Escondido guide

A vibrant and diverse community, who's name translates to "hidden"  in Spanish, features outstanding recreational, educational and home buying opportunities, a revitalization of its downtown, and many other exceptional qualities which continuously attract new home owners and families. Located off of Interstate 15, inland from San Marcos and Vista, much of the city of Escondido is built on flat land close to hills and, not too far off in the distance, mountains. Incorporated in 1888, Escondido has grown from an agricultural center of only 6,500 in 1950 to almost 128,000, and is today considered by many a regional center for entertainment, shopping, and business.

Escondido rests quietly in a long valley in the coastal mountains of Southern California, Escondido provides a thriving urban environment in the midst of gentle rolling hills and avocado and citrus groves. Escondido lies about 18 miles inland, 100 miles south of Los Angeles, and 30 miles northeast of San Diego.

Inland North San Diego County, of which Escondido is at the core, is emerging as a regional economic leader in the forefront of job development and new industries.

The City of Escondido is a vibrant and diverse community of more than 133,559 people. The City's economic base is made up largely of successful small businesses, many of which are family-owned.

The centerpiece of the City's redevelopment efforts is the California Center for the Arts, Escondido which attracts more than 270,000 visitors from San Diego and surrounding regions each year and provides a significant boost to an already healthy economy. The Center is conveniently located in a charming downtown area, adjacent to historic Grape Day Park.

Home buying in Escondido offers vast stylistic variety and the perfect home in almost any price range. Of the 45,000 housing units counted in 2000, over 95 percent is single-family housing comprised of assorted styles and sizes. The three-bedroom home proves to be the most popular design, although 2, 4 and even 5 bedroom homes are available, and Escondido boasts  the lowest median cost of homes in the North County area, including the San Diego County as a whole. Only adding to Escondido's already attractive housing market the high level of care afforded by home owners in almost every neighborhood!

View houses for sale in Escondido.

Nearby freeways include the I-15 and the 78.  It's only approximately 30 minutes driving distance to the San Diego metropolis, 30 minutes from the West Coast, 2 Hours South of Los Angeles, and an hour North of the Mexican border.

In 1993, Escondido opened the California Center for the Arts, a 1,538-seat concert hall and a 408-seat theater presenting theatre, Broadway musicals, dance,  comedy, and concerts. In addition, a museum featuring painting, sculpture, photography, and installations highlighting the art of this century, and a full-service conference center and banquet facility was also built. At a cost of $75 million the center today attracts first-class singers, performers and shows to the north county and may one day turn Escondido into an arts mecca. Antique shopping and a variety of restaurants are also popular in the newly revitalized downtown.

The North County Fair (one of two shopping malls in Escondido) is the largest indoor mall in San Diego County and offers about 160 shops, 15 restaurants, and 5 department stores (including a Nordstrom and a Macys). Discount and outlet stores are also available. Adult educational opportunities include Palomar Community College which runs a satellite campus in Escondido, and a new California State University was recently built in neighboring San Marcos.

Recreation centers offer classes in health and fitness, dance, personal development, preschool and other children's activities, youth sports leagues and fundamentals classes, women's and men's basketball leagues, and open gym hours. There are five golf courses, about a dozen parks, six playgrounds, local lakes stocked with trout, catfish and bass, an arboretum, historic buildings at Grape Day Park, a Farmers market, movie complexes, a library, roller rink, sunflower fair, hockey, figure skating, a soccer park, and for skateboarders, some ramps and bowls. The San Diego Wild Animal Park is a few miles to the east, and Daley Ranch is a 3,058-acre conservation area acquired in 1997 by the City of Escondido. Managed for the preservation of a unique and diverse habitat of regional importance, Daley Ranch offers over 20 miles of multipurpose trails for hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian use.

View websites in Escondido of things and places to shop.

Escondido is served by the Escondido Union Elementary District and Escondido Union High. Elementary schools are run on a year-round schedule. Middle and high schools follow a traditional schedule. Equally as involved in the schools as they are in their neighborhoods and homes, residents approved a $43 million bond in 1996 to improve existing high schools and to build a new one, which opened in 1998 in Valley Center. In recent years the schools have also been making changes in curriculum and to improve the overall educational experience. These include providing algebra for all students by the eighth grade, offering a charter school with a curriculum that emphasizes western civilization, and offering software that helps students with their Spanish pronunciation.

The location of Escondido was first identified and discovered by Juan Bautista de Anza, a Spanish explorer, in 1776. Later, the area became part of the Rancho Rincon del Diablo (the devil's corner) land grant bestowed to Juan Bautista Alvarado in 1843 by Mexican Governor Manuel Micheltoren. In 1886, the Escondido Land and Title Company acquired the land grant, laid out the town site, and divided the valley into small farms suitable for grapes or citrus.

San Diego County is a perfect place to live, retire, do business and a great place to own a home. Its year-round mild climate combined with its historic attractions, Balboa Park, museums, the world-famous San Diego Zoo, its beaches, Sea World and its proximity to Tijuana create an almost irresistible combination. The most southern County in California, San Diego County is bordered on the west by the blue Pacific Ocean which brings a warm, dry climate with glorious sunrises over the mountains to the east and incredible sunsets over the Pacific to the west.

A legacy of Spanish place names, graceful architecture, and a relaxed lifestyle reflect the city of San Diego’s pride in its past. The interior, or back country, holds a wealth of surprises, ranging from the impressive Wild Animal Park to the old-fashioned mining village of Julian. The City of San Diego, home to the Chargers and the Padres, is the 6th most populous city in the United States. San Diego County has an economy bigger than some countries.