AfterMexican Independence, land was granted to Andrés Ybarra in 1842 to buildRancho Las Encinitas in what is nowOlivenhain and New Encinitas, from which Encinitas got its namesake.Encinitas is a Spanish name meaning "little oaks".[10]
The city was incorporated by 69.3% of the voters in 1986 from the communities of historic Encinitas, New Encinitas (Village Park, etc.),Leucadia,Cardiff-by-the-Sea, and Olivenhain.[12][13]
Encinitas lies on a ruggedcoastal terrace. The city is bisected by a low-lyingcoastal ridge that separates New and Old Encinitas. In the north of the city, the coast rises in elevation and the land is raised up in the form of many coastalbluffs, which are subject to collapsing on the narrow beach.[14][15] The city is bounded byBatiquitos Lagoon to the north andSan Elijo Lagoon to the south.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 20.2 square miles (52 km2), 19.1 square miles (49 km2) of which is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2) of which (5.47%) is water. The city's elevation ranges betweensea level and 402 feet (123 m) above sea level.
Encinitas can be divided into various neighborhoods. Old Encinitas is a small beachside area featuring a mix of businesses and housing styles. Sitting alongCoast Highway 101 (Historic US 101), the Encinitas welcome arch, the famous surf breakSwamis, and the early 20th-centuryLa Paloma Theatre are located here. Old Encinitas is divided from New Encinitas by a low coastal ridge.
Olivenhain is a semi-rural region in eastern Encinitas, composed of mostly single-family homes, a4-H Club, and several private equestrian facilities. German immigrants established the Olivenhain Colony in the late 19th century under theHomestead Act of 1862.[16] Olivenhain connects toRancho Santa Fe via Encinitas Boulevard.
Leucadia is a coastal community of the city, featuring tree-lined streets and boulevards, art galleries, unusual stores, and restaurants, along with single-family homes and beaches such as Beacons and Grandview.
Cardiff-by-the-Sea is the southernmost oceanfront community, which features streets named after British cities and classical composers, the Lux Art Institute, and the San Elijo Campus ofMira Costa College.
Encinitas has a very mild,Mediterranean climate. Average daily high temperature is 72 °F (22 °C). Temperatures below 40 °F (4 °C) and above 85 °F (29 °C) are rare. Average rainfall is about 10 inches (250 mm) per year. The wet season lasts during the winter and spring, when temperatures are usually cool. Average daytime temperatures hit 65 °F in winter and spring, when rain andmarine layer (fog, known locally as May Gray/June Gloom) are common. Nighttime lows range from 45 to 55 °F. The dry season lasts from summer through fall, with average daytime temperatures ranging from 75 to 85 °F, and nighttime lows being from the upper 50s–60s°F. Ocean water temperatures average 60 °F in winter, 64 °F in spring, 70 °F in summer, and 66 °F in fall. In winter, strong Pacific storms can bring heavy rain. During the winter of 2015–2016, the area saw rounds of severethunderstorms.
Encinitas city, California – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
The census reported that 98.4% of the population lived in households, 0.5% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 1.1% were institutionalized.[39]
There were 24,390 households, out of which 29.0% included children under the age of 18, 52.2% were married-couple households, 6.5% werecohabiting couple households, 24.8% had a female householder with no partner present, and 16.4% had a male householder with no partner present. 24.8% of households were one person, and 10.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.5.[39] There were 16,011families (65.6% of all households).[40]
The age distribution was 19.9% under the age of 18, 6.4% aged 18 to 24, 25.4% aged 25 to 44, 28.1% aged 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 43.8years. For every 100 females, there were 96.0 males.[39]
There were 26,408 housing units at an average density of 1,385.8 units per square mile (535.1 units/km2), of which 24,390 (92.4%) were occupied. Of these, 65.0% were owner-occupied, and 35.0% were occupied by renters.[39]
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $150,471, and theper capita income was $82,289. About 4.9% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line.[41]
At the2010 census, Encinitas had a population of 59,518, with a population density of 2,977.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,149.6/km2). The racial makeup of Encinitas was 51,067 (85.8%) White, 361 (0.6%) African American, 301 (0.5%) Native American, 2,323 (3.9%) Asian, 91 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 3,339 (5.6%) from other races, and 2,036 (3.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8,138 persons (13.7%).[42]
The census reported that 58,990 people (99.1% of the population) lived in households, 123 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 405 (0.7%) were institutionalized.
Of the 24,082 households, 6,997 (29.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 12,113 (50.3%) wereopposite-sex married couples living together, 1,950 (8.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 981 (4.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,359 (5.6%)unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 169 (0.7%)same-sex married couples or partnerships. 6,303 households (26.2%) were one person and 2,118 (8.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.45. There were 15,044 families (62.5% of households); the average family size was 2.98.
The age distribution was 12,285 people (20.6%) under the age of 18, 3,767 people (6.3%) aged 18 to 24, 16,584 people (27.9%) aged 25 to 44, 19,239 people (32.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 7,643 people (12.8%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 41.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.3 males. Females comprise the majority of Encinitas' population at 50.5% as of April 2010.[43]
There were 25,740 housing units at an average density of 1,287.7 per square mile, of the occupied units 15,187 (63.1%) were owner-occupied and 8,895 (36.9%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.3%. 39,101 people (65.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 19,889 people (33.4%) lived in rental housing units.
