San Antonio / South Central
Guadalupe County, Texas
A local guide to the county: the stories that give it a shape, practical checks, and a few things worth knowing before they surprise you. Every note points to its source.
15 stories · 22 practical · 2 good to know
The practical part
Guadalupe County offices and deadlines
Appraisal district & tax office →
The Comptroller's official directory for Guadalupe County: who sets your value and who sends the bill.
Homestead exemption →
File Form 50-114 with the appraisal district. It is free. The regular deadline is April 30, and late filing is allowed for up to two years.
Protest your appraisal →
The usual deadline is May 15, or 30 days after your notice arrives, whichever is later.
Estimate a tax bill →
Model a bill from local rates, the homestead exemption, and the appraisal cap.
Start here
A little of what makes this place itself
Seguin · River Park
Max Starcke Park Keeps Seguin Close to the Guadalupe River
Seguin's Max Starcke Park is a 227-acre Guadalupe River park with trails, fishing, paddling access, an 18-hole golf course, a dog park, and picnic space on both banks.
Schertz · Nature Park
Crescent Bend Nature Park Puts Schertz on Cibolo Creek
Crescent Bend Nature Park is a 180-acre Schertz park with trails, two bird blinds, picnic areas, scout camping, and Cibolo Creek fishing access.
Seguin · Paddling
Lake Seguin Has a Beginner-Friendly Paddling Trail
The Lake Seguin paddling trail starts at Max Starcke Park West and is a four-mile route built for beginning or novice paddlers.
Practical The Famous Trout Water Sits Upstream of Guadalupe County TPWD's well-known Guadalupe trout map runs from Canyon Dam to New Braunfels, upstream of Guadalupe County. Practical Canyon Lake Is the County's Main Surface Water Source The Guadalupe River basin, including Canyon Lake, provides the main surface water supply for the county and surrounding region. Good to know A Barricade at a Guadalupe County Crossing Means Turn Around Floodwater at a Guadalupe County crossing can hide a washed-out roadbed; six inches of fast-moving water can make a driver lose control.
All 39 local notes
The full county shelf is mixed so stories and useful checks travel together. Use the filters when you need one kind.
Showing all 39 notes.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Max Starcke Park Keeps Seguin Close to the Guadalupe River Seguin's Max Starcke Park is a 227-acre Guadalupe River park with trails, fishing, paddling access, an 18-hole golf course, a dog park, and picnic space on both banks. Seguin
- Practical Outdoors The Famous Trout Water Sits Upstream of Guadalupe County TPWD's well-known Guadalupe trout map runs from Canyon Dam to New Braunfels, upstream of Guadalupe County.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Crescent Bend Nature Park Puts Schertz on Cibolo Creek Crescent Bend Nature Park is a 180-acre Schertz park with trails, two bird blinds, picnic areas, scout camping, and Cibolo Creek fishing access. Schertz
- Practical Home & Property Canyon Lake Is the County's Main Surface Water Source The Guadalupe River basin, including Canyon Lake, provides the main surface water supply for the county and surrounding region.
- Good to know Cars & Driving A Barricade at a Guadalupe County Crossing Means Turn Around Floodwater at a Guadalupe County crossing can hide a washed-out roadbed; six inches of fast-moving water can make a driver lose control.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Lake Seguin Has a Beginner-Friendly Paddling Trail The Lake Seguin paddling trail starts at Max Starcke Park West and is a four-mile route built for beginning or novice paddlers. Seguin
- Practical Home & Property The Guadalupe River Floods — Know Your Risk The Guadalupe River runs through the county and has a history of serious flooding, so buyers should check FEMA flood maps before purchasing.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Park West Gives Seguin a Big Active-Play Park Park West is Seguin's 48-acre active park with a splashpad, skatepark, trail, bike features, fields, and accessible play space. Seguin
- Practical Money & Taxes Match the Address Before Filing a Guadalupe Homestead Exemption A qualifying residence homestead removes part of a home's appraised value from taxation, and Guadalupe Appraisal District checks the address on the owner's Texas ID.
