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 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 eighth most populous city in the United State ...

), with an estimated population of 869,322. North County is well known for its

affluence Wealth is the abundance of valuable financial assets or physical possessions which can be converted into a form that can be used for transactions. This includes the core meaning as held in the originating Old English word , which is from an ...

, especially in

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 ...

, Carlsbad,

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 ...

, Rancho Santa Fe, and

Solana Beach Solana Beach (''Solana'', Spanish for "warm wind") is a coastal city in San Diego County, California. 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 Dieg ...

, where house prices range, on average, above $1,000,000. Cities along the 78 freeway ( Oceanside,

Vista Vista usually refers to a distant view. Vista may also refer to: Software *Windows Vista, the line of Microsoft Windows client operating systems released in 2006 and 2007 * VistA, (Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture) ...

San Marcos San Marcos is the Spanish name of Saint Mark. It may also refer to: Towns and cities Argentina * San Marcos, Salta Colombia * San Marcos, Antioquia * San Marcos, Sucre Costa Rica * San Marcos, Costa Rica (aka San Marcos de Tarrazú) ...

and Escondido) have more mixed incomes. Beach culture is prominent in the area, and many of the region's beaches and lagoons are protected areas to help ensure the environment remains pristine, though there has been pressure from commercial entities to develop some of these areas.

History

The name dates to at least the 1970s, when many of the communities in the area were yet to become incorporated cities and local community decisions were made away at the county seat. The North County section of San Diego County has historically been the most expensive region of San Diego, with such affluent neighborhoods as Aviara, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Carlsbad, Carmel Valley, Del Mar, Encinitas, La Costa, Leucadia, Olivenhain, Rancho Santa Fe, and Solana Beach. In modern times, North County continues to grow as a highly influential region of Greater San Diego. The top 25 employers in San Diego County are closer to the North County city of Carlsbad than San Diego proper.

Geography

North County is commonly divided into coastal and inland regions, with coastal cities being Oceanside,

, Carlsbad,

, Rancho Santa Fe and

, and inland cities being Escondido,

and

Poway Poway () is a city in San Diego County, California, United States. The unincorporated community became a city on December 1, 1980. Poway's rural roots influenced its motto "The City in the Country". The city has a population of 49,701 as of 2 ...

; inland mountain communities such as Valley Center and

Ramona ''Ramona'' is a 1884 American novel written by Helen Hunt Jackson. Set in Southern California after the Mexican–American War, it portrays the life of a mixed-race Scottish– Native American orphan girl, who suffers racial discrimination and ...

are sometimes included within the inland portion. Some consider communities in the northern parts of the city of San Diego like

Rancho Bernardo Rancho Bernardo is a master-planned community in the northern hills of the city of San Diego, California. Geography The topography of Rancho Bernardo consists of canyons and rolling hills that have large bedrock outcroppings. The major floral bio ...

Rancho Peñasquitos Rancho or Ranchos may refer to: Settlements and communities *Rancho, Aruba, former fishing village and neighbourhood of Oranjestad *Ranchos of California, 19th century land grants in Alta California **List of California Ranchos *Ranchos, Buenos Ai ...

, and Carmel Valley to be part of North County as well. Both coastal and inland North County contain two types of topography. In coastal areas of North County, the land is generally flat with low rolling hills. The beaches are sandy with occasional

tidepool A tide pool or rock pool is a shallow pool of seawater that forms on the rocky intertidal shore. Many of these pools exist as separate bodies of water only at low tide. Many tide pool habitats are home to especially adaptable animals that ...

s and rocky reefs. In some cases, the coast is dominated by

bluff Bluff or The Bluff may refer to: Places Australia * Bluff, Queensland, Australia, a town * The Bluff, Queensland (Ipswich), a rural locality in the city of Ipswich * The Bluff, Queensland (Toowoomba Region), a rural locality * Bluff River (New ...

type geography, where the land meeting the ocean sharply drops into the sea with a short beach. In some cases, such as in Encinitas, a whole city is bisected by a coastal foothill ridge. The foothills of mountains soon become visible as one travels further east and encounters the rocky peaks of inland North County. Such peaks include San Marcos Mountain,

Palomar Mountain Palomar Mountain ( ; es, Monte Palomar ) is a mountain ridge in the Peninsular Ranges in northern San Diego County. It is famous as the location of the Palomar Observatory and Hale Telescope, and known for the Palomar Mountain State Park. His ...

