Oceanside, California

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City of Oceanside, California
Country	United States
State	California
County	San Diego
Government
- Mayor	Jim Wood
Area
- City	41.6 sq mi (107.7 km²)
- Land	40.6 sq mi (105.1 km²)
- Water	1 sq mi (2.5 km²)
Population (2000)
- City	173,303
- Density	3,967.1/sq mi (1,531.7/km²)
Time zone	PST (UTC-8)
- Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)
Website: http://www.ci.oceanside.ca.us/

Oceanside is the third largest city in San Diego County, California. The city has a population of 173,303. Together with Vista and Carlsbad, it makes up the Tri-City area. The city is just south of U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, the busiest military base in the United States[1]. Oceanside has grown massively from the 1970 census report of 45,000 people. Much of the city area was developed into single-family home tracts when real estate booms took place in the 1970s and 1980s. Since 1990, more commercial and industrial development to diversify Oceanside's economic base, with another population boom ever since. According to the US census, Oceanside's continual growth will put the city population estimates above the 200,000 mark in 2010 or exceed 250,000 by the year 2020.

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Demographics and diversity 3.1 Housing 4 Schools 5 Attractions 6 Famous Oceanside residents 6.1 National Football League Players 7 References 8 External links

[edit] History

The area was first visited by European explorers in 1769. The Spanish missionaries under Father Junipero Serra founded Mission San Luis Rey de Francia on a former site of a Luiseno Indian village on the banks of the San Luis Rey River. In the early 1800s, introduced farming and grazing changed the landscape of what would become Oceanside. The area like all of California was under Spanish, in 1821 Mexican rule and annexed by the U.S. in 1848.

In the late 1850s, Andrew Jackson Myers lived in San Joaquin County. A native of LaSalle County, Illinois, he returned in the late 1880s and lived in San Luis Rey. In 1882 Myers moved on the land that was the original town site for Oceanside. A patent for the land was issued in 1883 by the federal government.^[1] It was incorporated on July 3, 1888. The current city hall now stands on the former homestead of Myers.^[1]

In the 20th century, Oceanside was a beach town devoted to activities on a 6-mile stretch of beaches. Residential areas like Downtown built in the 1890s, South Oceanside in the 1920s and 1930s and developments east of Interstate 5 built after World war II, now are preserved and remodeled when these houses are now considered to have historical value. Since the establishment of Camp Pendleton in 1928, Oceanside was proud to have US armed forces personnel and the wartime industry of WWII and the 1950s had an ammunition manufacturing facility in the city. After 1970, the main focus of Oceanside was suburban development and a choice for newcomers to move in then relatively affordable housing. Today, Oceanside is a top real estate choice with home values over the $500,000 mark for its location by San Diego and the Pacific coast.

[edit] Geography

Oceanside is at 33°12′42″N, 117°19′33″W (33.211566, -117.325701).^GR1

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 107.7 km² (41.6 mi²). 105.1 km² (40.6 mi²) of it is land and 2.5 km² (1.0 mi²) of it (2.36%) is water.

[edit] Demographics and diversity

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 161,029 people, 56,488 households, and 39,259 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,531.7/km² (3,967.2/mi²). There were 59,581 housing units at an average density of 566.7/km² (1,467.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 53.6% White, 5.9% African American, 0.4% Native American or Alaskan Native (other estimates put the number of Native Americans at 1 to 2 percent)^{[citation needed]}, 5.4% Asian, 1.2% Pacific Islander, .1% from another race alone, and 3.2% from two races. 30.2% of the population is Latino of any race.

These figures have been adjusted to include all Latinos, regardless of race, as a separate group from whites, blacks, Asians, and other races; U.S. census data do not separate out Latinos in this manner.

The area around Oceanside High School was, along with the neighborhood around San Diego High School, the site of the first Samoan communities on the mainland. Oceanside has a Native Hawaiian community at over 1,000, but this is a general estimate.^{[citation needed]}

Since the 1950s, Oceanside had a high Native American population for any city in Southern California. In the 2002 movie Windtalkers, Camp Pendleton was the training ground for the famed Navajo code talkers used a secret code based on the Navajo language, whom served in the US Armed Forces at the Pacific Theater of World War II.^{[citation needed]}

There were 56,488 households out of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.33.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.6% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $46,301, and the median income for a family was $52,232. Males had a median income of $34,772 versus $27,962 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,329. About 8.2% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.2% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Housing

According to estimates by the San Diego Association of Governments, the median household income of Oceanside in 2005 was $61,792 (not adjusted for inflation). When adjusted for inflation (1999 dollars; comparable to Census data above), the median household income was $50,177.

