With 1,434,625 residents in 2020, San Antonio, officially the City of San Antonio, is the seventh-most populous city in the United States, the second-largest city in the Southern United States, and the second-largest city in Texas. In 1718, the city was founded as a Spanish mission and colonial outpost, and in 1731, it became the first incorporated civil community in modern-day Texas. The region was still under the control of the Spanish Empire, and afterwards the Mexican Republic. On May 1, 2018, it commemorated its 300th anniversary as the state’s oldest municipality.
From 2000 to 2010, the city was the fastest-growing among the top ten largest cities in the United States, and second from 1990 to 2000. San Antonio is the county seat of Bexar County, and it is also the geographic center of the San Antonio–New Braunfels metropolitan statistical region. According to the 2019 U.S. census estimates, the Greater San Antonio metropolitan area had a population of 2,550,960 people, making it the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the United States and the third-largest in Texas. San Antonio, which is on the border of South and Central Texas, is the southwesternmost point of the Texas Triangle, a sprawling metropolitan megaregion. Along Interstate 35, the Greater San Antonio and Greater Austin areas are separated by about 80 miles (129 kilometers). Both metropolitan areas are likely to merge to form a new metroplex in the same way that Dallas and Fort Worth did.
A 1691 Spanish expedition called San Antonio after the Portuguese priest Saint Anthony of Padua, whose feast day is June 13. The Alamo and San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, both of which were designated UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2015, are among the city’s five 18th-century Spanish frontier missions. The River Walk, the Tower of the Americas, SeaWorld, the Alamo Bowl, and Marriage Island are among the city’s other prominent attractions. The amusement parks Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Morgan’s Wonderland provide commercial entertainment. According to the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau, around 32 million tourists visit the city each year. It is the home of the five-time NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, as well as the annual San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, which is one of the largest of its kind in the United States.
The United States Armed Forces have a number of bases in and near San Antonio, with Fort Sam Houston being the only one within city boundaries. Outside the city boundaries are Lackland Air Force Base, Randolph Air Force Base, Kelly Air Force Base, Camp Bullis, and Camp Stanley. San Antonio is home to four Fortune 500 firms as well as the South Texas Medical Center, the region’s main medical research and care facility.
San Antonio is also the United States’ most Hispanic city, with 64 percent of the population being Hispanic.
San Antonio’s economy is diverse, with a gross domestic product (GDP) of around $121 billion in 2018. Military, health care, government–civil service, financial services, oil and gas, and tourism are the mainstays of San Antonio’s economy. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the city has become a significant location for American-based call centers and has added a sizable manufacturing sector centered around automobiles. The city’s population is likewise increasing.
