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About Cibolo

The City of Cibolo has a rich history in the development of South Texas. Cibolo is located in the extreme western corner of Guadalupe County in south central Texas. Situated along FM 78 and north to south along FM 1103, it is paralleled by two major interstate highways, IH 10 to the south and IH 35 to the north. Cibolo lies approximately 13 miles east of the San Antonio metropolitan area.

Surrounding Area
Cibolo is part of an area known as the Metrocom, the Northeast corner of Bexar County and the Southwest corner of Guadalupe County. The sister cities of the Metrocom include Universal City, Schertz, Selma, Live Oak, Garden Ridge, Converse, and Kirby. The Randolph Air Force Base is located nearby and is a major pilot training facility for the United States Air Force.

Founding
Cibolo voted to become an independent township on October 9, 1965. The first "City Fathers" were M.O. Grooms, Mayor, and Carl Biser, Ted Dykes, Alwin Lieck, Fred Niemietz and D.O. Trotti, Councilmen. However, the City of Cibolo's history begins long before this historic date.

First Settlers
There were many settlers in the Cibolo area long before 1876. The Comanche and other tribes roamed this area before the first German settlers arrived. In fact, the name Cibolo is an Indian word meaning "buffalo." The City of Cibolo was named after the creek that flows through the area. In fact, the story goes that Mr. Schlather, a local businessman, was asked by the railroad to name the town; thus, he decided on the name Cibolo. Generally, the history of Cibolo begins in 1876 because that is the year the Southern Pacific Railroad cut through present-day Cibolo, which connected to other larger cities such as Houston and San Antonio.

For several decades, cotton was the major cash crop in Cibolo. The fertile land and the flowing Cibolo Creek in the Cibolo Valley provided ideal conditions for a boom in agriculture. Corn, wheat, oats, and milo maize were all major crops of the farming city.

Modern Times
Today, Cibolo is quite different from what it was in the early 1900s. Cibolo is home to a diverse group of people. As a result of the proximity of Cibolo to Randolph Air Force Base, many businesses and industries have moved to the area. Cibolo is now awakening to the challenges of the future. In fact, the housing industry has been booming in Cibolo for several years and has become a charming city that provides a "country-style" way of life.

Demographics
The population of the City of Cibolo in 1970 was estimated by the U.S. Census to be 440. Twenty years later, in 1990, the population grew to 1,757, and in 2000 3,035 people called Cibolo their home, according to the U.S. Census. After a challenge to the information published in the 2010 census, Cibolo's population was reflected at 19,580 residents and 6,575 households. As of 2023, Cibolo has an estimated population of 37,061 and growing.