The Regions of the

San Diego metropolitan area San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinbu ...

and San Diego County, as they cover the same area are: *The

Anza Borrego Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (, '' AN-zə bə-RAY-goh'') is a California State Park located within the Colorado Desert of southern California, United States. The park takes its name from 18th century Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and ...

, or Desert or Inland region, includes all of northeastern San Diego County, including Borrego Springs and the portion of the Sonoran

Colorado Desert California's Colorado Desert is a part of the larger Sonoran Desert. It encompasses approximately , including the heavily irrigated Coachella and Imperial valleys. It is home to many unique flora and fauna. Geography and geology The Colorado De ...

within the county. The region consists predominantly of Anza Borrego Desert State Park, the largest state park in California. and occupies all of San Diego County east of the

Peninsular Ranges The Peninsular Ranges (also called the Lower California province) are a group of mountain ranges that stretch from Southern California to the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula; they are part of the North American Coast Ranges, which ...

with the exception of the Mountain Empire. *Central, or Central San Diego, includes most of the city of San Diego, often together with Coronado, excluding South San Diego. It may or may not include northern communities within the city of San Diego. *

Cuyamaca Cuyamaca (Kumeyaay: ''‘Ekwiiyemak'') is a region of eastern San Diego County. It lies east of the Capitan Grande Indian Reservation in the western Laguna Mountains, north of Descanso and south of Julian. Named for the 1845 Rancho Cuyamaca Mex ...

, (

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 ...

: 'Ekwiiyemak) is a region of eastern San Diego County. It lies east of the Capitan Grande Indian Reservation in the

Cuyamaca Mountains The Cuyamaca Mountains ( Kumeyaay: ''‘Ekwiiyemak''), locally the Cuyamacas, are a mountain range of the Peninsular Ranges System, in San Diego County, southern California. The mountain range runs roughly northwest to southeast. The Laguna Mount ...

and western Laguna Mountains, north of Descanso and south of

Julian Julian may refer to: People * Julian (emperor) (331–363), Roman emperor from 361 to 363 * Julian (Rome), referring to the Roman gens Julia, with imperial dynasty offshoots * Saint Julian (disambiguation), several Christian saints * Julian (give ...

. Named for the 1845 Rancho Cuyamaca Mexican land grant, the region is now dominated by the Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. Within the park is the prominent Cuyamaca Peak, the second-highest mountain in San Diego County at . * East County most always includes cities and communities east of the city of San Diego. Due to varying definitions, it may or may not include eastern backcountry areas. *The Mountain Empire includes communities along California State Route 94 and

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, ...

, in the southeastern Laguna Mountains region of the county. It may or may not be included in East County. * North County is divided into Coastal and Inland communities. It includes all cities and communities north of the city limits of San Diego and all cities and communities - including and to the west of - Ramona and

San Diego Country Estates San Diego Country Estates, commonly referred to as ''the Estates'', is a valley resort populace composed of several neighborhoods associated with the unincorporated community of Ramona, California. The Estates are a census-designated place in No ...

. According to some definitions, it may or may not include northern communities within the city of San Diego. * South Bay or South County includes all cities and communities at the southern end of

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 ...

including South San Diego. Coronado is included in the South County definition that also includes South Bay.

Consistency

None of these regions has an accepted defined area, and the borders will vary depending on the source. Some backcountry communities such as

, Pine Valley, and Borrego Springs are not always placed into any particular region due to their isolation and distance from major urban centers, although the San Diego Association of Governments puts them within the East County Major Statistical Area.

Notes

References

External links

{{San Diego County 01 01 San Diego San Diego metro San Diego–Tijuana San Diego County, California