San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the fifth-most populous in the United States. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

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 State ...

, the second-most populous city in California and the eighth-most populous city in the United States. It is the southwesternmost county in the 48 contiguous United States, and is a border county. It is also home to 18 Native American tribal reservations, the most of any county in the United States. San Diego County comprises the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is the 17th most populous

metropolitan statistical area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

and the 18th most populous primary statistical area of the United States as of July 1, 2012. San Diego County is also part of the San Diego–Tijuana transborder metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area shared between the United States and

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. San Diego County has more than of coastline. This forms the most densely populated region of the county, which has a mild

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

semiarid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi- ...

and extensive chaparral vegetation, similar to the rest of the western portion of Southern California. Precipitation and temperature extremes increase to the east, with mountains that receive frost and snow in the winter. These lushly forested mountains receive more rainfall than the average in Southern California, while the desert region of the county lies in a rain shadow to the east, which extends into the Desert Southwest region of North America. There are 16 military installations, of the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

, U.S. Marine Corps, and the U.S. Coast Guard in San Diego County. These include Naval Base San Diego,

Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by O ...

, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Naval Air Station North Island, and Coast Guard Air Station San Diego. From north to south, San Diego County extends from the southern borders of

Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

and Riverside Counties to the Mexico-U.S. border and the

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

municipalities of

Tijuana Tijuana ( ,"Tijuana"
(US) and < ...

and Tecate. From west to east, San Diego County stretches from the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contin ...

to its boundary with Imperial County, which separated from it in 1907. Since 2010, statewide

droughts in California The historical and ongoing droughts in California result from various complex meteorological phenomena, some of which are not fully understood by scientists. Drought is generally defined as “a deficiency of precipitation over an extended peri ...

have further strained San Diego County's

water security Water security is the focused goal of water policy and water management. A society with a high level of water security makes the most of water's benefits for humans and ecosystems and limits the risk of destructive impacts associated with water. T ...

History

The area which is now San Diego County has been inhabited for more than 12,000 years by Kumeyaay (also called Diegueno and Ipai/Tipai), Payómkawichum (Luiseño), Kuupangaxwichem (Cupeño), ʔívil̃uqaletem (Cahuilla), and the Acjachemen (Juaneño) Indians and their local predecessors. In 1542, the explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, who may have been born in

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

but sailed under the flag of Castile, claimed San Diego Bay for the

Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...

, and he named the site San Miguel. In November 1602,

Sebastián Vizcaíno Sebastián Vizcaíno (1548–1624) was a Spanish soldier, entrepreneur, explorer, and diplomat whose varied roles took him to New Spain, the Baja California peninsula, the California coast and Asia. Early career Vizcaíno was born in 154 ...

surveyed the harbor and what are now Mission Bay and

Point Loma Point Loma (Spanish: ''Punta de la Loma'', meaning "Hill Point"; Kumeyaay: ''Amat Kunyily'', meaning "Black Earth") is a seaside community within the city of San Diego, California. Geographically it is a hilly peninsula that is bordered on the w ...

and named the area for Saint Didacus, a Spaniard more commonly known as San Diego. European settlement in what is now San Diego County began with the founding of the San Diego Presidio and Mission San Diego de Alcalá by

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

soldiers and clerics in 1769. This county was part of Alta California under the

Viceroyalty of New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( es, Virreinato de Nueva España, ), or Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain during the Spanish colonization of the Amer ...

until the Mexican declaration of independence. From 1821 through 1848 this area was part of

. San Diego County became part of the United States as a result of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, ending 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 1 ...

. This treaty designated the new border as terminating at a point on the Pacific Ocean coast which would result in the border passing one Spanish league south of the southernmost portion of San Diego Bay, thus ensuring that the United States received all of this natural harbor. San Diego County was one of the original counties of California, created at the time of California statehood in 1850. At the time of its establishment in 1850, San Diego County was relatively large, and included all of southernmost California south and east of Los Angeles County. It included areas of what are now Inyo and

San Bernardino San Bernardino (; Spanish for "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 cen ...

Counties, as well as all of what are now Riverside and Imperial Counties. During the later part of the 19th century, there were numerous changes in the boundaries of San Diego County, when various areas were separated to make up the counties mentioned above. The most recent changes were the establishments of Riverside County in 1893 and Imperial County in 1907. Imperial County was also the last county to be established in California, and after this division, San Diego no longer extended from the Pacific Ocean to the

Colorado River The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. s ...

, and it no longer covered the entire border between California and Mexico.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of , of which is land and (7.0%) is water. The county is larger in area than the combined states of Rhode Island and Delaware. San Diego County has a varied topography. On its western side is more than of coastline. Most of San Diego between the coast and the

Laguna Mountains The Laguna Mountains are a mountain range of the Peninsular Ranges System in eastern San Diego County, southern California. The mountains run in a northwest/southeast alignment for approximately . The mountains have long been inhabited by the i ...

consists of hills,

mesa A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by a ...

s, and small canyons. Snow-capped (in winter) mountains rise to the east, with the

Sonoran Desert The Sonoran Desert ( es, Desierto de Sonora) is a desert in North America and ecoregion that covers the northwestern Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur, as well as part of the southwestern United States (in Ariz ...

farther to the east. Cleveland National Forest is spread across the central portion of the county, while the

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (, '' AN-zə bə-RAY-goh'') is a California State Park located within the Colorado Desert of southern California, United States. The park takes its name from 18th century Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and ...

occupies most of the northeast. Although the county's western third is primarily urban, the mountains and deserts in the eastern two-thirds are primarily undeveloped

backcountry In the United States, a backcountry or backwater is a geographical area that is remote, undeveloped, isolated, or difficult to access. Terminology Backcountry and wilderness within United States national parks The National Park Service (NPS) ...

. Most of these backcountry areas are home to a native plant community known as chaparral. San Diego County contains more than of chaparral, twice as much as any other California county. North San Diego County is known as

North County North County is a region in the northern area of San Diego County, California. It is the second-most populous region in the county (after San Diego), with an estimated population of 869,322. North County is well known for its affluence, especial ...

; the exact geographic definitions of "North County" vary, but it includes the northern suburbs and sometimes certain northern neighborhoods of the city of San Diego. The eastern suburbs are collectively known as East County, though most still lie in the western third of the county. The southern suburbs and southern detached portion of the city of San Diego, extending to the Mexican border, are collectively referred to as South Bay. Periodically the area has been subject to

wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identi ...

s that force thousands to evacuate. The most recent are the December 2017 Lilac Fire and the May 2014 San Diego County wildfires; before them was the Witch Creek Fire in 2007 and the

Cedar Fire The Cedar Fire was a massive, highly-destructive wildfire, which burned of land in San Diego County, California, San Diego County, California, during October and November 2003. The fire's rapid growth was driven by the Santa Ana wind, causing ...

in 2003. California defines a fire season in which fires are most likely to occur, usually between late July and late October (which are the driest months of the area). Signs posted in numerous spots of the county provide information on the level of threats from fires based on weather conditions.

Climate

Under the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, the urban and suburban San Diego area straddles areas of

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

(CSa) to the north and

semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of sem ...

(BSh) to the south and east. As a result, it is often described as "arid Mediterranean" and "semi-arid steppe." Farther east, arid desert conditions prevail. Western 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 and low rainfall ( annually). Summer temperatures are generally warm, with average highs of and lows of . Temperatures exceed only four days a year. Most rainfall occurs from November to April. Winter temperatures are mild, with average high temperatures of and lows of . The climate in the San Diego area, like much of California, often varies significantly over short geographical distances resulting in microclimates. 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 A marine layer is an air mass that develops over the surface of a large body of water, such as an 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 th ...

will keep the air cool and damp within a few miles of the coast, but will yield to bright cloudless sunshine approximately 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 and August highs of . The city of El Cajon, just northeast of downtown San Diego, averages January lows of and August highs of . Julian, in the mountains, has an average January low of and August high of . Borrego Springs, in the Colorado Desert, has an average January low of and August high of . Rainfall along the coast averages about 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 occur. However, the rainfall is greater in the higher elevations of San Diego. Some of the higher areas of San Diego, such as Palomar Mountain and the

, receive of rain per year, supporting lush forests similar to the Sierra Nevada and

California Coast Range The Coast Ranges of California span from Del Norte or Humboldt County, California, south to Santa Barbara County. The other three coastal California mountain ranges are the Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges and the Klamath Mountains. Phy ...

. The Colorado Desert portion of the county lies to the east of the mountains, which receives the least amount of precipitation; Borrego Springs, the largest population center in the desert, averages only , with a high evaporation rate.

Adjacent counties and municipalities

National protected areas

Cabrillo National Monument Cabrillo National Monument ( es, Monumento nacional Cabrillo) is at the southern tip of the Point Loma Peninsula in San Diego, California, United States. It commemorates the landing of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo at San Diego Bay on September 2 ...

* Cleveland National Forest (part) * San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which includes ** San Diego National Wildlife Refuge ** San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge ** Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge ** Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge (located in Orange County) There are seven official wilderness areas in San Diego County that are part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Four of these are integral parts of Cleveland National Forest, whereas three are managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Some of these extend into neighboring counties (as indicated below): * Otay Mountain Wilderness (BLM) *

Pine Creek Wilderness Pine Creek Wilderness is a wilderness area designated by Congress in 1984. It is located entirely in California, and managed by United States Forest Service as part of the Cleveland National Forest. The wilderness is a sloping area of , ranging f ...

(Cleveland National Forest) * Hauser Wilderness (Cleveland National Forest) * Carrizo Gorge Wilderness (BLM) * Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness (BLM) * Agua Tibia Wilderness (Cleveland National Forest) partly in Riverside County * San Mateo Canyon Wilderness (Cleveland National Forest) mostly in Riverside County

State parks and protected areas

(part) *

Torrey Pines State Reserve Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is of coastal state park located in the community of La Jolla, in San Diego, California, off North Torrey Pines Road. Although it is located within San Diego city limits, it remains one of the wildest stretche ...

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park Cuyamaca Rancho State Park is a state park in Southern California, United States, located east of San Diego in the Cuyamaca and Laguna Mountains of the Peninsular Ranges. The park's feature pine, fir, and oak forests, with meadows and streams ...

Palomar Mountain State Park Palomar Mountain ( ; es, Monte Palomar ) is a mountain ridge 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. Hist ...

* San Pasqual Battlefield 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 City of San Diego and includes many historic buildings ...

Border Field State Park Border Field State Park is a state park of California, United States, containing beach and coastal habitat on the Mexico–United States border. The park is within the city limits of Imperial Beach in San Diego County, next to the suburb of Pla ...

* Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve *

San Onofre State Beach San Onofre State Beach (''San Onofre'', Spanish for " St. Onuphrius") is a state park in San Diego County, California. The beach is south of San Clemente on Interstate 5 at Basilone Road. The state park is leased to the state of California by ...

Moonlight State Beach Moonlight State Beach is a state beach in Encinitas, California. It is located one fifth of a mile beyond the point where Encinitas Boulevard turns into B Street after it crosses Highway 101.Irons 2007, online article The beach area is well ...

* Carlsbad State Beach *

South Carlsbad State Beach South Carlsbad State Beach (which includes South Ponto) is a public beach located in Carlsbad, California. Known for being a place for swimming, surfing, skin diving, fishing, and picnicking, the campground, which is led by the stairway from th ...

Leucadia State Beach Leucadia State Beach, also known as Beacon's Beach, is a public beach in the city of Encinitas, California, Encinitas, California, United States. It is operated as Beacon’s Beach by the city under a 20-year agreement with the California Departm ...

San Elijo State Beach San Elijo State Beach is a California State Beach in San Diego County, California, United States. Location San Elijo State Beach is near San Diego, by San Elijo Lagoon, adjacent to the Cardiff State Beach. San Elijo State Beach offers swimming ...

Cardiff State Beach Cardiff State Beach is a protected beach in the state park system of California, United States, located near San Diego. Popular activities include swimming, surfing, and beachcombing. Just next to Cardiff State Beach is a San Elijo State Beach, ...

* Torrey Pines State Beach *

Silver Strand State Beach Silver Strand, or simply The Strand, is a low, narrow, sandy isthmus or tombolo long in San Diego County, California partially within the Silver Strand State Beach. It connects Coronado, California, Coronado Island with Imperial Beach. Together w ...

Mountains

* Cuyamaca Mountains * In-Ko-Pah Mountains * Jacumba Mountains *

* Palomar Mountain * Peninsular Ranges * San Ysidro Mountains * Santa Ana Mountains *

Volcan Mountains The Volcan Mountains are a mountain range of the Peninsular Ranges System, located in the East County region of San Diego County, California. Geography The Volcans are a northwest–southeast range with an approximate length of and width of . ...

There are 236 mountain summits and peaks in San Diego County including: * Black Mountain * Cuyamaca Peak (second highest point in San Diego County) * Cowles Mountain (highest point in the city of San Diego) * Mount Helix *

Hot Springs Mountain Hot Springs Mountain is a peak located in the Peninsular Ranges in California. The mountain rises to an elevation of and is the highest point in San Diego County. Some snow falls on the mountain peak during winter. It is located in a remote regio ...

(highest point in San Diego County) * Margarita Peak *

Mount Soledad Mount Soledad, also known as Soledad Mountain, is a prominent landmark in the city of San Diego, California, United States. The mountaintop is the site of the Mount Soledad Cross, the subject of a 25-year controversy over the involvement of reli ...

