Chula Vista (Spanish: beautiful view) is the second largest city in the San Diego metropolitan area, the seventh largestcity in Southern California, the fourteenth largest city in the State of California, and the 77th-largest city in the United States. The population was 243,916 as of the 2010 census.
Located just 7 miles (11 km) from downtown San Diego and 7 miles (11 km) from the Mexican border in the South Bayregion of the metropolitan area, the city is at the center of one of the richest economic and culturally diverse zones in the United States. Chula Vista is so named because of its scenic location between the San Diego Bay and coastal mountain foothills.
Founded in the early 19th century, fast population growth has recently been observed in the city. Located in the city is one of America’s few year-round United States Olympic Training centers and popular tourist destinations include Cricket Wireless Amphitheater, the Chula Vista marina, and the Chula Vista Nature Center.
In 2003, Chula Vista had 200,000 residents and was the second largest city in San Diego County.
Chula Vista is growing at a fast pace, with major developments taking place in the Otay Valley near the U.S.Olympic Training Center and Otay Lake Reservoir. Thousands of new homes have been built in the Otay Ranch, Lomas Verdes, Rancho Del Rey, Eastlake and Otay Mesa Areas. The South Bay Expressway, a toll-road extension of state route 125, opened November 19, 2007, connecting freeways 805 and 905 with State Route 54.
On May 30, 2006 officials from Chula Vista and the San Diego Chargers met to potentially discuss building a new stadium that would serve as the home for the team. Yet, in June 2009 the Chargers removed Chula Vista as a possible location for a new stadium. In 2009, Chula Vista – along with nine other second tier metropolitan area cities such as Hialeah and Southern California’s Santa Ana – was ranked as one of the most boring cities in America by Forbes Magazine; citing the large population but rare mentions of the city in national media. A current development plan in Chula Vista is to develop the bayfront.
West Chula Vista
The original Chula Vista encompasses the area west of Hilltop Drive and north of L Street. The community of Montgomery was annexed by the city, after several failed attempts, in 1986. The community consist of most of the area south of L Street, west of Hilltop Drive and north of San Diego’s city limit.
East Chula Vista
Beginning in the late 1980s the planned communities of Eastlake, Otay Ranch, and Rancho del Rey began to develop in the annexed areas east of Interstate 805. These communities expanded upon the eastern annexations of the 1970s, including the area around Southwestern College.
Chula Vista maintains a business atmosphere that encourages growth and development. In the city, the small business sector amounts for the majority of Chula Vista’s business populous. This small business community is attributed to the city’s growth and serves as a stable base for its economic engine.
Tourism serves as an economic engine for Chula Vista. The city has numerous dining, shopping, and cinema experiences. As with many California cities, Chula Vista features many golf courses. Some of the city’s notable attractions included the Chula Vista Nature Center, Otay Valley Regional Park, Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre, OnStage Playhouse, the Chula Vista Marina, and the U.S. Olympic Training Center. The Nature Center is home to interactive exhibits describing geologic and historic aspects of the Sweetwater Marsh and San Diego Bay. The Center has exhibits on sharks, rays, waterbirds, birds of prey, insects, and flora. Otay Valley Regional Park is located partially within Chula Vista, where it covers the area of a natural river valley.
The marina at Chula Vista is located in South Bay including multiple marinas and being home to the Chula Vista Yacht Club. Sports fishing and whale watching charters operate the regional bay area. The Olympic Training Center assists current and future Olympic athletes in archery, rowing, kayaking, soccer (association football), softball, field hockey, tennis, track and field, and cycling.
Chula Vista is home to OnStage Playhouse the only live theater in South Bay, San Diego. Other points of interest and events include the Chula Vista Nature Center, the J Street Harbor, the Third Avenue Village, and the Olympic Training Center. Downtown Chula Vista hosts a number of cultural events, including the famous Lemon Festival, Starlight Parade, and Chula Vista Rose Festival.
Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre is a performing arts theatre that was the areas first major concert music facility. OnStage theater stages high quality productions; serving as a large contributor to the cultural arts setting in Chula Vista.
Chula Vista is served by multiple Interstates and California State Routes. Interstate 5 begins to the south of the city and runs through its western edge. Interstate 5 connects Chula Vista to North County and beyond to Greater Los Angeles and Northern California. Interstate 805 serves as a bypass to Interstate 5, linking to the latter interstate in Sorrento Valley. Interstate 905 runs from the Otay Mesa Port of Entry and is one of three auxiliary three-digit Interstate to meet an international border. State Route 54 and State Route 125 serve as highways to East County cities via north and northeastern corridors.
The Sweetwater Union High School District, headquartered in Chula Vista, serves as the primary secondary school district. The Chula Vista Elementary School District, the largest K-6 district in the State of California with 44 campuses, serves publicly educated kindergarten through sixth grade students.
Chula Vista is home to one of the four private colleges in San Diego County and is host to Southwestern College; a community college founded in 1961, that serves approximately 19,000 students annually
