El Cajon ( , ; Spanish: El Cajón, meaning "the box") is a city in

San Diego County, California San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the f ...

, United States, east of

downtown San Diego Downtown San Diego is the city center of San Diego, California, the eighth largest city in the United States. In 2010, the Centre City area had a population of more than 28,000. Downtown San Diego serves as the cultural and financial center and ...

. The city takes its name from Rancho El Cajón, which was in turn named for the box-like shape of the valley that surrounds the city, which is also the origin of the city's common nickname of "the Box".El Cajon city history

Name

''El Cajón,'' Spanish for "the box", was first recorded on September 10, 1821, as an alternative name for ''sitio rancho Santa Mónica'' to describe the "boxed-in" nature of the valley in which it sat. The name appeared on maps in 1873 and 1875, shortened to "Cajon", until the modern town developed, in which the post office was named "El Cajon". In 1905, the name was once again expanded to "El Cajon" under the insistence of California banker and historian

Zoeth Skinner Eldredge Zoeth Skinner Eldredge (October 13, 1846 – 1915) was an American banker and amateur historian of California. Eldredge was born in Buffalo, New York. He appears to have self-published at least two books on the local history of San Francisco ...

History

During Spanish rule (1769–1821), the government encouraged settlement of territory now known as California by the establishment of large land grants called ''ranchos'', from which the English word "ranch" is derived. Land grants were made to the Roman Catholic Church, which set up numerous missions throughout the region. In the early 19th century, mission ''padres' ''search for pastureland led them to the El Cajon Valley. Surrounding foothills served as a barrier to straying cattle and a watershed to gather the sparse rainfall. For years, the pasturelands of El Cajon supported the cattle herds of the mission and its native Indian converts. Titles to plots of land were not granted to individuals until the Mexican era (1821–1846). The original intent of the 1834 secularization legislation was to have church property divided among the former mission Indians, but most of the grants were actually made to rich " Californios" of Spanish background who had long been casting envious eyes on the vast holdings of the Roman Catholic missions. In 1845, California Governor Pio Pico confiscated the lands of Mission San Diego de Alcala. He granted 11 square leagues (about ) of the El Cajon Valley to Dona Maria Antonio Estudillo, daughter of José Antonio Estudillo, ''alcalde'' of San Diego, to repay a $500 government obligation. The grant was originally called Rancho Santa Monica and encompassed present-day El Cajon, Bostonia, Santee, Lakeside, Flinn Springs, and the eastern part of La Mesa. It also contained the Rancho Cañada de los Coches grant. Maria Estudillo was the wife of Don Miguel Pedrorena (1808–1850), a native of Madrid, Spain, who had come to California from Peru in 1838 to operate a trading business. With the cession of California to the United States following the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the ...

, the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo provided that the land grants would be honored. As required by the Land Act of 1851, a claim for Rancho El Cajon was filed by Thomas W. Sutherland, guardian of Pedrorena's heirs (his son, Miguel, and his three daughters, Victoria, Ysabel, and Elenain) with the Public Land Commission in 1852, confirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court, and the grant was patented in 1876. In 1868, Los Angeles land developer Isaac Lankershim bought the bulk of the Pedrorena's Rancho El Cajon holdings and employed Major Levi Chase, a former Union Army officer, as his agent. Chase received from Lankershim known as the Chase Ranch. Lankershim hired Amaziah Lord Knox (1833–1918), a New Englander whom he had met in San Francisco, to manage Rancho El Cajon. In 1876, Knox established a hotel there to serve the growing number of people traveling between

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

and Julian, where gold had been discovered in 1869. Room and board for a guest and horse cost $1 a night. The area became known as Knox's Corners and was later renamed. By 1878 there were 25 families living in the valley and a portion of the hotel lobby became the valley post office with Knox as the first postmaster. El Cajon was incorporated as a city in 1912. For the first half of the 20th century, El Cajon was known for its grape, citrus, and tomato agriculture. In the 1960s and 1970s, Frontier Town, Big Oak Ranch, was a tourist attraction, featuring a typical frontier-town theme park and a periodic simulated shootout. The park closed around 1980 and is being used for residential housing.

Cajon Speedway Cajon Speedway is a former oval race track near El Cajon, California. History Located between Gillespie Field and the San Vicente Freeway a 0.25 mile dirt oval track opened in 1961. Named Cajon Speedway the track expanded to a 0.375 mile dirt tr ...

was a that operated from 1961 to 2005, which was founded by

Earle Brucker Jr. Earle Francis Brucker Jr. (August 25, 1925 – March 28, 2009) was a professional baseball player. He played two games as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1948. After playing several seasons in minor league base ...

of the El Cajon Stock Car Racing Association. One of his sons, Steve Brucker, later took over ownership of the track. Though closing after the death of Steve Brucker, it is a historic museum featuring the original entrance sign with the slogan "The fastest 3/8-mile paved oval in the West."

