Cardiff-by-the-Sea, usually referred to as Cardiff, is a beach community in the incorporated city of

Encinitas Encinitas (Spanish for "Small Oaks") is a beach city in the North County area of San Diego County, California. Located within Southern California, it is approximately north of San Diego, between Solana Beach and Carlsbad, and about south o ...

San Diego County San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the fi ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. The

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

is to the west of Cardiff-by-the-Sea, the rest of incorporated Encinitas is to the east and north, and a beach and lagoon to the south. With a population of under 12,000, Cardiff-by-the-Sea operates as part of the city of Encinitas, but unlike the other communities that comprise Encinitas, has its own ZIP code (92007). Cardiff is home to a few well-known surf spots, such as

Swami's Swami's is an area in San Diego County that contains Swami's Beach and other local attractions. The beach, also known as "Swami’s Reef'" and "Swamis", is an internationally known surfing spot, a point break located in Encinitas, San Diego C ...

and Cardiff Reef.

History

The first inhabitants were the Native

Kumeyaay The Kumeyaay, also known as Tipai-Ipai or by their historical Spanish name Diegueño, is a tribe of Indigenous peoples of the Americas who live at the northern border of Baja California in Mexico and the southern border of California in the Unit ...

Indians, referred to as the Diegueño by the Spanish. In 1769 the Spanish started colonizing this area with the construction of the Spanish Missions. The First Settlement was by the MacKinnon family in 1875. In 1909 this farming community began to be developed when Boston developer J. Frank Cullen purchased land from the MacKinnons. For $30 a lot, one could buy land and build new homes. Frank Cullen's wife, Esther, a native of

Cardiff, Wales Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

(the capital city of Wales), persuaded him to name the community "Cardiff-by-the Sea", as well as naming many streets after other cities in Britain, such as the English "Birmingham", "Oxford", "Chesterfield" and "Manchester", despite heavy Spanish influence in the area. In 1986, "Cardiff" joined with the nearby communities of Leucadia, Olivenhain, and Encinitas to form the incorporated city of Encinitas. The Cardiff Composer District includes twelve streets named for musicians. It was developed by music publisher turned film producer turned real estate developer Victor Kremer.

Government

Cardiff is part of the city of

, which is governed by a five-member city council, elected at-large to staggered four-year terms at two-year intervals. In the

California State Legislature The California State Legislature is a bicameral state legislature consisting of a lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members; and an upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members. Both houses of the Legisla ...

, Cardiff is in , and in . In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

, Cardiff is in .

Cardiff School District

Cardiff has a school district consisting of two schools:
Cardiff Elementary
(K-3)
Ada Harris Elementary
(3-6)

Cardiff Reef

Cardiff Reef ("The Reef") is a popular surf spot in Cardiff that produces waves both professional and novice surfers enjoy year round. Surfing at The Reef has progressed from just a few surfers in the 1950s to become one of the most popular surfing spots in

. Cardiff Reef and nearby surf spots, Pipes and Seaside Reef, are famous for their smooth and consistent wave shape. When the tide is low, a flat rock reef is revealed that extends 50 yards from shore. Exploring these tide pools is a popular activity for visitors of Cardiff.

Demographics

According to the 2010 Census, Cardiff-by-the-Sea is 72% white, 20% Hispanic, 3% Asian, 1% African-American and 4% Other

Photos

Image:Cardiff by the Sea.jpg, Coastline and campgrounds Image:Surfers_At_Cardiff_Reef.jpg, Surfers walking out at Cardiff Reef Stand-Up Paddle Surfer at Cardiff Reef, California

Stand-Up Paddle Surfer at Cardiff Reef, California

Notable residents

Mark Allen Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Finn ...

, former professional triathlete *

Scott Eastwood Scott Eastwood (born Scott Clinton Reeves; March 21, 1986) is an American actor. His notable films are ''Flags of Our Fathers'' (2006), ''Gran Torino'' (2008), ''Invictus'' (2009), '' The Forger'' (2012), ''Trouble with the Curve'' (2012), '' Te ...

