Bexar County, Texas
| Bexar County, Texas | |
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The Bexar County Courthouse in San Antonio.
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Location in the state of Texas |
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Texas's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | December 20, 1836 |
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| Seat | San Antonio |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
1,257 sq mi (3,256 km²) 1,247 sq mi (3,230 km²) 10 sq mi (26 km²), 0.78% |
| Population - (2011) - Density |
1,756,153 1,408/sq mi (544/km²) |
| Website | www.bexar.org |
Bexar County (pron.: /ˈbɛər/ bear)[1] is a county in the US state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, the population is 1,714,773,[2] making it the 19th most populous county in the nation and the 4th most populated within Texas.[3] Its county seat is San Antonio.[4] In old Spanish, "Béxar" is pronounced [ˈbexar].
Bexar County is the central county of the San Antonio-New Braunfels Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bexar County is a major bellwether in presidential elections.
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History [edit]
Bexar County was created on December 20, 1836, and encompassed almost the entire western portion of the Republic of Texas. This included the disputed areas of western 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 of 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 settled near the system of missions that had been established around the source of the San Antonio River. The new settlement was named after the Presidio San Antonio de Béjar, the Spanish military outpost that protected the missions. The presidio, located at the San Pedro Springs, was founded in 1718 and named for Viceroy Balthasar Manuel de Zúñiga y Guzmán Sotomayor y Sarmiento, second son of the Duke of Béxar (a town in Spain).
Geography [edit]
Bexar County is in south-central Texas, about 190 miles (305 km) west of Houston and 140 miles (225 km) inland from the Gulf of Mexico.
The Balcones Escarpment 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. South of the escarpment are Blackland Prairie and the South Texas plains. The San Antonio River rises from springs north of Downtown San Antonio, and flows southward and southeastward through the county.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,257 square miles (3,255.6 km2), of which 1,247 square miles (3,229.7 km2) is land and 10 square miles (25.9 km2) (0.78%) is covered by water.
Major Highways [edit]
Interstate 10
Interstate 35
Interstate 37
Interstate 410
U.S. Highway 87
U.S. Highway 90
U.S. Highway 181
U.S. Highway 281
State Highway 16
Adjacent counties [edit]
- Kendall County (north)
- Comal County (north)
- Guadalupe County (northeast)
- Wilson County (southeast)
- Atascosa County (south)
- Medina County (west)
- Bandera County (northwest)
National protected area [edit]
Demographics [edit]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 6,052 |
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| 1860 | 14,454 | 138.8% | |
| 1870 | 16,043 | 11.0% | |
| 1880 | 30,470 | 89.9% | |
| 1890 | 49,266 | 61.7% | |
| 1900 | 69,422 | 40.9% | |
| 1910 | 119,676 | 72.4% | |
| 1920 | 202,096 | 68.9% | |
| 1930 | 292,533 | 44.7% | |
| 1940 | 338,176 | 15.6% | |
| 1950 | 500,460 | 48.0% | |
| 1960 | 687,151 | 37.3% | |
| 1970 | 830,460 | 20.9% | |
| 1980 | 988,800 | 19.1% | |
| 1990 | 1,185,394 | 19.9% | |
| 2000 | 1,392,931 | 17.5% | |
| 2010 | 1,714,773 | 23.1% | |
| Est. 2012 | 1,785,704 | 4.1% | |
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Texas Almanac: 1850–2010[6] |
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As of the census[7] of 2000, 1,392,931 people, 488,942 households, and 345,681 families were residing in the county. The population density was 1,117 people per square mile (431/km²). There were 521,359 housing units at an average density of 418 per square mile (161/km²). The racial 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.
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.
Politics [edit]
| Year | Democrat | Republican |
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| 2008 | 52.23% 275,527 | 46.69% 246,275 |
| 2004 | 44.39% 210,976 | 54.85% 260,698 |
| 2000 | 44.86% 185,158 | 52.24% 215,613 |
| 1996 | 49.74% 180,308 | 44.59% 161,619 |
| 1992 | 41.54% 172,513 | 40.65% 168,816 |
| 1988 | 47.07% 174,036 | 52.25% 193,192 |
| 1984 | 40.18% 136,947 | 59.65% 203,319 |
| 1980 | 44.65% 137,729 | 51.73% 159,578 |
| 1976 | 54.00% 146,581 | 44.64% 121,176 |
| 1972 | 39.82% 91,662 | 59.76% 137,572 |
| 1968 | 51.56% 95,325 | 39.46% 72,951 |
| 1964 | 66.86% 108,658 | 32.90% 53,469 |
| 1960 | 53.74% 75,373 | 45.59% 63,934 |
Bexar County is a major bellwether in presidential elections. Since the 1972 presidential election, the winner of Bexar County has gone on to win the general election. In the 2008 presidential election, Barack Obama carried Bexar County with 52.23% of the vote. This was very similar to his national figure of 52.92%. Unofficial results for the 2012 presidential election show Barack Obama carrying the county with 51.6% of the vote.
