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{{Short description|City in Texas, United States}}{{About|the city in Texas|the metropolitan area|Greater San Antonio|other uses|San Antonio (disambiguation)}}{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2022}}{{Use American English|date=May 2021}}

factoids

OLMSTEDURL=HTTPS://TEXASHISTORY.UNT.EDU/ARK:/67531/METAPTH2407/PUBLISHER=DIX, EDWARDS & CO.YEAR=1857ACCESS-DATE=JUNE 16, 2021 URL=HTTPS://WWW.MYSANANTONIO.COM/LIFE/ARTICLE/YOU-KNOW-YOU-RE-FROM-SAN-ANTONIO-IF-3410823.PHPWORK=SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWSACCESS-DATE=JUNE 17, 2021, AYALA>FIRST=CHRISTINE TITLE=NO, OBAMA, IT’S NOT CALLED ‘SAN ANTONE’THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS>DATE=MAY 6, 2016, June 16, 2021, Alamo City, Military City USA, River City, The 210, S.A., Countdown City, Something to Remember| image_skyline = {{multiple image| border = infobox| perrow = 1/2/2/2| total_width = 300| caption_align = center | image1 = Downtown San Antonio view from The Tower of the Americas.jpg| caption1 = Downtown San Antonio| image2 = Alamo Mission San Antonio at Night.jpg| caption2 = Alamo Mission| image3 = San Antonio Riverwalk with boat tour view.jpgSan Antonio Riverwalk>River Walk| image4 = San Antonio, Texas (2018) - 057.jpg| caption4 = Emily Morgan Hotel| image5 = Tower of the Americas 041218.jpg| caption5 = Tower of the Americas| image6 = Texasdd.JPG| caption6 = Frost Bank Center| image7 = Big cowboy boots at the North Star Mall (San Antonio, Texas) 004 crop.jpg| caption7 = North Star Mall| image8 = San Antonio Botanical Garden Overlook View.jpg| caption8 = San Antonio Botanical Garden}}| image_flag = Flag of San Antonio, Texas.svg| flag_link = Flag of San Antonio| seal_size = 80px| image_seal = Seal of San Antonio, Texas.png| image_shield = Coat of arms of San Antonio de Bexar, Texas.svgframe=yesframe-width=300frame-align=centerzoom=9stroke-color=#808080title=San Antoniofill-opacity=0.429.450|-98.523889}}}}| mapsize = 220px| map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio| pushpin_map = Texas#USA| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Texas##Location in the United States| pushpin_relief = 1| subdivision_type = Country| subdivision_name = United StatesU.S. state>State| subdivision_name1 = TexasCounty (United States)>CountiesBexar County, Texas>Bexar, Comal County, Texas, Medina County, Texas>Medina| established_title = Foundation| established_date = May 1, 1718| established_title1 = IncorporatedPUBLISHER=ID.LOC.GOV, | named_for = Saint Anthony of PaduaCouncil-manager government>Council-Manager| governing_body = San Antonio City CouncilMayor of San Antonio>MayorRon Nirenberg (Independent politician>I)| leader_title2 = City Manager| leader_name2 = Erik WalshSan Antonio City Council>City Council| leader_name3 = {{Collapsible list }}| unit_pref = Imperial| area_total_sq_mi = 504.64| area_total_km2 = 1307.00| area_land_sq_mi = 498.85| area_land_km2 = 1292.02| area_water_sq_mi = 5.79| area_water_km2 = 14.98| population_footnotes = 2020 United States Census>2020| population_total = 1434625| population_est = 1,472,909| pop_est_as_of = 2022

