Oceanside

Oceanside, California

Oceanside, in San Diego County, is a South Coast city. In 2010, the city had 167,086 residents. Historic landmarks, beaches, and architecture draw tourists to the city.

Oceanside was founded in 1798 by Fermín de Lasuén's Mission San Luis Rey de Francia. After the Mexican secularization act of 1833, Mission San Luis Rey, the largest Californian mission, declined. Oceanside was named after the former mission lands were developed into an oceanfront resort after the U.S. conquest of California.

History

Oceanside was settled by the Luiseño, or Payomkawichum, Native Americans. Oceanside is located on the San Luis Rey River in Tacayme, which the Luiseno called Qée'ish (Keish) and 'ikáymay (Ikamal) in the San Luis Rey Mission area, Wiyóoya (Wiawio) at the mouth of the river, and Wi'áasamay (Wiasamai) and Waxáwmay (Wahaumai) at Guajome.

Spanish Era

European exploration began in 1769. According to the Portolà expedition of 1769, Spanish missionaries under Father Junípero Serra founded Mission San Luis Rey de Francia on the site of Keish, a Luiseño Indian village on the San Luis Rey River.

Farming and grazing transformed Oceanside in the early 19th century.

Mexican Era

The Mexican government nationalized the California missions after the 1833 secularization act. Each mission had a mission administrator to oversee secularization, priest removal, and mission land sales or grants to private citizens.

American Era

Andrew Jackson Myers moved to San Luis Rey in the late 1880s from San Joaquin County in the late 1850s. Myers moved to Oceanside's original townsite in 1882. Federal land patents were issued in 1883. Incorporated July 3, 1888. The early 21st century city hall is on the Myers homestead.

Air Mail, a 1937 Elsie Seeds oil-on-canvas mural, is in the town post office. From 1934 to 1943, the Treasury Department's Section of Painting and Sculpture (later the Section of Fine Arts) commissioned murals.

Oceanside was a beach town in the 20th century. Historic homes in downtown, South Oceanside, and developments east of Interstate 5 are preserved and remodeled. Oceanside has housed U.S. military personnel since 1942, and during WWII and the 1950s, the city had an ammunition factory.

Oceanside prioritized suburban development after 1970. Oceanside still sells vacation homes.

Downtown saw several mid-rise and high-rise housing and lodging projects in the 2010s, with more to come. Two large Hyatt resorts opened in 2021, attracting tourists.

In late 1833, soldiers removed Padre Antonio Peyrí from Mission San Luis Rey after 34 years. Captain Pablo de la Portillà was appointed San Luis Rey administrator. In 1835, the Luiseños refused to work for Captain Portillà after Padre Peyrí left.

Geography

Oceanside is 33°12′42′′N 117°19′33′′W. (33.211566, -117.325701).

The city covers 42.2 square miles (109 km2), 41.2 of which are land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km2) (2.23%) are water, according to the US Census Bureau.

Oceanside is the last city before Orange County on I-5 north. Aliso Viejo and downtown San Diego are about the same distance by air.

Its tri-city area includes Carlsbad and Vista.

Climate

Oceanside has a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSh) tempered by maritime winds and cool shoreline currents. The average high temperatures are 64–77 °F (18–25 °C) and the average low temperatures are 45–64 °F (7–18 °C).

Government

City government is council-manager. The city council has one mayor and four district-elected members. Esther Sanchez (mayor), Ryan Keim (deputy mayor), Peter Weiss, Kori Jensen, and Christopher Rodriguez comprise the council.

City treasurer Victor Roy. City clerk Zeb Navarro.

Full-service Oceanside. It provides police, fire, library, water, and sewer services. The city also has a municipal airport, a small craft harbor, one of the longest wooden piers in the west, golf courses, swimming pools, parks, community centers, and palm-lined beaches.

Education

Depending on their address, Oceanside residents may attend schools in the Oceanside Unified School District, Vista Unified, Bonsall Union, Carlsbad Unified, Fallbrook Union High School District, or Fallbrook Union Elementary School District. Oceanside Unified School District offers 4-12 instrumental music programs.

Oceanside Unified School District has two comprehensive high schools, El Camino High School off Rancho Del Oro and Oceanside High School off Mission Avenue. Ocean Shores Continuation High School and Clair Burgener Academy serve high schoolers. OUSD has 24 schools, three charter schools, including the School of Business and Technology, and two new schools, Louise Foussat Elementary School and Cesar Chavez Middle School, which opened in Fall 2007. Cesar Chavez Middle School on Frazee and Oleander will serve 1,000 6th–8th graders on 14 acres (5.7 ha) with 11 buildings totaling 84,000 square feet (7,800 m2).

Louise Foussat Elementary School on Pala Road can accommodate 800 students in 35 classrooms on 12.6 acres (5.1 ha).

Scholarship Prep, a free, independent public charter school for grades TK-8, opened at the historic San Luis Rey Mission in August 2017. Oceanside students get a complete education.

Population

San Diego County's Oceanside. It ranks 30th in California and 160th in the US with 176,162 residents in 2023. Since 2020, Oceanside's population has grown by 1.2% to 174,068. Oceanside has 4,270 people per square mile over 42 miles.

Oceanside has an 11.76% poverty rate and an average household income of $91,604. In recent years, the median rent was and the median house value was. Oceanside's median age is 37.1, 35.6 for men and 38.8 for women.

Oceanside is on San Diego County's South Coast. This coastal city is 38 miles north of San Diego in a tri-city area with Vista and Carlsbad.