Local Areas

MCB Camp Pendleton and its surrounding communities, which are all located in San Diego County, date back to the nomadic Indian tribes that once inhabited the area. Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, a Portuguese navigator hired by Spain, explored the coast of California and in 1542, sailed into the harbor of what is now San Diego.

In 1812, California underwent a change when Mexico gained its independence from Spain. San Diego was still regarded as an agricultural center rather than an aspiring city such as Los Angeles, located 100 miles to the north. Not until 1850, when the United States finally gained control of California, did both the cities of San Diego and Los Angeles become incorporated.

Oceanside
Closest to MCB Camp Pendleton is the city of Oceanside, situated on three miles of sandy beaches with an ideal mix of urban and rural environments, blessed with almost perfect, year-round weather.

Three major highways, Interstate 5 and Highways 76 and 78, provide easy access to and from Oceanside. The city is also served by Amtrak and Greyhound bus lines. Local commuter and private aircraft use the Oceanside Municipal Airport. Palomar Airport in nearby Carlsbad is a general aviation facility, offering both private and commercial air travel.

Oceanside's weather, being much like the rest of the San Diego coastal area, offers the perfect climate for the outdoor enthusiast. Residents have access to numerous golf courses, parks, tennis courts and biking trails as well as facilities for volleyball, basketball and softball.

For those who just want to relax, Oceanside Harbor and Harbor Beach are the ideal spots for an afternoon stroll or picnic. Oceanside Harbor, a man-made facility, is one of the best in Southern California and considered to be one of the most beautiful. For shopping, Cape Cod Village provides many unique shops and restaurants.

Residents of Oceanside may attend schools in the Oceanside Unified School District, Vista Unified School District, Bonsall Union School District, or Carlsbad Unified School District, depending on their actual address. Oceanside schools provide free bus transportation for students in grades K-8, and instrumental music programs in grades four through 12.

The Oceanside Unified School District has two comprehensive high schools, El Camino High School and Oceanside High School. High school students are also served by Ocean Shores Continuation High School and Clair Burgener Academy. OUSD has sixteen K-5 elementary schools. A new elementary school, Foussat Elementary, opened in the fall of 2007.

There are several charter schools in Oceanside, including the School of Business and Technology for high school students. For additional information about Oceanside schools, including attendance boundaries, calendars, bus schedules and lunch menus, see the Oceanside Unified School District website at http://www.oside.k12.ca.us.

Health care for Oceanside is provided by Tri-City Hospital located in Oceanside. Several medical, dental and professional health care complexes also surround the hospital. For more detailed information, call the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce at (760) 722-1534. Two commuter trains, the Coaster that travels between Oceanside and San Diego and the Metrolink, which travels between Oceanside and Los Angeles, also serve Oceanside. The Oceanside Visitors Information Center is located at the Coast Highway exit adjacent to the I-5, Highway 76 intersection. Volunteers assist travelers, offer assistance with directions, information, hotel reservations and discount tickets for San Diego attractions.

Oceanside Harbor is a mecca for sport fishing, whale watching, boating and other water-oriented activities. The marina inside the harbor has slips ranging in length from 25 to 51 feet. Transient moorings and limited RV beach camping are available.

Mission San Luis Rey is a national historic landmark and the largest in a chain of Californian missions established by the early Spanish missionaries. This magnificent structure, known as the "King of Missions," shelters a museum, gift shop and conference center.

Situated a few steps from the shore of Buena Vista Lagoon, the Audubon Nature Center offers a variety of natural history experiences. Walk along a shore trail amid native plants to see views of the lagoon and its bird life.

You'll see surfers "catching the waves" as you stroll the longest wooden over-water pier on the Pacific Coast. The Oceanside Pier has a bait and gift shop and you can dine at the restaurant at the end as you watch a Catalina sunset.

Other Oceanside attractions include the Oceanside Sea Center, Heritage Park Village and California Surf Museum.

San Diego
San Diego, named after Saint Didacus, is the second-largest city in California and the eighth largest city in the United States. San Diego's economy is largely composed of agriculture, biotechnology/biosciences, computer sciences, electronics manufacturing, defense-related manufacturing, financial and business services, ship-repair and construction, software development, telecommunications, and tourism.

Tourism has drastically affected the city's culture, as San Diego houses many tourist attractions, such as SeaWorld San Diego, Belmont amusement park, San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and nearby Legoland California. San Diego's Spanish influence can be seen in the many historic sites across the city, such as the Spanish missions and Balboa Park. Cuisine in San Diego is diverse, and includes European-American, Mexican-American and Asian-American cuisine. Annual events in San Diego include Comic-Con, San Diego County Fair and Street Scene Music Festival.

Many popular museums, such as the San Diego Museum of Art, the San Diego Natural History Museum, the San Diego Museum of Man, and the Museum of Photographic Arts are located in Balboa Park. The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) is located in an ocean front building in La Jolla and has a branch located at the Santa Fe Depot downtown. The Columbia district downtown is home to historic ship exhibits as well as the San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum featuring the USS Midway aircraft carrier.

