San Diego metropolitan area

San Diego metropolitan area
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos
—  MSA  —
San Diego
Carlsbad
San Marcos
Country United States of America
State California
Principal cities San Diego
 - Carlsbad
 - San Marcos
 - National City
Area
 • Urban 2,026.1 km2 (782.3 sq mi)
 • Metro 10,877.72 km2 (4,199.89 sq mi)
Elevation 0 - 1,991 m (0 - 6,533 ft)
Population (2010 Census)[1]
 • Density 274.9/km2 (712/sq mi)
 • Urban 2,729,329 (15th)
 • MSA 3,095,313 (17th)
  MSA = 2010, Urban = 2000
Time zone PST (UTC-8)
 • Summer (DST) PDT (UTC-7)

The San Diego Metropolitan Area, also known as Greater San Diego and officially the San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos Metropolitan Statistical Area, is a metropolitan area on the United States Pacific Coast. The U.S. Census of the Bureau defines the San Diego metropolitan area as encompassing all of San Diego County, which is of itself the second most populous county in the U.S. state of California and fifth most populous in the United States.[2] Greater San Diego is the 38th largest metropolitan area in the Americas, 17th largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States with over 3 million residents and 4th largest in California as well as being major urban area of South Coast.[3][4] San Diego is the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Southern California.

Greater San Diego is anchored by the global city of San Diego while other principal cities of the metropolitan statistical area are Carlsbad, San Marcos, and National City.[5]

Located in the area is the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Eleventh Naval District and the Navy's principal location for West Coast and Pacific Ocean operations, containing five naval bases and one marine base.[6]

The proximity of the San Diego metropolitan area to the Tijuana metropolitan area has created the San Diego–Tijuana metro area, the largest bi-national conurbation shared between the United States and Mexico with over five million residents. The area is a tourist destination for many people with roughly 300,000 visitors crossing into Tijuana daily from Greater San Diego alone.[7]

The urban area and majority of the population of the San Diego metropolitan area is largely located between the Pacific Ocean and the Peninsular Ranges. The San Diego Urban Area (that is, the area of contiguous urban development), is the third largest in California after the Los Angeles and San Francisco urbanized areas.[8] The urban area largely reflects the regions image as a relaxed beach and cosmopolitan environment with a mild climate.[9]

The area is bordered by Orange County to the north, Mexico to the south, Imperial County to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

Contents

Significance

Metropolitan San Diego is renowned for its beach resorts, amusement parks, wildlife parks and zoos as well many museums and beaches. The region is also home to a large home grown surf and skateboard culture hosting many surfing events on its 70 miles of coastline.[10]

The San Diego metropolitan area has within its boundaries San Diego Bay, a natural harbor considered by some one of the best on the North American west coast. The bay is flanked by the San Diego International Airport, the busiest single runway airport in the world and the Port of San Diego, one of the busiest on the American west coast.[11] The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics ranked the Port of San Diego as one of America's top 30 U.S. container ship ports bringing in nearly 3,300,000 metric tons (3,250,000 LT; 3,640,000 ST) of cargo per year. Together with the National City Marine Terminal, the Port of San Diego is the primary port of entry for Honda, Acura, Isuzu, Volkswagen, Nissan, Mitsubishi Fuso, and Hino Motors into America.

In its boundaries is a world city, the City of San Diego which is classified as a beta world city, coined America's Finest City.[12] With a population of over one million, San Diego is the second most populous city in California, and the eighth most populous in the United States. Money Magazine rated it the fifth best place to live in 2006 and according to Forbes the city ranks as the fifth wealthiest in the United States.[13][14]

The metropolitan area's biggest industries are manufacturing, military, and tourism. The economy of the city is composed largely of many sciences (biotechnology/biosciences & computer sciences) as well as electronics manufacturing, defense-related manufacturing, financial and business services, ship-repair, ship-construction, software development, telecommunications, wireless research, agriculture and tourism. Located in the metropolitan area, San Diego is also host to the University of California, San Diego, located in the coastal community of La Jolla. The San Diego metropolitan area is host to one of the largest naval fleets in the world, and has become the largest concentration of Naval facilities in the world. 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/Del Mar Fair, and Street Scene Music Festival.

