County Seat

The city comprises of 3.5 square miles, with an average elevation of 490 feet. The nearest major city is San Antonio, approximately 30 miles north. Jourdanton is located at the intersection of State Highways 16 and 97 as well as 10 miles west of IH 37.

Jourdanton History

Jourdanton, is the Atascosa County seat, and was founded in 1909 by Jourdan Campbell and his business partner, Colonel T.H. Zanderson.

Campbell and Zanderson jointly owned the 40,000 acre Tobey Ranch; the two entrepreneurs knew that a railroad was needed in the area to attract residents. They convinced Dr. Charles F. Simmons to lay the Artesian Belt Railroad through the new town site. The first train to go through Jourdanton was on September 4, 1909, it was then when the town seemed to nourish. Jourdanton soon had utilities, a bank, a newspaper (The Atascosa Monitor), a post office and several businesses. The community had a school, several churches, and a cemetery.

Population

By the end of the year, it was estimated that Jourdanton had 700 residents. An election was held in 1910 to determine if the county seat should remain in nearby Pleasanton or be moved to the new town. With a 59 vote margin, the location was changed. In 1911 the town became incorporated and by 1914 there were two railroads and the population had doubled, many of the residents were farmers and ranchers.

City Manager Form of Government

City of Jourdanton is a type A general law municipality operating under a City Manager form of Government pursuant to Texas Local Government Code Chapter 25, and is the county seat for Atascosa County. As of the 2010 census, Jourdanton was home to 3,872 residents. Recently, in 2012 the Eagle Ford Shale was developed in the surrounding areas, bringing in even more people and jobs to the small town. Jourdanton has been upgrading and improving infrastructure for anticipated growth. With a Standard Poor Rating and strong financial reporting, The City Of Jourdanton continues to grow and remains a community rich in culture, heritage, and diversity.