Solana Beach (''Solana'',

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

for "warm wind") is a coastal 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 ...

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 ...

. Its population was at 12,941 at the 2020 U.S. Census, up from 12,867 at the 2010 Census.

History

The area was first settled by the San Dieguitos, early

Holocene The Holocene ( ) is the current geological epoch. It began approximately 11,650 cal years Before Present (), after the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene togethe ...

inhabitants of the area. The area was later inhabited by the

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 ...

, who set up a village they called ''Kulaumai'', on the southern banks of the

San Elijo Lagoon San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve is one of the largest remaining coastal wetlands in San Diego County, California, United States. History Native American tribes hunted and gathered along the shores of the estuary at least 8,500 years before ...

. During the Spanish colonial era, trails heading north near Solana Beach crossed inland to avoid the marshes and inlets of the area. The George H. Jones family were the first European settlers in the area, arriving in 1886. Until 1923, the area had been called Lockwood Mesa. When Lake Hodges Dam was built in 1917–1918, the area began to develop rapidly. The creation of the Santa Fe Irrigation District in 1918 ensured that the area from

Rancho Santa Fe Rancho Santa Fe is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Diego County, California, United States, within the San Diego metropolitan area. The population was 3,156 at the 2020 census. The CDP is primarily residential with a few shopping block ...

through Solana Beach would prosper and expand. The coastline from Solana Beach to Oceanside began to boom in the early 1920s. In 1922 Colonel Ed Fletcher, an early community leader and developer, purchased at $20 per acre from farmer George H. Jones to develop the town of Solana Beach, with the help of his brother-in-law Eugene Batchelder. To provide access to the beach for the development, hydraulic water pressure was used to erode away tons of earth and create the Fletcher Cove entry and beach. This took one man three months with a fire hose, using water that was coming over the spillway at Lake Hodges Dam. The beach was opened with great fanfare including horse races on the beach on July 4, 1925. The community grew slowly, but steadily throughout the rest of the century, with particular booms occurring in the decade after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and a real estate boom in the last quarter of the 20th century. In 1986 the community incorporated as the city of Solana Beach. That year, the city hosted the funeral services for

Desi Arnaz Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III (March 2, 1917 – December 2, 1986) was a Cuban-born American actor, bandleader, and film and television producer. He played Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, Ricky Ricardo on the American television sitcom ''I Lov ...

, who had died in Del Mar. Arnaz's funeral was held at St. James Roman Catholic Church, one of two Catholic churches in the city and part of the Diocese of San Diego. The city received national news coverage in 2003 upon becoming the first city in the

Continental United States The contiguous United States (officially the conterminous United States) consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the Federal District of the United States of America. The term excludes the only two non-contiguous states, Alaska and Hawaii ...

to enact a smoking ban on its public beaches, a trend which has continued as many other

coastal California Coastal California, also known as the California Coastline and the Golden Coast, refers to the coastal regions of the U.S. state of California. The term is not primarily geographical as it also describes an area distinguished by cultural, economic ...

towns have followed suit in banning smoking on their beaches. Solana Beach was the last coastal community in

North San Diego County North County is a region in the northern area of San Diego County, California. It is the second-most populous region in the county (after San Diego), with an estimated population of 869,322. North County is well known for its affluence, especial ...

to ban alcohol on the beach, doing so for at least a year in an action unanimously approved by the City Council. On April 25, 2008, retired veterinarian and 38-year resident Dr. David Martin, 66 years old, suffered a fatal injury from an extremely rare

great white shark The great white shark (''Carcharodon carcharias''), also known as the white shark, white pointer, or simply great white, is a species of large Lamniformes, mackerel shark which can be found in the coastal surface waters of all the major ocean ...

bite while swimming with a group approximately off shore near Solana Beach's Fletcher Cove. The group of swimmers reportedly began their swim at Tide Beach Park to the north. Surfers in the area of Fletcher Cover noted harbor seals in the water and a wounded seal on the beach at Fletcher Cove just before the attack, the latter being a typical sign of sharks feeding in the area. Recent increases in the seal population along the Southern California coast — and the seals' tendency to swim in close proximity to human swimmers — are suspected to be contributing factors in the attack.

Eden Gardens

The neighborhood of

La Colonia de Eden Gardens La Colonia de Eden Gardens, also known as La Colonia and Eden Gardens, is a neighborhood within the city of Solana Beach, located in northern San Diego County, California. History La Colonia de Eden Gardens is one of the oldest residential area ...