Geography

The San Diego metropolitan area is situated on the western slope of the Peninsular Ranges and faces the coastline. The region contains 70 miles (110 km) of coastline. Many of its most popular and well known cities are located on the Pacific coast while famous mountain towns lie dotted in the coastal mountains. Population density maps will show that San Diego, and the other major cities that anchor the metropolitan area are in a line on the coast while many suburban communities and cities flow east to fill in mountain valleys.

Camp Pendleton interrupts the continuous urban development of Southern California and affects the commuting patterns of Greater San Diego. In 2000, only about 3% of San Diego County residents left the county for work while 40,000 people commuted into the metropolitan area.[15] However developing growth can be observed on the I-15 corridor leading to the Southland.

The area is crossed by five west-flowing rivers and numerous streams, which help create a landscape of mesas, canyons and gorges on the western or coastal portion of the area. This landscape has forced development to be on mesas, leaving the gorges ultimately undeveloped creating pockets of wildlife. Many of these areas have been preserved as wildlife refuges attracting many tourists.

Major cities - 100,000+ inhabitants

Population figures for California cities are 2008 State of California estimates[16]

Other cities - 40,000+ inhabitants

Cities with under 40,000 inhabitants

Urban areas of the region

The San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA MSA is a multicore metropolitan region containing several urban areas. Populations are from the U.S. Census Bureau. [17]

Population
Rank		 Name State(s) Type (UA/UC) 2009
Population
1 San Diego CA UA 2,764,786
2 Ramona CA UC 25,269

Geographic features

Metropolitan San Diego's coastline features many coastal lagoons and inlets as well as several bays. The inland or eastern (not to be confused with East County) part of the area is mountainous and thinly populated before it crosses the mountains and turns to the desert scrub of Anza-Borrego State Park.

Orange County Riverside County Riverside County
Pacific Ocean Imperial County
   San Diego metropolitan area    
Pacific Ocean Tijuana Municipality, Baja California Tecate Municipality, Baja California

Climate

Main article: Climate of San Diego, California

Under the Koppen climate classification system, the San Diego area straddles areas of Mediterranean climate (CSa) to the north and Semi-arid climate (BSh) to the south and east.[18] As a result, its often described as "arid Mediterranean" and "Semi-arid Steppe". San Diego's climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and mild winters with most of the annual precipitation falling between November and March. The city has mild, mostly dry weather, with an average of 201 days above 70 °F (21 °C) and low rainfall (9–13 inches (23–33 cm) annually). Summer temperatures are generally warm, with average highs of 70–78 °F (21–26 °C) and lows of 55–66 °F (13–19 °C). Temperatures exceed 90 °F (32 °C) only four days a year. Most rainfall occurs from November to April. Winter temperatures are mild, with average high temperatures of 66–70 °F (19–21 °C) and lows of 50–56 °F (10–13 °C).

The climate in the San Diego area, like much of California, often varies significantly over short geographical distances resulting in microclimates. In San Diego's case this is mainly due to the city's topography (the Bay, and the numerous hills, mountains, and canyons). Frequently, particularly during the "May gray/June gloom" period, a thick marine layer will keep the air cool and damp within a few miles of the coast, but will yield to bright cloudless sunshine approximately 5–10 miles (8.0–16 km) inland. This happens every year in May and June.[19] Even in the absence of June gloom, inland areas tend to experience much more significant temperature variations than coastal areas, where the ocean serves as a moderating influence. Thus, for example, downtown San Diego averages January lows of 50 °F (10 °C) and August highs of 78 °F (26 °C). The city of El Cajon, just 10 miles (16 km) northeast of downtown San Diego, averages January lows of 42 °F (6 °C) and August highs of 88 °F (31 °C).[20][21]

Rainfall along the coast averages about 10 inches (25 cm) of precipitation annually, which occurs mainly during the cooler months of December through April. Though there are few wet days per month during the rainy period, rainfall can be heavy when it does fall. However, the rainfall is greater in the higher elevations of San Diego. Some of the higher areas of San Diego can receive 11–13 inches (28–33 cm) of rain a year.

