Karnes County

Karnes County is southeast of San Antonio in the Rio Grande plain region. It is bounded on the north by Wilson County, on the east by Gonzales and DeWitt counties, on the south by Goliad and Bee counties, and on the west by Atascosa and Live Oak counties. The county seat is Karnes City, which is fifty-two miles southeast of San Antonio. Other important communities include Kenedy, Runge, Panna Maria, Helena, Czestochowa, Pawelekville, Falls City, Hobson, Ecleto, Gillett, Coy City, and Lenz. Several major highways serve the county, including U.S. Highway 181, and State highways 72, 80, and 123. Karnes County covers 758 square miles of the Rio Grande plain region. The rolling to hilly land has an elevation range of 180 to 400 feet. The northwestern half of the county has nearly level to undulating terrain with deep soils composed of light-colored loamy surfaces and clayey subsoils. The remainder of the county has light to dark, loamy surfaces over reddish, clayey subsoils with limestone within forty inches of the surface, and gray to black, cracking, clayey soils with a high shrink-swell potential. Vegetation includes grasslands, mesquite, post oak, live oak, pecan, and some brush and cacti. Between 71 and 80 percent of the land in the county is considered prime farmland. The central and southern portions of the county are drained by the San Antonio River, the northern portion by Cibolo and Ecleto creeks. The climate is subtropical humid with warm summers. Temperatures in January range from an average low of 41° F to an average high of 65° and in July range from 74° to 96°. The growing season averages 280 days per year, with the last freeze in late February and the first freeze in early December. Diversified farming of grain sorghum, corn, hay, and vegetables is a major industry. Livestock raising includes beef cattle, dairy cattle, and poultry. Minerals include oil, gas, and uranium.

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.