China Grove, TX

China Grove is an incorporated Bexar County town on San Antonio's far east side, about nine miles from downtown along US 87. The 2020 census counted 1,141 residents. The settlement formed around 1900 and grew gradually as San Antonio expanded after World War II; incorporation followed in 1960. That history is still visible in the town's position: it has its own city hall and council, yet the roads and daily services point toward the much larger city to the west and La Vernia to the east. East Central Independent School District serves the town, with East Central High School as the local high school.

US 87 carries the main north-south movement, while FM 1516 provides another route through the community and past city facilities. China Grove is a small town inside the San Antonio metro map, with a separate municipal boundary and US 87 doing the work of its main street. The Doobie Brothers' 1970s song gives the name a pop-culture echo, while the local reality is a town hall, a school district, and a road connection between San Antonio and La Vernia.