La Mesa, California
Encyclopedia
La Mesa is a city in San Diego County
San Diego County, California
San Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...

, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. The population was 57,065 at the 2010 census, up from 54,749 at the 2000 census. It was founded in 1869 and officially incorporated as a city on February 16, 1912. Its official flower is the bougainvillea
Bougainvillea
Bougainvillea is a genus of flowering plants native to South America from Brazil west to Peru and south to southern Argentina . Different authors accept between four and 18 species in the genus...

.

Geography & Climate

La Mesa is approximately 12 miles (19 km) east of the Pacific Ocean. Because of this, La Mesa typically experiences warmer temperatures than San Diego, which mostly lies significantly closer to the Pacific Ocean. La Mesa has a Semi-arid Steppe climate. La Mesa typically has hot, dry summers and warm winters with most of the annual precipitation falling between November and March. The city has dry weather with around 13" of annual precipitation. Summer temperatures are generally hot, with average highs of 78°F-92°F (26°C–33°C) and lows of 56°F–68°F (13°C–20°C). Winter temperatures are warm, with average high temperatures of 66°F–77°F (19°C–25°C) and lows of 46°F–58°F (8°C–14°C). The climate in the San Diego area, like much of California, often varies significantly over short geographical distances resulting in micro-climates. In San Diego's case this is mainly due to the city's topography (the Bay, and the numerous hills, mountains, and canyons). Frequently, particularly during the "May gray/June gloom" period, a thick "marine layer" cloud cover will keep the air cool and damp within a few miles of the coast, but will yield to bright cloudless sunshine approximately 5–10 miles (8.0–16 km) inland. This happens every year in May and June. Even in the absence of June gloom, inland areas tend to experience much higher temperatures than areas closer to the coast.

La Mesa is located at 32°46′17"N 117°1′22"W (32.771450, -117.022797). It is bordered by the city of San Diego on the west and north, Spring Valley and Lemon Grove
Lemon Grove, California
Lemon Grove is a city in San Diego County, California. The population was 25,320 at the 2010 census, up from 24,918 as of the 2000 census.-History:...

 on the south, and El Cajon
El Cajon, California
-History:El Cajon is located on the Rancho El Cajon Mexican land grant made in 1845 to María Antonia Estudillo, wife of Miguel Pedrorena. In 1876 Amaziah Lord Knox , a New Englander who had recently moved to California, established a hotel there to serve the growing number of people traveling...

 on the east. It includes the neighborhood of Grossmont.

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the city has a total area of 9.1 square miles (23.6 km²). 9.1 square miles (23.6 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.44%) is water.

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that La Mesa had a population of 57,065. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 6,259.6 people per square mile (2,416.8/km²). The racial makeup of La Mesa was 40,964 (71.8%) White, 4,399 (7.7%) African American, 431 (0.8%) Native American, 3,289 (5.8%) Asian, 318 (0.6%) Pacific Islander, 4,326 (7.6%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 3,338 (5.8%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11,696 persons (20.5%).

The Census reported that 56,408 people (98.8% of the population) lived in households, 124 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 533 (0.9%) were institutionalized.

There were 24,512 households, out of which 6,695 (27.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 9,330 (38.1%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 3,102 (12.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,335 (5.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,731 (7.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....

, and 243 (1.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 8,004 households (32.7%) were made up of individuals and 2,924 (11.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30. There were 13,767 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...

 (56.2% of all households); the average family size was 2.94.

The population was spread out with 11,164 people (19.6%) under the age of 18, 6,396 people (11.2%) aged 18 to 24, 16,792 people (29.4%) aged 25 to 44, 14,625 people (25.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 8,088 people (14.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.1 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males.

There were 26,167 housing units at an average density of 2,870.3 per square mile (1,108.2/km²), of which 11,221 (45.8%) were owner-occupied, and 13,291 (54.2%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.2%. 26,713 people (46.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 29,695 people (52.0%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 54,749 people, 24,186 households, and 13,374 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 5,909.9 inhabitants per square mile (2,282.8/km²). There were 24,943 housing units at an average density of 2,692.5 per square mile (1,040.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 80.64% White, 4.86% African American, 0.66% Native American, 4.09% Asian, 0.40% Pacific Islander, 5.08% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 4.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.52% of the population.

There were 24,186 households out of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.7% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the city the population was spread out with 19.8% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $41,693, and the median income for a family was $50,398. Males had a median income of $37,215 versus $30,413 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the city was $22,372. About 5.2% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.4% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

Current estimates

According to estimates by the San Diego Association of Governments
San Diego Association of Governments
The San Diego Association of Governments is an association of local San Diego County governments. It is the metropolitan planning organization for the County, with policy makers consisting of mayors, councilmembers, and a County Supervisors, and also has capital planning and fare setting powers...

