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{{Infobox City |official_name = City of San Antonio |nickname = Alamo City; River City; SA-Town; Countdown City (based on the "210" area code) |image_skyline = Downtown-san-antonio.jpeg |image_flag = Flag of San Antonio, Texas.svg |image_seal = Sanantonioseal.jpeg |image_map = TXMap-doton-SanAntonio.PNG |map_caption = Location in the state of Texas ] |subdivision_name = Bexar County, Texas |leader_title = Mayor ] |area_magnitude = 1 E9 |unit_pref= Imperial |area_total_sq_mi = 412.1 |area_total_km2 = 1067.3 |area_land_sq_mi = 407.6 |area_land_km2 = 1055.6 |area_water_sq_mi = 4.5 |area_water_km2 = 11.7 |population_as_of = 2006 |population_metro = 1,942,217 |population_total = 1,296,682 |population_density_sq_mi = 2808.5 |population_density_km2 = 1084.4 |timezone = North American Central Time Zone |utc_offset = -6 |timezone_DST = North American Central Time Zone |utc_offset_DST = -5 |area_code = Area code 210 |latd = 29 |latm = 32 |lats = 01.3 |latNS = N |longd = 98 |longm = 28 |longs = 11.2 |longEW = W |elevation_ft = 650 |elevation_m = 198 |website = www.sanantonio.gov |footnotes =-->San Antonio is the second most populous city in Texas, the third most populous metropolitan area in Texas, and is the List of United States cities by population. As of the 2006 U.S. Census estimate, the city had a population just under 1.3 million. As of 2006, the eight-county San Antonio metropolitan area has a population of just under 2 million and is the Table of United States primary census statistical areas. San Antonio, which is the county seat of Bexar County, Texas, covers over on the northern edge of the South Texas region and part of the .

San Antonio was named for the Portugal Saint Anthony of Padua, whose Calendar of saints it was (June 13) when a Spanish expedition stopped in the area in 1691. The city has a strong military presence—it is home to Fort Sam Houston, Lackland Air Force Base, Randolph Air Force Base, and Brooks City-Base, with Camp Bullis and Camp Stanley (Texas) right outside the city. San Antonio is home to the South Texas Medical Center, the largest and only medical research and care provider in the South Texas region.

Famous for its San Antonio River Walk, the Alamo Mission in San Antonio, Tejano culture, and home to the SeaWorld San Antonio and Six Flags Fiesta Texas theme parks, the city is visited by 20 million tourists per year. San Antonio is also home to the first museum of modern art in Texas—the Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum, as well as one of the most successful National Basketball Association teams in league history, the San Antonio Spurs.

History

American Indians originally lived along the San Antonio River in the San Pedro Springs area, calling the vicinity Yanaguana, meaning "refreshing waters."

In 1691, a group of Spanish explorers and missionary came upon the river on June 13, the feast day of Anthony of Padua, hence naming the river after "San Antonio."

The actual founding of the city took place in 1718 by Father Antonio de San Buenaventura y Olivares, upon establishing Mission San Antonio de Valero. Hence via the efforts of Spanish soldiers and Canary Islands, San Antonio de Béxar soon transformed into an early Spain settlement in the Americas.

The Battle of the Alamo took place nearby in 1836, and eventually the town would grow to encompass the embattled mission. This was where 189 defenders held the old mission against some 4,000 Mexican troops led by Antonio López de Santa Anna for 13 days. The defenders were all killed. The cry "Remember the Alamo" became the rallying point of the Texas Revolution against Mexico.

Like many municapility in the American Southwest, San Antonio experiences a 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.

The city has also grown substantially in area. Unlike most large cities in the U.S., San Antonio is not completely surrounded by independent suburban cities and under Texas law exercises extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) over much of the surrounding unincorporated land, including directing growth and zoning. Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Boundary (PDF), City of San Antonio Planning Department. July 28, 2006. It pursues an aggressive annexation policy and opposes the creation of other municipalities within its ETJ. San Antonio Master Plan, Public Studio (San Antonio Chapter American Institute of Architects). Last accessed on January 7, 2007. This is the reason the city is the 7th largest in the U.S. but its metropolitan area is just 29th largest. Nearly three-fourths of its current land area has been annexed since 1960. San Antonio Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities (PowerPoint), City of San Antonio Planning Department. Last accessed January 7, 2007. In recent years, the city has annexed several long narrow corridors along major thoroughfares to facilitate eventual annexation of growth developing along the routes. The city plans to annex nearly forty additional square miles by 2009. Three-year annexation plan (PDF), City of San Antonio Planning Department, January 6, 2006.

As of 2007, the Alamo Mission in San Antonio is a shrine and museum located in the heart of downtown, and is surrounded by many hotels and tourist attractions. It is clearly San Antonio's most well-known landmark, and is featured in its flag and seal and in the city's nickname, "Alamo City".

Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2000 the city had a total area of 412.07 square miles (1,067.3 square kilometre) — 407.56 square miles (1,055.6 km²) of it is land and 4.51 square miles (11.7 km²) of it is water. The city sits on the Balcones Escarpment.

The primary source of drinking water for the city is the Edwards Aquifer. Impounded in 1962 and 1969, respectively, Victor Braunig Lake and Calaveras Lake (Texas) were among the first reservoir (water) in the country built to use recycled treated wastewater for power plant cooling, reducing the amount of groundwater needed for electricity generation. San Antonio is 29 degrees north and 100 degrees east.

Downtown Because of its status as a historic urban center, the architecture and layout of San Antonio are more traditionally urban than other cities in Texas, such as Dallas and Austin, which have developed in the last half century.

Downtown is encircled by three numerical freeways, Interstates 35 and 37, and U.S. Highway 90/Interstate 10. Together the three highways create a rectangular route around the downtown area of San Antonio: I-35 to the north and west, I-37 to the east, and US-90/I-10 to the south.

Downtown is home to many districts including the Alamo District, Alamodome District, Central Business District, Convention Center District, Historic Civic District, Houston Street District, King William Historic District, La Villita District, Market Square District, North Downtown, North River District, River Bend District, SoSo (South of Southtown), Southtown, and the University District.

The Central Business District is home to Rivercenter, anchored by Dillard's and Macy's. The five-level Art Deco Dillard's, at the corner of Alamo and Commerce streets, opened in 1887 as Joske's. Joske's flagship store was in floor space until Dillard's bought the Joske's chain in 1987. Today, Dillard's only occupies a fraction of the original building.

Housing the famous Alamo many people can be seen traveling to visit the historic district. Attractions such as the river walk are home to many of the festivities throughout the year including NIOSA (Night In Old San Antonio) which celebrates fiesta, Cinco de mayo, and numerous parades such as celebrations for their home NBA team the Spurs, Christmas parades and much more.

Image:San Antonio Texas River Walk St Marys Street.JPG]s.Image:Houston_street_san_antonio.jpg|Houston Street.Image:SA tower view from between.jpg|The Cathedral of San Fernando, the Tower Life Building, and the Tower of the Americas.

Neighborhoods

Culture

Climate San Antonio's weather is alternately dry or humid depending on prevailing winds, turning hot in the summer, mild to cool winters subject to descending northern cold fronts in the winter with cool nights, and comfortably warm and rainy in the spring and fall. Only a few freezes occur each year and snow is rare.

