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The growth San Antonio has seen over the past few years is truly incredible. The interesting part of the growth spurt is that a large majority of the increased population are baby boomers. Plenty of others have also found their way to San Antonio, Texas as well. Part of the influx may be due to the city’s rating on the list of the top 15 cities for retirees in the country.
The following information is helpful to anyone interested in moving to San Antonio.
Demographics
The 2000 census reported that San Antonio had a population larger than 1.2 million and the metropolitan area, made up of eight counties, has a population of 1.8 million. This population makes San Antonio the state’s second largest city. Only Houston has a larger population. And while the population is large, it is increased by the more than 20 million tourists that visit the city each year.
Traffic and Transportation
The major highways in San Antonio include US Highway 181, which goes to Corpus Christi and Beeville; State Highway 16 that leads to Bandera; US Highway 87 leads to San Angelo; State Highway Loop 1604 is the outer loop of San Antonio; State Highway 151 leads to Sea World and Westover Hills; US Highway 281 leads to Wichita Falls and Johnston City; US Highway 90 to Uvalde; Interstate 410 is the Connally Loop; Interstate 37 runs to Corpus Christi; Interstate 35 connects Dallas, Waco, Austin and Laredo; and Interstate 10 heads to El Paso and to Houston.
Amtrak offers service in San Antonio. Daily service is offered to Chicago and weekly service is offered to Orlando and Los Angeles. The VIA Metropolitan Transit supplies residents with trolley and bus service all over the city. An international airport also serves San Antonio.
Climate
The weather in San Antonio is absolutely beautiful. There are more than 300 sunny days each year. The city is either dry or humid and has hot summers and mild winters. Spring and fall are comfortable with frequent rain. Snow is not a frequent occurrence in San Antonio, although it does freeze a couple times per year.
Culture
The culture of San Antonio is fabulous and offers a mix of art and history as well as nightlife and shopping.
Some of the most popular places include the Alameda Theatre, the Art Pace San Antonio, the Lila Cockrell Theatre, and the Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum. Popular festivals include Fiesta, Cinco de Mayo, Passion Play, and the Fiesta de las Luminarias. The River Walk is the place to go downtown and is home to most of the city’s nightlife.
Employment
There are many employment opportunities in San Antonio in health care, tourism, national defense, and financial services. The South Texas Medical Center is likely the largest employer with more than 27,000 employees. The nations’ largest military population is also in the San Antonio area, and the more than 20 million tourists really help support the economy.
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