Helpful San Diego Vacation Information

San Diego Zoo

Tiger

Relatively free from smog and freeways, San Diego, set around a gracefully curving bay, represents the acceptable face of southern California. The second biggest city in California may be affluent and conservative, but it's also easygoing and far from smug. Although it was the site of the first mission in California, the city only really took off with the arrival of the Santa Fe Railroad in the 1880s, and in terms of trade and significance it has long been in the shadow of Los Angeles. However, during World War II the US Navy made San Diego its Pacific Command Center, and the military continues to dominate the local economy, along with tourism.

Semi-tropical San Diego, with its mean temperature of 70 degrees F, Mediterranean-like white-washed stucco buildings and strong cultural influences from sunny Mexico, is as close to visiting a foreign country as visitors could get and yet, is as American as apple pie.

San Diego City Info

• 6th largest city in the U.S.
• Population (year 2000): 1,223,400
• Elevation: 40 feet
• County: San Diego
• Land area: 324.3 square miles
• Number of TV Channels:  9
• Number of Radio Stations:  7 AM, 14 FM

San Diego Weather and Climate:

• Average daily temperature — Jan: 58?F; August 73?F
• Average annual rainfall —  11 inches

Distances to other Metropolitan Areas from San Diego:

• Atlanta, GA —  2,142 miles
• Charleston, SC —  2,462 miles
• Chicago, IL — 2,081 miles
• Dallas, TX — 1,360 miles
• Las Vegas, NV — 332 miles
• Los Angeles, CA — 121 miles
• Miami, FL — 907 miles
• Phoenix, AZ — 354 miles
• Portland, OR — 1,084 miles
• San Francisco, CA — 502 miles
• Washington, DC — 2,681 miles

San Diego Safety Phone # and Major Hospitals:

• Ambulance: 911; Police: 911; Fire: 911
• Alvarado Hospital Medical Center (6655 Alvarado Rd)
• Aurora San Diego (11878 Avenue Of Industry)
• Children's Hospital - San Diego (3020 Childrens Way)
• Continental Rehabilitation Hospital (555 Washington Street)
• Kaiser Foundation Hospital (4647 Zion Ave)
• Kindred Hospital - San Diego (1940 El Cajon Blvd)
• San Diego County Psychiatric Hospital (3851 Rosecrans St)
• San Diego Hospice Acute Care Center (4311 Third Ave)
• Scripps Mercy Hospital (4077 5th Ave)
• Sharp Mary Birch Hospital For Women (3003 Health Center Drive)
• Sharp Memorial Hospital (7901 Frost St)
• University of California San Diego Medical Center (200 West Arbor Drive)
• Villa View Community Hospital (5550 University Avenue)

San Diego Top Tourism Draws and Seasons:

• The San Diego Zoo
• Seaport Village
• San Diego Maritime Museum
• SeaWorld San Diego
• Wild Animal Park
• Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and Space Theater
• Little Italy District
• Museum of Photographic Arts
• Museum of Man
• LEGOLAND California
• Aircraft Carrier Museum
• Boardwalk amusement park
• Bell Gardens
• Quail Botanical Gardens
• Knott's Soak City U.S.A.
• Parade of Lights, December, San Diego Bay
• Sand Castle Days
• Oceanside Municipal Pier
• Olympic Training Center
• San Diego Ghost Tour
• San Diego Bay Cruises

San Diego Major Shopping Areas:

• Seaport Village
• Balboa Park's Museum and Art Gallery Shops
• Bazaar del Mundo
• North County/Del Mar
• Mission Beach
• Old Town
• Adams Avenue
• Fashion Valley:  7007 Friars Rd. San Diego, CA  92108; 619-688-9113
• Horton Plaza:  324 Horton Plaza, San Diego, CA  92101; 619-239-8180
• Viejas Outlet Center:  5005 Willows Rd, Alpine, CA  91901
• University Town Center:  4545 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, CA  92122; 858-453-2930
• North County Fair:  272 East Via Rancho Parkway, Escondido, CA  92025; 760-489-0631
• Parkway Plaza:  415 Parkway Plaza, El Cajon, CA  92020; 619-579-9932
• Plaza Camino Real:  2525 El Camino Real, Carlsbad, CA  92008; 760-729-7927
• Plaza Bonita:  3030 Plaza Bonita Road #2075, National City, CA, 91950; 619-267-2850
• Grossmont Center:  5500 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa, CA  91942
• Mission Valley Shopping Center:  1640 Camino del Rio North, San Diego, CA  92108; 619-296-6375

San Diego Major Dining Areas:

• Downtown
• Horton Plaza
• Gaslamp District
• Embarcadero
• Old Town
• North County/Del Mar
• Mission Beach
• Old California Restaurant Row
• North Park
• University Heights

San Diego Famous Landmarks & Historic Places:

• Hotel Del Coronado
• Coronado Island
• Mission Beach
• Villa Montezuma
• Sunset Cliffs
• Moonlight Beach
• Pacific Beach
• Lake Wohlford
• Mormon Batallion Visitor Center
• Thomas Whaley Museum
• Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala
• Cabrillo National Monument and  Point Loma Lighthouse
• The Presidio/Junipero Serra Museum
• Balboa Park
• Centro Cultural de la Raza
• House of Pacific Relations
• Japanese Friendship Garden
• Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theatre
• Marston House
• Mingei International Museum
• Museum of Photographic Arts
• Museum of San Diego History
• The Old Globe            
• Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
• San Diego Aerospace Museum
• SDAI: Museum of the Living Artist
• San Diego Automotive Museum
• San Diego Hall of Champions
• San Diego Junior Theatre
• San Diego Model Railroad Museum
• San Diego Museum of Art
• San Diego Museum of Man     
• San Diego Natural History Museum
• San Diego Zoo
• Spanish Village Art Center
• Spreckels Organ Pavilion
• Starlight Theatre at Starlight Bowl
• Timken Museum of Art
• United Nations Building
• Veterans Museum and Memorial Center 
• WorldBeat Center
• Carousel
• Lawn Bowling
• Balboa Park Miniature Railroad
• Butterfly Rides

San Diego Famous Natives and Residents:

• Marcus Allen, Football Player (Birthplace)

Notable Moments in San Diego History:

• November, 1602 — Sebastian Vizcaino arrives with his flagship "San Diego", sent north by Spain from Navidad in Mexico. Vizcaino surveys the harbor and what is now Mission Bay and Point Loma, naming the area for the Spanish Catholic saint San Diego de Alcala. He maps the coastline as far as Oregon and gives many locations the names by which we know them today.
• July 16, 1769 — Mission San Diego de Alcala is officially founded on Presidio Hill, the first of a chain of twenty-one missions to be established along the California coast.
• November 22, 1800 — Earthquake of 6.5 magnitude hits San Diego region
• 1821 — Mexico wins independence from Spain and San Diego comes under Mexican rule for about 25 years. First known home (today's Presidio Hills Golf Course golf shop) is built in Old Town.
• 1825 — San Diego becomes the unofficial capital of Upper and Lower California, because of the preference of new Governor Jose Maria Echeandia. The Presidio, with its dwindling garrison, goes into significant decline.
• February, 1850 — San Diego County is created as one of California's original 27 counties. It includes much of the Colorado and Mojave deserts, extending from the Pacific Ocean to the Colorado River and including all of present-day Imperial County and much of San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
• September 9, 1850 — California is granted statehood by the United States of America.
• May 29, 1851 — San Diego Herald publishes its first edition.
• November 15, 1855 — The "Old Spanish" lighthouse on Point Loma is illuminated for the first time 15 minutes before sunset. The site, 422 feet above sea level is frequently enshrouded in fog. A new lighthouse at sea level would replace it in 1891. The original lighthouse, restored in 1935, would become the nucleus of the Cabrillo Monument.
• August 13, 1857 — The schooner Loma is launched, the first boat to be built in San Diego shipyards.
• 1870 — City of San Diego population is 2300. San Diego County population is 4951.
• 1872 — Tourmaline is discovered near Pala, though previously known to the Indians. Mining increases by the turn of the century, stimulated by the high price of tourmaline in China. About 90% of the gem production in Southern California comes from five mines in inland San Diego County.
• April 14, 1908 — U.S. Navy's Great White Fleet makes San Diego its first U.S. stop on a worldwide tour, bringing more than 16,000 sailors into San Diego Harbor on 16 battleships, 7 destroyers and 4 auxiliary ships.
• May 9, 1908 — Race car driver Barney Oldfield establishes new world record for a mile in Lakeside: 51 4/5 seconds.
• December 31, 1914 — At midnight, President Woodrow Wilson presses a Western Union telegraph key in Washington, D.C. which turns on lights and touches off a display of fireworks to open the Panama-California Exposition in Balboa Park.
• 1919 — United States Navy decides to make San Diego Bay home base for the Pacific Fleet.
• May 9, 1927 — Charles Lindbergh departs from Rockwell field, North Island, Coronado, in the Spirit of St. Louis, a custom M-1 monoplane built in San Diego by Ryan Airlines. Lindbergh completes his historic solo nonstop flight from New York to Paris May 20-21.
• 1948 — Palomar Observatory opens in June. Construction on the 200-inch mirror had begun in 1934.
• 1951 — Jack in the Box gets its start. Robert O. Peterson opens first drive-through restaurant at 63rd Street and El Cajon Boulevard. Peterson had previously operated Oscars.
• 1954 — University of San Diego is founded in Linda Vista.
• August 28, 1965 -- Beatles perform before 18,000 adoring fans at Balboa Stadium
• 1974 — The first swim, bike and run triathlon is held at Mission Bay in 1974, run by the San Diego Track Club.
• 1995 — ARCO Olympic Training Center opens in Chula Vista.
• August 12-15, 1996 — San Diego hosts Republican National Convention, first national political convention in San Diego history.
• 1998 — Padres win National League Pennant; lose World Series to New York Yankees.
• 2000 — City of San Diego population reaches 1,223,400. San Diego County population is 2,813,833.

