The San Diego Metropolitan Area is the largest metropolitan of South Border (San Diego and Imperial Counties) and third largest metropolitan area in Southern California, only after the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area and San Bernardino-Riverside Metropolitan Area. The San Diego Metropolitan Area is known by the U.S. bureau as the San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos Metropolitan Statistical Area, and consists of San Diego County. SD Metro borders Orange County to the north, Mexico to the south, Imperial County to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

In it's boundaries is world city. The City of San Diego is classified as a Gamma- world city.

Geography

The San Diego Metropolitan Area is situated on the western slope of the southern california coastal mountain ranges and contains seventy miles of coastline The City and other major cities that anchor the metro area, lie on pacific coast as their many communities filter out in a suburban sprawl that covers the coastal hills. Outside of downtown many communities lie on flat mesas that are separated by small canyons and gorges giving the city many pockets of natural areas that two rivers and many streams from the mountains drain into creating areas of enough significance to be preserved as parks. SD Metro is divided into multiple distinctive regions. These are North County (Coastal & Inland), East County, and South Bay, San Diego, and Inland (Inland is made up of unincorporated CDP's).

Cities

Climate

Under the Koppen climate classification system, the San Diego area straddles areas of Mediterranean climate (CSa) to the north and Semi-arid climate (BSh) to the south and east. ^[2] As a result, its often described as "arid Mediterranean" and "Semi-arid Steppe". San Diego's climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and mild winters with most of the annual precipitation falling between November and March. The city has mild, mostly dry weather, with an average of 201 days above 70 °F (21 °C) and low rainfall (9-13" annually). Summer temperatures are generally warm, with average highs of 70–78 °F (21–26 °C) and lows of 55–66 °F (13–19 °C). Temperatures exceed 90 °F (32 °C) only four days a year. Most rainfall occurs from November to April. Winter temperatures are mild, with average high temperatures of 66–70 °F (19–21 °C) and lows of 50–56 °F (10–13 °C).

The climate in the San Diego area, like much of California, often varies significantly over short geographical distances resulting in microclimates. In San Diego's case this is mainly due to the city's topography (the Bay, and the numerous hills, mountains, and canyons). Frequently, particularly during the "May gray/ June gloom" period, a thick "marine layer" cloud cover will keep the air cool and damp within a few miles of the coast, but will yield to bright cloudless sunshine approximately 5–10 miles (8.0–16.1 kilometres) inland. This happens every year in May and June. ^[3] Even in the absence of June gloom, inland areas tend to experience much more significant temperature variations than coastal areas, where the ocean serves as a moderating influence. Thus, for example, downtown San Diego averages January lows of 50°F and August highs of 78°F. The city of El Cajon, just 10 miles northeast of downtown San Diego, averages January lows of 42°F and August highs of 88°F. ^{[4] [5]}

Rainfall along the coast averages about 10 inches (250 millimetres) of precipitation annually, which occurs mainly during the cooler months of December through April. Though there are few wet days per month during the rainy period, rainfall can be heavy when it does fall. However, the rainfall is greater in the higher elevations of San Diego. Some of the higher areas of San Diego can receive 11–13 inches (280–330 millimetres) of rain a year.

History

The area of San Diego has been inhabited for more than 10,000 years by the Kumeyaay Indians. ^[7] The first European to visit the region was Portuguese-born explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo sailing under the Spanish Flag, who sailed his flagship San Salvador from Navidad, New Spain. In 1542, Cabrillo claimed the bay for the Spanish Empire and named the site San Miguel. ^[8] In November of 1602, Sebastián Vizcaíno was sent to map the California coast. Arriving on his flagship San Diego, Vizcaíno surveyed the harbor and what are now Mission Bay and Point Loma and named the area for the Catholic Saint Didacus, a Spaniard more commonly known as San Diego. On November 12, 1602, the first Christian religious service of record in Alta California was conducted by Fray Antonio de la Ascensión, a member of Vizcaíno's expedition, to celebrate the feast day of San Diego. ^[9]

The San Diego Metropolitan Area has also been host to many fires that force thousands to evacuate some larger that most. In 2003 there was the Cedar Fire, and in 2007 the Witch Creek Fire. There is a season coined Fire Season by many locals and on locals alike. This season is usually between the months of late July and late October (the driest months).

Transportation

Major highways

Airports

• 33°25'60.00"N 117°32'0.00"W
• 33°17'10.00"N 117°27'31.00"W
• Lindbergh Field, (SAN) a.k.a. San Diego International Airport
• Montgomery Field, (MYF)
• McClellan-Palomar Airport, (CLD or CRQ) a.k.a. Palomar Airport, Carlsbad Airport
• Gillespie Field, (SEE) located in El Cajon
• Agua Caliente Airport
• Borrego Valley Airport
• Fallbrook Airport
• Jacumba Airport
• Lake Wohlford (private, tiny)
• Oceanside Municipal Airport
• Ocotillo Airport
• Pauma Valley (private)
• Ramona Airport, (RNM)
• Brown Field, (SDM) (former East Field, NAAS Otay Mesa, and NAAS Brown Field)
• Carlsbad Airport

Culture

Many popular museums, such as the San Diego Museum of Art, the San Diego Natural History Museum, the San Diego Museum of Man, and the Museum of Photographic Arts are located in Balboa Park. The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) is located in an ocean front building in La Jolla and has a branch located at the Santa Fe Depot downtown. The Columbia district downtown is home to historic ship exhibits belonging to the San Diego Maritime Museum, headlined by the Star of India, as well as the unrelated San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum featuring the USS Midway aircraft carrier. Tourism has affected the city's culture, as San Diego houses many tourist attractions, such as SeaWorld San Diego, Belmont amusement park, San Diego Zoo, and the nearby San Diego Wild Animal Park and Legoland California. San Diego's Spanish influence can be seen in the many historic sites across the city, such as the Spanish missions and Balboa Park. Cuisine in San Diego is diverse, and includes European-American, Mexican-American, and Asian-American cuisine. Annual events in San Diego include Comic-Con, San Diego/Del Mar Fair, and Street Scene Music Festival.

Hundreds of movies and a dozen TV shows have been filmed in San Diego, a tradition going back as far as 1898. ^{[10] [11]}

San Diego board culture

San Diego is a venue for surf and skateboard culture. ^[12]

See also

• San Diego County
• San Diego
• San Diego-Tijuana Metropolitan Area
• Southern California

References

External links