North City, San Diego facts for kids

North City is a small area in San Diego, California. It is surrounded by other places like Solana Beach and Rancho Santa Fe to the north. To the west is Del Mar Heights, and to the south is Carmel Valley. A big road called I-5 runs along its western edge. Most people who live here don't actually use the name "North City." They usually say they live in Rancho Santa Fe or Carmel Valley. The name "North City" is mostly used by the San Diego Police Department for their maps and planning.

History of North City

The land that is now North City has a long and interesting past. People have lived here for thousands of years.

Ancient Kumeyaay Village

Native American Kumeyaay people lived in this area as far back as 7,000 years ago. There was a Kumeyaay village called Ahwel-Awa or ‘aqwilawa near the San Dieguito River. This name means "twine house." It was located west of El Camino Real.

When Spanish explorers first arrived in 1769, they saw this village. The Portolá expedition described it as a "large village" with "many well built houses." The Spanish gave the village different names. Some of these names were Sellegua, Jellegua, or San Jacome De la Marca. They also called the region San Dieguito.

The Kwitlp clan of the Ipai-Kumeyaay people lived in Ahwel-Awa. They spoke the Ipai language. Their leader, Jamacuain "Benito" Culip, was one of the first Kumeyaay leaders to accept Catholicism in the 1770s.

Plans for a New Village

Later, when Mexico controlled California, the Kumeyaay village was moved. The land was then given to Mexican settlers. There was a plan to create a special village for the Kumeyaay people. It was going to be called the San Dieguito pueblo. This idea came from the governor of Alta California, José Figueroa. However, the plan never happened.

Because of this, the Kwitlp clan had to move further inland. They settled in an area that is now the Mesa Grande Band of Diegueno Mission Indian reservation. After the Mexican–American War, the North City area was mostly used for farming. Farmers grew a lot of strawberries here. It was also used for raising horses.

Modern Development Plans

In 1993, the City of San Diego made a plan for this area. They called it "NCFUA Subarea-II." This was part of a bigger plan for the "North City Future Urbanizing Area." Other areas like Pacific Highlands Ranch were also part of this plan.

For a long time, North City remained mostly undeveloped. This is why it was called "Future Urbanizing." Between the 2000s and 2010s, the strawberry farms started to change. Much of the land became protected. Efforts were made to restore the natural environment. This was part of the San Dieguito River Park project. Some new homes were built south and east of El Camino Real. Churches like St. Sarkis Armenian Church were also built in the area.