El Cajon ( , ;

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 countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

: El Cajón, lit. 'the box') is a city in

San Diego County, California San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county (United States), county in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of California, north to its Mexico-United States border, border with Mexico. As of the 2020 United States Cen ...

, United States, east of

downtown San Diego Downtown San Diego is the central business district of San Diego, California, the eighth largest city in the United States. It houses the major local headquarters of the city, county, state, and federal governments. The area comprises seven d ...

. The city takes its name from Rancho El Cajón, which was named for the box-like shape of the valley that surrounds the city, and the origin of the city's common nickname "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, Calif ...

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 Californios (singular Californio) are Californians of Spaniards, Spanish descent, especially those descended from settlers of the 17th through 19th centuries before California was annexed by the United States. California's Spanish language in C ...

" 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 Pio or PIO may refer to: Places * Pio Lake, Italy * Pio Island, Solomon Islands * Pio Point, Bird Island, south Atlantic Ocean People * Pio (given name) * Pio (surname) * Pio (footballer, born 1986), Brazilian footballer * Pio (footballer, ...

confiscated the lands of

Mission San Diego de Alcala Mission (from Latin 'the act of sending out'), Missions or The Mission may refer to: Geography Australia *Mission River (Queensland) Canada *Mission, British Columbia, a district municipality *Mission, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood * O ...

. He granted 11 square leagues (about ) of the El Cajon Valley to Dona Maria Antonio Estudillo, daughter of

José Antonio Estudillo José Antonio Estudillo (November 5, 1803 – July 20, 1852) was a Californio ranchero, politician, and soldier, who served as Alcalde of San Diego and as San Diego County Assessor. He was a member of the Estudillo family of California, a prom ...

, ''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 Don Miguel de Pedrorena (c. 1808–March 21, 1850) was a Spanish-born Californio ranchero, merchant, and a signer of the California Constitution in 1849. He also served briefly as acting List of pre-statehood mayors of San Diego, Alcalde of San Di ...

(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 after the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

, the 1848

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo officially ended the Mexican–American War (1846–1848). It was signed on 2 February 1848 in the town of Villa de Guadalupe, Mexico City, Guadalupe Hidalgo. After the defeat of its army and the fall of the cap ...

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 Isaac Lankershim (c. 1819 – April 10, 1882) was an American landowner and pioneer in California. He was the owner of 60,000 acres in Los Angeles County, California. Early life Sources from during his life vary on Lankershim's birth year and pla ...

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 coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

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 but 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. The San Diego, Cuyamaca and Eastern Railway reached El Cajon in the 1880s. El Cajon was incorporated as a city in 1912. For the first half of the 20th century, El Cajon was known for its grape, avocado, and citrus 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 was an oval race track near El Cajon, California. History Located between Gillespie Field and the San Vicente Freeway, the 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. It was founded by Earle Brucker Jr. of the El Cajon Stock Car Racing Association. One of his sons, Steve Brucker, later took over ownership of the track. Although the speedway closed after the death of Steve Brucker, it is now 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, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, 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 atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding areas, often slightly but sometimes substantially. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square m ...

. 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. 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 . Rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the winter, but rare in summer. The wettest month of the year is February 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

2022

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimates, there were people and households. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were housing units at an average density of .To calculate density we use the land area figure from the places file in The racial makeup of the city was 50.6% White, 15.0% some other race, 5.6% Black or African American, 3.4% Asian, 1.3% Native American or Alaskan Native, and 1.3% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, with 22.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While many use the terms interchangeably, for example, the United States Census Bureau ...

residents of any race were 36.6% of the population. Of the households, 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.9% had seniors 65 years or older living with them, 52.4% were married couples living together, 4.8% were couples cohabitating, 16.8% had a male householder with no partner present, and 26.0% had a female householder with no partner present. The median household size was and the median family size was . The age distribution was 25.9% under 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 or older. The median age was years. For every 100 females, there were males. The median income for a household was $, with family households having a median income of $ and non-family households $. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

was $. Out of the people with a determined poverty status, 22.7% 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 ...

. Further, 31.4% of minors and 17.3% of seniors were below the poverty line. In the survey, residents self-identified with various ethnic ancestries. People of

Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

descent made up 5% of the population of the town, followed by

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

at 6.7%,

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

at 5.8%, Irish at 4.3%,

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

at 3.0%,

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

at 2.4%,

Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...

n at 1.9%,

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...

at 1.7%, Norwegian at 1.4%,

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

at 1.0%,

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

at 0.9%,

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

at 0.8%, Hungarian at 0.8%,

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

at 0.6%,

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

at 0.5%,

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

at 0.5%, and

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...

at 0.5%.

2020 census

2010

The 2010 United States census reported that El Cajon had a population of 99,478. The racial makeup 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. There were 31,542 Hispanic or Latino residents of any race (30.4%). About one-third of El Cajon residents were foreign-born. In particular, the city has a large Iraqi immigrant population, consisting of both

s and

Chaldean Catholics The Chaldean Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic particular church ('' sui iuris'') in full communion with the Holy See and the rest of the Catholic Church, and is headed by the Chaldean Patriarchate. Employing in its liturgy the East Syri ...

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

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

2008-2010 Estimate, 7,537 residents self identify as Arabs (7.6%; mainly Iraqi), and 6,409 (6.4%) are Chaldean Catholic

Assyrians Assyrians (, ) are an ethnic group indigenous to Mesopotamia, a geographical region in West Asia. Modern Assyrians share descent directly from the ancient Assyrians, one of the key civilizations of Mesopotamia. While they are distinct from ot ...

. In 2017, a spokesperson for the city of El Cajon estimated that 15,000 to 20,000 Chaldo-Assyrians live in the city. In 2010, El Cajon had the highest poverty rate in San Diego County among adults, 29.7%, and for children, 36.5%.

2000

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

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

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. Hispanic or Latino residents 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

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

, 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 (SANDAG) is the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for San Diego County, California. It is an association of local county governments, with policy makers consisting of mayors, councilmembers, and Coun ...

, the

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two 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 und ...

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

inflation In economics, inflation is an increase in the average price of goods and services in terms of money. This increase is measured using a price index, typically a consumer price index (CPI). When the general price level rises, each unit of curre ...

). 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 Iraqi Americans (Arabic: أمريكيون عراقيون) are American citizens of Iraqi descent. As of 2023, the number of Iraqi Americans is around 155,055, according to the United States Census Bureau. According to the Bureau of Citizenship ...

. 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 , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

and then the U.S. Invasion of Iraq 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, borough counc ...

, 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 Chaldo-Assyrian community. Many notable figures including Congressman

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

and Neighborhood Market Association President Mark Arabo 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 mayor

pro tem ''Pro tempore'' (), abbreviated ''pro tem'' or ''p.t.'', is a Latin phrase which best translates to 'for the time being' in English. This phrase is often used to describe a person who acts as a '' locum tenens'' ('placeholder'). The phrase is ...

. 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. In 2024, councilmembers were Gary Kendrick (district 1), Michelle Metschel (district 2), Steve Goble (district 3), and Phil Ortiz (district 4). All council terms end in December 2024 except for Kendrick's, which ends in December 2026. El Cajon's city manager is Graham Mitchell.

State and federal representation

In the

California State Legislature The California State Legislature is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of California, consisting of the California State Assembly (lower house with 80 members) and the California State Senate (upper house with 40 members). ...

, El Cajon is in . The northern half of the city is in , and the southern half of the city is in . In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

, El Cajon is in .

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 based in El Cajon, California El Cajon ( , ; Spanish language, Spanish: El Cajón, lit. '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 Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) is a public school district based in eastern San Diego County, California. It serves high school, adult school, and Regional Occupational Program (ROP) students in the cities of El Cajon, Lemon G ...

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 in El Cajon, California. It serves students in grades 9-12. Established in 1955, El Cajon Valley is the third of twelve high schools to be built in Grossmont Union High ...

* Granite Hills High School *

Grossmont High School Grossmont High School is a public high school in eastern San Diego County, California. Opened in 1920, it is the oldest public high school in East County and the first of twelve high schools currently in Grossmont Union High School District. ...

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 campus and is run entirely by two teachers, a secretary and a counselor. GMCHS is a WASC ...

*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 ...

(Preschool, middle school, and high school campuses)

Colleges

* Advanced Training *

Cuyamaca College Cuyamaca College is a public community college in Rancho San Diego, California. It is part of the Grossmont–Cuyamaca Community College District and the California Community Colleges system. Along with Grossmont College, it serves the eastern ...

Grossmont College Grossmont College is a public community college in El Cajon, California. Its name originated with the silent film actor and producer William J. Gross, who was enticed by Ed Fletcher to invest in the purchase of land, part of which was called Gro ...

San Diego Christian College San Diego Christian College (SDCC) is a Private university, private evangelical university in Santee, California. Founded in 1970, SDCC offers traditional, non-traditional, and graduate programs. History In January 1970, Tim F. LaHaye, pastor o ...

Seminary of Mar Abba the Great The Seminary of Mar Abba the Great is a Chaldean Catholic seminary located in El Cajon, California. The seminary is the first and only Chaldean Catholic seminary outside of Iraq. The seminary is part of the Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle, a d ...

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

, Sycuan Casino, Summers Past Farms, and the Parkway Plaza Mall.

Transportation

Bus and train

* El Cajon Transit Center * San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad *

San Diego Trolley The San Diego Trolley is a light rail system serving San Diego County, California. The trolley's operator, San Diego Trolley, Inc. , is a subsidiary of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS). The trolley operates as a critical componen ...

