San Diego metropolitan area
Encyclopedia
The San Diego Metropolitan Area, also known as Greater San Diego and officially the San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos Metropolitan Statistical Area, is a metropolitan area
on the United States
Pacific Coast
. The U.S. Census of the Bureau defines the San Diego metropolitan area as encompassing all of San Diego County, which is of itself the second most populous county in the U.S. state of California
and fifth most populous in the United States. Greater San Diego is the 38th largest metropolitan area in the Americas, 17th largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States with over 3 million residents and 4th largest in California as well as being major urban area of South Coast
. San Diego is the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Southern California
.
Greater San Diego is anchored by the global city
of San Diego while other principal cities of the metropolitan statistical area are Carlsbad
, San Marcos
, and National City
.
Located in the area is the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Eleventh Naval District and the Navy's principal location for West Coast and Pacific Ocean operations, containing five naval bases and one marine base.
The proximity of the San Diego metropolitan area to the Tijuana metropolitan area has created the San Diego–Tijuana metro area, the largest bi-national conurbation
shared between the United States and Mexico with over five million residents. The area is a tourist destination for many people with roughly 300,000 visitors crossing into Tijuana daily from Greater San Diego alone.
The urban area and majority of the population of the San Diego metropolitan area is largely located between the Pacific Ocean
and the Peninsular Ranges
. The San Diego Urban Area (that is, the area of contiguous urban development), is the third largest in California after the Los Angeles and San Francisco urbanized
areas. The urban area largely reflects the regions image as a relaxed beach and cosmopolitan environment with a mild climate.
The area is bordered by Orange County
to the north, Mexico
to the south, Imperial County
to the east, and the Pacific Ocean
to the west.
Metropolitan San Diego is renowned for its beach resorts
, amusement parks, wildlife parks and zoos as well many museums and beaches. The region is also home to a large home grown surf and skateboard
culture hosting many surfing events on its 70 miles of coastline.
The San Diego metropolitan area has within its boundaries San Diego Bay
, a natural harbor considered by some one of the best on the North American west coast. The bay is flanked by the San Diego International Airport
, the busiest single runway airport in the world and the Port of San Diego
, one of the busiest on the American west coast. The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics ranked the Port of San Diego as one of America's top 30 U.S. container ship ports bringing in nearly 3,300,000 metric tons (3,250,000 LT; 3,640,000 ST) of cargo per year. Together with the National City Marine Terminal, the Port of San Diego is the primary port of entry for Honda
, Acura
, Isuzu
, Volkswagen
, Nissan, Mitsubishi Fuso, and Hino Motors
into America.
In its boundaries is a world city, the City of San Diego which is classified as a beta world city, coined America's Finest City. With a population of over one million, San Diego is the second most populous city in California, and the eighth most populous in the United States
. Money Magazine rated it the fifth best place to live in 2006 and according to Forbes
the city ranks as the fifth wealthiest in the United States.
The metropolitan area's biggest industries are manufacturing, military, and tourism. The economy of the city is composed largely of many sciences (biotechnology/biosciences & computer sciences) as well as electronics manufacturing, defense-related manufacturing, financial and business services, ship-repair, ship-construction, software development, telecommunications, wireless research, agriculture and tourism. Located in the metropolitan area, San Diego is also host to the University of California, San Diego
, located in the coastal community of La Jolla. The San Diego metropolitan area is host to one of the largest naval fleets in the world, and has become the largest concentration of Naval facilities in the world. San Diego's Spanish
influence can be seen in the many historic sites across the city, such as the Spanish missions
and Balboa Park. Cuisine in San Diego is diverse, and includes European-American, Mexican-American, and Asian-American cuisine. Annual events in San Diego include Comic-Con
, San Diego/Del Mar Fair, and Street Scene Music Festival
.
The San Diego metropolitan area is situated on the western slope of the Peninsular Ranges
and faces the coastline. The region contains 70 miles (112.7 km) of coastline. Many of its most popular and well known cities are located on the Pacific coast while famous mountain towns lie dotted in the coastal mountains. Population density maps will show that San Diego, and the other major cities that anchor the metropolitan area are in a line on the coast while many suburban communities and cities flow east to fill in mountain valleys.
Camp Pendleton interrupts the continuous urban development of Southern California and affects the commuting patterns of Greater San Diego. In 2000, only about 3% of San Diego County residents left the county for work while 40,000 people commuted into the metropolitan area. However developing growth can be observed on the I-15
corridor leading to the Southland
.
The area is crossed by five west-flowing rivers and numerous streams
, which help create a landscape of mesas, canyons and gorges
on the western or coastal portion of the area. This landscape has forced development to be on mesas, leaving the gorges ultimately undeveloped creating pockets of wildlife
. Many of these ares have been preserved as wildlife refuge
s attracting many tourists.
s. Populations are from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Metropolitan San Diego's coastline features many coastal lagoons and inlets as well as several bays. The inland or eastern (not to be confused with East County) part of the area is mountainous and thinly populated before it crosses the mountains and turns to the desert scrub of Anza-Borrego State Park.
Under the Koppen climate classification
system, the San Diego area straddles areas of Mediterranean climate
(CSa) to the north and Semi-arid climate (BSh) to the south and east. As a result, its often described as "arid Mediterranean" and "Semi-arid Steppe". San Diego's climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and mild winters with most of the annual precipitation falling between November and March. The city has mild, mostly dry weather, with an average of 201 days above 70 °F (21.1 °C) and low rainfall (9–13 in (22.9–33 cm) annually). Summer temperatures are generally warm, with average highs of 70–78 °F (21.1–25.6 C) and lows of 55–66 °F (12.8–18.9 C). Temperatures exceed 90 °F (32.2 °C) only four days a year. Most rainfall occurs from November to April. Winter temperatures are mild, with average high temperatures of 66–70 °F (18.9–21.1 C) and lows of 50–56 °F (10–13.3 C).
The climate in the San Diego area, like much of California, often varies significantly over short geographical distances resulting in microclimate
s. In San Diego's case this is mainly due to the city's topography (the Bay, and the numerous hills, mountains, and canyons). Frequently, particularly during the "May gray/June gloom
" period, a thick marine layer
will keep the air cool and damp within a few miles of the coast, but will yield to bright cloudless sunshine approximately 5 – inland. This happens every year in May and June. Even in the absence of June gloom, inland areas tend to experience much more significant temperature variations than coastal areas, where the ocean serves as a moderating influence. Thus, for example, downtown San Diego averages January lows of 50 °F (10 °C) and August highs of 78 °F (25.6 °C). The city of El Cajon, just 10 miles (16.1 km) northeast of downtown San Diego, averages January lows of 42 °F (5.6 °C) and August highs of 88 °F (31.1 °C).
Rainfall along the coast averages about 10 inches (25.4 cm) of precipitation annually, which occurs mainly during the cooler months of December through April. Though there are few wet days per month during the rainy period, rainfall can be heavy when it does fall. However, the rainfall is greater in the higher elevations of San Diego. Some of the higher areas of San Diego can receive 11–13 in (27.9–33 cm) of rain a year.
The area of Metropolitan San Diego has been inhabited for more than 10,000 years by the Kumeyaay
, Luiseño, Cupeño
and Cahuilla
peoples. It is the site of the first visit by a European to present-day California and the first permanent European settlement in California. The Metro area contains 131 sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the San Diego Presidio, Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
, and Mission San Diego de Alcala
.
The first European to visit the region was Portuguese-born
explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo
sailing under the Spanish Flag, who sailed his flagship San Salvador from Navidad, New Spain. In 1542, Cabrillo claimed the bay for the Spanish Empire
and named the site San Miguel. In November of 1602, Sebastián Vizcaíno
was sent to map the California coast. Arriving on his flagship San Diego, Vizcaíno surveyed the harbor and what are now Mission Bay and Point Loma and named the area for the Catholic
Saint Didacus
, a Spaniard more commonly known as San Diego. On November 12, 1602, the first Christian religious service of record in Alta California
was conducted by Fray Antonio de la Ascensión, a member of Vizcaíno's expedition, to celebrate the feast day of San Diego.
In 1769, Gaspar de Portolà
established the Fort Presidio of San Diego
overlooking Old Town
. The same year, Mission San Diego de Alcalá
was founded by Franciscan
friars under Father Junípero Serra
. The area was a Spanish colony, part of Alta California
under the Viceroyalty of New Spain, until 1821 when Mexico
gained its independence. Alta California was ceded to the United States in 1848 and admitted to the Union as the 31st state in 1850.
Periodically the area has been subject to wildfire
s that force thousands to evacuate. The most recent have been the Cedar Fire
in 2003 and the Witch Creek Fire in 2007. The State of California defines a fire season in which fires are most likely to occur, usually between the months of late July and late October (which are the driest months of the area). Signs are posted in numerous spots of Greater San Diego providing information on the level of threats from fires based on weather conditions.
San Diego - San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos metropolitan area · 3,001,072 (2008 est.)
