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La Mesa () is a city in
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 ...
, located east of
Downtown San Diego Downtown San Diego is the city center of San Diego, California, the eighth largest city in the United States. In 2010, the Centre City area had a population of more than 28,000. Downtown San Diego serves as the cultural and financial center and ...
in
Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...
. The population was 61,121 at the 2020 census, up from 57,065 at the 2010 census. Its civic motto is "the Jewel of the Hills."


History

La Mesa in Spanish means "the table", or alternately "the plateau", relating to its geography. La Mesa was part of a larger tract,
Mission San Diego de Alcalá Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá ( es, Misión San Diego de Alcalá) was the second Franciscan founded mission in The Californias (after San Fernando de Velicata), a province of New Spain. Located in present-day San Diego, California, it w ...
, and was used by Spanish missionaries. La Mesa was founded in 1869 and The City of La Mesa was incorporated on February 16, 1912. It does not have a city charter but operates under the laws of the state of California. Its official flower is the
bougainvillea ''Bougainvillea'' ( , ) is a genus of thorny ornamental vines, bushes, and trees belonging to the four o' clock family, Nyctaginaceae. It is native to eastern South America, found from Brazil, west to Peru, and south to southern Argentina. ...
. In 2020, La Mesa was the site of civil unrest in the wake of the
murder of George Floyd On , George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was murdered in the U.S. city of Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old white police officer. Floyd had been arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill. Chauvin knelt on Floyd's n ...
in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Two days after Floyd's murder, an unarmed black man was grabbed and shoved by a white La Mesa Police officer and arrested at the Grossmont Trolley Station. The video of the incident went viral and led to more than 1000 protesters converging on the city. An African-American grandmother was shot in the face with a bean bag round from police. The officer in the trolley station incident was charged with falsifying a police report in connection with the reason for the arrest but acquitted in December 2021.


Geography

La Mesa is bordered by the city 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 ...
on the west and north, Spring Valley and Lemon Grove on the south, and
El Cajon El Cajon ( , ; Spanish: El Cajón, meaning "the box") is a city in San Diego County, California, United States, east of downtown San Diego. The city takes its name from Rancho El Cajón, which was in turn named for the box-like shape of the va ...
on the east. It includes the neighborhood of Grossmont. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of . of it is land and of it (0.44%) is water.


Climate

La Mesa is approximately east of the Pacific Ocean. Because of this, La Mesa typically experiences more extreme temperatures than San Diego, most of which lies closer to the Pacific Ocean. La Mesa has a Semi-arid Steppe climate. La Mesa typically has hot, dry summers and warm winters with most of the annual precipitation falling between November and March. The city has dry weather with around of annual precipitation. Summer temperatures are generally hot, with average highs of 78 °F-92 °F (26 °C–33 °C) and lows of 56 °F–68 °F (13 °C–20 °C). Winter temperatures are warm, with average high temperatures of 66 °F–77 °F (19 °C–25 °C) and lows of 46 °F–58 °F (8 °C–14 °C). The climate in the San Diego area, like much of California, often varies significantly over short geographical distances, resulting in micro-climates. 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" cloud cover will keep the air cool and damp within a few miles of the coast, but will yield to bright cloudless sunshine approximately inland. This happens every year in May and June. Even in the absence of June gloom, inland areas tend to experience higher temperatures than areas closer to the coast.


Transportation

The City of La Mesa is served by the
San Diego Trolley The San Diego Trolley is a light rail system operating in the metropolitan area of San Diego. It is known colloquially as "The Trolley". The Trolley's operator, San Diego Trolley, Inc. (SDTI), is a subsidiary of the San Diego Metropolitan Tra ...
's Orange Line at its stations in
Spring Street Spring Street may refer to: * Spring Street (Los Angeles), USA * Spring Street (Manhattan), New York City, USA * Spring Street, Melbourne, Australia * Spring Street, Singapore * Spring St (website), a US based lifestyle website Subway and trolle ...
, La Mesa Boulevard,
Grossmont Transit Center Grossmont Transit Center is a San Diego Trolley station located next to Grossmont Center in La Mesa, California. The station is served by the Green Line and Orange Line and is located just east of the junction between the two lines. The stati ...
, and Amaya Drive, the last two of which are also served by the Green Line. By car, the city is served by
Interstate 8 Interstate 8 (I-8) is an Interstate Highway in the southwestern United States. It runs from the southern edge of Mission Bay at Sunset Cliffs Boulevard in San Diego, California, almost at the Pacific Ocean, to the junction with I-10, ...
,
California State Route 94 State Route 94 (SR 94) is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that is long. The western portion, known as the Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway, begins at Interstate 5 (I-5) in Downtown San Diego and continues to the end of the fr ...
, and
California State Route 125 State Route 125 (SR 125) is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that serves as a north–south freeway in the San Diego area. It runs from SR 11 and SR 905 in Otay Mesa, near the Mexican border, to SR 52 i ...
.


