Jacumba Hot Springs ( ) is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...
in the
Mountain Empire area of
southeastern San Diego County, California
San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county (United States), county in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of California, north to its Mexico-United States border, border with Mexico. As of the 2020 United States Cen ...
, United States. For statistical purposes, the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
defined Jacumba as a
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
(CDP) for the first time in the
2010 census, with a population of 561. At the
2020 census, the population decreased to 540. The census definition of the area may not precisely correspond to local understanding of the area with the same name. The ZIP code is 91934 and the town lies within
area code 619
Area codes 619 and 858 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for most of San Diego County in the U.S. state of California. Area code 619 was created by a split of area code 714 in 1982. In 1999, a part of the 619 n ...
. Its elevation is above mean sea level (
AMSL
Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level v ...
). On February 26, 2013, the
United States Board on Geographic Names
The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is a Federal government of the United States, federal body operating under the United States Secretary of the Interior. The purpose of the board is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geogr ...
approved a petition by a citizen committee to change the town's name from Jacumba to Jacumba Hot Springs.
History
The
Kumeyaay
The Kumeyaay, also known as 'Iipai-Tiipai or by the 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 Uni ...
peoples occupied the Jacumba area prior to European settlement. They were likely attracted by the warm Jacumba hot spring (temperature ), one of many mineral hot springs which occur up and down 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 Pacific Coast Range ...
of California.
Ranchers
A ranch (from /Mexican Spanish) is an area of land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of farm. These terms are most often applied to li ...
occupied the area in the 19th century and were often in conflict with the indigenous population. Fifteen Kumeyaay and one White died in an event connected to alleged
cattle rustling
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are called co ...
during the Jacumba Massacre of February 27, 1880.
Around the turn of the 20th century, the health and relaxation benefits of natural
hot spring
A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a Spring (hydrology), spring produced by the emergence of Geothermal activity, geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow ...
s began to be commercialized. The Jacumba hot spring is prolific and delivered enough water to fill large public baths, the remains of which can still be seen. The water contains sulfur but has a pleasant clean smell. In 1919 rail service on the
San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway
The San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway is a short-line American railroad founded in 1932 as the successor to the San Diego and Arizona Railway (SD&A), which was founded in 1906 by entrepreneur John D. Spreckels. Dubbed "The Impossible Railr ...
connected Jacumba to
San Diego
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
. By 1925 the town had a world class hotel, the Hotel Jacumba. In the 1930s, Jacumba had developed into a top destination and had a population of about 1,150. Many of the foremost movie stars and celebrities of the time regarded Jacumba as a prime destination for relaxation.

Jacumba's role as a prime destination continued through
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. As the southernmost California hot spring, it began to feel competition from more northern ones, including
Murrieta and
Palm Springs
Palm Springs (Cahuilla language, Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Rivers ...
.
After the
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, ...
bypassed Jacumba by two miles, most of the roadside service businesses folded and the community went into economic decline.
The Jacumba Hotel closed and was destroyed in an arson fire in 1983. The ruins stood until 1991.
Today, the stub of the massive central fireplace can still be seen. The great public baths closed, the swimming pool was filled in, and the well was capped by its rights-owner.
In the 1980s, the Jacumba Motel was the only hotel facility left in Jacumba. The area continues to attract primarily foreign visitors and the motel has acquired rights to the spring and opened a spa. In 2002 the facility was sold with the intent of renovating it into a timeshare spa-type resort.
In 2006 it was resold and set up as a bed and breakfast.
The facility was closed in from 2010 to 2013. After a complete renovation, it was re-opened on June 28, 2013. It is in operation as the Jacumba Hot Springs Spa and Motel.
Geography
The town is in a valley in the
Jacumba Mountains
The Jacumba Mountains are a mountain range of the Peninsular Ranges in eastern San Diego County, California, near the Mexico–United States border
The international border separating Mexico and the United States extends from the Pacific O ...
at an altitude of . The area is dry with an annual average rainfall of . It is served by
Old Highway 80; Interstate 8 bypasses the town at a distance of two miles (3 km). The town is located in the Pacific time zone (GMT −08:00).
Jacumba Hot Springs is located on the
Mexican border
Mexico shares international borders with three nations:
*To the north the United States–Mexico border, which extends for a length of through the states of Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas.
*To the sou ...
. A small settlement exists on the Mexican side, known as Jacume; the unmanned crossing was closed in 1995. The new, enlarged border fence now runs through the area. The
United States Border Patrol
The United States Border Patrol (USBP) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and is responsible for secu ...
maintains an increased presence in the area to curtail smuggling and illegal immigration.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the CDP covers an area of 6.1 square miles (15.9 km), 99.88% of it land, and 0.12% of it water.
Demographics
Jacumba first appeared as a
census designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
in the
2010 U.S. Census.
[
]
2020
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Jacumba had a population of 561. The population density was . The racial makeup of Jacumba was 389 (69.3%) White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
322 (57.4%) non-Hispanic White), 4 (0.7%) African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 15 (2.7%) Native American, 6 (1.1%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 114 (20.3%) from other races, and 33 (5.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 207 persons (36.9%).
The Census reported that 561 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 216 households, out of which 66 (30.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 87 (40.3%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 29 (13.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 12 (5.6%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 21 (9.7%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 0 (0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships, while 72 households (33.3%) were made up of individuals, and 24 (11.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60. There were 128 families
Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...
(59.3% of all households); the average family size was 3.38.
The population was spread out, with 141 people (25.1%) under the age of 18, 46 people (8.2%) aged 18 to 24, 128 people (22.8%) aged 25 to 44, 167 people (29.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 79 people (14.1%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.9 males.
There were 294 housing units at an average density of , of which 123 (56.9%) were owner-occupied, and 93 (43.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 7.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.9%, while 288 people (51.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 273 people (48.7%) lived in rental housing units.
California Historical Landmark
Near Jacumba is the former site of the Mountain Springs Station; California Historical Landmark
A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in the U.S. state of California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance.
Criteria
Historical significance is determined by meetin ...
number 568 reads:
:''NO. 194 MOUNTAIN SPRINGS STATION - From 1862-70, Peter Larkin and Joe Stancliff used a stone house about a mile north of here as a store from which ox teams pulled wagons up a 30% grade. The San Diego and Fort Yuma Turnpike Co. used the site as a toll road station until 1876. The crumbling house was replaced in 1917 by another still visible to its east. But road changes, beginning in 1878 and culminating in today's highway, have left the older stone house ruins inaccessible.''
Transportation
San Diego MTS
The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) is a public transit service provider for San Diego County, California. The agency operates a transit system that includes the San Diego MTS bus system, San Diego Trolley, and Rapid ( bus rapid tra ...
route 888 provides service on Mondays and Fridays between El Cajon
El Cajon ( , ; Spanish: El Cajón, lit. '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 named for the box-like shape of the valley tha ...
and Jacumba Hot Springs.[https://www.sdmts.com/sites/default/files/routes/pdf/888.pdf]
Airport
Jacumba Airport (L78) CTAF 122.9 MHz. 2500 ft. Asphalt runway.
References
{{Authority control
Census-designated places in San Diego County, California
Hot springs of California
Springs of San Diego County, California
Mountain Empire (San Diego County)
Census-designated places in California