Kenedy is a city in Karnes County, Texas, in the brush country of South Texas roughly fifty miles southeast of San Antonio, positioned between San Antonio, Corpus Christi, and Victoria. The 2020 census counted 3,473 residents. The city traces its origins to 1886, when it was founded along the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway and named for Mifflin Kenedy, the prominent South Texas rancher and businessman who owned hundreds of thousands of acres in the region and sought to build a town bearing his name. For much of its history, Kenedy was a small agricultural and ranching community tied to the railroad and the surrounding farmland. That changed dramatically in the early twenty-first century with development of the Eagle Ford Shale, one of the largest oil-producing formations in the United States. Kenedy sits at the heart of the play, and the energy industry has become the dominant force in the local economy, bringing drilling activity, service companies, and an influx of workers while transforming the town's growth and housing patterns. Kenedy also carries a distinctive civic identity. The Texas Legislature designated the city the Horned Lizard Capital of Texas, recognizing the area's historic abundance of the Texas horned lizard and local conservation efforts. The designation is a point of community pride and reflects the South Texas brush-country setting. Public education is provided by Kenedy Independent School District, which operates elementary and high school campuses in the city. Nearby Karnes City, a short distance away, serves as the Karnes County seat. Recreation includes Choke Canyon State Park, known for fishing and boating, and the open brush country surrounding town. For residents, Kenedy combines energy-sector employment, small-town Texas life, and convenient access to San Antonio and Corpus Christi.