Why would you bring your business to Sonora? Good question! Let us give you some very good reasons:
Sonora can provide:
Interstate and Major Highway Access:
Excellent highway access for transportation of goods and services and for tourism.
Interstate 10 has three easy access points into Sonora and is the crossroads of IH 10 and U.S. 277, which is constructed as a “super-two” highways and is part of the Ports-to-Plains Corridor which will eventually become Interstate 27; it is a possible terminus for one leg of Interstate 14 currently being built in a westerly direction from Belton on the IH 35 Corridor and it is in the process of tying down the location of a reliever route for U.S. 277 which will make even more ideal business property with highway access available in the near future.
Utilities:
Electric power in the area is provided by AEP and can be sourced by numerous providers; gas is provided in the city by West Texas Fuels. Water, Sanitation and Sewer services are provided by the City of Sonora and the water and sewer lines through out most of the city have been redone within the last few years. Several mobile phone services are available with the best local coverage provided by AT&T. City residents have cable TV available provided by Suddenlink. Direct and Dish TV are also available.
Broadband:
Frontier provides conventional hardwired service and Hill Country Telephone Coop (HCTC) is currently providing fiber optic service through out the city.
Workforce:
Sonora is capable of providing a substantial skilled workforce above and beyond present employment levels, as experience has shown in the past. In addition to the workforce available here in the city, local employers have also drawn workers, from a large regional workforce that, due to our excellent highway system providing fast commutes. CV Workforce, in San Angelo, can provide workforce training and other valuable workforce tools to Sonora businesses.
Housing:
At this time a wide variety of housing is available for purchase at all price levels. Rental property is more limited but is also available in a wide range of pricing.
Schools:
Education through the high school level is provided by the Sonora Independent School District, which has an outstanding reputation for excellence. Information about the schools is enclosed. the Sonora ISD was one of the 30 schools awarded the "Blue Ribbon Award" in 2022 in the State of Texas.
Upper level education is available at San Angelo State University and Howard College in San Angelo, 65 miles to the north. We are in the Howard College education region and arrangements can be made for college level courses locally with a class minimum requirement.
Health:
Sonora is blessed with the Lillian M. Hudspeth Memorial Hospital and Wellness Center which is funded by a Hospital District and private endowments. The hospital has 12 private rooms, state-of-the- art diagnostic equipment and laboratory facilities and 24-hour emergency services. It is supported by a hospital-operated EMS and air-evacuation services. There are on-site cardiovascular, pulmonary, physical and occupational therapy departments and a fine fitness center including an indoor pool. In addition, it houses a home health-hospice unit and a clinic area for specialty physicians that travel to Sonora to provide services. A Family Practice physician’s office and a rural health clinic are adjacent to the hospital.
Sports:
The Sonora Broncos are well known in the state for outstanding programs in all the major sports. The City has one of the best 9-hole golf courses in the state. Sutton County has an outstanding arena where it hosts a premier rodeo at least once a year. Fishing opportunities are available in all directions. Whitetail deer, turkey and exotic species hunting are a specialty of our community.
Community:
Sonora had its beginnings in 1889 as a ranching community and it continues that tradition into the present day with major impacts by oil and gas, transportation, hunting and tourism. You can find much more information about our community at The Chamber of Commerce website at www.sonoratexas.org.
Attractions:
Our major tourist attraction is the Caverns of Sonora, located just West of the city with excellent access via I-10 and RR1989. Because of its intricate formations, it has the well-earned reputation of being one of the finest show caves in the world. The Old Ice House Ranch Museum, Sutton County’s historic, fully restored 1893 courthouse, the Old Jail, the Miers Home Museum and the Eaton Hill Nature Center and Preserve compliment the Caverns making Sonora a worthwhile overnight stop for tourists. A sleeper attraction is Fort McKavett State Historic Site, established in 1852, a short 40-mile drive through the County’s beautiful ranch country. These attractions are pulling an ever-growing number of tourists off of the Interstate and U.S. 277 and into our city where they become patrons of our businesses as well as our attractions.
Retail:
Sonora has an exceptionally good variety of places to eat for a town of it’s size. In the other retail area, there are local stores that provide most of the essentials here in the city.
However, if you are a retail provider in almost any product line, Sonora is worth considering for a location. Sonora is in the center of a large area of underserved population. Beyond the basics, there are many products that cannot be purchased without a 140 mile round trip to San Angelo. Sonora is a hub for underserved towns such as Eldorado, Ozona, Rocksprings that are within 50 miles or less from Sonora. It is closer to come here than the nearest large town for shopping by residents in all of those communities. Based on actual studies, we believe that a large volume of sales loss is occurring in most of the product lines sought by Sutton County residents.
Our goal is to do all we can to help you choose SONORA for a business location, find an ideal site, help you navigate the local agencies, help with funding and stand by proudly as you “cut the ribbon” for a successful business in our community.
Just let us know what additional information we can provide you and how we can help!
Your friends at
SONORA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
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