Climate data for San Diego, California
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 65.8
(18.8)		 66.6
(19.2)		 66.4
(19.1)		 68.4
(20.2)		 69.1
(20.6)		 71.6
(22.0)		 76.3
(24.6)		 77.7
(25.4)		 77.2
(25.1)		 74.7
(23.7)		 70.0
(21.1)		 66.0
(18.9)		 70.8
(21.6)
Daily mean °F (°C) 57.3
(14.1)		 58.6
(14.8)		 59.6
(15.3)		 62.0
(16.7)		 64.1
(17.8)		 66.7
(19.3)		 71.0
(21.7)		 72.5
(22.5)		 71.4
(21.9)		 67.8
(19.9)		 62.0
(16.7)		 57.3
(14.1)		 64.2
(17.9)
Average low °F (°C) 48.9
(9.4)		 50.7
(10.4)		 52.9
(11.6)		 55.6
(13.1)		 59.2
(15.1)		 61.9
(16.6)		 65.7
(18.7)		 67.3
(19.6)		 65.7
(18.7)		 61.0
(16.1)		 54.0
(12.2)		 48.7
(9.3)		 57.6
(14.2)
Precipitation inches (mm) 1.799
(45.7)		 1.531
(38.9)		 1.772
(45.0)		 0.791
(20.1)		 0.189
(4.80)		 0.0709
(1.80)		 0.0197
(0.50)		 0.0984
(2.50)		 0.2402
(6.10)		 0.3701
(9.40)		 1.449
(36.8)		 1.571
(39.9)		 9.902
(251.5)
Avg. precipitation days 4.7 4.4 5.2 2.8 1.1 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.9 1.4 3.8 4.5 29.4
Source: World Meteorological Organization (UN)[22]

History

The area of Metropolitan San Diego has been inhabited for more than 10,000 years by the Kumeyaay, Luiseño, Cupeño and Cahuilla peoples.[23] It is the site of the first visit by a European to present-day California and the first permanent European settlement in California. The Metro area contains 131 sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the San Diego Presidio, Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, and Mission San Diego de Alcala.

The first European to visit the region was Portuguese-born explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo sailing under the Spanish Flag, who sailed his flagship San Salvador from Navidad, New Spain. In 1542, Cabrillo claimed the bay for the Spanish Empire and named the site San Miguel.[24] In November of 1602, Sebastián Vizcaíno was sent to map the California coast. Arriving on his flagship San Diego, Vizcaíno surveyed the harbor and what are now Mission Bay and Point Loma and named the area for the Catholic Saint Didacus, a Spaniard more commonly known as San Diego. On November 12, 1602, the first Christian religious service of record in Alta California was conducted by Fray Antonio de la Ascensión, a member of Vizcaíno's expedition, to celebrate the feast day of San Diego.[25]

In 1769, Gaspar de Portolà established the Fort Presidio of San Diego overlooking Old Town. The same year, Mission San Diego de Alcalá was founded by Franciscan friars under Father Junípero Serra.[26] The area was a Spanish colony, part of Alta California under the Viceroyalty of New Spain, until 1821 when Mexico gained its independence. Alta California was ceded to the United States in 1848 and admitted to the Union as the 31st state in 1850.

Periodically the area has been subject to wildfires that force thousands to evacuate. The most recent have been the Cedar Fire in 2003 and the Witch Creek Fire in 2007. The State of California defines a fire season in which fires are most likely to occur, usually between the months of late July and late October (which are the driest months of the area). Signs are posted in numerous spots of Greater San Diego providing information on the level of threats from fires based on weather conditions.

Regions of the San Diego metropolitan area

San Diego - San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos metropolitan area · 3,001,072 (2008 est.)

Culture

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 belonging to the San Diego Maritime Museum, headlined by the Star of India, as well as the unrelated San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum featuring the USS Midway aircraft carrier. The city of San Diego houses many tourist attractions, such as SeaWorld San Diego, Belmont amusement park, the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Wild Animal Park. The Legoland California amusement park is located in Carlsbad. Nationally known theaters include the Old Globe Theatre and the La Jolla Playhouse. The San Diego Symphony, San Diego Opera, and San Diego Lyric Opera perform regularly.

