Bexar County ( or ; es, Béxar ) is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. It is in

South Texas South Texas is a region of the U.S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of—and includes—San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico. The population of this region is about 4.96 ...

and its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,009,324. Bexar County is included in the San Antonio–

New Braunfels New Braunfels ( ) is a city in Comal County, Texas, Comal and Guadalupe County, Texas, Guadalupe counties in the U.S. state of Texas known for its German Texan heritage. It is the county seat, seat of Comal County. The city covers and had a popula ...

, TX

metropolitan statistical area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

. It is the 16th-most populous county in the nation and the fourth-most populated in Texas. With a population that is 59.3% Hispanic as of 2020, it is Texas' most populous majority-Hispanic county and the third-largest such nationwide.

History

Bexar County was created on December 20, 1836, and encompassed almost the entire western portion of the

Republic of Texas The Republic of Texas ( es, República de Tejas) was a sovereign state in North America that existed from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846, that bordered Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande in 1840 (another breakaway republic from Mex ...

. This included the disputed areas of eastern New Mexico northward to Wyoming. After statehood, 128 counties were carved out of its area. The county was named for San Antonio de Béxar, one of the 23 Mexican municipalities (administrative divisions) of Texas at the time of its independence. San Antonio de Béxar—originally ''Villa de San Fernando de Béxar''—was the first civil government established by the Spanish in the province of Texas. Specifically, the municipality was created in 1731 when 55

Canary Islanders Canary Islanders, or Canarians ( es, canarios), are a Romance people and ethnic group. They reside on the Canary Islands, an autonomous community of Spain near the coast of northwest Africa, and descend from a mixture of European settlers and abor ...

settled near the system of missions that had been established around the source of the

San Antonio River The San Antonio River is a major waterway that originates in central Texas in a cluster of springs in midtown San Antonio, about 4 miles north of downtown, and follows a roughly southeastern path through the state. It eventually feeds into the ...

. The new settlement was named after the ''

Presidio A presidio ( en, jail, fortification) was a fortified base established by the Spanish Empire around between 16th century, 16th and 18th century, 18th centuries in areas in condition of their control or influence. The presidios of Captaincy Genera ...

'' San Antonio de Béjar, the Spanish military outpost that protected the missions. The presidio, located at the

San Pedro Springs San Pedro Springs is the name of a cluster of springs in Bexar County, Texas, U.S.A. These springs provide water for San Pedro Creek, which flows into the San Antonio River. The San Antonio Springs also feed into the San Antonio River. Natural ...

, was founded in 1718 and named for Viceroy Balthasar Manuel de Zúñiga y Guzmán Sotomayor y Sarmiento, second son of the Duke of

Béjar Béjar () is a town and municipality of Spain located in the province of Salamanca, autonomous community of Castile and León. As of 2018, it had a population of 12,961. The historical development of the town has been linked to its once thriving ...

(a town in Spain). The modern city of San Antonio in the U.S. state of Texas also derived its name from San Antonio de Béjar.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which (1.3%) are covered by water. Bexar County is in south-central Texas, about 190 miles (305 km) west of

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

and from both the US-Mexican border to the southwest and the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...

to the southeast. The

Balcones Escarpment The Balcones Fault or Balcones Fault Zone is an area of largely normal faulting Edwards Aquifer in the U.S. state of Texas that runs roughly from the southwest part of the state near Del Rio to the north-central region near Dallas along Inte ...

bisects the county from west to northeast; to the north of the escarpment are the rocky hills, springs and canyons of the

Texas Hill Country The Texas Hill Country is a geographic region of Central and South Texas, forming the southeast part of the Edwards Plateau. Given its location, climate, terrain, and vegetation, the Hill Country can be considered the border between the Ameri ...

. South of the escarpment are Blackland Prairie and the South Texas plains. The

rises from springs north of

Downtown San Antonio Downtown San Antonio is the central business district of San Antonio, Texas, United States. It also serves as the urban core of Greater San Antonio, a metropolitan area with nearly 2.5 million people. In addition to being encircled by Loops 1604 ...

, and flows southward and southeastward through the county.

Major highways

Bexar County has a comprehensive "wagon wheel" freeway system, with radial freeways and beltways that encircle Downtown San Antonio, allowing for simplified countywide freeway access, in a manner much like the freeways around Houston or Dallas. San Antonio is unique, however, in that unlike Houston or Dallas, none of these highways is currently tolled. * I-10 (TX)

Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally pl ...

Interstate 35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...

