Greater San Antonio, officially designated San Antonio–New Braunfels, is an eight-county

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...

in the U.S. state of Texas defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The metropolitan area straddles

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

Central Texas Central Texas is a region in the U.S. state of Texas surrounding Austin and roughly bordered by San Saba to Bryan and San Marcos to Hillsboro. Central Texas overlaps with and includes part of the Texas Hill Country and corresponds to a ph ...

and is on the southwestern corner of the Texas Triangle. The official 2020 U.S. census showed the metropolitan area's population at 2,558,143—up from a reported 1,711,103 in

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

—making it the 24th largest metropolitan area in the United States. Downtown Austin and Downtown San Antonio are approximately apart, and both fall along the Interstate 35 corridor. This combined metropolitan region of San Antonio–Austin has approximately 5 million people. San Antonio–New Braunfels is the third-largest metro area in Texas, after and .

Counties

There are eight counties that combine to form Greater San Antonio. The central county is Bexar. The MSA covers a total of , of which is land and is water.

Communities

Greater San Antonio has a number of communities spread out across several counties and regions. It is centered on the city of San Antonio, the second largest city in Texas, second largest city in the Southern United States, and the seventh largest city in the USA, with roughly 1.5 million residents spread across approximately 500 square miles. Other regions include the Randolph Metrocom and the surrounding counties. Guadalupe River in New Braunfels, TX IMG 0499

Guadalupe River in New Braunfels, TX IMG 0499

Places with more than 1,000,000 people

* San Antonio (Principal city) (1,532,233)

Places with 100,000 to 1,000,000 people

* New Braunfels (Principal city) (104,707)

Places with 25,000 to 100,000 people

* Cibolo (30,563) * Converse (27,742) * Schertz (41,057) * Seguin (29,700) * Timberwood Park (35,217) *

Places with 10,000 to 25,000 people

* Boerne *

Canyon Lake Canyon Lake, Lake Canyon, or lakes named "Cañon", may refer to: Bodies of water * Canyon Lake (Arizona) * Canyon Lake (California) * Canyon Lake (South Dakota) * Canyon Lake (Texas) * Canyon Lake (Michigan) * Lake Canyon (Lakeland, Florida) Place ...

Leon Valley Leon Valley is a city in Bexar County, Texas, United States. It is an enclave on the northwest side of San Antonio and is part of the San Antonio-New Braunfels Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 11,542 at the 2020 census. Leon Valle ...

* Live Oak *

Pleasanton Pleasanton may refer to: Places * Pleasanton, California * Pleasanton, Iowa * Pleasanton, Kansas * Pleasanton, Nebraska * Pleasanton, New Mexico * Pleasanton, Ohio * Pleasanton, Texas * Pleasanton Township, Michigan Other * Pleasanton High School ...

* Selma * Universal City * Uvalde

Places with 5,000 to 10,000 people

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 ...

* Bulverde * Fair Oaks Ranch *

Floresville Floresville is a city in Wilson County, Texas, United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population was at 7,203 at the 2020 Census. It is the county seat of Wilson County. The city is also part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statis ...

* Helotes * Hondo * Kirby * Lackland AFB * Lakehills * Terrell Hills *

Windcrest Windcrest is a city in Bexar County, Texas, United States. Its population was 5,865 at the 2020 census. It is part of the San Antonio metropolitan area. Geography Windcrest is located in northeastern Bexar County. It is bordered to the north, wes ...

* Luling

Places with 1,000 to 5,000 people

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 * Castroville * Charlotte * China Grove * Comfort * Cross Mountain *

Devine Devine is an Irish surname derived from Ní Dhaimhín / Ó Daimhín. Notable people with the surname include: * Adam DeVine (born 1983), American actor, comedian, singer, writer and producer * Alan Devine, Irish actor * Alexander Devine, British ...

* Elmendorf *

Garden Ridge At Home (stylized in lowercase) is a chain of home décor Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. A ...

Hill Country Village Hill Country Village is a city in Bexar County, Texas, United States. The population was 985 at the 2010 census. It is an enclave of San Antonio and is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the 7th wealthiest location in Te ...

* Hollywood Park * Jourdanton * LaCoste * La Vernia *

Lake Dunlap Lake Dunlap is a reservoir on the Guadalupe River near the town of New Braunfels in Guadalupe County, Texas, United States. The reservoir was formed in 1931 by the construction of a dam to provide hydroelectric power to the area. Management of ...

