San Diego, California

Demographics:

• The population of San Diego is estimated at 1,279,329
• There are 471,318 households within the city limits
• The average income per household is $61,863
• People who live in San Diego use the area codes 619 and 858 (Find a phone number in San Diego here)

Many famous people have lived in San Diego, including:
Robert Duvall, Ted Danson, Annette Benning, Cameron Crowe, Cameron Diaz, Raquel Welch, Dennis Hopper, Gregory Peck, Art Linkletter, Regis Philbin, Tom Waits, Frank Zappa, Reggie Bush, Marcus Allen, Terrell Davis, Tony Gwynn, Tony Hawk, Tony Romo, Ted Williams, Wyatt Earp, Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss)

Historical Notes:
The first American known to visit journey all the way into San Diego was Jedediah Smith in 1826.

Charles Lindbergh built his famous airplane The Spirit of St. Louis in San Diego.

San Diego was the home of the Heaven's Gate religious cult. 39 of their members committed group suicide in 1997.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first person to drive across the famous Cabrillo Bridge in 1914.

Robert O. Peterson opened the first Jack in the Box in San Diego in 1951.

In 1542 Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo became the first explorer to set foot in the San Diego area. He claimed the land that he found for Spain and named it San Miguel. Within a few months Cabrillo passed away, so he never had an opportunity to colonize the area. It wasn't until 1602 that the land would be renamed San Diego by Sebastian Vizcaino, who named it after a Catholic saint.

It wasn't until the 1760's that Spanish settlers began to build missions in the San Diego area. They did this to ensure that explorers from other countries would not claim their land. After several difficult sea-bound journeys and many years of construction, the missions were finally ready and colonists started to inhabit San Diego in 1774.

During the 1820's, all of California fell under the control of Mexico. Nearly two decades later the United States declared war on Mexico, and by the end the Golden State (along with several others) became a part of America. Following the war, thousands of Americans moved into San Diego when gold was found in the vicinity. The population grew quickly, and the area was incorporated as a city in 1850.

Today San Diego is a very modern city with a proud history. Thousands of tourists visit every year to enjoy the many sites and sounds that the area sometimes known as "America's Finest City" has to offer.