Interstate 37 Interstate 37 (I-37) is a Interstate Highway located within the southern portion of the US state of Texas. The highway was first designated in 1959 as a route between Corpus Christi and San Antonio. Construction in the urban areas of C ...

Interstate 410 Interstate 410 (abbreviated I-410, and colloquially called Loop 410) is a loop route of I-10 around San Antonio, Texas. It is identified as Connally Loop in honor of former Texas Governor John Connally. Route description I-410 c ...

U.S. Route 87 U.S. Highway 87 (US 87) is a north–south United States highway (though it is signed east–west in New Mexico) that runs for 1,998 miles (3,215 km) from northern Montana to southern Texas, making it the longest north-south roa ...

U.S. Route 90 U.S. Route 90 or U.S. Highway 90 (US 90) is an east–west major United States highway in the Southern United States. Despite the "0" in its route number, US 90 never was a full coast-to-coast route. With the exception of a short-lived ...

U.S. Route 181 U.S. Highway 181 is a south–north U.S. Highway located entirely in the state of Texas. Both termini are at Interstate 37, the road that it mainly parallels to the east. US 181 begins in Corpus Christi, Texas at mile marker 0 to the south ...

U.S. Route 281 U.S. Route 281 (US 281) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway. At it is the longest continuous three-digit U.S. Route. The highway's northern terminus is at the International Peace Garden, north of Dunseith, North Dakota, at t ...

State Highway 16 * Texas Loop 1604

State Highway Loop 1604

Adjacent counties

* Kendall County (north) *

Comal County Comal County ( ) is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 161,501. Comal County is known for its rich German-Texan and European history. Its county seat is New Braunfels. ...

(northeast) * Guadalupe County (east) *

Wilson County Wilson County is the name of four counties in the United States: *Wilson County, Kansas *Wilson County, North Carolina *Wilson County, Tennessee *Wilson County, Texas Wilson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 202 ...

(southeast) * Atascosa County (south) * Medina County (west) * Bandera County (northwest)

National protected area

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is a National Historical Park and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site preserving four of the five Spanish frontier missions in San Antonio, Texas, USA. These outposts were established by Catholic r ...

State parkland

Government Canyon State Natural Area First opened to the public in October, 2005, Government Canyon State Natural Area (GCSNA) preserves of rugged hills and canyons typical of the Texas Hill Country. It is designated a ''Natural Area'', rather than a ''State Park'', and therefore t ...

Communities

Cities

Multiple counties

* Cibolo (mostly in Guadalupe County) * Elmendorf (small part in

) * Fair Oaks Ranch (partly in Kendall and

Comal COMAL (''Common Algorithmic Language'') is a computer programming language developed in Denmark by Børge R. Christensen and Benedict Løfstedt and originally released in 1975. COMAL was one of the few structured programming languages that was a ...

counties) * Lytle (mostly in Atascosa County and a small part in Medina County) *

(county seat) (small parts in

and

Medina Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the Holiest sites in Islam, second-holiest city in Islam, ...

counties) *

Schertz Schertz ( ) is a city in Guadalupe County, Texas, Guadalupe, Bexar County, Texas, Bexar, and Comal County, Texas, Comal counties in the U.S. state of Texas, within the metropolitan area. The population was 42,002 at the 2020 United States census, ...

(partly in Guadalupe and

counties) *

Selma Selma may refer to: Places *Selma, Algeria *Selma, Nova Scotia, Canada *Selma, Switzerland, village in the Grisons United States: *Selma, Alabama, city in Dallas County, best known for the Selma to Montgomery marches *Selma, Arkansas *Selma, Cali ...

(partly in Guadalupe and

counties) * Universal City (small part in Guadalupe County)

Enclave cities

Alamo Heights Alamo Heights is an incorporated city that is surrounded by the city of San Antonio in Bexar County in the U.S. state of Texas. At the time of the 2020 census, the population of Alamo Heights was 7,357. It is part of the Greater San Antonio metrop ...

Balcones Heights Balcones Heights is a city in Bexar County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,746 at the 2020 census, and it was incorporated in 1948. Balcones Heights is an enclave of San Antonio, surrounded entirely by the city, thus some residents and ...

Castle Hills Castle Hills is a city located in Bexar County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 3,978. It is an enclave of San Antonio and is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area. Geography Castle ...

* Hill Country Village *

Kirby Kirby may refer to: Buildings * Kirby Building, a skyscraper in Dallas, Texas, United States * Kirby Hall, an Elizabethan country house near Corby, Northamptonshire, England * Kirby House (disambiguation), various houses in England and the Unit ...