, the median household income
Median household income
The median household income is commonly used to generate data about geographic areas and divides households into two equal segments with the first half of households earning less than the median household income and the other half earning more...

 of La Mesa in 2005 was $55,609 (not adjusted for inflation
Inflation
In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a...

). When adjusted for inflation
Inflation
In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a...

 (1999 dollars; comparable to Census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

 data above), the median household income was $45,156.

History and government

La Mesa in Spanish means "the table", or alternately "the plateau", relating to its geography. La Mesa was part of a larger tract, Mission San Diego de Alcalá
Mission San Diego de Alcalá
Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá, in San Diego, California, was the first Franciscan mission in the Las Californias Province of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. It was founded in 1769 by Spanish friar Junípero Serra in an area long inhabited by the Kumeyaay Indians...

, and was used by Spanish Missionaries.

The City of La Mesa was incorporated on February 16, 1912, under the general laws of the State of California. As such, it does not have a City charter but operates under the laws of the State of California in all respects not specifically covered by any City ordinance.

The City Council consists of five members who are elected from the City at large. The Mayor is elected directly by the citizens of La Mesa. The current mayor is Art Madrid
Art Madrid
Art Madrid , a La Mesa, California resident since 1958, has held elective office in La Mesa since 1981. Elected as a City Councilman from 1981 to 1990, Art was then elected Mayor of La Mesa, California in 1990 and then re-elected in 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006.In 1994, Mayor Madrid gained national...

.

State and Federal

In the state legislature
California State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...

 La Mesa is located in the 36th Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...

 District, represented by Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 Dennis Hollingsworth
Dennis Hollingsworth
Dennis Clark Hollingsworth is an American politician who represented California's 36th State Senate district, which includes portions of San Diego and Riverside County, from 2002 to 2010. In 2000, Hollingsworth was elected to the Legislature as a member of the Assembly, and in 2002, Hollingsworth...

, and in the 77th Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...

 District, represented by Republican Joel Anderson
Joel Anderson
Joel Anderson is a California politician and Republican member of the California State Senate in the 36th Senate District. Before his election to the State Senate he was a member of the California Assembly representing the 77th Assembly District, and he also served on the Padre Dam Municipal Water...

. Federally, La Mesa is located in California's 52nd congressional district
California's 52nd congressional district
California's 52nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California based in San Diego County. The district consists of many of San Diego's suburbs, including Lakeside, Poway, Ramona, La Mesa, and Spring Valley....

, which has a Cook PVI
Cook Partisan Voting Index
The Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...

 of R +9 and is represented by Republican Duncan D. Hunter
Duncan D. Hunter
Duncan Duane Hunter is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. He is the son of his predecessor Duncan Hunter...

.

Education

The schools in La Mesa are operated by two districts. The La Mesa-Spring Valley district operates the elementary and middle schools in the city, while the Grossmont
Grossmont Union High School District
The Grossmont Union High School District is a public school district located in eastern San Diego County, California, and serves high school, adult school, and Regional Occupational Program students in the cities of El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, and Santee; and the unincorporated communities of...

 district operates Helix High School
Helix High School
Helix High School, in La Mesa, California, is a charter high school built in 1952. It received its charter in 1998. Part of the Grossmont Union High School District, it serves a low to mid-level socioeconomic community and has a student body of approximately 2,400 pupils...

 and the Gateway day schools.

Elementary schools

  • St. Martin's Academy (Roman Catholic)
  • Rolando Elementary School (La Mesa-Spring Valley School District)
  • La Mesa Dale Elementary School (La Mesa-Spring Valley School District)
  • Maryland Avenue Elementary School (La Mesa-Spring Valley School District)
  • RHR DFAF Private Charter School
  • Murdock Elementary School (La Mesa-Spring Valley School District)
  • Murray Manor Elementary School (La Mesa-Spring Valley School District)
  • Northmont Elementary School (La Mesa-Spring Valley School District)
  • Lemon Avenue Elementary School (La Mesa-Spring Valley School District)
  • Vista La Mesa Academy (Lemon Grove School District
    Lemon Grove School District
    Lemon Grove School District is a school district located in Lemon Grove, California, USA. It runs two middle schools and seven elementary schools but no high schools. Grossmont Union High School District provides secondary and adult education. The superintendent is Ernest Anastos...

    )
  • Liberty Charter School
  • San Diego Jewish Academy
  • Christ Lutheran School

Middle/Junior high schools

  • Parkway Middle School (La Mesa-Spring Valley School District)
  • La Mesa Middle School (LMMS) (La Mesa-Spring Valley School District)
  • Vista La Mesa Academy (Lemon Grove School District
    Lemon Grove School District
    Lemon Grove School District is a school district located in Lemon Grove, California, USA. It runs two middle schools and seven elementary schools but no high schools. Grossmont Union High School District provides secondary and adult education. The superintendent is Ernest Anastos...

