Kendall County, Texas, is located in the beautiful south central Texas Hill Country.  It lies 170 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico and is bordered by Blanco, Bexar, Bandera, Kerr, Gillespie and Comal counties.

Kendall County is 662 square miles of rolling to hilly terrain within the Edwards Plateau Region. Elevations run from 1000 to 2000 feet above sea level.  The alkaline soil produces tall grasses, juniper, mesquite and live oak.  The Guadalupe River, known for its exciting rapids, drains most of the area, crossing the county from west to east.  The county also has the Blanco River running through its northern end and Cibolo Creek in the south.

 

Wildlife that inhabit Kendall County include deer, coyote, weasel, bobcat, beaver, badger, fox, raccoon and javelina - a wild, native pig-like animal with razor sharp tusks.  The Texas Hill Country is known for its premier hunting  and fishing areas.

 

Dolomite and limestone are found in the county's soil.  The climate is considered subtropical subhumid, with an average minimum temperature of 35 degrees in January and an average high of 94 degrees in July.  Annual rainfall is 32 inches and the growing season runs an average of 231 days.

 

Close to 24,000 people live in Kendall County according to the 2000 census, with an estimated population for 2002 being 25,390.  Median household income for 1999 was just over $49,000.  Kendall County is home to a diverse population of ranchers, farmers, landowners and small business people.  It is a largely rural area with several communities scattered throughout, including Bergheim, Kendalia, Comfort http://www.lone-star.net/mall/txtrails/comfort.htm, Welfare, Sisterdale, Waring, and Boerne, which is the county seat.

 

Boerne, TX is located 22 miles northwest of the exciting city of San Antonio.  Boerne offers small town atmosphere and charm, while still being close to a major metropolis.  Boerne has its own attractions too; it is home to the Cibolo Nature Center which is known for its Dinosaur Trackway, estuary and hiking trails.  The Agricultural Heritage Center is a museum of rare antique farm equipment and houses a working 19th century steam-driven blacksmith shop.  For nature enthusiasts, Cave Without A Name is close by, one of the most stunning caves in all of Texas, along with tubing down the Guadalupe River or hiking through the Guadalupe River State Park.  Fifteen minutes from Boerne is the 200 acre park, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, that celebrates Texan heritage along with offering the very newest in rides and entertainment.

 

Boerne, along with much of Kendall County, was settled by German immigrants who began arriving in the 1840's.  Lipan Apache, Kiowa and Comanche tribes had lived in the region before them.  The Meusebach-Comanche Treaty, signed in 1847, allowed the Germans to start establishing towns in the area.  Sisterdale was settled in 1847, and Boerne in 1849.  Kendall County itself was founded in 1862.

 

The German heritage is well preserved in Kendall County, and is reflected in their many festivals.  Volkssportverein's Easter Walk is held in April, Berges Fest in June and Wiehnachts Fest for the lighting of the Christmas displays are some prime examples.

 

Kendall County, Texas, a rural county near a major metropolis, offers residents and visitors alike a wide range of opportunity - explore the past, celebrate the present, and experience the beauty of the Texas Hill Country at its finest.