Demographics


2010

At the 2010 census La Mesa had a population of 57,065. The population density was . The racial makeup of La Mesa was 54.1% White, Hispanic or Latino of any race was 21.5%, 8.0% African American, 5.8% Asian, 0.8% Native American, 0.6% Pacific Islander, 11.6% from other races, and 5.8% from two or more races. The census reported that 56,408 people (98.8% of the population) lived in households, 124 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 533 (0.9%) were institutionalized. There were 24,512 households, 6,695 (27.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 9,330 (38.1%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 3,102 (12.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,335 (5.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,731 (7.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 243 (1.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 8,004 households (32.7%) were one person and 2,924 (11.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.30. There were 13,767 families (56.2% of households); the average family size was 2.94. The age distribution was 11,164 people (19.6%) under the age of 18, 6,396 people (11.2%) aged 18 to 24, 16,792 people (29.4%) aged 25 to 44, 14,625 people (25.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 8,088 people (14.2%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 37.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males. There were 26,167 housing units at an average density of 2,870.3 per square mile, of the occupied units 11,221 (45.8%) were owner-occupied and 13,291 (54.2%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.2%. 26,713 people (46.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 29,695 people (52.0%) lived in rental housing units.


2000

At the 2000 census there were 54,749 people in 24,186 households, including 13,374 families, in the city. The population density was 5,909.9 inhabitants per square mile (2,282.8/km). There were 24,943 housing units at an average density of . The
racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the city was 51.0% White, 6.7% African American, 0.6% Native American, 5.5% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 9.5% from other races, and 4.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 26.6%. Of the 24,186 households 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.8% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.7% were non-families. 34.2% of households were one person and 12.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.86. The age distribution was 19.8% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males. The median household income was $41,693 and the median family income was $50,398. Males had a median income of $37,215 versus $30,413 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,372. About 5.2% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 10.4% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.


Current estimates

According to estimates by the San Diego Association of Governments (not adjusted for
inflation In economics, inflation is an increase in the general price level of goods and services in an economy. When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation corresponds to a reductio ...
). When adjusted for
inflation In economics, inflation is an increase in the general price level of goods and services in an economy. When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation corresponds to a reductio ...
(1999 dollars; comparable to
Census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
data above), the median household income was $45,156.


Arts and culture


Farmer's market

There is a farmer's market in La Mesa Village every Friday afternoon.


Flag Day Parade

On June 14, 1997, with the help of Councilmember Ruth Sterling, the City of La Mesa inaugurated its First Annual Flag Day Parade.


La Mesa Walkway of the Stars

The “Walkway of the Stars” is a pedestrian walkway that has been transformed into an urban park in downtown La Mesa. The vision for a place to recognize La Mesa's extraordinary volunteers was provided by Councilmember Ruth Sterling. The park's theme honors the city's outstanding volunteers who have provided 10,000 or more hours of service to the city of La Mesa. “Walkway of the Stars” is located between the Allison Avenue municipal parking lot and La Mesa Boulevard.


Oktoberfest

At the beginning of each October, La Mesa holds its biggest event of the year,
Oktoberfest The Oktoberfest (; bar, Wiesn, Oktobafest) is the world's largest Volksfest, featuring a beer festival and a travelling carnival. It is held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It is a 16- to 18-day folk festival running from mid- or ...
, attended by approximately 200,000 people over the three nights of the event.


Back to the 50s Car Show

The Back to the '50s Car Show is an annual summer event where classic car enthusiasts come to display their vehicles. The event is held every Thursday evening during the months of June through August in La Mesa Village along La Mesa Boulevard. Admission to the event is free.


Sundays At Six

Sundays At Six is a free concert series that is offered every year in the months of June and July. For six Sundays, free concerts are performed in Harry Griffen Park from 6pm to 7pm. The concerts began in 2002 after being conceived by then-city councilman Mark Arapostathis and assistant city manager Yvonne Garrett along with members of the community. They are organized by the La Mesa Arts Alliance and sponsored by the Boys & Girls Clubs of East County Foundation.


Other events

Other annual events include Christmas in the Village, and Antique Street Fair.