Many popular museums, such as the San Diego Museum of Art
, the San Diego Natural History Museum
, the San Diego Museum of Man
, and the Museum of Photographic Arts
are located in Balboa Park. The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
(MCASD) is located in an ocean front building in La Jolla
and has a branch located at the Santa Fe Depot
downtown.
The Columbia district
downtown is home to historic ship exhibits belonging to the San Diego Maritime Museum, headlined by the Star of India
, as well as the unrelated San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum
featuring the USS Midway
aircraft carrier. The city of San Diego houses many tourist attractions, such as SeaWorld San Diego
, Belmont
amusement park, the San Diego Zoo
and the San Diego Wild Animal Park
. The Legoland California
amusement park is located in Carlsbad. Nationally known theaters include the Old Globe Theatre
and the La Jolla Playhouse
. The San Diego Symphony
, San Diego Opera
, and San Diego Lyric Opera perform regularly.
There are two Spanish missions
, San Diego de Alcala in San Diego and Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside.
Tourism plays a large part in the economics of the San Diego metropolitan area. Tourists are drawn to the region for a well rounded experience, everything from shopping to surfing as well as its mild climate. Its numerous tourist destinations include Horton Plaza, Westfield UTC
, Seaport Village
, Westfield Mission Valley
and Fashion Valley Mall
for shopping. SeaWorld San Diego
and Legoland California
as amusement parks. Golf courses such as Torrey Pines Golf Course
and Balboa Park Golf Course. Historical places such as the Gaslamp Quarter, Balboa Park and Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
. Wildlife refuges, zoos, and aquariums such as the Birch Aquarium at Scripps, San Diego Wild Animal Park
, San Diego Zoo
and San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Park
. Outdoor destinations include the Peninsular Ranges
for hiking
, biking, mountainboarding
and trail riding
. Surfing
locations include Swami's, Stone Steps Beach, Torrey Pines State Beach
, Cardiff State Beach
, San Onofre State Beach and the southern portion of Black's Beach
.
The region is host to the second largest cruise ship industry in California which generates an estimated $2 million annually from purchases of food, fuel, supplies, and maintenance services. In 2008 the Port of San Diego
hosted 252 ship calls and more than 800,000 passengers.
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San Diego is the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Eleventh Naval District and is the Navy's principal location for West Coast and Pacific Ocean operations. Naval Base San Diego, California
is principal home to the Pacific Fleet (although the headquarters
is located in Pearl Harbor
). NAS North Island is located on the north side of Coronado
, and is home to Headquarters for Naval Air Forces and Naval Air Force Pacific, the bulk of the Pacific Fleet's helicopter squadrons, and part of the West Coast aircraft carrier
fleet.
The Naval Special Warfare Center
is the primary training center for SEAL
s, and is also located on Coronado. The area contains five major naval bases and the U.S. Marines base Camp Pendleton. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast
base of the United States Marine Corps
and serves as its prime amphibious training base. It is located on the Southern California
coast, bordered by Oceanside
to the south, San Clemente to the north, and Fallbrook
to the east.
(SDSU), University of California, San Diego
(UCSD), and the San Diego Community College District
(includes San Diego City College
), San Diego Mesa College
, and San Diego Miramar College
. Private colleges and universities include University of San Diego
(USD), Point Loma Nazarene University
(PLNU), Alliant International University
(AIU), National University
, San Diego Christian College
, John Paul the Great Catholic University
, Coleman University, University of Redlands School of Business, Design Institute of San Diego (DISD), Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising San Diego, NewSchool of Architecture and Design, Pacific Oaks College San Diego Campus, The Art Institute of California- San Diego, Southern States University (SSU), and Woodbury University School of Architecture's satellite campus. Medical schools included UCSD School of Medicine and ABA accredited law schools included California Western School of Law, Thomas Jefferson School of Law, and University of San Diego School of Law. There is also one unaccredited law school: Western Sierra Law School.
area. These included Central Union High School District
, Grossmont Union High School District
, Poway Unified School District
, San Diego Unified School District
, San Dieguito Union High School District
, Sweetwater Union High School District
and Vista Unified School District
.
, which is ranked 25th in the country. The Union-Tribune serves both San Diego County and neighboring Imperial County
. Major local newspapers include the North County Times
, based in Escondido and serving portions of Riverside County and North County. The Los Angeles Times
is also delivered. Many of the area's cities and towns have their own local newspapers.
Other airports include
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
on the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Pacific Coast
Pacific Coast
A country's Pacific coast is the part of its coast bordering the Pacific Ocean.-The Americas:Countries on the western side of the Americas have a Pacific coast as their western border.* Geography of Canada* Geography of Chile* Geography of Colombia...
. The U.S. Census of the Bureau defines the San Diego metropolitan area as encompassing all of San Diego County, which is of itself the second most populous county in the U.S. state of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and fifth most populous in the United States. Greater San Diego is the 38th largest metropolitan area in the Americas, 17th largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States with over 3 million residents and 4th largest in California as well as being major urban area of South Coast
Southern Coast (California)
The South Coast is a term used in the West Coast region of the United States to refer to both the south Pacific Coast of California and the adjacent resort and residential communities....
. San Diego is the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
.
Greater San Diego is anchored by the global city
Global city
A global city is a city that is deemed to be an important node in the global economic system...
of San Diego while other principal cities of the metropolitan statistical area are Carlsbad
Carlsbad, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Carlsbad had a population of 105,328. The population density was 2,693.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Carlsbad was 87,205 White, 1,379 African American, 514 Native American, 7,460 Asian, 198 Pacific Islander, 4,189 from other...
, San Marcos
San Marcos, California
San Marcos is a suburb of San Diego in the North County section of San Diego County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 83,781. Outside the San Diego region, it is best known as the home of California State University, San Marcos...
, and National City
National City, California
National City is a city in San Diego County, California. The population was 58,582 at the 2010 census, up from 54,260 at the 2000 census. National City is the second oldest city in San Diego County and has a historic past.-History:...
.
Located in the area is the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Eleventh Naval District and the Navy's principal location for West Coast and Pacific Ocean operations, containing five naval bases and one marine base.
The proximity of the San Diego metropolitan area to the Tijuana metropolitan area has created the San Diego–Tijuana metro area, the largest bi-national conurbation
Conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
shared between the United States and Mexico with over five million residents. The area is a tourist destination for many people with roughly 300,000 visitors crossing into Tijuana daily from Greater San Diego alone.
The urban area and majority of the population of the San Diego metropolitan area is largely located between the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
and the Peninsular Ranges
Peninsular Ranges
The Peninsular Ranges are a group of mountain ranges, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, which stretch from southern California in the United States to the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula; they are part of the North American Coast Ranges that run along the Pacific coast from Alaska...
. The San Diego Urban Area (that is, the area of contiguous urban development), is the third largest in California after the Los Angeles and San Francisco urbanized
Urbanization
Urbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....
areas. The urban area largely reflects the regions image as a relaxed beach and cosmopolitan environment with a mild climate.
The area is bordered by Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
to the north, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to the south, Imperial County
Imperial County, California
Imperial County is a county located in the Imperial Valley, in the far southeast of the U.S. state of California, bordering both Arizona and Mexico. It is part of the El Centro Metropolitan Area, which encompasses all of Imperial County. The population as of 2000 was 142,361. The county seat is the...
to the east, and the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
to the west.
Significance
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
, amusement parks, wildlife parks and zoos as well many museums and beaches. The region is also home to a large home grown surf and skateboard
Skateboard
A skateboard is typically a specially designed plywood board combined with a polyurethane coating used for making smoother slides and stronger durability, used primarily for the activity of skateboarding. The first skateboards to reach public notice came out of the surfing craze of the early 1960s,...
culture hosting many surfing events on its 70 miles of coastline.
The San Diego metropolitan area has within its boundaries San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay is a natural harbor and deepwater port adjacent to San Diego, California. It is 12 mi/19 km long, 1 mi/1.6 km–3 mi/4.8 km wide...
, a natural harbor considered by some one of the best on the North American west coast. The bay is flanked by the San Diego International Airport
San Diego International Airport
San Diego International Airport , sometimes referred to as Lindbergh Field, is a public airport located northwest of the central business district of San Diego, California and from the Mexico – United States border at Tijuana, Mexico...
, the busiest single runway airport in the world and the Port of San Diego
Port of San Diego
The Port of San Diego is a self-supporting public benefit corporation established in 1962 by an act of the California State Legislature. In 2007, The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics ranked the Port of San Diego as one of America's top 30 U.S. containership ports bringing in nearly of...
, one of the busiest on the American west coast. The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics ranked the Port of San Diego as one of America's top 30 U.S. container ship ports bringing in nearly 3,300,000 metric tons (3,250,000 LT; 3,640,000 ST) of cargo per year. Together with the National City Marine Terminal, the Port of San Diego is the primary port of entry for Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
, Acura
Acura
Acura is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Honda Motor Company. The brand has been available in the United States and Canada since March 1986, marketing luxury, performance, and near-performance vehicles. It was introduced to Hong Kong in 1991, Mexico in 2004, and China in 2006...
