Fort Sam Houston (a.k.a. Fort Sam) is in the city limits of San Antonio Texas, northeast of city center. San Antonio has about 1.3 million people, and is in Bexar County, which has a population of about 1.7 million people. There are many other nearby small communities inside San Antonio, which make up the other 400,000 people. The communities nearest base, other than San Antonio, are Terrell Hills, Alamo Heights, Olmos Park, Kirby, and Castle Hills.

It is about 11 miles from downtown San Antonio to Fort Sam Houston; this takes about 19 minutes to commute, but the city is very large and spread out, and travel times can vary significantly. The average commute in Bexar County is about 24 minutes.

San Antonio's economy is very diverse and competitive, with no single business dominating the area.

Local Housing Rental Prices: The average apartment rent in the San Antonio area is about $700 per month.

Local Housing Purchase Prices: The average price for a house in San Antonio is about $112,000, compared to $126,000 for Texas.

Short Description of the Area: San Antonio is a large city in south-central Texas, currently the seventh largest city in the USA ( and with a larger population than seven US states). The city is compact, and takes up most of the area of Bexar County. San Antonio has two US Air Force Bases, Lackland and Randolph; an AF Field, Kelly; one US Army Fort, Fort Sam; a Camp, Bullis, and a military medical center, Brooke; one of the local nicknames is Military City. San Antonio is historically a mix of German and other Central and Eastern European descended Americans, and Hispanic. Today the population is 60-65% Hispanic. The area has a distinct local Tex-Mex cuisine, and claims to be the birthplace of chili con carne. Food explorers who like any or all of these should be able to find some really good meals.

Climate and Weather: The San Antonio area has variable humid to semi-arid climate; the weather can shift from humid to dry over the year, and sometimes has some sudden weather shifts. Summer temperatures range from the high 90s to mid-70s, and is usually dry. Winter temperatures range from the mid-60s to low 40s, with typically wet but temperate weather, with occasional sleet and rare very light snow. Springs and falls are very moderate, but rainier. The area can switch weather with little warning. Tornadoes are rare, and the city is far enough inland that serious Gulf storms diminish by the time they arrive. Flash flooding can be a problem; new residents should be aware that a heavy rain means to avoid low ground.