In San Antonio, July and August tie for the average warmest months with an average high of 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 °C). The highest temperature ever to be recorded was 111 °F (43.8 °C) on September 5, 2000. The average coolest month is January. The lowest recorded temperature ever was 0 °F (-17.7 °C) on January 31, 1949. May, June, and October have quite a bit of precipitation. For the last 135 years, the average annual precipitation has been 29.05 inches (73.79 cm), with a maximum of 52.28 inches (132.79 cm) and a minimum of 10.11 inches (25.68 cm) in one year. Monthly/Annual/Average Precipitation San Antonio, Texas (1871 - December 2006), National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration.

Demographics According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 1,144,646, Census 2000: Incorporated Places of 100,000 or More, Ranked by Population, U.S. Census Bureau. ranking it the ninth-most populated city in the country. Due to San Antonio's low density rate and lack of significant population surrounding the city limits, the metropolitan area ranked just 30th in the U.S. with a population of 1,592,383. Census 2000: Metropolitan Areas Ranked by Population, U.S. Census Bureau.

Subsequent population estimates indicate continued growth in the area. The July 1, 2006, population estimate for the city was 1,296,682,, U.S. Census Bureau. making it the second-most populous city and the third-most populous metro area in Texas, as well as the seventh-most populous city in the U.S. The 2006 U.S. Census estimate for the eight-county (Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall, Medina, and Wilson Counties) San Antonio metropolitan area placed its population at 1,942,217,, U.S. Census Bureau. making it the third-most populous metro area in Texas and the 30th-most populous metro area in the U.S. San Antonio's MSA is bordered to the Northeast by the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area, and the two metros together combine to form a region of almost 3.6 million people.

There are 405,474 households, and 280,993 families residing in San Antonio. The population density is 2,808.5 people per square mile (1,084.4 km²).

There are 433,122 housing units at an average density of 1,062.7 per square mile (410.3 km²). According to U.S. Census data from 2005, the racial composition of San Antonio is 67.7% White (U.S. Census), 6.8% Black (U.S. Census), 1.6% Asian (U.S. Census), 0.8% Native American (U.S. Census), and 3.7% from two or more races. However, 67.7% of the population identify themselves as being of Hispanic (U.S. Census) origin. Fact Sheet, U.S. Census Bureau. Last accessed February 17, 2007.

The age of the city's population is spread out with 28.5% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. In San Antonio, 48% of the population are males, and 52% of the population are females. For every 100 females there are 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $36,214, and the median income for a family is $53,100. Males have a median income of $30,061 versus $24,444 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,487. 17.3% of the population and 14.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 24.3% of those under the age of 18 and 13.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Economy

San Antonio has a diversified economy with four primary focuses: financial services, health care, national defense, and tourism. Located northwest of the city center is the South Texas Medical Center, the largest medical research and care provider in South Texas, which is a conglomerate of numerous major hospitals, clinics, and research and higher educational institutions. The center is "chief catalyst" for a $14 billion biomedical industry.http://www.uthscsa.edu/univrel/Financial.html It employs over 27,000 persons with a combined total budget of $2.8 billion.http://www.samedfoundation.org/docs/2006progressReportMemo.pdf San Antonio is the only city in the United States hosting three Level I Trauma Centers within the city limits (2 military, 1 civilian).

The city is also home to one of the largest military concentrations in the United States. Fort Sam Houston on the city's northeast side hosts Brooke Army Medical Center, focus of the U.S. Army's medical command and training functions. Lackland Air Force Base on the city's west side is one of the world's largest training complexes. While it is known for hosting the U.S. Air Force's recruit training, it also hosts follow-on technical training for many other Air Force specialties, as well as other operations. Randolph Air Force Base on the far northeastern outskirts is the headquarters of the Air Education and Training Command, headquarters for Air Force personnel management and also hosts pilot and navigator training. Additionally, Brooks City-Base on the city's south side and Port of San Antonio adjoining Lackland still have significant military presences as well as defense contractor businesses. The defense industry in San Antonio employs over 89,000 and provides a $5.2 billion impact to the city's economy.

Twenty million tourists visit the city and its attractions every year, contributing substantially to the city's economy. San Antonio Tourism, San Antonio Riverwalk.com. Last accessed on January 7, 2007. The Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center alone hosts more than 300 events each year with over 750,000 convention delegates from around the world.

San Antonio's corporate profile includes: Advantage Rent A Car, AT&T (formerly SBC), Church's Chicken, Clear Channel Communications, Frost National Bank, H-E-B, Rackspace, Southwest Research Institute, Tesoro, USAA, Valero Energy Corp, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas, NuStar Energy, and Zachry Construction which are all headquartered in the city. Companies not headquartered in San Antonio but which have a strong presence in the city include: Bank of America, Boeing, Caremark Rx Inc., The Capital Group Companies, Citibank, InfoNxx, QVC, NSA, Wachovia Bank, Washington Mutual, West Corporation, Clarke American, Lowe'shttp://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2006/Jun/29/lowes_chooses_san_antonio_for_data_center.html, and in the future, Microsoft. Software Giant Moving to SA, WOAI-TV. January 18, 2007. Other industries are establishing plants in the area, as the city's economy continues to grow.

See also: List of foreign consulates in San Antonio.

Attractions San Antonio is a popular tourist destination. The jewel of the city is the San Antonio River Walk, which meanders through the downtown area. Lined with numerous shops, bars, and restaurants, as well as the Arneson River Theater, this attraction is transformed into an impressive festival of lights during the Christmas and New Year holiday period, and is suffused with the local sounds of Baile Folklorico and flamenco music during the summer, particularly during celebrations such as the Fiesta Noche del Rio. Also based along the River Walk is the newly restored Aztec On The River, the only surviving exotic-themed movie palace in Texas.

The Alamo Mission in San Antonio, located nearby, is Texas' top tourist attraction, while the River Walk is the second most visited attraction.

The downtown area also features Cathedral of San Fernando, The Majestic Theatre, San Antonio, HemisFair '68 Park (home of the Tower of the Americas and the Institute of Texan Cultures), La Villita, El Mercado, the Spanish Governor's Palace, and the historic Menger Hotel. On the northern side of the Alamo complex, beside the Emily Morgan Hotel, is the San Antonio Cavalry Museum, which features cavalry artifacts and exhibits and is frequented by local re-enactors.

The Fairmont Hotel, built in 1906, is in the Guinness Book of World Records as one of the heaviest buildings ever moved intact. It was placed in its new location, three blocks south of the Alamo, over four days in 1985, and cost $650,000 to move. The Fairmont houses the "Sage Ristorante e Bar."