• 17th in North America
• 7th in the United States
• 2nd in Texas

{edih}PUBLISHER=UNITED STATES CENSUS BUREAU, August 22, 2021, US: 24th))| population_density_sq_mi = 2875.86| population_density_km2 = 1110.37US: 24th))| population_density_urban_km2 = 1,254.2| population_density_urban_sq_mi = 3,248.4| population_demonym = San Antonian| demographics_type2 = GDPWEBSITE=FRED.STLOUISFED.ORG, |demographics2_title1 = Greater San Antonio|demographics2_info1 = $163.1 billion (2022)Central Time Zone>CST| utc_offset = −6Central Time Zone>CDT| utc_offset_DST = −5| postal_code_type = ZIP Codes| postal_code = 78201–78266, 78268–78270, 78275, 78278–78280, 78283–78285, 78288–89, 78291–78299Area code 210>210 (majority), Area code 830 (portions), Area code 726>726North American Numbering Plan>Area codes29309838type:city(1,400,000)_region:US-TX|display=inline,title}}| elevation_ft = 650| elevation_m = 198| website = www.SanAntonio.gov| footnotes = Federal Information Processing Standards>FIPS code| blank_info = 48-65000PUBLISHER=UNITED STATES CENSUS BUREAU, August 7, 2020, }}San Antonio ({{IPAc-en|ËŒ|s|æ|n|_|æ|n|ˈ|t|oÊŠ|n|i|oÊŠ}} {{respell|SAN|_|an|TOH|nee|oh}}; Spanish for “Saint Anthony“), officially the City of San Antonio, is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio, the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 2.6 million people in 2020. It is the most populous city in and the county seat of Bexar County. The city is the seventh-most populous in the United States, the second-largest in the Southern United States,WEB,www.expressnews.com/150years/people/article/SA-first-southern-city-to-integrate-lunch-6347434.php, SA first southern city to integrate lunch counters., Madalyn, Mendoza, June 24, 2015, San Antonio Express-News, and the second-most populous in Texas after Houston.WEB, QuickFacts: San Antonio city, Texas,www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/sanantoniocitytexas/POP010220, United States Census Bureau, August 20, 2021, Founded as a Spanish mission and colonial outpost in 1718, the city in 1731 became the first chartered civil settlement in what is now present-day Texas. The area was then part of the Spanish Empire. From 1821 to 1836, it was part of the Mexican Republic. It is the oldest municipality in Texas, having celebrated its 300th anniversary on May 1, 2018.Chabot, Frederick Charles. San Fernando de Bexar ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190904013503tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hvs16 |date=September 4, 2019}}). Texas State Historical Association. Uploaded June 15, 2010. Retrieved September 17, 2017.Guerra, Mary Ann Noonan. “The First Civil Settlement in Texas” ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190709161845www.uiw.edu/sanantonio/FirstCivilSettlementinTexas.html |date=July 9, 2019}}). Excerpted from The San Antonio River (The Alamo Press, San Antonio: 1987). Retrieved September 17, 2017.WEB,www.sanantonio300.org/300-in-review/, SA300 Tricentennial – Celebrating San Antonio for 300 Years, sanantonio300.org, en, July 11, 2019,web.archive.org/web/20190711053004/https://www.sanantonio300.org/300-in-review/, July 11, 2019, dead, Straddling the regional divide between South and Central Texas, San Antonio anchors the southwestern corner of an urban megaregion colloquially known as the Texas Triangle. Downtown Austin and Downtown San Antonio are approximately {{convert|80.|mi}} apart, and both fall along the Interstate 35 corridor. This combined metropolitan region of San Antonio–Austin has approximately 5 million people.NEWS, Egan, John, 6 September 2022, Booming Texas region could rival Dallas-Fort Worth as ‘next great U.S. metroplex,’ mayor says, CultureMap,fortworth.culturemap.com/news/city-life/09-06-22-austin-san-antonio-next-great-us-metroplex/, San Antonio was named by a 1691 Spanish expedition for the Portuguese priest Saint Anthony of Padua, whose feast day is June 13.WEB, St. Anthony of Padua – Saints & Angels,www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=24, December 14, 2020, Catholic Online, en, WEB, Saint Anthony of Padua {{!, Franciscan Media|url=https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-anthony-of-padua|access-date=December 14, 2020|website=www.franciscanmedia.org|date=June 13, 2020 |language=en}} The city contains five 18th-century Spanish frontier missions, including The Alamo and San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. Together these were designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2015. Other notable attractions include the River Walk, the Tower of the Americas, SeaWorld San Antonio, the Alamo Bowl, and Marriage Island. Commercial entertainment includes Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Morgan’s Wonderland amusement parks. According to the San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau, the city is visited by about 32 million tourists a year. It is home to the five-time National Basketball Association (NBA) champion San Antonio Spurs. It hosts the annual San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, one of the largest such events in the U.S.The U.S. Armed Forces have numerous facilities in and around San Antonio;WEB, Joint Base San Antonio,www.jbsa.mil/, December 14, 2020, www.jbsa.mil, WEB, SA Bases,www.sanantonio.gov/oma/sabases, December 14, 2020, www.sanantonio.gov, WEB, 18 Things You Didn’t Know About Military City USA,www.kwsanantonio.com/news/18-things-you-didnt-know-about-military-city-usa/, December 14, 2020, www.kwsanantonio.com, Fort Sam Houston, which has Brooke Army Medical Center within it, is the only one within the city limits. Lackland Air Force Base, Randolph Air Force Base, Kelly Air Force Base, Camp Bullis, and Camp Stanley are outside the city limits. San Antonio is home to four Fortune 500 companies and the South Texas Medical Center, the only medical research and care provider in the South Texas region.San Antonio is also the largest majority-Hispanic city in the United States, with 64% of its population being Hispanic.

