La Mesa, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids La Mesa, California
City
Amaya Drive Trolley Station
Flag
Motto(s):  "Jewel of the Hills"
Location of La Mesa in San Diego County, California
La Mesa, California Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	California
County	San Diego
Incorporated	February 16, 1912
Government
• Type	Council / manager
Area
• Total	9.10 sq mi (23.57 km2)
• Land	9.10 sq mi (23.56 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2)  0.44%
Elevation	528 ft (161 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	61,121
• Density	6,514.46/sq mi (2,515.34/km2)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP codes	91941–91944
Area code	619
FIPS code	06-40004
GNIS feature IDs	1660859, 2411576

La Mesa means "The Table" or "The Plateau" in Spanish. It is a city in San Diego County, California, United States. It's located about 9 miles (14 km) east of downtown San Diego in Southern California. In 2020, the city had a population of 61,121 people. La Mesa's official motto is "the Jewel of the Hills."

History of La Mesa

Before European settlers arrived, the area of La Mesa was home to the Kumeyaay people. The Kumeyaay were a group of people who spoke the Yuman language. They grew plants and also hunted and gathered food. They lived in self-governed groups or clans. Starting in 1769, the Kumeyaay in the San Diego County region faced big changes to their way of life because of Spanish colonists.

La Mesa was originally part of Rancho El Cajón, a Mexican era rancho grant owned by the family of Don Miguel de Pedrorena.

The name La Mesa comes from its flat, table-like geography. The area was once part of a large piece of land belonging to Mission San Diego de Alcalá and was used by Spanish missionaries.

Over the years, Spanish, Mexican, and American settlers valued La Mesa for its natural springs. In 1868, a stockman named Robert Allison bought 4,000 acres of land here. This land became La Mesa, and the "Allison" natural springs were renamed "La Mesa Springs." The importance of these springs is still seen today in the name of "Spring Street," which runs through downtown La Mesa. You can also see the preserved spring house in Collier Park.

La Mesa was founded in 1869 and officially became a city on February 16, 1912. Its official flower is the bougainvillea.

In 2020, La Mesa experienced some public protests and demonstrations. These events led to various community discussions and changes in the city.

Geography and Climate

La Mesa is surrounded by other cities. San Diego is to its west and north, Spring Valley and Lemon Grove are to the south, and El Cajon is to the east. The neighborhood of Grossmont is also part of La Mesa.

The city covers a total area of about 9.1 square miles (23.57 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a very small part (0.44%) being water.

Climate in La Mesa

La Mesa is about 10 miles (16 km) east of the Pacific Ocean. Because of this, La Mesa usually has more extreme temperatures than San Diego, which is closer to the coast. La Mesa has a Semi-arid Steppe climate, which means it's generally dry.

Summers in La Mesa are typically hot and dry, with average high temperatures between 78 and 92 degrees Fahrenheit (25.5 and 33.3 degrees Celsius). Lows are usually between 56 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit (13.3 and 20 degrees Celsius). Winters are warm, with average highs from 66 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit (18.8 to 25 degrees Celsius) and lows from 46 to 58 degrees Fahrenheit (7.7 to 14.4 degrees Celsius). The city gets about 13 inches (330 mm) of rain each year, mostly between November and March.

The weather in the San Diego area can change a lot over short distances. This is because of the different land features like the bay, hills, mountains, and canyons. Often, especially in May and June, a thick layer of clouds called the "marine layer" keeps the air cool near the coast. But just a few miles inland, the sun will be shining brightly. Even without this cloud cover, inland areas tend to be warmer than areas closer to the ocean.

Getting Around La Mesa

The San Diego Trolley helps people get around La Mesa. The Orange Line stops at Spring Street, La Mesa Boulevard, Grossmont Transit Center, and Amaya Drive. The Green Line also stops at Grossmont Transit Center and Amaya Drive.

If you're driving, major roads like Interstate 8, California State Route 94, and California State Route 125 serve the city.

Population of La Mesa

In 2010, La Mesa had a population of 57,065 people. About 54.1% of the people were White, and 21.5% were Hispanic or Latino. Other groups included African American, Asian, Native American, and Pacific Islander residents.

In 2020, the population grew to 61,121.

Arts and Culture in La Mesa

Silent Film History

The Bandit of Point Loma (1912)

From 1911 to 1912, a famous film director named Allan Dwan started his career in La Mesa. He directed over 150 silent films for Flying A Studios. Many of his film titles mentioned local places, like Bonita of El Cajon and The Winning of La Mesa. Some say La Mesa could have been "Hollywood before Hollywood" if Dwan had stayed!

