About San Diego County

North Inland San Diego County Communities

The neighborhoods in North Inland San Diego County include:

Bonsall Nestled among citrus and avocado groves and located in the rolling hills of San Diego’s north inland valley, Bonsall is home to the prestigious thoroughbred training center San Luis Rey Downs. Visitors can enjoy the surrounding equestrian trails, beautiful farms and horse ranches as well as take advantage of nearby tennis, golf, fine dining, shopping and resort accommodations. Bonsall, like neighboring Fallbrook, is unincorporated county land. With the continuing demand for homes, Bonsall’s groves are giving way to upscale custom residences.

Borrego Springs Borrego Springs is surrounded by the 600,000 acres of the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The park’s visitor’s center offers a wealth of information and resources on desert life. The 2000 census showed 2,535 residents, an increase of less than 300 from the previous census in 1990. But this desert community flourishes in the winter and early spring, attracting thousands of visitors when the desert flowers bloom. The presence of sizeable resorts such as Ram’s Hill and La Casa del Zorro, which was built in the 1960s, led some to believe that Borrego Springs would be the next Palm Springs. To the delight of many of its residents, however, lack of appropriate infrastructure has kept away many developers.

Agave in Bloom

Escondido Settled in a long valley in the coastal mountains of Southern California, the City of Escondido provides a thriving urban environment in the midst of gentle rolling hills and avocado and citrus groves. Located some 18 miles inland, Escondido is 100 miles south of Los Angeles and 30 miles north of San Diego. Inland North County, of which Escondido is a hub, is emerging as a regional economic leader, in the forefront of job development and new industries. The city, the fourth most populous in the county with more than 140,000 residents, also is home to the modern California Center for the Arts. It’s also home to the world famous Wild Animal Park, part of the San Diego Zoological Society. Incorporated in 1888, Escondido long served as an agricultural center. And while it still is, to some extent, its growing population has led to economic growth. Its North County Fair is the largest indoor mall in the county. The city is bisected by Interstate 15. Highway 78 moves traffic to the coast.

Orfila Vineyards

Fallbrook Located just east of Camp Pendleton and Oceanside, Fallbrook is known as the “avocado capital of the world”. Fallbrook’s country roads will surprise you with breathtaking beauty and rural, historic atmosphere. Avocado and orange groves, vineyards and nurseries surround the community. Fallbrook, which is unincorporated county land, also includes the communities of Live Oak Park, Winter Warm, and San Luis Rey Heights. Don’t miss some of the best art and antique shops around and bountiful produce stands. Over the last 25 years, as Interstates 5 and 15 and Highway 75 were improved, custom home builders and upscale developers followed. The land is rippled with hills, mesas, ravines and valleys. Many sites command great views of the countryside and the mountains to the east and some to the Pacific in the west.

Julian A former gold mining town, Julian is located in the middle of the county some 4,220 feet high in the mountains. Oak trees and sweeping pine forests cover the mountains and the winter snow cover feeds streams and reservoirs. Unincorporated county land, Julian is a cozy getaway all year ‘round, though it’s best known for its autumn apple harvest and its signature apple and berry pies. Spring brings the lilac and daffodil blooms and opportunities to camp and hike. And if you’re ready to build a snowman, you can drive up to Julian in the winter. Its quaint downtown is original Old West with antique stores, restaurants, and shops. The 2000 census counted 1,621 people in and near Julian.

Julian Main Street

Palomar Mountain Palomar Mountain State Park features spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean, picnicking, hiking and fishing (trout) in Doane Pond. Coniferous forests cover much of the 1,897 acres, in contrast to the dry lowlands surrounding the mountain. This is one of the few Southern California areas, along with Julian, with a Sierra Nevada-like atmosphere. The park is off Highway 76, up Highway S6, then left on Highway S7 at the junction near the mountaintop. Eight miles east of the state park, at an elevation of 5,500 feet, is Palomar Observatory, located in the Cleveland National Forest. The observatory is owned and operated by the California Institute of Technology and is home to the historic Hale 200-inch telescope.

Palomar Observatory

Poway The name of the beautiful valley of Poway (Pau-wi) is derived from the language of the Diegueno and Luiseno Indians. The accepted translation signifies “the meeting of the little valleys” or “end of the valley.” Poway calls itself “The City in The Country.” Although generally suburban, the city borders a good amount of open country. Many residents own horses and numerous homes are built on large lots. Population: 50,532. Poway’s school district continually ranks among the highest in the state. The Poway school district includes Rancho Bernardo and Rancho Penasquitos in the City of San Diego. Most of the commercial development runs along Poway Road, and much of the rest of the community is marked by landscaped homes, trees and open areas.

Ramona Located at the foot of the Cuyamaca Mountains, Ramona is known as the Valley of the Sun. Ramona is a country town with the conveniences of suburban life. Named after the heroine of Helen Hunt Jackson’s novel, a best seller in the 19th century, Ramona and the surrounding countryside has an estimated population of 35,840. Ramona offers a variety of outdoor activities including hiking, mountain climbing, and horseback riding. Nearby Lake Sutherland offers a scenic option for nature lovers and photographers. Ranches and homes have replaced many of the original farms. Upscale subdivisions include San Vincente and San Diego Country Estates.