History

{{For timeline|Timeline of San Antonio}}At the time of European encounter, the Payaya people lived near the San Antonio River Valley in the San Pedro Springs area. They called the vicinity Yanaguana, meaning “refreshing waters”. In 1691, a group of Spanish explorers and missionaries came upon the river and Payaya settlement on June 13, the feast day of St. Anthony of Padua. They named the place and river “San Antonio” in his honor.WEB,www.americancatholic.org/Messenger/Jun2004/Feature2.asp#F1, San Antonio: The City of St. Anthony, St. Anthony Messenger Magazine Online, Americancatholic.org, June 2004, June 30, 2010, {{Historical affiliations| float = left| width = 21emSpanish Empire|1718}} (1718–1821)Mexico|1823}} (1821–1836)Flag of Texas (1839–1879).svg|size=23px}} Republic of Texas (1836–1845)United States}} (1846–1861)Confederate States|1863}} (1861–1865)United States}} (1865–present)}}It was years before any Spanish settlement took place. Father Antonio de Olivares visited the site in 1709, and he was determined to found a mission and civilian settlement there. The viceroy gave formal approval for a combined mission and presidio in late 1716, as he wanted to forestall any French expansion into the area from their colony of La Louisiane to the east, as well as prevent illegal trading with the Payaya. He directed Martín de Alarcón, the governor of Coahuila y Tejas, to establish the mission complex. Differences between Alarcón and Olivares resulted in delays, and construction did not start until 1718. Olivares built, with the help of the Payaya and the Pastia people, the Misión de San Antonio de Valero (The Alamo), the Presidio San Antonio de Bexar, the bridge that connected both, and the Acequia Madre de Valero.The families who clustered around the presidio and mission were the start of Villa de Béjar, destined to become the most important town in Spanish Texas.WEB,www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/alarcon-martin-de, Martin de Alarcon, Texas State Historical Society, Handbook of Texas, Chipman, Donald E., June 23, 2021, On May 1, the governor transferred ownership of the Mission San Antonio de Valero (later famous as The Alamo) to Fray Antonio de Olivares. On May 5, 1718, he commissioned the Presidio San Antonio de Béxar (“Béjar” in modern Spanish orthography) on the west side of the San Antonio River, one-fourth league from the mission.On February 14, 1719, the Marquis of San Miguel de Aguayo proposed to the king of Spain that 400 families be transported from the Canary Islands, Galicia, or Havana to populate the province of Texas. His plan was approved, and notice was given the Canary Islanders (isleños) to furnish 200 families; the Council of the Indies suggested that 400 families should be sent from the Canaries to Texas by way of Havana and Veracruz. By June 1730, 25 families had reached Cuba, and 10 families had been sent to Veracruz before orders from Spain came to stop the re-settlement.Under the leadership of Juan Leal Goraz, the group marched overland from Veracruz to the Presidio San Antonio de Béxar, where they arrived on March 9, 1731. Due to marriages along the way, the party now included 15 families, a total of 56 persons. They joined the military community established in 1718. The immigrants formed the nucleus of the villa of San Fernando de Béxar, the first regularly organized civil government in Texas. Several older families of San Antonio trace their descent from the Canary Island colonists. María Rosa Padrón was the first baby born of Canary Islander descent in San Antonio.File:Viceroyalty of New Spain Location 1819 (without Philippines).png|left|thumb|upright=.8|San Antonio was part of the Spanish Viceroyalty of New SpainViceroyalty of New SpainDuring the Spanish–Mexican settlement of Southwestern lands, which took place over the following century, Juan Leal Goraz Jr. was a prominent figure. He claimed nearly 100,000 sq miles (153,766 acres) as Spanish territory and held some control for nearly three decades; this area stretched across six present-day states. San Antonio was designated as Leal Goraz’s capital. It represented Mexican expansion into the area. With his robust military forces, he led exploration and establishing Spanish colonial bases as far as San Francisco, California. Widespread bankruptcy forced Leal Goraz Jr.’s army back into the current boundaries of Mexico; they fell into internal conflict and turmoil with neighboring entities.San Antonio grew to become the largest Spanish settlement in Texas; it was designated as the capital of the Spanish, later Mexican, province of Tejas. From San Antonio, the Camino Real (today Nacogdoches Road), was built to the small frontier town of Nacogdoches. Mexico allowed European American settlers from the United States into the territory; they mostly occupied land in the eastern part. In 1835, when Antonio López de Santa Anna unilaterally abolished the Mexican Constitution of 1824, violence ensued in many states of Mexico. which led to many short-lived independent republics.John H. Jenkins, ed., Papers of the Texas Revolution (10 vols.; Austin: Presidial Press, 973), p.13 This, in addition to Mexico’s abolition of slavery, and cultural differences between the Texians and the Mexicans, led to the Texas Revolution.WEB,digital.library.shsu.edu/digital/collection/p243coll3/id/2243/, CONTENTdm, WEB,www.neh.gov/humanities/2013/marchapril/statement/south-freedom, South to Freedom, In a series of battles, the Texian Army succeeded in forcing Mexican soldiers out of the settlement areas east of San Antonio, which were dominated by Americans. Under the leadership of Ben Milam, in the Battle of Bexar, December 1835, Texian forces captured San Antonio from forces commanded by General Martin Perfecto de Cos, Santa Anna’s brother-in-law. In the spring of 1836, Santa Anna marched on San Antonio. A volunteer force under the command of James C. Neill occupied and fortified the deserted Alamo mission.Upon his departure, the joint command of William Barrett Travis and James Bowie were left in charge of defending the old mission. The Battle of the Alamo took place from February 23 to March 6, 1836. The outnumbered Texian force was ultimately defeated, with all of the Alamo defenders killed. These men were seen as “martyrs” for the cause of Texas freedom and “Remember the Alamo” became a rallying cry in the Texian Army’s eventual success at defeating Santa Anna’s army.Juan Seguín, who organized the company of Tejano patriots, who fought for Texas independence, fought at the Battle of Concepción, the Siege of Bexar, and the Battle of San Jacinto, and served as mayor of San Antonio. He was forced out of office due to threats on his life by sectarian newcomers and political opponents in 1842, becoming the last Tejano mayor for nearly 150 years.Gonzalez, Juan. Harvest of Empire. Penguin, 2000.