National City, California
National City is a city of 58,893 people in San Diego County, California, founded in 1800.
Why visit National City
Townapedia lists 9 museums and landmarks, 34 parks and trails, 178 places to eat, 23 places to stay and 12 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Navy Base San Diego Theater, AMC Chula Vista 10, Granger Hall and National City station.
September is the warmest month, with average highs of 77°F; December lows average 46°F.
Weather in National City
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About National City
National City is a city in the South Bay region of southwestern San Diego County, California, United States. The population was 56,173 at the 2020 United States census, down from 58,582 at the 2010 census. National City is the second-oldest city in San Diego County, having been incorporated in 1887.
From the Wikipedia article National City, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do12
Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge
Bridge · 4.4 mi
Pedestrian bridge in San Diego, California that crosses railroad tracks and Harbor Drive.
San Diego Continuing Education
School · 2.3 mi
Educational institution in California, USA
San Diego–Coronado Bridge
Bridge · 3.8 mi
Bridge that goes through San Diego-Coronado
Vogue Theatre
Cinema and theater · 1.8 mi
Former movie theater in Chula Vista, California, United States
Museums and landmarks9
Granger Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Music hall in National City, San Diego County, California
National City station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Railway station in National City, California
San Diego Electric Railway Association & National City Depot Museum
Museum · 0.8 mi
San Diego Electric Railway Association, Inc. & National City Depot Museum
900 West 23rd Street, National City
Sa-Su 10:00-16:00
Villa Montezuma
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.0 mi
Queen Anne style mansion in San Diego, California
ARTS Center
Museum · 0.6 mi
ARTS lifts young people in the South County region of San Diego to become confident, compassionate, and courageous community builders...
200 East 12th Street, National City
Living Coast Discovery Center
Museum · 1.9 mi
Nature center, aquarium and zoo in Chula Vista, California
Parks, trails and playgrounds34
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Chicano Park
Park · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Park in San Diego, California
Pumpkin Station
Sports field and stadium · 2.1 mi
Pumpkin patch with carnival rides and petting zoo. Pops up every year for Halloween.
Sep 27-Oct 31 Mo-Fr 13:00-21:00; Sep 27-Oct 31 Sa-Su 11:00-23:00
Bayview HIlls Playground
Park · 2.4 mi
Park with playground and two picnic areas.
22 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes178
Broken Yolk Cafe
Restaurant · American, Pancake · 2.0 mi
3030 Plaza Bonita Road, National City
Mo-Fr 08:00-14:00; Sa-Su 08:00-15:00; PH open "Thanksgiving 07:00-13:00"
California Sushi
Restaurant · Sushi · 2.1 mi
337 3rd Avenue, Chula Vista
Mo,Tu 11:00-21:00;We-Fr 11:00-22:00;Sa 12:00-22:00;Su 12:00-20:00
El Pollo Grill Bonita
Restaurant · Mexican · 2.6 mi
3041 Bonita Road, Chula Vista
Mo-Th 10:00-21:00; Fr-Su 09:00-21:00
Himalayan Tandoori & Curry House
Restaurant · Indian, Himalayan · 2.5 mi
555 Broadway, Chula Vista
Su-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
Italianissimo Trattoria
Restaurant · Italian · 2.0 mi
323 3rd Avenue, Chula Vista
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00;Fr,Sa 11:00-22:00;Su 12:00-20:30
Kimball Coastal Eatery
Restaurant · Seafood · 0.7 mi
740 Bay Marina Drive, National City
Mo-Th,Su 07:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 07:00-22:00; PH unknown
La Bella
Restaurant · Italian Pizza, Pasta · 2.2 mi
373 3rd Avenue
Su-Th 09:00-21:30; Fr-Sa 09:00-22:00
La Bella Cafe & Games
Restaurant · Italian, Pasta, Pizza · 2.2 mi
289 G Street, Chula Vista
Su 12:00-22:00; Mo, We-Th 16:00-22:00; Tu closed; Fr 15:30-23:00;...
La Nacional
Bar and pub · Mexican · 1.9 mi
279 3rd Avenue, Chula Vista
Mo-Th 15:00-00:00; Fr 12:00-01:30; Sa 09:00-01:30; Su 09:00-00:00
166 more on the map.
History
Human presence within the modern National City may have begun as early as 130,000 years ago, as allegedly evidenced at the Cerutti Mastodon site. Archaic period sites have been found along Sweetwater River which runs through the city limits of modern-day National City. Before the arrival of Spaniards, the area which modern day National City occupies was part of the territory of the Diegueño tribe, also known as Kamia, and later Kumeyaay. Later in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century there was a Kumeyaay village, north of the modern National City boundaries, on Chollas Creek.
The Spanish named the 26,000 acres (11,000 ha) of land El Rancho del Rey (the Ranch of the King), used by Spanish soldiers to graze horses. After independence from Spain, in 1810, the Mexican government renamed it Rancho de la Nación (Ranch of the Nation). Governor Pío Pico granted Rancho de la Nación to his brother-in-law John (Don Juan) Forster in 1845. President Andrew Johnson, in issuing the land patent, listed the name as simply "The National Ranch", the English translation of the land grant name, "Rancho de la Nación".
In 1868, Frank Kimball and his brothers Warren and Levi, contractors and builders from San Francisco, purchased the entire rancho and thus began the foundation of the city, retaining the National name.
