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Descanso, California
Descanso is a community of 1,590 people in San Diego County, California.
Why visit Descanso
Townapedia lists 1 park or trail, 2 places to eat, 75 places to stay and 6 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Chiquito Peak and Dexter Peak.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 84°F; December lows average 32°F.
Weather in Descanso
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Descanso
Descanso (Spanish for "Rest") is a small unincorporated community in the Cuyamaca Mountains, within the Mountain Empire area of southeastern San Diego County, California. The community's name is a Spanish word meaning "rest from labor".
From the Wikipedia article Descanso, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do6
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes2
Descanso Junction Restaurant
Restaurant · Regional · 2.1 mi
8306 Highway 79, Descanso
Mo-Su 07:00-20:00
Veronica's Kitchen
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.3 mi
24680 Viejas Boulevard, Descanso
Mo-Su 07:00-20:00
Where to stay75
63 more on the map.
History
In 1884, a group of Spiritualists started Hulburd Grove. In 1898, the residents of the area started the Descanso school and the Descanso Town Hall. Peter Jacobs started the Descanso Park Addition in 1926.
From the History section of Descanso, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship1
Our Lady of Light Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.5 mi
9136 Riverside Drive, Descanso
Schools, colleges and libraries3
Map of Descanso
88 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51°F | 33°F | 5.5 in | 3.8 in |
| Feb | 51°F | 34°F | 6.4 in | 5.4 in |
| Mar | 55°F | 36°F | 4.9 in | 5.5 in |
| Apr | 60°F | 39°F | 2.3 in | 3.1 in |
| May | 67°F | 44°F | 1.1 in | 0.1 in |
| Jun | 76°F | 51°F | 0.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 83°F | 58°F | 0.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 58°F | 0.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 51°F | 0.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 69°F | 42°F | 1.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 59°F | 35°F | 2.6 in | 0.7 in |
| Dec | 51°F | 32°F | 4.3 in | 1.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Cuyamaca Hcn (9 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
San Diego County has had 35 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2024-02-19: Severe Storm And Flooding (Flood)
- 2023-01-14: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-09: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2020-10-16: Wildfires (Fire)
- 2020-03-22: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Gillespie Field (SEE) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 21 miles away.
- Alpine 8 mi west, about 12 min by car
- San Diego Country Estates 13 mi northwest, about 22 min by car
- Crest 15 mi west, about 24 min by car
- Lakeside 16 mi west, about 26 min by car
- Winter Gardens 17 mi west, about 28 min by car
- Rancho San Diego 18 mi southwest, about 30 min by car
- Ramona 19 mi northwest, about 30 min by car
- Bostonia 19 mi west, about 30 min by car
- El Cajon 20 mi west, about 32 min by car
- Santee 21 mi west, about 33 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Old US 80 W of Descanso Junction 1 - panoramio, Robert DuHamel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- California sr79 2021 descanso junction restaurant 2, Seauton, CC BY-SA 4.0
- California sr79 2021 descanso junction restaurant 3, Seauton, CC BY-SA 4.0
- California sr79 2021 descanso junction restaurant 4 antiques, Seauton, CC BY-SA 4.0
- California sr79 2021 descanso junction restaurant 1, Seauton, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cuyamaca Mountains, California (15470438917), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- California sr79 2017-12-22 3, Seauton, CC BY-SA 4.0
- California sr79 2017-12-22 4 manzanita, Seauton, CC BY-SA 4.0
- California sr79 2017-12-22 2, Seauton, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cuyamaca Mountains, California (15656400475), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- ISS030-E-59795 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS030-E-59796 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Agelenopsis funnel web weaver (50170654938), Marshal Hedin from San Diego, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Cyanocitta stelleri, Guatay, San Diego County, California 1, gaudettelaura, CC BY 4.0
- Viejas Reservation, California (15036247553), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Looking towards San Diego - panoramio, Alistair Cunningham, CC BY 3.0
- Apis mellifera (honeybee) on Datura II (3916425357), Marshal Hedin from San Diego, CC BY 2.0
- Apis mellifera (honeybee) on Datura III (3917212436), Marshal Hedin from San Diego, CC BY 2.0
- Viejas Reservation, California (15653719141), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Cupressus forbesii 110468406, Billy, CC BY 4.0
- Moka, rescued at the border, found his forever home at Lions, Tigers, and Bears Sanctuary (28712668877), USFWS Pacific Southwest Region, Public domain
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