Starbase, TX
Where Is Starbase, Texas?
Starbase is a city at the southern tip of Texas, in Cameron County on the Gulf of Mexico. It sits on the Boca Chica peninsula at the east end of State Highway 4, about 20 miles east of Brownsville and about 2 miles north of the Mexico border. SpaceX builds and launches its Starship rockets there. The city was incorporated in May 2025.
Starbase, Texas by the numbers
- BrownsvilleEast of Brownsville
- 20 mi
- MexicoNorth of Mexico
- 2 mi
- AirportTo the nearest airport
- 19 mi
- City sinceBecame a city
- 2025
- ResidentsResidents
- 500+
- ZIPZIP code
- 78521
01
Where It Is
At the bottom right corner of Texas, where the Rio Grande reaches the Gulf of Mexico. Every fact below names its source.
For launch viewing spots, parking and a street map, see the Starbase map and viewing spots.
Where
The southern tip of Texas
Starbase is in Cameron County, the southernmost county in Texas. It sits on the Boca Chica peninsula, where the Rio Grande meets the Gulf of Mexico. State Highway 4 runs through the town and ends at Boca Chica Beach.
Source: Wikipedia
Distance from Brownsville
20 miles east
That is the straight line. By road it is 22.8 miles east on State Highway 4, about 40 minutes with no traffic. Highway 4 is the only road into Starbase.
Source: OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM)
Mexico border
About 2 miles south
The Rio Grande is the border between the United States and Mexico. Its nearest point is 1.8 miles south of the town, measured on the Census map of the river.
Source: US Census TIGERweb
Coordinates
25.9914° N, 97.1836° W
The town, next to the SpaceX build site on State Highway 4. The launch pads are about 1.7 miles further east, beside the beach.
Source: Wikipedia
City
Incorporated May 20, 2025
Residents voted 212 to 6 to form the City of Starbase on May 3, 2025. The mayor is Bobby Peden, a SpaceX vice president. The city has a two-member commission.
Source: Wikipedia
Population
More than 500 residents
The city's own figure: SpaceX employees, their families, children and pets. The city did not exist at the 2020 census, so no census count exists yet.
Source: City of Starbase
ZIP code
78521
Starbase uses ZIP code 78521, which it shares with Brownsville. City Hall is at 39046 LBJ Blvd, Unit 02, Starbase, TX 78521.
Source: City of Starbase
Public access
Public road, private site
State Highway 4 is a public road through the town to Boca Chica Beach. The SpaceX factory and the launch pads are private. Since September 1, 2025, the City of Starbase closes the road and the beach for launches and tests.
Source: The Texas Tribune
Last reviewed September 30, 2026
02
How Far It Is
State Highway 4 is the only road into Starbase, and it starts in Brownsville. Every drive below ends on it. The city closes it for launches and tests, so check the road before you go.
From nearby towns and cities
- Brownsville, TXEast on State Highway 4
- 23 mi · 40 min20 mi straight line
- Matamoros, TamaulipasPlus the wait at the border bridge
- 25 mi · 45 min22 mi straight line
- Port Isabel, TXBack through Brownsville
- 36 mi · 55 min5.9 mi straight line
- South Padre Island, TXNo bridge crosses the bay
- 40 mi · 1 h 5 min7.8 mi straight line
- Harlingen, TX
- 44 mi · 1 h 5 min35 mi straight line
- McAllen, TX
- 78 mi · 1 h 40 min67 mi straight line
- Corpus Christi, TX
- 179 mi · 3 h 30 min126 mi straight line
- San Antonio, TX
- 295 mi · 5 h 30 min250 mi straight line
- Austin, TX
- 369 mi · 6 h 50 min297 mi straight line
- Houston, TX
- 371 mi · 7 h 15 min283 mi straight line
- Dallas, TX
- 544 mi · 10 h 5 min469 mi straight line
From the airports
- Brownsville South Padre Island International (BRO)Nearest airport
- 19 mi · 35 min16 mi straight line
- Valley International, Harlingen (HRL)
- 47 mi · 1 h 10 min33 mi straight line
- McAllen International (MFE)
- 79 mi · 1 h 45 min67 mi straight line
Driving distance and time from each city hall or airport to the town, with no traffic, from OpenStreetMap routing, read September 30, 2026. Straight-line distances are computed from the coordinates.
03
What It Is
The name Starbase means two things: a Texas city, and the SpaceX factory and launch site inside it.
The city
The City of Starbase is a Texas city, formed in May 2025. It has a mayor, a two-member commission, a city administrator and a municipal court. Most of its residents are SpaceX employees and their families. The city closes State Highway 4 and Boca Chica Beach for launches and tests.
