Destination Concepts

About San Diego

San Diego (Spanish for 'Saint Didacus'; SAN dee-AY-goh, Spanish: [san ˈdjeɣo]) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth-most populous city in the United States and the seat of San Diego County, the fifth-most populous county in the United States, with 3,286,069 estimated residents as of 2021. The city is known for its mild year-round Mediterranean climate, natural deep-water harbor, extensive beaches and parks, long association with the United States Navy, and recent emergence as a healthcare and biotechnology development center. San Diego is the second largest city in the state of California after Los Angeles. Historically home to the Kumeyaay Native Americans, San Diego has been referred to as the Birthplace of California, since it was the first site visited and settled by Europeans on what is now the U.S. West Coast.