Grossmont Center

The city's major mall,
Grossmont Center Grossmont Center is an outdoor shopping mall in La Mesa, California, a suburb in East County, San Diego. The mall opened in 1961 and is managed by Federal Realty Investment Trust. The anchor stores are Target, Macy's, RH Outlet, Walmart, Barne ...
, opened by the Cushman Family in 1961. In 2021, Grossmont Center was purchased from the Cushman Family by Federal Realty Trust, which valued the shopping center at $175 Million and plans to redevelop and modernize the 925,000 square-foot property.


Alternative media

The original offices of ''
The San Diego Door ''The San Diego Door'', (in former versions: ''Good Morning Teaspoon'', ''Teaspoon Door'', ''Door to Liberation'', and ''Free Door'') was an underground newspaper that thrived from January 1968 to August 1974 in San Diego and San Diego County, So ...
'', a popular
underground newspaper The terms underground press or clandestine press refer to periodicals and publications that are produced without official approval, illegally or against the wishes of a dominant (governmental, religious, or institutional) group. In specific rec ...
of the 1960s, were located in La Mesa at 7053 University Avenue.


Government


City government

La Mesa is a
general law city In the systems of local government in some U.S. states, a general-law municipality, general-law city, code city,
which uses a council-manager system of government with a directly elected mayor. The city council consists of a mayor and four councilmembers, all of whom are elected from the city at large and serve four-year terms. The council meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. The current mayor is Mark Arapostathis, who was re-elected in 2018.


State and federal representation

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 ...
, La Mesa 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 ...
, La Mesa is in .


Education

The schools in La Mesa are operated by two districts. The La Mesa-Spring Valley School District operates most of the elementary and middle schools in the city, while the
Grossmont Union High School District The Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) is a public school district located in eastern San Diego County, California, and serves high school, adult school, and Regional Occupational Program (ROP) students in the cities of El Cajon, Le ...
operates
Helix High School Helix High School, in La Mesa, California, is a charter high school built in 1952. It received its charter in 1998. Part of the Grossmont Union High School District, it serves a mid-level socioeconomic community and has a student body of approxi ...
and the Gateway day schools.


Elementary schools

* Rolando Elementary School (La Mesa-Spring Valley School District) * La Mesa Dale Elementary School (La Mesa-Spring Valley School District) * Maryland Avenue Elementary School (La Mesa-Spring Valley School District) * RHR DFAF Private Charter School * Murdock Elementary School (La Mesa-Spring Valley School District) * Murray Manor Elementary School (La Mesa-Spring Valley School District) * Northmont Elementary School (La Mesa-Spring Valley School District) * Lemon Avenue Elementary School (La Mesa-Spring Valley School District) * Vista La Mesa Academy (
Lemon Grove School District Lemon Grove School District is a school district located in Lemon Grove, San Diego County, California. It runs one middle school, two K-8 schools, and four elementary schools. Lemon Grove School district was officially founded on March 18, 1893 ...
) * Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran School (private, K-8) * St. Martin's Academy (private) * Liberty Charter School (private) * San Diego Jewish Academy (private) * Christ Lutheran School (private) * Innovation Center La Mesa – Julian Charter School (charter) * La Mesa Arts Academy (4th - 8th Grade) - La Mesa-Spring Valley School District


Middle/junior high schools

* Parkway Middle School (La Mesa-Spring Valley School District) * La Mesa Arts Academy (4-8 Grade) (LMAAC) (La Mesa-Spring Valley School District) * Vista La Mesa Academy (Lemon Grove School District) * Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran School (private, K-8)


High schools

*
Helix High School Helix High School, in La Mesa, California, is a charter high school built in 1952. It received its charter in 1998. Part of the Grossmont Union High School District, it serves a mid-level socioeconomic community and has a student body of approxi ...
(Grossmont Union High School District) *
Grossmont High School Grossmont High School is the oldest high school in San Diego's east county, California. Its mascot is the Foothiller, so chosen because, at the time of the school's construction, east county was much more isolated from the rest of San Diego than ...
(Grossmont Union High School District) includes some students from La Mesa while having an
El Cajon El Cajon ( , ; Spanish: El Cajón, meaning "the box") is a city in San Diego County, California, United States, east of downtown San Diego. The city takes its name from Rancho El Cajón, which was in turn named for the box-like shape of the va ...
street address


K–12

* Gateway Community Day (Grossmont Union High School District) * Gateway West Community Day (Grossmont Union High School District) * Mt. Helix Academy (Private Administration)


