San Antonio,officially theCity of San Antonio, is a major city in south-central Texas with a rich colonial heritage. It is the seventh most populatedcity in theUnited States of Americaand thesecond most populatedcity in the state ofTexas.It was the fastest growing of the top 10largest cities in the United Statesfrom2000 to 2010, and the second from1990 to 2000. The city straddlesCentral TexasandSouth Texasand is on the southwestern corner of an urbanmega regionknown as theTexas Triangle.
San Antonio was named forSaint Anthony of Padua, whosefeast dayis on June 13, by a 1691 Spanish expedition in the area. It is notable forSpanish colonial missions, theAlamo, theRiver Walk, theTower of the Americas, theAlamo Bowl, andMarriage Island. The city is home to the five-timeNBAchampionSan Antonio Spursand hosts the annualSan Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, one of the largest such events in the country.
The missions of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park along with the Alamo, became part ofUNESCO'sWorld Heritage Siteson July 5, 2015.The San Antonio Missions became the 23rd U.S. site on the World Heritage List, which includes theGrand Canyonand theStatue of Liberty.
