Food - San Antonio offers a variety of foods but is especially known for its excellent Mexican cuisine. For an inexpensive local treat, try one of the many Mom & Pop Taco eateries located throughout the city.
Transportation - Taxi & bus city wide, no metro-rail. Taxi or automobile are recommended for city travel.
Language - English and Spanish are spoken throughout the city.
Population - Metropolitan San Antonio: 1,115,600
Area of City -
City of San Antonio: 389 sq. mi/1,007 sq. km.Metropolitan area (Bexar, Comal, Guadalupe and Wilson Counties): 3,338 sq mi/8,645 sq. km.
County - Bexar (pronounced "Bear") County.
Currency - At press time, the exchange rate was US$ 0.6147 for one Australian dollar, US$ 1.63 for one British pound sterling, US$0.72 for one Canadian dollar and US$ 0.1118 for one Mexican peso.
Weather
Mild winters; long, hot summers. Clear skies 30% of the time; partly cloudy 32%; cloudy skies 38%.Annual rainfall: 28 inches; heaviest rain in May and September.
Annual snowfall: 0.
Average temperatures:
| Jan | 40-62 Fahrenheit | 4-17 Celsius |
| Feb | 43-66 F | 6-19 C |
| Mar | 49-73 F | 9-23 C |
| Apr | 59-80 F | 15-27 C |
| May | 66-86 F | 19-30 C |
| Jun | 72-92 F | 22-33 C |
| Jul | 74-96 F | 23-36 C |
| Aug | 73-96 F | 23-36 C |
| Sep | 69-90 F | 21-32 C |
| Oct | 59-82 F | 15-28 C |
| Nov | 48-71 F | 9-22 C |
| Dec | 42-64 F | 6-18 C |
Time Zone - San Antonio is in the Central time zone which is six hours behind Greenwich Mean Time.
City Holidays 1998:
Jan 1, New Year's DayJan 19, Martin Luther King Day
Feb 16, Presidents' Day
Apr 24, Fiesta Holiday
May 25, Memorial Day
Jul 4, Independence Day
Sep 7, Labor Day
Oct 12, Columbus Day
Nov 11, Veterans Day
Nov 26, Thanksgiving
Dec 25, Christmas
Sales or Use Tax - State and city sales tax on most purchases, 7.75%. Hotel occupancy tax, 15%.
Crime - As in any large city, crime is a consideration when traveling; caution is advised. Police on bicycles and park rangers patrol the public parks and the River Walk. Seek advice from your hotel concierge for advisories concerning the areas you may want to visit.
Emergency Number - In an emergency, dial 911.
Area Code - The area code for San Antonio is 210.
Time/Temperature - (210) 226-3232.
Clothing -Warm weather and a relaxed atmosphere calls for casual attire. Summer months can be quite hot. Traditional business dress is recommended for normal business transactions, air conditioning is prevalent in most business offices.