There are two Spanish missions, San Diego de Alcala in San Diego and Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside.

Sports teams

Team Sport League Venue
San Diego Padres Baseball Major League Baseball PETCO Park
San Diego Chargers Football National Football League Qualcomm Stadium

Economics

Tourism

Tourism plays a large part in the economics of the San Diego metropolitan area. Tourists are drawn to the region for a well rounded experience, everything from shopping to surfing as well as its mild climate. Its numerous tourist destinations include Horton Plaza, Westfield UTC, Seaport Village, Westfield Mission Valley and Fashion Valley Mall for shopping. SeaWorld San Diego and Legoland California as amusement parks. Golf courses such as Torrey Pines Golf Course and Balboa Park Golf Course. Historical places such as the Gaslamp Quarter, Balboa Park and Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. Wildlife refuges, zoos, and aquariums such as the Birch Aquarium at Scripps, San Diego Wild Animal Park, San Diego Zoo and San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Park. Outdoor destinations include the Peninsular Ranges for hiking, biking, mountainboarding and trail riding. Surfing locations include Swami's, Stone Steps Beach, Torrey Pines State Beach, Cardiff State Beach, San Onofre State Beach and the southern portion of Black's Beach.

The region is host to the second largest cruise ship industry in California which generates an estimated $2 million annually from purchases of food, fuel, supplies, and maintenance services.[27] In 2008 the Port of San Diego hosted 252 ship calls and more than 800,000 passengers.[28]

Resorts

Main article: Hotel del Coronado

Museums

Main article: Balboa Park, San Diego, California

Wildlife Parks & Zoos

Main article: SeaWorld San Diego
Main article: San Diego Zoo Safari Park

Military

San Diego is the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Eleventh Naval District and is the Navy's principal location for West Coast and Pacific Ocean operations.[30] Naval Base San Diego, California is principal home to the Pacific Fleet (although the headquarters is located in Pearl Harbor). NAS North Island is located on the north side of Coronado, and is home to Headquarters for Naval Air Forces and Naval Air Force Pacific, the bulk of the Pacific Fleet's helicopter squadrons, and part of the West Coast aircraft carrier fleet.

The Naval Special Warfare Center is the primary training center for SEALs, and is also located on Coronado. The area contains five major naval bases and the U.S. Marines base Camp Pendleton. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and serves as its prime amphibious training base.[31] It is located on the Southern California coast, bordered by Oceanside to the south, San Clemente to the north, and Fallbrook to the east.

Major business districts

Education

Colleges and Universities

The region is home to an array of universities and public colleges. Public colleges and universities in the region include San Diego State University (SDSU), University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and the San Diego Community College District (includes San Diego City College), San Diego Mesa College, and San Diego Miramar College. Private colleges and universities include University of San Diego (USD), Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU), Alliant International University (AIU), National University, San Diego Christian College, John Paul the Great Catholic University, Coleman University, University of Redlands School of Business, Design Institute of San Diego (DISD), Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising San Diego, NewSchool of Architecture and Design, Pacific Oaks College San Diego Campus, The Art Institute of California- San Diego, Southern States University (SSU), and Woodbury University School of Architecture's satellite campus. Medical schools included UCSD School of Medicine and ABA accredited law schools included California Western School of Law, Thomas Jefferson School of Law, and University of San Diego School of Law. There is also one unaccredited law school: Western Sierra Law School.

Panorama of Earl Warren College mall at UCSD, showing from left to right: Geisel Library, Engineering Building Unit (EBU) 1, the Powell-Focht Bioengineering Building, the Computer Science Building, and EBU 2 (visible through trees)

Primary and Secondary

Approximately 50 primary and secondary school districts are found in this South Coast area. These included Central Union High School District, Grossmont Union High School District, Poway Unified School District, San Diego Unified School District, San Dieguito Union High School District, Sweetwater Union High School District and Vista Unified School District.