Farmer's Market

You can find a farmer's market in La Mesa Village every Friday afternoon. It's a great place to find fresh produce and local goods.

Flag Day Parade

Since 1997, La Mesa has held an annual Flag Day Parade on June 14th. It's a fun way to celebrate and show community spirit.

La Mesa Walkway of the Stars

The “Walkway of the Stars” is a special pedestrian path in downtown La Mesa. It's like a park that honors amazing volunteers who have given 10,000 or more hours of their time to the city. You can find it between the Allison Avenue parking lot and La Mesa Boulevard.

Oktoberfest

Every October, La Mesa hosts its biggest event of the year: Oktoberfest. Around 200,000 people attend this three-night festival, which is full of fun and celebration.

Back to the 50s Car Show

During the summer months (June through August), La Mesa Village hosts the "Back to the '50s Car Show" every Thursday evening. People who love classic cars bring their vehicles to show them off. It's free to attend!

Sundays At Six

"Sundays At Six" is a free concert series held in June and July each year. For six Sundays, you can enjoy free concerts in Harry Griffen Park from 6 pm to 7 pm. These concerts started in 2002 and are organized by the La Mesa Arts Alliance.

Other Events

Other yearly events in La Mesa include Holiday in the Village, Trick-or-Treating in La Mesa Village, and the raising of the Pride flag at La Mesa City Hall in June to celebrate Pride Month.

Grossmont Center

Grossmont Center is the city's main shopping mall. It opened in 1961. In 2021, a new company bought the mall and plans to update and modernize the large property.

Alternative Media

The first offices of The San Diego Door, a popular underground newspaper from the 1960s, were located in La Mesa.

Education in La Mesa

Schools in La Mesa are managed by two main districts. The La Mesa-Spring Valley School District runs most of the elementary and middle schools. The Grossmont Union High School District operates Helix High School and the Gateway day schools.

Elementary Schools

• Rolando Elementary School
• La Mesa Dale Elementary School
• Maryland Avenue Elementary School
• RHR DFAF Private Charter School
• Murdock Elementary School
• Murray Manor Elementary School
• Northmont Elementary School
• Lemon Avenue Elementary School
• Vista La Mesa Academy (Lemon Grove School District)
• Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran School (private, K-8)
• St. Martin's Academy (private)
• Liberty Charter School (private)
• San Diego Jewish Academy (private)
• Christ Lutheran School (private)
• Innovation Center La Mesa – Julian Charter School (charter)
• La Mesa Arts Academy (4th - 8th Grade)

Middle/Junior High Schools

• Parkway Middle School
• La Mesa Arts Academy (4-8 Grade) (LMAAC)
• Vista La Mesa Academy (Lemon Grove School District)
• Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran School (private, K-8)

High Schools

• Helix High School
• Grossmont High School (includes some students from La Mesa, but has an El Cajon address)

K–12 Schools

• Gateway Community Day
• Gateway West Community Day
• Mt. Helix Academy (Private Administration)

Notable People from La Mesa

Many interesting people have connections to La Mesa, including:

• Aaron Boone, a retired baseball player and manager
• Reggie Bush, a retired football player
• Brian Patrick Butler, an actor and filmmaker
• Ammar Campa-Najjar (born 1989), a Democratic politician
• Brooks Conrad, a baseball player
• Ralph Drollinger, a basketball player and religious minister
• Josquin Des Pres, a music producer and bassist
• Dennis Hopper, a famous actor, producer, and photographer
• Dave Mustaine, founding guitarist and vocalist of the band Megadeth
• Ellen Ochoa, an engineer and astronaut
• Willie O'Ree, a hockey player
• Jason Phillips (catcher), a former baseball catcher for the New York Mets
• Goldie Rapp, a third baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies
• Steve Roach, an ambient musician
• Claudia Sandoval, a winner of the TV show MasterChef
• Cathy Scott, a true-crime author
• Whitney Shay, a blues, soul, and rhythm and blues singer and songwriter
• Alex Smith, a retired football player who grew up in La Mesa
• Benjamin Stockham, an actor
• Eddie Vedder, vocalist and guitarist of the band Pearl Jam
• Bill Walton, a basketball player and sportscaster

Images for kids

• 

  Amaya Drive Trolley Station

• 

  Flag of La Mesa, California

• 

  Location of La Mesa in San Diego County, California

See also

In Spanish: La Mesa (California) para niños