New Braunfels, Texas | |
|---|---|
City | |
 Top, left to right:Guadalupe River, August Dietz Cottage,First Protestant Church,Comal River in Landa Park,Schlitterbahn,Hotel Faust | |
 Seal  Logo of New Braunfels | |
| Motto: In Neu Braunfels ist das leben schöne (In New Braunfels, life is beautiful)[1] | |
 Location of New Braunfels in Texas | |
  New Braunfels Location in the state of Texas Show map of Texas New Braunfels Location in the United States Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:29°43′30″N98°07′32″W / 29.72500°N 98.12556°W /29.72500; -98.12556 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| Counties | Comal,Guadalupe |
| Founded | 1845 (1845) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-Manager |
| Area | |
• Total | 45.57 sq mi (118.02 km2) |
| • Land | 45.18 sq mi (117.01 km2) |
| • Water | 0.39 sq mi (1.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 620 ft (190 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 90,403 |
| • Density | 2,435.0/sq mi (940.16/km2) |
| [5] | |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 78130–78133 |
| Area code | 830 |
| FIPS code | 48-50820[6] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2411228[3] |
| Website | newbraunfels |
New Braunfels (/ˈbrɔːnfəlz/ ⓘBRAWN-fəlz) is a city inComal andGuadalupe counties in theU.S. state ofTexas. It is thecounty seat of Comal County. The city covers 44.9 square miles (116 km2) and had a population of 90,403 as of the2020 Census.[7] A suburb just north of San Antonio, and part of theGreater San Antonio metropolitan area, it was the third-fastest-growing city in the United States from 2010 to 2020.[8] As of 2022, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates its population at 104,707.[9]
New Braunfels is known for itsGerman Texan heritage.
New Braunfels was established in 1845 byPrince Carl of Solms-Braunfels, Commissioner General of theMainzer Adelsverein, also known as the Noblemen's Society. Prince Carl named the settlement in honor of his home ofSolms-Braunfels, Germany.
The Adelsverein organized hundreds of people in Germany to settle in Texas. Immigrants from Germany began arriving atGalveston in July 1844. Most then traveled by ship toIndianola in December 1844, and began the overland journey to the Fisher-Miller land grant purchased by Prince Carl.[10] At the urging ofJohn Coffee Hays, who realized the settlers would not have time to build homes and plant crops further inland before winter, and as the German settlers were traveling inland along the Guadalupe River, they stopped near theComal Springs. Prince Carl bought two leagues of land from Rafael Garza and Maria Antonio Veramendi Garza for $1,111.00.[11]
The land was located northeast ofSan Antonio onEl Camino Real de los Tejas and had the strong freshwater Comal Springs, known asLas Fontanas, when the Germans arrived.[12][13][14] It was about halfway between Indianola and the lower portions of the Fisher-Miller land grant. The first settlers forded theGuadalupe River onGood Friday, March 21, 1845, near the present-day Faust Street bridge.[15][16]
As the spring of 1845 progressed, the settlers built the "Zinkenburg", a fort named for Adelsverein civil engineerNicolaus Zink, divided the land, and began building homes and planting crops.[17] Prince Carl would also lay the cornerstone for theSophienburg, a permanent fort and center for the immigrant association.[18]
In 1844, Prince Carl was so disillusioned with the logistics of the colonization that he asked the Verein to remove him as commissioner-general and appoint a successor.[19] WhenJohn O. Meusebach arrived, the finances were in disarray, due in part to Prince Carl's lack of business experience and his refusal to keep financial records. To a larger degree, the financial situation happened because the Adelsverein was an organization of noblemen with no practical backgrounds at running businesses. They were on the other side of the world and did not witness the situation with which both Prince Carl and Meusebach were dealing.Henry Francis Fisher had not supplied transport and supplies for which the Verein advanced money to him. Meusebach found Prince Carl in Galveston trying to return to Germany, detained by authorities for unpaid bills. Meusebach made good on the debts, so Prince Carl could depart.[20]
Meusebach discovered that Prince Carl's choice of the inadequate Carlshafen (Indianola) as a port of entry, as well as the isolated route to New Braunfels, was deliberately chosen to keep the Germans from interacting with any Americans. According to Nicolaus Zink,[21] Prince Carl had planned to establish a German feudal state by secretly bringing in immigrants and placing them in military fortresses. Meusebach, who had renounced his own title of nobility, took a different approach and invited Americans to settle in the Vereins territory.[22]
Prince Carl, being an officer of the Imperial Army ofAustria, had kept a uniformed military unit at the ready in Indianola. Meusebach converted the military unit to a more needed work detail.[23] A finance and business structure for the colony was put in place by Meusebach.[24] He also provided for adequate food and shelter for the colonists.[25] On August 11, 1845, Hermann Friedrich Seele[26] became the first teacher for the German-English school in New Braunfels.[27] Meusebach established friendly relations with a local tribe ofWaco Indians. Upon seeing his reddish-blonde hair, they called himMa-be-quo-si-to-mu, "Chief with the burning hair of the head".[28]
