Matamoros, officially known as
Heroica Matamoros and formerly named
San Juan de los Esteros Hermosos, is a city in the northeastern
Mexican state of
Tamaulipas. It is located on the southern bank of the
Rio Grande, directly across the border from
Brownsville,
Texas, in the
United States. Matamoros is the second largest and second most populous city in the state of Tamaulipas. As of 2010, Matamoros has a population of 489,193. If its
floating population is included in the census count, however, the population of Matamoros can reach up to approximately 700,000. In addition, the
Matamoros–Brownsville Metropolitan Area has a population of 1,136,995, making it the 4th largest metropolitan area on the Mexico–US border. Matamoros is the 39th largest city in Mexico and anchors the second largest metropolitan area in Tamaulipas.