Helotes (pop 10,867) is on State Highway 16, approximately 16 miles northwest of downtown San Antonio When it was incorporated 1n 1981, very little was in the city.
Mexicans who intermarried with Apache Indians camping in the area, first settled the city around 1856. A man named Chaca may have been responsible for the city’s name which in Spanish means “green roasting ear of corn.” The crop was the city’s staple through wet and drought periods.
A post office opened in 1873 and by 1914, many residents moved from San Antonio because of the somewhat higher elevation and cooler summer temperatures.
The Cornyval Festival is an annual city tradition bringing in local vendors and thousands of area residents to celebrate the namesake of the city.
School-aged children attend Northside Independent School District schools.
