Living in Castroville, TX

Castroville is a historic town in Medina County, about 25 miles west of downtown San Antonio on US 90. Known as "The Little Alsace of Texas," it sits on a bend of the Medina River and still has many of the European-style buildings its first settlers put up in the 1840s and 1850s. The city had about 2,950 people at the 2020 census.

Getting around

US 90 runs east and west through the center of Castroville. It's the main route east into San Antonio, past Lackland, and west toward Hondo. San Antonio International Airport is about 30 miles away, and Loop 1604 is a short drive east.

Things to do

Landmark Inn State Historic Site, an 1840s inn with a museum on early French immigration and historic rooms for overnight stays
Castroville Regional Park, with trails along the Medina River and the Cross Hill Loop, which leads to views over town
The Steinbach Haus, a house built in Alsace in the 1600s and reconstructed in Castroville in 1998
St. Louis Catholic Church and the historic district's walking tour
Haby's Alsatian Bakery, a local bakery for more than 45 years, known for its homemade bread

Schools

Castroville is served by Medina Valley ISD, which is headquartered in Castroville and also serves LaCoste and part of western Bexar County. I always confirm the school assignment for a specific address.

Homes and acreage

Castroville has historic homes in and around its historic district, established neighborhoods, and newer subdivisions on the edges of town. Outside the city, there's acreage, small farms and homes on larger lots across Medina County, including land along the Medina River. With rural homes, I also check well and septic, easements, flood zones and county taxes.

A little history

Empresario Henri Castro founded the town in 1844 with colonists mostly from Alsace. The Southern Pacific Railroad passed south of town in 1880, and in 1892 the Medina County seat moved from Castroville to Hondo.