On June 13 2005, the Wall Street Journal rated Oceanside as the number one vacation home market in the country.

[edit] Schools

Residents of Oceanside may attend schools in the Oceanside Unified School District, Vista Unified School District, Bonsall Union School District, or Carlsbad Unified School District, depending on their actual address. Oceanside schools provide free bus transportation for students in grades K-8, and instrumental music programs in grades 4-12.

The Oceanside Unified School District has two comprehensive high schools, El Camino High School and Oceanside High School. High school students are also served by Ocean Shores Continuation High School and the Clair Burgener Academy. There are three middle schools (grades 6-8): Jefferson Middle School, Lincoln Middle School, and Martin Luther King Middle School. Cesar Chavez Middle School is scheduled to open in the fall of 2007. OUSD has sixteen K-5 elementary schools. A new elementary school, Foussat Elementary, is also scheduled to open int he fall of 2007.

There are several charter schools in Oceanside, including a High School for Business and Technology.

For additional information about Oceanside schools, including attendance boundaries, calendars, bus schedules, and lunch menus, see the Oceanside Unified School District website at http://www.oside.k12.ca.us.

[edit] Attractions

• The Oceanside Pier, first built in 1888, (and now in its sixth incarnation) is the longest wooden pier on the western United States coastline at 1,954 feet (596m).
• Oceanside is home to Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, one of the Alta California missions.
• Oceanside is also known for the nature grounds of Mount Ecclesia, launched in 1911. This place is the location of the international headquarters of a fraternal and service organization called The Rosicrucian Fellowship. It is also the location of its spiritual healing temple, called "The Ecclesia", situated upon the promontory of a high mesa.
• The bungalow house featured in Top Gun, starring Tom Cruise, is located on South Pacific Street, which is one street up from the Oceanside Strand, a section of residential houses along the coastline.
• From June 20 through June 28, 1997, a record 221,000 fans watched the X Games III held in San Diego and Oceanside. The surfing competition took place at the Oceanside Harbor Beach.
• The California Surf Museum is located in downtown Oceanside.
• Every Fourth of July thousands of Oceansidians and people from the surrounding communities flock to the Pier to watch a spectacular fireworks show.
• Oceanside has a large Day of The Dead celebration held every year on or about the weekend nearest November 1st with Carnival rides, street vendors, and musicians
• Usually held the second weekend in September, Oceanside also holds an annual Harbor Days festival with street vendors, food, and local artists displaying their wares.
• Legoland California, located in Carlsbad, can be reached from Oceanside's Amtrak station.
• The final competition scene from the film "Bring It On (film)" was not shot in Daytona, FL, but at the beach shell in front of the pier.
• In the late 1990s, Oceanside had a minor league baseball franchise of the Western Baseball League, in the Miracosta College Ballpark but folded operations and lacked a standard ball park, now the site of the North County Waves semi-pro collegiate team.

[edit] Famous Oceanside residents

• Denise Richards - Actress who starred in Starship Troopers, Wild Things and The World Is Not Enough. Graduated from El Camino High School in 1989.
• Rear Admiral (Ret.) Richard Lyon - One of the first 10 Navy Seals (formerly called "Scouts and Raiders"), and the first Special Warfare Officer to attain that rank. He served as mayor of the city in the 1990s.
• Bobbi DePorter - Founder of the internationally-acclaimed SuperCamp program, and President of the Quantum Learning Network.
• Barbara Mandrell - Country singer and former Miss Oceanside.
• Melody Green - Co-founder of Last Days Ministry with her late husband, Keith Green

[edit] National Football League Players

• Junior Seau - NFL linebacker who played for the San Diego Chargers for 13 years, before being traded to the Miami Dolphins in 2003. Graduated from Oceanside High School with letters in football, basketball, and track.
• Joe Salave'a who plays for the Washington Redskins.
• Willie Buchanon, selected by the Green Bay Packers.
• Bill Sandifer, selected by the San Francisco 49ers.
• Bryant Westbrook, selected by the Detroit Lions.
• Charles Dimry, selected by the Atlanta Falcons.
• Michael Booker, selected by the Atlanta Falcons.

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b} Image:Oceanside plaque. Retrieved on July 17, 2006.

[edit] External links

• Official City of Oceanside website
• Unofficial Oceanside website
• Oceanside Community Website
• Rosicrusian Fellowship: Tour of Mount Ecclesia
• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 33.211566° -117.325701°
  • Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
  • Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA