Olivenhain is a neighborhood in the city of

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

, located in the

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, especially ...

area of

San Diego County San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of California, north to its border with Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634; it is the second-most populous ...

. It is the easternmost community of Encinitas, bordering the western portion of

Rancho Santa Fe Rancho Santa Fe is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Diego County, California, United States, within the San Diego metropolitan area. The population was 3,156 at the 2020 census. The CDP is primarily residential with a few shopping blocks, ...

. The community of Olivenhain is primarily single family custom homes with relatively large lots. Minimum lot sizes range from to . The topography tends to be rolling, and most streets are small and wind through the hills. Olivenhain has a vast network of recreational trails, used by pedestrians and

equestrians Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding ( Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...

. A common sight in the area during late afternoons and dusk are

hot air balloons A hot air balloon is a lighter-than-air aircraft consisting of a bag, called an envelope, which contains heated air. Suspended beneath is a Gondola (balloon), gondola or wicker, wicker basket (in some long-distance or high-altitude balloons, ...

. Olivenhain has a darker sky than coastal

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 ...

towns due to its "Dark Sky Policy" which restricts lights from street lights, tennis courts, and other forms of

light pollution Light pollution is the presence of any unwanted, inappropriate, or excessive artificial Visible spectrum, lighting. In a descriptive sense, the term ''light pollution'' refers to the effects of any poorly implemented lighting sources, during the ...

History

The area is located on the

Rancho Las Encinitas Rancho Las Encinitas was a Mexican land grant in present-day San Diego County, California, given in 1842 by Governor Juan Alvarado to Andrés Ybarra. The grant was named “Los Encinitos” which means " little oaks", but was later misspelled as ...

Mexican land grant, and was settled by a German colony in the 1890s. The name Olivenhain is from

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 ...

and means "olive grove". The German settlers built the meeting hall which still stands. It is used today for community functions such as the annual Oktoberfest, Haunted House, summer movie series, craft fairs and a variety of civic group meetings. Residents of Olivenhain may schedule the Meeting Hall and grounds for private functions; it is a popular wedding site. Originally an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

, in 1986 Olivenhain joined with the nearby communities of Leucadia, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, and Encinitas to form the incorporated city of Encinitas.

Education

Olivenhain is located within the

Encinitas Union School District Encinitas Union School District is a public elementary school district 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 ...

and the

San Dieguito Union High School District San Dieguito Union High School District (SDUHSD) is a public school district based in northern San Diego County, California. Established in 1936, the district serves over 13,000 students in five middle schools, five comprehensive high schools, ...

. Elementary students attend Olivenhain Pioneer Elementary, then Diegueño Middle School. Public High School students attend

La Costa Canyon High School La Costa Canyon High School (LCC) is a public high school in Carlsbad, California. It is an International Baccalaureate World School and is part of the San Dieguito Union High School District, serving northwestern San Diego County. Established ...

San Dieguito Academy San Dieguito High School Academy, originally known as San Dieguito Union High School and San Dieguito High School, is a public high school in Encinitas, California. It is part of San Dieguito Union High School District. The school was esta ...

. There also are several private schools nearby.

Photos

Image:Olivenhain CA view of Pacific Ocean.jpg, View of the Pacific Ocean from Olivenhain, CA. Image:Hot Air Balloons over Olivenhain CA 2.jpg, Hot air balloons are a common sight during late afternoons and dusk over Olivenhain, CA. Image:Olivenhain Meeting Hall.jpg, The Olivenhain Meeting Hall.

References

{{Authority control Neighborhoods in Encinitas, California North County (San Diego County)