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 Apache and Tonkawa tribes 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 and organized in 1836 from Spanish municipality named to honor the duke of Bexar; a colonial capital of Texas.

Race/Ethnicity: (In percent) Anglo, 28.2; Black, 8.5; Hispanic, 59.9; Asian, 3.1; Other, 1.3; Two or more races, 2.3.

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 (1,462,766) 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 (7,777); Balcones Heights (3,271); Castle Hills (4,514); China Grove (1,287); Converse (21,275); Elmendorf (1,682); Fair Oaks Ranch (7,628); Grey Forest (513); Helotes (8,639) government/services, retail trade, Cornyval Festival in May, Highland games in April, John T. Floore Country Store, Gugger Homestead; Hill Country Village (1,073); Hollywood Park (3,557).

Also, Kirby (8,559); Leon Valley (11,357); Live Oak (15,724); Macdona (625); Olmos Park (2,366); St. Hedwig (2,393); Selma (8,407, parts in Guadalupe and Comal counties); Shavano Park (3,477); Somerset (1,777); Terrell Hills (5,308); Universal City (20,817); Von Ormy (1,185); Windcrest (5885).

Part [1,157] of Schertz (37,841). 

Lackland Air Force Base (11,373); Randolph Air Force Base (1,353).

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