* Leon Valley *

Olmos Park Olmos Park is a city in Bexar County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,237 at the 2010 census. The town is noted for its park-like setting, oak-tree lined streets, and large estates, many of which were constructed during the 1920s. The ...

Shavano Park Shavano Park is a city located in Bexar County, Texas, Bexar County, Texas, United States. , the population was 3,524, up from 3,035 at the 2010 census. It is an enclave of San Antonio and is part of the San Antonio San Antonio metropolitan area, M ...

Terrell Hills Terrell Hills is a city in Bexar County, Texas, United States; it is located northeast of downtown San Antonio. As of the 2020 census Terrell Hills had a population of 5,045. It is part of a group of three cities—Terrell Hills, Alamo Heights, ...

Bexar County only

Converse Converse may refer to: Mathematics and logic * Converse (logic), the result of reversing the two parts of a definite or implicational statement ** Converse implication, the converse of a material implication ** Converse nonimplication, a logical c ...

* Grey Forest * Helotes *

Live Oak Live oak or evergreen oak is any of a number of oaks in several different sections of the genus ''Quercus'' that share the characteristic of evergreen foliage. These oaks are not more closely related to each other than they are to other oaks. ...

* Sandy Oaks *

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

* Von Ormy * Windcrest

Towns

* China Grove *

Hollywood Park Hollywood Park may refer to: Places United States * Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California * Hollywood Park, Chicago, a neighborhood in North Park, Chicago, Illinois * Hollywood Park, Inglewood, an entertainment complex and m ...

* St. Hedwig

Census-designated places

* Cross Mountain *

Lackland AFB Lackland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located in Bexar County, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 802d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command (AETC) and an enclave of the city of Sa ...

* Macdona *

Randolph AFB Randolph Air Force Base was an United States Air Force base located at Universal City, Texas ( east-northeast of Downtown San Antonio). Opened in 1931, Randolph has been a flying training facility for the United States Army Air Corps, the Uni ...

* Scenic Oaks * Timberwood Park

Other unincorporated communities

Adkins Adkins is a surname of English origin. Notable people with the surname include: *Adele Adkins (born 1988), British singer * Amanda Adkins (born 1974/1975), American politician and businesswoman * Amanda Adkins (born 1976), American swimmer * Bennie ...

* Atascosa * Bexar * Boldtville *

Buena Vista Buena Vista, meaning "good view" in Spanish, may refer to: Places Canada *Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, with the name being originally derived from “Buena Vista” *Buena Vista, Saskatchewan *Buena Vista, Saskatoon, a neighborhood in ...

* Cassin *

Leon Springs Leon Springs is an unincorporated community in Bexar County, Texas, now partially within the city limits of San Antonio. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had a population of 137 in 2000. It is located within the San Antonio Met ...

* Losoya * Martinez * Sayers * Southton *

Thelma Thelma is a female given name. It was popularized by Victorian writer Marie Corelli who gave the name to the title character of her 1887 novel ''Thelma (novel), Thelma''. It may be related to a Greek word meaning "will, volition" see ''thelema''). ...

Former communities

* Cottage Hill * Fratt (former) *

Stone Oak Stone Oak is a master planned district in north central San Antonio, Texas, United States. It is located north of Loop 1604 and west of U.S. 281. The district has many gated communities with 24-hour security, well-landscaped medians, granite roc ...

* Wetmore

Demographics

''Note: the U.S. Census Bureau treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.'' USA Bexar County, Texas age pyramid

As of the

2010 United States census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

, there were 1,714,773 people living in the county. Of those, 72.9% were

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 7.5% Black or African American, 2.4%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.8% Native American, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 12.7% of some other race and 3.5% of two or more races. 58.7% were

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, for example, by the United States ...

(of any race). As of the census of 2000, 1,392,931 people, 488,942 households, and 345,681 families were residing in the county. The population density was . There were 521,359 housing units at an average density of 418 per square mile (161/km²). The

racial A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

makeup of the county was 68.86% White, 7.18% Black or African American, 0.80% Native American, 1.61% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 17.80% from other races, and 3.64% from two or more races. About 54.35% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of 488,942 households, 36.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.50% were married couples living together, 15.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.30% were not families. About 24.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.33. A

Williams Institute The Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law and Public Policy, usually shortened to Williams Institute, is a public policy research institute based at the UCLA School of Law focused on sexual orientation and gender ident ...

analysis of 2010 census data found there were about 6.2

same-sex couples A same-sex relationship is a Romance (love), romantic or Human sexuality, sexual relationship between people of the same sex. ''Same-sex marriage'' refers to the institutionalized recognition of such relationships in the form of a marriage; civil ...

per 1,000 households in the county. In the county, the population was distributed as 28.50% under the age of 18, 10.70% from 18 to 24, 30.60% from 25 to 44, 19.90% from 45 to 64, and 10.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.20 males. The median income for a household was $38,328, and for a family was $43,724. Males had a median income of $30,756 versus $24,920 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,363. About 12.70% of families and 15.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.40% of those under age 18 and 12.20% of those age 65 or over.