    )

High schools

  • Helix High School
    Helix High School
    Helix High School, in La Mesa, California, is a charter high school built in 1952. It received its charter in 1998. Part of the Grossmont Union High School District, it serves a low to mid-level socioeconomic community and has a student body of approximately 2,400 pupils...

     (Grossmont Union High School District
    Grossmont Union High School District
    The Grossmont Union High School District is a public school district located in eastern San Diego County, California, and serves high school, adult school, and Regional Occupational Program students in the cities of El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, and Santee; and the unincorporated communities of...

    )
  • Grossmont High School
    Grossmont High School
    Grossmont High School is the oldest high school in San Diego's east county, California. Its mascot is the Foothiller, so chosen because, at the time of the school’s construction, east county was much more isolated from the rest of San Diego than it is today and was often referred to as the...

     (Grossmont Union High School District), while having an El Cajon
    El Cajon, California
    -History:El Cajon is located on the Rancho El Cajon Mexican land grant made in 1845 to María Antonia Estudillo, wife of Miguel Pedrorena. In 1876 Amaziah Lord Knox , a New Englander who had recently moved to California, established a hotel there to serve the growing number of people traveling...

     street address, straddles the municipal border

K through 12

  • Gateway Community Day (Grossmont Union High School District
    Grossmont Union High School District
    The Grossmont Union High School District is a public school district located in eastern San Diego County, California, and serves high school, adult school, and Regional Occupational Program students in the cities of El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, and Santee; and the unincorporated communities of...

    )
  • Gateway West Community Day (Grossmont Union High School District
    Grossmont Union High School District
    The Grossmont Union High School District is a public school district located in eastern San Diego County, California, and serves high school, adult school, and Regional Occupational Program students in the cities of El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, and Santee; and the unincorporated communities of...

    )

Flag Day Parade

On June 14, 1997, with the vision and commitment of Councilmember Ruth Sterling, the City of La Mesa inaugurated its First Annual Flag Day Parade.

La Mesa Walkway of the Stars

The “Walkway of the Stars” is a pedestrian walkway that has been transformed into an urban park in downtown La Mesa. The vision for a place to recognize La Mesa's extraordinary volunteers was provided by Councilmember Ruth Sterling. The park’s theme honors the City’s outstanding volunteers who have provided 10,000 or more hours of service to the City of La Mesa. “Walkway of the Stars” is located between the Allison Avenue municipal parking lot and La Mesa Boulevard.

Oktoberfest

At the beginning of each October, La Mesa holds their biggest event of the year, Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest celebrations
The Oktoberfest is a two-week festival held each year in Munich, Germany during late September and early October. It is attended by six million people each year and has inspired numerous similar events using the name Oktoberfest in Germany and around the world, many of which were founded by German...

, attended by approximately 200,000 people over the three nights of the event.

Back to the 50s Car Show

The Back to the 50s Car Show is an annual summer event where classic car enthusiasts come to display their vehicles. The event is held every Thursday evening during the months of June through August in La Mesa Village along La Mesa Boulevard. Admission to the event is free.

Famous residents

La Mesa is the hometown of NBA player Bill Walton
Bill Walton
William Theodore "Bill" Walton III is a retired American basketball player and television sportscaster. The "Big Red-Head", as he was called, achieved superstardom playing for John Wooden's powerhouse UCLA Bruins in the early '70s, winning three straight College Player of the Year Awards, while...

, football stars Reggie Bush
Reggie Bush
Reginald Alfred "Reggie" Bush II is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft...

, and Alex Smith
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith is a professional American football player and starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Smith was drafted with the 1st-overall pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco from the University of Utah...

, actor Dennis Hopper
Dennis Hopper
Dennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant...

, baseball players Aaron Boone
Aaron Boone
Aaron John Boone is a former Major League Baseball infielder whose famous home run off Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield won the 2003 American League Championship Series for the New York Yankees. He played for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Florida Marlins, Washington...

 Brooks Conrad
Brooks Conrad
Brooks Litchfield Conrad , nicknamed "Raw Dog", is a Major League Baseball second baseman, third baseman, and pinch hitter for the Atlanta Braves.-Career:...

, singer of rock band Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...

 Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder is an American musician and singer-songwriter who is best known for being the lead singer and one of three guitarists of the alternative rock band Pearl Jam. He is widely considered a cultural icon of alternative rock.He is also involved in soundtrack work and contributes to albums...

, and thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...

 band Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...

 founder and guitarist/singer Dave Mustaine
Dave Mustaine
David Scott "Dave" Mustaine is the founder, main songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Megadeth. Prior to Megadeth, Mustaine was the first lead guitarist and a co-songwriter of the heavy metal band Metallica until he was fired from the band in 1983. In 2009, he...

.

External links

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