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , all land. It is bordered by San Diego and La Mesa on the west, Spring Valley on the south, Santee on the north, and unincorporated San Diego County on the east. It includes the neighborhoods of Fletcher Hills, Bostonia, and Rancho San Diego.

Climate

Under the Köppen climate classification, El Cajon straddles areas of Mediterranean climate (''Csa'') and semiarid climate (''BSh''). As a result, it is often described as "arid Mediterranean" and "semiarid steppe". Like most inland areas in Southern California, the climate varies dramatically within a short distance, known as

microclimate A microclimate (or micro-climate) is a local set of atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding areas, often with a slight difference but sometimes with a substantial one. The term may refer to areas as small as a few squ ...

. El Cajon's climate has greater extremes compared to coastal San Diego. The farther east from the coast, the more arid the climate gets, until one reaches the mountains, where precipitation increases due to

orographic uplift Orographic lift occurs when an air mass is forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain. As the air mass gains altitude it quickly cools down Adiabatic cooling, adiabatically, which can raise the relative humid ...

. El Cajon's climate is warm during summer with mean temperatures averaging or higher and cool during winter with mean temperatures averaging or higher. The average high in the summer ranges from about , with temperatures reaching as high as over . The coldest month of the year is December with an average maximum temperature of and an average minimum of , occasionally reaching below . Temperature variations between night and day tend to be moderate with an average difference of during the summer, and an average difference of during the winter. The annual average precipitation at El Cajon is , nearly twice the average of San Diego, and similar to Pasadena and the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area G ...

. Rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the winter, but rare in summer. The wettest month of the year is December with an average rainfall of . The record high temperature was on September 5, 2020. The record low temperature was on January 8, 1913. The wettest year was 1941 with and the driest year was 1989 with . The most rainfall in one month was in January 1993. The most rainfall in 24 hours was on January 27, 1916. A rare snowfall in November 1992 totaled . of snow covered the ground in January 1882.

Demographics

2010

The

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...

reported that El Cajon had a population of 99,478. The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of El Cajon was 43,746 (41.6%) White, 6,306 (6.3%) African American, 835 (0.8%) Native American, 3,561 (3.6%) Asian (1.7% Filipino, 0.5% Chinese, 0.4% Vietnamese, 0.2% Japanese, 0.1% Indian, 0.1% Korean, 0.6% other), 495 (0.5%) Pacific Islander, 26,498 (26.6%) from other races, and 6,832 (6.9%) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 31,542 persons (30.4%). About one-third of El Cajon residents are foreign-born. In particular, the city has a large Iraqi immigrant population, consisting of both

Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...

s and

Chaldean Catholics Chaldean Catholics () ( syr, ܟܲܠܕܵܝܹ̈ܐ ܩܲܬܘܿܠܝܼܩܵܝܹ̈ܐ), also known as Chaldeans (, ''Kaldāyē''), Chaldo-Assyrians or Assyro-Chaldeans, are modern Assyrian adherents of the Chaldean Catholic Church, which originates fr ...

; both groups are among the largest such communities in the country. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

2008-2010 Estimate, 7,537 residents self identify as Arabs (7.6%; mainly Iraqi), and 6,409 (6.4%) are Chaldean Catholic. In 2017, a spokesperson for the city of El Cajon estimated that 15,000 to 20,000 Chaldean Catholics live in the city. In 2010, El Cajon had the highest poverty rate in San Diego County among adults, at 29.7%, and children, at 36.5%.

2000

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, 94,869 people, 34,199 households, and 23,152 families were residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 35,190 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 42.9% White, 5.4% African American, 1.0% Native American, 2.8% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 24.1% from other races], and 6.0% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 29.2% of the population. Of the 34,199 households, 37.0% had children under 18 living with them, 46.0% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were not families. About 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.70, and the average family size was 3.21. In the city, the age distribution was 27.9% under 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 91.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $35,566, and for a family was $40,045. Males had a median income of $32,498 versus $25,320 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $16,698. About 13.5% of families and 16.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 23.1% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.

Household income

According to estimates by the

San Diego Association of Governments The San Diego Association of Governments (abbreviated SANDAG) is an association of local San Diego County governments. It is the metropolitan planning organization for the County, with policy makers consisting of mayors, councilmembers, and Count ...

, the

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways ...

of El Cajon in 2005 was $47,885 (not adjusted for

inflation In economics, inflation is an increase in the general price level of goods and services in an economy. When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation corresponds to a reduct ...

