Cardiff-by-the-Sea, usually referred to as Cardiff, is a beach community in the incorporated city of Encinitas 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 f ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

. The

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...

is to the west of Cardiff-by-the-Sea, the rest of incorporated Encinitas is to the east and north, and a beach and lagoon to the south. With a population of under 12,000, Cardiff-by-the-Sea operates as part of the city of Encinitas, but unlike the other communities that comprise Encinitas, has its own ZIP code (92007). Cardiff is home to a few well-known surf spots, such as Swami's and Cardiff Reef.

History

The first inhabitants were the Native

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 ...

Indians, referred to as the Diegueño by the Spanish. In 1769 the Spanish started colonizing this area with the construction of the Spanish Missions. The First Settlement was by the MacKinnon family in 1875. In 1909 this farming community began to be developed when Boston developer J. Frank Cullen purchased land from the MacKinnons. For $30 a lot, one could buy land and build new homes. Frank Cullen's wife, Esther, a native of

Cardiff, Wales Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a ...

(the capital city of Wales), persuaded him to name the community "Cardiff-by-the Sea", as well as naming many streets after other cities in Britain, such as the English "Birmingham", "Oxford", "Chesterfield" and "Manchester", despite heavy Spanish influence in the area. In 1986, "Cardiff" joined with the nearby communities of Leucadia, Olivenhain, and Encinitas to form the incorporated city of Encinitas. The Cardiff Composer District includes twelve streets named for musicians. It was developed by music publisher turned film producer turned real estate developer

Victor Kremer Victor Kremer (31 July 1932 – 12 August 2010) was a Luxembourgian sports shooter. He competed at the 1960 Summer Olympics and the 1964 Summer Olympics The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 ( ja, 東京1964), were an ...

Government

Cardiff is part of the city of Encinitas, which is governed by a five-member city council, elected at-large to staggered four-year terms at two-year intervals. 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 Legislatur ...

, Cardiff 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 chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together the ...

, Cardiff is in .

Cardiff School District

Cardiff has a school district consisting of two schools:
Cardiff Elementary
(K-3)
Ada Harris Elementary
(3-6)

Cardiff Reef

Cardiff Reef ("The Reef") is a popular surf spot in Cardiff that produces waves both professional and novice surfers enjoy year round. Surfing at The Reef has progressed from just a few surfers in the 1950s to become one of the most popular surfing spots in

. Cardiff Reef and nearby surf spots, Pipes and Seaside Reef, are famous for their smooth and consistent wave shape. When the tide is low, a flat rock reef is revealed that extends 50 yards from shore. Exploring these tide pools is a popular activity for visitors of Cardiff.

Demographics

According to the 2010 Census, Cardiff-by-the-Sea is 72% white, 20% Hispanic, 3% Asian, 1% African-American and 4% Other

Photos

Image:Cardiff by the Sea.jpg, Coastline and campgrounds Image:Surfers_At_Cardiff_Reef.jpg, Surfers walking out at Cardiff Reef Stand-Up Paddle Surfer at Cardiff Reef, California

Stand-Up Paddle Surfer at Cardiff Reef, California

Notable residents

* Mark Allen, former professional triathlete * Scott Eastwood, actor * Lili Simmons, actress * Jon Foreman, singer/guitarist for

Switchfoot Switchfoot is an American rock music, rock band from San Diego, California. The band's members are Jon Foreman (lead vocals, guitar), Tim Foreman (bass guitar, backing vocals), Chad Butler (drum kit, drums, percussion), and Jerome Fontamillas (g ...

* Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins, professional

skateboarder Skateboarding is an action sport originating in the United States that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry job, and a method of transportation. ...

* Chalmers Johnson, historian and author of the Blowback trilogy * Jonathan Jones, singer for the bands Waking Ashland and We Shot the Moon *

Frances Lee Frances Lee (born Merna Phyllis Tibbetts; May 5, 1906 – November 5, 2000) was an American film actress during Hollywood's silent film era, and well into the sound film era of the 1930s. Dancing career Frances Lee was born Merna Phylli ...

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...

actress (deceased 2000) *

Rob Machado Robert Edward Machado (born October 16, 1973) is an Australian-born American professional surfer. Early life Machado attended San Dieguito High School. He describes himself in interviews, vlogs and social media as a " soul surfer," or f ...

, professional surfer * Kirk McCaskill, retired major league baseball pitcher *

Emily Ratajkowski Emily O'Hara Ratajkowski (, ; born June 7, 1991) is an American model and actress. Born in London to American parents and raised in Encinitas, California, Ratajkowski began acting as a child before she gained a recurring role on the Nickelodeon ...

, actress * Lukas Gage, actor *

Marion Ross Marion Ross (born Marian Ellen Ross; October 25, 1928) is a American former actress. Her best-known role is that of Marion Cunningham on the ABC television sitcom '' Happy Days'', on which she starred from 1974 to 1984 and for which she recei ...

, actress *

Darren Hardy Darren Hardy is an American author, keynote speaker, advisor, and former publisher of ''Success (magazine), SUCCESS magazine''. Hardy is a ''New York Times'' best-selling author, who wrote ''The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster, Living Your Best Year ...

, publisher of Success Magazine * Bob Haro, former freestyle BMX rider turned artist and business executive. He is the founder of Haro Bikes and was one of the most important early innovators of BMX freestyle. * Guenter Seidel, 3 time Olympic Bronze Medalist Dressage

References

External links

CardiffByTheSea.org
- Information center and chamber of commerce.
Cardiff By The Sea Weather
- Cardiff By The Sea Weather
U.S. Census Bureau Fact Sheet for Cardiff-by-the-Sea
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cardiff-By-The-Sea, Encinitas, California Neighborhoods in Encinitas, California North County (San Diego County) Populated coastal places in California Populated places established in 1911 1911 establishments in California