* Stonewall Mountain * El Cajon Mountain

Bays and lagoons

* Buena Vista Lagoon * Agua Hedionda Lagoon * Batiquitos Lagoon * San Elijo Lagoon *

Los Peñasquitos Lagoon Los Peñasquitos Marsh Natural Preserve and Lagoon is a coastal marsh in San Diego County, California, United States situated at the northern edge of the City of San Diego, forming the natural border with Del Mar, California.Torrey Pines State Pr ...

* Mission Bay * San Diego Bay

Lakes

Lake Cuyamaca Lake Cuyamaca, also called Cuyamaca Reservoir, is a reservoir and a recreation area in the eastern Cuyamaca Mountains, located in eastern San Diego County, California. Geography California State Route 79 wraps around three shores, and provides ...

* Lake Hodges *Santee Lakes *

Sweetwater Reservoir Sweetwater Reservoir is a artificial lake in San Diego County, California, formed by the Sweetwater Dam on the Sweetwater River. Construction of the dam was completed in 1888. Environment The area surrounding the reservoir is home to several s ...

* Upper Otay Reservoir * Lower Otay Reservoir *Lake Wohlford * El Capitan Reservoir *Sutherland Reservoir * Lake Henshaw * Lake Murray *

San Vicente Reservoir San Vicente Reservoir is a reservoir created by the San Vicente Dam in San Diego County, California. It is located in the Cuyamaca Mountains, approximately north of Lakeside off California State Route 67. Description The reservoir is formed by ...

* Lake Jennings * Barrett Dam *Natural Rock Tanks *Little Laguna Lake *Big Laguna Lake *Big Lake *Twin Lakes *Jean Lake *Lost Lake *Swan Lake * Lake Miramar * Lake Poway * Dixon Lake *Lindo Lake

Rivers

* San Diego River *

San Luis Rey River The San Luis Rey River is a river in northern San Diego County, California. The river's headwaters are in the Palomar Mountain Range and Cleveland National Forest, near Palomar Mountain and the Santa Rosa Mountains. The river mouth, on the Pacif ...

San Dieguito River The San Dieguito River is a major river in Southern California, United States. Its headwaters rise on the southern slope of the Volcan Mountains in San Diego County and the river flows generally southwest for ,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hy ...

* Sweetwater River * Otay River * Tijuana River *

Santa Margarita River The Santa Margarita River which with the addition of what is now Temecula Creek, was formerly known as the Temecula River, is a short intermittent river on the Pacific coast of southern California in the United States, approximately U.S. Geologi ...

Environmental risks

San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station 2014-07-09

More than 1,700 tons of radioactive waste are stored at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, which sits in an area where there is a record of past

tsunami A tsunami ( ; from ja, 津波, lit=harbour wave, ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater exp ...

Demographics

Since at least 2014, San Diego County is the fifth most populous county in the United States. In 2000, only about 3% of San Diego County residents left the county for work while 40,000 people commuted into the metropolitan area.

2020 census

''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''

Racial and Ethnic Composition since 1960

Race

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 servi ...

reported that San Diego County had a population of 3,095,313. The racial makeup of San Diego County was 1,981,442 (64.0%)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 158,213 (5.1%)

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 26,340 (0.9%) Native American, 336,091 (10.9%) Asian (4.7% Filipino, 1.6% Vietnamese, 1.4% Chinese, 3.2% Other Asian), 15,337 (0.5%)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 419,465 (13.6%) from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 158,425 (5.0%) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

or Latino of any race were 991,348 people (32.0%). Including those of mixed race, the total number of residents with Asian ancestry was 407,984. As of 2009, the racial makeup of the county was 79.4% White American, 5.6%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

, 1% Native American, 10.4% Asian, 0.5%

, 10.3% from

, and 3.6% from two or more races. 31.3% of the population were

or Latino of any race. 67.0% spoke only English at home; 21.9% spoke Spanish, 3.1% Tagalog and 1.2%

Vietnamese Vietnamese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia ** A citizen of Vietnam. See Demographics of Vietnam. * Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam ** Overse ...

Other demographics

As of 2018 Census Bureau estimates, there were 3,343,364 people, 1,067,846 households, and 663,449 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 1,142,245 housing units at an average density of . In 2000 there were 994,677 households, out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.29. As of 2000, in the county the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 11.30% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.7 males. In 2012, it was estimated that there were 198,000 unauthorized immigrants; the origin of the plurality of them is

. In 2018, the median household income was $70,824; most people spend more than 30% of their income on housing costs. In August of that year, the median home price was $583,000; this is lower than the median home price in Los Angeles, and Orange counties.

Income

According to the 2000 Census, the median income for a household in the county was $47,067, and the median income for a family was $53,438. Males had a median income of $36,952 versus $30,356 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,926. About 8.9% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.5% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over. Much of the county's high-income residents are concentrated in the northern part of the city of San Diego. The San Diego metropolitan area has two places with both a population of over 50,000 and a per capita income of over $40,000: Carlsbad and

Encinitas Encinitas (Spanish for "Small Oaks") is a beach city in the North County area of San Diego County, California. Located within Southern California, it is approximately north of San Diego, between Solana Beach and Carlsbad, and about south o ...

. The county's largest continuous high-income urban area is a triangle from a first point on the northern edge of Carlsbad, a second point southeast of Escondido, and a third point on the southern edge of

La Jolla La Jolla ( , ) is a hilly, seaside neighborhood within the city of San Diego, California, United States, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean. The population reported in the 2010 census was 46,781. La Jolla is surrounded on ...

. It contains all or most of the cities of Carlsbad, Encinitas,

Solana Beach Solana Beach (''Solana'', Spanish for "warm wind") is a coastal city in San Diego County, California. Its population was at 12,941 at the 2020 U.S. Census, up from 12,867 at the 2010 Census. History The area was first settled by the San Dieg ...

Del Mar Del Mar is Spanish for "of the sea" or "from the sea". It may refer to: Places in the United States * Del Mar, California * Del Mar High School, located in San Jose, California * Del Mar racetrack, located in Del Mar, California * Del Mar Fai ...

, and

Poway Poway () is a city in San Diego County, California, United States. The unincorporated community became a city on December 1, 1980. Poway's rural roots influenced its motto "The City in the Country". The city has a population of 49,701 as of 2 ...

in addition to a substantial portion of northern San Diego.U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Tables B01003 and B19025
U.S. Census website
Retrieved October 26, 2013.

Homelessness

According to a Point-In-Time count taken for the San Diego Regional Task Force on the Homeless, there were 8,576 homeless individuals on January 6, 2018, a 6% decrease from 2017. 3,586 were sheltered, and 4,990 were not. 4,912 (75.3%) were in the city of San Diego. North County Inland had 1,153 (13.4%), North County Coastal with 822 homeless (9.6%), 602 (7%) were found in South County, and 1,087 (12.7%) in East County.