(File:San Antonio, Texas in 1886.jpg|thumb|Lithograph of San Antonio in 1886)In 1845, the United States finally decided to annex Texas and include it as a state in the Union. This led to the Mexican–American War. Though the U.S. ultimately won, the war was devastating to San Antonio. By its end, the population of the city had been reduced by almost two-thirds, to 800 inhabitants.BOOK, Fisher, Lewis F., Saving San Antonio: the precarious preservation of a heritage, Texas Tech University Press, Lubbock, 1996, Bolstered by migrants and immigrants, by 1860 at the start of the American Civil War, San Antonio had grown to a city of 15,000 people.In the 1850s Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape architect who designed Central Park in New York City, traveled throughout the Southern and Southwest U.S., and published accounts of his observations. In his 1859 book about Texas, Olmsted described San Antonio as having a “jumble of races, costumes, languages, and buildings”, which gave it a quality that only New Orleans could rival in what he described as “odd and antiquated foreignness.”A Journey Through Texas, by Frederick Olmsted {{ISBN|978-1-144-80380-1}}Frederick Law Olmsted, A Journey through Texas; or, A Saddle-trip on the South-western Frontier: with a statistical appendix (1859), on-line text at Internet Archive Following the Civil War, San Antonio prospered as a center of the cattle industry. During this period, it remained a frontier city, with a mixture of cultures that was different from other U.S. cities.German immigrants founded smaller surrounding towns such as New Braunfels, Castroville, Boerne, Comfort, Fredericksburg, and Bulverde, all towns far out from San Antonio. However, the Germans were then drawn to San Antonio for work, and many buildings and streets still bear German names such as Wurzbach, Huebner, and Jones Maltsberger, and Wiederstein. The German impact on San Antonio was great, in the early 1900s it is estimated that at least 1/3 of San Antonio was ethnically German. Many descendants of German immigrants in San Antonio spoke Texas German up to the fifth or sixth generations. Texas German is a dialect of German that evolved when the German language was separated from Germany. Texas German is best described as an anglicized-German dialect with a Texas twang. Many older generations in New Braunfels and Fredericksburg still speak Texas German to this day.WEB,www.visitsanantonio.com/german-heritage/, German Heritage, May 6, 2020, August 6, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200806225430/https://www.visitsanantonio.com/german-heritage/, dead, In 1877, following the Reconstruction Era, developers constructed the first railroad to San Antonio, connecting it to major markets and port cities. Texas was the first state to have major cities develop by railroads rather than waterways.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}} In Texas, the railroads supported a markedly different pattern of development of major interior cities, such as San Antonio, Dallas and Fort Worth, compared to the historical development of coastal port cities in the established eastern states.At the beginning of the 20th century, the streets of the city’s downtown were widened to accommodate street cars and modern traffic. At that time, many of the older historic buildings were demolished in the process of this modernization.Saving San Antonio by Lewis F. Fisher {{ISBN|978-0-89672-372-6}}Since the late twentieth century, San Antonio has had steady population growth. The city’s population has nearly doubled in 35 years, from just over 650,000 in the 1970 census to an estimated 1.2 million in 2005, through both population growth and land annexation (the latter has considerably enlarged the physical area of the city).WEB, POPULATION DISTRIBUTION IN 2005,www.census.gov/population/pop-profile/dynamic/PopDistribution.pdf, United States Census Bureau, June 10, 2017, In 1990, the United States Census Bureau reported San Antonio’s population as 55.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.0% Black or African American, and 36.2% non-Hispanic white.The San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and The Alamo became UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2015 and the city was designated a UNESCO “City of Creativity for Gastronomy” in 2017, one of only 26 gastronomy creative cities in the world.With the increase in professional jobs, San Antonio has become a destination for many college-educated persons, most recently including African Americans in a reverse Great Migration from northern and western areas.NEWS,www.forbes.com/sites/joelkotkin/2015/01/15/the-cities-where-african-americans-are-doing-the-best-economically/?sh=37007f50164f, The cities where African Americans are doing the best economically, Joel, Kotkin, January 16, 2015, January 16, 2015, Forbes, WEB, August 13, 2021, Latinos, Blacks Show Strong Growth in San Antonio as White Population Declines,www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Latinos-Black-communities-grow-in-San-Antonio-16385595.php, Over 31,000 migrants who requested asylum have been released by the Border Patrol into the city in 2019 during the National Emergency Concerning the Southern Border of the United States.NEWS,www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/nation/2019/09/23/border-crisis-trump-administration-real-cost-tax-money/1739727001/, Local governments spend millions caring for migrants dumped by Trump’s Border Patrol, Alan, Gomez, September 23, 2018, USA Today, en, September 24, 2019,