, Isuzu
Isuzu
, is a Japanese car, commercial vehicle and heavy truck manufacturing company, headquartered in Tokyo. In 2005, Isuzu became the world's largest manufacturer of medium to heavy duty trucks. It has assembly and manufacturing plants in the Japanese city of Fujisawa, as well as in the prefectures...
, Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
, Nissan, Mitsubishi Fuso, and Hino Motors
Hino Motors
-External links:Global* * * Overseas offices****.*.***.*.* - Philippines**...
into America.
In its boundaries is a world city, the City of San Diego which is classified as a beta world city, coined America's Finest City. With a population of over one million, San Diego is the second most populous city in California, and the eighth most populous in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Money Magazine rated it the fifth best place to live in 2006 and according to Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
the city ranks as the fifth wealthiest in the United States.
The metropolitan area's biggest industries are manufacturing, military, and tourism. The economy of the city is composed largely of many sciences (biotechnology/biosciences & computer sciences) as well as electronics manufacturing, defense-related manufacturing, financial and business services, ship-repair, ship-construction, software development, telecommunications, wireless research, agriculture and tourism. Located in the metropolitan area, San Diego is also host to the University of California, San Diego
University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego, commonly known as UCSD or UC San Diego, is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States...
, located in the coastal community of La Jolla. The San Diego metropolitan area is host to one of the largest naval fleets in the world, and has become the largest concentration of Naval facilities in the world. San Diego's Spanish
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
influence can be seen in the many historic sites across the city, such as the Spanish missions
Spanish missions in California
The Spanish missions in California comprise a series of religious and military outposts established by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order between 1769 and 1823 to spread the Christian faith among the local Native Americans. The missions represented the first major effort by Europeans to...
and Balboa Park. Cuisine in San Diego is diverse, and includes European-American, Mexican-American, and Asian-American cuisine. Annual events in San Diego include Comic-Con
Comic-Con International
San Diego Comic-Con International, also known as Comic-Con International: San Diego , and commonly known as Comic-Con or the San Diego Comic-Con, was founded as the Golden State Comic Book Convention and later the San Diego Comic Book Convention in 1970 by Shel Dorf and a group of San Diegans...
, San Diego/Del Mar Fair, and Street Scene Music Festival
Street Scene (San Diego music festival)
Street Scene was a music festival that was held each summer in San Diego, California from 1984 to 2009. Street Scene was one of America's largest annual music festivals, growing to include over 70 musical acts covering different musical genres and styles on multiple stages.-History:Beginning in...
.
Geography
Peninsular Ranges
The Peninsular Ranges are a group of mountain ranges, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, which stretch from southern California in the United States to the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula; they are part of the North American Coast Ranges that run along the Pacific coast from Alaska...
and faces the coastline. The region contains 70 miles (112.7 km) of coastline. Many of its most popular and well known cities are located on the Pacific coast while famous mountain towns lie dotted in the coastal mountains. Population density maps will show that San Diego, and the other major cities that anchor the metropolitan area are in a line on the coast while many suburban communities and cities flow east to fill in mountain valleys.
Camp Pendleton interrupts the continuous urban development of Southern California and affects the commuting patterns of Greater San Diego. In 2000, only about 3% of San Diego County residents left the county for work while 40,000 people commuted into the metropolitan area. However developing growth can be observed on the I-15
Interstate 15
Interstate 15 is the fourth-longest north–south Interstate Highway in the United States, traveling through the states of California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, and Montana from San Diego to the Canadian border...
corridor leading to the Southland
Greater Los Angeles Area
The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, is a term used for the Combined Statistical Area sprawled over five counties in the southern part of California, namely Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County and Ventura County...
.
The area is crossed by five west-flowing rivers and numerous streams
STREAMS
In computer networking, STREAMS is the native framework in Unix System V for implementing character devices.STREAMS was designed as a modular architecture for implementing full-duplex I/O between kernel or user space processes and device drivers. Its most frequent uses have been in developing...
, which help create a landscape of mesas, canyons and gorges
Gorges
Gorges, the plural of the French word for "throat", usually refers to a canyon.Gorges is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:* Gorges, in the Loire-Atlantique département* Gorges, in the Manche département...
on the western or coastal portion of the area. This landscape has forced development to be on mesas, leaving the gorges ultimately undeveloped creating pockets of wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
. Many of these ares have been preserved as wildlife refuge
Wildlife refuge
A wildlife refuge, also called a wildlife sanctuary, may be a naturally occurring sanctuary, such as an island, that provides protection for species from hunting, predation or competition, or it may refer to a protected area, a geographic territory within which wildlife is protected...
s attracting many tourists.
Major cities - 100,000+ inhabitants
Population figures for California cities are 2008 State of California estimates- San Diego - 1,336,865
- Chula VistaChula Vista, CaliforniaChula Vista is the second largest city in the San Diego metropolitan area, the seventh largest city in Southern California, the fourteenth largest city in the State of California, and the seventy seventh largest city in the U.S....
- 231,305 - OceansideOceanside, California-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Oceanside had a population of 167,086. The population density was 3,961.8 people per square mile...
- 178,806 - EscondidoEscondido, CaliforniaEscondido is a city occupying a shallow valley ringed by rocky hills, just north of the city of San Diego, California. Founded in 1888, it is one of the oldest cities in San Diego County. The city had a population of 143,911 at the 2010 census. Its municipal government set itself an operating...
- 143,389 - CarlsbadCarlsbad, California-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Carlsbad had a population of 105,328. The population density was 2,693.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Carlsbad was 87,205 White, 1,379 African American, 514 Native American, 7,460 Asian, 198 Pacific Islander, 4,189 from other...
- 103,811
Other cities - 40,000+ inhabitants
- El Cajon - 94,869
- VistaVista, CaliforniaVista is a city in north San Diego County, California. It was incorporated January 28, 1963 and became a charter city on June 13, 2007. Located just seven miles inland from the Pacific Ocean in northern San Diego County, the City of Vista has a Mediterranean climate...
- 89,857 - San MarcosSan Marcos, CaliforniaSan Marcos is a suburb of San Diego in the North County section of San Diego County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 83,781. Outside the San Diego region, it is best known as the home of California State University, San Marcos...
- 83,149 - Encinitas - 58,014
- La MesaLa Mesa, CaliforniaLa Mesa is a city in San Diego County, California. The population was 57,065 at the 2010 census, up from 54,749 at the 2000 census. It was founded in 1869 and officially incorporated as a city on February 16, 1912. Its official flower is the bougainvillea....
- 54,749 - SanteeSantee, CaliforniaSantee is a suburban city in San Diego County, California with a population of 53,413 at the 2010 census. Although it is a part of the East County region, Santee is located just from the Pacific Ocean. The city is connected to the coastline by State Route 52, a six-lane freeway that runs from...
- 54,709 - National CityNational City, CaliforniaNational City is a city in San Diego County, California. The population was 58,582 at the 2010 census, up from 54,260 at the 2000 census. National City is the second oldest city in San Diego County and has a historic past.-History:...
- 54,260 - Poway - 48,044
Cities with under 40,000 inhabitants
- Imperial BeachImperial Beach, CaliforniaImperial Beach is a residential beach city in San Diego County, California, with a population of 26,324 at the 2010 census. The city is the most southern beach city in Southern California and the West Coast of the United States...
- 29,992 - Lemon Grove - 24,918
- CoronadoCoronado, CaliforniaCoronado, also known as Coronado Island, is an affluent resort city located in San Diego County, California, 5.2 miles from downtown San Diego. Its population was 24,697 at the 2010 census, up from 24,100 at the 2000 census. U.S. News and World Report lists Coronado as one of the most expensive...
- 24,100 - Solana Beach - 12,979
- Del MarDel Mar, CaliforniaDel Mar is an upscale beach town in San Diego County, California. The population was 4,161 at the 2010 census, down from 4,389 at the 2000 census. The San Diego County Fair is hosted on the Del Mar Fairgrounds every summer. Del Mar is Spanish for "of the sea" or "by the sea", because it is located...
- 4,660
Urban areas of the region
The San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA MSA is a multicore metropolitan region containing several urban areaUrban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
s. Populations are from the U.S. Census Bureau.
| Population Rank |
Name | State(s) U.S. state A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of... |
Type (UA/UC) | 2009 Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego | CA California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
UA | 2,764,786 |
| 2 | Ramona Ramona, California Ramona is a census-designated place in San Diego County, California. The population was 20,292 at the 2010 census.The term Ramona also refers to an unincorporated community that includes both the Ramona CDP and the adjacent CDP of San Diego Country Estates CDP... |
CA California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
UC | 25,269 |
Geographic features
- Cuyamaca MountainsCuyamaca MountainsThe Cuyamaca Mountains, locally the Cuyamacas, are a mountain range in San Diego County, California. The mountains run roughly northwest to southeast. The highest elevations are Cuyamaca Peak at and Stonewall Peak at...
- In-Ko-Pah MountainsIn-Ko-Pah MountainsThe In-Ko-Pah Mountains are one of the Peninsular Ranges located near the U.S. border with Mexico in southern California, west of the Jacumba Mountains. The range is approximately 12 miles long. Mt. Tule, at 4,647 feet, and Sombrero Peak, at 4,229 feet above sea level, are the tallest mountains in...