Source: City of Starbase
The SpaceX site
Starbase is also the name of the SpaceX factory and launch site inside the city. SpaceX builds Starship and its Super Heavy booster at the build site on Highway 4 and launches them from the pads near the beach. SpaceX gives its address as 1 Rocket Road, Starbase, TX 78521.
Source: SEC EDGAR
Not the Louisiana site. In August 2026 SpaceX announced a second Starbase in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana. Nothing is built there yet. Read about Starbase, Louisiana.
How it got here
- Sep 22, 2014
Groundbreaking
SpaceX holds its groundbreaking ceremony at Boca Chica Beach. Early engineers live on site in trailers.
Source: City of Starbase
- 2019
- Early 2022
- Apr 20, 2023
First Starship flight
The full Starship and Super Heavy stack flies for the first time.
Source: Starbase Events flight log
- May 2025
A city
Residents vote 212 to 6 on May 3. The City of Starbase is incorporated on May 20.
Source: Wikipedia
- Sep 1, 2025
The city closes the road
Texas House Bill 5246 moves the power to close Highway 4 and the beach from Cameron County to the city.
Source: The Texas Tribune
04
Questions People Ask
Each question below is one people type into search. The answers use the facts above.
- Where is Starbase, Texas?
- Starbase is a city at the southern tip of Texas, in Cameron County on the Gulf of Mexico. It sits on the Boca Chica peninsula at the east end of State Highway 4, about 20 miles east of Brownsville and about 2 miles north of the Mexico border. SpaceX builds and launches its Starship rockets there. The city was incorporated in May 2025.
- Is Starbase a real city?
- Yes. Starbase became a Texas city on May 20, 2025, after residents voted 212 to 6 to incorporate on May 3, 2025. The mayor is Bobby Peden, a SpaceX vice president. The city says it has more than 500 full-time residents, most of them SpaceX employees and their families.
- What county is Starbase in?
- Cameron County, the southernmost county in Texas. Brownsville is the county seat. Until September 1, 2025, Cameron County closed the road and the beach for launches. Now the City of Starbase does it.
- How far is Starbase from Brownsville?
- About 20 miles in a straight line. The drive is 22.8 miles east on State Highway 4 and takes about 40 minutes with no traffic. Highway 4 is the only road into Starbase, and the city closes it for launches.
- How far is Starbase from South Padre Island?
- About 7.8 miles in a straight line, but about 40 miles by road. No bridge crosses the bay, so the drive goes back through Brownsville and takes about 1 hour 5 minutes. On launch day, many people watch from Isla Blanca Park on South Padre Island, about 5 miles across the water from the launch pad.
- What is the closest airport to Starbase?
- Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport (BRO), 19.1 miles by road, about 35 minutes. Valley International Airport (HRL) in Harlingen is 47 miles away, about 1 hour 10 minutes. McAllen International Airport (MFE) is 79 miles away, about 1 hour 45 minutes. No public transit goes to Starbase, so you need a car.
- What is the address of Starbase?
- SpaceX gives its address as 1 Rocket Road, Starbase, TX 78521. City Hall is at 39046 LBJ Blvd, Unit 02, Starbase, TX 78521. Neither one is a visitor entrance. To see the site, drive east on State Highway 4 toward Boca Chica Beach. The road passes the build site and the launch pads.
- Can you visit Starbase?
- Yes, when State Highway 4 is open. The highway is a public road through Starbase to Boca Chica Beach. The SpaceX factory and the launch pads are private, and SpaceX runs no public tours. The City of Starbase closes the road and the beach for launches and tests, so check the closures before you drive out.
- Is Starbase, Texas the same as Starbase, Louisiana?
- No. Starbase, Louisiana is a second SpaceX launch site, announced on August 25, 2026 for Pecan Island in Vermilion Parish. Nothing is built there yet. It is about 384 miles east of Starbase, Texas in a straight line. Starship still flies from Texas.
Sources
Everything on this page comes from these. We are not affiliated with SpaceX or the City of Starbase.
- City of StarbasePopulation, groundbreaking date and history
- City of StarbaseCity Hall address and ZIP code
- City of StarbaseMayor, commission and staff
- WikipediaThe May 3, 2025 incorporation vote
- The Texas TribuneWhat House Bill 5246 gave the city
- Texas Legislature OnlineHouse Bill 5246 and its September 1, 2025 effective date
- WikipediaCounty, coordinates, time zone and flight-test start
- SEC EDGARSpaceX's business and mailing address on its SEC filings
- OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM)Driving distances and times, read 2026-09-30
- US Census TIGERwebThe Rio Grande line used for the border distance