Geography

(File:San Antonio by Sentinel-2, 2020-10-01.jpg|thumb|Satellite picture of San Antonio by ESA Sentinel-2)San Antonio is approximately {{convert|75|mi|km}} to the southwest of its neighboring city, Austin, the state capital, about {{convert|150|mi|km}} from the Mexico-United States border, about {{convert|190|mi|km}} west of Houston, and about {{convert|250|mi|km}} south of the Dallas–Fort Worth area. The city has a total area of {{convert|465.4|mi2|km2|sigfig=5}}; {{convert|460.93|mi2|km2|sigfig=5}} of San Antonio’s total area is land and {{convert|4.5|mi2|km2|sigfig=3}} of it is water.weblink {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090328041312quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/4865000.html|date=March 28, 2009}} The city’s gently rolling terrain is dotted with oak trees, forested land, mesquite, and cacti. The Texas Hill Country reaches into the far northern portions of the city. San Antonio sits on the Balcones Escarpment. Its altitude is approximately {{convert|662|ft|m|0|abbr=}} above sea level.WEB, Geographic coordinates of San Antonio. Latitude, longitude, and elevation above sea level of San Antonio, Texas, USA,dateandtime.info/citycoordinates.php?id=4726206, December 14, 2020, dateandtime.info, The city’s primary source of drinking water is the Edwards Aquifer.WEB, Horne, Justin, 2022-12-06, Where does our water come from? KSAT Explains,www.ksat.com/news/local/2022/12/06/where-does-our-water-come-from-ksat-explains/, 2022-12-06, KSAT, en, Impounded in 1962 and 1969, respectively, Victor Braunig Lake and Calaveras Lake were among the first reservoirs in the United States built to use recycled treated wastewater for power plant cooling, reducing the amount of groundwater needed for electrical generation.WEB, Beneby, Doyle, October 14, 2013, Energy, Future of Texas Linked to Water,sanantonioreport.org/energy-future-of-texas-linked-to-water/, December 14, 2020, San Antonio Report, en-US,

Neighborhoods

{{further|Neighborhoods and districts of San Antonio|Downtown San Antonio}}

Downtown

Downtown San Antonio, the city and metro area’s urban core, encompasses many of the city’s famous structures, attractions, and businesses. The central business district is generally understood to cover the northern half of the “Downtown Loop“—the area bordered by Cesar Chavez to the south. Due to the size of the city and its horizontal development, downtown accounts for less than one half of one percent of San Antonio’s geographic area.WEB, The Value of U.S. Downtowns and Center Cities,centrosanantonio.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/VODT17_San-Antonio_final.pdf, December 13, 2020, centrosanantonio.org, 18, {{Dead link|date=March 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The Strip (north of Downtown) houses a concentration of clubs and bars catering to the LGBT community.NEWS, Arredondo, Camelia, Juarez, Joe, 2023-10-23, City Council taking steps to protect, fund Main Ave strip through proposed cultural heritage designation,www.ksat.com/news/local/2023/10/23/city-council-taking-steps-to-protect-fund-main-ave-strip-through-proposed-cultural-heritage-designation/, 2023-10-23, KSAT, en,

North Central

North Central is home to several enclaves and upscale neighborhoods including Castle Hills, Shavano Park, Hollywood Park, Elm Creek, Inwood, Stone Oak, and Rogers Ranch. The area is also the location of upper-middle-class neighborhoods (Deerfield, Churchill Estates, Hunter’s Creek, Oak Meadow, and Summerfield).

Northwest Side

Northwest Side is the location of the main campus of the University of Texas at San Antonio, the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and the Northwest Campus of the University of the Incarnate Word, which includes the Rosenberg School of Optometry. The Medical Center District is also located in Northwest Side. Companies with headquarters in the area include Valero and NuStar Energy.

South Side

The South Side area of San Antonio is characterized for its predominantly Latino and Hispanic neighborhoods, an average above 81 percent.WEB, February 6, 2018, Maps show racial diversity of San Antonio-area neighborhoods,www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Map-shows-diversity-of-S-A-regions-12555271.php, December 14, 2020, mySA, en-US, Large growth came to South Side when Toyota constructed a manufacturing plant. Palo Alto College and the Texas A&M University-San Antonio are located in the area.

East Side

{{further|History of African Americans in San Antonio}}The East Side of San Antonio is home to the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, the AT&T Center, and the Freeman Coliseum. This area has the largest concentration of Black and African American residents.WEB, January 15, 2018, How the Eastside Became Home to San Antonio’s Black Community,sanantonioreport.org/how-the-eastside-became-home-to-san-antonios-black-community/, December 14, 2020, San Antonio Report, en-US,

