The unincorporated community surrounding SpaceX’s rocket launch facility in Cameron County has officially become Texas’ newest city. In a long-anticipated move, residents voted overwhelmingly on Saturday to incorporate the area as the City of Starbase.
The vote, which took place on Saturday and passed with a margin of 212 to 6, clears the path for Starbase to become a legal municipality pending certification by the county judge. Of the 283 eligible voters in the area, the majority are believed to be SpaceX employees or residents tied to the company’s operations.
Musk, who first floated the idea of incorporating Starbase in 2021, took to his platform X (formerly Twitter) to celebrate the development, saying it is “now a real city!”
The newly created city encompasses about 1.5 square miles along the Gulf Coast near the U.S.-Mexico border. Once known as Boca Chica Village, the area has transformed dramatically over the past decade as SpaceX acquired land, constructed launch facilities, and grew its presence in the region. The company now manages local roads, utilities, schooling, and medical services, creating what many have described as a modern-day company town.
SpaceX General Manager Kathryn Lueders previously told officials that incorporation was necessary to support further growth and community development. The city structure, she said, would enable better coordination of services and help streamline operations—especially around launches that often require road and beach closures.
But not everyone supports the move.
Local residents and advocacy groups have raised concerns about the implications of Musk’s growing control in the region. At issue is potential legislation that would shift authority over public beach access from Cameron County to the new city government—effectively giving Musk’s enterprise the power to restrict access to Boca Chica Beach and State Park during launches.
Environmental and Indigenous rights activists organized protests over the weekend, citing both ecological damage and cultural significance. Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. acknowledged the city vote wasn’t surprising but emphasized that the county had long cooperated with SpaceX.