Image:Alamo TX.jpg] extends some 2½ miles, attracting several million visitors every year.Image:SA hotel view.jpg|Another view of the city's downtown areaImage:SAPL2.jpg|Central Library of The San Antonio Public LibraryImage:SA SN tree.jpg] characterizes the city's skylineImage:Bexar County Court House perspective.jpg|The historic Bexar County CourthouseImage:SACC.jpg]Image:SABG8.jpg|The San Antonio Botanical GardenImage:Mission-Concepcion.jpg]Image:SeaWorldTexas1.jpg|SeaWorld San AntonioImage:Aztec On The River - Building.jpg] Theater

Other places of interest include the San Antonio Zoo, San Antonio Japanese Tea Gardens, Brackenridge Park, the missions of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, the Witte Museum, the McNay Art Museum, SeaWorld San Antonio, Six Flags Fiesta Texas,The Texas Transportation Museum,and Splashtown San Antonio. Visitors can also experience something of the cowboy culture year round, they can see the 40-foot (12 m) tall cowboy boots at North Star Mall.

Beyond taking in the sights and sounds of San Antonio, tourists can sample some of its world famous Tex-Mex cuisine at the many fine restaurants located throughout the city. San Antonio is (to residents, former residents, and many visitors) the undisputed home of authentic Tex-Mex. Mexican restaurants are abundant in virtually all parts of town, and most — except for those in the Far North and some of the Uptown enclaves like Alamo Heights — are relatively inexpensive. Some outstanding examples of Tex-Mex eateries include Jacala, on West Avenue on the near Northwest side, Karam's, in the middle of the West Side, and Los Barrios, on the near North side of town.

Sports champions, the San Antonio Spurs.

The city's only top-level professional sports team, and consequently the team most San Antonians follow, is the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association. The Spurs have been playing in San Antonio since 1973 and have won four NBA Championships (1999, 2003, 2005, and 2007). Previously, the Spurs played at the Alamodome, which was built for American football, and before that the HemisFair Arena, but the Spurs built and moved into the SBC Center in 2002, since renamed the AT&T Center, following the merger of SBC and AT&T.

The AT&T Center is also home to the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League and the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA, both owned by the Spurs. San Antonio is also home to the Double-A Minor League affiliate of the San Diego Padres, the San Antonio Missions who play at Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium on the west side of the city. San Antonio also hosts the NCAA football Alamo Bowl each December. San Antonio also has a Rugby union team, the Alamo City Rugby Football Club, a minor team in third division league of the Texas Rugby Union.

The city was also a temporary home for the New Orleans Saints for the 2005 NFL season due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina. The Saints set up practice facilities in San Antonio for the season, and played a split home schedule between the Alamodome and Baton Rouge, Louisiana's Tiger Stadium (Baton Rouge) during the 2005 season. After the final game in San Antonio, the Saints committed to moving back to New Orleans for the 2006 season. City officials are said to be attempting to lure the National Football League permanently to San Antonio and have also said that a strong showing at the Alamodome for the three local Saints games was vital to showing that San Antonio can support an NFL franchise. NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue stated San Antonio was successful in hosting the team, and that the city would be on the short list for any future NFL expansions. The city has also hosted the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Oilers preseason camps in the past, and they have signed a contract with the Cowboys in which the Cowboys will practice in San Antonio through 2011. Football: Cowboys returning to S.A. in '07, San Antonio Express-News, April 1, 2006. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has acknowledged his support for the city's efforts to become home to an NFL franchise. Football: Cowboys' Jones backs S.A. team, San Antonio Express-News, May 5, 2006. Although it is the second largest city in the United States without an NFL franchise, the city's smaller metropolitan population has so far contributed to its lack of landing an NFL team.

In March 2006, the city also made an offer to build a stadium for the struggling Florida Marlins baseball franchise. However, the Marlins and Major League Baseball, while indicating San Antonio would be a viable relocation option if things did not work out in Florida, have declined the offer and appear to be focused on keeping the franchise in South Florida.

In 2005 the city approached Major League Soccer with an interest in placing a soccer franchise in the vacant Alamodome. Both the city and the league seemed to be in harmony with the council voting 9-2 in favour of a the new San Antonio team, citing that it would reduce the financial burden of the stadium on the city by providing it with a permanent tenant without an extra financial costs as the necessary upgrading of facilities at the dome would have to take place regardless of a team moving in or not. The following week an 8-3 vote carried the second part of the plan, which would see a major new youth soccer complex being built in the city to compete for what was described as the lucrative Texas youth soccer event market. At the time it was stated that San Antonio had only a fraction of the youth soccer facilities available in other Texan cities of Dallas, Houston and Austin. All seemed to be in place and plans on course until a negative media campaign against the soccer proposals turned public oppinion against the idea, depite the obvious financial advantages of the situation. The main reason for objection being MLS's insistance that the Alamodome lease would only be for three years and that the San Antonio team would have to eventually vacate to a soccer specific stadium, despite this originally being cited as a positive idea as it would advertise the Alamodome as a viable sporting venue for the citie's main ambition of earning an NFL franchise. The prospects for the franchise were further hindered when it became a political football during the election for Mayor, which was won by Paul Hardberger, who instantly distanced the city from any deal with MLS stating "The only thing I would say to MLS is goodbye." MLS meanwhile released a statement claiming that they had planned to withdraw before the election but did not wish to comment until afterwards in order to "respect the electorial process in San Antonio." The deal died with both sides blaming eachother for it's demise however it seems that, in the short term at least, MLS have come away from the failed deal the happier of the two parties as their first soccer specific stadiums in the United States have begun to return a profit for the cities in which they are located,encouraging over forty North American cities to enquire about three possible future League expansions. San Antonio however remain with a stadium without a permanent tenant to relieve the drain on the city finances and with the cost of creating the new goal of placing an NFL francise into the Alamodome spiralling by the week.

Some current names in professional sports from the city of San Antonio's high school sports programs include Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Sam Hurd, New Orleans Hornets guard Devin Brown, Minnesota Vikings 2006 second-round draft pick Cedric Griffin, Kansas City Chiefs running back Priest Holmes, Houston Texans defensive end N.D. Kalu, Florida Marlins pitcher Logan Kensing, World Wrestling Entertainment Shawn Michaels, Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal, and Olympic Games gold medalist Darold Williamson.

Government

The City of San Antonio runs under a Council-Manager form of government. The city is divided into 10 council districts designed to ensure equal population distribution between all districts. Each district elects one person to sit on the City Council with the mayor elected on a city-wide basis. All members of the City Council, which includes the mayor, are elected to two-year terms and are limited to two total terms. All positions are elected on non-partisan ballots as required by Texas law. Council members are paid $20 a meeting, while the Mayor earns $4,000 a year. Most council members maintain full-time employment in addition to their positions on the council.

The council hires the City Manager to handle day to day operations. The council effectively functions as the city's legislative body with the City Manager acting as its Chief Executive, responsible for the management of day to day operations and execution of council legislation.

The current mayor is Phil Hardberger (an active supporter of the U.S. Democratic Party, but officially elected on a non-partisan basis). Before he took office as San Antonio's mayor, he served as Chief Justice on the Fourth Court of Appeals of Texas. The current City Manager is Sheryl Sculley.

The city stretches into several national congressional districts and is represented in U.S. Congress by the following:http://www.sanantonio.gov/planning/pdf/GIS/map_download/0702GG24.pdf



Growth policy Unlike most large cities in the U.S., San Antonio is not completely surrounded by independent suburban cities and under Texas law it exercises extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) over much of the surrounding unincorporated land, including directing growth and zoning. Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Boundary (PDF), City of San Antonio Planning Department. July 28, 2006. It pursues an aggressive annexation policy and opposes the creation of other municipalities within its ETJ. San Antonio Master Plan, Public Studio (San Antonio Chapter American Institute of Architects). Last accessed on January 7, 2007. Nearly three-fourths of its current land area has been annexed since 1960. San Antonio Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities (PowerPoint), City of San Antonio Planning Department. Last accessed January 7, 2007. In recent years, the city has annexed several long narrow corridors along major thoroughfares in outlying areas to facilitate eventual annexation of growth developing along the routes. The city plans to annex nearly forty additional square miles by 2009. Three-year annexation plan (PDF), City of San Antonio Planning Department, January 6, 2006.

Involuntary annexation is a controversial issue in those parts of unincorporated Bexar County affected by it. Residents, attracted to the outlying areas by lower taxes and affordable real estate values, often see annexation as a mechanism to increase property tax rates without a corresponding improvement in services such as police and fire protection, while the city regards its annexation policy as essential to its overall prosperity.

Education Colleges, universities, and research institutes San Antonio hosts over 100,000 students across its 31 higher-education facilities which include:

Image:DSC00374.JPG| Trinity University (Texas)Image:UTSA campus.jpg|University of Texas at San AntonioImage:UTHSCSAmain.jpg|University of Texas Health Science Center at San AntonioImage:OLLU2.JPG|Our Lady of the Lake University



Public schools and libraries San Antonio and Bexar County are served by 15 separate independent school districts:



The city is served by the San Antonio Public Library.

Private schools San Antonio has many private schools, including:

St. Paul Catholic School

Transportation The San Antonio International Airport is located in north central San Antonio, approximately eight miles from downtown. It has two terminals and is served by 15 airlines serving 35 destinations including two in Mexico. An extensive bus and trolley system (vehicular not rail) is provided by the city's metropolitan transit system, VIA Metropolitan Transit. VIA offers 78 regular bus routes and four trolley routes, including express routes from downtown to the theme parks. VIA also offers a special service to city events, including San Antonio Spurs games and city parades, from its Park and Ride locations. http://www.viainfo.net/

Amtrak, the national passenger rail service, provides service to San Antonio at San Antonio Station, operating its Texas Eagle daily between San Antonio and Chicago's Union Station (Chicago).http://www.texaseagle.com/home.htm Amtrak also operates its Sunset Limited three times a week in each direction through San Antonio between Los Angeles, California and Orlando, Florida (currently truncated to New Orleans, Louisiana due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina).http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Route/Horizontal_Route_Page&c=am2Route&cid=1081442673803&ssid=132 The Texas Eagle section travels between San Antonio and Los Angeles as part of the Sunset Limited. The old Sunset Station is now an entertainment venue owned by VIA and neighbored by the current station and the Alamodome.http://www.sunset-station.com/

Transportation by bicycle is safe on some roads, not as safe on some other roads. In general San Antonio may not be as bicycle friendly or acclimated to it as a form of transport as some coastal US cities. There are designated bicycle lanes on a percentage of the city roads such as historical districts, missions trails, university paths and surrounding areas. Many independent organized groups of people in or out of the city meet on set days to go on group bicycle rides together. Group rides vary dramatically in skill level, depending on the type of ride and the riders involved. Group rides can be very diverse, oriented to many unique groups and purposes ranging from touring, recreation , general transportation, socializing, family entertainment, or professional athlete training. Organized road or mountain bike rides meet up with one group or another almost every day. Popular mountain bike trail parks are Mcalister park, O.P. Schnabel park, Government Canyon State Natural Area.

San Antonio is served by these major freeways:



Other highways include:



Notable natives and residents

Media and entertainment Print San Antonio has one major newspaper, the San Antonio Express-News, which has served the area since 1865. The Express-News currently circulates as the largest newspaper service in South Texas. The Hearst Corporation, which owned a second newspaper, the San Antonio Light, purchased the Express-News from News Corp. in 1992 and shut down the Light after failing to find a buyer. The San Antonio Current is the free "alternative" paper published weekly with local political issues, art and music news, restaurant listings and reviews, and listings of events and nightlife around town. In addition, the San Antonio Business Journal covers general business news. La Prensa, a bilingual publication, also has a long history in San Antonio. The San Antonio River Walk Current covers general San Antonio news.

Television While the city is one of the ten largest in the United States, its television market is only the 37th in the United States, according to the marketing research firm ACNielsen. Designated Market Areas, Nielson Media Research. This is primarily due to the lack of suburbs; most of the population has been or is being annexed into San Antonio proper. The San Antonio market has 65 percent cable TV penetration.

Radio FM: 28 AM: 20

About 50 radio stations can be heard in the San Antonio area — 30 of them are actually located in San Antonio. The first radio station to broadcast in South Texas was KTSA in 1922. Another significant station is WOAI (AM) (the flagship of Clear Channel Worldwide), which is the radio home of the San Antonio Spurs.

There are two National Public Radio stations in San Antonio, both belong to Texas Public Radio (www.TPR.org); KSTX 89.1 FM is NPR news/talk and KPAC 88.3 is a 24-hour classical music station. KSTX also broadcasts "Riverwalk Jazz", featuring Jim Cullum Jazz Band at The Landing, a fixture on the River Walk since 1963. KRTU 91.7 is a non-commercial radio station based out of Trinity University. The station plays jazz 17 hours a day and college rock/indie rock at night. College Alternative station KSYM, 90.1 FM, is owned by the Alamo Community College District and operated by San Antonio College students.

Most Latin stations in the area play Regional styles of Mexican music, Tejano music or Contemporary Pop. But on January 12, 2006, Univision-owned KCOR FM "La Kalle 95.1" changed its format from Hispanic-Rhythmic Contemporary Hits to Spanish Oldies, now named "Recuerdo 95.1". However, Univision announced on November 10, 2006, that it flipped KLTO Tejano 97.7's format to Reggaeton in an attempt to reintroduce the format to San Antonio again. KLTO was acquired earlier in the year and operated as a simulcast of KXTN Tejano 107.5. San Antonio has quickly diversified in recent years, with the influx of non-Tejano Latinos, mostly from the East Coast of the United States, who are serving in the city's various military bases, as well as immigrants from Mexico. Therefore, just like in the rest of the country, radio station conglomerates have been changing formats in San Antonio to reflect shifting demographics.

See also: Broadcast Media In San Antonio

Sister cities

References External links







{{Infobox City |official_name = City of San Antonio |nickname = Alamo City; River City; SA-Town; Countdown City (based on the "210" area code) |image_skyline = Downtown-san-antonio.jpeg |image_flag = Flag of San Antonio, Texas.svg |image_seal = Sanantonioseal.jpeg |image_map = TXMap-doton-SanAntonio.PNG |map_caption = Location in the state of Texas ] |subdivision_name = Bexar County, Texas |leader_title = Mayor ] |area_magnitude = 1 E9 |unit_pref= Imperial |area_total_sq_mi = 412.1 |area_total_km2 = 1067.3 |area_land_sq_mi = 407.6 |area_land_km2 = 1055.6 |area_water_sq_mi = 4.5 |area_water_km2 = 11.7 |population_as_of = 2006 |population_metro = 1,942,217 |population_total = 1,296,682 |population_density_sq_mi = 2808.5 |population_density_km2 = 1084.4 |timezone = North American Central Time Zone |utc_offset = -6 |timezone_DST = North American Central Time Zone |utc_offset_DST = -5 |area_code = Area code 210 |latd = 29 |latm = 32 |lats = 01.3 |latNS = N |longd = 98 |longm = 28 |longs = 11.2 |longEW = W |elevation_ft = 650 |elevation_m = 198 |website = www.sanantonio.gov |footnotes =-->San Antonio is the second most populous city in Texas, the third most populous metropolitan area in Texas, and is the List of United States cities by population. As of the 2006 U.S. Census estimate, the city had a population just under 1.3 million. As of 2006, the eight-county San Antonio metropolitan area has a population of just under 2 million and is the Table of United States primary census statistical areas. San Antonio, which is the county seat of Bexar County, Texas, covers over on the northern edge of the South Texas region and part of the .

San Antonio was named for the Portugal Saint Anthony of Padua, whose Calendar of saints it was (June 13) when a Spanish expedition stopped in the area in 1691. The city has a strong military presence—it is home to Fort Sam Houston, Lackland Air Force Base, Randolph Air Force Base, and Brooks City-Base, with Camp Bullis and Camp Stanley (Texas) right outside the city. San Antonio is home to the South Texas Medical Center, the largest and only medical research and care provider in the South Texas region.

Famous for its San Antonio River Walk, the Alamo Mission in San Antonio, Tejano culture, and home to the SeaWorld San Antonio and Six Flags Fiesta Texas theme parks, the city is visited by 20 million tourists per year. San Antonio is also home to the first museum of modern art in Texas—the Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum, as well as one of the most successful National Basketball Association teams in league history, the San Antonio Spurs.

History

American Indians originally lived along the San Antonio River in the San Pedro Springs area, calling the vicinity Yanaguana, meaning "refreshing waters."

In 1691, a group of Spanish explorers and missionary came upon the river on June 13, the feast day of Anthony of Padua, hence naming the river after "San Antonio."

The actual founding of the city took place in 1718 by Father Antonio de San Buenaventura y Olivares, upon establishing Mission San Antonio de Valero. Hence via the efforts of Spanish soldiers and Canary Islands, San Antonio de Béxar soon transformed into an early Spain settlement in the Americas.

The Battle of the Alamo took place nearby in 1836, and eventually the town would grow to encompass the embattled mission. This was where 189 defenders held the old mission against some 4,000 Mexican troops led by Antonio López de Santa Anna for 13 days. The defenders were all killed. The cry "Remember the Alamo" became the rallying point of the Texas Revolution against Mexico.

Like many municapility in the American Southwest, San Antonio experiences a 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.

The city has also grown substantially in area. Unlike most large cities in the U.S., San Antonio is not completely surrounded by independent suburban cities and under Texas law exercises extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) over much of the surrounding unincorporated land, including directing growth and zoning. Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Boundary (PDF), City of San Antonio Planning Department. July 28, 2006. It pursues an aggressive annexation policy and opposes the creation of other municipalities within its ETJ. San Antonio Master Plan, Public Studio (San Antonio Chapter American Institute of Architects). Last accessed on January 7, 2007. This is the reason the city is the 7th largest in the U.S. but its metropolitan area is just 29th largest. Nearly three-fourths of its current land area has been annexed since 1960. San Antonio Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities (PowerPoint), City of San Antonio Planning Department. Last accessed January 7, 2007. In recent years, the city has annexed several long narrow corridors along major thoroughfares to facilitate eventual annexation of growth developing along the routes. The city plans to annex nearly forty additional square miles by 2009. Three-year annexation plan (PDF), City of San Antonio Planning Department, January 6, 2006.

As of 2007, the Alamo Mission in San Antonio is a shrine and museum located in the heart of downtown, and is surrounded by many hotels and tourist attractions. It is clearly San Antonio's most well-known landmark, and is featured in its flag and seal and in the city's nickname, "Alamo City".

Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2000 the city had a total area of 412.07 square miles (1,067.3 square kilometre) — 407.56 square miles (1,055.6 km²) of it is land and 4.51 square miles (11.7 km²) of it is water. The city sits on the Balcones Escarpment.

The primary source of drinking water for the city is the Edwards Aquifer. Impounded in 1962 and 1969, respectively, Victor Braunig Lake and Calaveras Lake (Texas) were among the first reservoir (water) in the country built to use recycled treated wastewater for power plant cooling, reducing the amount of groundwater needed for electricity generation. San Antonio is 29 degrees north and 100 degrees east.

Downtown Because of its status as a historic urban center, the architecture and layout of San Antonio are more traditionally urban than other cities in Texas, such as Dallas and Austin, which have developed in the last half century.

Downtown is encircled by three numerical freeways, Interstates 35 and 37, and U.S. Highway 90/Interstate 10. Together the three highways create a rectangular route around the downtown area of San Antonio: I-35 to the north and west, I-37 to the east, and US-90/I-10 to the south.

Downtown is home to many districts including the Alamo District, Alamodome District, Central Business District, Convention Center District, Historic Civic District, Houston Street District, King William Historic District, La Villita District, Market Square District, North Downtown, North River District, River Bend District, SoSo (South of Southtown), Southtown, and the University District.

The Central Business District is home to Rivercenter, anchored by Dillard's and Macy's. The five-level Art Deco Dillard's, at the corner of Alamo and Commerce streets, opened in 1887 as Joske's. Joske's flagship store was in floor space until Dillard's bought the Joske's chain in 1987. Today, Dillard's only occupies a fraction of the original building.

Housing the famous Alamo many people can be seen traveling to visit the historic district. Attractions such as the river walk are home to many of the festivities throughout the year including NIOSA (Night In Old San Antonio) which celebrates fiesta, Cinco de mayo, and numerous parades such as celebrations for their home NBA team the Spurs, Christmas parades and much more.

Image:San Antonio Texas River Walk St Marys Street.JPG]s.Image:Houston_street_san_antonio.jpg|Houston Street.Image:SA tower view from between.jpg|The Cathedral of San Fernando, the Tower Life Building, and the Tower of the Americas.

Neighborhoods

Culture

Climate San Antonio's weather is alternately dry or humid depending on prevailing winds, turning hot in the summer, mild to cool winters subject to descending northern cold fronts in the winter with cool nights, and comfortably warm and rainy in the spring and fall. Only a few freezes occur each year and snow is rare.

In San Antonio, July and August tie for the average warmest months with an average high of 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 °C). The highest temperature ever to be recorded was 111 °F (43.8 °C) on September 5, 2000. The average coolest month is January. The lowest recorded temperature ever was 0 °F (-17.7 °C) on January 31, 1949. May, June, and October have quite a bit of precipitation. For the last 135 years, the average annual precipitation has been 29.05 inches (73.79 cm), with a maximum of 52.28 inches (132.79 cm) and a minimum of 10.11 inches (25.68 cm) in one year. Monthly/Annual/Average Precipitation San Antonio, Texas (1871 - December 2006), National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration.

