San Antonio

San Antonio is a big city in the state of Texas in the United States. It is the seventh-most populous city in the whole country and the second-most populous in Texas, after Houston.

The city was named "San Antonio" in 1691 by a Spanish group to honor Saint Anthony of Padua. It became an important place for Spain and later Mexico before joining the United States in 1846. Today, San Antonio is famous for its history, with five old Spanish missions, including The Alamo, which are now UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Visitors to San Antonio can enjoy many attractions such as the River Walk, Tower of the Americas, SeaWorld San Antonio, and Six Flags Fiesta Texas. The city is also home to the San Antonio Spurs basketball team and hosts events like the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo. San Antonio is an important center for medicine, business, and the military.

History

Main article: History of San Antonio

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of San Antonio.

Long ago, the Payaya people lived near the San Antonio River Valley. In 1691, Spanish explorers came and named the place "San Antonio" after Saint Anthony. Over time, missions and settlements were built, and San Antonio grew into an important town.

San Antonio became a key city in Texas, first under Spanish rule and later under Mexico. In the 1800s, it was part of the fight for Texas independence. After Texas joined the United States, San Antonio grew as a center for trade and culture. Today, it is a lively city with a rich history and many visitors each year.

Geography

San Antonio is about 75 miles southwest of Austin, its state capital, and around 150 miles north of the Mexico–United States border. It is about 190 miles west of Houston and 250 miles south of the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. The city covers 465.4 square miles, most of which is land with some water. It has gently rolling land with oak trees, forests, mesquite trees, and cacti. The city is part of the Texas Hill Country and sits on the Balcones Escarpment, at an altitude of about 662 feet above sea level.

San Antonio gets its drinking water mostly from the Edwards Aquifer. Two lakes, Victor Braunig Lake and Calaveras Lake, were built to help cool power plants using treated wastewater, saving groundwater for other uses.

Neighborhoods

Further information: Neighborhoods and districts of San Antonio and Downtown San Antonio

Downtown

Downtown San Antonio is the center of the city, with many famous buildings, places to visit, and businesses. It is a small part of the city because San Antonio is large and spread out.

North Central

This area has many nice and expensive homes, including places like Castle Hills and Hollywood Park.

Northwest Side

The main campus of the University of Texas at San Antonio is here, along with other schools and medical centers. Some big companies, like Valero, have their offices here too.

South Side

Many people of Hispanic background live here. Growth increased when Toyota built a big factory. Schools like Palo Alto College are here.

East Side

This part of the city has the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo and other important places. It is where many Black and African American people live.

West Side

The West Side has many Hispanic and Latin American families. Some richer neighborhoods are in the northwest. Schools like Our Lady of the Lake University are here.

Flora and fauna

The natural plants around San Antonio include oak trees, cedar woodlands, grasslands, and brush. The city is the farthest west you’ll find certain plants like Cabbage palmetto and Spanish moss.

Climate

San Antonio has warm, humid summers and mild winters. It sometimes gets cool nights in winter. The city can have snow, but it is rare. San Antonio can also have floods and occasional tornadoes, though tornadoes are not common here. The warmest months are July and August, with average highs around 95 °F. The coolest month is January. The city gets about 29 inches of rain each year on average.

Demographics

See also: History of African Americans in San Antonio

The U.S. Census Bureau counted 1,434,625 people living in San Antonio in 2020. In 2019, studies showed most people were White, with smaller groups of Black or African American, Asian, and others. About 64.5% of all people were Hispanic or Latin American.

In 2020, the makeup was 23.4% non-Hispanic white, 63.9% Hispanic or Latin American, 6.5% Black or African American, 3.2% Asian, and 2.3% from two or more races. The city has many people from Hispanic and African American backgrounds.

Most people in the San Antonio area practice Christianity. Because of the city’s Spanish and Mexican heritage, many follow Roman Catholicism. There are also many Protestant groups, such as Baptists and Methodists. Other religions present include Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism, Hinduism, and Judaism. The city has a long history of Jewish community life, with an old synagogue in South Texas.

Economy

San Antonio has a strong and varied economy. Its economy is supported by important areas such as military, health care, government work, professional services, oil and gas, and tourism. Since the year 2000, San Antonio has become a key place for American call centers and has grown its manufacturing of cars. The city is also developing its technology sector.

