[9] The economy of the city is significantly based on its international trade with the United States through the USMCA agreement,[10] and it is home to one of the most promising industrial sectors in Mexico,[11] mainly due to the presence of maquiladoras.

[12] In Matamoros, the automotive industry hosts the assembly and accessories plants for brands such as General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.

[13][14] Prior to the growth of the maquiladoras in the 2000s, Matamoros' economy had historically been principally based on agriculture,[15] since northern Mexico's biggest irrigation zones are in the municipality.

[16] PEMEX announced a multibillion-peso offshore drilling project for the port of Matamoros,[17] one of the future prospects for Mexico's oil industry.

[29] Matamoros and Brownsville, Texas, are home to the Charro Days and Sombrero Festival, two-nation fiestas that commemorate the heritage of the U.S. and Mexico which are celebrated every February.

[34] In the year 1749, thirteen enterprising families, twelve from Camargo and one from Reynosa, decided to invest and begin a new, influential cattle industry in the area.

[35] Former landowners were skeptical that this new investment would be successful, since the frequent overflow of the Rio Grande caused severe floods, and because ranches were occasionally attacked by Indians.

[36] In 1793, to colonize the province of Nuevo Santander, two Franciscan missionaries named Francisco Pueyes and Manuel Júlio Silva established a parish in the main plaza of Matamoros.

They proposed a new name for the community: Villa del Refugio, in honor of the parish and patron saint, Our Lady of the Refuge of the Estuaries.

The division, on the other hand, was mirrored within the provisional government and among the commanders in the field, who compounded the situation and contributed to the near destruction of the Texian army.

[45] At the beginning of the American Civil War, the city of Matamoros was simply a sleepy little border town across the Rio Grande from Brownsville.

[65] Since the 1970s, and especially during the 1990s, after the initiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, foreign investment has multiplied in Matamoros, resulting in an enormous population growth, prominently from other Mexican states, like San Luis Potosí and Veracruz.

[citation needed] Many major crimes have occurred in Matamoros, including the 1989 murder of an American tourist, a 1999 standoff and a 2011 mass kidnapping.

[67] The economy of Matamoros depends primarily on its proximity to the United States, due to the importance of the strong presence of foreign investment in the area.

Maquiladoras are a direct representation of American presence in the state of Tamaulipas; the trade of goods through the international bridges and the flow of people on both sides of the border play a huge role in the economic posture of Matamoros.

[vague][quantify] The two main water suppliers are the Rio Grande and the Arroyo del Tigre, which have dams that irrigate the region.

In addition, there are fishing activities in spots like Higuerillas, la Capilla, Rincón de las Flores, el Mezquital, and Playa Bagdad.

[79] In 2014, Mayor Leticia Salazar proposed to change the beach's name to Costa Azul, in reference to Matamoros-native Rigo Tovar and to his band.

Other second tier bands like 'La Firma', 'La Mira de Linares,' and 'La Leyenda,' along with several other pop groups, have also played during the month of April, the most visited period of the year.

[84] Unique and curious items are also exhibited, such as an iron casket where the remains of fearless General Canales once rested (fought against both American and French invasions) and the dark tunnels lounged beneath the construction, inevitable reference for local horror stories.

[87] The central 'plaza' in Matamoros is home to the Presidential Offices, the Cathedral of Nuestra Señora Villa del Refugio, and of the Casino Matamorense, along with other historical buildings.

On 28 January 1829, the plaza was named after the heroic and historical figure Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, who fought in the Mexican War of Independence.

For decades, the theater was home to important balls held by the richest families of Matamoros and the high-ranking military officers of the state.

[92] In May 2023, the CDC reported about an outbreak of fungal meningitis in US residents returning from Matamoros after medical or surgical procedures including liposuction involving injection of an anesthetic into the area around the spinal column i.e., epidural anesthesia.

Its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico accompanies cooler winds during the summers and winters, compared to its sister cities of Reynosa and Nuevo Laredo, which are farther inland.