Rancho Melijo facts for kids

Rancho Melijo, also known as Milijo, was a large piece of land in what is now southern California. It was named after a local Kumeyaay village. Later, it was also called Rancho La Punta because the main house of the Arguello family was built on a point of hills. This spot looked out over the southern part of San Diego Bay, near the Otay River.

Rancho Melijo was a special type of land called a Mexican land grant. This meant the land was given by the Mexican government. Governor José Figueroa officially granted this land in 1833 to Santiago E. Argüello.

What Was Rancho Melijo?

Rancho Melijo was a huge area, about 4,439 acres in total. To give you an idea, that's like more than 3,300 football fields! It was shaped roughly like a square.

Where Was This Big Ranch?

The rancho stretched from the Pacific Ocean near the mouth of the Tijuana River and went inland. It included the river's estuary (where the river meets the sea) and the flat land of the lower Tijuana Valley.

The southern part of Rancho Melijo was right next to other large ranches. These included Rancho Ti Juan and Rancho San Antonio Abad, which belonged to Santiago Argüello's father.

The land reached from the hills known as the San Antonio Hills, close to today's border with Mexico. It went north all the way to the southern end of San Diego Bay, where the Otay River flows into it. It also included some hills on the north side of the Otay River.

The Rancho's History

After California became part of the United States, the government wanted to confirm who owned these large land grants. The Argüello family tried to officially claim their ownership of Rancho Melijo.

Keeping the Land

Even though there were some legal challenges, the Argüello family managed to keep some of their land. They made their homes near the original ranch house. This area was north of the Otay River and close to San Diego Bay.

Rancho Melijo Today

Today, the land that was once Rancho Melijo is home to many modern towns and neighborhoods.

Modern Areas on the Rancho

The rancho included all of what is now Imperial Beach. It also covered parts of southwestern Chula Vista and the Tijuana River Valley. Other neighborhoods like Otay Mesa West, Nestor, and Palm City in southern San Diego are also on this historic land.

The original ranch house eventually fell apart over time. In the 20th century, it was completely removed to make way for the I-5 freeway, a major highway.