Five congressional districts are located either entirely or partly within Bexar County. One House member is a Republican and four are Democrats.
| Representative | Party | Home Town/City | District | |
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| Joaquin Castro | D | San Antonio | 20 | |
| Lamar S. Smith | R | San Antonio | 21 | |
| Pete Gallego | D | Alpine | 23 | |
| Henry Cuellar | D | Laredo | 28 | |
| Lloyd Doggett | D | Austin | 35 | |
Four Texas Senate districts are located either entirely or partly within Bexar County, with three Democrats and one Republican.
| Senator | Party | Home Town/City | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlos I. Uresti | D | San Antonio | 19 | |
| Judith Zaffirini | D | Laredo | 21 | |
| Donna Campbell | R | San Antonio | 25 | |
| Leticia R. Van de Putte | D | San Antonio | 26 | |
Ten Texas House of Representatives districts are located within Bexar County; eight are Democrats and two are Republicans, including the current Speaker of the House Joe Straus.
| Representative | Party | Home Town/City | District | |
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| Trey Martinez Fischer | D | San Antonio | 116 | |
| Philip Cortez | D | San Antonio | 117 | |
| Joe Farias | D | San Antonio | 118 | |
| Roland Gutierrez | D | San Antonio | 119 | |
| Ruth McClendon | D | San Antonio | 120 | |
| Joe Straus | R | San Antonio | 121 | |
| Lyle Larson | R | San Antonio | 122 | |
| Mike Villarreal | D | San Antonio | 123 | |
| Jose Menendez | D | San Antonio | 124 | |
| Justin Rodriguez | D | San Antonio | 125 | |
Notable natives and residents [edit]
- Al Freeman, Jr., was born in San Antonio; he became an actor, known for ABC soap opera One Life to Live, and Malcolm X
- Carol Burnett, comedienne and actress, was born and grew up in San Antonio
- Joan Crawford, actress, was born in San Antonio
- Cyndi Taylor Krier, first woman and first Republican to be elected to the Texas Senate from Bexar County (1985–1993), and first woman and first Republican to be appointed as a Bexar County administrative judge (1993 to 2001)
- Michelle Rodriguez, actress, James Cameron's Avatar
- Alan Schoolcraft, former Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives
- Percy Sutton, former Manhattan Borough President, and civil rights attorney; clients included Malcolm X, and the owner of the Apollo Theater in Harlem and several radio stations
- Carlos I. Uresti, Member of the Texas Senate from the 19th District
- Ciro D. Rodriguez, Member of Congress, previously 28th District, Texas, now 23rd District, Texas
- Robert Rodríguez, director of Spy Kids, Desperado, and Sin City
Cities and towns [edit]
* Only a very small portion of Cibolo is in Bexar County.
** Fair Oaks Ranch has territory in Bexar County, Comal County and Kendall County.
*** Selma and Schertz each have territory in Bexar County, Comal County and Guadalupe County.
**** Lytle has territory in Atascosa County, Bexar County and Medina County.
Military Installations [edit]
- Lackland Air Force Base
- Kelly Air Force Base
- Randolph Air Force Base
- Fort Sam Houston
- San Antonio Military Medical Center
- Brooks City-Base
Corrections [edit]
The Bexar County jail facilities are at 200 North Comal in downtown San Antonio.[8] 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 held an average of about 3,800 prisoners in 2012, making it the third-largest in the state.[9]
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates the Dominguez Unit, a state jail for men, in an unincorporated section of Bexar County.[10]
See also [edit]
- List of museums in Central Texas
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Bexar County, Texas
References [edit]
- ^ General San Antonio Information
- ^ United States Census Bureau. "2010 Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 21, 2011.
- ^ "P1: Total Population – All Counties in the United States". U.S. Census Bureau American Factfinder. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ U.S. Decennial Census
- ^ Texas Almanac: County Population History 1850–2010
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "BCSO Location and Driving Directions." Bexar County. Retrieved September 14, 2008.
- ^ Why have jail suicides soared under Sheriff Ortiz's watch?, by Michael Barajas, SA Current, 17 October 2012
- ^ "Dominguez (BX)." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved September 14, 2008.
- Stephens, A. Ray, and William M. Holmes, Historical Atlas of Texas. University of Oklahoma Press, 1989. ISBN 0-8061-2307-9
External links [edit]
- Bexar County government's website
- Bexar County from the Handbook of Texas Online
- Bexar County Texas Almanac Page
- Bexar County Jail Information
- Historic Bexar County materials, hosted by the Portal to Texas History.
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Bandera County | Kendall County and Comal County | Guadalupe County | ![]() |
| Medina County | ||||
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| Atascosa County | Wilson County |
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