Encinitas Ballet. Encinitas Ballet is a classical ballet studio in Encinitas. It was established in 2008 by Sayat Asatryan, former principal dancer of the Kremlin Ballet Theatre, and Olga Tchekachova, former soloist of theMariinsky Ballet II.[citation needed]
April Street Fair: annual two-day street fair, held every April in downtown Encinitas[44]
Encinitas Bazaar Marketplace: a colorful, outdoor shopping experience[45]
Deep Pit BBQ: held the end of May at the San Dieguito Heritage Museum[46]
Encinitas Environment Day: held on the 2nd Sunday of June, with environmentally themed games and entertainment for families.[47]
Lima Bean Faire and Battle of the Beans Cook-off: held each September at the San Dieguito Heritage Museum, 450 Quail Gardens Drive[46]
Fall Festival: annual one-day street fair, held each November in downtown Encinitas[48]
OktoberFest: held on the last Sunday in September to coincide with theOktoberfest celebrations in Germany.
Classic Car Cruise Nights: classic cars line Coast Highway 101 in downtown Encinitas on the third Thursday of each month, May–September[49]
The Wavecrest Woodie Meet: takes place once a year on the third Saturday of September atMoonlight State Beach. It is the largest rally of wooden-bodied vehicles in the world and it is free to the public and to participants.[50]
Wellness Week: annual week-long program of events and special offers designed to help people learn about and experience ways to improve their well-being[51]
Salute to Education: Encinitas Chamber of Commerce Salute to Education event that is held each year in June, honoring local teachers and students for their outstanding efforts during the current school year. This event is hosted each year by Rancho Santa Fe Security Systems.
Switchfoot Bro-Am: annual freesurf competition and outdoor music festival usually held in early July at Moonlight State Beach, home of the world's only surf jousting competition, along with several other competitive surfing events. All proceeds from the event go to local charities.[52]
In 2011, Mark Patterson and Robert Nichols illegally installed a 10 by 10 feet (3 m × 3 m)mosaic of a surfingVirgin de Guadalupe on the north concrete support wall of the train bridge on Encinitas Boulevard, leading to a battle over whether it should be removed or preserved. It was named "theSurfing Madonna" by the media and public.[53][54]
Built in the late 1920s, the boathouses are historic landmarks in Encinitas.
Self-Realization Fellowship temple and Hermitage is a landmark of Encinitas since the 1930s. TheLux Art Institute,San Dieguito Heritage Museum,[55] and Encinitas Historical Society are located in Encinitas. Other points of interest includeSan Diego Botanic Garden, the historic La Paloma Theatre, Moonlight Beach, and one of California's classic downtown areas along historic Coast Highway 101. Surfing is a popular activity in Encinitas, particularly atSwami's, named afterParamahansa Yogananda, founder ofSelf-Realization Fellowship, which is rated in the top five surf locations in the world and is mentioned in a verse ofThe Beach Boys' song "Surfin' U.S.A." The bronze statueHumanity byMaidy Morhous was installed at J Street Overview in 2018 as a donation from Sue and Jay Vicory.[55] Manchester Reserve is great for nature walk and light hiking.
Magic Carpet Ride, affectionately known by Encinitas locals as theCardiff Kook, is a 16-foot (4.9 m) bronze statue located in Cardiff-by-the-Sea. The San Diego Architectural Foundation, in its annual Orchids & Onions awards for the best and worst architecture of the year, awarded the Kook an Onion in 2007. The nickname comes from a derogatory surfer slang term for a "wannabe" surfer, as surfers in the area realized that the statue's form whilst "surfing" was far from correct. However, the Kook has become a local favorite in the city and has many wonderful traditions associated with it. At various times during the year, the Kook is "vandalized" and dressed up (wearing alucha libre mask, being eaten by apapier-mâchéshark, wearing a fullUncle Sam costume forIndependence Day, used by local high school students to ask each other to school dances, etc.), bringing local flair and tourists constantly to the statue.
Since 1982, the Encinitas 101 Main Street Association has helped keep downtown Encinitas economically viable yet historic and beachy. Downtown Encinitas is vibrant and full of thriving local salons, restaurants, shops, bars, and art galleries.[56]
The city is currently governed by a five-member city council, with amayor and fourcouncil members. The mayor is elected citywide and the council members are elected by district to staggered four-year terms at two-year intervals. Thedeputy mayor is chosen by the city council members from among themselves.
In elections held in November 2012, Encinitas voted yes onballot measures to allow them to directly elect its mayor, with term lengths of two years, rather than the mayor being chosen by members of the city council for one-year terms. The first such direct election for mayor took place in 2014.
The city has been repeatedly sued over policies that are allegedly aimed at undermining stateaffordable housing laws.[58]
^Surfing Madonna mosaic in Southern California draws mass following. Julie Watson. Associated Press. Oakland Tribune. June 7, 2011. The Surfing Madonna – more correctly known as the "Save the Ocean Mosaic" is now re-installed on the wall of Cafe Ipe at the corner of Jasper Street and Pacific Coast Highway in Leucadia, CA 92024