In May 1846, Meusebach received a letter from Count Castell informing him 4,304 emigrants were on their way to Texas. With no funds and no new settlements, the mass of emigrants was stalled at Carlshafen. Meusebach's requests to the Verein for more money, and his warnings of pending bankruptcy for the Verein, brought no results. As a last resort, Meusebach instructed D.H. Klaener to publish the plight in the German news media. Embarrassed by the publicity, the Verein established a $60,000 letter of credit.[29] The amount was not adequate for sustaining the total number of German emigrants in Texas, but Castell also sent Philip Cappes as special commissioner to observe the situation. Cappes had also been instructed by Castell to observe Meusebach and to secretly report back every detail.[30] By the time Cappes departed in March 1847, he recommended another $200,000 be advanced.[31]
Cappes invited Henry Francis Fisher to New Braunfels, in spite of Fisher not being entirely trustworthy to the Verein. As of February 11, 1845, Fisher had been involved in coercing newly arrived immigrants to sign documents stating their intent to depart from the Verein and align with Fisher's friend Friedrich Schubbert, also known as Friedrich Strubberg.
Cappes was not in town when Meusebach was breakfast host to Fisher on December 31, 1846. Posters had mysteriously appeared about town maligning Meusebach, saying "Curses upon Meusebach the slave driver", and inciting colonists to free themselves from his "tyranny". A group led by Rudolph Iwonski[32] pushed their way into Meusebach's home, and colonist C. Herber brandished a whip. Herber was an alleged counterfeiter to whom Count Castell had awarded asylum. Meusebach and Herber shared a dislike of one another.[33]
The colonists' list of demands included Meusebach resigning as commissioner-general and turning the colonization over to Fisher.[34] Meusebach kept his composure, but the group became so heated, they yelled, "Hang him!" When the estimated 120 men dispersed, Fisher was nowhere to be found. The same evening, a different group of individuals assembled and pledged to stand by Meusebach, the next day passing resolutions condemning the actions of the mob.[35] Meusebach himself had considered leaving Texas as early as November 1845, when he wrote to Count Castell and announced his intention to resign and return to Germany. Meusebach did not feel the Adelsverein was organized enough to achieve its goals. After the mob visit in New Braunfels, he again submitted his resignation to accompany a financial report to Castell on January 23, 1847.[36]
Meusebach had arranged with the Torrey Brothers for transporting the emigrants inland, but the United States hired the Torrey Brothers for use in theMexican–American War.[37]
Meusebach stabilized the community's finances, and encouraged the settlers to establish additional neighboring communities. The largest of these secondary settlements wasFredericksburg, 80 miles (130 km) to the northwest of New Braunfels.
New Braunfels thrived, and by 1850, it was the fourth-largest city in Texas,[16] with 1,723 people, following only Galveston, San Antonio, and Houston in population.[38] In 1852, theZeitung newspaper was established, edited byGerman Texan botanistFerdinand Lindheimer. The newspaper continues to publish under its current name, theHerald-Zeitung.
New Braunfels is located in southeastern Comal County. The city is 32 miles (51 km) northeast ofDowntown San Antonio, 19 miles (31 km) southwest ofSan Marcos, and 48 miles (77 km) southwest ofAustin.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, New Braunfels has a total area of 44.9 square miles (116.4 km2), of which 44.4 square miles (115.1 km2) is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2), or 0.91%, is covered by water.[39] The city is situated along theBalcones Fault, where theTexas Hill Country meets rolling prairie land. Along the fault in the city, a string of artesian springs known asComal Springs gives rise to theComal River, which is known as one of the shortest rivers in the world, as it winds 3 miles (5 km) through the city before meeting the Guadalupe River.
Gruene Historical District is located within the city limits of New Braunfels. Founded by the sons of settlers Ernst and Antoinette Gruene,[40] the community had a bank, post office, school, general store, lumberyard, gristmill, dance hall, and cotton gin. It also had access to two railways for shipping cotton bales. Its most famous attribute was the dance hall,[41] a family activity in those days. Due to the failure of the cotton crop fromboll weevils, and the failure of the banks after 1929, commercial activity slowed to a crawl. This village is now a Nationally Registered Historic District where one can dine in the ruins of the original gristmill or enjoy live music atGruene Hall.[42]
New Braunfels experiences ahumid subtropical climate, with hot, humid summers and generally mild winters. Temperatures range from 83 °F (27.8 °C) in the summer to 49 °F (9.4 °C) during winter.
