East County | |
|---|---|
 Santee, one of the four cities in East County | |
 East County cities (red) and census-designated places (pink) | |
| County | San Diego County |
| Population | |
• Total | 465,000 |
East County is a region ofSan Diego County, California, east ofSan Diego.
East County does not have an official geographic definition, although East County boundaries are unofficially drawn by the County of San Diego for its second district.[1] It commonly includesEl Cajon,La Mesa,Lemon Grove, andSantee, as well as suburban and rural unincorporated communities such asLakeside,Spring Valley,Jamul, andAlpine. Many sources also include vast swaths of thebackcountry of San Diego County also known as theMountain Empire, including communities alongInterstate 8 such asPine Valley andDescanso, and communities along the rural section ofCalifornia State Route 94 such asPotrero,Boulevard, andJacumba.[2] Other sources consider communities within the entire eastern two-thirds of the county to be East County, thereby encompassing places likeRamona,Julian, andBorrego Springs.[3][4] The Ramona area—Ramona,San Diego Country Estates andBarona Mesa—is often considered part of inlandNorth County due to its association with Rancho Bernardo, Escondido and other North County Inland communities.[5]
The populace of East County primarily dwells in the interior valleys east of San Diego proper while some development encroaches on the coastal foothills.
A broader definition of East County exists that includes theCuyamaca Mountains and theLaguna Mountains, as well as the desert area ofAnza-Borrego Desert State Park.[6] Yet, this definition, when used by SANDAG, excludes theEast Suburban centers.[7]
Prominent geologic formations includeEl Cajon Mountain, a large, dome-shaped mountain overlooking Santee and Lakeside, as well as Iron Mountain and Mount Woodson that overlook Poway.
East County is thefourth most populous region in the San Diego metropolitan area, though its population is close to that ofSouth Bay.
Populations listed are from the 2020 census:
East County is served bySantee School District,Grossmont Union High School District, Cajon Valley Union School District, Lakeside Union School District, Lemon Grove School District,Poway Unified School District.
Grossmont College, located in El Cajon, andCuyamaca College, located in Rancho San Diego, are twocommunity colleges in the East County region.San Diego Christian College is located in Santee.
Important landmarks in East County includedEl Capitan,Mt. Helix,Santee Lakes,Sweetwater Reservoir, Poway's Tony Gwynn Statue,Lake Poway, andLake Cuyamaca.
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| Cities 100k–250k | ||
| Cities and towns 20k–99k | ||
| Cities and towns 10k–19k | ||
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| Counties |  | |
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| Cities and towns 1,000,000+ | ||
| Cities and towns 200k–500k | ||
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Sacramento (capital) | |
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