Click to enlarge.	Map Legend.

Physical Features: On edge of Balcones Escarpment, Coastal Plain; heavy black to thin limestone soils; spring-fed streams; underground water; mesquite, other brush; Braunig Lake, Calaveras Lake.

Economy: Medical/biomedical  research and services; government center with large federal payroll, military bases; tourism; education center.

History: Coahuiltecan Indian area; also Lipan Apaches and Tonkawas present. Mission San Antonio de Valero (Alamo) founded in 1718. Canary Islanders arrived in 1731. Anglo-American settlers began arriving in the late 1820s. County created in 1836 from Spanish municipality named to honor the duke of Bexar; a colonial capital of Texas.

 Race/Ethnicity: (In percent) Anglo, 29.5; Black, 8.2; Hispanic, 59.1; Asian, 2.8; Other, 3.5.

Vital Statistics, annual: Births, 26,277; deaths, 11,888; marriages, 12,741; divorces, 3,756.

Recreation: Historic sites include the Alamo, other missions, Casa Navarro, La Villita; River Walk, El Mercado (market), Tower of the Americas, Brackenridge Park, zoo, SeaWorld, HemisFair Park, Institute of Texan Cultures; museums, symphony orchestra; hunting, fishing; NBA Spurs; Fiesta in April, Folklife Festival in June.

Minerals: Gravel, sand, limestone.

Agriculture: Nursery crops, beef cattle, grain sorghum, hay, corn. Market value $72.4 million.

Education: Fourteen colleges including Our Lady of the Lake, St. Mary’s University, Texas A&M University–San Antonio, Trinity University, the University of Texas at San Antonio.

SAN ANTONIO (1,393,875) county seat; Texas’ second largest city; healthcare/biosciences, government/services, manufacturing, tourism, information technology, aerospace, education, energy; Alamodome. Leon Springs is now part of San Antonio.

Other towns include: Alamo Heights (7,183); Balcones Heights (3,053); Castle Hills (4,149); China Grove (1,204); Converse (19,484); Elmendorf (1,557); Fair Oaks Ranch (6,280); Grey Forest (520) Helotes (7,763) government/services, retail trade, Cornyval Festival in May, Highland games in April, John T. Floore Country Store, Gugger Homestead; Hill Country Village (995); Hollywood Park (3,106).

Also, Kirby (8,186); Leon Valley (10,505); Live Oak (14,324); Macdona (598); Olmos Park (2,308); St. Hedwig (2,171); Selma (7,140, parts in Guadalupe and Comal counties); Shavano Park (3,177); Somerset (1,671); Terrell Hills (4,955); Universal City (19,476); Von Ormy (1,240); Windcrest (5,446).

Part [1,157] of Schertz (35,202). 

Lackland Air Force Base (10,651); Randolph Air Force Base (1,279).

A section of the River Walk in San Antonio. Photo by Robert Plocheck.