Media

Newspapers

The San Diego metropolitan area is served by many newspapers. Most notable is the major newspaper, The San Diego Union-Tribune, which is ranked 25th in the country.[32] The Union-Tribune serves both San Diego County and neighboring Imperial County. Major local newspapers include the North County Times, based in Escondido and serving portions of Riverside County and North County. The Los Angeles Times is also delivered. Many of the area's cities and towns have their own local newspapers.

Transportation

Roads

Airports

Airport IATA code ICAO code City
San Diego International Airport SAN KSAN San Diego
Montgomery Field MYF KMYF San Diego

Other airports include

Railroad

See also

References

  1. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008". US Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov/popest/metro/CBSA-est2008-annual.html. Retrieved March 22, 2009. 
  2. ^ List of the most populous counties in the United States
  3. ^ List of metropolitan areas in the Americas by population
  4. ^ Table of United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas
  5. ^ Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas and principal cities (U.S. Census Bureau, 2008)
  6. ^ citydata.com
  7. ^ Old Town California
  8. ^ List of United States urban areas
  9. ^ San Diego, California
  10. ^ Carlsbad Inn "Carlsbad Inn". Carlsbad Inn. http://www.carlsbadinn.com/local-favorite/san-diego-sports-pkg.aspx Carlsbad Inn. 
  11. ^ "San Diego International Airport". San Diego International Airport. http://www.san.org/sdia/at_the_airport/education/default.aspx. 
  12. ^ "World Cities of 2010". GAWC. 2011. http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/world2010t.html. Retrieved October 3, 2011. 
  13. ^ "Best Places to Live 2006". MONEY Magazine. 2006. http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2006/snapshots/PL0666000.html. Retrieved November 29, 2009. 
  14. ^ Clemence, Sara (October 28, 2005). "Richest Cities In The U.S.". Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/2005/10/27/richest-cities-US-cx_sc_1028home_ls.html. Retrieved April 22, 2009. 
  15. ^ San Diego County Commute
  16. ^ "Population Estimates for Cities, Counties and the State with Annual Percent Change". California Department of Finance. http://www.dof.ca.gov/research/demographic/reports/estimates/e-1_2006-07. 
  17. ^ U.S. Census Bureau Urban Areas in California
  18. ^ M. Kottek; J. Grieser, C. Beck, B. Rudolf, and F. Rubel (2006). "World Map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated". Meteorol. Z. 15: 259–263. doi:10.1127/0941-2948/2006/0130. http://koeppen-geiger.vu-wien.ac.at/pics/kottek_et_al_2006.gif. Retrieved April 22, 2009. 
  19. ^ UCSD
  20. ^ "Monthly Averages for San Diego, CA". The Weather Channel. http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/wxclimatology/monthly/USca0982. Retrieved April 22, 2009. 
  21. ^ "Monthly Averages for El Cajon, CA". The Weather Channel. http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/wxclimatology/monthly/92020. Retrieved April 22, 2009. 
  22. ^ "Weather Information for San Diego, California". http://www.worldweather.org/093/c00826.htm. 
  23. ^ www.kumeyaay.info
  24. ^ San Diego Historical Society
  25. ^ Journal of San Diego History, October 1967
  26. ^ www.missionscalifornia.com
  27. ^ Lewis, Connie (September 27, 2004). "Cruise Ships Face Stiffer Anti-Pollution Policies". San Diego Business Journal. http://www.allbusiness.com/environment-natural-resources/pollution-environmental/10632995-1.html. Retrieved April 22, 2009. 
  28. ^ San Diego Metro Magazine
  29. ^ "HotelDel". HotelDel. http://www.hoteldel.com/. 
  30. ^ "San Diego Economy". CityData.com. http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-West/San-Diego-Economy.html. 
  31. ^ Estes, Kenneth W. (1999). The Marine Officer's Guide - Sixth Edition. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. p. 176. ISBN 1-55750-567-5. 
  32. ^ "Top 100 Newspapers in the United States". Audit Bureau of Circulation. http://www.infoplease.com/ipea/A0004420.html. Retrieved March 13, 2010. 

External links