Demographics According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 1,144,646, Census 2000: Incorporated Places of 100,000 or More, Ranked by Population, U.S. Census Bureau. ranking it the ninth-most populated city in the country. Due to San Antonio's low density rate and lack of significant population surrounding the city limits, the metropolitan area ranked just 30th in the U.S. with a population of 1,592,383. Census 2000: Metropolitan Areas Ranked by Population, U.S. Census Bureau.

Subsequent population estimates indicate continued growth in the area. The July 1, 2006, population estimate for the city was 1,296,682,, U.S. Census Bureau. making it the second-most populous city and the third-most populous metro area in Texas, as well as the seventh-most populous city in the U.S. The 2006 U.S. Census estimate for the eight-county (Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall, Medina, and Wilson Counties) San Antonio metropolitan area placed its population at 1,942,217,, U.S. Census Bureau. making it the third-most populous metro area in Texas and the 30th-most populous metro area in the U.S. San Antonio's MSA is bordered to the Northeast by the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area, and the two metros together combine to form a region of almost 3.6 million people.

There are 405,474 households, and 280,993 families residing in San Antonio. The population density is 2,808.5 people per square mile (1,084.4 km²).

There are 433,122 housing units at an average density of 1,062.7 per square mile (410.3 km²). According to U.S. Census data from 2005, the racial composition of San Antonio is 67.7% White (U.S. Census), 6.8% Black (U.S. Census), 1.6% Asian (U.S. Census), 0.8% Native American (U.S. Census), and 3.7% from two or more races. However, 67.7% of the population identify themselves as being of Hispanic (U.S. Census) origin. Fact Sheet, U.S. Census Bureau. Last accessed February 17, 2007.

The age of the city's population is spread out with 28.5% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. In San Antonio, 48% of the population are males, and 52% of the population are females. For every 100 females there are 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $36,214, and the median income for a family is $53,100. Males have a median income of $30,061 versus $24,444 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,487. 17.3% of the population and 14.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 24.3% of those under the age of 18 and 13.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Economy

San Antonio has a diversified economy with four primary focuses: financial services, health care, national defense, and tourism. Located northwest of the city center is the South Texas Medical Center, the largest medical research and care provider in South Texas, which is a conglomerate of numerous major hospitals, clinics, and research and higher educational institutions. The center is "chief catalyst" for a $14 billion biomedical industry.http://www.uthscsa.edu/univrel/Financial.html It employs over 27,000 persons with a combined total budget of $2.8 billion.http://www.samedfoundation.org/docs/2006progressReportMemo.pdf San Antonio is the only city in the United States hosting three Level I Trauma Centers within the city limits (2 military, 1 civilian).

The city is also home to one of the largest military concentrations in the United States. Fort Sam Houston on the city's northeast side hosts Brooke Army Medical Center, focus of the U.S. Army's medical command and training functions. Lackland Air Force Base on the city's west side is one of the world's largest training complexes. While it is known for hosting the U.S. Air Force's recruit training, it also hosts follow-on technical training for many other Air Force specialties, as well as other operations. Randolph Air Force Base on the far northeastern outskirts is the headquarters of the Air Education and Training Command, headquarters for Air Force personnel management and also hosts pilot and navigator training. Additionally, Brooks City-Base on the city's south side and Port of San Antonio adjoining Lackland still have significant military presences as well as defense contractor businesses. The defense industry in San Antonio employs over 89,000 and provides a $5.2 billion impact to the city's economy.

Twenty million tourists visit the city and its attractions every year, contributing substantially to the city's economy. San Antonio Tourism, San Antonio Riverwalk.com. Last accessed on January 7, 2007. The Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center alone hosts more than 300 events each year with over 750,000 convention delegates from around the world.

San Antonio's corporate profile includes: Advantage Rent A Car, AT&T (formerly SBC), Church's Chicken, Clear Channel Communications, Frost National Bank, H-E-B, Rackspace, Southwest Research Institute, Tesoro, USAA, Valero Energy Corp, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas, NuStar Energy, and Zachry Construction which are all headquartered in the city. Companies not headquartered in San Antonio but which have a strong presence in the city include: Bank of America, Boeing, Caremark Rx Inc., The Capital Group Companies, Citibank, InfoNxx, QVC, NSA, Wachovia Bank, Washington Mutual, West Corporation, Clarke American, Lowe'shttp://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2006/Jun/29/lowes_chooses_san_antonio_for_data_center.html, and in the future, Microsoft. Software Giant Moving to SA, WOAI-TV. January 18, 2007. Other industries are establishing plants in the area, as the city's economy continues to grow.

See also: List of foreign consulates in San Antonio.

Attractions San Antonio is a popular tourist destination. The jewel of the city is the San Antonio River Walk, which meanders through the downtown area. Lined with numerous shops, bars, and restaurants, as well as the Arneson River Theater, this attraction is transformed into an impressive festival of lights during the Christmas and New Year holiday period, and is suffused with the local sounds of Baile Folklorico and flamenco music during the summer, particularly during celebrations such as the Fiesta Noche del Rio. Also based along the River Walk is the newly restored Aztec On The River, the only surviving exotic-themed movie palace in Texas.

The Alamo Mission in San Antonio, located nearby, is Texas' top tourist attraction, while the River Walk is the second most visited attraction.

The downtown area also features Cathedral of San Fernando, The Majestic Theatre, San Antonio, HemisFair '68 Park (home of the Tower of the Americas and the Institute of Texan Cultures), La Villita, El Mercado, the Spanish Governor's Palace, and the historic Menger Hotel. On the northern side of the Alamo complex, beside the Emily Morgan Hotel, is the San Antonio Cavalry Museum, which features cavalry artifacts and exhibits and is frequented by local re-enactors.

The Fairmont Hotel, built in 1906, is in the Guinness Book of World Records as one of the heaviest buildings ever moved intact. It was placed in its new location, three blocks south of the Alamo, over four days in 1985, and cost $650,000 to move. The Fairmont houses the "Sage Ristorante e Bar."

Image:Alamo TX.jpg] extends some 2½ miles, attracting several million visitors every year.Image:SA hotel view.jpg|Another view of the city's downtown areaImage:SAPL2.jpg|Central Library of The San Antonio Public LibraryImage:SA SN tree.jpg] characterizes the city's skylineImage:Bexar County Court House perspective.jpg|The historic Bexar County CourthouseImage:SACC.jpg]Image:SABG8.jpg|The San Antonio Botanical GardenImage:Mission-Concepcion.jpg]Image:SeaWorldTexas1.jpg|SeaWorld San AntonioImage:Aztec On The River - Building.jpg] Theater

Other places of interest include the San Antonio Zoo, San Antonio Japanese Tea Gardens, Brackenridge Park, the missions of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, the Witte Museum, the McNay Art Museum, SeaWorld San Antonio, Six Flags Fiesta Texas,The Texas Transportation Museum,and Splashtown San Antonio. Visitors can also experience something of the cowboy culture year round, they can see the 40-foot (12 m) tall cowboy boots at North Star Mall.