The city falls inUSDAhardiness zones 8b (15 °F to 20 °F) and 9a (20 °F to 25 °F).[43] New Braunfels andSan Antonio, 32 miles (51 km) to the southwest, are some of the most flood-prone regions in North America.[44] TheOctober 1998 Central Texas floods were among the costliest floods in United States history, resulting in $750 million in damage and 32 deaths. In 2002, from June 30 to July 7, 35 in (890 mm) of rain fell in the area, resulting in widespread flooding and 12 fatalities.[45]
In New Braunfels, July and August tie for the average warmest months, with an average high of 95 °F (35 °C). May, June, and October receive far more precipitation than the rest of the year. The average annual precipitation has been 35.74 inches (908 mm).
| Climate data for New Braunfels, Texas | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 89 (32) | 98 (37) | 100 (38) | 105 (41) | 103 (39) | 110 (43) | 110 (43) | 110 (43) | 112 (44) | 100 (38) | 94 (34) | 91 (33) | 112 (44) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 62 (17) | 67 (19) | 74 (23) | 80 (27) | 86 (30) | 91 (33) | 95 (35) | 95 (35) | 90 (32) | 82 (28) | 71 (22) | 64 (18) | 80 (27) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 49 (9) | 53 (12) | 60 (16) | 66 (19) | 74 (23) | 80 (27) | 83 (28) | 83 (28) | 78 (26) | 69 (21) | 59 (15) | 51 (11) | 67 (20) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 37 (3) | 41 (5) | 46 (8) | 53 (12) | 62 (17) | 68 (20) | 71 (22) | 70 (21) | 65 (18) | 55 (13) | 46 (8) | 39 (4) | 54 (13) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 2 (−17) | 8 (−13) | 17 (−8) | 29 (−2) | 37 (3) | 46 (8) | 59 (15) | 58 (14) | 43 (6) | 24 (−4) | 18 (−8) | 2 (−17) | 2 (−17) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 1.88 (48) | 1.98 (50) | 2.04 (52) | 2.72 (69) | 5.01 (127) | 4.81 (122) | 1.99 (51) | 2.32 (59) | 3.46 (88) | 4.38 (111) | 2.71 (69) | 2.44 (62) | 35.74 (908) |
| Source:The Weather Channel[46] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 1,298 | — | |
| 1860 | 1,740 | 34.1% | |
| 1870 | 2,261 | 29.9% | |
| 1880 | 1,938 | −14.3% | |
| 1890 | 1,608 | −17.0% | |
| 1900 | 2,097 | 30.4% | |
| 1910 | 3,165 | 50.9% | |
| 1920 | 3,590 | 13.4% | |
| 1930 | 6,242 | 73.9% | |
| 1940 | 6,976 | 11.8% | |
| 1950 | 12,210 | 75.0% | |
| 1960 | 15,631 | 28.0% | |
| 1970 | 17,859 | 14.3% | |
| 1980 | 22,402 | 25.4% | |
| 1990 | 27,334 | 22.0% | |
| 2000 | 36,494 | 33.5% | |
| 2010 | 57,740 | 58.2% | |
| 2020 | 90,403 | 56.6% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 116,477 | 28.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[47] 2010–2020, 2021[48][9] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[49] | Pop 2010[50] | Pop 2020[51] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 22,793 | 35,132 | 51,801 | 62.46% | 60.85% | 57.30% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 468 | 990 | 2,371 | 1.28% | 1.71% | 2.62% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 113 | 175 | 233 | 0.31% | 0.30% | 0.26% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 206 | 570 | 1,261 | 0.56% | 0.99% | 1.39% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | 9 | 21 | 131 | 0.02% | 0.04% | 0.14% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 35 | 48 | 334 | 0.10% | 0.08% | 0.37% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 271 | 574 | 3,007 | 0.74% | 0.99% | 3.33% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 12,599 | 20,230 | 31,265 | 34.52% | 35.04% | 34.58% |
| Total | 36,494 | 57,740 | 90,403 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
At thecensus of 2000,[6] 36,494 people, 13,558 households, and 9,599 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,247.7 inhabitants per square mile (481.7/km2). The 14,896 housing units averaged 509.3 per square mile (196.6/km2). Theracial makeup of the city was 84.30% White, 1.37% African American, 0.55% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 10.93% from other races, and 2.24% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 34.52% of the population.
