Elmendorf is a small city on the line between Bexar and Wilson counties in south-central Texas, about 17 miles southeast of downtown San Antonio. The 2020 census counted 1,862 residents. The city sits along Farm Road 327 and the former Southern Pacific Railroad, in the rural countryside that still separates San Antonio's southeast edge from the farmland and ranchland beyond. The town was established in 1885 and named for Henry Elmendorf, a former mayor of San Antonio and promoter of an early brick plant in the area. Local clay proved suitable for brick and pottery, and that early industry — along with the railroad — gave Elmendorf its start as a working community serving the surrounding farms. The population stayed small for generations, holding near a few hundred residents for much of the 20th century before growing in recent decades as the San Antonio metro pushed outward. Today Elmendorf functions as a quiet residential community on the fringe of one of Texas's largest metropolitan areas. Its residents enjoy a rural, spread-out setting with space for larger lots, while San Antonio's employment, shopping, and amenities remain within a short drive. East Central Independent School District serves the city's students, and the area's growth reflects the broader expansion of southeast Bexar County. For households, Elmendorf represents the rural alternative to San Antonio — a place where country living and room to spread out can still be found within commuting distance of the city. Its small size, agricultural surroundings, and position at the metro's edge give it a character distinct from the denser suburbs closer to the urban core, and its schools and community life keep it a genuine small town rather than a pass-through.