cotulla | - | no account filed |
| March 2002 | Hail | Cotulla | - | no account filed |
| May 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cotulla | - | no account filed |
| May 2001 | Hail | Cotulla | - | no account filed |
| March 1999 | Hail | Cotulla | - | no account filed |
| May 1999 | Hail | Cotulla | - | no account filed |
| May 1997 | Hail | Cotulla | - | no account filed |
| August 1996 | Flash Flood | Cotulla | - | no account filed |
| June 1995 | Hail | Cotulla | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zamora Acres Colonia | 0.4 miles | 10 | |
| Gardendale | 5.6 miles | 9 | |
| Woodward | 8.1 miles | 8 | |
| Millett | 10.2 miles | 9 | |
| Artesia Wells | 11.1 miles | 13 | |
| Los Angeles | 12.6 miles | 10 | |
| Dull | 16.1 miles | 9 | |
| Fowlerton | 22.6 miles | 9 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Cotulla | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q972917 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1333494. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.