Religion

According to the Pew Research Center , 68% of adults in the county are Christian, of whom 32% are

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. 27% were unaffiliated, and 5% adhered to a Non-Christian faith. According to the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

, in 2010, the largest faith in the county was Catholicism, followed by Nondenominational Christians, and Mormons. In 2014, the county had 978 religious organizations, the seventh most out of all US counties.

Immigration Data

In 2014 according to Pew Research Center, there are about 170,000 illegal aliens living in the region. San Diego has been a destination for trafficked minors from Mexico and the Philippines. In 2018, the United States Border Patrol caught an average of over a hundred individuals crossing the border illegally each day.

Economy

San Diego County and Imperial County are part of the Southern Border Region, one of nine such regions. As a regional economy, the Southern Border Region is the smallest but most economically diverse region in the state. However, the two counties maintain weak relations and have little in common aside from their common border. The region has a high

cost of living Cost of living is the cost of maintaining a certain standard of living. Changes in the cost of living over time can be operationalized in a cost-of-living index. Cost of living calculations are also used to compare the cost of maintaining a cer ...

. This includes the highest cost of water in the United States. , San Diego County is within the top ten highest cost of rent in the United States; this has led to people moving out of the county.

Agriculture

San Diego County's

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...

industry was worth $1.85 billion in 2013, and is one of the top five egg producing counties in the United States. In 2013, San Diego County also had the most small farms of any county in the United States, and had the 19th largest agricultural economy of any county in the United States. According to the San Diego Farm Bureau, San Diego County is the United States' leading producer of

avocados The avocado (''Persea americana'') is a medium-sized, evergreen tree in the laurel family (Lauraceae). It is native to the Americas and was first domesticated by Mesoamerican tribes more than 5,000 years ago. Then as now it was prized for i ...

and nursery crops. Until the early 20th century, San Diego County had a thriving wine industry; however the 1916 Charles Hatfield flood was the beginning of the end of the industry which included the destruction of the Daneri winery in Otay Valley. , there are roughly one hundred vineyards and wineries in San Diego County. By the 20192020 statistical survey, California Department of Food & Agriculture (cdfa) found that the nursery trade dominated the county's agriculture by dollar value. Second place went to

avocado The avocado (''Persea americana'') is a medium-sized, evergreen tree in the laurel family ( Lauraceae). It is native to the Americas and was first domesticated by Mesoamerican tribes more than 5,000 years ago. Then as now it was prized for ...

production.

Breweries

The county has been called "the Craft Beer Capital of America". Brewing has been one of the fastest-growing business sectors with local breweries ranking among the 50 largest craft brewers in the United States and breweries that are consistently rated among the top breweries in the world.

Cannabis

Commercial operations to grow, test, or sell cannabis are not allowed in the unincorporated areas of the county. Companies must be licensed by the local agency to operate and each city or county may authorize none or only some of these activities. Local governments may not prohibit adults, who are in compliance with state laws, from growing, using, or transporting marijuana for personal use.

Tourism

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 Westfield UTC, Seaport Village,

Westfield Mission Valley Westfield Mission Valley (formerly known as Mission Valley Center and Westfield Shoppingtown Mission Valley) is a retail complex consisting of a traditional open-air shopping mall and a power center, in Mission Valley, San Diego, owned by Unibai ...

and

Fashion Valley Mall Fashion Valley (also referred to Fashion Valley Mall) is an upscale, open-air shopping mall in Mission Valley in San Diego, California. The shopping center has of leasable floor area, making it the largest mall in San Diego and one of the large ...

for shopping. SeaWorld San Diego and Legoland California as

amusement parks An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

. Golf courses such as Torrey Pines Golf Course and Balboa Park Golf Course. Museums such as the San Diego Museum of Man,

San Diego Museum of Art The San Diego Museum of Art is a fine arts museum located at 1450 El Prado 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 Galler ...

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center The Fleet Science Center (previously the 'Reuben H. Fleet Science Center') is a science museum and planetarium in Balboa Park, located in San Diego, California. It is at the east end of the El Prado Drive walkway, next to the Bea Evenson Fountain ...

San Diego Natural History Museum The San Diego Natural History Museum is a museum located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. It was founded in 1874 as the San Diego Society of Natural History. It is the second oldest scientific institution west of the Mississippi and th ...

, USS Midway Museum, and the

San Diego Air and Space Museum San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM, formerly the San Diego Aerospace Museum) is an aviation and space exploration museum in San Diego, California, United States. The museum is located in Balboa Park and is housed in the former Ford Building, ...

. Historical places such as the Gaslamp Quarter, Balboa Park and

. Wildlife refuges, zoos, and aquariums such as the Birch Aquarium at Scripps, San Diego Zoo's Safari Park,

San Diego Zoo The San Diego Zoo is a zoo in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, housing 4000 animals of more than 650 species and subspecies on of Balboa Park leased from the City of San Diego. Its parent organization, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, is a p ...

and

San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Park The San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Park spans of ocean bottom and tidelands. The park'four distinct habitats(rocky reef, kelp bed, sand flats, and submarine canyon) make it a popular destination for snorkelers and scuba divers. The park was crea ...

. Outdoor destinations include the Peninsular Ranges for

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

, biking,

mountainboarding Mountainboarding, also known as Dirtboarding, Offroad Boarding, and All-Terrain Boarding (ATB), is a well establishedWall Street Journal, April 16th 1998 if little-known action sport, derived from snowboarding. This was initially pioneered by J ...

and

trail riding Trail riding is riding outdoors on trails, bridle paths, and forest roads, but not on roads regularly used by motorised traffic. A trail ride can be of any length, including a long distance, multi-day trip. It originated with horse riding, and ...

. Surfing locations include

Swami's Swami's is an area in San Diego County that contains Swami's Beach and other local attractions. The beach, also known as "Swami’s Reef'" and "Swamis", is an internationally known surfing spot, a point break located in Encinitas, San Diego C ...

, Stone Steps Beach, Torrey Pines 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 The Port of San Diego is a seaport in San Diego, California. It is located on San Diego Bay in southwestern San Diego County, California, and is a self-supporting district established in 1962 by an act of the California State Legislature. In addi ...

hosted 252 ship calls and more than 800,000 passengers.

Culture

The culture of San Diego is influenced heavily by American and Mexican

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups ...

s due to its position as a

border town A border town is a town or city close to the boundary between two countries, states, or regions. Usually the term implies that the nearness to the border is one of the things the place is most famous for. With close proximities to a different cou ...

, its large

population, and its history as part of

Spanish America Spanish America refers to the Spanish territories in the Americas during the Spanish colonization of the Americas. The term "Spanish America" was specifically used during the territories' imperial era between 15th and 19th centuries. To the e ...

and

. The area's longtime association with the U.S. military also contributes to its culture. Present-day culture includes many historical and tourist attractions, a thriving musical and theatrical scene, numerous notable special events, a varied cuisine, and a reputation as one of America's premier centers of craft brewing.