Corrections

The Bexar County jail facilities are at 200 North Comal in downtown

, operated by the Bexar County Sheriff's Office (Javier Salazar, Sheriff). In late 2012, press reports noted an increase in the number of suicides at the facility. The issue was a topic of debate in the election for sheriff that year. The jail holds an average of about 3,800 prisoners in 2012, with a total capacity of 4,596, making it the fourth-largest in the state. The

Texas Department of Criminal Justice The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) is a department of the government of the U.S. state of Texas. The TDCJ is responsible for statewide criminal justice for adult offenders, including managing offenders in state prisons, state jails, ...

operates the Dominguez Unit, a state jail for men, in an unincorporated section of Bexar County.

Education

School districts in the county include: *

Alamo Heights Independent School District Alamo Heights Independent School District is a school district based in Alamo Heights, Texas (USA). Alamo Heights ISD also serves Olmos Park, most of Terrell Hills, and a small portion of San Antonio. History The Alamo Heights Independent Sch ...

Boerne Independent School District Boerne Independent School District is a public school district based in Boerne, Texas (USA). Located in Kendall County, portions of the district extend into Bexar and Comal counties. In addition to Boerne, the communities of Fair Oaks Ranch ...

Comal Independent School District Comal Independent School District is a public school district based in New Braunfels, Texas (USA). The district covers in five central Texas counties - Comal, Bexar, Hays, Kendall, and Guadalupe. Incorporated communities in the district inc ...

* East Central Independent School District * Edgewood Independent School District * Floresville Independent School District *

Fort Sam Houston Independent School District Fort Sam Houston Independent School District is a public school district based in San Antonio, Texas (United States). History The district was formed in 1951 and opened for class in September 1952 for the purpose of serving the children of mili ...

Harlandale Independent School District Harlandale Independent School District is a public school district based in San Antonio, Texas, in the United States. In 2010, the district was rated "Recognized" by the Texas Education Association, with 18 of 19 schools rated as "Recognized" or ...

Judson Independent School District Judson Independent School District (Or JISD) is a public school district based in Live Oak, Texas (USA). Judson Independent School District covers and serves the incorporated cities of Converse, Kirby, and Selma as well as portions of Live Oak, ...

Lackland Independent School District Lackland Independent School District is a public independent school district (ISD) based in San Antonio, Texas (USA). The district's boundaries are coterminous with Lackland Air Force Base (AFB), and it only draws students who reside within the ...

Medina Valley Independent School District Medina Valley Independent School District is a public school district based in Castroville, Texas. In addition to LaCoste, the district also serves the city of Castroville and the surrounding area. Located in Medina County, a small portion of t ...

North East Independent School District The North East Independent School District (commonly NEISD or North East ISD) is a school district located in San Antonio, Texas, United States. North East ISD serves the north central and northeast areas of Bexar County, covering approximately . ...

Northside Independent School District Northside Independent School District is a school district headquartered in Leon Valley, Texas. It is the largest school district in the San Antonio area and the fourth largest in the State of Texas. Northside serves of urban landscape, subur ...

Randolph Field Independent School District Randolph Field Independent School District is a public school district based in Universal City, Texas (USA). Mission statement The purpose of education at Randolph Field ISD is to prepare individuals to be continual learners who are successfu ...

San Antonio Independent School District San Antonio Independent School District is a school district based in San Antonio, Texas, United States. San Antonio ISD ranks is the 13th largest of Texas' 1,057 school districts. The District encompasses 79 square miles with a total population ...

Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District (SCUC ISD) is a public school district based in Schertz, Texas, United States. In addition to Schertz, the district serves the city of Cibolo and parts of Universal City and a small po ...

* Somerset Independent School District *

South San Antonio Independent School District South San Antonio Independent School District (South San ISD, SSAISD) is a public school district based in San Antonio, Texas (USA). The district serves southern and southwestern portions of the city. For the school year (2015-2016) the district se ...