Beyond taking in the sights and sounds of San Antonio, tourists can sample some of its world famous Tex-Mex cuisine at the many fine restaurants located throughout the city. San Antonio is (to residents, former residents, and many visitors) the undisputed home of authentic Tex-Mex. Mexican restaurants are abundant in virtually all parts of town, and most — except for those in the Far North and some of the Uptown enclaves like Alamo Heights — are relatively inexpensive. Some outstanding examples of Tex-Mex eateries include Jacala, on West Avenue on the near Northwest side, Karam's, in the middle of the West Side, and Los Barrios, on the near North side of town.

Sports champions, the San Antonio Spurs.

The city's only top-level professional sports team, and consequently the team most San Antonians follow, is the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association. The Spurs have been playing in San Antonio since 1973 and have won four NBA Championships (1999, 2003, 2005, and 2007). Previously, the Spurs played at the Alamodome, which was built for American football, and before that the HemisFair Arena, but the Spurs built and moved into the SBC Center in 2002, since renamed the AT&T Center, following the merger of SBC and AT&T.

The AT&T Center is also home to the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League and the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA, both owned by the Spurs. San Antonio is also home to the Double-A Minor League affiliate of the San Diego Padres, the San Antonio Missions who play at Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium on the west side of the city. San Antonio also hosts the NCAA football Alamo Bowl each December. San Antonio also has a Rugby union team, the Alamo City Rugby Football Club, a minor team in third division league of the Texas Rugby Union.

The city was also a temporary home for the New Orleans Saints for the 2005 NFL season due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina. The Saints set up practice facilities in San Antonio for the season, and played a split home schedule between the Alamodome and Baton Rouge, Louisiana's Tiger Stadium (Baton Rouge) during the 2005 season. After the final game in San Antonio, the Saints committed to moving back to New Orleans for the 2006 season. City officials are said to be attempting to lure the National Football League permanently to San Antonio and have also said that a strong showing at the Alamodome for the three local Saints games was vital to showing that San Antonio can support an NFL franchise. NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue stated San Antonio was successful in hosting the team, and that the city would be on the short list for any future NFL expansions. The city has also hosted the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Oilers preseason camps in the past, and they have signed a contract with the Cowboys in which the Cowboys will practice in San Antonio through 2011. Football: Cowboys returning to S.A. in '07, San Antonio Express-News, April 1, 2006. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has acknowledged his support for the city's efforts to become home to an NFL franchise. Football: Cowboys' Jones backs S.A. team, San Antonio Express-News, May 5, 2006. Although it is the second largest city in the United States without an NFL franchise, the city's smaller metropolitan population has so far contributed to its lack of landing an NFL team.

In March 2006, the city also made an offer to build a stadium for the struggling Florida Marlins baseball franchise. However, the Marlins and Major League Baseball, while indicating San Antonio would be a viable relocation option if things did not work out in Florida, have declined the offer and appear to be focused on keeping the franchise in South Florida.

In 2005 the city approached Major League Soccer with an interest in placing a soccer franchise in the vacant Alamodome. Both the city and the league seemed to be in harmony with the council voting 9-2 in favour of a the new San Antonio team, citing that it would reduce the financial burden of the stadium on the city by providing it with a permanent tenant without an extra financial costs as the necessary upgrading of facilities at the dome would have to take place regardless of a team moving in or not. The following week an 8-3 vote carried the second part of the plan, which would see a major new youth soccer complex being built in the city to compete for what was described as the lucrative Texas youth soccer event market. At the time it was stated that San Antonio had only a fraction of the youth soccer facilities available in other Texan cities of Dallas, Houston and Austin. All seemed to be in place and plans on course until a negative media campaign against the soccer proposals turned public oppinion against the idea, depite the obvious financial advantages of the situation. The main reason for objection being MLS's insistance that the Alamodome lease would only be for three years and that the San Antonio team would have to eventually vacate to a soccer specific stadium, despite this originally being cited as a positive idea as it would advertise the Alamodome as a viable sporting venue for the citie's main ambition of earning an NFL franchise. The prospects for the franchise were further hindered when it became a political football during the election for Mayor, which was won by Paul Hardberger, who instantly distanced the city from any deal with MLS stating "The only thing I would say to MLS is goodbye." MLS meanwhile released a statement claiming that they had planned to withdraw before the election but did not wish to comment until afterwards in order to "respect the electorial process in San Antonio." The deal died with both sides blaming eachother for it's demise however it seems that, in the short term at least, MLS have come away from the failed deal the happier of the two parties as their first soccer specific stadiums in the United States have begun to return a profit for the cities in which they are located,encouraging over forty North American cities to enquire about three possible future League expansions. San Antonio however remain with a stadium without a permanent tenant to relieve the drain on the city finances and with the cost of creating the new goal of placing an NFL francise into the Alamodome spiralling by the week.

Some current names in professional sports from the city of San Antonio's high school sports programs include Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Sam Hurd, New Orleans Hornets guard Devin Brown, Minnesota Vikings 2006 second-round draft pick Cedric Griffin, Kansas City Chiefs running back Priest Holmes, Houston Texans defensive end N.D. Kalu, Florida Marlins pitcher Logan Kensing, World Wrestling Entertainment Shawn Michaels, Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal, and Olympic Games gold medalist Darold Williamson.

Government

The City of San Antonio runs under a Council-Manager form of government. The city is divided into 10 council districts designed to ensure equal population distribution between all districts. Each district elects one person to sit on the City Council with the mayor elected on a city-wide basis. All members of the City Council, which includes the mayor, are elected to two-year terms and are limited to two total terms. All positions are elected on non-partisan ballots as required by Texas law. Council members are paid $20 a meeting, while the Mayor earns $4,000 a year. Most council members maintain full-time employment in addition to their positions on the council.

The council hires the City Manager to handle day to day operations. The council effectively functions as the city's legislative body with the City Manager acting as its Chief Executive, responsible for the management of day to day operations and execution of council legislation.

The current mayor is Phil Hardberger (an active supporter of the U.S. Democratic Party, but officially elected on a non-partisan basis). Before he took office as San Antonio's mayor, he served as Chief Justice on the Fourth Court of Appeals of Texas. The current City Manager is Sheryl Sculley.

The city stretches into several national congressional districts and is represented in U.S. Congress by the following:http://www.sanantonio.gov/planning/pdf/GIS/map_download/0702GG24.pdf



Growth policy Unlike most large cities in the U.S., San Antonio is not completely surrounded by independent suburban cities and under Texas law it exercises extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) over much of the surrounding unincorporated land, including directing growth and zoning. Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Boundary (PDF), City of San Antonio Planning Department. July 28, 2006. It pursues an aggressive annexation policy and opposes the creation of other municipalities within its ETJ. San Antonio Master Plan, Public Studio (San Antonio Chapter American Institute of Architects). Last accessed on January 7, 2007. Nearly three-fourths of its current land area has been annexed since 1960. San Antonio Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities (PowerPoint), City of San Antonio Planning Department. Last accessed January 7, 2007. In recent years, the city has annexed several long narrow corridors along major thoroughfares in outlying areas to facilitate eventual annexation of growth developing along the routes. The city plans to annex nearly forty additional square miles by 2009. Three-year annexation plan (PDF), City of San Antonio Planning Department, January 6, 2006.

