Tami Price is a U.S. Air Force veteran and Broker Owner of Tami Price Properties, helping military families across San Antonio and Joint Base San Antonio.
More about TamiNeighborhood Guide · North central
The medical hub just north of downtown. Fort Sam Houston is the medical anchor of the joint base, home to Brooke Army Medical Center and the Medical Education and Training Campus that trains thousands of students a year.
Updated September 20, 2026.
Sitting just north of downtown San Antonio, Fort Sam Houston is the easiest installation to reach from many central and northern neighborhoods. Primary access comes off I-35 at the Walters Street exit and the Brooke Army Medical Center entrance, and off Loop 410 at Harry Wurzbach Road.
Commute times are approximate and change with traffic, construction, gate access, and time of day.
Neighborhoods north of the base along I-35, Loop 410, and Harry Wurzbach Road give the shortest commutes, while the city's central districts close to downtown offer older, established stock. Government Hill and the neighborhoods between downtown and the base are among the closest options.
These areas are compared on objective factors only: geography, commuting corridors, housing stock, access to new construction, and commute considerations. Which one fits depends on the household, the report location, and the daily drive, not on neighborhood character judgments.
Government Hill
Guide plannedGeography: the residential area immediately north of downtown and adjacent to the base. Corridors: New Braunfels Avenue and I-35 frontage roads. Housing stock: established homes with a mix of older and renovated housing; little new construction. Commute: about 5 minutes to the Walters Street gate in normal traffic.
Dignowity Hill
Guide plannedGeography: east of downtown, close to the base. Corridors: I-35 and local streets. Housing stock: historic housing stock in the neighborhoods nearest the installation. Commute: about 10 minutes to the base in normal traffic.
Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills
Guide plannedGeography: established north central communities. Corridors: Harry Wurzbach Road and the Broadway corridor. Housing stock: resale housing with local shops and dining; limited new construction. Commute: about 10 to 12 minutes from the base in normal traffic.
North central San Antonio
Community guideGeography: the suburban market along I-35 and Loop 410 north of the base. Corridors: I-35, Loop 410, and US 281. Housing stock: the widest range of newer inventory in the metro, across price points. Commute: roughly 10 to 20 minutes in normal traffic depending on the exit.
Schertz
Community guideGeography: I-35 corridor city northeast of the base. Corridors: I-35. Housing stock: established neighborhoods plus active new construction. Commute: about 25 to 30 minutes via I-35 in normal traffic.
Cibolo
Community guideGeography: northeast of San Antonio on the I-35 and FM 78 corridors. Corridors: I-35 and FM 78. Housing stock: newer master-planned construction dominates. Commute: about 30 minutes via I-35 in normal traffic.
New Braunfels
Community guideGeography: the I-35 corridor northeast of the metro. Corridors: I-35. Housing stock: an active resale and new construction market of its own. Commute: about 30 to 40 minutes via I-35 in normal traffic, with gate time on top.
Where a dedicated community guide does not exist yet, it is noted here as a planned addition rather than published as a thin page. Guides are added as they are completed.
I-35
The north-south interstate that passes the base's east side; the Walters Street exit (159B) and the Brooke Army Medical Center entrance sit on its frontage roads.
Loop 410
The inner loop that crosses the north side of the city; the Harry Wurzbach Road exit is the base's main access from the north and east.
US 281
A parallel north-side corridor used by commuters from the Stone Oak and northern areas before connecting to Loop 410 or I-35.
Harry Wurzbach Road and New Braunfels Avenue
Local corridors that connect the base to the surrounding north central neighborhoods.
Distances are point to point by major roads in normal traffic and are approximations. Drive times change with traffic, construction, gate access, and time of day.
Walters Street main gate to Downtown San Antonio: roughly 3 to 4 miles, about 8 to 12 minutes in normal traffic
Government Hill to Walters Street gate: roughly 1 to 2 miles, about 5 minutes in normal traffic
Alamo Heights / Terrell Hills to Fort Sam Houston: roughly 4 to 6 miles, about 10 to 12 minutes via Harry Wurzbach Road in normal traffic
Schertz to Fort Sam Houston: roughly 15 to 18 miles, about 25 to 30 minutes via I-35 in normal traffic
Cibolo to Fort Sam Houston: roughly 18 to 22 miles, about 30 minutes via I-35 in normal traffic
I-35 and Loop 410 carry heavy morning and evening volume near the base, and the Brooke Army Medical Center side surges around shift changes.