Airports

Gillespie Field Gillespie Field is a county-owned public airport in El Cajon, California. It is located 11.5 miles (18.5 km; 10 nmi) northeast of downtown San Diego. History : ''Section reference dates.'' In 1942 the United States Marine Corps chose a s ...

Notable people

Lester Bangs Leslie Conway "Lester" Bangs (December 14, 1948 – April 30, 1982) was an American music journalist and critic. He wrote for ''Creem'' and ''Rolling Stone'' magazines and was also a performing musician. The music critic Jim DeRogatis called ...

, ''

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. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' rock critic *

William Bengen William P. Bengen is a retired financial adviser who first articulated the 4% withdrawal rate ("Four percent rule") as a rule of thumb for withdrawal rates from retirement savings; it is eponymously known as the "Bengen rule". The rule was later fu ...

, certified financial planner who proposed the 4 percent draw-down rule in

retirement planning Retirement planning, in a financial context, refers to the allocation of savings or revenue for retirement. The goal of retirement planning is to achieve financial independence. The process of retirement planning aims to: *Assess readiness-to-r ...

Kurt Bevacqua Kurt Anthony Bevacqua (; born January 23, 1947) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an infielder from 1971 to 1985. Bevacqua is notable for his performance during the 1984 World Series when h ...

, former Major League Baseball player *

Aaron Boone Aaron John Boone (born March 9, 1973) is an American professional baseball manager and former infielder who is the manager of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for 13 seasons from 1997 to 2009. As ...

, former Major League Baseball player *

Bob Boone Robert Raymond Boone (born November 19, 1947) is an American former catcher and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB) who was a four-time All-Star. Born in San Diego, California, he is the son of MLB player Ray Boone, and he is the father of ...

, former Major League Baseball player *

Bret Boone Bret Robert Boone (born April 6, 1969) is an American former professional baseball second baseman who is a hitting coach for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). During his career, Boone was a three-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glo ...

, former Major League Baseball player *

Edward Castro Edward Castro (January 26, 1950 – December 7, 2000) was an American serial killer. An unemployed drifter from California, Castro fatally stabbed three men in central Florida between 1986 and 1987. Tried for two of the murders, he was given a lif ...

, serial killer executed by

lethal injection Lethal injection is the practice of injecting one or more drugs into a person (typically a barbiturate, paralytic, and potassium) for the express purpose of causing death. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but t ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

in 2000 *

Tony Clark Anthony Christopher Clark (born June 15, 1972) is an American professional baseball player and executive. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman from 1995 to 2009 and is the sixth executive director of the Major League Baseball P ...

, former Major League Baseball player *

Kevin Correia Kevin John Correia (born August 24, 1980), is an American former professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, ...

, former Major League Baseball player *

William John Cox William John "Billy Jack" Cox (born February 15, 1941) is an American public interest lawyer and author. Biography Early career Employed in 1962 by the El Cajon Police Department, he attended the nearby San Diego Police Department Academy. I ...

(Billy Jack Cox), public interest attorney, political activist, El Cajon police officer 1962-68 *

Dave Dravecky David Francis Dravecky (born February 14, 1956) is an American former professional baseball player, motivational speaker, and author. A left-handed pitcher, Dravecky played Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres (1982–87) and the ...

, former Major League Baseball player *

Amy Finley Amy Finley (born 1973 in San Diego, California) is an American cook and writer, who was the winner of the third season of '' The Next Food Network Star'' awarded a commitment to host a cooking show on the Food Network. Her program ''The Gourmet Ne ...

, 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 Gr ...

, former Major League Baseball player *

Brian Giles Brian Stephen Giles (born January 20, 1971) is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. During his career he played for the Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres. The left-handed Giles was a two-time All-Star an ...

, former Major League Baseball player *

Marcus Giles Marcus William Giles (born May 18, 1978) is an American former Major League Baseball player. He was a second baseman and batted right-handed. His older brother, Brian Giles, was an outfielder who also played in the Major Leagues. Marcus and Brian ...

, former Major League Baseball player *

Broc Glover Broc Glover (born May 16, 1960) is an American former professional motocross racer. He competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 1976 to 1988. Glover earned six AMA national championships, a record which stood for nearly 20 years until 20 ...

, professional motocross racer * Brian Graham, former Minor League Baseball player *

A.J. Griffin AJ Griffin or A. J. Griffin may refer to: * A. J. Griffin (baseball) (born 1988), American professional baseball pitcher * AJ Griffin (basketball) (born 2003), American professional basketball player {{hndab ...