Sites of interest

Mount Laguna Observatory Mount Laguna Observatory (MLO) is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by San Diego State University (SDSU). The telescope was operated in partnership with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) until 2000. MLO is located ...

, owned and primarily operated by

San Diego State University San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...

* Palomar Observatory, owned and primarily operated by the

California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...

*The Ramona Valley wine-producing region, located northeast of the city of San Diego *

San Diego Zoo Safari Park The San Diego Zoo Safari Park, originally named the San Diego Wild Animal Park until 2010, is an 1,800 acre (730 ha) zoo in the San Pasqual Valley area of San Diego, California, near Escondido. It is one of the largest tourist attractions in S ...

, formerly known as the San Diego Wild Animal Park, north of the

and east of Escondido * Sea World of San Diego, on Mission Bay. * Mission Bay Recreation Area, including Fiesta Island, a sheltered bay popular for water sports, also known for the annual Over the line tournament. *

Mission San Diego de Alcala Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion *Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity *Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...

, the first of California's 21 Spanish missions. It is an operating Roman Catholic parish and also is open for historical interest tours during the week. It is located near the interchange of Interstates 8 and 15. * Mission San Luis Rey, founded on June 13, 1798, by Padre Fermín Lasuén. It is the 18th of the Spanish missions established in California. It is an operating Roman Catholic parish and is open every day for historical interest tours. It is located near Route 76 in the Oceanside area. * Balboa Park, with numerous museums and other cultural locations, just north of Downtown San Diego. *

, located in Balboa Park * Presidio Park, located on a bluff directly above Old Town, a city historic park on the site of the San Diego Presidio, the first European settlement in California. * San Diego Bay contains the aircraft carrier USS ''Midway'' now used as a memorial ship and as a floating museum, and the eight floating museum ships of the

San Diego Maritime Museum The Maritime Museum of San Diego, established in 1948, preserves one of the largest collections of historic sea vessels in the United States. Located on the San Diego Bay, the centerpiece of the museum's collection is the '' Star of India'', an 18 ...

. Harbor cruises, sailing, and sport fishing are also available. * Legoland California, a Lego theme park in Carlsbad. * Alta Vista Gardens is a

Botanical Garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

in Vista dedicated to bringing together 'People, Nature & Art'. * Mount Ecclesia is a historic district noted for its singular architecture and the preservation of nature grounds and gardens, offering a unique meditative walking experience. It is located about a mile east of Interstate 5 in the Oceanside area. * San Dieguito County Park

Sports

The most popular sports team in the San Diego metropolitan area is

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB)'s

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...

. The college sports teams of the San Diego State Aztecs are also locally popular.

Major professional team

Other highest-level professional teams

Minor league professional teams

College teams

The San Diego State Aztecs ( MW), the

San Diego Toreros The San Diego Toreros are the 17 teams representing the University of San Diego of San Diego, California in intercollegiate athletics. The Toreros compete in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) of the National Collegiate At ...

( WCC), and the

UC San Diego Tritons The UC San Diego Tritons are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, San Diego. UC San Diego has 23 varsity sports teams and offers student participation in a wide range of sports. As of July 1, 2020, all UC San Diego team ...

( BWC) are NCAA Division I teams. The Cal State San Marcos Cougars ( CCAA) and Point Loma Nazarene Sea Lions ( PacWest) are members of

NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environmen ...

, while the San Diego Christian Hawks ( GSAC) and Saint Katherine Firebirds ( CalPac) are a member of the NAIA.

Government

San Diego City and County Administration Building

The Government of San Diego County is defined and authorized under the California Constitution,

California law The law of California consists of several levels, including constitutional, statutory, and regulatory law, as well as case law. The California Codes form the general statutory law, and most state agency regulations are available in the Calif ...

, and the Charter of the County of San Diego. Much of the

Government of California The government of California is the governmental structure of the U.S. state of California as established by the California Constitution. California uses the separation of powers system to structure its government. It is composed of three branche ...

is in practice the responsibility of county governments such as the Government of San Diego County. The County government provides countywide services such as elections and voter registration, law enforcement, jails, vital records, property records, tax collection, public health, and social services. In addition the County serves as the local government for all unincorporated areas. Some chartered cities such as

and

Chula Vista Chula Vista (; ) is the second-largest city in the San Diego metropolitan area, the seventh largest city in Southern California, the fifteenth largest city in the state of California, and the 78th-largest city in the United States. The popu ...

provide municipal services such as police, public safety, libraries, parks and recreation, and zoning. Other cities such as

and Vista arrange to have the County provide some or all of these services on a contract basis. The county government is composed of the elected five-member Board of Supervisors, several other elected offices and officers and numerous county departments and entities under the supervision of the Chief Administrative Officer such as the Probation Department. In addition, several entities of the

government of California The government of California is the governmental structure of the U.S. state of California as established by the California Constitution. California uses the separation of powers system to structure its government. It is composed of three branche ...

have jurisdiction conterminous with San Diego County, such as the San Diego Superior Court. Under its foundational Charter, the five-member elected

San Diego County Board of Supervisors The San Diego County Board of Supervisors is the legislative branch of the county government of San Diego County, California. Though officially nonpartisan, three Democrats and two Republicans currently comprise the Board of Supervisors, with ...

is the county legislature. The board operates in a legislative, executive, and

quasi-judicial A quasi-judicial body is non-judicial body which can interpret law. It is an entity such as an arbitration panel or tribunal board, that can be a public administrative agency but also a contract- or private law entity, which has been ...

capacity. As a legislative authority, it can pass ordinances for the unincorporated areas (ordinances that affect the whole county, like posting of restaurant ratings, must be ratified by the individual city). As an executive body, it can tell the county departments what to do, and how to do it. As a quasi-judicial body, the Board is the final venue of appeal in the local planning process. As of January 2021, the members of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors are: For several decades, ending in 2013, all five supervisors were

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, graduates of

, and had been in office since 1995 or earlier. The Board was criticized for this homogeneity, which was made possible because supervisors draw their own district lines and are not subject to term limits. (In 2010 voters put term limits in place, but they only apply going forward, so that each incumbent supervisor can serve an additional two terms before being termed out.) That pattern was broken in 2013 when Slater-Price retired; she was replaced by Democrat Dave Roberts, who won election to the seat in November 2012 and was inaugurated in January 2013. The San Diego County Code is the codified law of San Diego County in the form of ordinances passed by the Board of Supervisors. The Administrative Code establishes the powers and duties of all officers and the procedures and rules of operation of all departments. The county motto is "The noblest motive is the public good." County government offices are housed in the historic County Administration Center Building, constructed in 1935–1938 with funding from the

