Greater San Antonio, officially designated San Antonio–New Braunfels, is an eight-county metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Texas defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The metropolitan area straddles South Texas and Central Texas 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—making it the 24th largest metropolitan area in the United States. Downtown Austin and Downtown San Antonio are approximately 80. mi 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 Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington and Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land.

Counties

There are eight counties that combine to form Greater San Antonio. The central county is Bexar. The MSA covers a total of 7,387 sqmi, of which 7,340 sqmi is land and 47 sqmi 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.

Places with more than 1,000,000 people

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

Places with 25,000 to 100,000 people

Places with 10,000 to 25,000 people

Places with 5,000 to 10,000 people

Places with 1,000 to 5,000 people

Places with fewer than 1,000 people

Unincorporated places

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, iHeartMedia, USAA, and NuStar Energy are located in San Antonio. Rush Enterprises 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 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. San Antonio's Spanish influence can be seen in the many historic sites across the city, such as the Alamo Mission, Mission Concepción, San Antonio River Walk, Mission San Francisco de la Espada, and Cathedral of San Fernando (San Antonio). 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.

Sports

The city of San Antonio is home to only one Major League sports team; the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA. 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 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 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. 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 serves as the area's Amtrak train station. Interstate highways Other major highways