Southside Independent School District Southside Independent School District is a public school district located in southern Bexar County, Texas (USA). It serves the far south side of the city of San Antonio. In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas ...

Southwest Independent School District Southwest Independent School District is a public school district located in southwestern Bexar County, Texas, United States. The district covers a area that includes portions of the city of San Antonio and Von Ormy. In 2009, the school distric ...

All of the county is in the service area of Alamo Community College.

Libraries

On September 14, 2013, Bexar County opened BiblioTech – Bexar County's Digital Library, the nation's first bookless library.

Property taxes

In 2016, for the third consecutive year, Bexar County increased the appraised value of businesses and residences. Most will hence find their

property tax A property tax or millage rate is an ad valorem tax on the value of a property.In the OECD classification scheme, tax on property includes "taxes on immovable property or net wealth, taxes on the change of ownership of property through inheri ...

es will increase for the year, with higher payments for some beginning as early as November 1. The latest 7.5 percent increase in valuation follows an 11 percent rise in 2015, and a 7 percent jump in 2014. The 2016 total value for all property in the county is approximately $163 billion, or $13 billion more than in 2015. County residents express dismay to Mary Kieke, the deputy chief appraiser. "People are very upset. The tax system is absolutely broken," she said.

Military installations

Brooks City-Base Brooks is a mixed-use development that was founded on the former Brooks Air Force Base when the United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight ...

(decommissioned) *

Camp Bullis Camp Bullis Military Training Reservation is a U.S. Army training camp comprising in Bexar County, Texas, USA, just northwest of San Antonio. Camp Bullis provides base operations support and training support to Joint Base San Antonio. The camp i ...

Fort Sam Houston Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas. "Fort Sam Houston, TX • About Fort Sam Houston" (overview), US Army, 2007, webpageSH-Army. Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the U.S. Senator from Texas, U.S. Represen ...

Kelly Air Force Base Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he was piloting. In ...

(decommissioned) *

Lackland Air Force Base Lackland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located in Bexar County, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 802d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command (AETC) and an enclave of the city of Sa ...

Randolph Air Force Base Randolph Air Force Base was an United States Air Force base located at Universal City, Texas ( east-northeast of Downtown San Antonio). Opened in 1931, Randolph has been a flying training facility for the United States Army Air Corps, the Uni ...

San Antonio Military Medical Center Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) is the United States Army's premier medical institution. Located on Fort Sam Houston, BAMC, a 425-bed Academic Medical Center, is the Department of Defense's largest facility and only Level 1 Trauma Center. BAMC ...

Notable people

Carol Burnett Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and writer. Her groundbreaking comedy variety show ''The Carol Burnett Show'', which originally aired on CBS was one of the first of its kind to be hosted ...

, comedian and actress, was born and grew up in San Antonio *

Joan Crawford Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, ncertain year from 1904 to 1908was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion pict ...

, actress, was born in San Antonio *

Christopher Cross Christopher Cross (born Christopher Charles Geppert; May 3, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter from San Antonio, Texas. He won five Grammy Awards for his eponymous debut album released in 1979. The singles "Sailing" (1980), and "Arthur's T ...

(born Christopher Charles Geppert), Grammy-winning, Oscar-winning, chart-topping pop music artist of the early 80's *

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

, 34th President of the United States; stationed at

in 1916 *

Al Freeman, Jr. Albert Cornelius Freeman Jr. (March 21, 1934 – August 9, 2012) was an American actor, director, and educator. A life member of The Actors Studio, Freeman appeared in a wide variety of plays, ranging from Leroi Jones' ''Slave/Toilet'' to Joe Pa ...

, was born in San Antonio; he became an actor, known for

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

soap opera ''

One Life to Live ''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as a web series on Hulu and iTunes ...

'', and ''

Malcolm X Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an American Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figure during the civil rights movement. A spokesman for the Nation of Is ...

'' *

Rick Galindo Ricardo Galindo III is an American politician. He served as a Republican member for the 117th district of the Texas House of Representatives. Born in San Antonio, Texas, the son of Valerie and Oscar Hernandez Galindo, Galindo attended St. Mar ...

, Republican member of the

Texas House of Representatives The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abou ...

from District 117 in Bexar County * Mina Myoui, singer in South Korean group Twice *

Cyndi Taylor Krier Cyndi Taylor Krier (born July 12, 1950) is an American lawyer and politician. Early life and career Krier was born in Beeville, Texas, and spent much of her childhood in Dinero, Texas. She attended San Antonio College and Trinity University bef ...