, Twin Peaks in

, Mount Woodson in

, and Iron Mountain in unincorporated territory. The coastal area also becomes more rugged to the north, where the

Santa Margarita Mountains The Santa Margarita Mountains are a mountain range, part of the larger Santa Ana Mountains in the Peninsular Ranges System. They are located in the coastal North County region of San Diego County, California. They are bounded on the northwest by ...

dominate the area within the

Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by O ...

. North San Diego County is known as one of the most geographically diverse places on earth, with bluffs, sandy beaches, canyons and rolling hills on the coast, humid inland valleys, rocky foothills, temperate mountains, rolling grassland and large lakes and rivers in the interior, and arid deserts, lush oases and sand dunes in the far east region. Rivers and creeks that flow west from the mountains farther inland mostly end up draining into the region's four main lagoons. Throughout their course, these rivers are interrupted by many lakes and reservoirs which support an array of native species. Definitions vary but almost always include the communities and cities along

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 ...

north of Carmel Valley Road, and

Interstate 15 Interstate 15 (I-15) is a major Interstate Highway in the western United States, running through Southern California and the Intermountain West. I-15 begins near the Mexican border in San Diego County and stretches north to Alberta, Cana ...

north of

Lake Hodges Lake Hodges is a lake and reservoir located within the city limits of San Diego, California. It is about north of Downtown San Diego, just north of the Rancho Bernardo community, and just south of the city's border with Escondido. When full, th ...

. For both geographic and political reasons, opinions differ as to whether to include the northern communities within the city limits of San Diego (such as

La Jolla La Jolla ( , ) is a hilly, seaside neighborhood within the city of San Diego, California, United States, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean. The population reported in the 2010 census was 46,781. La Jolla is surrounded on ...

, or Scripps Ranch). Spanning in the northwestern corner of the county,

forms a large buffer separating the coastal populated areas of North County from neighboring Orange County, California, Orange County, preventing the creation of a complete coastal megalopolis stretching from Santa Monica to Imperial Beach.

Ecology

The region has strong ties to its coastline and has made notable efforts to preserve many marine environments, including lagoons and wetlands, tidal wetlands, many of those being the final few on the South Coast (California), South Coast. Unlike developments in many Orange County coastal cities, the lagoons and large areas of coast have not yet been so heavily developed. Major lagoons and inlets lining the coast from north to south include: Oceanside Harbor, Buena Vista Lagoon, Agua Hedionda Lagoon, Batiquitos Lagoon and San Elijo Lagoon.

Flora and fauna

The lagoons provide valuable wetland habitat for many birds, reptiles, fish, and plant species. The waters off the coast are also very rich in species diversity, supporting large kelp forests and rocky reefs. Fish species included the tidewater goby, topsmelt, striped mullet, surfperch and Pacific staghorn sculpin. Leopard sharks forage near the lagoons, and their pups frequent the shallow rocky reefs off the coast. Bird species included the great blue heron, snowy plover, Ridgway's rail and least tern. The lagoons support various species of shorebirds, wading birds, waterfowl, Bird of prey, raptors and diving birds. The number of bird species in the San Dieguito River, San Dieguito wetlands have tripled due to restoration projects by Del Mar. The Torrey Pine is also one of the most infamous trees in the region.