Interesting facts about San Diego:

• There are 21 Spanish Missions stretching a 600 miles span in California from San Diego up to San Francisco. They were built between 1769 and 1823 using a Spanish architecture which has influenced California for hundreds of years. Many have been destroyed by fire, earthquake and other disasters, including misuse, but nearly all have been restored.
• Visit San Diego between December and March and take the opportunity to catch a glimpse of one of the sea's most majestic mammals. As many as 200 whales pass the coast each day on their way to or from Mexico. But don't forget your camera and binoculars; you don't want to miss the chance to share this experience with others.
• Mission San Luis Rey de Francia was called "King of the Missions." It was founded in 1798 in northern San Diego County (a few miles east of the present Oceanside), and named after King Louis IX of France. It was the largest, most prosperous, and the most beautiful mission in California. At its peak it was the home of nearly 3,000 Indians, 2,200 horses, 28,900 sheep and 27,500 cattle.

San Diego Population and Demographics:

• Males: 616,884 (50.4%), Females: 606,516 (49.6%)
• Median resident age: 32.5 years
• Median household income: $45,733 (year 2000)
• Median house value: $233,100 (year 2000)
• Races in San Diego:
• White Non-Hispanic (49.4%)
• Hispanic (25.4%)
• Other race (12.4%)
• Black (7.9%)
• Filipino (6.1%)
• Two or more races (4.8%)
• Vietnamese (2.2%)
• Chinese (1.9%)
• Other Asian (1.5%)
• American Indian (1.3%)
• Japanese (0.8%)
• Korean (0.6%)
• Asian Indian (0.6%)
• Ancestries:
• German (10.8%)
• Irish (8.7%)
• English (8.0%)
• Italian (4.6%)
• United States (3.2%)
• French (2.4%)

San Diego Colleges and Universities:

• San Diego State University (Location: 5500 Campanile Dr)
• San Diego City College (Location: 1313 12th Ave)
• San Diego Mesa College (Location: 7250 Mesa College Dr)
• University of San Diego (Location: 5998 Alcala Pk)
• San Diego Miramar College (Location: 10440 Black Mountain Rd)
• Point Loma Nazarene University (Location: 3900 Lomaland Dr)
• Maric College (Location: 3666 Kearny Villa Rd Ste 100)
• US International University (Location: 10455 Pomerado Rd)
• ITT Technical Institute (Location: 9680 Granite Ridge Dr)
• California Western School of Law (Location: 225 Cedar St)
• California School of Professional Psychology-San Diego (Location: 6160 Cornerstone Ct E)
• Kelsey-Jenney College (Location: 7310 Miramar Rd Ste 300)
• Thomas Jefferson School of Law (Location: 2121 San Diego Ave)
• Concorde Career Institute (Location: 123 Camino De La Reina)
• Design Institute of San Diego (Location: 8555 Commerce Ave)
• Platt College-San Diego (Location: 6250 El Cajon Blvd)
• Kelsey-Jenney College (Location: 201 A St)
• Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (Location: 7445 Mission Valley Rd Ste 105)
• Advertising Arts College (Location: 10025 Mesa Rim Rd)
• Fashion Institute of Design And Merchandise-San Diego (Location: 1010 Second Ave Ste 2000)

San Diego Economy & Business:

• Industries providing employment:
• Educational,health and social services (20.5%)
• Professional,scientific,management,administrative,and waste management services (15.0%)
• Manufacturing (10.6%)
• Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services (10.5%)
• Retail trade (10.3%)
• Emerging growth areas include telecommunications, electronics, computers, software, and biotechnology.
• Specific products made and exported from San Diego, in addition to televisions, include other radio and broadcasting/communications equipment, cellular telephones, semiconductors, circuit boards, computers, and scientific, medical, and other measuring instruments.
• San Diego is also home to the only few remaining shipyards on the West Coast able to build and repair large Navy ships.
• The San Diego-based Space & Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) administers several billions of dollars in contract work for local companies. The command is primarily responsible for equipment needed for modern warfare and surveillance, including Naval space systems, communications and information technology.
• The multi-billion dollar visitor industry has also been an important sector of economic power and stability. The visitor industry is San Diego's third largest economic sector, behind only manufacturing and military/defense.

San Diego Hispanic Community Media and Churches:

• La Prensa, Spanish Newspaper

Spanish Radio Stations:

• KLNV 106.5 FM
• KLQV 102.9 FM
• KURS 1040 AM

Churches:

• St. John's Hispanic Ministry; 1001 Encinitas Blvd., Encinitas, CA  92024; 760-753-8007
• Primera Iglesia Bautista Del Sur Hispana, 537 G Avenue, National City, CA  91950; 619-474-6118
• Catholic Diocese of San Diego:  Hispanic Affairs; 3888 Paducah Dr., San Diego, CA  92117; 858-490-8248
• Renovaction Catolica Hispana; 939 18th, Chula Vista, CA  91910; 619-423-2474
• Primera Iglesia Bautista Hispana, 348 Avocado Ave., El Cajon, CA  92020; 619-442-4910