Involuntary annexation is a controversial issue in those parts of unincorporated Bexar County affected by it. Residents, attracted to the outlying areas by lower taxes and affordable real estate values, often see annexation as a mechanism to increase property tax rates without a corresponding improvement in services such as police and fire protection, while the city regards its annexation policy as essential to its overall prosperity.

Education Colleges, universities, and research institutes San Antonio hosts over 100,000 students across its 31 higher-education facilities which include:

Image:DSC00374.JPG| Trinity University (Texas)Image:UTSA campus.jpg|University of Texas at San AntonioImage:UTHSCSAmain.jpg|University of Texas Health Science Center at San AntonioImage:OLLU2.JPG|Our Lady of the Lake University



Public schools and libraries San Antonio and Bexar County are served by 15 separate independent school districts:



The city is served by the San Antonio Public Library.

Private schools San Antonio has many private schools, including:

St. Paul Catholic School

Transportation The San Antonio International Airport is located in north central San Antonio, approximately eight miles from downtown. It has two terminals and is served by 15 airlines serving 35 destinations including two in Mexico. An extensive bus and trolley system (vehicular not rail) is provided by the city's metropolitan transit system, VIA Metropolitan Transit. VIA offers 78 regular bus routes and four trolley routes, including express routes from downtown to the theme parks. VIA also offers a special service to city events, including San Antonio Spurs games and city parades, from its Park and Ride locations. http://www.viainfo.net/

Amtrak, the national passenger rail service, provides service to San Antonio at San Antonio Station, operating its Texas Eagle daily between San Antonio and Chicago's Union Station (Chicago).http://www.texaseagle.com/home.htm Amtrak also operates its Sunset Limited three times a week in each direction through San Antonio between Los Angeles, California and Orlando, Florida (currently truncated to New Orleans, Louisiana due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina).http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Route/Horizontal_Route_Page&c=am2Route&cid=1081442673803&ssid=132 The Texas Eagle section travels between San Antonio and Los Angeles as part of the Sunset Limited. The old Sunset Station is now an entertainment venue owned by VIA and neighbored by the current station and the Alamodome.http://www.sunset-station.com/

Transportation by bicycle is safe on some roads, not as safe on some other roads. In general San Antonio may not be as bicycle friendly or acclimated to it as a form of transport as some coastal US cities. There are designated bicycle lanes on a percentage of the city roads such as historical districts, missions trails, university paths and surrounding areas. Many independent organized groups of people in or out of the city meet on set days to go on group bicycle rides together. Group rides vary dramatically in skill level, depending on the type of ride and the riders involved. Group rides can be very diverse, oriented to many unique groups and purposes ranging from touring, recreation , general transportation, socializing, family entertainment, or professional athlete training. Organized road or mountain bike rides meet up with one group or another almost every day. Popular mountain bike trail parks are Mcalister park, O.P. Schnabel park, Government Canyon State Natural Area.

San Antonio is served by these major freeways:



Other highways include:



Notable natives and residents

Media and entertainment Print San Antonio has one major newspaper, the San Antonio Express-News, which has served the area since 1865. The Express-News currently circulates as the largest newspaper service in South Texas. The Hearst Corporation, which owned a second newspaper, the San Antonio Light, purchased the Express-News from News Corp. in 1992 and shut down the Light after failing to find a buyer. The San Antonio Current is the free "alternative" paper published weekly with local political issues, art and music news, restaurant listings and reviews, and listings of events and nightlife around town. In addition, the San Antonio Business Journal covers general business news. La Prensa, a bilingual publication, also has a long history in San Antonio. The San Antonio River Walk Current covers general San Antonio news.

Television While the city is one of the ten largest in the United States, its television market is only the 37th in the United States, according to the marketing research firm ACNielsen. Designated Market Areas, Nielson Media Research. This is primarily due to the lack of suburbs; most of the population has been or is being annexed into San Antonio proper. The San Antonio market has 65 percent cable TV penetration.

Radio FM: 28 AM: 20

About 50 radio stations can be heard in the San Antonio area — 30 of them are actually located in San Antonio. The first radio station to broadcast in South Texas was KTSA in 1922. Another significant station is WOAI (AM) (the flagship of Clear Channel Worldwide), which is the radio home of the San Antonio Spurs.

There are two National Public Radio stations in San Antonio, both belong to Texas Public Radio (www.TPR.org); KSTX 89.1 FM is NPR news/talk and KPAC 88.3 is a 24-hour classical music station. KSTX also broadcasts "Riverwalk Jazz", featuring Jim Cullum Jazz Band at The Landing, a fixture on the River Walk since 1963. KRTU 91.7 is a non-commercial radio station based out of Trinity University. The station plays jazz 17 hours a day and college rock/indie rock at night. College Alternative station KSYM, 90.1 FM, is owned by the Alamo Community College District and operated by San Antonio College students.

Most Latin stations in the area play Regional styles of Mexican music, Tejano music or Contemporary Pop. But on January 12, 2006, Univision-owned KCOR FM "La Kalle 95.1" changed its format from Hispanic-Rhythmic Contemporary Hits to Spanish Oldies, now named "Recuerdo 95.1". However, Univision announced on November 10, 2006, that it flipped KLTO Tejano 97.7's format to Reggaeton in an attempt to reintroduce the format to San Antonio again. KLTO was acquired earlier in the year and operated as a simulcast of KXTN Tejano 107.5. San Antonio has quickly diversified in recent years, with the influx of non-Tejano Latinos, mostly from the East Coast of the United States, who are serving in the city's various military bases, as well as immigrants from Mexico. Therefore, just like in the rest of the country, radio station conglomerates have been changing formats in San Antonio to reflect shifting demographics.

See also: Broadcast Media In San Antonio

Sister cities

References External links









SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY PORTAL - Home
The San Antonio Community Portal - the City of San Antonio's official website. Information on Living in San Antonio, Visiting San Antonio, Doing Business in San Antonio.

The Official Site Of The San Antonio Spurs
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San Antonio, Ibiza (Sant Antoni)
San Antonio, Ibiza, really does offer something for everybody, with a great variety of accommodation and entertainment, and just 20 mins drive from Ibiza Town.

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Federal Bureau of Investigation - San Antonio Field Division - San ...
Hours and location, local most wanted list, recruitment, health care fraud investigative program, and links to resident agencies.

San Antonio Spurs News, Scores, Schedule, Stats - Yahoo! Sports
Comprehensive and up-to-date San Antonio Spurs news, scores, schedule, stats and roster ... Spurs Team Report Sep 22, 2008. Maybe now the Spurs don't have to worry about Manu ...

San Antonio
Welcome to the official Website of USS SAN ANTONIO "Never Retreat, Never Surrender" This is an official US NAVY website. Please read our Privacy and Security Notice

A guide to San Antonio Ibiza
Ibiza bars and pubs. You will find most of Ibizas' favourite bars here, including. peppers, strikers, roundtable, huddle, highlander, strikers Play2, Rehab, 70s 80s 90s, Ground ...

San Antonio Gas Prices - Find Cheap Gas Prices in Texas
Search for cheap gas prices in San Antonio, Texas; find local San Antonio gas prices & gas stations with the best fuel prices.

 

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