Culture

Recreation

North County contains forty golf courses, including Torrey Pines Golf Course, Torrey Pines, which hosted the 2008 U.S. Open (golf), U.S. Open. North County is also known for its beaches, which stretch about thirty miles from Del Mar to San Onofre State Beach, San Onofre. These beaches experience a large tourist influx from June to November. Symbolic of North County's surf culture are the various statues proliferating the region including the Cardiff Kook in Cardiff-by-the-Sea. As surf culture is an integral part of North County, so is equestrianism, equestrian culture. Numerous equestrian centers, including the Del Mar Fairgrounds, Rancho Camino Equestrian Center, and San Diego Country Estates International Equestrian Center, are found in the region from Del Mar to San Diego Country Estates. North County is home to Southern California's only Star (classification), five-star and five-diamond restaurants: Addison at The Grand Del Mar, and El Bizcocho at Rancho Bernardo Inn.

Fairs and shopping

The Del Mar Fairgrounds is home to Del Mar Racetrack, one of the most famous racetracks in the world and is the site of the annual San Diego County Fair. Shopping malls include the Westfield North County in Escondido and The Shoppes at Carlsbad in Carlsbad. The Cedros Design District in

offers more than 85 shops, boutiques and galleries that specialize in antiques, handmade jewelry, unique artifacts, fine art, and more. Famous beaches include Moonlight Beach in Encinitas and the Oceanside Pier.

In the media

Locations in North County appear in popular television and films. Camp Pendleton is often featured in military-themed shows such as ''NCIS: Los Angeles'', and is the setting of the first season of ''Major Dad''. The Del Mar Fair is also portrayed in shows such as ''Entourage (U.S. TV series), Entourage''. ''Veronica Mars'' is set in a fictional city north of San Diego; much of the show was filmed in Oceanside. Other crime-related shows, such as TNT (U.S. TV network), TNT's ''Animal Kingdom (TV series), Animal Kingdom'' and Netflix's ''American Vandal'', are filmed and set in Oceanside. For two seasons the Showtime comedy ''Weeds (TV series), Weeds'' was set in the fictional San Diego suburb of Ren Mar, which is implied to be in North County. ''The Big Bang Theory'', which is set in Pasadena, features an episode ("The Big Bang Theory (season 4)#Episodes, The Zarnecki Incursion") where the main characters make a three-hour drive to Carlsbad to confront a World of Warcraft hacker. A notable fictional character from North County is shock jock Dave Rickards' "Aunt Edna", frequently featured on the popular ''Dave, Shelly, and Chainsaw'' radio program, which airs in the San Diego area.

Demographics

North County is considered wealthier and more conservative (though still liberal when compared to other regions of the state) than San Diego proper or the South Bay, San Diego, South Bay. It is the largest of the suburban regions of San Diego County. There are 325,995 North County residents who live within San Diego city limits. In North County, white-collar jobs outnumber blue-collar jobs at a ratio of 3:1. More people have Bachelor of Arts degrees than associate's degrees at a ratio of 2:1. More people are married than single by 2:1. Statistics compiled by the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency reveal that coastal North County is 59% white, 18% Hispanic and 6% Asian, with blacks and people of other races less than 5%.San Diego County Demographics Profile 2011
Health and HUman Services Agency, San Diego County. Retrieved 2016-02-18. Inland North County has roughly the same racial makeup, except that 9% are Asian. 19% of coastal North County residents make more than $100,000 per year, and 44% make less than $45,000, with the rest in the medium income range. Inland North County income stats are largely the same, except that only 42% make less than $45,000.

Cities and communities

Populations listed are from the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census.

