Alpine, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alpine, California
Census-designated place
Alpine's town sign at its western border, as seen from I-8
Location in San Diego County and the state of California
Alpine, California Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	California
County	San Diego
Area
• Total	26.79 sq mi (69.38 km2)
• Land	26.79 sq mi (69.37 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)  0.01%
Elevation	1,834 ft (559 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	14,696
• Density	548.64/sq mi (211.84/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP codes	91901, 91903
Area code	619
FIPS code	06-01192
GNIS feature IDs	1660247, 2407726

Alpine is a small community located in the beautiful Cuyamaca Mountains of San Diego County, California. It's known as a census-designated place (CDP), which means it's a special area identified by the census bureau, but it's not officially a city with its own local government.

In 2020, Alpine had about 14,696 people living there. This was a small increase from 14,236 people in 2010. The area is mostly surrounded by the large Cleveland National Forest. It also shares borders with two Kumeyaay Native American reservations, called Viejas and Sycuan.

History of Alpine

Early Inhabitants

Long before modern towns, the land where Alpine now sits was home to the Kumeyaay Native American people. Their ancestors might have lived in this area for as long as 12,000 years!

How Alpine Got Its Name

The name "Alpine" was suggested by a resident in the 1880s. She felt that the natural surroundings, with its mountains and scenery, reminded her of her home country, Switzerland.

Growth and Development

Over the years, the small business area along Alpine Boulevard has grown. It has seen some suburban development, meaning more homes and businesses have been built. However, much of the area around it is still rural, with large open spaces.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many horse ranches and small farms were established. You can still find these today, along with hills covered in chaparral plants and canyons with streams.

The Cedar Fire

In 2003, a very large wildfire called the Cedar Fire caused a lot of damage in the Alpine area.

Geography of Alpine

Where is Alpine Located?

Alpine is situated on both sides of Interstate 8, a major highway. It's about 30 miles (48 km) east of downtown San Diego. The town sits at an elevation of about 2,000 feet (610 m) above sea level.

Alpine is at the edge of two different natural areas:

• The western part is the California coastal sage and chaparral ecoregion.
• The eastern part is the start of the Peninsular Ranges, which are mountain chains.

Defining Alpine's Borders

Since Alpine is not an official city, its exact borders can be a bit flexible. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) places its center near the intersection of Alpine Boulevard and Tavern Road. This is where most maps show Alpine.

Two Kumeyaay tribes, the Ewiiaapaayp Band and the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, have their main offices in Alpine.

The United States Census Bureau defines Alpine's area as about 26.8 square miles (69.4 km²). Almost all of this area is land, with only a tiny bit of water.

Viejas Mountain

The tallest point in the Alpine area is Viejas Mountain. It reaches a height of 4,189 feet (1,277 m).

Climate in Alpine

Weather Patterns

Alpine has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. This means it has warm, dry summers and cool winters with some rain. The temperatures here are more extreme than right on the coast in San Diego. They are similar to nearby towns like El Cajon and Ramona.

Rainfall and Temperatures

On average, Alpine gets about 16 inches (407 mm) of rain each year. Most of this rain falls between November and March. The amount of rain can change a lot from month to month or year to year.

• In January, average temperatures range from the low 60s Fahrenheit (around 16°C) during the day to the low 40s Fahrenheit (around 5°C) at night.
• In July, average temperatures are in the upper 80s to low 90s Fahrenheit (around 30-33°C) during the day. Nights are cooler, in the low 60s Fahrenheit (around 16°C).

Sometimes, summer temperatures can go above 105°F (41°C). In winter, temperatures can drop below 35°F (2°C). This is more common in the northern parts of Alpine, especially on the slopes of Viejas Mountain.

Snowfall

Snow is very rare in Alpine itself. You might see a tiny bit of snow once every two or three winters. However, light snow often falls each winter in higher areas above 3,000 feet (914 m).

People in Alpine

Population Overview

In 2010, Alpine had a population of 14,236 people. The population density was about 531 people per square mile (205 people per km²).

Most of the people living in Alpine were White (87.3%). Other groups included African American (1.2%), Native American (1.6%), and Asian (2.2%). About 14.6% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

Homes and Families

In 2010, there were 5,248 households in Alpine.

• About 36.8% of these households had children under 18 living there.
• Most households (59.5%) were married couples.
• The average household had about 2.69 people.
• The average family size was about 3.09 people.

Most people (69.8%) lived in homes they owned, while 29.2% lived in rented homes.

Age Groups

The population of Alpine in 2010 included:

• 23.9% were under 18 years old.
• 13.7% were 65 years or older.

The median age was 41.9 years, meaning half the population was younger than 41.9 and half was older.

Education in Alpine

Alpine has its own school district called the Alpine Union School District. This district manages several schools for students in the area:

• Liberty Charter High School
• Joan MacQueen Middle School
• Boulder Oaks Elementary School
• Shadow Hills Elementary School
• Creekside Early Learning Center

Notable People from Alpine

Many interesting people have connections to Alpine, including:

• Being as an Ocean, a melodic hardcore band
• Trenton Brooks, a professional baseball player for the San Francisco Giants
• Sheldon Creed, a racing driver in off-road and NASCAR races
• Marcus Giles, a former professional baseball player
• Mark Grant, a former professional baseball pitcher and current announcer for the San Diego Padres
• Duncan D. Hunter, a former United States Representative (a member of Congress)
• Duncan L. Hunter, also a former United States Representative
• Kyle Strait, a well-known mountain biker and trail builder
• Alex Vesia, a professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers
• Cole Whitt, a NASCAR driver

Images for kids

• 

  Alpine's town sign at its western border, as seen from I-8

• 

  Location in San Diego County and the state of California

See also

In Spanish: Alpine (California) para niños