Bexar

Formed December 20, 1836 (19^th county)

Bexar County (2,009,322), San Antonio (1,434,367)

The Romanesque Revival courthouse was built in 1892 and is unique with its beehive tower on the northeast corner.  The building is downtown at the intersection of Dwyer and Nueva streets.  James Riely Gordon designed the red sandstone and granite building.  A Justice Center was added in 1989 next to the courthouse and an Administration Building was added in 2010.  The courthouse was enlarged in 1915, 1963, and 1972.  It was renovated in 1928, 2003, and 2015.  Since the county was founded on December 20, 1836, three previous courthouses have been used, all in San Antonio.  The county was one of the original 23 counties of Texas (19^th county.)  Bexar County (pronounced BARE) was named for the Duke of Bexar who lent his name to the presidio of San Antonio de Bexar.  Missionaries who stopped at the city’s location on the feast day of Saint Anthony named San Antonio.  San Antonio is Spanish for Saint Anthony. 

Bexar County government consists of a county judge, a sheriff, a treasurer, an assessor, and a clerk (executive).  It has 4 Commissioners (legislative.)  Twenty-four District Court Judges, Thirty County Court Judges, a district attorney and a court clerk serve Bexar County (judicial.)  The county is located at the south end of the Texas hill country with its low brush and oaks throughout rolling terrain.  The county center is in San Antonio 5.3 miles West of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Comal, Guadalupe, Wilson, Atascosa, Medina, Bandera, and Kendall counties. 

The area of the county is 1247 square miles.  It is 36 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 4 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 1611.3 persons per square mile making it 4 out of 254 in the state.  Bexar County has 79.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 10 enters from Kendall County on the northwest and exits into Guadalupe County on the east.  Interstate Highway 35 comes from the northeast, Comal County, and goes to the southwest, Atascosa County.  Interstate Highway 37 originates in Bexar County and goes south into Atascosa County.  United States Highway 87 enters with Interstate Highway 10 from Kendall County but splits in San Antonio to exits into Wilson County on the southeast.  United States Highway 90 comes with Interstate Highway 10 from Guadalupe County but splits at San Antonio to go west into Medina County.  United States Highway 181 begins in Bexar County and enters Wilson County.  United States Highway 281 comes from Comal County and goes to Atascosa County.  The county has a polygon shape with rivers serving as northeast and southwest borders.  The huge city limits of San Antonio occupy the county’s center and extends into Comal and Medina counties.  San Antonio is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 71.4% of the county population.  This county is in the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.

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