National City is a city in
San Diego CountySan Diego County is a county located near the Pacific Ocean in the far southwest of the U.S. state of California. It is the southwesternmost county in the contiguous 48 states...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 54,260 at the 2000 census. National City is the second oldest city in San Diego County with a historic past.
History
Originally, the area was
El Rancho del Rey, (the Ranch of the King) used by Spanish soldiers to graze horses. After independence from Spain, Mexican Governor of California
Pio PicoPío de Jesus Pico was the last Mexican Governor of Alta California.-Origins:Pío Pico was a Mexican governor of California. He was born at the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel to José María Pico and María Eustaquia Gutiérrez with the aid of midwife Eulalia Pérez de Guillén Mariné...
re-named it
Rancho de la Nacion (Ranch of the Nation) and granted it to his brother-in-law
John (Don Juan) ForsterJohn Forster was born in England; became a Mexican citizen of early California, and was one of the largest landowners in California.-Early life:...
in 1845. President
Andrew JohnsonAndrew Johnson , the 17th President of the United States , was the first U.S. President to be impeached, as well as the first U.S. president to succeed to the presidency upon the assassination of his predecessor.At the time of the secession of the Southern states, Johnson was a U.S. Senator from...
, in issuing a land patent, listed the name as simply "The National Ranch."
Geography
National City is located at (32.670903, -117.092725).
According to the
United States Census BureauThe 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. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the city has a total area of 23.9 km² (9.2 mi²). 19.1 km² (7.4 mi²) of it is land and 4.8 km² (1.9 mi²) of it (20.13%) is water. National City is bounded by San Diego to the north and northeast,
BonitaBonita is an unincorporated community in southern San Diego County, California, nestled between the cities of Chula Vista, National City, and San Diego. It is also a census-designated place defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.-Geography:...
to the southeast, and Chula Vista to the south.
San Diego BaySan Diego Bay is a natural harbor adjacent to San Diego, California. It is 12 mi/19 km long, 1 mi/1.6 km–3 mi/4.8 km wide...
lies to the immediate west of the city. Also, within the boundaries of National City on the eastern side of town is the
unincorporated areaIn law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality. To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city or town with its own government. Thus, an unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
of
San Diego CountySan Diego County is a county located near the Pacific Ocean in the far southwest of the U.S. state of California. It is the southwesternmost county in the contiguous 48 states...
known as
Lincoln Acres.Lincoln Acres is an unincorporated area of San Diego County located wholly within the boundaries of the incorporated city of National City. It has a population of approximately 2,100 residents. Lincoln Acres has a fire station and library, but relies on the San Diego County Sheriff's Department to...
National City is 15 minutes away from the US/Mexico Border (Tijuana).
Demographics
As of the
censusA "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.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 54,260 people, 15,018 households, and 11,804 families residing in the city.
- Mexican - 53%
- Filipino - 19%
- Black or African American - 6%
- Other Hispanic or Latino - 5%
- German - 4%
- Irish - 2%
- English - 2%
- Italian - 1%
- American Indian tribes, specified - 1%
- French (except Basque) - 1%
- Puerto Rican - 1%
- Japanese - 1%
- Scotch-Irish - 1%
- Subsaharan African - 1%
- Polish - 1%
- Central American: - 1%
As of 2007, 19.5% of National City residents have incomes listed below the poverty level, a figure above the 12.4% California state average. In 2000, the estimated household income was $29,826. Currently, the estimated household income is $39,158, which is below the California state average of $59,958.
Crime
Although crime has dropped since the 1980s and 1990's, National City still has significant gang and drug activity, and perennially leads San Diego County in violent crime.
For example, the number of violent crimes recorded by the FBI in 2003 was 546. The number of homicides for that year was 9, a rate of 16.6 per 100,000 people and three times the national average of 5.5. The violent crime rate was 9.7 per 1,000 people. From 2003 to 2007, National City averaged 5.2 homicides a year or an average rate of 9.6 per 100,000 people.
In 2008, National City was homicide-free for the first time since 1963, though it still led San Diego County in violent crime with a rate of 6.1 per 1,000 people (County average was 3.9 per 1,000 for that year).
Politics
In the
State LegislatureThe 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...
