Welcome to God’s Country
Anyone who drives into Hondo sees a sign that says, “Welcome. This is God’s Country. Please don’t drive through it like Hell.” This sentiment reflects the City’s commitment to ensuring all residents a sense of community, safety and neighborhood integrity and preserving Hondo’s natural beauty above all else. A rural city 40 miles outside San Antonio, Hondo has many multigenerational families who have passed on land and tradition through the years. With only one school pipeline, even for newcomers, it’s only a matter of time before everybody knows everybody. Neighbors come together for Friday night football games and naturally look after each other. After all, this is God’s Country.
A mix of ranch- and traditional-style homes
“With all the growth in San Antonio, the housing market got a little crazy in the past couple of years, but it’s finally starting to settle down a bit,” says Jamie Kindred , the Director of Public Relations and Recreation at the City of Hondo. Hondo has a mix of bungalows, ranch-style homes and contemporary traditional-style homes. They’re neatly arranged into neighborhoods, often with large front yards, sometimes spotted with sprawling live oak trees. Most homes sit on less than half an acre of land, making Hondo an excellent option for residents who’d like a rural lifestyle but still want to live in a community with neighbors. The median price is about $220,000. Listings start around $150,000 for a cozy bungalow and get as high as $600,000 for a newly built four-bedroom home. For most two- to four-bedroom homes, buyers should expect to spend around $200,000 to $400,000.
Nothin’ but excellent food
A laidback country joint with a sprawling patio shaded by an old oak tree, Hermann Sons Steak House is the most popular restaurant in town. They serve steak, seafood, sandwiches and Mexican food, so there’s something for everybody. Billy Bob’s Hamburgers’ original location is in Hondo, and they’ve been serving “nothin’ but excellent” meals for over 25 years. Taqueria El Rodeo De Jalisco is everyone’s favorite Mexican restaurant, and it has a drive-thru for those who prefer to eat at home. Locals get their groceries at Walmart or H-E-B and do their retail shopping locally at stores like J. June, MainStreet Mercantile and Sorella’s Boutique.
Hondo Independent School District
Students in Hondo attend schools in the Hondo Independent School District, starting with Meyer Elementary School and Newell E. Woolls Intermediate School before continuing to McDowell Middle School and graduating from Hondo High School. All these schools received B-minus ratings on the educational review site Niche. “The schools in Hondo are a big part of our community,” Kindred says. “Our high school sports are very well attended—football, basketball, baseball. And our marching band has gone to state almost every year for the past 10 years. Everyone loves the band. We also have really strong FFA and 4-H programs. Many students go on to receive scholarships to participate in these programs in college.”
City parks in “The Dove Capital of Texas”
Hondo has plenty of recreation opportunities within its parks department for a small town. On the northern side of town, Hondo City Park has athletic courts, a playground and picnic tables, and its neighboring Hondo Nature Trail Park has a gravel trail that weaves around the park and through the trees, with bridges to cross over streams. Smaller neighborhood parks like Torres Park, Sunset Park and Jungman Park have playgrounds and walking tracks, and T.A. Lopez Park and Hondo Recreation Park have additional athletic fields. Next door, residents cool off at the Hondo City Swimming Pool in the summertime. Dove hunting is a significant attraction in Hondo, and local ranches allow residents with a Texas Hunting License to participate. “So many people come through town for dove hunting season,” Kindred says. “We call ourselves ‘The Dove Capital of Texas.’”
The Medina County Junior Livestock Show
“Hondo hosts the Medina County Junior Livestock Show, which is an annual event that youth from all over Medina County compete in,” Kindred says. “It brings well over $2 million to the community, and most of that goes back to the children who compete.” She adds that the town also hosts an annual Christmas in God’s Country event, a two-day event with a lighted night parade and a Christmas market.
The Medina Healthcare System and Alamo Regional Transit
Hondo sits along U.S. Route 90, which residents can take 40 miles east to get to San Antonio. Here, residents find the closest airport, the San Antonio International Airport. The Medina Healthcare System has four locations in Hondo, offering residents quality specialty healthcare without driving to San Antonio. “We have great medical resources here that you don’t see in most rural communities,” Kindred says. “We like to say we have a small-town vibe with big-city technology.” Hondo has no bus system, but Alamo Regional Transit allows Medina Country residents to book curb-to-curb transportation service at least 24 hours in advance.
Photography Contributed By
Adam Michaud