Rancho Bernardo Rancho Bernardo is the northeastern-most section of the City of San Diego. Located just west of Poway, it’s named after the Spanish land grant. While Rancho Bernardo started as a planned senior community, it has grown to encompass the entire 92127 zip code, which now takes in the large, rapidly-growing developments of S-2 Ranch west to The Crosby adjoining Rancho Santa Fe. Because Rancho Bernardo has had separate areas set aside for residential, commercial and industrial uses, it has become one of the big job centers of the county. It includes Sony, Hewlett Packard, Gateway, and NEC facilities, biotech centers, and office parks. The 2000 census showed the population as some 41,000. Rancho Bernardo schools are part of the top-ranked Poway School District.

Rancho Bernardo Golf Course

Rancho Santa Fe Rancho Santa Fe is comprised of many different communities, some large and others small, each with its own characteristics. The original Rancho Santa Fe is called the Covenant, based on the protective covenant that governs this historic community of 6,200 acres located some four miles from the Pacific Ocean. One of the nation’s first planned communities, the Covenant is governed by the Rancho Santa Fe Association and is home to some 1,700 households with a population of more than 4,800. Nestled among the rolling hills, eucalyptus trees and citrus groves, Rancho Santa Fe, with its two-acre minimum lot size and numerous horse farms, offers rural beauty as well as some 40 miles of riding and hiking trails. Students attend the acclaimed Rancho Santa Fe school through eighth grade and then go to Torrey Pines High School, one of the best in the state. Over the years various neighborhoods have grown up around the Covenant, all claiming the prestigious 92067 zip code. For more on Rancho Santa Fe, see “About Rancho Santa Fe.”

San Marcos The City of San Marcos was named by Spanish soldiers who ventured into the area on the festival of St. Mark. San Marcos started as a farm town sustained by a rail line and station. Located on the main thoroughfare between Escondido and Oceanside, it also attracted commercial firms. Much of the city rests in a broad valley with a mixture of residential and commercial sections. In the last decade the population jumped 41 percent and in 2000 stood at 67,426. San Marcos continues to grow rapidly. One of the largest master-planned communities in the county known as San Elijo Hills is underway with 3,398 homes being built on 2,000 acres in the hills behind Lake San Marcos. California State University on the city’s east side continues to grow and residential development in that area is expanding as is development to the north in the Twin Oaks section.

Sorrento Valley Also known as “telecom” or “wireless” valley, the Sorrento Mesa Valley is home to a number of San Diego’s high-tech and biotech industries. Qualcomm was one of the first to locate in the area, with founder Irwin Jacobs often referred to as the “father of telecommunications.” The valley is located east of Interstate 805, just south of the Interstate 5 merge, between La Jolla and Carmel Valley.

Valley Center Located in the hills and valleys northeast of Escondido, Valley Center was once known as “Bear Valley” by the homesteaders who settled there in the 1880s. Valley Center is still pretty much what it has been for 100 years—an area of farms, ranches and orange groves. Unincorporated county land, Valley Center still has that charmed country feeling but as the county continues to grow, citrus groves are giving way to homes. Several Indian reservations are located in the area and their casinos have increased traffic. Valley Center Road is being widened to four lanes. The region’s population is 20,158.

Vista The City of Vista consists of almost 19 square miles of hills in the area north of San Marcos that once were carpeted with avocado and citrus groves. Vista, with a population of some 94,000, still continues to be a prime agricultural area, producing flowers, avocados and nuts. Vista has retained its rural atmosphere despite its fast-paced growth in recent years. In 1992 the city was included among the 50 best places in the nation to raise children. The Vista Historical Museum, the Antique Gas and Steam Engine Museum, and the 151-year old Rancho Vista Adobe, the birthplace of the community, are all interesting to visit.

Warner Springs In 1911, the development of the present day Warner Springs Ranch Resort began with the purchase of what was then a semi-arid property consisting of some 60,000 acres by William Griffith Henshaw, a prominent San Francisco businessman. Henshaw undertook the building of one of the major irrigation systems of the state to bring the San Jose Valley into bloom. One of the reservoirs he built in the irrigation system is now known as Lake Henshaw. He spearheaded many other water developments which helped transform the northern portion of San Diego County from an unproductive and sparsely occupied region to a rich, populated area.

Golden Eagle

Getting the Inside Scoop! But these facts are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the many amenities and events that make San Diego County such a wonderful place to call home for newcomers and lifelong residents alike. But, when it comes to something as important as choosing the home that's right for you and your family, you need to have all the facts. As a real estate professional — and relocation specialist — Joanne enjoys introducing people to Rancho Santa Fe and all of San Diego County and helping them make the most of living here. She also knows that finding your new home is just one of the tasks that face you when you are relocating. Her goal is to coordinate everything as smoothly and efficiently as possible here, while you are wrapping up the final details of moving out of your present home, wherever that may be.