Notable people

*
Aaron Boone Aaron John Boone (born March 9, 1973) is an American baseball manager and former infielder who is the manager of the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for 13 seasons from 1997 through 2009. As a player, ...
, retired baseball player and manager *
Reggie Bush Reginald Alfred Bush Jr. (born March 2, 1985) is an American former football running back who now serves as an on-air college football analyst for Fox Sports. He played college football at USC, where he earned consensus All-American honors twi ...
, retired football player *
Brian Patrick Butler Brian Patrick Butler is an American actor, film director, screenwriter and film producer. He is known for creating ''Friend of the World'' and his performances in '' We All Die Alone'' and ''South of 8''. Life and career While pursuing a degr ...
, actor and filmmaker *
Ammar Campa-Najjar Ammar Campa-Najjar (born February 24, 1989) is an American politician and former official at the United States Department of Labor. Campa-Najjar has twice been a candidate for the United States House of Representatives. He lost in the 2018 electi ...
(born 1989), Democratic politician * Brooks Conrad, baseball player *
Ralph Drollinger Ralph Kim Drollinger (born April 20, 1954) is an American clergyman and retired professional basketball player, and leader of the "White House Bible Study Group," a study group sponsored by 10 cabinet members which held weekly meetings each Wedn ...
, basketball player and religious minister * Josquin Des Pres, producer and bassist *
Dennis Hopper Dennis Lee Hopper (May 17, 1936 – May 29, 2010) was an American actor, filmmaker and photographer. He attended the Actors Studio, made his first television appearance in 1954, and soon after appeared in ''Giant'' (1956). In the next ten years ...
, actor/producer/photographer *
Dave Mustaine David Scott Mustaine (born September 13, 1961) is an American musician. He is the co-founder, lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and primary songwriter of the thrash metal band Megadeth, as well as their sole consistent member. Mustaine has releas ...
, founding guitarist/vocalist of
Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along wit ...
*
Diana Napolis Diana Louisa Napolis (born 1955), also known by her online pseudonym Karen Curio Jones or more often simply Curio, is an American former social worker. Between the late 1990s and 2000, Napolis posted a series of pseudonymous accusations alleging ...
, social worker and celebrity stalker *
Ellen Ochoa Ellen Ochoa (born May 10, 1958) is an American engineer, former astronaut and former director of the Johnson Space Center. In 1993, Ochoa became the first Hispanic woman to go to space when she served on a nine-day mission aboard the Space Shu ...
, engineer and astronaut *
Willie O'Ree Willie Eldon O'Ree (born October 15, 1935) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, best known for being the first Black player in the National Hockey League (NHL). O'Ree played as a winger for the Boston Bruins. O'Ree is referred t ...
, hockey player *
Jason Phillips (catcher) Jason Lloyd Phillips (born September 27, 1976) is an American professional baseball player and coach. He is the bullpen coach for the Trenton Thunder of the Class AA Eastern League. He played as a catcher and first baseman in Major League Baseb ...
, former baseball catcher for
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
*
Goldie Rapp Joseph Aloysius "Goldie" Rapp (February 6, 1892 - July 1, 1966) was an American professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Giants and Philadelphia Phillies from 1921–1923. In 276 games over ...
, third baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies * Steve Roach, ambient musician * Claudia Sandoval,
MasterChef ''MasterChef'' is a competitive cooking show television format created by Franc Roddam, which originated with the UK version in July 1990. The format was revived and updated for the BBC in February 2005 by executive producers Roddam and John ...
winner *
Cathy Scott Cathleen "Cathy" Scott (born c. 1950) is a ''Los Angeles Times'' bestselling American true crime writer and investigative journalist who penned the biographies and true crime books ''The Killing of Tupac Shakur'' and ''The Murder of Biggie Small ...
, true-crime author * Whitney Shay, blues, soul, and rhythm and blues singer and songwriter *
Alex Smith Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played college football at Utah, where he received first-team All-American honors and won the 20 ...
, retired football player who was raised in La Mesa. *
Eddie Vedder Eddie Jerome Vedder (born Edward Louis Severson III; December 23, 1964) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and one of four guitarists of the rock band Pearl Jam. He also appeared as a guest vocalist i ...
, vocalist/guitarist of
Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, guita ...
*
Bill Walton William Theodore Walton III (born November 5, 1952) is an American television sportscaster and former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for coach John Wooden and the UCLA Bruins, winning three consecutive national ...
, basketball player and sportscaster *
Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...
, musician, composer, songwriter


See also


References


External links

*
La Mesa Village Merchants AssociationLa Mesa Community Website''La Mesa Courier''
- monthly newspaper
{{authority control Cities in San Diego County, California East County (San Diego County) San Diego metropolitan area Incorporated cities and towns in California Populated places established in 1912 1912 establishments in California