Many visitors come to San Antonio each year to see places like The Alamo and the River Walk. The Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center holds many big events, bringing people from all over the world. Tourism helps the local economy by creating jobs.

San Antonio is home to major companies like Valero Energy and USAA. Other well-known businesses in the city include H-E-B, Rackspace, and Whataburger. The city also has strong links with Mexico for trade and culture.

Arts and culture

San Antonio is a city with a rich culture and many places to visit. One of the most famous spots is The Alamo, a historic mission and Texas' top tourist attraction. The city is also known as "Alamo City" because of this famous site.

Another popular place is the River Walk, a beautiful walking and biking path along the San Antonio River. It has shops, restaurants, and theaters, and it looks lovely during the holiday season with lots of lights. The River Walk also has lively music in the summer.

Downtown San Antonio has many interesting places, such as San Fernando Cathedral, The Majestic Theatre, and Hemisfair, which includes the tall Tower of the Americas. There are also parks, historic homes, and old hotels to explore.

Families love visiting SeaWorld and the San Antonio Zoo. There is also an aquarium inside the Shops at Rivercenter, and several fun theme parks, including Morgan's Wonderland designed for children with special needs.

The city has many museums, such as the McNay Art Museum, ArtPace, and the San Antonio Museum of Art.

San Antonio has many trails for walking and biking, and beautiful gardens to visit. Each year, the city holds fun events like Fiesta San Antonio, which brings lots of entertainment.

Sports

Main article: Sports in San Antonio

Professional sports

San Antonio's main professional sports team is the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association. The Spurs have played in several arenas over the years, including the Alamodome and HemisFair Arena, before moving to Frost Bank Center in 2002.

The city has not yet attracted teams from the National Football League, Major League Baseball, National Hockey League, or Major League Soccer. Local leaders have been working to bring an NFL team to San Antonio. The city temporarily hosted the New Orleans Saints after Hurricane Katrina and has hosted training camps for teams like the Dallas Cowboys.

San Antonio also has smaller teams, like the Texas Red Wolves in the American Basketball Association and the San Antonio Missions in Minor League Baseball, which are connected to the San Diego Padres.

San Antonio has had many football teams over the years, including the San Antonio Gunslingers and San Antonio Riders. The city has also hosted golf tournaments like the Valero Texas Open since 1922.

College sports

The University of Texas at San Antonio has many sports teams called the UTSA Roadrunners. They began playing football in 2011 and have grown since then.

The University of the Incarnate Word also has teams, known as the Incarnate Word Cardinals, including a football team that has won several championships.

Trinity University has teams in NCAA Division III and has won many titles, especially in tennis.

San Antonio hosts big college football games, like the Alamo Bowl and the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, which showcases top high school players.

Government

Further information: List of mayors of San Antonio

San Antonio uses a council-manager system for its government. The city is split into 10 areas, and each area elects one person to the city council. The mayor is elected by everyone in the city. All of these leaders serve for four years and can only serve two terms. The council hires a city manager to handle everyday city work.

San Antonio has its own electric and gas company called CPS Energy. The city has a police department called the San Antonio Police Department and a fire department called the San Antonio Fire Department.

San Antonio has representatives in the Senate, including Ted Cruz (R) and John Cornyn (R), and in the House of Representatives, including Joaquin Castro (D), Charles E. "Chip" Roy (R), Tony Gonzales (R), Henry Cuellar (D), and Greg Casar (D). The state’s governor is Greg Abbott (R).

State and federal representation

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has its Parole Division Region IV headquarters in San Antonio. The Texas Department of Transportation also has an office there. The United States Postal Service runs the main post office in San Antonio, with other post offices located around the city.

Politics

Growth policy

San Antonio has a special rule that lets it control land around it, even if that land is not officially part of the city. This helps the city plan roads and manage growth. Over the years, San Antonio has added a lot of land to itself, which sometimes causes debate among people living in nearby areas. The city now surrounds several smaller towns, like Alamo Heights, Balcones Heights, Castle Hills, Hill Country Village, Hollywood Park, Kirby, Leon Valley, Olmos Park, Shavano Park, and Terrell Hills.