The New Braunfels gate is a weekday convenience entry with limited hours; confirm current hours before relying on it for a commute.
Commute times are approximate: traffic, construction, gate access, duty hours, and time of day can all materially affect the drive. Test the route at the time of day you will actually travel it.
Joint Base San Antonio spans the west side, north central, northeast, and northwest parts of the metro. Compare access and gates at the other installations, then work the commute question into the area plan alongside the relocation timeline.
Current public figures for the area, pulled from county and district sources and market data. Rates and prices change, so treat these as a starting point and confirm the exact numbers for the address you are considering.
School districts
Fort Sam Houston ISD on base; SAISD, Alamo Heights ISD, and North East ISD off base
Fort Sam Houston ISD serves on base housing; off base areas fall in San Antonio ISD, Alamo Heights ISD, and North East ISD.
Property tax rate
About $2.27 per $100
Typical combined Bexar County stack, before exemptions. Effective rates vary by address.
Typical HOA dues
Varies; many areas modest or none
Established neighborhoods near the base often have no HOA or modest dues, while newer communities charge more.
Median home price
About $300,000
Median sale price in the Fort Sam Houston neighborhood, Redfin, 2026. Figures vary by source.
Figures reflect the most recent verifiable public data available at the time of writing and vary by source, lot, and address. Property tax rates are combined totals before exemptions, and HOA dues and median prices vary by community.
How far is JBSA-Fort Sam Houston from downtown?
Roughly 11 miles north of downtown, with an average commute around 19 minutes in normal traffic.
What housing areas are near Fort Sam Houston?
Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills, Olmos Park, Government Hill, and Mahncke Park are close, plus privatized family housing on post.
What school districts serve the Fort Sam Houston area?
Fort Sam Houston ISD serves on base housing, and off base areas are in San Antonio ISD, Alamo Heights ISD, and North East ISD.
Why is Fort Sam Houston the medical hub of the joint base?
Brooke Army Medical Center and the Medical Education and Training Campus are here, making it a major medical and training assignment.
What is near Fort Sam Houston for day to day life?
Close to downtown, the Pearl, and northeast San Antonio neighborhoods, with easy access to the city.
What to arrange before you arrive, in rough order of when each piece matters. Timelines vary by assignment, so confirm details with your unit sponsor and your gaining installation.
Orders and reporting
Carry several certified copies of your PCS orders for the gate, the Military Personnel Flight, and the housing office. Your gaining unit's sponsor confirms whether you report to the Walters Street side or the Brooke Army Medical Center side of the base.
Household goods
If household goods are delivered to on-base housing, coordinate the delivery window through the housing office. Off-base families schedule delivery with their leasing office or moving company once move-in dates are set.
Housing application
Apply for on-base housing as soon as you have orders because family quarters can carry a waiting list. Most households in the area lease or buy in the north central corridor and use BAH for the local market.
School enrollment
Enroll school-age children with the district that serves your new address as early as the district allows, and bring immunization records, birth certificates, and proof of residence.
Tricare and ID cards
Texas is in the TRICARE East region. Update DEERS records and book a RAPIDS appointment at the Fort Sam Houston ID card office soon after arrival, since the office serves the whole north central area and the calendar fills.
Utility setup
Set up electric, gas, water, and internet service once you have a move-in date. CPS Energy provides San Antonio electric service, and providers vary by address across the surrounding communities.
Vehicle registration
If Texas becomes your legal residence, transfer your driver license and register vehicles within about 30 days of moving. The base vehicle registration office also handles the gate access side for military households.
JBSA-Fort Sam Houston is the medical anchor of Joint Base San Antonio and one of the Army's oldest active installations, with roots in San Antonio that date to the 1870s. The installation covers roughly 3,000 acres just north of downtown, and its gates open onto I-35, Loop 410, and Harry Wurzbach Road.
Brooke Army Medical Center anchors the base as the Department of Defense's largest inpatient medical facility and its only verified Level I trauma center, a roughly 425-bed academic medical center that employs thousands of medical personnel.
