Adkins is an unincorporated community in eastern Bexar County, Texas, about 14 miles east of downtown San Antonio, at the junction of Loop 1604 and Farm to Market Road 1518. Its history dates to the 1880s, when it became a flag station on the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway, and a post office followed in 1896. For most of its history Adkins remained a small rural settlement, with roughly 100 residents and two churches by 1910 and about 150 people by 1940. The community's trajectory changed as San Antonio grew into a major city. By the 1990s Adkins counted several hundred residents and dozens of businesses, and in the decades since, the eastward expansion of the San Antonio metro area has brought new residential development to the surrounding countryside while much of the area retains its rural, acreage-oriented character. Adkins sits within the East Central Independent School District, which serves the eastern and southeastern reaches of Bexar County. The community's location along Loop 1604—San Antonio's outer beltway—and Farm Road 1518 places it at the leading edge of the metro's suburban growth, with access to San Antonio's east-side employment, military, and commercial centers. Life in Adkins remains defined by space and a slower rhythm. Large residential lots, ranch-style homes, and agricultural parcels are common, and the community retains the feel of a rural crossroads rather than a dense suburb. For shopping, services, and entertainment, residents rely on San Antonio, which is a short drive west, while nearby towns and the open Hill Country to the east and south provide additional recreation. Adkins appeals to those seeking acreage and a quieter setting within commuting distance of one of Texas's largest cities.