- Jacumba MountainsJacumba MountainsThe Jacumba Mountains are located in southern California near the U.S. border with Mexico. The mountains lie in a northwest-southeasterly direction east of the In-Ko-Pah Mountains, and north of Interstate 8. The range is approximately long, and the mountains are located about four miles northeast...
- La Jolla CoveLa Jolla CoveLa Jolla Cove is a cove and a beach in La Jolla, San Diego, California. It is a very small beach within walking distance from the Children's Pool Beach and is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in Southern California...
- La Jolla ShoresLa Jolla ShoresLa Jolla Shores is a beach and popular vacation/residential community of the same name in La Jolla, San Diego, California. The quaint La Jolla Shores business district is a relaxed, mixed-use village encircling Laureate Park,on Avenida de la Playa in the village of La Jolla Shores.The beach is...
- Laguna MountainsLaguna MountainsThe Laguna Mountains are a section of the Peninsular Ranges in eastern San Diego County, California. The mountains run in a northwest/southeast alignment for approximately ....
- Mission Bay
- Palomar MountainPalomar MountainPalomar Mountain is a mountain in the Peninsular Ranges in northern San Diego County. It is famous as the location of the Palomar Observatory and Hale Telescope, and known for the Palomar Mountain State Park.-History:...
- Point LomaPoint Loma, San Diego, CaliforniaPoint Loma is a seaside community of San Diego, California. Geographically it is a hilly peninsula that is bordered on the west and south by the Pacific Ocean, the east by the San Diego Bay and Old Town and the north by the San Diego River...
- San Diego BaySan Diego BaySan Diego Bay is a natural harbor and deepwater port adjacent to San Diego, California. It is 12 mi/19 km long, 1 mi/1.6 km–3 mi/4.8 km wide...
- San Diego RiverSan Diego RiverThe San Diego River is a river in San Diego County, California. It originates in the Cuyamaca Mountains northwest of the town of Julian, then flows to the southwest until it reaches the El Capitan Reservoir, the largest reservoir in the river's watershed at . Below El Capitan Dam, the river runs...
- San Luis Rey RiverSan Luis Rey RiverThe San Luis Rey River is a river in northern San Diego County, California. The river's headwaters are in the Cleveland National Forest near Palomar Mountain. The river drains into the Pacific Ocean on the northern end of the city of Oceanside. The river is over long and drains...
- Santa Margarita RiverSanta Margarita RiverThe Santa Margarita River is a short intermittent river on the Pacific coast of southern California in the United States, approximately long. One of the last free-flowing rivers in southern California, it drains an arid region of the Coast Ranges between Los Angeles and San Diego at the southern...
(Riverside, Orange & San Diego Counties) - Sweetwater RiverSweetwater River (California)The Sweetwater River is a long stream in southwestern California in the United States. From its headwaters high in the Cuyamaca Mountains, the river flows generally southwest, first through rugged hinterlands but then into the urban areas surrounding its mouth at San Diego Bay. Its drainage basin...
- Sonoran DesertSonoran DesertThe Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest...
(San Diego County, Arizona, Mexicali Municipality) - Tijuana RiverTijuana RiverThe Tijuana River is an intermittent river, 120 mi long, on the Pacific coast of northern Baja California in Mexico and southern California in the United States.-Location:...
Climate
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
system, the San Diego area straddles areas of Mediterranean climate
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
(CSa) to the north and Semi-arid climate (BSh) to the south and east. As a result, its often described as "arid Mediterranean" and "Semi-arid Steppe". San Diego's climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and mild winters with most of the annual precipitation falling between November and March. The city has mild, mostly dry weather, with an average of 201 days above 70 °F (21.1 °C) and low rainfall (9–13 in (22.9–33 cm) annually). Summer temperatures are generally warm, with average highs of 70–78 °F (21.1–25.6 C) and lows of 55–66 °F (12.8–18.9 C). Temperatures exceed 90 °F (32.2 °C) only four days a year. Most rainfall occurs from November to April. Winter temperatures are mild, with average high temperatures of 66–70 °F (18.9–21.1 C) and lows of 50–56 °F (10–13.3 C).
The climate in the San Diego area, like much of California, often varies significantly over short geographical distances resulting in microclimate
Microclimate
A microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the climate differs from the surrounding area. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square feet or as large as many square miles...
s. In San Diego's case this is mainly due to the city's topography (the Bay, and the numerous hills, mountains, and canyons). Frequently, particularly during the "May gray/June gloom
June Gloom
June Gloom is a southern California term for a weather pattern that results in cloudy, overcast skies with cool temperatures during the late spring and early summer. June Gloom in southern California is caused by the marine layer effect common to the West Coast, and is enhanced by the Catalina eddy...
" period, a thick marine layer
Marine layer
A marine layer is an air mass which develops over the surface of a large body of water such as the ocean or large lake in the presence of a temperature inversion. The inversion itself is usually initiated by the cooling effect of the water on the surface layer of an otherwise warm air mass...
will keep the air cool and damp within a few miles of the coast, but will yield to bright cloudless sunshine approximately 5 – inland. This happens every year in May and June. Even in the absence of June gloom, inland areas tend to experience much more significant temperature variations than coastal areas, where the ocean serves as a moderating influence. Thus, for example, downtown San Diego averages January lows of 50 °F (10 °C) and August highs of 78 °F (25.6 °C). The city of El Cajon, just 10 miles (16.1 km) northeast of downtown San Diego, averages January lows of 42 °F (5.6 °C) and August highs of 88 °F (31.1 °C).
Rainfall along the coast averages about 10 inches (25.4 cm) of precipitation annually, which occurs mainly during the cooler months of December through April. Though there are few wet days per month during the rainy period, rainfall can be heavy when it does fall. However, the rainfall is greater in the higher elevations of San Diego. Some of the higher areas of San Diego can receive 11–13 in (27.9–33 cm) of rain a year.
History
Kumeyaay
The Kumeyaay, also known as Tipai-Ipai, Kamia, or formerly Diegueño, are Native American people of the extreme southwestern United States and northwest Mexico. They live in the states of California in the US and Baja California in Mexico. In Spanish, the name is commonly spelled...
, Luiseño, Cupeño
Cupeño
The Cupeño are a Native American tribe from Southern California. Their name in their own language is Kuupangaxwichem.They traditionally lived about inland and north of the modern day U.S.-Mexico border in the Peninsular Range of Southern California...
and Cahuilla
Cahuilla
The Cahuilla, Iviatim in their own language, are Indians with a common culture whose ancestors inhabited inland areas of southern California 2,000 years ago. Their original territory included an area of about . The traditional Cahuilla territory was near the geographic center of Southern California...
peoples. It is the site of the first visit by a European to present-day California and the first permanent European settlement in California. The Metro area contains 131 sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the San Diego Presidio, Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, located in the Old Town neighborhood of San Diego, California, is a state protected historical park in San Diego. It commemorates the early days of the town of San Diego and includes many historic buildings from the period 1820 to 1870. The park was...
, and Mission San Diego de Alcala
Mission San Diego de Alcalá
Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá, in San Diego, California, was the first Franciscan mission in the Las Californias Province of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. It was founded in 1769 by Spanish friar Junípero Serra in an area long inhabited by the Kumeyaay Indians...
.
The first European to visit the region was Portuguese-born
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was a Portuguese explorer noted for his exploration of the west coast of North America on behalf of Spain. Cabrillo was the first European explorer to navigate the coast of present day California in the United States...
sailing under the Spanish Flag, who sailed his flagship San Salvador from Navidad, New Spain. In 1542, Cabrillo claimed the bay for the Spanish Empire
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
and named the site San Miguel. In November of 1602, Sebastián Vizcaíno
Sebastián Vizcaíno
Sebastián Vizcaíno was a Spanish soldier, entrepreneur, explorer, and diplomat whose varied roles took him to New Spain, the Philippines, the Baja California peninsula, the California coast and Japan.-Early career:...
was sent to map the California coast. Arriving on his flagship San Diego, Vizcaíno surveyed the harbor and what are now Mission Bay and Point Loma and named the area for the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Saint Didacus
Didacus of Alcalá
Saint Didacus of Alcalá, , Saint Diego, was a lay brother of the Order of Friars Minor who died at Alcalá de Henares, Spain, November 12, 1463.-History:...
, a Spaniard more commonly known as San Diego. On November 12, 1602, the first Christian religious service of record in Alta California
Alta California
Alta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...
was conducted by Fray Antonio de la Ascensión, a member of Vizcaíno's expedition, to celebrate the feast day of San Diego.
In 1769, Gaspar de Portolà
Gaspar de Portolà
Gaspar de Portolà i Rovira was a soldier, governor of Baja and Alta California , explorer and founder of San Diego and Monterey. He was born in Os de Balaguer, province of Lleida, in Catalonia, Spain, of Catalan nobility. Don Gaspar served as a soldier in the Spanish army in Italy and Portugal...
established the Fort Presidio of San Diego
Presidio of San Diego
El Presidio Reál de San Diego is an historical fort established on May 14, 1769, by Commandant Pedro Fages for Spain. It was the first permanent European settlement on the Pacific Coast of the United States. As the first of the presidios and Spanish missions in California, it was the base of...
overlooking Old Town
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, located in the Old Town neighborhood of San Diego, California, is a state protected historical park in San Diego. It commemorates the early days of the town of San Diego and includes many historic buildings from the period 1820 to 1870. The park was...