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

Politics

Voting

San Diego County had historically been a

stronghold. The Republican presidential nominee carried the county in every presidential election from 1948 through 2004, except in 1992 when

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

won a plurality. In 2008,

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

became the first Democratic presidential candidate to win a majority of votes in San Diego County since World War II; he won a majority of county votes again in 2012. In 2020, the county voted in favor of the Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden by 22.8%, the largest margin for a Democrat since

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

. The city of San Diego itself is more Democratic than the county's average and has voted for Democrats in each presidential election since 1992. Various cities within the county are swing areas that have split their votes in elections since 2000. Republican strength is concentrated in North County, East County and the eastern backlands. Coronado has also traditionally been a Republican stronghold. One unique feature of the political scene is the use of Golden Hall, a convention facility next to San Diego's City Hall, as "Election Central." The County Registrar of Voters rents the hall to distribute election results. Supporters and political observers gather to watch the results come in; supporters of the various candidates parade around the hall, carrying signs and chanting; candidates give their victory and concession speeches and host parties for campaign volunteers and donors at the site; and television stations broadcast live from the floor of the convention center. The atmosphere at Election Central on the evening of election day has been compared to the voting portion of a political party national convention. On November 4, 2008, San Diego County voted 53.71% for Proposition 8 which amended the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages, thus restoring Proposition 22 which was overturned by a ruling from the

California Supreme Court The Supreme Court of California is the highest and final court of appeals in the courts of the U.S. state of California. It is headquartered in San Francisco at the Earl Warren Building, but it regularly holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sac ...

. However the city of San Diego, along with the North County coastal cities of Del Mar, Encinitas, and Solana Beach, voted against Proposition 8. La Mesa was a virtual tie for Prop 8 support, while Carlsbad supported the referendum by only a 2% margin.

Federal and state representation

In the U.S. House of Representatives, San Diego County is split between five congressional districts: * * * * and * . In the California State Assembly, San Diego County is split between seven legislative districts: * , * , * , * , * , * , and * . In the California State Senate, San Diego County is split between four legislative districts: * , * , * , and * .

Crime

The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.

Cities by population and crime rates

Education

San Diego County contains three public state universities: University of California, San Diego;

; and

California State University, San Marcos California State University San Marcos (CSUSM or Cal State San Marcos) is a public university in San Marcos, California. It was founded in 1989 as the 21st campus in the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system. CSUSM offers 43 bache ...

. Major private universities in the county include University of San Diego (USD), Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU), Alliant International University (AIU), and National University. It also includes three law schools, USD School of Law,

California Western School of Law California Western School of Law is a private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from th ...

, and Thomas Jefferson School of Law. Within the county there are 24 public elementary school districts, 6 high school districts, and 12 unified school districts. There are also 5 community college districts. There are two separate public library systems in San Diego County: the

San Diego Public Library The San Diego Public Library is a public library system serving the city of San Diego, California. History The San Diego Public Library was established on May 19, 1882, by an elected board of library trustees, one of whom was civic leader a ...

serving the city of San Diego, and the San Diego County Library serving all other areas of the county. In 2010 the county library had 33 branches and two bookmobiles; circulated over 10.7 million books, CDs, DVDs, and other material formats; recorded 5.7 million visits to library branches; and hosted 21,132 free programs and events. The San Diego County Library is one of the 25 busiest libraries in the nation as measured by materials circulated.

Community College Districts

* Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District * MiraCosta Community College District * Palomar Community College District * San Diego Community College District *

Southwestern Community College District Southwestern College is a public community college in Chula Vista, California. Founded in 1961, Southwestern College serves approximately 19,000 students annually. History Current enrollment at all locations exceeds 19,000 students. Of the mo ...

K-12 schools

;School districts: K-12 unified: *

Borrego Springs Unified School District Borrego (Spanish: "lamb") may refer to: People Surname *Carla Borrego (b. 1983), Jamaican-Australian international basketball and netball player * Diego Borrego (b. 1972), Spanish golfer * Elías Borrego (b. 1990), Argentine footballer * Francisco ...

* Bonsall Unified School District * Carlsbad Unified School District *

Coronado Unified School District Coronado Unified School District (CUSD) is the public school district for the city of Coronado in San Diego County, California. It includes two high schools, one middle school, and two elementary schools as well as several specialized and uncon ...

* Mountain Empire Unified School District * Oceanside Unified School District * Poway Unified School District * Ramona City Unified School District *

San Diego City Unified School District San Diego Unified School District (formerly known as San Diego City Schools) is the school district based in San Diego, California, San Diego, California, United States. It was founded in 1854. As of 2005 it represents over 200 institutions and h ...

Lemon Grove Elementary School District Lemon Grove School District is a school district located in Lemon Grove, California, Lemon Grove, San Diego County, California. It runs one middle school, two K–8 school, K-8 schools, and four elementary schools. Lemon Grove School district was ...

* National Elementary School District *

Rancho Santa Fe Elementary School District Rancho Santa Fe Elementary School District is a public school district in San Diego County, California, United States. It consists of only one site, R. Roger Rowe School, which comprises a public elementary school (K–5) and a public middle scho ...

* San Pasqual Union Elementary School District * San Ysidro Elementary School District * Santee School District *

Solana Beach Elementary School District Solana Beach School District is a public school district located in San Diego County, California, United States, that serves the communities of Solana Beach, Carmel Valley, Fairbanks Ranch, and Rancho Santa Fe. The district was founded in 192 ...

* South Bay Union School District * Spencer Valley Elementary School District * Vallecitos Elementary School District

Military

is the headquarters of the

's Eleventh Naval District and is the Navy's principal location for West Coast and Pacific Ocean operations. Naval Base San Diego,

is principal home to the Pacific Fleet (although the headquarters is located in Pearl Harbor).

NAS North Island Naval Air Station North Island or NAS North Island , at the north end of the Coronado peninsula on San Diego Bay in San Diego, California, is part of the largest aerospace-industrial complex in the United States Navy – Naval Base Coronado (N ...

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 Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to imp ...

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 The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

and serves as its prime amphibious training base. It is located on the

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban a ...

coast, bordered by Oceanside to the south,

San Clemente San Clemente (; Spanish for " St. Clement") is a city in Orange County, California. Located in the Orange Coast region of the South Coast of California, San Clemente's population was 64,293 in at the 2020 census. Situated roughly midway between ...

to the north, and Fallbrook to the east.

U.S. Navy

* Naval Base San Diego, also known as 32nd Street Naval Station * Naval Amphibious Base Coronado * Naval Air Station North Island *

Naval Base Point Loma Naval Base Point Loma (NBPL) is located in Point Loma, a neighborhood of San Diego, California. It was established on 1 October 1998 when Navy facilities in the Point Loma area of San Diego were consolidated under Commander, Navy Region Southwe ...

