Santee, California
Santee is a city of 59,332 people in San Diego County, California, founded in 1877.
Why visit Santee
Townapedia lists 11 museums and landmarks, 33 parks and trails, 136 places to eat, 7 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Santee Drive-In, Regal Parkway Plaza 18, Old Mission Dam and Edgemoor Farm Dairy Barn.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 89°F; December lows average 42°F.
Weather in Santee
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Santee
Santee is a city in San Diego County, California, United States. The population was 60,037 at the 2020 census. It is a part of the East County region. The city is bisected by the San Diego River, a linear greenbelt that includes parks, trails and more than 1,100 acres (450 ha) of natural habitat.
From the Wikipedia article Santee, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
Museums and landmarks11
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Old Mission Dam
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Dam in Mission Trails Regional Park, California, United States of America
Edgemoor Farm Dairy Barn
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Museum of Creation and Earth History
Museum · 1.7 mi
Young earth creationist museum in California
Parks, trails and playgrounds33
Mission Trails Regional Park
Park · 4.2 mi
Open space preserve within the city of San Diego, California
21 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes136
Anny´s Fine Burger
Restaurant · Burger · 0.9 mi
9862 Mission Gorge Road, Santee
Mo-Sa 11:00-21:00; Su 11:00-20:00
Broken Yolk Cafe
Restaurant · Breakfast · 1.0 mi
9832 Mission Gorge Road, Santee
Mo-Th 07:00-14:00; Fr-Su 07:00-15:00
Chili's
Restaurant · Tex-Mex · 1.1 mi
9804 Mission Gorge Road, Santee
Su-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00
Denny's
Diner · American · 1.0 mi
140 Town Center Parkway, Santee
Su-Th 05:00-00:00; Fr-Sa 05:00-02:00
Ferny's Mexican Grill
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.4 mi
10320 Mission Gorge Road, Santee
Mo-Su 07:00-22:00
Filippi's Pizza Grotto Santee
Restaurant · Italian, Pizza · 1.6 mi
10767 Woodside Avenue, Santee
Mo-Su 11:00-21:00
Mr. Birriria
Restaurant · 1.2 mi
Home of San Diego’s favorite birria tacos, ramen, and Mexican comfort food.
8926 Carlton Hills Boulevard
Mo-Th 09:00-20:00; Fr-Su 09:00-21:00
Olive Garden
Restaurant · Italian · 1.1 mi
9800 Mission Gorge Road
Su-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00
124 more on the map.
History
The region was the homeland of the Kumeyaay people. These original residents established the village of Sinyeweche on the banks of the San Diego River in the present-day Santee area.
In 1877, George A. Cowles, a pioneer rancher and businessperson, purchased 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) to develop his vineyards. The area became known as Cowlestown and was linked to the Cuyamaca Railroad. Three years after Cowles' death in 1887, his widow Jennie married Milton Santee. According to historian Harriette Wade, Jennie "lobbied hard" to rename Cowlestown to Santee in honor of her new husband, and a "reluctant vote of the citizens" approved the change in 1893.
In 1980, residents voted in favor of incorporation after voting against it three years earlier, giving rise to the city of Santee.
From the History section of Santee, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay7
Carlton Oaks Lodge, Ascend Hotel Collection 1
Motel and hotel · 1.7 mi
9200 Inwood Drive, Santee
Carlton Oaks Lodge, Ascend Hotel Collection 2
Motel and hotel · 1.6 mi
9200 Inwood Drive, Santee
Churches and places of worship36
Carlton Oaks Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 1.1 mi
9225 Carlton Oaks Drive, Santee
Guardian Angels Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.0 mi
9310 Dalehurst Road, Santee
Harvest Christian Fellowship Church
Church · Evangelical · 3.2 mi
12150 Woodside Av, Lakeside
Shopping33
Gas and EV charging14
Schools, colleges and libraries70
Healthcare9
Stanford Court Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Center
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.4 mi
8778 Cuyamaca Street, Santee
San Diego Regional Center - East County
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.4 mi
8760 Cuyamaca Street, Santee
Santee Community Pharmacy
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.8 mi
9836 North Magnolia Avenue, Santee
Map of Santee
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 69°F | 42°F | 2.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 69°F | 44°F | 2.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 71°F | 48°F | 1.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 74°F | 51°F | 0.8 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 76°F | 56°F | 0.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 81°F | 59°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 63°F | 0.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 89°F | 65°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 87°F | 62°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 81°F | 56°F | 0.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 75°F | 47°F | 1.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 68°F | 42°F | 1.8 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for El Cajon (5 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, 2 miles away.
- Bostonia 4 mi southeast, about 6 min by car
- El Cajon 4 mi south, about 6 min by car
- Winter Gardens 4 mi east, about 6 min by car
- Lakeside 5 mi east, about 8 min by car
- La Mesa 6 mi south, about 10 min by car
- Casa de Oro-Mount Helix 6 mi south, about 10 min by car
- Rancho San Diego 7 mi southeast, about 12 min by car
- San Diego 8 mi west, about 13 min by car
- Spring Valley 9 mi south, about 14 min by car
- Lemon Grove 9 mi south, about 14 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
- Santee Salutes 2015 063, Devindad, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Santee, CA, USA - panoramio (3), Richard Leneau, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Santee, CA, USA - panoramio (4), Richard Leneau, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Santee, CA, USA - panoramio (2), Richard Leneau, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Santee Lakes at Dawn - panoramio, Richard Leneau, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Santee, CA, USA - panoramio, Richard Leneau, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Old-mission-dam, Dmadeo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Sunset Over Mt Fortuna - panoramio, Richard Leneau, CC BY-SA 3.0
- El Cajon Mtn, Cuyamaca Peak, ^ Viejas Mtn - panoramio, Richard Leneau, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ribes canthariforme 618493728, James C. Davis, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Copper Line, VistaXP2600 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Copper LIne, VistaXP2600 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ruppia cirrhosa, Millie Basden, CC BY 4.0
- R. cirrhosa, Millie Basden, CC BY 4.0
- Aceria baccharices galls, Millie Basden, CC BY 4.0
- Fishin' Spot - panoramio, Richard Leneau, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ribes canthariforme 614281459, James C. Davis, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Brodiaea orcuttii 396690642, James Connolly Davis, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Brassica nigra 122600717, Millie Basden, CC BY 4.0
- West Hills High School Stadium, Rpylagan, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Boeing 727 (9980939493), aceebee from Camberley, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 53-0200 Boeing KC-97L Stratofreighter (9980779116), aceebee from Camberley, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Atlas Missile - panoramio, Robert DuHamel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Atlas 2E Ballistic Missile, EricDBier, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Tribute to Ray Cote flew Circus, Texacote, CC BY 4.0
- Atlas Missile - panoramio - Robert DuHamel, Robert DuHamel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- On display at San Diego Air Space Museum Gilespie Field for Ray’s Funeral, Texacote, CC BY 4.0
- Circus Circus 16 IF1 piloted by Ray Cote, Texacote, CC BY 4.0
- Orgyia vetusta 620715344, Rachel Lee Harper, CC BY 4.0
- A-7B 154554 San Diego Air and Space Museum Annex, Realbigtaco, CC BY-SA 4.0
- North American Monsoon 20080804, Bob DuHamel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Gillespie Field Panorama - panoramio, Robert DuHamel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- North American Monsoon 20080808 (early wide), Rsduhamel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- North American Monsoon 20080808 (wide), Rsduhamel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- North American Monsoon 20080808, Rsduhamel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- North American Monsoon 20080808 Late (wide), Rsduhamel, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.