). When adjusted for inflation (1999 dollars; comparable to Census data above), the median household income was $38,884.

Ethnic groups

, it had an estimated 40,000 Iraqi Americans. Included are members of different religious and ethnic groups originating from Iraq. The Iran-Iraq War prompted the first immigration, and it continued due to the Persian Gulf War and then the

U.S. Invasion of Iraq The 2003 invasion of Iraq was a United States-led invasion of the Republic of Iraq and the first stage of the Iraq War. The invasion phase began on 19 March 2003 (air) and 20 March 2003 (ground) and lasted just over one month, including 26 ...

and the resulting conflict.

Government

Until 2012, El Cajon was a

general law city In the systems of local government in some U.S. states, a general-law municipality, general-law city, code city,

operating under a council-manager system. In June 2012, the voters adopted a city charter, changing its status to chartered city. El Cajon is governed by a five-member

city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural coun ...

, on which the mayor also sits. Starting in 2018, four councilmembers are elected from single-member districts and the mayor is elected at-large. On October 24, 2013, Mayor Mark Lewis resigned his position after coming under criticism for remarks he made about El Cajon's Chaldean community. Many notable figures including Congressman

Juan Vargas Juan Carlos Vargas (born March 7, 1961) is an American businessman and politician who has been the U.S. representative for California since 2013. His district includes all of Imperial County and the southernmost portions of San Diego County. ...

and Neighborhood Market Association President

Mark Arabo Mark Paul Arabo (born February 17, 1983) is a Assyrian Americans, Chaldean-American businessman, San Diego community leader, and global humanitarian. He is a human rights activist for the Chaldean community and speaks to the national US media, ad ...

called for his resignation. Lewis resigned shortly after due to health issues. On November 12, the city council appointed Councilman Bill Wells, who had been serving as interim mayor, as the mayor. The vote of the council was 4–0; Wells recused himself. He was elected to a full four-year term as mayor in November 2014 and re-elected in November 2018. The current mayor and city councilmembers include Mayor Bill Wells and City Councilmembers Gary Kendrick, Steve Goble, Phil Ortiz, and Michelle Metchel. El Cajon's city manager is Graham Mitchell.

State and federal representation

In the

California State Legislature The California State Legislature is a bicameral state legislature consisting of a lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members; and an upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members. Both houses of the Legislatu ...

, El Cajon is in , and in . In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

, El Cajon is split between , and .

Economy

The Parkway Plaza shopping mall is located in El Cajon.

Top employers

According to the city's 2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Schools

Cajon Valley Union School District Cajon Valley Union School District (CVUSD) is a school district in California. Its headquarters are in El Cajon El Cajon ( , ; Spanish: El Cajón, meaning "the box") is a city in San Diego County, California, United States, east of downtown ...

operates public elementary and middle schools.

Grossmont Union High School District The Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) is a public school district located in eastern San Diego County, California, and serves high school, adult school, and Regional Occupational Program (ROP) students in the cities of El Cajon, Le ...

operates public high schools.

Public elementary schools

* Anza Elementary * Avocado Elementary * Blossom Valley Elementary * Bostonia Elementary * Chase Avenue Elementary * Crest Elementary * Dehesa School * Fletcher Hills Elementary * Flying Hills Elementary * Fuerte Elementary * Jamacha Elementary * Johnson Elementary * Lexington Elementary * Madison Elementary * Magnolia Elementary * Meridian Elementary * Naranca Elementary * Rancho San Diego Elementary * Rios Elementary * Vista Grande Elementary * W.D. Hall Elementary

Public middle schools

* Cajon Valley Middle School * Greenfield Middle School * Hillsdale Middle School * Los Coches Creek Middle School * Montgomery Middle School

Public high schools

* Chaparral High School * Christian High School *

El Cajon Valley High School El Cajon Valley High School (ECVHS) is a comprehensive public secondary school located in El Cajon, California, which is in the eastern county of San Diego, and serves students in grades nine through twelve. Established in 1955, El Cajon Valley is ...

* Granite Hills High School * Grossmont High School *

Grossmont Middle College High School Grossmont Middle College High School (GMCHS) is a high school in San Diego County, California. Founded in 2001, GMCHS is located on the Grossmont College Grossmont College is a public community college in El Cajon, California. Its name orig ...

* IDEA Center High School * Valhalla High School Steele Canyon high school

Private schools

Foothills Christian Schools Foothills Christian Schools (FCS) is a private Christian school network in San Diego County, California, covering grades preschool-12. Schools Schools in the network: * Foothills Christian Preschool - El Cajon * Foothills Christian School (K-5) ...