Incorporated cities

* Oceanside - 174,068 * Escondido - 151,038 * Carlsbad - 114,746 *

- 98,381 *

- 94,833 *

- 62,007 *

- 48,841 *

- 12,941 *

- 3,954

Unincorporated CDPs

* Fallbrook, California, Fallbrook - 32,267 * Camp Pendleton South, California, Camp Pendleton South - 12,468 * San Diego Country Estates, California, San Diego Country Estates - 10,395 * Valley Center - 10,087 * Camp Pendleton North, California, Camp Pendleton Mainside - 9,683 * Lake San Marcos, California, Lake San Marcos - 5,328 * Bonsall, California, Bonsall - 4,546 * Hidden Meadows, California, Hidden Meadows - 4,484 * Rancho Santa Fe - 3,156 * Fairbanks Ranch, California, Fairbanks Ranch - 3,002 * Harmony Grove, California, Harmony Grove - 2,079 * Rainbow, California, Rainbow - 1,884 * Elfin Forest, California, Elfin Forest - 600 * Del Dios, California, Del Dios - 396

Education

Primary and secondary

School districts in the region include the: * Bonsall Union School District * Cardiff School District * Carlsbad Unified School District * Encinitas Union School District * Escondido Union School District * Escondido Union High School District * Fallbrook Union High School District * Oceanside Unified School District * Poway Unified School District * Ramona Unified School District * San Dieguito Union High School District * San Pasqual Union School District
San Marcos Unified School District
* Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District * Vista Unified School District School districts often overlap city boundaries. Depending on the ZIP Codes of the cities and their proximity to respective schools and school districts, school districts will serve parts of different cities.

Colleges and universities

North County is home to several colleges: * California State University, San Marcos (CSUSM), four-year university in San Marcos, offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate programs * Palomar College, a community college based in San Marcos, with six other education sites in North San Diego County * MiraCosta College, a community college in Oceanside.

Media

Newspaper

In 1995, several local newspapers merged to form the ''North County Times''. This newspaper served the region until 2012, when it was purchased by Doug Manchester and became an edition of the ''San Diego Union-Tribune''. On March 7, 2013, the separate ''U-T North County Times'' name was dropped and a ''U-T North County edition'' produced which further integrates U-T with North County-specific pages, while eliminating differences between the two.

Radio

In addition to being served by radio stations from San Diego and Tijuana, North County is served by FM stationsKSSX, KMYI, KLQV, KARJ (FM), KARJ, KSSD, KKLJ, and KSDW and AM stations KFSD, KPRZ, and KKSM. Several Los Angeles stations can also be picked up, including KYSR, KIIS-FM, KBIG KLYY,and KDLD

Television

North County is served by the ABC affiliate KGTV, CBS and CW affiliate KFMB-TV, KFMB, NBC affiliate KNSD, and FOX affiliate KSWB-TV, KSWB—all San Diego stations. Other local stations include KUSI in San Diego

Landmarks

Important landmarks in North County include Del Mar Racetrack, Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, Lake San Marcos, California, Lake San Marcos, Oceanside Pier, Twin Peaks, and

, home of the Palomar Observatory. Image:DMTC july 2008.jpg, Del Mar Racetrack Image:Mission_San_Luis_Rey_de_Francia_current.jpg, Mission San Luis Rey de Francia Image:Lakesanmarcos.jpg, Lake San Marcos, California, Lake San Marcos Image:Oceanside Pier.jpg, Oceanside Pier Image:TwinPeaksPoway1.jpg, Twin Peaks,

Image:Palomar_Observatory_2.jpg, Palomar Observatory

Politics

North County is represented at the federal level by Representatives Darrell Issa (Republican Party (United States), R–California's 48th congressional district, 48th district), Mike Levin (Democratic Party (United States), D–California's 49th congressional district, 49th district), and Scott Peters (politician), Scott Peters (R–California's 50th congressional district, 50th district). At the state level, North County is represented by State Senators Brian Jones (politician), Brian Jones (R–38th district), Patricia Bates (R–36th district), and Toni Atkins (D–39th district). Most of North County is located within County Supervisorial District 5, and is represented on the county's Board of Supervisors by Jim Desmond, formerly the mayor of San Marcos. The remainder of North County is in Districts 2 and 3, represented by Joel Anderson and Terra Lawson-Remer, respectively.