Small Towns Near San Antonio
The best small towns near San Antonio are Fredericksburg, Bandera and Castroville. Fredericksburg has the National Museum of the Pacific War and Enchanted Rock nearby. Bandera calls itself the Cowboy Capital of the World, and Castroville was settled by Alsatians in 1844.
The ten towns below run nearest first, from Castroville, about 25 miles away, to Shiner, about 80 miles out. Most sit in the Hill Country to the north and west; Lockhart and Shiner are east, toward barbecue and beer country.
| Town | Distance | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Castroville, Texas | About 25 miles | Alsatian history, a short trip |
| Boerne, Texas | About 30 miles | Main Street, caves, creek walks |
| Bandera, Texas | About 40 miles | cowboy culture, horseback trails |
| Comfort, Texas | About 45 miles | German history, a quiet stop |
| Luckenbach, Texas | About 55 miles | live music, a dance hall |
| Kerrville, Texas | About 60 miles | river, Western art, a weekend |
| Lockhart, Texas | About 60 miles | barbecue, courthouse square |
| Dripping Springs, Texas | About 60 miles | swimming holes, night skies |
| Fredericksburg, Texas | About 60 miles | German heritage, history, a weekend |
| Shiner, Texas | About 80 miles | brewery tour, Czech heritage |
Distances are straight-line miles from downtown San Antonio, Texas, as the crow flies.
Castroville, Texas
About 25 miles as the crow flies · Best for: Alsatian history, a short trip
Henri Castro founded the town in 1844 with settlers from Alsace, Switzerland and Baden. It’s still called the Little Alsace of Texas. It’s a Medina County town of about 3,000 on the Medina River.
Don’t miss: Landmark Inn State Historic Site, five acres on the Medina River with exhibits and eight guest rooms, and the Steinbach Haus, built in Alsace and reassembled here in 1998
★ Good to know You can spend the night at Landmark Inn; it’s run by the Texas Historical Commission.
Boerne, Texas
About 30 miles as the crow flies · Best for: Main Street, caves, creek walks
German Freethinkers settled on Cibolo Creek in 1849, and the town took Karl Ludwig Börne’s name in 1852. It’s the Kendall County seat, with about 17,900 people. The 1.1-mile Hill Country Mile links River Road Park with Main Street.
Don’t miss: the Cibolo Nature Center & Farm, a mile from downtown, and Cave Without a Name, a show cave about 10 miles northeast
★ Good to know Book cave tours ahead; the cave says tour sizes are limited.
Bandera, Texas
About 40 miles as the crow flies · Best for: cowboy culture, horseback trails
Bandera calls itself the Cowboy Capital of the World, from its days as a staging area on the Great Western Cattle Trail. Polish immigrants from Silesia settled it in 1855. It’s a town of about 830 on the Medina River.
Don’t miss: the Frontier Times Museum, part of the town for about 90 years, and Hill Country State Natural Area, 5,000-plus acres of canyon trails you can ride on horseback
★ Good to know The natural area recommends reservations, especially in spring and fall.
Comfort, Texas
About 45 miles as the crow flies · Best for: German history, a quiet stop
German Freethinkers and abolitionists founded Comfort on September 3, 1854. Its downtown has more than 100 19th-century buildings, seven by architect Alfred Giles. It’s an unincorporated Kendall County community of about 2,200.
Don’t miss: the Treue der Union monument, raised in 1866 for German settlers killed at the Battle of the Nueces in 1862
Luckenbach, Texas
About 55 miles as the crow flies · Best for: live music, a dance hall
Luckenbach is an unincorporated spot 13 miles from Fredericksburg. Hondo Crouch and partners bought it for $30,000 in 1970. Waylon Jennings made it famous with a No. 1 country song in 1977.
Don’t miss: the Luckenbach general store, bar and dance hall, open daily with music on the calendar
★ Good to know Check the events calendar for who’s playing before you drive out.
Kerrville, Texas
About 60 miles as the crow flies · Best for: river, Western art, a weekend
Kerrville is the Kerr County seat, a city of about 24,300 on the Guadalupe River. The Kerrville Folk Festival has run here since 1972. Schreiner University was founded in 1923.
Don’t miss: the Museum of Western Art, founded in 1983, and Kerrville-Schreiner Park, with more than seven miles of hiking and biking trails
★ Good to know The city has been reopening River Trail sections since the July 2025 flood, so check trail status before you go.
Lockhart, Texas
About 60 miles as the crow flies · Best for: barbecue, courthouse square
The Texas Legislature named Lockhart the Barbecue Capital of Texas in 1999. It’s the Caldwell County seat, with about 14,400 people. Its courthouse square has appeared in films and in HBO’s The Leftovers.
Don’t miss: Black’s Barbecue, run by the same family since 1932, and Kreuz Market on North Colorado Street
★ Good to know Plan the drive around lunch; barbecue is the reason to come.
Dripping Springs, Texas
About 60 miles as the crow flies · Best for: swimming holes, night skies
Dripping Springs calls itself the gateway to the Hill Country and the wedding capital of Texas. In 2014 it became the state’s first International Dark Sky Community. It’s a Hays County city of about 4,700.
Don’t miss: Hamilton Pool Preserve, a Travis County park on Hamilton Pool Road with a Dripping Springs address
★ Good to know Hamilton Pool requires reservations every day, and swimming is not guaranteed because of bacteria levels and falling rocks.
Fredericksburg, Texas
About 60 miles as the crow flies · Best for: German heritage, history, a weekend
German settlers founded Fredericksburg in 1846. It’s the Gillespie County seat, with about 10,900 people, and the birthplace of Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz. Its Sunday houses were built by farm families for weekend trips to town.
Don’t miss: the National Museum of the Pacific War, with more than 55,000 square feet of exhibits, and Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, a 425-foot pink granite dome
★ Good to know The Pacific War museum is closed Tuesdays. Enchanted Rock recommends buying a timed pass online from September through May.
Shiner, Texas
About 80 miles as the crow flies · Best for: brewery tour, Czech heritage
Shiner is a Lavaca County town of about 2,100 founded by German and Czech immigrants. Its motto is the Cleanest Little City in Texas. Spoetzl Brewery has made beer here since 1909.
Don’t miss: Spoetzl Brewery, home of Shiner beer and the oldest independent brewery in Texas
★ Good to know Book the brewery tour online before you drive down.
What’s the closest small town to San Antonio worth a day trip?
Castroville is about 25 miles away as the crow flies. Landmark Inn State Historic Site and the Steinbach Haus make an easy half day.
What’s the best small-town weekend trip from San Antonio?
Fredericksburg is the classic weekend, with the Pacific War museum, Enchanted Rock and Luckenbach 13 miles away. Kerrville and Comfort are close enough to add.
Where can you go horseback riding near San Antonio?
Bandera, the Cowboy Capital of the World, is about 40 miles away. Hill Country State Natural Area outside town allows horses on its trails.
Which small town near San Antonio has the best barbecue?
Lockhart, about 60 miles away, was named the Barbecue Capital of Texas by the Legislature in 1999. Black’s Barbecue and Kreuz Market are two of its best-known pits.