Hondo, Texas

Hondo, Texas
City
Downtown Hondo
Location of Hondo, Texas
Coordinates: 29°21′06″N99°08′34″W / 29.35167°N 99.14278°W / 29.35167; -99.14278
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Medina
Government [ citation needed ]
• Type	Council-Manager
•  City Council	Mayor James W. Danner, Sr. John McAnelly Sammy Nooner Eric A. Torres Ann Michelle Long Johnny Villa
•  City Manager	Kim Davis
Area [1]
• Total	10.08 sq mi (26.10 km2)
• Land	10.05 sq mi (26.03 km2)
• Water	0.03 sq mi (0.07 km2)
Elevation [2]	902 ft (275 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	8,289
• Density	820/sq mi (320/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	78861
Area code	830
FIPS code	48-34676 [3]
GNIS feature ID	2410784 [2]
Website	hondo-tx.org

Hondo is a city in and the county seat of Medina County, Texas, United States. ^[4] According to the 2020 Census, the population was 8,289. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Original inhabitants of the area, now Medina County, were the Coahuiltecan people. Non-indigenous settlers to the area came from Alsace-Lorraine, Germany, Belgium and Mexico. Many family-owned businesses, farms, and ranches are still owned by descendants of the non-indigenous families.

The first Spaniard to explore the area was Cabeza de Vaca in the early 1530s, some 40 years after Columbus arrived in the New World.

The city of Hondo was first settled in 1881 and incorporated in 1942.

Hondo was the scene of two bank robberies in the early 1920s. The crooks were the famed Newton Gang, the most successful outlaws in U.S. history. Both bank heists occurred the same night.

Sign in Hondo, 1941

In 1930, the local Hondo Lions Club erected the now somewhat famous sign reading "This is God's Country, Don't Drive Thru It Like Hell" at the city limits with the intention of slowing down those speeding while traveling through town. Later, in the 1940s the sign was changed to "This is God's Country, Please Don't Drive Through It Like Hell" to satisfy those in the town who were displeased with the tone of the old sign. The sign has been in news and print in many magazines, including on the cover of National Geographic, and in the music video of Little Texas' song "God Blessed Texas."

The U.S. Army built an air field in the town in 1942 to train new pilots; at one time the largest air navigation school in the world, Hondo Army Air Field trained over 14,000 navigators for service during World War II before closing in 1946.

Geography

Hondo is located approximately 40 miles (64 km) west of Downtown San Antonio.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.6 square miles (25 km²), of which, 9.6 square miles (25 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km²) of it (0.21%) is covered with water. Hondo was mentioned in Season 2 Episode 13 of The Night Shift and described as "a two stoplight town down I-90".

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Hondo has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. ^[5]

Climate data for Hondo, Texas (South Texas Regional Airport at Hondo) (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1900–present) [a]
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	90 (32)	98 (37)	102 (39)	105 (41)	106 (41)	107 (42)	112 (44)	111 (44)	112 (44)	102 (39)	99 (37)	93 (34)	112 (44)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	81.3 (27.4)	85.9 (29.9)	89.8 (32.1)	93.6 (34.2)	96.8 (36.0)	99.6 (37.6)	101.2 (38.4)	102.5 (39.2)	99.1 (37.3)	94.1 (34.5)	85.9 (29.9)	81.2 (27.3)	103.9 (39.9)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	65.3 (18.5)	69.7 (20.9)	75.8 (24.3)	82.7 (28.2)	88.3 (31.3)	94.4 (34.7)	96.7 (35.9)	97.2 (36.2)	91.4 (33.0)	83.8 (28.8)	73.3 (22.9)	65.6 (18.7)	82.0 (27.8)
Daily mean °F (°C)	52.0 (11.1)	56.6 (13.7)	63.0 (17.2)	69.8 (21.0)	76.9 (24.9)	82.8 (28.2)	84.7 (29.3)	84.8 (29.3)	79.6 (26.4)	71.4 (21.9)	60.6 (15.9)	52.9 (11.6)	69.6 (20.9)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	38.7 (3.7)	43.4 (6.3)	50.2 (10.1)	56.9 (13.8)	65.6 (18.7)	71.2 (21.8)	72.6 (22.6)	72.3 (22.4)	67.7 (19.8)	58.9 (14.9)	47.9 (8.8)	40.1 (4.5)	57.1 (13.9)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	22.5 (−5.3)	26.2 (−3.2)	30.9 (−0.6)	39.0 (3.9)	50.2 (10.1)	62.9 (17.2)	67.2 (19.6)	66.4 (19.1)	54.7 (12.6)	39.5 (4.2)	29.1 (−1.6)	23.6 (−4.7)	19.8 (−6.8)
Record low °F (°C)	4 (−16)	4 (−16)	13 (−11)	29 (−2)	38 (3)	47 (8)	57 (14)	55 (13)	43 (6)	23 (−5)	19 (−7)	7 (−14)	4 (−16)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	1.21 (31)	1.27 (32)	1.88 (48)	2.10 (53)	3.43 (87)	2.94 (75)	2.06 (52)	1.93 (49)	2.76 (70)	2.59 (66)	1.56 (40)	1.18 (30)	24.91 (633)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	5.9	5.7	7.0	5.6	7.7	6.0	4.9	4.5	6.8	5.5	5.9	5.9	71.4
Source: NOAA [6] [7]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1950	4,188		—
1960	4,992		19.2%
1970	5,487		9.9%
1980	6,057		10.4%
1990	6,018		−0.6%
2000	7,897		31.2%
2010	8,803		11.5%
2020	8,289		−5.8%
U.S. Decennial Census [8]