. The same year, Mission San Diego de Alcalá
Mission San Diego de Alcalá
Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá, in San Diego, California, was the first Franciscan mission in the Las Californias Province of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. It was founded in 1769 by Spanish friar Junípero Serra in an area long inhabited by the Kumeyaay Indians...
was founded by Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
friars under Father Junípero Serra
Junípero Serra
Blessed Junípero Serra, O.F.M., , known as Fra Juníper Serra in Catalan, his mother tongue was a Majorcan Franciscan friar who founded the mission chain in Alta California of the Las Californias Province in New Spain—present day California, United States. Fr...
. The area was a Spanish colony, part of Alta California
Alta California
Alta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...
under the Viceroyalty of New Spain, until 1821 when Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
gained its independence. Alta California was ceded to the United States in 1848 and admitted to the Union as the 31st state in 1850.
Periodically the area has been subject to wildfire
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
s that force thousands to evacuate. The most recent have been the Cedar Fire
Cedar Fire
The Cedar Fire was a human-caused wildfire that burned out of control through a large area of San Diego County, in Southern California, in October 2003...
in 2003 and the Witch Creek Fire in 2007. The State of California defines a fire season in which fires are most likely to occur, usually between the months of late July and late October (which are the driest months of the area). Signs are posted in numerous spots of Greater San Diego providing information on the level of threats from fires based on weather conditions.
Regions of the San Diego metropolitan area
- East CountyEast County, San DiegoEast County is a region of San Diego County, California. It is east of the city of San Diego.-Geography:East County does not have an official geographic definition. It commonly includes the four cities east of San Diego and South Bay—El Cajon, La Mesa, Santee, and Lemon Grove—as well as suburban...
- Borrego
- North County
- San Diego
- South BaySouth Bay, San DiegoSouth Bay is a region in southwestern San Diego County, California consisting of the communities and cities of Bonita, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, Lincoln Acres, National City, and South San Diego....
Culture
San Diego Museum of Art
The San Diego Museum of Art is a fine arts museum located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California that houses a broad collection with particular strength in Spanish art. The San Diego Museum of Art opened as The Fine Arts Gallery of San Diego on February 28, 1926, and changed its name to the San...
, the San Diego Natural History Museum
San Diego Natural History Museum
The San Diego Natural History Museum was founded in 1874 as the San Diego Society of Natural History. The present location of the museum in San Diego's Balboa Park was dedicated on January 14, 1933....
, the San Diego Museum of Man
San Diego Museum of Man
The San Diego Museum of Man is a museum of anthropology located in Balboa Park, San Diego, California and housed in several historic landmark buildings.-Exhibits:...
, and the Museum of Photographic Arts
Museum of Photographic Arts
The Museum of Photographic Arts or MoPA is a museum in San Diego’s Balboa Park. First founded in 1974, MoPA opened in 1983. MoPA is one of three museums in the US dedicated exclusively to the collection and preservation of photography, with a mission to inspire, educate and engage the broadest...
are located in Balboa Park. The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego , in San Diego, California, USA, is an art museum focused on the collection, preservation, exhibition, and interpretation of works of art from 1950 to the present.-History:...
(MCASD) is located in an ocean front building in La Jolla
La Jolla, San Diego, California
La Jolla is an affluent, hilly seaside resort community, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean in Southern California within the northern city limits of San Diego. La Jolla had the highest home prices in the nation in 2008 and 2009; the average price of a standardized...
and has a branch located at the Santa Fe Depot
Union Station (San Diego)
Union Station in San Diego, California, also known as the Santa Fe Depot, is a train station built by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway to replace the small Victorian-style structure erected in 1887 for the California Southern Railroad Company. The Spanish Colonial Revival style station is...
downtown.
The Columbia district
Columbia, San Diego, California
Columbia is a neighborhood located in Downtown San Diego, California. The neighborhood is largely commercial, however there are a large number of highrise condominium buildings under construction....
downtown is home to historic ship exhibits belonging to the San Diego Maritime Museum, headlined by the Star of India
Star of India (ship)
Star of India was built in 1863 as Euterpe, a full-rigged iron windjammer ship in Ramsey, Isle of Man. After a full career sailing from Great Britain to India and New Zealand, she became a salmon hauler on the Alaska to California route...
, as well as the unrelated San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum
San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum
The USS Midway Museum is a maritime museum located in downtown San Diego, California at Navy Pier. The museum consists of the aircraft carrier .-History:...
featuring the USS Midway
USS Midway (CV-41)
USS Midway was an aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, the lead ship of her class, and the first to be commissioned after the end of World War II...
aircraft carrier. The city of San Diego houses many tourist attractions, such as SeaWorld San Diego
SeaWorld San Diego
SeaWorld San Diego is an animal theme park, oceanarium, and marine mammal park, located in San Diego, California, United States. The park is owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a division of The Blackstone Group....
, Belmont
Belmont Park (San Diego)
Belmont Park is a historic oceanfront amusement park located in the Mission Bay area of San Diego, California. The park was developed by sugar magnate John D. Spreckels and opened on July 4, 1925 as the Mission Beach Amusement Center. In addition to providing recreation and amusement it also was...
amusement park, the San Diego Zoo
San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, is one of the most progressive zoos in the world, with over 4,000 animals of more than 800 species...
and the San Diego Wild Animal Park
San Diego Wild Animal Park
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park, formerly known as the San Diego Wild Animal Park, is a zoo in the San Pasqual Valley area of San Diego, California, near Escondido. It is one of the largest tourist attractions in San Diego County. The Park houses a large array of wild and endangered animals including...
. The Legoland California
Legoland California
Legoland California is a theme park located in Carlsbad, California, focused on Lego bricks. It opened on March 20, 1999. It is the third Legoland park to open, and the first Legoland outside of Europe...
amusement park is located in Carlsbad. Nationally known theaters include the Old Globe Theatre
Old Globe Theatre
The Old Globe is a professional theatre company located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. It produces about 15 plays and musicals annually in summer and winter seasons...
and the La Jolla Playhouse
La Jolla Playhouse
La Jolla Playhouse is a not-for-profit, professional theatre-in-residence on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. -Background:...
. The San Diego Symphony
San Diego Symphony
The San Diego Symphony is an American symphony orchestra, based in San Diego, California. On 6 December 1910, it gave its first concert as the San Diego Civic Orchestra.Currently, the Symphony performs over 100 concerts each season...
, San Diego Opera
San Diego Opera
The San Diego Opera Association is a professional opera company located in the city of San Diego, California and is a member of OPERA America. It was founded in 1950 to present productions by San Francisco Opera in the San Diego area...
, and San Diego Lyric Opera perform regularly.
There are two Spanish missions
Spanish missions in California
The Spanish missions in California comprise a series of religious and military outposts established by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order between 1769 and 1823 to spread the Christian faith among the local Native Americans. The missions represented the first major effort by Europeans to...
, San Diego de Alcala in San Diego and Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside.
Sports teams
| Team | Sport | League | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego Padres San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times... |
Baseball | Major League Baseball Major League Baseball Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League... |
PETCO Park PETCO Park Petco Park is an open-air ballpark in downtown San Diego, California, USA. It opened in 2004, replacing Qualcomm Stadium as the home park of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres. Before then, the Padres shared Qualcomm Stadium with the NFL's San Diego Chargers... |
| San Diego Chargers San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
Football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by... |
National Football League National Football League The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing... |
Qualcomm Stadium Qualcomm Stadium Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area.... |
Tourism
Westfield UTC
Westfield UTC, formerly University Towne Centre , is an open-air shopping mall in the University City community of San Diego, California. It lies just east of La Jolla, near the University of California, San Diego campus...
, Seaport Village
Seaport Village
Seaport Village is a shopping and dining complex adjacent to San Diego Bay in downtown San Diego, California. It houses more than 70 shops, galleries, and eateries on of waterfront property. The Village contains several freestanding buildings in an assortment of architectural styles, from...
