The JBSA-Randolph guide

• Fly into San Antonio International (SAT), about 15 miles and 25 minutes from the base via Loop 410 or Loop 1604 east to I-35. Austin-Bergstrom (AUS) is a 75 to 90 minute drive up I-35 and sometimes has cheaper fares. You will want a rental car; there is no practical transit to Randolph.
• The Main Gate at the end of Pat Booker Road in Universal City is the only 24/7 gate. The South Gate runs Monday through Friday 0600 to 1800 (inbound only 0600 to 0830), the East Gate opens Monday through Friday only 0600 to 0830 inbound and 1500 to 1730 outbound, and the West Gate runs Monday through Friday 0600 to 1800. Every gate except Main closes on weekends and holidays. Confirm current hours on the JBSA gate page before you arrive; construction changes them.
• The Randolph Visitor Control Center is on Harmon Drive just outside the Main Gate. Visitors need a valid REAL ID-compliant ID and a DoD ID-card sponsor registered in DBIDS for unescorted access; if you are TDY, your CAC gets you in. Confirm VCC hours on the JBSA visitor information page.
• Morning traffic on I-35 southbound from Schertz and Selma and on Pat Booker Road backs up between 0630 and 0800, and the East and South Gates go inbound-only in that window. If you are staying north of the base, FM 78 and FM 1518 are the back-road relief valves.

• Randolph Field ISD runs three schools on base: Randolph Elementary, Randolph Middle and Randolph High, about 1,440 students with a 13:1 ratio, an A rating (94) in the latest TEA accountability scores, and a 98 percent graduation rate. Founded in 1932, it was the first Texas district built for a military installation and is a TEA public district, not DoDEA. Families living on base enroll directly; off-base families apply as non-resident transfer students and need an approved transfer application, so start early. District office 210-357-2300.
• Off base, Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD covers Schertz, Cibolo, and most of Universal City and is the district most Randolph families choose; Judson ISD covers Converse and Live Oak, and Comal ISD covers New Braunfels and Garden Ridge. Texas runs the Purple Star campus program for military-friendly schools; ask the School Liaison which local campuses currently hold it.
• The JBSA-Randolph School Liaison Office is the central point of contact for Pre-K through 12 questions, including RFISD transfers and special-education continuity; reach it through the Military and Family Readiness Center at 210-652-5321.
• Randolph has two Child Development Centers open Monday through Friday 0630 to 1745 (210-652-4946). Waitlists are long; request care on MilitaryChildCare.com the day you get orders and ask about Family Child Care homes as a bridge.

• The Randolph Clinic (359th Medical Group), 221 3rd Street West, is an outpatient clinic of the 59th Medical Wing, open Monday through Friday 0730 to 1630, with primary care, flight medicine, pharmacy, dental, and limited specialty care. Book through the 59th MDW appointment line at 210-916-9900 or the MHS GENESIS patient portal. There is no emergency room.
• For emergencies call 911 or drive to the nearest civilian ER: Northeast Methodist Hospital in Live Oak is about 10 minutes from the Main Gate, and Brooke Army Medical Center at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, the DoD's only Level I trauma center, is about 25 minutes down I-35.
• Texas moved to the TRICARE West Region on January 1, 2025, and the contractor is TriWest Healthcare Alliance; confirm your region by ZIP code on tricare.mil and update your Prime enrollment when you PCS.

Commissary

• Full commissary on base near the Exchange; confirm hours on commissaries.com.
• Bigger stores at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston and Lackland if you need selection.

Exchange

Randolph Main Exchange with food court, Class Six and a gas station; the Lackland Exchange is the big one in the JBSA system.

Fitness

Rambler Fitness Center, 1751 1st Street East, Bldg 999, 210-652-7263: Monday through Friday 0500 to 2100, weekends 0900 to 1700, 24/7 access on holidays and AETC Family Days, with functional fitness areas, tennis, pickleball and basketball courts.

Dining

Kendrick Club and the Exchange food court on base; Pat Booker Road outside the gate is lined with fast food, Tex-Mex, and coffee, and Universal City has a solid breakfast-taco scene.

MWR

• 502nd Force Support Squadron runs Randolph Oaks Golf Course, the bowling center, outdoor recreation rentals, Eberle Park with its pool and pavilions, and ITT tickets for Fiesta Texas, SeaWorld, and Schlitterbahn.
• Details at jbsatoday.com.

History

• Randolph Field opened in 1931 as the West Point of the Air and was named a National Historic Landmark in 2001; the Taj Mahal (Building 100) hides a 500,000-gallon water tank in its tower.
• Newcomers check in with the Military and Family Readiness Center, 210-652-5321.

1. 01The Main Gate is the only gate that is open 24/7, and East and South go inbound-only from 0600 to 0830 on weekdays. If you have a 0500 brief, plan on Pat Booker Road every time.
2. 02San Antonio is Flash Flood Alley. Turn around, don't drown is not a slogan here; low-water crossings on FM 78 and around Cibolo Creek go under in a hard rain. Spring and fall storms also bring hail, so park under cover if you can.
3. 03Summer heat is the real enemy. Plan runs before 0700, keep a gallon of water in the car, and expect your car interior to hit 140 degrees on the ramp.
4. 04Mountain cedar pollen peaks December through February and flattens people who have never had allergies. Pack antihistamines if you are here in winter.
5. 05Book the Randolph Inn the day you get orders; PIT class starts and AETC conferences fill it. If they are full, get the non-availability number in writing before you book off base.
6. 06The February and March per diem bump to $161 tracks the Stock Show and Rodeo; Fiesta in April does not get a bump but hotels still sell out, so a crashpad is the safer bet.
7. 07Off-base families who want their kids in Randolph Field ISD need an approved non-resident transfer application, and slots are not guaranteed. Have your Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD or Judson ISD backup zoned before you sign a lease.
8. 08Hunt's on-base housing is 300-plus historic homes with long waitlists by bedroom count and rank. Call 830-460-9130 before you arrive, and walk any home carefully at move-in; families have filed suits over mold and maintenance in recent years.

More Texas guides

The Dyess AFB guideAbilene, TexasThe Fort Hood guideKilleen, TexasThe Goodfellow AFB guideSan Angelo, TexasThe JBSA-Fort Sam Houston guideSan Antonio, Texas