, National City is located in the 40th
SenateThe California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 State Senators. The state legislature meets in the state capital, Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
District, represented by
DemocratThe Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. It is the oldest political party in continuous operation in the United States and it is one of the oldest parties in the world. In the U.S...
Denise Moreno DuchenyDenise Moreno Ducheny is a California State Senator who represents Senate District 40, which includes southern San Diego County, part of Riverside County, and all of Imperial County. Ducheny is a Democrat. She lives with her husband, Al, in San Diego, California.-Background:Ducheny was born in...
, and in the 79th
AssemblyThe 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 Democrat
Mary SalasMary Salas is a California politician. She is currently the California Assemblymember who represents the 79th Assembly District, which includes the communities of National City, Coronado, Imperial Beach and parts of Chula Vista and San Diego. Salas was elected to her office in November 2006 on the...
. Federally, National City is located in
California's 51st congressional districtCalifornia's 51st congressional district is currently represented in the United States House of Representatives by Democrat Bob Filner.-History:In the 1980s, California's 44th congressional district was one of four that divided San Diego, California...
, which has a
Cook PVIThe 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 D +7 and is represented by Democrat
Bob FilnerRobert "Bob" Filner is a Democratic politician who represents California's 51st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. The district includes much of San Diego's southern section, the cities of Chula Vista and National City and all of Imperial County. It includes California's...
.
Schools
National City's 10 public elementary schools are under the National School District http://nsd.us/
Elementary Schools
- Central
- El Toyon
- Ira Harbison - Blue Ribbon School 2006 California Distinguished School
A California Distinguished School is an award given by the California State Board of Education to public schools within the state that best represent exemplary and quality educational programs. Approximately five percent of California schools are awarded this honor each year following a rigorous...
2004
- John Otis
- Kimball - California Distinguished School
A California Distinguished School is an award given by the California State Board of Education to public schools within the state that best represent exemplary and quality educational programs. Approximately five percent of California schools are awarded this honor each year following a rigorous...
2004
- Las Palmas
- Lincoln Acres
- Olivewood
- Palmer Way
- Rancho de la Nación (formerly New Horizons School)
Charter School
- Integrity Charter School - A K-7 Charter School
Charter schools are elementary or secondary schools in the United States that receive public money but have been freed from some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth...
National City's public middle and high schools are in the
Sweetwater Union High School DistrictThe Sweetwater Union High School District is a school district located in San Diego County, California that serves adults and high school-aged students in the communities of Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, National City and the San Ysidro portion of San Diego....
Middle schools
- National City Middle School
- Granger Junior High School
High school
- Sweetwater High School
There a several schools named Sweetwater High School:* Sweetwater High School * Sweetwater High School...
Private schools
- San Diego Academy - A Seventh-day Adventist
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ. It is the eighth largest international body of...
K-12 school
- Faithful Ambassadors Bible Baptist Academy - PreK-12
- Gospel Light Christian School - PreK-12
- Southport Christian Academy - PreK-12
Places of interest
- The National City Mile of Cars
Located in National City, California, between San Diego and the border of Mexico, the Mile of Cars Association is one of the largest and most successful automotive associations in the United States...
is recognized as one of the first "auto malls" in the world.
- National City's three-mile port area along the San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay is a natural harbor adjacent to San Diego, California. It is 12 mi/19 km long, 1 mi/1.6 km–3 mi/4.8 km wide...
is part of Naval Base San Diego, the largest U.S. Naval base on the west coast.
- National City Depot - The National City California Southern Railroad Depot, built in 1882, served as the first Pacific Coast terminus station of the Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
system’s transcontinental railroad. The station was the West Coast general office and figured prominently in Santa Fe’s effort to break the economic and transportation monopoly of California held by the Central/Southern Pacific Railroads.The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company , and usually simply called the Southern Pacific, was an American railroad. The railroad was founded as a land holding company in 1865, later acquiring the Central Pacific Railroad by lease...
The first transcontinental trains arrived in November 1885, resulting in one of the largest land booms in the history of California. Of the original five transcontinental railroad terminus stations, this unique Italianate designed station is the lone survivor. Location: 900 West 23rd St, National City. Listed as California Historical Landmark no. 1023.
