South Bay | |
|---|---|
 Imperial Beach Pier in South Bay | |
 The South Bay region, with cities shown in orange, the unincorporated communityBonita in pale orange, andSouth San Diego in pink | |
| County | San Diego County |
| Population | 453,901 |
TheSouth Bay, also known asSouth County, is a region in southwesternSan Diego County, California, consisting of the cities and unincorporated communities ofBonita,Chula Vista,East Otay Mesa,Imperial Beach,Lincoln Acres,National City, andSouth San Diego.[1]
Defined by its proximity toSan Diego Bay and theMexico-United States border, the South Bay is a mix of heavy industrial complexes and shipyards alongside beaches and residential developments. One of its cities, Imperial Beach, bills itself as "Classic Southern California" for being relatively untouched in terms of other coastal cities.[clarification needed]
The area encompassing the South Bay was originally inhabited by theKumeyaay peoples. Under Mexican rule, severalMexican land grants were established in the region, includingRancho Janal,Rancho Otay, andRancho de la Nación. In the 1870s,South Bay Salt Works began operations. National City was incorporated in 1887, Chula Vista in 1911, and Imperial Beach in 1956.South San Diego, including the communities of San Ysidro, Nestor, Palm City, and Otay Mesa, was annexed by the City of San Diego in 1957.
The term "South Bay" has referred to the region since at least the early 20th century, with one reference dating from 1918.[2]
In 1993, Two boys (Charlie Keever and Jonathan Sellers) were found raped and murdered byScott Erskine along the Otay River.
In October 2007, South Bay was quickly encroached upon by theHarris Fire, part of a series of fires that ravaged California in the 2007 Fire season.
Traditionally more residential and calmer than North County, in 2010 regional cities were taking on projects that included the development of luxury resorts in efforts to revitalize the South Bay. On May 18, 2010, further development of theChula Vista Bayfront was authorized by the Unified Port of San Diego and City of Chula Vista.[citation needed] Plans included marina expansion, luxury resort development, and the addition of a conference center. Additionally, in Imperial Beach, on September 29, 2010, the Seacoast Inn was demolished to make room for a $20 million resort.[3]
South Bay borders bothSan Diego Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The region is at the southern end of the bay and the western slope of the coastal mountains to the east. There are a few creeks that make their way from these mountains with their terminus in either the southern end of the bay, the ocean, or the Tijuana River estuary. Its boundaries areSan Diego Bay on the west, theUnited States–Mexico border on the south, National City's border with northern San Diego andCoronado to the north, and the unincorporated communities and Otay Lakes to the east.
Nature preserve areas in South Bay includeSan Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge,Otay Mountain Wilderness,Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge andTijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve. TheTijuana River Estuary is located on the southern coast of South Bay. The river that feeds it has awatershed that drains from both Tijuana Municipality and San Diego County. There have been problems with the cleanliness of the estuary, from the Tijuana part of the watershed, which has led to constructive measures with efforts to clean the water. Located within the Tijuana River National Estuarine Reserve, the Tijuana River estuary is the largest wetland in Southern California.[4] The wetland supports over 370 species of migratory and year-round dwelling waterfowl.[4]
The population was 462,843 as of 2005[update], an 18.3% increase from 2000. South Bay is thethird-largest region of Greater San Diego in population, ahead of East County and behind North County.
The South Bay is known for its relatively large immigrant population, with manyfirst-generationMexican-Americans andFilipino-Americans.[1] 26% ofSan Diego County'sHispanic population, the vast majority of which is of Mexican origin, lives in the South Bay.[5] As of January 2018[update], descendants of the early explorers of Alta California continue to live in the South Bay.[6]
As of 2010, South San Diego, National City, and Chula Vista have Hispanic majorities, while Imperial Beach has a Hispanic plurality and Bonita has a non-Hispanic white plurality.
Populations are as of the 2020 census except for South San Diego.
South Bay is served by theSweetwater Union High School District, Chula Vista Elementary School District, National School District,San Ysidro School District, and the South Bay Union School District. There are approximately fourteen high schools, fourteen middle schools, and numerous elementary schools. The South Bay area is also served by charter and private schools.
Located in Chula Vista isSouthwestern College, a two-yearcommunity college andfeeder school toUniversity of California, San Diego andSan Diego State University.
The South County Regional Center contains the South Bay Courthouse of the San Diego Superior Court as well as offices for the San Diego County Sheriff, the San Diego District Attorney, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, and others. The center is located in downtown Chula Vista.
South Bay is served byThe San Diego Union-Tribune, whose website features a "South County" section that is largely congruent with South Bay, although the "South County" section includesCoronado. South Bay also receives coverage from the weeklySan Diego Reader.
Chula Vista, National City, and Bonita are served by the weekly newspaperThe Star-News, which was formed in 1954 upon the merger of the Chula Vista Star with the National City News.[7] Imperial Beach is served by the weekly Imperial Beach and South County Eagle & Times.[8]
San Ysidro was once served by the weekly San Ysidro Border Press.[9]
No radio station is licensed to any city in the South Bay area. The area is instead served by stations licensed to the Baja California municipalities of Tijuana and Tecate, all of which effectively cover the area.[10] However,XHLTN-FM maintains a sales office in Chula Vista, andXHGLX-FM had a similar setup in National City, both stations sending data to cross-border control rooms. The area is also served by other San Diego area radio stations. During tropospheric ducting, the signals of out-of-market stationsKYSR,KBIG,KRTH, andKRUZ can reach the area, while sensitive radio tuners have picked upKIIS-FM on occasion.
Terrestrial digital television stationsKNSD andKUSI-TV have their transmitters on Mount San Miguel. The area is also served byXETV andXHDTV. The selection of local stations on cable and satellite services vary by provider.
Important landmarks in South Bay include:
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South Bay is located entirely within Supervisorial District 1 at the county level, which is represented by DemocratNora Vargas.[11]
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| Cities 100k–250k | ||
| Cities and towns 20k–99k | ||
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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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