Hondo, Texas
Hondo is a city in Medina County, in the farm and ranch country west of San Antonio about 40 miles away. During World War II the Hondo Army Airfield operated here as a major aviation navigation training base, and the site later became the city's airport. The town is also widely recognized for its long-standing roadside sign reading "This is God's Country, Please Don't Drive Through It Like Hell."
Place essentials
Official Census snapshot- Census place type
- City
- July 2025 population
- 9,130
- Change from 2020 base
- +8.9%
- Land area
- 10 sq. mi.
- County footprint
- Medina County
Place type, county footprint, and land area use the Census Bureau's January 1, 2025 geography. Population uses Vintage 2025 estimates through July 1, 2025; change compares that estimate with the April 1, 2020 estimates base. Geography file | Population file
Property here runs through the appraisal district and tax office for Medina County. The homestead exemption, appraisal cap, protests, and any MUD, PID, or special districts all sit at the parcel level.
Official routes
Use the office for the parcel address; a mailing city is not always the governing city.
Local character
Start with Hondo itself
A few landmarks, stories, and everyday places that help give Hondo its shape.
Wartime Hondo
Hondo's Airfield Footprint Came From 1942
Hondo added a 3,675-acre Army airfield in 1942, and the closed base kept shaping the town after the war.
Building Permits
Near Hondo, check the map before you build
A Hondo-area tract may fall inside city limits, in the ETJ, or under county land rules.
Then zoom out to Medina County
History & Settlement
Castroville Was Built by Alsatian Settlers in 1844 and Still Shows It
Castroville, about 25 miles west of San Antonio, was founded by mostly Catholic Alsatian immigrants in 1844 and retains 97 historic buildings from that era.
Property Tax
Who Handles Your Property Tax in Medina County
Two separate offices handle your property tax: one sets your value, the other sends the bill.
History & County Seat
Hondo Became the County Seat After the Railroad Arrived in 1881
Hondo replaced Castroville as the Medina County seat in 1892, largely because the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway passed through Hondo, not Castroville.
Nearby
Places near Hondo
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Next steps for Hondo
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