About San Diego, California


     San Diego is a beautiful coastal city in Southern California. It is the second largest city in California, with an estimated population of just over 1.3 million as of 2005. It is located about 100 miles south of Los Angeles, and because it is known for beautiful beaches and a mild climate, San Diego was nicknamed "America's Finest City". San Diego also serves as a great location for military stations, including Marine Corps bases, Coast Guard, Navy ports, and Miramar, San Diego's Naval Air Station which gave the city the reputation as the birthplace of naval aviation. Miramar was also the setting of the 1986 film Top Gun, which featured the air base and a few other parts of San Diego.

     San Diego contains 4,200 square miles of incorporated cities, comfortable neighborhoods, and classy communities including downtown's eclectic Gaslamp Quarter, La Jolla, Coronado Island, Little Italy, and San Diego's historic center, Old Town.


History of San Diego


     In 1850 the province of Alta California became part of the U.S.A. following the Mexican-American War. A small town became San Diego County and started the beginnings of a city. In 1885 the railroad reached San Diego, and with the establishment of a U.S. Navy base in 1907, the city continued to grow. The presence of the military in San Diego has increased the local economy ever since World War II, and local residents have a more conservative reputation than that of California's other large cities.

     In the 1980's San Diego residents participated in creating a diversified economy and the city soon became recognized for its growth in technological industries like communications, software development, and biotechnology. Early in 1990 the city of San Diego's population grew to 1.1 million and many businesses, universities, and military bases opened. Today San Diego is the seventh-largest city in the United States, as it continues to grow and prosper.