, also known as La Colonia and Eden Gardens, is one of the oldest residential areas of Solana Beach. The community was formed in the 1920s by Mexican farmers who were hired by the owners of large ranches in adjacent

. These farmers wanted their families nearby, hence the formation of ''La Colonia'' (the colony). The name Eden Gardens came later from a land developer as a marketing tool. Many residents still refer to the area as La Colonia. Famous residents include Chicano rapper

Lil Rob Roberto L. Flores (born September 21, 1975), better known by his stage name Lil Rob, is an American rapper, producer, and actor. Biography Flores was born in San Diego and raised in La Colonia de Eden Gardens, a Mexican American neighborhood i ...

, who was born and raised in the community.

Geography and climate

Before the city incorporated, the county allowed highly concentrated development of large condominiums atop the sandstone bluffs. Geologists studying erosion in period between 1947 and 1977 found little change in the face of the bluffs. It turned out this was a time of very few storms with very little erosion along the coast. The city has had to deal with bluffs collapsing onto the beach and damaging the improvements above. Owners threatened by wave and storm damage to the cliffs have few options. The Pacific Ocean is to the west; the community of Cardiff-by-the-Sea to the north, and the City of

Del Mar Del Mar is Spanish for "of the sea" or "from the sea". It may refer to: Places in the United States * Del Mar, California * Del Mar High School, located in San Jose, California * Del Mar racetrack, located in Del Mar, California * Del Mar Fai ...

to the south. The unincorporated village of

is located on the east side. Solana Beach is located at (32.992937,-117.271135). 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 (2.88%) is water.

Demographics

2010

At the 2010 census Solana Beach had a population of 12,867. The population density was . The racial makeup of Solana Beach was 11,039 (85.8%) White, 60 (0.5%) African American, 62 (0.5%) Native American, 513 (4.0%) Asian, 19 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 738 (5.7%) from other races, and 436 (3.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2,048 persons (15.9%). The whole population lived in households, no one lived in non-institutionalized group quarters and no one was institutionalized. There were 5,650 households, 1,323 (23.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,730 (48.3%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 360 (6.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 193 (3.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 325 (5.8%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 42 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,745 households (30.9%) were one person and 647 (11.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.28. There were 3,283 families (58.1% of households); the average family size was 2.85. The age distribution was 2,378 people (18.5%) under the age of 18, 738 people (5.7%) aged 18 to 24, 3,518 people (27.3%) aged 25 to 44, 3,829 people (29.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,404 people (18.7%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 43.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.3 males. There were 6,540 housing units at an average density of 1,804.7 per square mile, of the occupied units 3,401 (60.2%) were owner-occupied and 2,249 (39.8%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.3%. 7,919 people (61.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 4,948 people (38.5%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

At the 2000 census there were 12,979 people in 5,754 households, including 3,279 families, in the city. The population density was 3,678.7 inhabitants per square mile (1,419.6/km). There were 6,456 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 87.01% White, 0.50% African American, 0.42% Native American, 3.46% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 5.59% from other races, and 2.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.81%. Of the 5,754 households 20.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female head of household, and 43.0% were non-families. 31.5% of households were one person and 10.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.83. The age distribution was 17.9% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% 65 or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.5 males. The median household income was $71,774 and the median family income was $96,652. Males had a median income of $72,028 versus $41,186 for females. The per capita income for the city was $48,547. About 3.4% of families and 6.7% 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 7.5% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

Current estimates

According to estimates by the San Diego Association of Governments, the

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of ...

of Solana Beach in 2005 was $101,122 (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

(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 $82,114.

Economy

The Cedros Design District is located in Solana Beach, and consists of more than 85 art galleries, import and antique stores, boutiques and cafes. The Design District is also home to the Solana Beach Farmers Market, which operates every Sunday from 12pm to 4pm and offers locally grown fresh cut flowers, baked goods, organic produce and veggies. Another prominent venue on Cedros Avenue is the Belly Up, a live music space operating since 1974. The headquarters of Nisus Software, developers of the

Nisus Writer Nisus Writer, originally Nisus, is a word processing program for the Apple Macintosh. The program is available in two varieties: Nisus Writer Express, and Nisus Writer Pro. The program is valued by its users—especially book authors—f ...

word processor for the Apple Macintosh, are located in Solana Beach.