West Side

The West Side is predominantly Hispanic/Latin American and working class, with pockets of wealth in the northwest and far west. African Americans are also located in parts of San Antonio’s West Side.WEB, History Untold: Black community’s roots on the West Side of San Antonio,www.ksat.com/news/local/2023/04/07/history-untold-black-communitys-roots-on-the-west-side/, ksat.com, 2023-04-07, The West Side has undergone gentrification as of 2019.WEB, May 9, 2019, West Side braces for San Antonio’s latest wave of gentrification,www.expressnews.com/news/news_columnists/elaine_ayala/article/West-Side-braces-for-San-Antonio-s-newest-round-13830479.php, December 14, 2020, ExpressNews.com, en-US, It includes the diverse neighborhoods of Avenida Guadalupe, Collins Garden, Las Palmas, Prospect Hill, Rainbow Hills (Marbach), San Juan Gardens, Loma Park, Loma Vista, Memorial Heights, and Westwood. It is also home to the historic Our Lady of the Lake University and St. Mary’s University.{{Wide image|Downtown San Antonio Skyline Panorama.jpg|925px|Skyline of San Antonio (2013)|align-cap=center}}

Flora and fauna

Natural vegetation in the San Antonio area (where undisturbed by development) includes oak-cedar woodland, oak grassland savanna, chaparral brush, and riparian (stream) woodland. San Antonio is at the westernmost limit for both Cabbage palmetto (Sabal palmetto) and Spanish moss.The native Eastern Subterranean Termite (Reticulitermes flavipes) is a common structural pest here.

Climate

{{climate chart| San Antonio 61.1 | 1.76 67.1 | 1.79 74.3 | 2.31 80.4 | 2.10 86.0 | 4.01 91.4 | 4.14 94.6 | 2.74 94.7 | 2.09 90.0 | 3.03 82.0 | 4.11 71.4 | 2.28 64.0 | 1.91| units = imperial| float = right| clear = both| source = NOAA}}San Antonio has a transitional humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa) that borders a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification: BSh) towards the west of the cityWEB,www.theweatherprediction.com/weatherpapers/041/index.html, The Roles of Geography and Climate in Forecasting Weather in South Texas, Theweatherprediction.com, March 6, 2013, weblink {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111212140241www.srh.noaa.gov/images/ewx/sat/satclisum.pdf|date=December 12, 2011}}WEB,commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Climatemapusa2.PNG, Climatemapusa2.PNG file- Wikimedia Commons, February 11, 2008, Commons.wikimedia.org, March 6, 2013, featuring very hot, long, and humid summers and mild to cool winters. The area is subject to descending northern cold fronts in the winter with cool to cold nights, and is warm and rainy in the spring and fall. San Antonio falls in USDA hardiness zones 8b (15 Â°F to 20 Â°F) and 9a (20 Â°F to 25 Â°F).WEB,www.plantmaps.com/hardiness-zones-for-san-antonio-texas, San Antonio Texas USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, plantmaps.com plantmaps, October 7, 2019, San Antonio receives about a dozen subfreezing nights each year, typically seeing snow, sleet, or freezing rain about once every two or three winters, but accumulation and snow itself are very rare. Winters may pass without any frozen precipitation at all, and up to a decade has passed between snowfalls. According to the National Weather Service, there have been 32 instances of snowfall (a trace or more) in the city in the past 122 years, about once every four years. Prior to 2021 snow was most recently seen on December 7, 2017, when {{convert|1.9|in|cm|1}} of snow coated the city.WEB,www.weather.gov/ewx/wxevent-20171207, December 2017 Snow Event, www.weather.gov, April 27, 2019, On January 13, 1985, San Antonio received a record snowfall of {{convert|16|in|cm}}.NEWS, San Antonio Suffers Worst Snowfall, United Press International, January 12, 1985,news.google.com/newspapers?id=GAwhAAAAIBAJ&pg=5513,2984374&dq=austin+snowstorm&hl=en, Schenectady, New York, “Record Snow Buries San Antonio”. Associated Press. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. A3. During the February 13–17, 2021, North American winter storm, San Antonio was blanketed with 4–6 inches (10–15 cm) of snow. The cold air which accompanied this storm caused massive rolling blackouts throughout the city until the 18th. The February 15–20, 2021, North American winter storm dropped another 1–2 inches (2.5–5 cm) on the city on the 16th.San Antonio and New Braunfels, {{convert|40|mi|km|0}} to the northeast, are some of the most flood-prone regions in North America.WEB,www.floodsafety.com/texas/regional-info/san-antonio-flooding/, San Antonio Flooding – Updated November, 2020, September 21, 2020, September 27, 2020,www.floodsafety.com/texas/regional-info/san-antonio-flooding/," title="web.archive.org/web/20200927174012www.floodsafety.com/texas/regional-info/san-antonio-flooding/,">web.archive.org/web/20200927174012www.floodsafety.com/texas/regional-info/san-antonio-flooding/, dead, The October 1998 Central Texas floods were among the costliest floods in United States history, resulting in $750 million in damage and 32 deaths. In 2002, from June 30 to July 7, {{convert|35|in|abbr=on}} of rain fell in the San Antonio area, resulting in widespread flooding and 12 fatalities.NEWS,www.floodsafety.com/texas/documentaries/j2002/index.htm, South Central Texas June 30 – July 7, 2002, Flood Safety Education Project, Tornadoes within the city limits have been reported as recently as February 2017, although they seldom occur.WEB,www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Tornado-touched-down-during-overnight-storms-2209975.php, Tornado rakes S.A. neighborhood, Mysanantonio.com, October 10, 2011, July 12, 2018, An F2 tornado lands within {{convert|50|mi|abbr=on}} of the city on average once every five years. San Antonio has experienced two F4 tornadoes, one in 1953 and another in 1973. The 1953 tornado resulted in two deaths and 15 injuries.WEB,www.homefacts.com/tornadoes/Texas/Bexar-County/San-Antonio.html, San Antonio, Bexar County, TX Tornadoes, www.homefacts.com, In San Antonio, July and August tie for the average warmest months, with an average high of {{convert|95|°F|0}}. The highest temperature ever recorded was {{convert|111|F|C|0}} on September 5, 2000. The average coolest month is January. The lowest recorded temperature ever was {{convert|0|F|C|0}} on January 31, 1949. May, June, and October have quite a bit of precipitation. Since recordkeeping began in 1871, the average annual precipitation has been {{convert|29.03|in|mm|0}}, with a maximum of {{convert|52.28|in|mm|0}} and a minimum of {{convert|10.11|in|mm|1}} in one year.WEB,www.srh.noaa.gov/images/ewx/sat/satmonrain.pdf, MONTHLY/ANNUAL/AVERAGE PRECIPITATION SAN ANTONIO, TX (1871–2010), National Weather Service, June 3, 2012, {{San Antonio weatherbox}}{|style="width:100%;text-align:center;line-height:1.2em;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto” class=“wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”!Colspan=14|Climate data for San Antonio!Month!Jan!Feb!Mar!Apr!May!Jun!Jul!Aug!Sep!Oct!Nov!Dec!style="border-left-width:medium“|Year!Mean daily daylight hours11.011.012.013.014.014.014.013.012.011.011.010.012.2!Average Ultraviolet index4681011111111107548.2!Colspan=14 style="background:#f8f9fa;font-weight:normal;font-size:95%;“|Source: Weather Atlas{{Graph:Weather monthly history| table=Ncei.noaa.gov/weather/San Antonio.tab| title=San Antonio monthly weather statistics}}