- Good to know Home & Property Kingsbury Metal Finishing Is in TCEQ Superfund Records TCEQ lists Kingsbury Metal Finishing in its Guadalupe County Superfund records.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Schlather Park Mixes Cibolo Family History With Trails Schlather Park in Cibolo combines walking trails, picnic areas, nature observation points, and an 18-hole disc golf course. Cibolo
- Practical Home & Property Two Groundwater Regulators Share Guadalupe County The county groundwater district covers the area outside the Edwards Aquifer Authority boundary, so a well's location decides which map to use.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Walnut Springs Park Explains Seguin's Old Name Walnut Springs Park ties downtown Seguin to the cold springs that gave the town its first name, and to a piece of San Antonio River Walk history. Seguin
- Practical Money & Taxes Where Guadalupe County Property-Tax Payments Go The County Tax Office calculates and collects taxes for the county and many local units; the appraisal district handles value instead.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Cibolo's Park System Is Small but Very Local Cibolo maintains about 200 acres of parkland across four city parks, with sports, picnic, pavilion, and play amenities. Cibolo
- Practical Money & Taxes Who Appraises Your Property in Guadalupe County The Guadalupe Appraisal District appraises property and handles exemptions and protests; it does not set tax rates or collect the bill.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Veterans Memorial Park Is Both Playground and Civic Memory Cibolo's Veterans Memorial Park pairs active park amenities with memorial features for local military service members. Cibolo
- Practical Rules & Licenses County-Road Driveways Need Road and Bridge Review Guadalupe County Road and Bridge permits and inspects new driveways along county roads.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Guadalupe River State Park Is Not in Guadalupe County The park takes its name from the river, not the county: it sits on the Comal-Kendall county line near Spring Branch.
- Practical Cars & Driving I-10 Has Matching Rest Areas East of Seguin TxDOT lists an eastbound stop at mile 621 and a westbound stop at mile 622, both with restrooms open around the clock.
- Stories & local character History & Culture The Railroad Turned Cotton Into a Countywide Bet After the railroad reached Seguin in 1876, cotton spread across more than 100,000 acres and peaked at 38,960 bales in 1900.
- Practical Outdoors Deer Hunting Rules for Guadalupe County Guadalupe County has specific deer bag limits and season dates that hunters need to know before heading out.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Darst Creek's Discovery Well Arrived During an Oil Glut Darst Creek's first producing well came in on July 18, 1929, then sat shut for 90 days because the crude market was already flooded.
- Practical Outdoors I-10 Splits Guadalupe County's Dove Rules North of I-10 is the Central Dove Zone and south is the South Zone, so one county can carry two season calendars.
- Stories & local character History & Culture German Settlers Shaped the County's Early Character German immigrants began arriving in Guadalupe County in the mid-1840s and made up a large share of the population by the late 1800s.
- Practical Money & Taxes Ag Appraisal Follows the Land's Use, Not a Farm Label A 1-d-1 appraisal uses productivity value, but the land must meet use-history and local-intensity tests; acreage alone is not enough.
- Stories & local character History & Culture How Guadalupe County Was Created Guadalupe County was established in 1846, carved from parts of Bexar and Gonzales counties after Texas joined the United States.
- Practical Rules & Licenses Check Fire Marshal Permits Before Opening a Business A commercial project in unincorporated Guadalupe County may need Fire Marshal permitting before construction, renovation, or a change of occupancy.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Seguin: Named for a Tejano Hero of the Republic Seguin was founded in 1838 and renamed in 1839 to honor Juan N. Seguín, a Tejano leader who fought for Texas independence.
- Practical Rules & Licenses Get Marriage Records From the Guadalupe County Clerk The Guadalupe County Clerk keeps marriage records and now sells certified copies online, so you may not need to drive to Seguin at all.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Texas Lutheran University Has Called Seguin Home Since 1912 Texas Lutheran University relocated to Seguin in 1912, anchoring the city as an education center in South Central Texas.
- Practical Money & Taxes MUDs and Special Districts Add to Your Tax Bill Parts of Guadalupe County, especially near Schertz and the fast-growing northeast, lie inside special districts that charge their own property taxes.
- Practical Cars & Driving Two Big Construction Corridors Meet in Guadalupe County TxDOT has major work underway on I-10 through Seguin and I-35 near Schertz, with different project clocks on each corridor.
- Practical Cars & Driving Vehicle Registration: No Safety Inspection Needed Anymore As of January 1, 2025, non-commercial vehicles in Guadalupe County no longer need an annual safety inspection. You just renew your registration, and a $7.50 fee replaces the old inspection.
- Practical Money & Taxes Your Appraisal Notice Carries the Real Protest Clock GAD posted May 15 for 2026, but the ordinary Texas deadline is the later of May 15 or 30 days after the notice is delivered.
- Practical Rules & Licenses File an Assumed Name With the County Clerk Unincorporated business names in Guadalupe County use the County Clerk's assumed-name form.
- Practical Rules & Licenses Floodplain Work May Need a County Permit Guadalupe County uses floodplain development permits to regulate work in the regulatory floodplain.
- Practical Rules & Licenses Septic Systems Need a Guadalupe County OSSF Permit Guadalupe County requires an OSSF permit before installing or operating a septic system.
- Practical Home & Property Guadalupe County Nearly Doubled in Twenty Years The 2000 Census counted 89,023 people here; the 2020 Census counted 172,706, a 94 percent increase.
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