Government

Solana Beach is a general-law city operating under a Council-Manager form of government. The City Council serves as a legislative body and consists of five Council members, one of whom is chosen to act as Mayor for a one-year term on a rotating basis. In the state legislature, Solana Beach is located in: * 39th California State Senate District, represented by

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Toni Atkins Toni Gayle Atkins (born August 1, 1962) is an American politician serving as the 51st and current President pro tempore of the California State Senate since 2018. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served as the 69th Speaker of th ...

. * 78th California State Assembly District, represented by Democrat

Todd Gloria Todd Rex Gloria (born May 10, 1978) is an American politician serving as the 37th and current mayor of San Diego since 2020. As a strong mayor, he is the chief executive officer in the city of San Diego. A member of the Democratic Party, he is t ...

. 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 ...

, Solana Beach is in

California's 49th congressional district California's 49th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California. The district is represented by Mike Levin. The district currently covers the northern coastal areas of San Diego County, including Oceansi ...

, represented by . The district has a

Cook Partisan Voting Index The Cook Partisan Voting Index, abbreviated Cook PVI, CPVI, or PVI, is a measurement of how strongly a United States congressional district or U.S. state leans toward the Democratic or Republican Party, compared to the nation as a whole, based ...

of R+1.

Education

Solana Beach is served by the Solana Beach School District and the

San Dieguito Union High School District San Dieguito Union High School District (SDUHSD) is a public school district in northern San Diego County, California. Established in 1936, the district serves over 13,000 students in five middle schools, five comprehensive high schools, and one a ...

High schools

Public high schools serving the area are Canyon Crest Academy,

San Dieguito Academy San Dieguito High School Academy, originally known as San Dieguito Union High School and San Dieguito High School, is a public high school in the San Dieguito Union High School District of Encinitas, California in San Diego County. The sch ...

, and

Torrey Pines High School Torrey Pines High School is a high school in the North County Coastal area of San Diego, California. The school is named after the Torrey pine tree that grows in the area. Torrey Pines High School is a member of the San Dieguito Union High Schoo ...

Santa Fe Christian Schools Santa Fe Christian Schools is a private, college preparatory Christian school A Christian school is a school run on Christian principles or by a Christian organization. The nature of Christian schools varies enormously from country to count ...

is a private school serving ages K-12.

Middle school

* Earl Warren Middle School

Elementary schools

* Skyline Elementary School * Solana Vista Elementary School

Transportation

Solana Beach is served by

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

Pacific Surfliner The ''Pacific Surfliner'' is a passenger train service serving the communities on the coast of Southern California between San Diego and San Luis Obispo. The service carried 2,924,117 passengers during fiscal year 2016, a 3.4% increase from F ...

and

Coaster commuter rail Coaster (stylized as COASTER) is a commuter rail service in the central and North County, San Diego, northern coastal regions of San Diego County, California, United States, operated by the North County Transit District (NCTD). The commuter r ...

Solana Beach station Solana Beach station, also known as the Solana Beach Transit Center, is a train station on Amtrak California's ''Pacific Surfliner'' passenger train and on North County Transit District's COASTER commuter rail route located in Solana Beach, Cali ...

Interstate 5 Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Californi ...

is a major freeway bisecting the community.

Notable people

George Brent George Brent (born George Brendan Nolan; 15 March 1904 – 26 May 1979) was an Irish-American stage, film, and television actor. He is best remembered for the eleven films he made with Bette Davis, which included '' Jezebel'' and '' Dark Victo ...

, actor *

Jim Dennis Jim Dennis (May 9, 1923 – February 22, 2004) was an American harness racing driver and trainer. He was inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 2002. Dennis was born in Rexburg, Idaho. His father and five Uncles drove Standardbreds. D ...

, Hall of Fame

harness racing Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait (a trot or a pace). They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, or spider, or chariot occupied by a driver. In Europe, and less frequently in Australi ...

driver *

Patrick J. Hannifin Patrick J. Hannifin (January 26, 1923 – January 9, 2014) was an American Navy vice admiral. Hannifin was born in 1923 in Oklahoma to Steven Patrick and Elizabeth (née Flanagan) Hannifin. He attended the New Mexico Military Institute prior to go ...

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

Vice admiral *

Patti Page Clara Ann Fowler (November 8, 1927 – January 1, 2013), known professionally as Patti Page, was an American singer and actress. Primarily known for pop and country music, she was the top-charting female vocalist and best-selling female ar ...

, singer *

, rapper

References

External links

Official city website
{{authority control Cities in San Diego County, California North County (San Diego County) Populated coastal places in California San Diego metropolitan area Incorporated cities and towns in California Populated places established in 1986 1986 establishments in California Managed retreat