Jamacha (pronounced: ) is a neighborhood in the
southeastern
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...
area of
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
,
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 ...
. It is generally bounded by the city of
Lemon Grove to the north,
unincorporated Unincorporated may refer to:
* Unincorporated area, land not governed by a local municipality
* Unincorporated entity, a type of organization
* Unincorporated territories of the United States, territories under U.S. jurisdiction, to which Congress ...
La Presa to the east, Imperial Avenue and
Encanto
''Encanto'' is a 2021 American computer-animated musical fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The 60th film produced by the studio, it was directed by Jared Bus ...
to the west, and
Skyline
A skyline is the outline or shape viewed near the horizon. It can be created by a city’s overall structure, or by human intervention in a rural setting, or in nature that is formed where the sky meets buildings or the land.
City skylines ...
and
Lomita Village to the south. Major thoroughfares include Lisbon Street, Jamacha Road, and Woodrow Avenue. The neighborhood is part of the Skyline-Paradise Hills Community Planning Area.
History
Jamacha is named for the Jamacha Valley and
Rancho Jamacha Rancho Jamacha was a Mexican land grant in present-day San Diego County, California given in 1840 by Governor Juan Alvarado to Apolinaria Lorenzana. Jamacha is an Indian name. The grant extended eastward from Rancho de la Nación along the Sweetw ...
, a Mexican
land grant
A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...
estate. The name was variously spelled ''Xamacha'', ''Jamacha', 'Jamacho'', and ''Gamacha'' until ''Jamacha'' was fixed as the official spelling in the early 20th century. The word is likely derived from a Spanish adaptation of the Kumeyaay Indian word ''Xamca'', meaning "wild gourd."
Background
Jamacha is a largely residential neighborhood, with mostly single-family houses mixing with some multi-family development. There is also some small-scale commercial development in the neighborhood.
Geography
The Skyline-Paradise Hills Community as a whole make up approximately 4,500 acres. Much like the surrounding neighborhoods of Bay Terraces, Skyline, and
Paradise Hills, Jamacha is comprised predominantly of low-density single-family homes spread across the hilly area. A major geographic feature is Paradise Valley, which runs on an east-west axis through the middle of the community and gives rise to the Paradise Creek, which flows into
San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay is a natural harbor and deepwater port located in San Diego County, California near the U.S.–Mexico border. The bay, which is long and wide, is the third largest of the three large, protected natural bays on California's of c ...
. Jamacha, along with Lomita, Skyline, and North Bay Terrace, are directly north of Paradise Valley.
Demographics
Demographic statistics are only available for Jamacha in conjunction with bordering
Lomita
Lomita (Spanish for "Little hill") is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 20,921 at the 2020 census, up from 20,256 at the 2010 census.
History
The Spanish Empire had expanded into this area when the ...
. Jamacha-Lomita is very diverse. Combined, the demographics for Jamacha-Lomita are as follows: Hispanic-Latino are the largest group at 51.1%, followed by African-Americans at 17.7%, Asian at 13.6%, non-Hispanic Whites at 13.0%, Mixed race at 3.9% and others at 0.7%.
References
{{Neighborhoods of San Diego
Neighborhoods in San Diego