(Preschool, middle school, and high school campuses)

Colleges

* Advanced Training * Cuyamaca College * Grossmont College * San Diego Christian College * Seminary of Mar Abba the Great of the Chaldean Catholic Church

Places of interest

Annual events

On a Saturday in May, the city celebrates its diversity with a free family-friendly event called "America on Main Street". The festival replaces a previous city-sponsored event called the International Friendship Festival, which ran from 1991 to 2003. Both festivals highlight the city's identity as a "mini-United Nations", with 30% of its population being immigrants from Iraq, Somalia, Syria, Turkey, and other countries. El Cajon's annual Mother Goose Parade has been held on the Sunday before Thanksgiving every year since 1946. Organizers claim it is the largest parade in San Diego County. It features more than 100 entries, including "motorized floats, marching bands and drill units, equestrians, clowns, performing artists, giant helium balloons, specialty vehicles, and Santa Claus."

Visitor attractions

Visitor attractions in and around El Cajon include the Water Conservation Garden and Butterfly Garden at Cuyamaca College, Sycuan Casino, Summers Past Farms, and the Parkway Plaza Mall.

Airports

* Gillespie Field

Notable people

* Lester Bangs, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' rock critic * William Bengen, certified financial planner who proposed the 4 percent draw-down rule in retirement planning * Kurt Bevacqua, former Major League Baseball player * Aaron Boone, former Major League Baseball player * Bob Boone, former Major League Baseball player * Bret Boone, former Major League Baseball player * Tony Clark, former Major League Baseball player * Kevin Correia, former Major League Baseball player * William John Cox (Billy Jack Cox), public interest attorney, political activist, El Cajon police officer 1962-68 * Dave Dravecky, former Major League Baseball player * Amy Finley, host of ''The Gourmet Next Door'' on Food Network Channel *

Geoff Geary Geoffrey Michael Geary (born August 26, 1976) is an American former professional baseball right-handed relief pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros. Biography Geary graduated from Gro ...

, former Major League Baseball player * Brian Giles, former Major League Baseball player * Marcus Giles, former Major League Baseball player * Broc Glover, professional motocross racer * Brian Graham, former Minor League Baseball player * A.J. Griffin, current Major League Baseball player * Ryan Hansen, actor * Chris Holder, former Minor League Baseball player * Mike Hartley, former Major League Baseball player *

David Jeremiah David Jeremiah is an American evangelical Christian author, founder of Turning Point Radio and Television Ministries and senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church, a Southern Baptist megachurch in El Cajon, California, a suburb of ...

, Christian minister *

Jimmie Johnson Jimmie Kenneth Johnson (born September 17, 1975) is an American professional auto racing driver. A seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, he competes part-time in the series driving for Petty GMS Motorsports. Johnson's seven Cup championships, t ...

, seven-time

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...

champion * Ricky Johnson, motocross racer * Joe Kennedy, former Major League Baseball player * David Lee, volleyball Olympic gold medalist *

Darrell Long Darrell Don Earl Long is an American computer scientist and computer engineer who is Kumar Malavalli Endowed Chair of Storage Systems Research and Distinguished Professor of Engineering at the University of California, Santa Cruz.Greg Louganis,

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...

diver, 1984 and 1988 gold medalist * Mark Malone, former NFL football player and sportscaster * Glen Morgan, film director * Joe Musgrove, current Major League Baseball player * Swen Nater, former NBA basketball player * Alfred Olango, shooting victim *

Grant Roberts Grant William Roberts (born September 13, 1977) is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball. A right-handed relief pitcher, Roberts pitched for the New York Mets from to . His career was derailed by injuries and a violation of baseball's stero ...

, former Major League Baseball player * Brian Sipe, former NFL football player *

Shane Spencer Michael Shane Spencer (born February 20, 1972) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. In Major League Baseball, he played a total of 538 games for the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, and New York Mets, compiling 438 hi ...

, former Major League Baseball player * Tommy Vardell, former NFL football player * Brandon Whitt, former NASCAR driver * Katie Wilkins, Team USA Olympic volleyball player * James Wong, television producer *

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by nonconformity, free-form improvisation, sound experiments, musical virtuosity and satire of ...

, musician *

Barry Zito Barry William Zito (born May 13, 1978) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants. His pitching repertoire consisted of a curveball ...

, former Major League Baseball player

References

External links

*
''The East County Californian''
- newspaper serving El Cajon {{authority control Cities in San Diego County, California East County (San Diego County) Incorporated cities and towns in California Populated places established in 1875 1875 establishments in California Populated places established in 1912 1912 establishments in California