- Westfield Plaza Bonita
Westfield Plaza Bonita, formerly Shopping Town Plaza Bonita, is a shopping mall in National City, California, owned by The Westfield Group. Its anchor stores are JCPenney, AMC Theaters, Borders, Macy's and Target.-History:...
is a shopping mallA shopping mall, shopping centre or shopping center is a building or multiple buildings consisting of a complex of shops representing leading merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a convenient parking area – a modern,...
in National City that attracts customers from all around the South Bay region of San Diego County. It is one of the only completely enclosed (all indoor) shopping malls in the county. It has recently been enlarged and now features a new playground, cafe terrace, Borders bookstore, Target and an AMC 14 screen cinema.
- Paradise Valley Hospital
Paradise Valley Hospital is an 301 bed acute care facility in National City, California, USA. PVH is owned and operated by Prime Healthcare Services, Inc. , a hospital management company located in Victorville...
, a 301-bed acute care facility founded by Ellen White, an Adventist, in 1902. The hospital is owned and operated by Prime Healthcare ServicesPrime Healthcare Services is a hospital management company in Southern California. Founded by Dr. Prem Reddy in 2001, it is based in Victorville and Chino in California. It currently owns and operates 13 acute care hospitals...
.
- Cafe La Maze (est. 1941) is recognized as one of National City's most historic restaurants.
Highland Avenue - infamous Southern California car cruising route.
Brick Row on Heritage Square, 909 A Avenue Designed by San Diego architect R. C. Ball (who designed Folsom Prison), it was constructed by Frank Kimball in 1887 for $30,000.These 10 individual row houses were to be used by the executives of the Santa Fe Railroad. This architectural style is unique to this region and was molded after the row houses of Philadelphia and similar eastern cities. It was hoped that the railroad VIPs would not only feel at home surrounded by familiar architecture, but also be impressed by the cosmopolitan appearance of the young city. All the apartments have a formal dining room with fireplace, a kitchen, a parlor with fireplace, a butler's pantry, and four bedrooms upstairs
Twelve-inch thick interlocking brick walls divide the units. The brickwork on the row houses was laid with an artistic eye to break the severe lines of the long walls. The bricks above the second story are set upright at an angle. A one-story wooden porch runs the length of the building.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it now is an integral part of National City's Heritage Square. Each of the 10 units is privately owned and maintained; however, there is a protective covenant on the facade, so the exterior will always be in keeping with the Victorian surroundings.
Immigrant sanctuary
Former Mayor Nick Inzunza declared National City an immigrant sanctuary on September 30, 2006 in a proclamation he presented to immigrants rights activists during dueling rallies that brought about 400 people to City Hall. This was the end result of a statement Mayor Inzunza made on
National Public RadioNational Public Radio is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to 797 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, signed into law...
on September 8, 2006. This proclamation divided the city between the stance of the ex-mayor and the federal and state regulations regarding this matter.
On November 7, 2006, Ron Morrison was elected mayor of National City. On November 28, 2006 mayor Morrison appeared on the KPBS program "Full Focus" with Gloria Penner and was asked if National City will continue to be a sanctuary city for illegal immigrants. Morrison responded, "absolutely not."
Notable residents
John T. WaltonJohn Thomas Walton was a decorated United States war veteran and a son of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. He was also the chairman of True North Partners, a venture capital firm....
- son of Sam Walton and former heir to the
Wal-MartWal-Mart Stores, Inc. is an American public corporation that runs a chain of large, discount department stores. It is the world's largest public corporation by revenue, according to the 2008 Fortune Global 500. The company was founded by Sam Walton in 1962, incorporated on October 31, 1969, and...
fortune (deceased)
Dan SaleaumuaRaymond Daniel Saleaumua is a Samoan American former American football player.He attended high school at Sweetwater High and then college at Arizona State. He played Nose tackle/Defensive tackle all through his pro/college career. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the 7th round...
- former
National Football LeagueThe National Football League is the largest professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing its name to the National Football League in 1922. The league currently consists of...
player
Rosie Hamlin - singer 1960's- song "angel baby"
Gail DeversYolanda Gail Devers is a three-time Olympic 100 m champion in athletics for the US Olympic Team. Devers grew up near National City, CA and graduated from Sweetwater High School in 1984. National City, CA...
- three-time Olympic gold medalist
Tom WaitsThomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
- singer/musician