Rio Frio is an unincorporated community in southeastern Real County, Texas, set on the spring-fed Frio River in the Texas Hill Country. It lies just off U.S. Route 83, a few miles south of Leakey, the county seat, and immediately north of the Uvalde County line. The settlement took shape between 1856 and 1860, when pioneer families who had earlier lived farther up the Frio canyon at Leakey moved onto riverfront land. The community takes its name from the river itself: "frío" is Spanish for cold, a reference to the spring-cooled water that stays chilly even in the Texas summer. With a resident population that has long numbered in the dozens, Rio Frio remains a small, rural place defined more by its landscape than by municipal infrastructure. It retains a post office, serving ZIP code 78879. The surrounding terrain is classic Hill Country — limestone hills, live-oak and cedar cover, and cypress-lined stretches of river. Ranching and agriculture anchor the local economy, joined by a seasonal current of visitors drawn to the river for swimming, tubing, and camping. Rio Frio sits near some of the state's best-known river recreation. Garner State Park, with miles of Frio River frontage, lies nearby in adjacent Uvalde County, and the Concan area just downstream is a long-established destination for summer floating. Real County itself is one of Texas's least populous counties, and that sparse, unhurried character shapes daily life here. For residents and weekend visitors alike, Rio Frio is a gateway to the Frio Canyon and the quieter, spring-fed reaches of the river that gives the area its name. The nearest full-service hub is Leakey to the north, while Uvalde to the south and San Antonio to the southeast anchor the broader region for shopping, healthcare, and travel connections.