2020 census

Hondo racial composition ^[9]
(NH = Non-Hispanic) ^[b]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (NH)	2,376	28.66%
Black or African American (NH)	624	7.53%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	3	0.04%
Asian (NH)	46	0.55%
Pacific Islander (NH)	3	0.04%
Some Other Race (NH)	18	0.22%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH)	88	1.06%
Hispanic or Latino	5,131	61.9%
Total	8,289

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 8,289 people, 2,574 households, and 1,846 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census ^[3] of 2000, there were 7,897 people, 2,207 households, and 1,664 families residing in the city. The population density was 823.8 inhabitants per square mile (318.1/km²). There were 2,474 housing units at an average density of 258.1 per square mile (99.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 73.33% White (includes Hispanic or Latino of any race were 59.92% of the population), 8.33% African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 15.23% from other races, and 2.38% from two or more races.

There were 2,207 households, of which 39.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.6% were not families. About 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.38.

In the city, the population was distributed as 26.0% under the age of 18, 12.0% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 16.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 132.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 145.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,917, and the median income for a family was $34,856. Males had a median income of $21,639 versus $17,868 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,635. About 18.9% of families and 22.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.8% of those under age 18 and 17.1% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Hondo Municipal Building

Hondo is the home of the 38th Judicial District of Texas.

Hondo is governed by a six-member city council, whose members, including the mayor, are elected by the city's residents. ^[12]

Education

The City of Hondo is served by the Hondo Independent School District and home to the Hondo High School Owls.

Transportation

U.S. Route 90 runs east-west through the center of Hondo as 19th Street, leading west 20 miles (32 km) to Sabinal and east 16 miles (26 km) to Castroville and roughly 40 miles (65 km) to downtown San Antonio. Texas State Highway 173 runs north-south immediately to the east of the city, leads north 29 miles (47 km) to Bandera and south 21 miles (34 km) to Devine, where it intersects Interstate Highway 35.

The closest airport with commercial airline service is San Antonio International Airport, on the north side of San Antonio 46 miles (74 km) to the east. Hondo also has a public airport named South Texas Regional Airport at Hondo. ^[13]

Notable people

• Clint Hartung, baseball pitcher/outfielder (1947–1952), born in Hondo
• George C. Windrow (1931–2019), member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, was born in Hondo ^[14]

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Hondo, Texas
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
5. Climate Summary for Hondo, Texas
6. "NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
7. "Summary of Monthly Normals 1991–2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
8. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
9. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
10. https://www.census.gov/ ^{[ not specific enough to verify ]}
11. "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
12. "Mayor & City Council". hondo-tx.org. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
13. "South Texas Regional Airport at Hondo". City of Hondo. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
14. Wisconsin Blue Book 1956, Biographical Sketch of George C. Windrow, pg. 58

1. extremes from 1900–1974 are taken from the city site
2. Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race. ^{[10] [11]}

External links

• Hondo Area Chamber of Commerce Official website
• History of Hondo's famous welcome sign