, first woman and first Republican to be elected to the

Texas Senate The Texas Senate ( es, Senado de Texas) is the upper house of the Texas State Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing single-member districts across the U.S. state of Texas, with populations of approximately 806,000 per cons ...

from Bexar County (1985–1993), and first woman and first Republican to be appointed as a Bexar County administrative judge (1993 to 2001) *

James Robertson Nowlin James Robertson Nowlin (born November 21, 1937) is a Senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas and a former state legislator. Education and career Born in San Antonio in Bexar Count ...

, United States District Judge for the Western District of Texas; one of the first two Republicans since Reconstruction to represent Bexar County in the Texas House of Representatives *

Ciro D. Rodriguez Ciro Davis Rodriguez (born December 9, 1946) is an American politician and social worker who served as a U.S. Representative for , serving from 2007 until 2011. The district stretched from El Paso in the west to San Antonio in the east, a distanc ...

, member of Congress, previously 28th District, Texas, now 23rd District, Texas *

Michelle Rodriguez Mayte Michelle Rodriguez (born July 12, 1978) is an American actress. Rodriguez began her career in 2000, playing a troubled boxer in the independent sports drama film ''Girlfight'' (2000), where she won the Independent Spirit Award and Gotha ...

, actress,

James Cameron James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker. A major figure in the post-New Hollywood era, he is considered one of the industry's most innovative filmmakers, regularly pushing the boundaries of cinematic capability w ...

's ''

Avatar Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearanc ...

'' *

Robert Rodríguez Robert Anthony Rodriguez (; born June 20, 1968) is an American filmmaker, composer, and visual effects supervisor. He shoots, edits, produces, and scores many of his films in Mexico and in his home state of Texas. Rodriguez directed the 1992 ac ...

, director of ''

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'', ''

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'', and ''

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'' *

Joe Sage Joseph F. Sage (August 24, 1920 – January 9, 1977) was an American politician. He served as a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives. Sage attended Pottsville High School, Trinity University, Saint Louis University and Dra ...

, one of the first two Republicans since Reconstruction, with James Robertson Nowlin, to represent Bexar County in the Texas House of Representatives * Alan Schoolcraft, former Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives *

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, former Manhattan Borough President, and civil rights attorney; clients included

, and the owner of the

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and several radio stations * Carlos I. Uresti, member of the Texas Senate from the 19th District *

Kevin Patrick Yeary Kevin Patrick Yeary is an American attorney and jurist who serves on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. A Republican, he was elected in 2014. Background Yeary has a Bachelors of Arts in English communication from St. Mary's University. He also ...

, judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, effective 2015; assistant district attorney for Bexar County, 1998–2014

Climate

Politics

Bexar County has generally voted for Democratic candidates in most presidential elections, though from 1932 to 2012 it was a nationwide bellwether, supporting the winner in every election except 1968. Democrats perform well within the Connally Loop, which contains heavily Hispanic neighborhoods on the south and west sides of San Antonio, and African Americans on the east side. In recent years, Democrats have made inroads on the Northwest Side toward the

University of Texas at San Antonio The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is a public research university in San Antonio, Texas. With over 34,000 students across its four campuses spanning 758 acres, UTSA is the largest university in San Antonio and the eighth-largest by ...

, and the Northeast Side toward Kirby. Republicans' strength is concentrated around the military bases plus wealthier enclaves such as Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills, and the far northern section of the county.

References

;Specific ;General * Stephens, A. Ray, and William M. Holmes, ''Historical Atlas of Texas.'' University of Oklahoma Press, 1989.

External links

Bexar County government
*
Bexar County
from the

Texas Almanac The Texas Almanac is a biennially published reference work providing information for the general public on the history of the US state of Texas and its people, government and politics, economics, natural resources, holidays, culture, education, rec ...

Bexar County
from the TXGenWeb Project
Bexar County Jail Information

Historic Bexar County materials
hosted by th
Portal to Texas History.
{{Authority control Texas counties 1836 establishments in the Republic of Texas Populated places established in 1836 Greater San Antonio Majority-minority counties in Texas Hispanic and Latino American culture in Texas

History

Geography

Major highways

Adjacent counties

National protected area

State parkland

Communities

Cities

Multiple counties

Enclave cities

Bexar County only

Towns

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Former communities

Demographics

Corrections

Education

Libraries

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Military installations

Notable people

Climate

Politics

See also

References

External links