Education

Main article: Education in San Antonio

San Antonio has many places for students to learn. Over 100,000 students go to 31 schools for higher education. Some big public schools include UT Health San Antonio, the University of Texas at San Antonio, and Texas A&M University–San Antonio. There are also private schools such as Trinity University and St. Mary's University.

The city has many school districts that help children in elementary, middle, and high school. There are also private and special schools, including Catholic schools.

San Antonio is also important for military training. Many new Air Force soldiers start their training at Lackland Air Force Base, and medical training for the military happens at Fort Sam Houston.

Media

Main article: Media in San Antonio

San Antonio has one big newspaper called the San Antonio Express-News. It has been around since 1865 and is the biggest paper in South Texas. There is also a free weekly paper called the San Antonio Current. It has news about local art, music, and restaurants. Another news source is the San Antonio Report. It covers issues that matter to the city.

About 50 radio stations can be heard in San Antonio. The city is home to iHeartMedia, the biggest company that runs radio stations in the U.S. Its main station is WOAI AM-1200, known for local news. There is also Texas Public Radio, which plays news, talk shows, and classical music.

San Antonio has many television stations. These include MyNetworkTV, NBC, CBS, PBS, ABC, FOX, Univision, and Telemundo. There are also other channels, as well as religious and independent stations.

Transportation

Air

San Antonio International Airport (SAT) is located in Uptown San Antonio, about eight miles north of Downtown. It is a busy airport in Texas and the United States. The airport has two terminals and many airlines fly there. It connects to many places in the United States and Mexico. Stinson Municipal Airport is another airport mainly used for small planes and flying lessons.

Mass transit

Further information: VIA Metropolitan Transit

The city has a bus system run by VIA Metropolitan Transit. In 2012, VIA started a fast bus line called VIA Primo. This bus goes from Downtown to major places like the medical center and a university. VIA also has special buses for people who use wheelchairs.

VIA has buses that run on clean energy, like hybrid buses and electric buses. The city has many bus routes and streetcars in Downtown. There are also special buses for events like sports games.

Rail

San Antonio has trains that go to other cities like Chicago and New Orleans thanks to Amtrak. There were plans for a train line connecting San Antonio to Austin, but these plans were stopped in 2016.

Road

Further information: List of highways in San Antonio

San Antonio has many big roads, called freeways, that help people travel around the city and to other places. Some important roads include:

• I-10: Goes west to places like El Paso and Los Angeles, and east to Houston and New Orleans.
• I-35: Goes north to Austin and Dallas, and south to Laredo.
• I-37: Goes south to Corpus Christi.
• I-410: A loop around the city.

There are also many other smaller roads and highways that help connect different parts of the city.

Bicycle paths

San Antonio has many miles of paths for people to ride bikes. These paths go along rivers, green spaces, and parks. In 2015, the city was recognized for trying to be more friendly to people who ride bikes.

Bicycle sharing

In 2011, San Antonio started a program where people could rent bikes to ride around the city. This helps people get around without using a car.

Walkability

San Antonio is known for having many cars and not many places to walk. This is because the city grew quickly after World War II and has many areas designed for cars instead of people walking. The city has trails for walking and hiking that go around the city.

International relations

San Antonio has special ties with several cities around the world, called sister cities and friendship cities. These partnerships help the cities learn from each other and work together on projects.

The sister cities of San Antonio include:

• Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico (since 1953)
• Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico (since 1974)
• Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain (since 1975)
• Gwangju, South Korea (since 1981)
• Kaohsiung, Taiwan (since 1981)
• Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain (since 1983)
• Kumamoto, Japan (since 1987)
• Chennai, India (since 2008)
• Wuxi, China (since 2012)
• Windhoek, Namibia (since 2016)
• Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany (since 2017)
• Moguer, Spain (since 2018)
• Huế, Vietnam

The friendship cities of San Antonio include:

• Suzhou, China (since 2010)
• Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel (since 2011)
• Baguio, Philippines (since 2022)
• Amman, Jordan (since 2024)

Notable people

Main article: List of people from San Antonio

San Antonio is a special place where many famous people were born or grew up. Some of these people are well-known actors, musicians, athletes, and leaders. You can learn more about them in the list of people from San Antonio.