, Westfield Mission Valley
Westfield Mission Valley
Westfield Mission Valley, formerly Mission Valley Center, is a shopping mall in Mission Valley area of San Diego, California, owned by The Westfield Group. Its anchor stores are Macy's, Macy's Home & Furniture Store, Nordstrom Rack, and Target...
and Fashion Valley Mall
Fashion Valley Mall
Fashion Valley Mall is an upscale, open-air shopping mall in Mission Valley in San Diego, California. The shopping center has over 1.7 million square feet of leasable floor area, making it the largest mall in San Diego and one of the largest in California. It is owned and managed by the Simon...
for shopping. SeaWorld San Diego
SeaWorld San Diego
SeaWorld San Diego is an animal theme park, oceanarium, and marine mammal park, located in San Diego, California, United States. The park is owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a division of The Blackstone Group....
and Legoland California
Legoland California
Legoland California is a theme park located in Carlsbad, California, focused on Lego bricks. It opened on March 20, 1999. It is the third Legoland park to open, and the first Legoland outside of Europe...
as amusement parks. Golf courses such as Torrey Pines Golf Course
Torrey Pines Golf Course
Torrey Pines Golf Course is a municipal public golf course owned by the city of San Diego, California. It sits on the coastal cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the community of La Jolla south of Torrey Pines State Reserve. It has two famous golf courses, the North Course and the South Course....
and Balboa Park Golf Course. Historical places such as the Gaslamp Quarter, Balboa Park and Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, located in the Old Town neighborhood of San Diego, California, is a state protected historical park in San Diego. It commemorates the early days of the town of San Diego and includes many historic buildings from the period 1820 to 1870. The park was...
. Wildlife refuges, zoos, and aquariums such as the Birch Aquarium at Scripps, San Diego Wild Animal Park
San Diego Wild Animal Park
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park, formerly known as the San Diego Wild Animal Park, is a zoo in the San Pasqual Valley area of San Diego, California, near Escondido. It is one of the largest tourist attractions in San Diego County. The Park houses a large array of wild and endangered animals including...
, San Diego Zoo
San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, is one of the most progressive zoos in the world, with over 4,000 animals of more than 800 species...
and San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Park
San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Park
The San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Park spans of ocean bottom and tidelands. The park has become a popular destination for snorkelers and scuba divers...
. Outdoor destinations include the Peninsular Ranges
Peninsular Ranges
The Peninsular Ranges are a group of mountain ranges, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, which stretch from southern California in the United States to the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula; they are part of the North American Coast Ranges that run along the Pacific coast from Alaska...
for hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, biking, mountainboarding
Mountainboarding
Mountainboarding, also known as Dirtboarding, Offroad Boarding, Grass Boarding, and All-Terrain Boarding , is a well established if little-known extreme sport, derived from snowboarding...
and trail riding
Trail riding
Trail riding sometimes called horse or pony trekking is riding outdoors on natural trails and roads as opposed to riding in an enclosed area such as a riding arena. The term may encompass those who travel on horses, on mountain bikes, or on motorcycles and other motorized all-terrain vehicles...
. Surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
locations include Swami's, Stone Steps Beach, Torrey Pines State Beach
Torrey Pines State Beach
Torrey Pines State Beach is a coastal beach located in the San Diego, California community of Torrey Pines, and is located south of Del Mar and north of La Jolla. Coastal erosion from the adjacent Torrey Pines State Reserve makes for a picturesque landscape. It is a local favorite among surfers and...
, Cardiff State Beach
Cardiff State Beach
Cardiff State Beach is a protected beach in the state park system of California, USA, located near San Diego. Popular activities include swimming, surfing, and beachcombing....
, San Onofre State Beach and the southern portion of Black's Beach
Black's Beach
Black's Beach is a secluded section of beach beneath the bluffs of Torrey Pines on the Pacific Ocean in La Jolla, San Diego, California, United States. It is officially part of Torrey Pines State Beach...
.
The region is host to the second largest cruise ship industry in California which generates an estimated $2 million annually from purchases of food, fuel, supplies, and maintenance services. In 2008 the Port of San Diego
Port of San Diego
The Port of San Diego is a self-supporting public benefit corporation established in 1962 by an act of the California State Legislature. In 2007, The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics ranked the Port of San Diego as one of America's top 30 U.S. containership ports bringing in nearly of...
hosted 252 ship calls and more than 800,000 passengers.
Resorts
- Hotel del Coronado - Coronado is home to the famous Hotel del CoronadoHotel del CoronadoHotel del Coronado is a beachfront luxury hotel in the city of Coronado, just across the San Diego Bay from San Diego, California. It is one of the few surviving examples of an American architectural genre: the wooden Victorian beach resort...
, built in 1888 and long considered one of the world's top resorts. It is listed as a National Historic LandmarkNational Historic LandmarkA National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
and appeared in films such as Some Like It HotSome Like It HotSome Like It Hot is an American comedy film, made in 1958 and released in 1959, which was directed by Billy Wilder and starred Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and George Raft. The supporting cast includes Joe E. Brown, Pat O'Brien and Nehemiah Persoff. The film is a remake by Wilder and I....
and The Stunt ManThe Stunt ManThe Stunt Man is a 1980 American film directed by Richard Rush, starring Peter O'Toole, Steve Railsback, and Barbara Hershey. The movie was adapted by Lawrence B. Marcus and Rush from the novel by Paul Brodeur...
. It was the setting of the Dashboard ConfessionalDashboard ConfessionalDashboard Confessional is an American rock band from Boca Raton, Florida, led by singer-songwriter Chris Carrabba. The name of the band is derived from the song "The Sharp Hint of New Tears" from the debut album The Swiss Army Romance....
song Stolen. The historic hotel has had many notable American guests, including Charles LindberghCharles LindberghCharles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
, Thomas EdisonThomas EdisonThomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
, Babe RuthBabe RuthGeorge Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
, Jack DempseyJack DempseyWilliam Harrison "Jack" Dempsey was an American boxer who held the world heavyweight title from 1919 to 1926. Dempsey's aggressive style and exceptional punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history. Many of his fights set financial and attendance records, including the first...
, Willie MaysWillie MaysWillie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
, Magic JohnsonMagic JohnsonEarvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
, and Muhammad AliMuhammad AliMuhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
. Many presidents have also visited, including William Howard TaftWilliam Howard TaftWilliam Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
, Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin D. RooseveltFranklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
, Lyndon Johnson, Richard NixonRichard NixonRichard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
, Gerald FordGerald FordGerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
, Jimmy CarterJimmy CarterJames Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
, Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, Bill ClintonBill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, and George H.W. Bush.
Museums
- Balboa Park - Balboa ParkBalboa ParkBalboa Park is the name of several municipal parks or neighborhoods, including the following:* Balboa Park, San Diego, California, United States* Balboa Park, San Francisco, California, United States...
is a 1,200 acre (4.9 km²) urban cultural park in San Diego, California, United States named after the Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa. Many of the trees here were planted by the famous American gardener Kate SessionsKate SessionsKatherine Olivia "Kate" Sessions was an American botanist, horticulturalist, and landscape architect closely associated with San Diego, California, and known as the "Mother of Balboa Park."-Early life:...
. Placed in reserve in 1835, it is one of the oldest sites in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
dedicated to public recreational usage. Besides open areas and natural vegetation, it contains a variety of cultural attractions including museums, theaters, gardens, shops and restaurants as well as the San Diego ZooSan Diego ZooThe San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, is one of the most progressive zoos in the world, with over 4,000 animals of more than 800 species...
. Balboa Park was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977. The park is managed and maintained by the City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department. Many of the park's museums and cultural attractions, include the San Diego Museum of ManSan Diego Museum of ManThe San Diego Museum of Man is a museum of anthropology located in Balboa Park, San Diego, California and housed in several historic landmark buildings.-Exhibits:...
, the San Diego Museum of ArtSan Diego Museum of ArtThe San Diego Museum of Art is a fine arts museum located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California that houses a broad collection with particular strength in Spanish art. The San Diego Museum of Art opened as The Fine Arts Gallery of San Diego on February 28, 1926, and changed its name to the San...
, the Museum of Photographic ArtsMuseum of Photographic ArtsThe Museum of Photographic Arts or MoPA is a museum in San Diego’s Balboa Park. First founded in 1974, MoPA opened in 1983. MoPA is one of three museums in the US dedicated exclusively to the collection and preservation of photography, with a mission to inspire, educate and engage the broadest...
, the San Diego Art InstituteSan Diego Art InstituteThe San Diego Art Institute’s “Museum of the Living Artist”, with its main gallery located in historic Balboa Park, is a Center for the Visual Arts for the Southern California /Baja California region. The institute functions much like a municipal gallery for the city/county...
the San Diego Model Railroad MuseumSan Diego Model Railroad MuseumThe San Diego Model Railroad Museum is one of the world's largest indoor model railroad exhibits and is located in San Diego, California.-Location:The museum is located on the of the Casa De Balboa on the Prado in Balboa Park-Mission statement:...
, the Natural History MuseumNatural History MuseumThe Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, England . Its main frontage is on Cromwell Road...
, the San Diego Historical Society, the Reuben H. Fleet Science CenterReuben H. Fleet Science CenterThe Reuben H. Fleet Science Center is a science museum in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. Established in 1973, it was the first science museum to combine interactive science exhibits with a planetarium and an IMAX Dome theater, setting the standard that most major science museums follow today...
, and the Timken Museum of Art where admission is always free. There are a number of gardens located in the park. These include Alcazar Garden, Botanical Building, Cactus Garden, Casa del Rey Moro Garden, Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden, Japanese Friendship Garden, Marston House Garden, Palm Canyon and Zoro Garden.