From the History section of National City, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay23
Rodeway Inn National City San Diego South
Motel and hotel · 1.0 mi
607 Roosevelt Avenue, National City
Super 8 by Wyndham National City Chula Vista
Motel and hotel · 1.6 mi
2435 Sweetwater Road, National City
Holiday Inn Express
Motel and hotel · 1.0 mi
1645 East Plaza Boulevard, National City
Howard Johnson By Wyndham San Diego Chula Vista Suite Hotel
Motel and hotel · 1.8 mi
235 Woodlawn Avenue, Chula Vista
Quality Inn San Diego I-5 Naval Base
Motel and hotel · 1.4 mi
3878 Dalbergia Court, San Diego
Churches and places of worship96
St. Matthew's Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Christian Science Reading Room
Church · Christ Scientist · 2.0 mi
300 3rd Avenue, Chula Vista
Paradise Valley Seventh-day Adventist Church
Church · Seventh Day Adventist · 1.8 mi
2701 East 8th Street, National City
Shopping44
Gas and EV charging9
Schools, colleges and libraries95
Mountain View-Beckwourth Branch San Diego City Public Library
Library · 2.3 mi
721 San Pasqual Street
Healthcare8
Operation Samahan Community Health Center
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.5 mi
2101 Granger Avenue
Map of National City
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°F | 46°F | 1.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 67°F | 48°F | 2.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 67°F | 51°F | 1.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 68°F | 54°F | 0.7 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 69°F | 58°F | 0.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 71°F | 61°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 75°F | 65°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 77°F | 66°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 77°F | 64°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 75°F | 58°F | 0.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 71°F | 51°F | 0.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 66°F | 46°F | 1.6 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Chula Vista Hcn (2 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
Naval Air Station North Island (NZY) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 7 miles away.
- Coronado 3 mi west, about 5 min by car
- Chula Vista 6 mi southeast, about 9 min by car
- Bonita 6 mi east, about 9 min by car
- Lemon Grove 6 mi northeast, about 10 min by car
- La Presa 6 mi northeast, about 10 min by car
- Imperial Beach 7 mi south, about 11 min by car
- Spring Valley 8 mi northeast, about 14 min by car
- La Mesa 9 mi northeast, about 14 min by car
- Casa de Oro-Mount Helix 10 mi northeast, about 16 min by car
- San Diego 11 mi north, about 18 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, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- San Diego Freeway 805 - panoramio, JulezSD, CC BY 3.0
- National City,California,usa. - panoramio, Roman Eugeniusz, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Brick Row, National City, b&w, Wmoraga, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Brick Row, National City, CA, Wmoraga, CC BY-SA 3.0
- National City Depot, Wmoraga, CC BY-SA 3.0
- National City Depot plaque, RightCowLeftCoast, CC BY-SA 4.0
- National City Depot plaque 2, RightCowLeftCoast, CC BY-SA 4.0
- National City Depot Street Entrance, RightCowLeftCoast, CC BY-SA 4.0
- National City, CA, USA - panoramio (1), Roman Eugeniusz, CC BY-SA 3.0
- National City, CA, USA - panoramio (6), Roman Eugeniusz, CC BY-SA 3.0
- National City, CA, USA - panoramio (4), Roman Eugeniusz, CC BY-SA 3.0
- National City, CA, USA - panoramio (2), Roman Eugeniusz, CC BY-SA 3.0
- National City, CA, USA - panoramio (7), Roman Eugeniusz, CC BY-SA 3.0
- National City, CA, USA - panoramio (5), Roman Eugeniusz, CC BY-SA 3.0
- National City Depot (National City, CA), Edward Gohlich, photographer, Public domain
- Granger Music Hall (National City, CA), Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- All the Way to the Bay mural in Chicano Park, Rpotance, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Villa Montezuma (San Diego, CA), H. G. Hanekamp, Public domain
- St. Matthew's Episcopal Church (National City, CA), Marvin Rand, HABS photographer, Public domain
- Salud Carnitas tacos, RightCowLeftCoast, CC BY 4.0
- Salud adobada tacos, RightCowLeftCoast, CC BY 4.0
- Salud carne asada tacos, RightCowLeftCoast, CC BY 4.0
- Holidays 2019 Chick-fil-A, RightCowLeftCoast, CC BY-SA 4.0
- First Roberto’s Taco Shop 1, RightCowLeftCoast, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Roberto's Taco Shop interior, RightCowLeftCoast, CC BY-SA 4.0
- First Roberto’s Taco Shop 3, RightCowLeftCoast, CC BY-SA 4.0
- First Roberto’s Taco Shop 2, RightCowLeftCoast, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 24th Street station 2019b, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 24th Street station 2019c, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 24th Street station 2019a, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 24th Street Trolley Station, Vrysxy, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Holly Sharer 01, ValSutton, CC BY-SA 4.0
- NC CA TRU, RightCowLeftCoast, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Historic Railcar Plaza, RightCowLeftCoast, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Modified streetcars, RightCowLeftCoast, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Golden Chopsticks crack wings, RightCowLeftCoast, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Golden Chopsticks orange chicken, RightCowLeftCoast, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Zarlitos, RightCowLeftCoast, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Zarlitos food - 1, RightCowLeftCoast, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Zarlitos food - 2, RightCowLeftCoast, CC BY-SA 4.0
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