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, 30.19; Black, 6.99; Hispanic, 58.86; Asian, 2.38; Other, 1.58.

Vital Statistics, annual: Births, 26,074; deaths, 11,177; marriages, 12,097; divorces, 4,060.

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 $84.2 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 (1,327,407) county seat; Texas’ second largest city; healthcare/biosciences, government/services, manufacturing, tourism, information technology, areospace, education, energy; Alamodome. Leon Springs is now part of San Antonio.

Other towns include: Alamo Heights (7,031); Balcones Heights (2,941); Castle Hills (4,116); China Grove (1,179); Converse (18,198); Elmendorf (1,488); Fair Oaks Ranch (5,986); Grey Forest (473) Helotes (7,341) government/services, retail trade, Cornyval Festival in May, Highland games in April, John T. Floore Country Store, Gugger Homestead; Hill Country Village (985); Hollywood Park (3,062).

Also, Kirby (8,000); Leon Valley (10,151); Live Oak (13,131); Macdona (559); Olmos Park (2,237); St. Hedwig (2,094); Selma (5,540, parts in Guadalupe and Comal counties); Shavano Park (3,035); Somerset (1,631); Terrell Hills (4,878); Universal City (18,530); Von Ormy (1,085); Windcrest (5,364).

Part [1,157] of Schertz (31,465). 

Lackland Air Force Base has a population of 9,918.

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