, current Major League Baseball player *

Ryan Hansen Ryan Hansen (born July 5, 1981) is an American actor. He is best known for starring as Dick Casablancas on the noir drama series ''Veronica Mars'' (2004–2007, 2019), as Kyle Bradway on the Starz comedy series '' Party Down'' (2009–2010, 2023 ...

, actor * Mike Hartley, former Major League Baseball player *

Chris Holder Christopher Robert Holder (born 24 September 1987 in Sydney, New South Wales) is an Australian speedway rider, who was the 2012 World Speedway Champion. He is also five times Australian champion (2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014. Career Hold ...

, former Minor League Baseball player *

Nikki Hornsby Nikki Hornsby is an American musician who has been active in the pop, Americana, country, and blues genres as a songwriter, singer, and guitarist. From Long Beach, California, Hornsby grew up in Fairfax County of Northern Virginia. She is the ...

, former Grammy Voting Member, international Recording, Singer Songwriter, Musician, Artist *

David Jeremiah David Jeremiah (born February 13, 1941) 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, Ca ...

, Christian minister *

Jimmie Johnson Jimmie Kenneth Johnson (born September 17, 1975) is an American professional auto racing driver. He currently competes part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE for Legacy Motor Club. Johnson has won seven Cup ch ...

, 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. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...

champion *

Ricky Johnson Richard Bernard "Ricky" Johnson Jr. (born July 6, 1964) is an American former professional motocross, off-road truck and stock car racer. He competed in AMA motocross and Supercross during the 1980s and, won seven AMA national championships. H ...

, motocross racer * Joe Kennedy, former Major League Baseball player *

Jean Landis Jean Landis (September 28, 1918 – December 13, 2022) was an American aviator. Landis was born in El Cajon, California, on September 28, 1918. She received her bachelor's degree in physical education from San Diego State University in 1940 and he ...

, aviator * David Lee, volleyball Olympic gold medalist * Darrell Long, noted American Computer Scientist and Engineer *

Greg Louganis Gregory Efthimios Louganis (; born January 29, 1960) is an American Olympic Diving (sport), diver who won gold medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics, 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympics on the springboard and platform. He is the only man and the second ...

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 Mark M. Malone (born November 22, 1958) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils football, A ...

, former NFL football player and sportscaster *

Glen Morgan Glen Morgan (born July 12, 1961) is an American television producer, writer and director. He is best known for co-writing episodes of the Fox science fiction supernatural drama series ''The X-Files'' with his partner, James Wong. He served as ...

, film director *

Joe Musgrove Joseph Anthony Musgrove (born December 4, 1992) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Houston Astros and Pittsburgh Pirates. Musgrove was born i ...

, current Major League Baseball player *

Swen Nater Swen Erick Nater (born January 14, 1950) is a Dutch former professional basketball player. He played primarily in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA), and is the only player to have led both the NBA ...

, former NBA basketball player * Alfred Olango, shooting victim * Grant Roberts, former Major League Baseball player *

Thomas Shultz Thomas Shultz is a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy. He is the Commander of Task Force 76. Career Originally from El Cajon, California, Thomas Shultz was commissioned via the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps at the University of Californ ...

, United States Navy rear admiral *

Brian Sipe Brian Winfield Sipe (born August 8, 1949) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from 1974 to 1983. He then played in the United States Football Lea ...

, former NFL football player *

Shane Spencer Michael Shane Spencer (born February 20, 1972) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played a total of 538 games in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, a ...

, former Major League Baseball player *

Kyle Stowers Kyle Jacob Stowers ( ; born January 2, 1998) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Baltimore Orioles. In 2025, Stowers was named to his first ...

, Current Major League Baseball player *

Tommy Vardell Thomas Arthur "Touchdown Tommy" Vardell (born February 20, 1969) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a fullback (American football), fullback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college foo ...

, former NFL football player *

Brandon Whitt Brandon Whitt (born October 15, 1982) is an American former stock car racing driver. A third-generation racer, he has run in all three of NASCAR's top divisions. He is the older cousin of former NASCAR Cup Series driver Cole Whitt. Racing career ...

, former NASCAR driver *

Katie Wilkins Katherine "Katie" Wilkins (born May 10, 1982, in Lakeside, California) is an American former volleyball player. She was part of the USA women's national volleyball team at the 2006 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship in Japan. Wilkins g ...

, Team USA Olympic volleyball player * James Wong, television producer *

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American guitarist, composer, and bandleader. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestra ...

, 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 Assyrian diaspora in the United States Arab-American culture in California 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

Name

History

Geography

Climate

Demographics

2022

2020 census

2010

2000

Household income

Ethnic groups

Government

State and federal representation

Economy

Top employers

Schools

Public elementary schools

Public middle schools

Public high schools

Private schools

Colleges

Places of interest

Annual events

Visitor attractions

Transportation

Bus and train

Airports

Notable people

See also

References

External links