Schertz, Texas | |
|---|---|
 Schertz City Hall | |
| Motto: "Community. Service. Opportunity." | |
 City of Schertz, Texas | |
 | |
| Coordinates:29°33′54″N98°15′13″W / 29.56500°N 98.25361°W /29.56500; -98.25361 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| Counties | Guadalupe,Bexar,Comal |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-Manager |
| • City Council | Mayor |
| Area | |
• Total | 32.27 sq mi (83.57 km2) |
| • Land | 32.09 sq mi (83.10 km2) |
| • Water | 0.18 sq mi (0.47 km2) |
| Elevation | 686 ft (209 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 42,002 |
| • Density | 1,310.4/sq mi (505.94/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 78154, 78108, 78132 |
| Area codes | 210/726,830 |
| FIPS code | 48-66128[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2411838[2] |
| Website | schertz |
Schertz (/ʃɜːrts/shurts) is a city inGuadalupe,Bexar, andComal counties in theU.S. state ofTexas, within theSan Antonio–New Braunfels metropolitan area. The population was 42,002 at the2020 census, up from 31,465 at the2010 census. Schertz was named after the Alsatian family who settled in Texas in the 1840's. The Schertz family were some of the first Germanic emigrants to settle in Central Texas. To this day, the area is rich in German heritage and tradition and many residents trace their lineage back to these emigrants.[4][5]
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Schertz is the third-largest city in the San Antonio-New Braunfels metropolitan area and the largest city of the Randolph Metrocom, which consists of cities surroundingRandolph Air Force Base. The Metrocom is located on San Antonio's far northeast side. In addition to Schertz, other Randolph Metrocom communities includeLive Oak,Kirby,Converse,Marion,Cibolo,Universal City,Windcrest,Garden Ridge, andSelma. These towns are located in Comal, Bexar, and Guadalupe counties and combined have a total of 355,000 residents and growing rapidly.
Since the late 1990s, Schertz experienced substantial growth. In five years, from 2000 to 2005, the city's population jumped from 18,694 to 26,463. In 2006 alone, the population rose from 26,463 to 34,000.
The first settlers came to Schertz around 1843. Some of the families on the immediate land surrounding Schertz were the Boettigers, Schertzs, Schneiders, Seilers, Maskes, and Mergeles. Members of the Schertz family still reside in the city. The first name of Schertz was "Cibolo Pit", then "Cut Off", thus named because whenCibolo Creek flooded, the settlement was cut off.
The first settlers planted wheat, oats, and corn, which did not need special equipment to harvest and process. In later years, cotton was planted, and proved to be a productivecash crop. In 1870, the firstgin was built by the Schertz family. It was powered by mules and then later by steam. This gin was located where the post office is at the present time. The second cotton gin built by Weyel and Kallies was between First and Second streets. In later years, there also was a corn sheller and lumber yard. The first school, built in 1890, was across Cibolo Creek where the Randolph Stables are now located. In 1917 a new two-story brick school was built, later torn down to make room for the O'Henry School. The land for the school was donated by Adolph Schertz.
In 1876, one of the largest boosts to Schertz came when the Galveston, Harrisburg, and San Antonio Railroad was built through the town. This gave the people a chance to travel to San Antonio by rail instead of wagon or buggy, besides goods being shipped in and out. The first post office was established in 1882. At that time Schertz was still known as Cut Off. In 1899 it officially became Schertz. Sebastian Schertz owned and operated ageneral store when the railroad was constructed.
A big and very active shooting club was located on the site that is now the City Park. There was an annual shooting tournament calledKoenig Schiessen or "King Shoot". This was a two-day affair with people coming from San Antonio by train. The last night, a big dance was held to close the event for that year. A piece of live coal, blown from a switch engine that was carrying gravel cars to or from the rock crusher, is believed to have blown on the shingle roof of the dance hall, setting it on fire and completely destroying it. It was later rebuilt, but eventually the club disbanded. The rockcrusher was at one time located in Cibolo Creek across from the public utilities of the city of Schertz. This was destroyed in 1913 when Cibolo Creek had its biggest recorded flood.
The first church in Schertz is the present dayUnited Methodist Church on First Street. One of the oldest business buildings, the red brick building on Main Street, was built by Willie Schertz. It is now a plumbing and hardware store andMasonic meeting place. It was the first mercantile store. On the site of the present-day Schertz Bank, a two-story hotel, a five-room hospital and drug store complex was built in 1909. The hotel was built by Henry Ebert. Dr. Watson was the resident doctor. This doctor used two methods of transportation to see his patients, a horse-drawn hack for good roads and horseback for emergencies in bad weather and long distances. In 1917 another red brick hospital on Main Street was built by Dr. C.M. Cotham and Miss Cora Karbach, a nurse. It served the surrounding communities for many years and is now an old apartment house. The first bank was chartered in 1913, and one of the first bankers was Mr. Glass. He organized the National Home Guard during World War I, which drilled at night in the second story of the building that at the present time is the Masonic Lodge meeting place.