The Medical Education and Training Campus consolidates nearly all Army, Navy, and Air Force enlisted medical training on one campus at the top of Fort Sam Houston, with an average daily student load of roughly 5,500 across about 49 medical programs.
Communities with practical commutes to the installation, with approximate drive times from each listed area to the gate. Drive times are approximate and shift with traffic, so test the route you will actually travel at the time of day you will travel it.
Windcrest
A planned community east-northeast off Loop 410, about 10 minutes to the base in normal traffic, with ranch-style housing and its own municipal services.
Which gates to use
The Walters Street main gate serves most of the base and hosts the Visitor Control Center, the BAMC gate on the I-35 frontage road serves the hospital, and the Harry Wurzbach gate is the closest entry from the north and east. All three are open around the clock. The New Braunfels gate is a weekday convenience entry.
Traffic patterns
I-35 and Loop 410 carry heavy morning and evening volume near the base, and the BAMC side surges around shift changes. Confirm which entrance matches your clinic or office before you rely on a single gate.
Groceries and shopping
H-E-B stores on Austin Highway and Broadway sit close to the base, and the on-base commissary and exchange serve authorized shoppers. Downtown and the Pearl District are a short drive for dining and errands.
First days
Report to your gaining unit's point of contact, complete in-processing at the military personnel office, and book the RAPIDS appointment early so ID cards and DEERS updates are done before you need them.
Tami represents buyers in the north central corridor around Fort Sam Houston and has guided medical staff, students, and families through purchases connected to the medical campus. Most buyers stationed at Fort Sam Houston do not purchase right next to the base; they shop a wider area across the San Antonio metro, including the surrounding northeast metro, weighing the commute through the gates, budget, housing needs, and community preferences before deciding where to look.
VA loans and assumptions
She coordinates VA financing from certificate of eligibility through minimum property requirements, and she has personally closed VA loan assumptions when the numbers work for the buyer.
BAH-based budgeting
She builds the budget from the buyer's actual housing allowance and monthly numbers so the payment is realistic before anyone starts touring homes.
Timeline planning
For students and staff on staggered schedules, she matches the purchase timeline to the actual reporting date instead of a single arrival week, so inspection and closing windows fit the calendar.
Tami is a U.S. Air Force veteran, Military Relocation Professional, and Broker Owner of Tami Price Properties. More detail on VA financing and PCS moves lives on her military and veterans guide.
Gate access matters at Fort Sam Houston because the installation spans a large area just north of downtown: the entry that serves a work location, especially around the medical campus, can change the practical route and the drive time.
See the JBSA Gate Guide for current Fort Sam Houston gate locations and schedules .
Independent Government Hill shop at 1526 E Grayson St, directly across from the Fort Sam side of the base.
A locally born San Antonio roaster with a cafe on the Broadway corridor in Alamo Heights.
1520 Austin Hwy, just north of the base.
H-E-B Broadway
4821 Broadway, the store closest to the Broadway and Alamo Heights side of the base.
On-base Commissary and Exchange
The Fort Sam commissary and exchange sit on base for authorized shoppers.
Downtown San Antonio
River Walk, Pearl District, and the city's core amenities
Alamo Heights area
Established north central neighborhoods with local shops and dining
Confirm whether your school, clinic, or shift is on the Walters Street side or the BAMC side of the base, since the fastest gate can depend on where you are headed.
Morning traffic on I-35 and Loop 410 near the base runs heavier; give yourself extra time in the first weeks.
Medical campus students and staff move in on staggered schedules, so match your own move-in and move-out timing to your reporting date.
The commissary has its busiest shopping days around paydays and weekends; a midweek morning run is usually shorter.
If friends or family visit, Folklores in Government Hill and the Pearl down the road are good meeting points near the base.
Installation facts, gate hours, housing applications, TRICARE coverage, and PCS procedures change over time. These official sources are where Tami points clients for the current details:
Every move starts with the same questions: when, where, and at what budget. Tell Tami your timeline and she will walk you through how JBSA-Fort Sam Houston compares with the rest of the market.
Tami Price is a U.S. Air Force veteran and Broker Owner of Tami Price Properties, helping military families across San Antonio and Joint Base San Antonio.
More about Tami