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, 29.3; Black, 8.7; Hispanic, 59.1; Asian, 3.4; Other, 1.9.

Vital Statistics, annual: Births, 27,781; deaths, 12,461; marriages, 12,357; divorces, 3,318.

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 (1,438,439) 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 (7,564); Balcones Heights (3,144); Castle Hills (4,240); China Grove (1,287); Converse (31,171); Elmendorf (1,687); Fair Oaks Ranch (7,302); Grey Forest (511) Helotes (8,333) government/services, retail trade, Cornyval Festival in May, Highland games in April, John T. Floore Country Store, Gugger Homestead; Hill Country Village (1,021); Hollywood Park (3,181).

Also, Kirby (8,481); Leon Valley (10,843); Live Oak (15,413); Macdona (622); Olmos Park (2,361); St. Hedwig (2,279); Selma (8,187, parts in Guadalupe and Comal counties); Shavano Park (3,550); Somerset (1,773); Terrell Hills (5,106); Universal City (19,914); Von Ormy (1,163); Windcrest (5,611).

Part [1,157] of Schertz (36,244). 

Lackland Air Force Base (10,623); Randolph Air Force Base (1,285).

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