, actor *

Lili Simmons Lili Marie Simmons (born July 23, 1993) is an American actress and model known for her role as Rebecca Bowman in the Cinemax series ''Banshee'' (2013–2016). Early life Simmons was born and raised in Cardiff-by-the-Sea in San Diego County, Ca ...

, actress *

Jon Foreman Jonathan Mark Foreman (born October 22, 1976) is an American musician, the lead singer, guitarist, main songwriter and co-founder of the alternative rock band Switchfoot. He started Switchfoot in 1996 with drummer Chad Butler and his brother Ti ...

, singer/guitarist for

Switchfoot Switchfoot is an American rock band from San Diego, California. The band's members are Jon Foreman (lead vocals, guitar), Tim Foreman (bass guitar, backing vocals), Chad Butler (drums, percussion), and Jerome Fontamillas (guitar, keyboards, back ...

Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins Lyndsey "Lyn-Z" Adams Hawkins (born September 21, 1989) is an American professional skateboarder. History and family Born in San Diego, Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins was raised in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California, and spent part of her childhood in Sayuli ...

, professional

skateboarder Skateboarding is an action sport originating in the United States that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry job, and a method of transportation. S ...

Chalmers Johnson Chalmers Ashby Johnson (August 6, 1931 – November 20, 2010) was an American political scientist specializing in comparative politics, and professor emeritus of the University of California, San Diego. He served in the Korean War, was a consult ...

, historian and author of the Blowback trilogy * Jonathan Jones, singer for the bands

Waking Ashland Waking Ashland was an American rock band from San Diego, California. Formed in 2003, they were signed to Tooth & Nail Records and Immortal Records. In all the group released two EPs and two full-length albums before their disestablishment in 2007 ...

and We Shot the Moon * Frances Lee,

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

actress (deceased 2000) *

Rob Machado Robert Edward Machado (born October 16, 1973) is an Australian-born American professional surfer. Early life Machado attended San Dieguito High School. He describes himself in interviews, vlogs and social media as a "soul surfer," or free ...

, professional surfer *

Kirk McCaskill Kirk Edward McCaskill (born April 9, 1961) is a Canadian-American former Major League Baseball pitcher and former professional ice hockey player. He played in Major League Baseball for the California Angels and Chicago White Sox between 1985 and ...

, retired major league baseball pitcher *

Emily Ratajkowski Emily O'Hara Ratajkowski (, ; born June 7, 1991) is an American model and actress. Born in London to American parents and raised in Encinitas, California, Ratajkowski began acting as a child before she gained a recurring role on the Nickelodeon ...

, actress *

Lukas Gage Lukas Gage is an American actor. He has appeared in ''American Vandal'', ''The White Lotus'', ''Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse'', and ''Euphoria''. Biography Gage was born in San Diego, California and raised in Encinitas, California. He w ...

, actor *

Marion Ross Marion Ross (born Marian Ellen Ross; October 25, 1928) is a American former actress. Her best-known role is that of Marion Cunningham on the ABC television sitcom ''Happy Days'', on which she starred from 1974 to 1984 and for which she receive ...

, actress * Darren Hardy, publisher of Success Magazine *

Bob Haro Bob Haro (born June 29, 1958, in Pasadena, California) is an American former (retired from active competition) professional freestyle BMX rider turned artist and business executive. He is the founder of Haro Bikes and was one of the most important ...

, former freestyle BMX rider turned artist and business executive. He is the founder of Haro Bikes and was one of the most important early innovators of BMX freestyle. *

Guenter Seidel Guenter Seidel (born 23 September 1960) is an American equestrian. He was born in Bavaria, Germany, but represents the United States after moving to the country in 1985. He won a bronze medal in team dressage at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atla ...

, 3 time Olympic Bronze Medalist Dressage

References

External links

CardiffByTheSea.org
- Information center and chamber of commerce.
Cardiff By The Sea Weather
- Cardiff By The Sea Weather
U.S. Census Bureau Fact Sheet for Cardiff-by-the-Sea
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cardiff-By-The-Sea, Encinitas, California Neighborhoods in Encinitas, California North County (San Diego County) Populated coastal places in California Populated places established in 1911 1911 establishments in California