Demographics

{{See also|History of African Americans in San Antonio}}{{US Census population|1850= 3488|1860= 8235|1870= 12256|1880= 20550|1890= 37673|1900= 53321|1910= 96614|1920= 161379|1930= 231542|1940= 253854|1950= 408442|1960= 587718|1970= 654153|1980= 785940|1990= 935933|2000= 1144646|2010= 1327407|2020= 1434625|estyear= 2022|estimate= 1472909|estref=|align-fn=center|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census2010–2020, 2021}}{| class=“wikitable sortable collapsible” style="font-size: 90%;”! Racial composition !! 2020WEB,data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US4865000&y=2020&d=DEC%20Redistricting%20Data%20%28PL%2094-171%29&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2, P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race, Census.gov, April 17, 2022, !! 2010!! 1990 !! 1970 !! 1950Hispanic and Latino Americans>Hispanic or Latino 63.9% 63.2% 55.6% 51.3% n/aWhite American>White (Non-Hispanic) 23.4% 26.6% 36.2% 41.0% n/aAfrican American>Black or African American 6.5% 6.3% 7.0% 7.6% 7.0%Asian American>Asian 3.2% 2.3% 1.1% 0.3% 0.2%Native Americans in the United States>Indigenous 1.2% 0.9% 0.4% 0.1%