Lytle Lytle can refer to: People * Andrew Nelson Lytle (1902-1995), American writer * Bob Lytle (1916–1998), American basketball player * Chris Lytle, American martial arts fighter * Donald Lytle (1938–2003), stage name of Johnny Paycheck, America ...

* Marion * McQueeney * Natalia * Nixon (partial) * Northcliff (former) * Olmos Park *

Poteet Poteet is a city in Atascosa County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,260 as of the 2010 census. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was named for its first postmaster, Francis Marion Poteet. It is best know ...

* Poth * Randolph AFB *

Redwood Sequoioideae, popularly known as redwoods, is a subfamily of coniferous trees within the family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affini ...

* Sandy Oaks * Scenic Oaks * Shavano Park * Somerset *

St. Hedwig Hedwig of Silesia ( pl, Święta Jadwiga Śląska), also Hedwig of Andechs (german: Heilige Hedwig von Andechs, la, Hedvigis; 1174 – 15 October 1243), a member of the Bavarian comital House of Andechs, was Duchess of Silesia from 1201 and ...

* Stockdale *

Von Ormy Von Ormy ( ) is a city in southwest Bexar County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 1,174. It is part of the San Antonio metropolitan statistical area. It has been known as Von Ormy since the late 1880s. Prior to ...

* San Saba

Places with fewer than 1,000 people

Bandera Bandera - from a Spanish word meaning a ''flag'' - may refer to: Places * Bandera County, Texas ** Bandera, Texas, its county seat ** Bandera Creek, a river in Texas, with its source near Bandera Pass ** Bandera Pass, a mountain pass in Bandera C ...

* Campbellton * Christine *

Geronimo Geronimo ( apm, Goyaałé, , ; June 16, 1829 – February 17, 1909) was a prominent leader and medicine man from the Bedonkohe band of the Ndendahe Apache people. From 1850 to 1886, Geronimo joined with members of three other Central Apache ba ...

* Grey Forest * Kingsbury * New Berlin * Santa Clara * Spring Branch * Staples * Zuehl

Unincorporated places

* Adkins * Amphion * Atascosa * Bandera Falls * Bergheim *

Carpenter Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, Shipbuilding, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. ...

D'Hanis D'Hanis () is a census-designated place in central Medina County, Texas, United States.Dunlay * Fischer * Kicaster * Leesville ( Guadalupe County segments) *

Leming Leming is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Atascosa County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 946. This was a new CDP for the 2010 census. The community is part of the San Antonio Metrop ...

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 * Macdona * Medina * Mico * Pearson *

Pandora In Greek mythology, Pandora (Greek: , derived from , ''pān'', i.e. "all" and , ''dōron'', i.e. "gift", thus "the all-endowed", "all-gifted" or "all-giving") was the first human woman created by Hephaestus on the instructions of Zeus. As Hes ...

* Pipe Creek *

Rio Medina Rio Medina or Riomedina is an unincorporated community in Medina County, Texas, United States. It is located approximately six miles north of Castroville and is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the 2006–07 ...

* Saspamco * Sayers *

Sutherland Springs Sutherland Springs is an unincorporated community located on the old Spanish land grant of Manuel Tarin in northern Wilson County, Texas, United States. It is located on U.S. Highway 87 at the intersection of Farm Road 539. History Sutherla ...

* Tarpley * Vanderpool * Waring * Welfare * Yancey

Demographics

Bexar County is included in the San Antonio– New Braunfels, TX metropolitan statistical area. It is the 16th-most populous county in the nation and the fourth-most populated in Texas. Bexar County has a large Hispanic population with a significant growing African American population. With a population that is 59.3% Hispanic it is Texas' most populous majority-Hispanic county and the third-largest such nationwide. As of the census of there were 2,558,143 people, 826,094 households, and 558,432 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 50.3% white (non-Hispanic white 32.7%), 6.5% African American, 1.1% Native American, 2.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 14% from other races, and 24.4% from two or more races; Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 54.3% of the population. The median income for a household in the MSA was $40,764 and the median income for a family was $46,686. Males had a median income of $32,143 versus $24,007 for females. The per capita income for the MSA was $18,713.

Economy

San Antonio–New Braunfels is home to five Fortune 1000 companies.

Valero Energy Corp Valero Energy Corporation is a Fortune 500 international manufacturer and marketer of transportation fuels, other petrochemical products, and power. It is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, United States. Throughout the United States and Can ...

iHeartMedia iHeartMedia, Inc., formerly CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc. (formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc.), a company fou ...

, USAA, and NuStar Energy are located in San Antonio.

