San Diego

San Diego
Official seal of San Diego
Official logo of San Diego
Nicknames: 
"America's Finest City",[1] "Birthplace of California", "City in Motion"[2]
Motto: 
Semper Vigilans (Latin for 'Ever Vigilant')
Location of San Diego in San Diego County, California
Location of San Diego in San Diego County, California
San Diego is located in California
San Diego
San Diego
Location within California
San Diego is located in the United States
San Diego
San Diego
Location within the United States
San Diego is located in North America
San Diego
San Diego
San Diego (North America)
Coordinates: 32°42′54″N 117°09′45″W / 32.71500°N 117.16250°W / 32.71500; -117.16250
Country United States
State California
County San Diego
EstablishedJuly 16, 1769; 255 years ago (1769-07-16)
IncorporatedMarch 27, 1850[3]
Named forSaint Didacus of Alcalá
Government
 • TypeStrong Mayor[4]
 • BodySan Diego City Council
 • MayorTodd Gloria (D)
 • City AttorneyMara Elliott (D)[5]
 • City Council[6]
List
 • State Assembly Members
List
 • State Senators
List
Area
 • Total
372.42 sq mi (964.56 km2)
 • Land325.88 sq mi (844.02 km2)
 • Water46.54 sq mi (120.54 km2)  12.68%
Highest elevation1,591 ft (485 m)
Lowest elevation0 ft (0 m)
Population
 • Total
1,386,932
 • Estimate 
(2023)
1,388,320
 • Rank20th in North America
8th in the United States
2nd in California
 • Density4,255.96/sq mi (1,643.25/km2)
 • Urban3,070,300 (US: 15th)
 • Urban density4,550.5/sq mi (1,756.9/km2)
 • Metro3,276,208 (US: 18th)
DemonymSan Diegan
GDP
 • San Diego (MSA)$295.6 billion (2022)
Time zoneUTC−08:00 (PST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−07:00 (PDT)
ZIP Codes[13]
92101–92124, 92126–92132, 92134–92140, 92142–92143, 92145, 92147, 92149–92150, 92152–92155, 92158–92161, 92163, 92165–92179, 92182, 92186–92187, 92191–92193, 92195–92199
Area codes619/858
FIPS code06-66000
GNIS feature IDs1661377, 2411782
Websitewww.sandiego.gov
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San Diego (/ˌsæn diˈɡ/ SAN dee-AY-goh, Spanish: [san ˈdjeɣo]) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.3 million residents, it is the eighth-most populous city in the United States and the second-most populous in the state of California, after Los Angeles. San Diego is the seat of San Diego County, which has a population of nearly 3.3 million people.[15] It is known for its mild year-round Mediterranean climate, extensive beaches and parks, long association with the United States Navy, and its recent emergence as a healthcare and biotechnology development center.

Historically home to the Kumeyaay people, San Diego has been referred to as the Birthplace of California, as it was the first site visited and settled by Europeans on what is now the West Coast of the United States.[16] Upon landing in San Diego Bay in 1542, Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo claimed the area for Spain, forming the basis for the settlement of Alta California 200 years later. The Presidio and Mission San Diego de Alcalá, founded in 1769, formed the first European settlement in what is now California. In 1821, San Diego became part of the newly declared Mexican Empire, which reformed as the First Mexican Republic two years later. California was conquered by the U.S. in 1848 following the Mexican–American War and was admitted as the 31st state in 1850.

The largest sectors of the economy of San Diego include military and defense-related activities, tourism, international trade, research, and manufacturing. The city is home to several universities, including UC San Diego, San Diego State University, and the University of San Diego. San Diego is the economic center of the San Diego–Tijuana region, the second-most populous transborder metropolitan area in the Western Hemisphere, home to an estimated five million people as of 2022.[17] The primary border crossing between San Diego and Tijuana, the San Ysidro Port of Entry, is the busiest international land border crossing in the world outside of Asia (fourth-busiest overall). San Diego International Airport is the busiest single-runway airport in the United States.[18]

  1. ^ "WHO DECIDED . . . ? : . . . To name San Diego 'America's Finest City'?". Los Angeles Times. December 25, 1985.
  2. ^ "California City Nicknames List". www.seecalifornia.com. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  3. ^ "California Cities by Incorporation Date". California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions. Archived from the original (Word) on November 3, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  4. ^ "City of San Diego City Charter, Article XV" (PDF). City of San Diego. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
  5. ^ "Office of the City Attorney". The City of San Diego. November 6, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
  6. ^ "City Council Offices". City of San Diego. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
  7. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  8. ^ "San Diego: Geography and Climate". city-data.com. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
  9. ^ "QuickFacts: San Diego city, California". census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  10. ^ "List of 2020 Census Urban Areas". census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  11. ^ "2020 Population and Housing State Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  12. ^ "Total Gross Domestic Product for San Diego-Carlsbad, CA (MSA)". U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
  13. ^ "ZIP Code(tm) Lookup". United States Postal Service. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
  14. ^ "City of San Diego". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
  15. ^ "QuickFacts: San Diego County, California". census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  16. ^ McGrew, Clarence Alan (1922). City of San Diego and San Diego County: the birthplace of California. American Historical Society. Retrieved July 23, 2011.
  17. ^ Ayling, Marko (December 30, 2022). "San Diego and Tijuana: a vanishing border?". Mexico News Daily. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  18. ^ Steele, Jeanette (November 20, 2017). "San Diego Int'l Airport will dig up the runway every night for a year". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved January 26, 2021.