Randolph Field (nowRandolph Air Force Base) was a boon to Schertz in the late 1920s. Farm land was bought as theAir Corps needed 2,000 acres (8 km2) for the air academy (the "West Point of the Air"), which opened in 1930. There were three sites considered. The present site was chosen because there was less fog in the area and the fog lifted earlier in the day, which meant more flying time. All of this boosted the economy not only for Schertz and the surrounding communities but also for the areas ofNew Braunfels,Seguin, and San Antonio.
The V.F.W. of Schertz was chartered in 1946. The first fire protection was from the Randolph Field Fire Department. Schertz businesses and citizens organized a fire department, and the first business meeting of the Schertz Fire Department was February 8, 1956. Archie Woodward was the first fire chief. A combination fire station and city hall were built, and the Schertz library is now in this building. A new library has recently been built next to the previous library. Schertz was incorporated as a city by the state of Texas in 1958.
The original center of Schertz is located in western Guadalupe County. City Hall, located at 1400 Schertz Parkway, is also in Guadalupe County. Large tracts of the city now extend north into Comal County and south into Bexar County.Cibolo Creek, forming the boundary between Guadalupe and Bexar counties, runs through the city just south of the historic downtown. Schertz is bordered byCibolo to the east, a narrow strip ofSan Antonio to the south alongInterstate 10,Converse andRandolph AFB to the southwest,Universal City andSelma to the west,Garden Ridge to the north, andNew Braunfels to the northeast.
Interstate 35 runs through the northern part of the city, with access from exits 174 through 180. I-35 runs 19 miles (31 km) southeast to downtown San Antonio and 6 miles (10 km) from the northeastern city limits to the center ofNew Braunfels.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, Schertz has a total area of 28.6 square miles (74.0 km2), of which 28.4 square miles (73.6 km2) is land and 0.19 square miles (0.5 km2), or 0.63%, is water.[6]
A portion of the property ofRandolph Field extends beyond the limits of the titularcensus-designated place, into the Schertz city limits.[7]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 2,281 | — | |
| 1970 | 4,061 | 78.0% | |
| 1980 | 7,262 | 78.8% | |
| 1990 | 10,555 | 45.3% | |
| 2000 | 18,694 | 77.1% | |
| 2010 | 31,465 | 68.3% | |
| 2020 | 42,002 | 33.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
As of the2020 census, Schertz had a population of 42,002, a median age of 38.9 years, and 11,570 families residing in the city. 25.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.7 males age 18 and over.[8]
95.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 4.4% lived in rural areas.[9]
There were 14,952 households in Schertz, of which 39.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 59.2% were married-couple households, 12.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 19.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[8]
There were 15,715 housing units, of which 4.9% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.1%.[8]
| Race | Number | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| White | 23,989 | 57.1% |
| Black or African American | 5,153 | 12.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 345 | 0.8% |
| Asian | 1,274 | 3.0% |
| Native Hawaiian andOther Pacific Islander | 133 | 0.3% |
| Some other race | 2,947 | 7.0% |
| Two or more races | 8,161 | 19.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 13,147 | 31.3% |
As of 2010, there were 31,465 people, 6,604 households, and 5,283 families residing in the city. The population density was 755.9 inhabitants per square mile (291.9/km2). There were 7,009 housing units at an average density of 283.4 units per square mile (109.4 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 82.0%White, 6.6%African American, 0.5%Native American, 1.8%Asian, 0.2%Pacific Islander, 5.5% fromother races, and 3.4% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 19.5% of the population.
There were 6,604 households, out of which 42.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.2% weremarried couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.0% were non-families. 16.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.3% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 33.0% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $55,156, and the median income for a family was $59,745. Males had a median income of $38,655 versus $28,203 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $21,938. About 4.2% of families and 5.2% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 6.0% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.
A large number of Schertz's population is connected with the military due to the presence of adjacentRandolph Air Force Base and nearbyFort Sam Houston andLackland Air Force Base, which can result in some degree of population turnover due to the transient nature of military service.
The City of Schertz is a member of theAlamo Area Council of Governments.
Area school systems that cover the city include:[11]
In Guadalupe County:[12]
In Bexar County:[14]
In Comal County:[15]
Private schools:
In the 2000s, Schertz has become a prime location for filming movies in the San Antonio area. In March 2007, the Cevallos Brothers filmed a portion of the movieThe Ace in the Hole on location in Schertz.[24] In 2005, the indie filmKlay World: Off The Table was filmed by Robert Benfer in various desolate areas around Schertz.[25]Avenue of the Strongest: A September 11 Memorial Exhibit[26] was also filmed in Schertz.
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Municipalities and communities ofBexar County, Texas,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
Municipalities and communities ofComal County, Texas,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