The broad city limits encompass a number of large nature preserves, including Torrey Pines State Reserve, Border Field State Park, Mission Trails Regional Park. San Diego boasts over 100 named areas/suburbs within the city limits and houses the largest naval fleets in the world. Located close to the naval arena, downtown San Diego has experienced some urban renewal since the early 1980s. This has resulted in the opening of Horton Plaza, the revival of the Gaslamp Quarter, and the construction of the San Diego Convention Center and PETCO Park opened in 2004. San Diego also hosts, of course, the NFL's San Diego Chargers, who play in the established Qualcomm Stadium.

Coastal
Carlsbad
Where else would you find a seaside community that is small enough to hold village charm, yet large enough to be a premiere business environment? Carlsbad is a community with near perfect weather and two world-class resorts. It is a city that supports economic development yet sets aside 40 percent of its land for open space.

Carlsbad has attracted an international theme park, LEGOLAND California, and has become the golf capital of the world. Two freeways, a commuter train, bus service and the busiest single-runway airport in the nation serve the community. Carlsbad has two first-class public libraries, full-service police and fire services, a park and recreation department, and high quality schools. Carlsbad has miles of beaches, a wide variety of housing options and shopping including Plaza Camino Real (a regional mall), North County Plaza, specialty, outlet and antique stores.

Coronado
Enjoy the charm of Coronado by taking the ferry boat from the B Street Pier to the Coronado Ferry Landing or drive over the beautiful Coronado Bay Bridge to the Hotel Del Coronado or down the Silver Strand. Relax at one of the fine resorts, hotels or picturesque B & Bs. Dine at your choice of close to 100 restaurants. Take home a souvenir from more than 200 unique shops, boutiques and galleries. Watch the sun set over the Pacific from choice spots along the beautiful water.

Del Mar
The San Diego County Fair is hosted on the Del Mar Fairgrounds every summer. Del Mar is Spanish for "of the sea" or "by the sea," because it is located near the Pacific Ocean. Colonel Jacob Taylor purchased 338 acres from Enoch Talbert in 1885, with visions of building a seaside resort for the rich and famous.

Del Mar is also one of few locations in which the Torrey Pine tree grows. The Torrey Pine is the rarest pine in the United States and only two populations of this endangered species exist.

Encinitas
Encinitas is a coastal city in northern San Diego County. It is located about 25 miles (40 km) north of San Diego, and about 95 miles (153 km) south of Los Angeles. The city was incorporated in 1986 from the communities of historic Encinitas, new Encinitas (Village Park, etc.), Leucadia, Cardiff-by-the-Sea and Olivenhain. These communities retain their identities, and their distinctive flavors.

The largest single industry is the growing of ornamental flowers, particularly poinsettias. The Annual Fall Festival, formerly known as the Poinsettia Festival, is held each November in downtown Encinitas, and The Wavecrest Woodie Meet takes place once a year, on the third Saturday of September at Moonlight State Beach. It is the largest rally of wooden bodied vehicles in the world and it is free to the public and to participants.

Some other points of interest are the San Dieguito Heritage Museum, Quail Botanical Gardens, Self-Realization Fellowship temple and La Paloma Theater. Surfing is a popular activity in Encinitas, particularly at Swamis.

East County
El Cajón
Located 15 minutes east of San Diego, El Cajón is Spanish for "The Drawer," relating to it being surrounded by mountains in a nestled valley. One attraction to enjoy is the Cajon Speedway, a paved 3/8 mile oval NASCAR track offering weekly racing events. For more information, visit http://www.cajonspeedway.com.

Another attraction is the San Diego Aerospace Museum's annex at Gillespie Field. The annex provides an important restoration and replica reproduction program for the Museum and has many displays available for viewing. For more information, visit http://www.aerospacemuseum.org/Gillespie/Gillespie.html.

La Mesa
La Mesa in Spanish means "the table," or alternately "the plateau," relating to its geography. It is the hometown of NBA player Bill Walton, football stars Reggie Bush, and Alex Smith, famous actor Dennis Hopper, singer of rock band Pearl Jam Eddie Vedder, and the birthplace of heavy metal musician Dave Mustaine. Its official flower is the bougainvillea. At the beginning of each October, La Mesa holds their biggest event of the year, Oktoberfest.

Lemon Grove
The Lemon Grove community was settled in 1869 by its first known permanent resident, sheep rancher Robert Allison. From the 1860s to 1900 the area was known for sheep and poultry ranching and vegetable crops. In the early 1900s, the community acquired its name when large citrus groves were planted, and lemon and orange growing and shipping became the area's major industry.

To date, there is a ten-foot-wide statue of a lemon located at 3361 Main St. It lies before a small lemon grove beside the Orange Line Trolley tracks near the local Trolley station and downtown bus stop. Written across the base of this monument are the words "Best Climate On Earth."

Santee
The city is named after Milton Santee, second husband of Jennie Blodgett, whose first husband was George A. Cowles, a ranching pioneer in the San Diego area. Santee has one major regional park, Santee Lakes. Santee Lakes consists of seven public lakes and has a campground and other amenities on site. Santee is also home to a popular Southern California rock climbing area.