Wildlife Parks & Zoos
- SeaWorld San Diego - SeaWorld San DiegoSeaWorld San DiegoSeaWorld San Diego is an animal theme park, oceanarium, and marine mammal park, located in San Diego, California, United States. The park is owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a division of The Blackstone Group....
is a theme park located in San Diego, California. The park is owned by SeaWorld Parks & EntertainmentSeaWorld Parks & EntertainmentSeaWorld Parks & Entertainment is a family entertainment company owned by The Blackstone Group. SeaWorld is responsible for the operation and maintenance of eleven theme parks located throughout the United States...
, a division of The Blackstone Group. SeaWorld's main attraction is its orcas, several of which are housed in seven-million-gallon habitats that are each known as Shamu Stadium. ShamuShamuShamu was the fourth killer whale ever captured and was the third orca ever displayed in a public exhibit. She was the first orca to survive more than 13 months in captivity and was the star of a very popular killer whale show at SeaWorld San Diego in the mid - late 1960s...
was the name of the first orca brought to SeaWorld San Diego in the 1960s. Though the orcas all have names of their own, they take the stage name Shamu when in performance.
- San Diego Zoo Safari Park - The San Diego Zoo Safari Park, formerly the San Diego Wild Animal Park, is a zoo in the San Pasqual ValleySan Pasqual Valley, San Diego, CaliforniaSan Pasqual Valley is the northernmost community of the city of San Diego. It is bordered on the north by the city of Escondido, on the east and west by unincorporated land within San Diego County, and on the south by the city of Poway and the community of Rancho Bernardo.State Highway 78 runs...
area of San Diego, California. It is one of the largest tourist attractions in the city and Southern California. The Park houses a large array of wild and endangered animals including species from the continents of AfricaAfricaAfrica is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, AsiaAsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, NorthNorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and South AmericaSouth AmericaSouth America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, and AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The park is in a semi-arid environment and one of its most notable features is the Journey into Africa tram which explores the expansive African exhibits. These free-range enclosures house such animals as cheetahCheetahThe cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...
s, antelopeAntelopeAntelope is a term referring to many even-toed ungulate species indigenous to various regions in Africa and Eurasia. Antelopes comprise a miscellaneous group within the family Bovidae, encompassing those old-world species that are neither cattle, sheep, buffalo, bison, nor goats...
s, lionLionThe lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
s, giraffeGiraffeThe giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all extant land-living animal species, and the largest ruminant...
s, okapiOkapiThe okapi , Okapia johnstoni, is a giraffid artiodactyl mammal native to the Ituri Rainforest, located in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Central Africa...
s, elephantElephantElephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
s, zebraZebraZebras are several species of African equids united by their distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals that live in small harems to large herds...
s, Przewalski's horsePrzewalski's HorsePrzewalski's Horse or Dzungarian Horse, is a rare and endangered subspecies of wild horse native to the steppes of central Asia, specifically China and Mongolia.At one time extinct in the wild, it has been reintroduced to its native habitat in Mongolia at the Khustain Nuruu...
s, rhinosRhinocerosRhinoceros , also known as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia....
, and bonoboBonoboThe bonobo , Pan paniscus, previously called the pygmy chimpanzee and less often, the dwarf or gracile chimpanzee, is a great ape and one of the two species making up the genus Pan. The other species in genus Pan is Pan troglodytes, or the common chimpanzee...
s. The park is also noted for its California condorCalifornia CondorThe California Condor is a New World vulture, the largest North American land bird. Currently, this condor inhabits only the Grand Canyon area, Zion National Park, and coastal mountains of central and southern California and northern Baja California...
breeding program, the most successful such program in the country.
Military
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
is principal home to the Pacific Fleet (although the headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
is located in Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
). NAS North Island is located on the north side of Coronado
Coronado, California
Coronado, also known as Coronado Island, is an affluent resort city located in San Diego County, California, 5.2 miles from downtown San Diego. Its population was 24,697 at the 2010 census, up from 24,100 at the 2000 census. U.S. News and World Report lists Coronado as one of the most expensive...
, and is home to Headquarters for Naval Air Forces and Naval Air Force Pacific, the bulk of the Pacific Fleet's helicopter squadrons, and part of the West Coast aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
fleet.
The Naval Special Warfare Center
Naval Special Warfare Center
The United States Phil Bucklew Naval Special Warfare Center is a component command of the Naval Special Warfare Command and is sited within Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, California....
is the primary training center for SEAL
United States Navy SEALs
The United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
s, and is also located on Coronado. The area contains five major naval bases and the U.S. Marines base Camp Pendleton. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
base of the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
and serves as its prime amphibious training base. It is located on the Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
coast, bordered by Oceanside
Oceanside, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Oceanside had a population of 167,086. The population density was 3,961.8 people per square mile...
to the south, San Clemente to the north, and Fallbrook
Fallbrook, California
Fallbrook is an unincorporated community in northern San Diego County, California. The Fallbrook census-designated place population was 30,534 at the 2010 census, up from 29,100 at the 2000 census....
to the east.
Major business districts
- Downtown San Diego
- Rancho Bernardo
- La Jolla
- Carmel Valley
Colleges and Universities
The region is home to an array of universities and public colleges. Public colleges and universities in the region include San Diego State UniversitySan Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
(SDSU), University of California, San Diego
University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego, commonly known as UCSD or UC San Diego, is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States...
(UCSD), and the San Diego Community College District
San Diego Community College District
The San Diego Community College District is a public community college division in the city of San Diego, California. The district is one of the five community college districts in San Diego County; part of the greater California Community College system...
(includes San Diego City College
San Diego City College
San Diego City College is a public, two-year community college located in San Diego, California. City College is part of the San Diego Community College District along with San Diego Mesa College, San Diego Miramar College and San Diego Continuing Education...
), San Diego Mesa College
San Diego Mesa College
San Diego Mesa College is a public, two-year community college perched on a mesa in the Clairemont neighborhood of San Diego, California in the United States. It is the largest community college in the city of San Diego and part of the San Diego Community College District along with San Diego City...
, and San Diego Miramar College
San Diego Miramar College
San Diego Miramar College is two-year community college located in San Diego, CA, USA. It is administered by the San Diego Community College District.-History:...
. Private colleges and universities include University of San Diego
University of San Diego
The University of San Diego is a Roman Catholic university in San Diego, California. USD offers more than sixty bachelor's, master’s, and doctoral programs...
(USD), Point Loma Nazarene University
Point Loma Nazarene University
Point Loma Nazarene University is a Christian liberal arts college. Its main campus is located on the Point Loma oceanfront in San Diego, California. It was founded in 1902 as a Bible college by the Church of the Nazarene.-History:...
(PLNU), Alliant International University
Alliant International University
Alliant International University is a private, non-profit higher education institution based in San Diego, California. It offers programs in six California cities and four locations outside the United States...
(AIU), National University
National University (California)
National University , founded in 1971, is a comprehensive, nonsectarian, independent, accredited, non-profit private university headquartered in La Jolla, California, United States, with academic degree programs offered at campuses located throughout the state, one in Henderson, Nevada, and...
, San Diego Christian College
San Diego Christian College
San Diego Christian College is a private, evangelical Christian college located in El Cajon, California, in suburban San Diego, affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.-History:In January 1970, Tim F...
, John Paul the Great Catholic University
John Paul the Great Catholic University
John Paul the Great Catholic University is located in San Diego, California. It currently offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Communications Media and Business, each with two or more concentrations offered...
, Coleman University, University of Redlands School of Business, Design Institute of San Diego (DISD), Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising San Diego, NewSchool of Architecture and Design, Pacific Oaks College San Diego Campus, The Art Institute of California- San Diego, Southern States University (SSU), and Woodbury University School of Architecture's satellite campus. Medical schools included UCSD School of Medicine and ABA accredited law schools included California Western School of Law, Thomas Jefferson School of Law, and University of San Diego School of Law. There is also one unaccredited law school: Western Sierra Law School.
Primary and Secondary
Approximately 50 primary and secondary school districts are found in this South CoastSouthern Coast (California)
The South Coast is a term used in the West Coast region of the United States to refer to both the south Pacific Coast of California and the adjacent resort and residential communities....
area. These included Central Union High School District
Central Union High School District
Central Union High School District is the district of the 3 high schools in El Centro, California — Central Union High School , Southwest High School , and Desert Oasis High School .CUHSD is next to DOHS....
, Grossmont Union High School District
Grossmont Union High School District
The Grossmont Union High School District is a public school district located in eastern San Diego County, California, and serves high school, adult school, and Regional Occupational Program students in the cities of El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, and Santee; and the unincorporated communities of...
, Poway Unified School District
Poway Unified School District
Poway Unified School District is a school district located in Poway, California. The District operates 25 elementary schools , six middle schools , four comprehensive high schools , and one continuation high school. Twenty-one of its schools are located in the city of San Diego; eleven others in...
, San Diego Unified School District
San Diego Unified School District
San Diego Unified School District is the school district of San Diego, California. It was founded in 1854...
, San Dieguito Union High School District
San Dieguito Union High School District
San Dieguito Union High School District is a school district headquartered in Encinitas, California. The district serves students in the cities of Encinitas, Solana Beach, and Del Mar and surrounding areas.-High schools:*La Costa Canyon High School...