Rush Enterprises Rush Enterprises, headquartered in New Braunfels, Texas, is an international retailer of commercial vehicles, primarily new and used trucks, through its Rush Truck Centers. In 2019, the company operated over 200 Rush Truck Centers in 20 states ...

is located in New Braunfels. San Antonio is often referred to as "Military City, USA" due to the heavy military presence. Currently, San Antonio is home to the largest concentrations of military bases in the U.S. The following military bases are in the San Antonio area: Lackland Air Force Base, Brooke Army Medical Center, Randolph Air Force Base, and Fort Sam Houston.

Culture

San Antonio is a popular tourist destination. San Antonio is known as the "Alamo City", due to the

Alamo The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna reclaimed the Alamo Mission near San Ant ...

being located near downtown San Antonio. Other major attractions in San Antonio include the following: River Walk, SeaWorld, San Antonio Zoo, San Antonio Aquarium, and Six Flags. New Braunfels is home to a very popular water park known as Schlitterbahn. Bandera just 40 miles northwest of San Antonio, hosts a three-day Cowboy Mardi Gras that attracts over 15 thousand people from all over the world to the town of 829 residents.

Politics

The San Antonio metro area has leaned right in recent decades, however it's currently trending leftwards.

Sports

The city of San Antonio is home to only one Major League sports team; the San Antonio Spurs of the

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

. The city's football team is the UTSA Roadrunners who compete at the NCAA FBS level. Multiple minor league teams play in San Antonio, including

San Antonio Missions The San Antonio Missions are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. They are located in San Antonio, Texas, and are named for the Spanish missions around which the city was founded. ...

and San Antonio FC.

Education

The city of San Antonio is home to many public institutions. The San Antonio area's largest university is the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). Other public institutions include the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas A&M University–San Antonio, and the five colleges of the

Alamo Community College District The Alamo Colleges District (previously the Alamo Community College District, or ACCD, and The Alamo Colleges) is a network of five community colleges in San Antonio and Universal City, Texas, and serving the Greater San Antonio metropolitan are ...

. The city has many private institutions as well, such as Our Lady of the Lake University and St. Mary's University on the inner west side. Trinity University and the University of the Incarnate Word are in Midtown. The Culinary Institute of America maintains its third campus in

downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...

. Texas Lutheran University in Seguin and Howard Payne University at New Braunfels, now offering classes at a local high school but will soon have a true campus in the Veramendi Development, are the only higher education institutions in the area outside of San Antonio city limits. The San Antonio area has many public elementary and secondary schools sorted into the following independent school districts:

Transportation

The San Antonio International Airport (SAT) is located in uptown San Antonio, approximately eight miles north of downtown. It has two terminals and is served by 21 airlines serving 44 destinations including six in Mexico and one in Canada. VIA Metropolitan Transit is the metropolitan area's public transportation authority, serving the entire city of San Antonio and many of its suburbs throughout Bexar County.

San Antonio Station San Antonio station is an Amtrak railroad station located on the eastern portion of Downtown San Antonio, in San Antonio, Texas. San Antonio station hosts two Amtrak services; the tri-weekly '' Sunset Limited'' and the daily ''Texas Eagle''. Fou ...

serves as the area's Amtrak train station. ''Interstate highways'' *

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 ...

- West to El Paso, east to Houston * Interstate 35- North to

Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

and the Dallas/

Fort Worth Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...

area, south to Laredo *

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 ...

- South to Corpus Christi *

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 ...

- Inner loop around San Antonio, also passes through the following municipalities: Castle Hills, Balcones Heights, and Leon Valley ''Other major highways'' *

U.S. Highway 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 ...

- South to Victoria, north to San Angelo *

U.S. Highway 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 ...

- West to Uvalde *

U.S. Highway 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, t ...

- South to

Beeville Beeville is a city in Bee County, Texas, United States, with a population of 12,863 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Bee County and home to the main campus of Coastal Bend College. The area around the city contains three prisons oper ...

U.S. Highway 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 ...

- North to Wichita Falls, south to McAllen *

Loop 1604 Loop 1604 is the outer highway loop encircling San Antonio, Texas, spanning approximately . Originally constructed as a two-lane highway, the northern segment of the route, from US 90 in western San Antonio to Kitty Hawk Road in northeaster ...

- Outer loop around San Antonio

References

{{coord, 29, 25, 30, N, 98, 29, 38, W, type:city_region:US-TX, display=title Geography of Atascosa County, Texas Geography of Bandera County, Texas Geography of Bexar County, Texas Geography of Comal County, Texas Geography of Guadalupe County, Texas Geography of Kendall County, Texas Geography of Medina County, Texas Geography of Wilson County, Texas