Where is the titular 'China Grove' in the iconic Doobie Brothers hit song?

China Grove (2020 population just over 1,100) is southeast of San Antonio, seat of Bexar County. It was named for a grove of chinaberry trees near a long-gone train depot, the very identical reason for the name of its larger and more populous namesake near Charlotte, North Carolina. China Spring, near Waco and further north up Interstate 35, was also named for a chinaberry tree grove.

The Doobie Brothers hit song 'China Grove' was released in 1973, written and sung by original lead singer and lyricist Tom Johnston. It peaked at #15 in the Billboard Hot 100 and eight weeks in the Top 40. Johnston thought he had created a fictional town called "China Grove" near San Antonio and later learned it really exists from his cab driver in Houston. Johnston later explained that the band had been on tour passing through China Grove on the way to or from San Antonio, and he had seen a road sign with the name, but somehow had forgotten about it. Johnston's narrative about China Grove is completely fictional and fanciful, particularly about the sheriff and deputies with samurai swords.