National City

History

Human presence within the modern National City may have begun as early as 130,000 years ago, as allegedly evidenced at the Cerutti Mastodon site. Archaic period sites have been found along Sweetwater River which runs through the city limits of modern-day National City. Before the arrival of Spaniards, the area which modern day National City occupies was part of the territory of the Diegueño tribe, also known as Kamia, and later Kumeyaay. Later in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century there was a Kumeyaay village, north of the modern National City boundaries, on Chollas Creek. The Spanish named the of land (the Ranch of the King), used by Spanish soldiers to graze horses. After independence from Spain, in 1810, the Mexican government renamed it Rancho de la Nación (Ranch of the Nation). Governor Pío Pico granted to his brother-in-law John (Don Juan) Forster in 1845. President Andrew Johnson, in issuing the land patent, listed the name as simply "The National Ranch", the English translation of the land grant name, "". In 1868, Frank Kimball and his brothers Warren and Levi, contractors and builders from San Francisco, purchased the entire rancho and thus began the foundation of the city, retaining the National name. Frank Kimball first brought novelty and change to the area by building his personal residence. His home included a bathtub as well as hot running water, making it the first modern house in the entire county. However, it was more than his personal innovative endeavors that allowed the region to flourish. By constructing the first roads and railroad in what is now National City, Frank and his brothers most notably were responsible for introducing modern transportation to the residents of the community. The brothers also implemented the area's…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of . of it is land and of it (20.17%) is water. National City is bounded by San Diego to the north and northeast, Bonita to the southeast, and Chula Vista to the south across the Sweetwater River. San Diego Bay lies to the immediate west of the city. Also, within the boundaries of National City on the eastern side of town is the unincorporated area of San Diego County known as Lincoln Acres. National City is 15 minutes away from the US–Mexico Border (Tijuana). National City has road access by the Interstate 5, Interstate 805, and California State Route 54, in addition to surface streets. National City Blvd, which once served as part of the historic U.S. Route 101, still serves as a north–south arterial street parallel to Highland Ave. Plaza Blvd and 30th Street/Sweetwater Road serve as east–west arterial routes. It has rail access through the San Diego Trolley's Blue Line. The nearest commercial airport is San Diego International Airport. In 2012, National City was honored as the most walkable city in San Diego County. It currently holds a walk score of 71, among the highest scores for cities of similar size. Although there are no specific communities identified by the city of National City, certain areas have self-identified as communities. The Old Town community is bordered by McKinley Ave. (to the west) and National City Blvd. (to the east), and 24th Street (to the south) and 8th Street (to the north). While Lincoln Acres is an unincorporated area of San Diego County, it is located wholly within the boundaries of the incorporated city of National City and both share the postal code (91950). The South Port Business Center, an industrial park in which many businesses operate, is bordered by…

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  80,984
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  78,699
• Anna's Hummingbird

  Calypte anna (R.Lesson, 1829) · Aves
  67,411
• Black Phoebe

  Sayornis nigricans (Swainson, 1827) · Aves
  65,005
• Western Gull

  Larus occidentalis Audubon, 1839 · Aves
  61,525
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  51,525
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  50,616
• Yellow-rumped Warbler

  Setophaga coronata (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  47,222

Largest nearby schools

• Eastlake High
  High · Chula Vista · 2,783 students · 25.3:1 ratio
• Sweetwater High
  High · National City · 2,679 students · 24.8:1 ratio
• Henry High
  High · San Diego · 2,607 students · 27.2:1 ratio
• Helix High
  High · La Mesa · 2,502 students · 24.3:1 ratio
• Otay Ranch Senior High
  High · Chula Vista · 2,491 students · 24.7:1 ratio
• Olympian High
  High · Chula Vista · 2,341 students · 24.6:1 ratio
• San Diego Workforce Innovation High
  High · National City · 2,332 students · 24:1 ratio
• San Ysidro High
  High · San Diego · 2,316 students · 23.9:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 3.64 — 2026-08-19
  14 km N of Warner Springs, CA
• M 2.63 — 2026-08-13
  28 km SSW of Ocotillo Wells, CA
• M 2.98 — 2026-07-31
  9 km W of Palomar Observatory, CA
• M 2.99 — 2026-05-28
  9 km WNW of Primo Tapia, B.C., MX
• M 2.65 — 2026-05-16
  20 km SW of Ocotillo Wells, CA
• M 2.51 — 2026-05-12
  3 km WSW of Lake Henshaw, CA