Encinitas Real Estate and
Homes for Sale

   

Encinitas is a coastal city in northern San Diego County, California. It is located about 25 mi north of San Diego, and about 95 mi south of Los Angeles.  Encinitas enjoys ocean views and a great surfing culture from San Elijo Lagoon to the south, and Batiquitos Lagoon to the north.

The city was incorporated in 1986 from the communities of Encinitas, Leucadia, Cardiff-by-the-Sea and Olivenhain. These communities retain their identities, and their distinctive flavors.

 


Encinitas can be divided into five areas:

  • Leucadia, which has an older downtown area featuring retail stores, hotels, and restaurants along with single family homes.
  • New Encinitas, a newer region which features a golf course, larger tract homes and a shopping center.
  • Old Encinitas, a small beachside area featuring a mix of businesses and housing styles.
  • Olivenhain, a semi-rural region in eastern Encinitas mostly comprised of single family homes.
  • Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Encinitas' southernmost oceanfront community, which features single family homes and a community college.

Encinitas enjoys a very mild climate, with an average daily high temperature of 72°F.  Temperatures below 40°F and above 85°F are rare. The average rainfall is about 10 inches per year.

The largest single industry is the growing of ornamental flowers, particularly poinsettias.

   
Encinitas Links
 
       
2000 Encinitas Census Figures
  • Population: 58,014
  • Population 18 years and older: 44,613
  • Median Age: 37.9
  • Housing Units: 23,830
  • Family Households: 14,291
  • Average Household Size: 2.52
  • Average Annual Household Income: $63,954
   
Encinitas Education
  • 91.1% of persons 25 and over completed high school

  • 53.8% of persons 25 and over have Bachelor's degree or higher

  • 19.7% of persons 25 and over have Graduate or professional degree

 
Encinitas History

Encinitas got its name from Encina Canada, Spanish for "hills of live oaks," which describes what Gaspar de Portola saw in 1669 when he led an expedition through the region. The Spanish Governor of Baja, California hoped to create a stronghold in California and did so until Mexico laid claim on the land in the 1800s. That reign was short lived and California became a state of the United States in 1850. 

From an 1800's gold rush in nearby Julian to the arrival of celebrities such as Charlie Chaplin in the early 1900's, at least two establishments offer glimpses into the rich Encinitas past. Visit the San Dieguito Historical Museum to learn about Indian tribes that once dominated the region. Or sit in the historic La Paloma Theatre (possibly the first ?talking´ theatre in the rural United States when it opened its doors in 1928) to watch a current movie.

 
Encinitas Sports and Attractions

  • The La Costa Resort & Spa consists of two world-class 18-hole golf courses and 19 tennis courts, resort hotel and condominium units, and related retail businesses.
  • Legoland
  • Quail Botanical Gardens  is dedicated to the conservation of rare and endangered plants from across the globe, and is the only botanical garden in San Diego County.
  • La Paloma Theater, built in 1928, is one of the first theatres to have shown "Talkies" (talking pictures).

Encinitas Ranch Golf offers 18 championship holes and also has a golf school for players of all levels as well as golf clinics, a pro shop and snack bar.

Nearest cities: Solana Beach, CA (3.5 miles), Rancho Santa Fe, CA (5.1 miles), Carlsbad, CA (5.6 miles), Del Mar, CA (5.7 miles), Lake San Marcos, CA (6.9 miles), Fairbanks Ranch, CA (7.0 miles), San Marcos, CA (9.7 miles), Vista, CA (10.5 miles).