North County
Escondido
Escondido lies about 18 miles inland, 100 miles south of Los Angeles and 30 miles northeast of San Diego. Escondido is the hub of Inland North San Diego County, which is emerging as a regional economic leader, in the forefront of job development and new industries. Escondido has one of the lowest crime rates of any city its size with a population of 128,000. It features the $81-million California Center for the Arts, Escondido. For a taste of Africa, visit the San Diego Zoo Safari Park located in the San Pasqual Valley just outside Escondido.

Fallbrook
Fallbrook is located on the eastern boundary of Camp Pendleton and the Naval Ordnance Station. From Camp Pendleton it is reached via Ammunition Road and is 15 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. Fallbrook elementary schools are located on and near Camp Pendleton. Fallbrook is the Avocado Capital of the World. Its rural community of 38,000 encompasses 127 square miles and offers a wide range of housing options, a 540-acre high school campus with excellent academic and extra-curricular programs including the 2000 CIF Division I champion football team, six elementary schools, a junior high and community hospital. The town boasts a healthy retail and service business base supplemented by six shopping centers in Fallbrook and neighboring Bonsall. The main street typifies the charm of a small town with many of its shops, galleries and restaurants housed in buildings dating to the late 1800s.

Poway
A family-oriented community, Poway, known as "The City in the Country," is conveniently located in the center of San Diego County. Visit Lake Poway for fishing or a picnic in the park. Take a nature walk at the Blue Sky Ecological Reserve, which also offers a free guided wildlife/plant walk.

San Marcos
San Marcos is located in an ideal location in the heart of North San Diego County. It is situated between the state's two largest cities, Los Angeles, 90 miles to the north and San Diego, 30 miles to the south. Climate is a major contributor to the attractive quality of life in San Marcos. Generally characterized by mild winters, plenty of sunshine and little rainfall, the average temperature ranges from a high of 77 degrees and a low of 47 degrees. Inland, the terrain is made up of rolling hills and deep canyons. Fortunately, San Marcos enjoys being in the direct path of an ocean breeze.

San Marcos features a resort climate without a "tourist" atmosphere, offering a host of popular attractions all within close proximity. San Marcos is enviably situated 10 minutes from many clean Pacific beaches, 20 minutes from the famous Del Mar Racetrack, a 35-minute drive from Sea World and Mission Bay, a half-hour tour from San Jacinto Mountains and 90 minutes from the rugged Anza Borrego Desert. Other nearby attractions include the Mission San Luis Rey, Palomar Mountain Observatory with its world-renowned Hale Telescope and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park (where many rare species roam free in their natural habitat).

Vista
Vista rests seven miles inland from the ocean and is a short 15-minute drive from Oceanside. Located in the heart of Highway 78, midway between Oceanside and Escondido, it benefits from cool breezes in the summer and is far enough away from the water to escape the coastal fog. Keeping up with the rest of the fast-growing North County cities, Vista has a number of retail stores. Vista boasts a high-growth reputation of its own; rising from 19,700 residents back in 1965 to its present population of over 80,000 residents. For recreation, Vista has two private golf courses, the WAVE Waterpark, Moonlight Amphitheater and AVO Playhouse, as well as many historical buildings and museums to visit. The Holiday Parade is always a highlight.

South County
Chula Vista
Based on California Department of Finance estimates for Jan. 1, 2007, Chula Vista's population was 227,723, making it the second-largest city in San Diego County, the 14th-largest in the state of California, and the 89th largest city in the United States.

Chula Vista is still growing at a fast pace, with major developments taking place in the Otay Valley near the U.S. Olympic Training Center and Otay Lake Reservoir. Thousands of new homes have been built in the Otay Ranch, Lomas Verdes, Eastlake and Otay Mesa Areas. Also, officials from Chula Vista and the San Diego Chargers have met to potentially discuss building a new stadium that would serve as the home for the team.

Imperial Beach
Known as a biker town for its rough atmosphere and seedy beachfront area throughout the 70s, Imperial Beach has undergone a significant makeover in the last ten years and the city has done much to become more visitor-friendly, commercially viable and overall more aesthetically pleasing. However, the city is still a low-key beach community. Every year the city holds the annual Sand Castles event, which draws about 400,000 people over three days.

National City
National City is the second oldest city in San Diego County with a very historic past. The National City Mile of Cars is recognized as one of the first "auto malls" in the world and National City's three-mile port area along the San Diego Bay is part of Naval Base San Diego, the largest U.S. Naval base on the west coast. The National City Southern Railroad Depot, built in 1882, served as the first Pacific Coast terminus station of the Santa Fe Railway system's transcontinental railroad.

Westfield Plaza Bonita is a shopping mall in National City that attracts customers from all around the South Bay region of San Diego County. It is one of the only completely enclosed (all indoor) shopping malls in the county. Paradise Valley Hospital, a 301-bed acute care facility founded by Ellen White, an Adventist, in 1902. The hospital is owned and operated by Prime Healthcare Services and Cafe La Maze (est. 1941) is recognized as one of National City's most historic restaurants.