, which includes the Submarine Base and the Fleet Antisubmarine Warfare Training Center *

Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command The Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWARSYSCOM), based in San Diego, is one of six SYSCOM Echelon II organizations within the United States Navy and is the Navy's technical authority and acquisition command for C4ISR (Command, Contro ...

(SPAWAR) *

Naval Medical Center San Diego Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD), also known as Bob Wilson Naval Hospital and informally referred to as "Balboa Hospital", or "The Pink Palace" (because the stucco of the first buildings that were constructed was pinkish in color), is a tech ...

, also known as Bob Wilson Naval Hospital and Balboa Naval Hospital

U.S. Marine Corps

* Marine Corps Air Station Miramar *

Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego Marine Corps Recruit Depot (commonly referred to as MCRD) San Diego is a United States Marine Corps military installation in San Diego, California. It lies between San Diego Bay and Interstate 5, adjacent to San Diego International Airport and th ...

U.S. Coast Guard

* Coast Guard Air Station San Diego

U.S. Air Force

*San Diego Air National Guard Station, which is home to the 147th Combat Communications Squadron.

Media

San Diego County is primarily served by

media in San Diego San Diego is one of the major cities in California. The following is a list of media outlets based in the city of San Diego. People in San Diego are also able to receive media from Tijuana, Mexico. Print Newspapers * ''The San Diego Union-Tribu ...

, including TV and radio stations based in the city.

Newspapers

San Diego County is served by many newspapers. The major regional paper is ''

The San Diego Union-Tribune ''The San Diego Union-Tribune'' is a metropolitan daily newspaper published in San Diego, California, that has run since 1868. Its name derives from a 1992 merger between the two major daily newspapers at the time, ''The San Diego Union'' and ...

'', also known as ''U-T San Diego'' or just "The U-T" by locals, is ranked 23rd in the country (by daily circulation) as of March 2013. The ''Union-Tribune'' serves both San Diego County and neighboring Imperial County. The former ''

North County Times The ''North County Times'' was a local newspaper in San Diego's North County. It was headquartered in Escondido. The final publisher was Peter York. It was formed in 1995 from the merger of the ''North County Blade-Citizen'' of Oceanside (f ...

'', based in Escondido and serving portions of Riverside County and

, was purchased by the Union-Tribune in 2012 and closed down. For about a year after absorbing the North County Times the Union-Tribune published a North County edition, but the regional edition was later abandoned. The ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

'' is also delivered in portions of the county. Many of the area's cities, towns and neighborhoods have their own local newspapers; the ''Union Tribune'' bought eight local weeklies in 2013 and is continuing to publish them as independent local newspapers. The ''San Diego Daily Transcript'' reports business and legal news. Privately published papers like the ''Military Press Newspaper'' and the ''Navy Dispatch'' serve the military community both on and off base.

Other media

County Television Network is a

public-access television Public-access television is traditionally a form of non-commercial mass media where the general public can create content television programming which is narrowcast through cable television specialty channels. Public-access television was creat ...

cable channel, offering a "hometown blend of C-SPAN, the Lifetime, History, Travel, and Discovery channels" for the county, and funded by fees paid by cable companies.

Transportation

Major highways

Interstate 5 Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Californi ...

Interstate 8 * I-15 (CA)

Interstate 15 Interstate 15 (I-15) is a major Interstate Highway in the western United States, running through Southern California and the Intermountain West. I-15 begins near the Mexican border in San Diego County and stretches north to Alberta, Cana ...

Interstate 805 * California 11

State Route 11 * California 15

State Route 15 * California 52

State Route 52 * California 54

State Route 54 * California 56

State Route 56 * California 67

State Route 67 * California 75

State Route 75 * California 76

State Route 76 * California 78

State Route 78 * California 79

State Route 79 * California 94

State Route 94 * California 125

State Route 125 * California 163

State Route 163 * California 188

State Route 188 * California 282

State Route 282 * California 905

State Route 905

Border crossings to Mexico

San Ysidro Port of Entry __NOTOC__ The San Ysidro Port of Entry (aka San Ysidro Land Port of Entry or San Ysidro LPOE) is the largest land border crossing between San Diego and Tijuana, and the fourth- busiest land border crossing in the world (second-busiest if one exclu ...

* Otay Mesa Port of Entry * Otay Mesa East Port of Entry (projected opening 2024) * Tecate Port of Entry

Railroads

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...

(

Pacific Surfliner The ''Pacific Surfliner'' is a passenger train service serving the communities on the coast of Southern California between San Diego and San Luis Obispo. The service carried 2,924,117 passengers during fiscal year 2016, a 3.4% increase from F ...

) * Metrolink * The Coaster *

San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway The San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway Company is a short-line United States, American railroad founded in 1906 as the San Diego and Arizona Railway (SD&A) by sugar magnate, developer, and entrepreneur John D. Spreckels. Dubbed "The Impossi ...

* San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad

Light rail and local transit

San Diego Trolley The San Diego Trolley is a light rail system operating in the metropolitan area of San Diego. It is known colloquially as "The Trolley". The Trolley's operator, San Diego Trolley, Inc. (SDTI), is a subsidiary of the San Diego Metropolitan Tra ...

* San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (SDMTS/MTS) * Sprinter * North County Transit District (NCTD)

The Port of San Diego

Embarcadero (San Diego) The Embarcadero in San Diego, California is the area along the San Diego harbor on the east side of San Diego Bay. "Embarcadero" is a Spanish word meaning "boarding place". The Embarcadero sits on property administered by the Port of San Diego, in t ...

Airports

City of San Diego

San Diego International Airport San Diego International Airport , formerly known as Lindbergh Field, is an international airport northwest of Downtown San Diego, California, United States. It is owned and operated by the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority.. US Feder ...

(SAN) a.k.a. Lindbergh Field * Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport (MYF) *

Brown Field Municipal Airport Brown Field Municipal Airport is in the Otay Mesa neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States, 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 m ...

(SDM) (formerly East Field, NAAS Otay Mesa, and NAAS Brown Field)

Carlsbad

* McClellan-Palomar Airport (CRQ) a.k.a. Palomar Airport or Carlsbad Airport

El Cajon

Gillespie Field Gillespie Field is a county-owned public towered airport northeast of downtown San Diego, in El Cajon, San Diego County, California, United States. History : ''Section reference dates.'' In 1942 the United States Marine Corps chose a site wi ...

(SEE)

Oceanside

* Oceanside Municipal Airport (K0KB)

Unincorporated San Diego County

Agua Caliente Airport Agua Caliente Airport (Agua Caliente Airstrip) is a public airport a mile northeast of Agua Caliente County Park, San Diego County, California. It covers and has one runway According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (I ...

(L54) * Borrego Valley Airport (L08) * Fallbrook Community Airpark (L18) * Jacumba Airport (L78) * Ocotillo Airport (L90) *

Ramona Airport Ramona Airport is a public airport two miles west of Ramona, in San Diego County, California, United States. The airport is mostly used for general aviation, the California Department of Forestry (CDF) and the United States Forest Service (USFS ...