, Sweetwater Union High School District
Sweetwater Union High School District
The Sweetwater Union High School District is a school district headquartered in Chula Vista, California. , the school district is the largest secondary school district in California....
and Vista Unified School District
Vista Unified School District
Vista Unified School District is a public school district headquartered in Vista, California, United States. It serves sections of northern San Diego County....
.
Newspapers
The San Diego metropolitan area is served by many newspapers. Most notable is the major newspaper, The San Diego Union-TribuneThe San Diego Union-Tribune
-Predecessors:The predecessor newspapers of the Union-Tribune were:* San Diego Sun, founded 1861 and merged with the Evening Tribune in 1939.* San Diego Union, founded October 10, 1868.* Evening Tribune, founded December 2, 1895.-Ownership:...
, which is ranked 25th in the country. The Union-Tribune serves both San Diego County and neighboring Imperial County
Imperial County, California
Imperial County is a county located in the Imperial Valley, in the far southeast of the U.S. state of California, bordering both Arizona and Mexico. It is part of the El Centro Metropolitan Area, which encompasses all of Imperial County. The population as of 2000 was 142,361. The county seat is the...
. Major local newspapers include the North County Times
North County Times
The North County Times is a local newspaper in north San Diego County, California owned by Lee Enterprises. It is headquartered in Escondido. The current publisher is Peter York....
, based in Escondido and serving portions of Riverside County and North County. The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
is also delivered. Many of the area's cities and towns have their own local newspapers.
Transportation
Roads
- Interstate 5
.svg.png)
Interstate 5 in CaliforniaInterstate 5 is a major north–south route of the Interstate Highway System in the U.S. state of California. It begins at the Mexico – United States border at the San Ysidro crossing, goes north across the length of California and crosses into Oregon south of the Medford-Ashland metropolitan... - Interstate 8
.svg.png)
- Interstate 15
.svg.png)
Interstate 15 in CaliforniaIn the U.S. state of California, Interstate 15 is a major north–south route through the San Bernardino, Riverside, and San Diego Counties, and it has a length of in the state. It is a major thoroughfare for traffic between Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada, as well as points beyond... - Interstate 805
.svg.png)
Interstate 805Interstate 805 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in Southern California. It is a bypass of Interstate 5, running along the eastern areas of the Greater San Diego area from San Ysidro near the Mexico–U.S... - State Route 15
- State Route 52
California State Route 52State Route 52 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California in San Diego County, that extends from La Jolla Parkway at Interstate 5 in La Jolla to Route 67 in Santee. Route 52 is a freeway for its entire length... - State Route 54
California State Route 54State Route 54 is a California State Highway in San Diego that connects Interstate 5 to the city of El Cajon. The first section was built circa 1961, and the final section of freeway opened in 2007.... - State Route 56
California State Route 56State Route 56 runs from Interstate 5 in the Carmel Valley neighborhood of San Diego to Interstate 15. Route 56 was originally planned in 1964 to connect to the north end of State Route 125 and continue east to State Route 67, but the city of Poway worked to make sure that would not be possible... - State Route 67
California State Route 67State Route 67 runs from Interstate 8 in El Cajon to Lakeside as the San Vicente Freeway. It then becomes a smaller roadway through Poway and becomes Main Street in Ramona before ending into State Route 78.... - State Route 76
California State Route 76State Route 76 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. It is an important east–west route in the North County region of San Diego County that begins in Oceanside near Interstate 5 and continues east past Interstate 15 to State Route 79... - State Route 78
California State Route 78State Route 78 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California in the United States that runs from Oceanside east to Blythe, traversing nearly the entire width of the state. Its western terminus is at Interstate 5 in San Diego County and its eastern terminus is at I-10 in Riverside County... - State Route 79
California State Route 79State Route 79 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. The route goes from Interstate 10 in Riverside County to Interstate 8 in San Diego County.-Route description:... 
State Route 86California State Route 86State Route 86 is a north–south state highway in the southeastern desert region of Southern California, United States. It runs from State Route 111, near the Mexican border crossing at Calexico, north through the Imperial Valley via El Centro and Brawley, and around the west side of the...- State Route 94
California State Route 94State Route 94 in the U.S. state of California is the Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway from Interstate 5 in Downtown San Diego to the end of the freeway portion past Route 125 in Spring Valley; the non-freeway segment of SR 94 is Campo Road.... 
State Route 98- State Route 125
California State Route 125State Route 125 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that currently runs from State Route 905 in Otay Mesa near the U.S.–Mexico border to State Route 52 in Santee.... - State Route 163
- State Route 188
- State Route 905
California State Route 905State Route 905 is a state highway in San Diego, California that connects Interstate 5 and Interstate 805 in San Ysidro to the United States – Mexico border at Otay Mesa. The portions of the route from I-5 to I-805 and from Britannia Boulevard to the International border are freeway...
Airports
| Airport Airport An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport... |
IATA code IATA airport code An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier, IATA station code or simply a location identifier, is a three-letter code designating many airports around the world, defined by the International Air Transport Association... |
ICAO code ICAO airport code The ICAO airport code or location indicator is a four-character alphanumeric code designating each airport around the world. These codes are defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization, and published in ICAO Document 7910: Location Indicators.The ICAO codes are used by air traffic... |
City |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego International Airport San Diego International Airport San Diego International Airport , sometimes referred to as Lindbergh Field, is a public airport located northwest of the central business district of San Diego, California and from the Mexico – United States border at Tijuana, Mexico... |
SAN | KSAN | San Diego |
| Montgomery Field Montgomery Field Montgomery Field is a public airport located in San Diego, California, United States, six miles north of the central business district of San Diego. The airport covers and has three runways and two helipads... |
MYF | KMYF | San Diego |
Other airports include
- McClellan-Palomar AirportMcClellan-Palomar AirportMcClellan-Palomar Airport , known to locals as Palomar Airport, is a public airport located three miles southeast of the central business district of Carlsbad, a city in San Diego County, California, United States. It is owned by the County of San Diego and serves the northern part of the county...
, (CLD or CRQ) a.k.a. Palomar Airport, Carlsbad Airport - Gillespie FieldGillespie FieldGillespie Field is a county-owned public-use airport located 10 miles northeast of the central business district of San Diego, in El Cajon, San Diego County, California, United States....
, (SEE) - Agua Caliente AirportAgua Caliente AirportAgua Caliente Airport , also known as Agua Caliente Airstrip, is a public airport located northeast of Agua Caliente Springs, serving San Diego County, California, USA. This general aviation airport covers and has one runway. Agua Caliente translates to "Hot Water" from Spanish.-Uses:There is an...
- Borrego Valley AirportBorrego Valley AirportBorrego Valley Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located three nautical miles east of the central business district of Borrego Springs, in San Diego County, California, United States.-Facilities and aircraft:...
- Fallbrook Airport
- Jacumba Airport
- Lake Wohlford
- Oceanside Municipal AirportOceanside Municipal AirportOceanside Municipal Airport is a public airport located two miles northeast of the central business district of Oceanside, a city in San Diego County, California. The airport covers and has one runway. It is mostly used for general aviation....
- Ocotillo Airport
- Pauma Valley
- Ramona AirportRamona AirportRamona Airport is a public airport located two miles west of the central business district of Ramona, in San Diego County, California, United States...
, (RNM) - Brown FieldBrown FieldBrown Field Municipal Airport is located in the Otay Mesa neighborhood of San Diego, California, southeast of Downtown San Diego and named in honor of Commander Melville S. Brown, USN, who was killed in an airplane crash in 1936. Its primary runway is long....
, (SDM) (former East Field, NAAS Otay Mesa, and NAAS Brown Field) - Carlsbad Airport
Railroad
- MetrolinkMetrolink (Southern California)Metrolink is a commuter rail system serving Los Angeles and the surrounding area of Southern California; it currently consists of six lines and 55 stations using of track....
- San Diego trolleySan Diego TrolleyThe San Diego Trolley is a light rail system operating in the metropolitan area of San Diego. The operator, San Diego Trolley, Inc. , is a subsidiary of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System ...
and San Diego County MTS - NCTD (North San Diego County)North County Transit DistrictThe North County Transit District is the agency responsible for public transportation in North San Diego County, California, United States...
- COASTER (Oceanside to San Diego)San Diego CoasterThe San Diego Coast Express Rail, or Coaster , is a commuter rail service that operates in the Central and Northern coastal regions of San Diego County, California, United States. The service is operated by TransitAmerica Services on contract with North County Transit District . The service has...
- The Sprinter (Oceanside to Escondido)San Diego CoasterThe San Diego Coast Express Rail, or Coaster , is a commuter rail service that operates in the Central and Northern coastal regions of San Diego County, California, United States. The service is operated by TransitAmerica Services on contract with North County Transit District . The service has...
See also
- United States metropolitan areaUnited States metropolitan areaIn the United States a metropolitan statistical area is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are not legally incorporated as a city or town would be, nor are they legal administrative divisions like...
- Table of United States metropolitan areas
- San Diego–Imperial
- San Diego–Tijuana