Bexar County is the fourth most populous in the state of Texas, itself the largest in the contiguous United States. Encompassing San Antonio, second most populous city in the state and seventh in the nation, it’s an important cultural and economic center for the southwest.
The county was founded on December 20, 1836 in a vast space that covered nearly the entire western edge of the then-Republic of Texas, a much larger slice of land than the currently existing state of the same name. After statehood was achieved, Texas was carved into 128 counties. This one was named after San Antonio de Béxar, the first civil covernment established by the Spanish in this part of the world.
Covering a total area around 1,256 square miles, of which only 16 square miles are water, Bexar County hosts a population of almost two million people; the last count was 1,817,610 in the year 2013. This makes for a total population density of 1,117 people per square mile.
The thriving economy is helped by a close proximity to another major urban center, the Houston metropolitan area, sitting about 190 miles to the east. Its south-central location in the state means close access to both the Gulf of Mexico and the Mexican border.
Geography in the area is an interesting mixture of rocky hills, canyons, and broad fertile plains. The Balcones Escarpment crosses the county from west to northeast, with more vertical terrain to the north and prime prairie land to the south. The San Antonio River, sourced from springs to the north, flows southeast across the county.
There’s another major aspect to Bexar County that affects both the economy and local population. The county is home to a number of major military bases, one of the central movers in the economy. Within Bexar you’ll find Kelly, Lackland, and Randolph Air Force Bases, San Antonio Military Medical Center, and a number of other important outposts.