(RNM)

Communities

Cities

Former city

Census-designated places

* Alpine * Bonita * Bonsall *

Borrego Springs Borrego Springs (''Borrego'', Spanish for "Sheep") is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Diego County, California. The population was 3,429 at the 2010 census, up from 2,535 at the 2000 census, made up of both seasonal and year-round resid ...

* Bostonia *

Boulevard A boulevard is a type of broad avenue planted with rows of trees, or in parts of North America, any urban highway. Boulevards were originally circumferential roads following the line of former city walls. In American usage, boulevards may ...

* Campo * Camp Pendleton Mainside * Camp Pendleton South * Casa de Oro-Mount Helix * Crest * Del Dios *

Descanso Descanso may refer to: * Descanso (roadside memorial) * ''Descanso'' (spider), a genus of jumping spider * Descanso, California, an unincorporated community in the United States * Descanso, Santa Catarina, a town and municipality in Brazil * Des ...

Elfin Forest Dwarf forest, elfin forest, or pygmy forest is an uncommon ecosystem featuring miniature trees, inhabited by small species of fauna such as rodents and lizards. They are usually located at high elevations, under conditions of sufficient air hu ...

* Eucalyptus Hills * Fairbanks Ranch * Fallbrook * Granite Hills * Harbison Canyon * Harmony Grove * Hidden Meadows * Jacumba Hot Springs * Jamul * Julian * Lake San Marcos * Lakeside * La Presa * Mount Laguna * Oak Grove * Pala * Pine Valley * Potrero *

Rainbow A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky. It takes the form of a multicoloured circular arc. Rainbows c ...

Ramona ''Ramona'' is a 1884 American novel written by Helen Hunt Jackson. Set in Southern California after the Mexican–American War, it portrays the life of a mixed-race Scottish– Native American orphan girl, who suffers racial discrimination and ...

* Rancho San Diego * Rancho Santa Fe * San Diego Country Estates * Spring Valley * Valley Center * Winter Gardens

Unincorporated communities

* 4S Ranch * Agua Caliente * Ballena *

Banner A banner can be a flag or another piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or another message. A flag whose design is the same as the shield in a coat of arms (but usually in a square or rectangular shape) is called a banner of arms. Als ...

* Casa de Oro * Dehesa * De Luz * De Luz Heights * Dulzura * East Otay Mesa * Flinn Springs * Foster * Guatay *

Jesmond Dene Jesmond Dene, a public park in the east end of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, occupies the narrow steep-sided valley of a small river known as the Ouseburn, flowing south to join the River Tyne: in north-east England, such valleys are commonly ...

* Jofegan * Kentwood-In-The-Pines * Lincoln Acres *

Manzanita Manzanita is a common name for many species of the genus ''Arctostaphylos''. They are evergreen shrubs or small trees present in the chaparral biome of western North America, where they occur from Southern British Columbia and Washington to Or ...

Ocotillo Wells Ocotillo Wells is an unincorporated community in San Diego County, California, United States. It is west of the Imperial County line on California State Route 78 at an elevation of . The name became official in 1962 when it was adopted for fe ...

* Pala Mesa * Palomar Mountain * Pauma Valley * Pine Hills *

Ranchita Ranchita (Spanish for "small ranch") is an unincorporated community in San Diego County, California. Ranchita is southwest of Borrego Springs. Ranchita has a ZIP code of 92066. A notable feature is the Rancheti, an 11-foot-tall (3.35 m), 300- ...

* Rincon * Santa Ysabel * Shelter Valley * Tecate * Warner Springs * Wynola

Potential future incorporations and past efforts

Some CDP's and other

unincorporated communities An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

of San Diego County have explored incorporating as independent cities/towns in the past, some of which have seen efforts culminate in ballot initiatives. Alpine, Fallbrook, Lakeside,

, Rancho Santa Fe and Spring Valley have been tied to various incorporation studies, organized efforts and discussions in the past. Voters in Fallbrook previously rejected incorporation in 1981 and 1987. Rancho Santa Fe residents also rejected incorporation in 1987. Among the existing cities of San Diego County, some had multiple failed incorporation efforts before ultimately succeeding in becoming a city. Lemon Grove, for example, saw incorporation measures fail in 1955, 1958 and 1964 before a successful incorporation vote in 1977. Other cities have seen incorporation success thanks to mergers of neighboring unincorporated communities.

, for example, became a city through a combined effort between the then-unincorporated communities of Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Leucadia, New Encinitas, Old Encinitas and Olivenhain in 1986. Encinitas and

in 1986 remain the most recent examples of successful campaigns for cityhood within the County of San Diego.

Indian reservations

San Diego County has 18 federally recognized Indian reservations, more than any other county in the United States. Although they are typical in size to other Indian reservations in California (many of which are termed " Rancherías"), they are relatively tiny by national standards, and all together total of area. *

Barona Indian Reservation The Barona Group of Capitan Grande Band of Mission Indians of the Barona Reservation is a federally recognized tribe of Kumeyaay Indians, who are sometimes known as Mission Indians. Reservations In 1875, the tribe along with the Viejas Group o ...

* Campo Indian Reservation *

Capitan Grande Reservation The Capitan Grande Reservation is a Kumeyaay Indian reservation in San Diego County, California, jointly controlled by the Barona Group of Capitan Grande Band of Mission Indians and Viejas Group of Capitan Grande Band of Mission Indians. The reser ...

* Ewiiaapaayp Indian Reservation * Inaja and Cosmit Indian Reservation *

Jamul Indian Village The Jamul Indian Village of California is a federally recognized tribe of Kumeyaay Indians, who are sometimes known as Mission Indians. Reservation The Jamul Indian Village is a federal reservation, located southeast of El Cajon, in southeaster ...

La Jolla Indian Reservation LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on Figure 8 ( ...

* La Posta Indian Reservation * Los Coyotes Indian Reservation * Manzanita Indian Reservation * Mesa Grande Indian Reservation *

Pala Indian Reservation The Pala Indian Reservation is located in the middle of San Luis Rey River Valley in northern San Diego County, California, east of the community of Fallbrook, California, Fallbrook, and has been assigned feature ID 272502. Historic variant names ...

* Pauma and Yuima Indian Reservation * Rincon Indian Reservation * San Pasqual Indian Reservation * Santa Ysabel Indian Reservation * Sycuan Indian Reservation * Viejas Indian Reservation

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of San Diego County. † ''county seat''

Notes

References

External links

*
San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) official website

San Diego Tourism Authority

San Diego Geographic Information Source
{{Authority control 1850 establishments in California California counties Counties in Southern California Geography of San Diego County, California Metropolitan areas of California Populated places established in 1850 San Diego metropolitan area Majority-minority counties in California