For the year 2015, New Braunfels was named the U.S.'s second-fastest growing city with a population of 50,000 or more, according to estimates by theU.S. Census Bureau.[52]
In 2019, theAmerican Community Survey determined there were 90,209 residents, up 56.4% since the2010 U.S. census which determined the population was 57,740.[7] The population density was 1,316.1 people per square mile. In 2019, the racial and ethnic makeup of New Braunfels was 60.4%non-Hispanic white, 2.0%Black or African American, 0.4%American Indian or Alaska Native, 1.5%Asian, 2.1% fromtwo or more races, and 34.4%Hispanic or Latin American of any race.[53] By 2020, its population grew to 90,403 residents.
The 2019 American Community Survey estimated 62.2% of housing units were owner-occupied and the median selected monthly owner costs were $1,599 with a mortgage, and $509 without a mortgage. The city had a median gross rent of $1,183 and there were a total of 28,835 households with an average of 2.72 persons per household. In 2019, the median household income was $71,044 and the per capita income was $33,405. An estimated 8.6% of New Braunfels lived at or below the poverty line.
Of the 13,558 households at the 2000 census, 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.4% weremarried couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were not families. About 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.11. In 2000, the population was distributed as 25.7% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.
Themedian income for a household in the city was $40,078, and for a family was $46,726 in 2000. Males had a median income of $31,140 versus $23,235 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $18,548. About 9.0% of families and 10.9% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.
Companies based in New Braunfels includeRush Enterprises andSchlitterbahn. The top employers in the area are:[54]
| Rank | Employer | Employees 2021 | Employees 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Comal Independent School District | 3,105 | 2,300 |
| 2 | Schlitterbahn | 2,300[55][a] | 1,683 |
| 3 | Walmart Distribution Center | 1,379 | 1,077 |
| 4 | TaskUs | 1,180 | - |
| 5 | New Braunfels Independent School District | 1,131 | 945 |
| 6 | City of New Braunfels | 960 | 511 |
| 7 | Hunter Industries-Colorado Materials | 788 | 525 |
| 8 | Comal County | 760 | 616 |
| 9 | Sysco | 670 | - |
| 10 | HD Supply | 477 | 525 |
| 11 | Resolute Health | 476 | - |
| - | The Scooter Store | - | 1,400 |
| - | Christus Santa Rosa Hospital-New Braunfels | - | 576 |
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Most of the city is served by theNew Braunfels Independent School District and theComal Independent School District in separate places.[56] Small portions in Guadalupe County are within theMarion Independent School District and theNavarro Independent School District.[57]
Three traditional public high schools are located within city limits. The public high schools areNew Braunfels High School,Canyon High School, Long Creek High School,[58] and Alamo Colleges-Memorial Early College High School.
NBISD operates several schools in New Braunfels.
CISD schools with attendance boundaries coinciding with New Braunfels are:
Private high schools areNew Braunfels Christian Academy, aK–12 institution, and theCalvary Baptist Academy.
The town holds "Wurstfest", a German-style sausage festival, every November, drawing on the city's strong German heritage.[62] Every December, the town celebrates Wassailfest in the historic downtown.
New Braunfels draws a large number of tourists, particularly in the summer because of the cold-spring rivers that run through the city. Many generations of families and college students return every summer totube for miles down theGuadalupe andComal rivers. New Braunfels is the site of the originalwater park, theSchlitterbahn WaterPark Resort. The Ernest Eikel Skate Park attracts many skate board enthusiasts.
New Braunfels also hosts aBuc-ee's gas station, which until 2023 was the largest gas station in the world.[63]
The 10,000-capacityUnicorn Stadium is the largest sports venue by capacity in New Braunfels. It opened in 1927 and it is used mostly for American football and soccer. The venue also has an athletics track.
New Braunfels is home to the Museum of Texas Handmade Furniture,Sophienburg Museum and Archives, McKenna Children's Museum, and Alamo Classic Car Museum.
The newspaperHerald Zeitung was originally two newspapers:The Herald (published in English) andThe Zeitung, which means "newspaper", (published in German) until 1967.
The other newspaper publisher serving the city of New Braunfels is theTX Citizen, formerly theNB citizen has been discontinued.
In radio, two stations broadcast from New Braunfels,KGNB 1420 AM/ 103.1 FM andKNBT 92.1 FM, notable for itsAmericana music format.
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Municipalities and communities ofComal County, Texas,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| CDP | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
Municipalities and communities ofGuadalupe County, Texas,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
