ROOTED HERE
The history of San Diego
San Diego’s Pacific coast and border setting frame a city of distinct neighborhoods. Balboa Park, North Park, the Gaslamp Quarter and La Jolla offer different starting points for art, food and independent businesses.
People who shaped San Diego
These milestones are an introduction, not a complete local history. Follow the linked city and museum sources to explore the people and places behind them.Read the local historical account.
Watch the city’s history
FROM THE ARCHIVES
About San Diego: The Story Behind Pacific Highway
KPBS explores the history behind Pacific Highway on San Diego's waterfront.
Watch on YouTube ↗- Before European arrival
Kumeyaay homelands
Kumeyaay communities lived across the coastal, mountain and desert landscape on both sides of today's border. Their history and continuing cultural life long predate the later city and mission.
San Diego History Center ↗ - 1542–1769
Spanish arrival and colonization
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo entered the bay in 1542. Spanish colonization intensified with the mission and presidio in 1769, profoundly changing life on Kumeyaay lands.
San Diego History Center ↗ - 1850
A new national boundary
Following the Mexican-American War, San Diego became part of the United States as California entered the Union. The new border divided a region whose communities and relationships had extended across it.
San Diego History Center ↗ - 1868–1892
Land for a public park
The city reserved a large tract for City Park in 1868. Kate Sessions began a nursery arrangement there in 1892, planting trees that helped transform its landscape.
City of San Diego: Balboa Park history ↗ - 1915–1936
Two expositions shape Balboa Park
The Panama–California Exposition of 1915–1916 and California Pacific International Exposition of 1935–1936 created much of the park's cultural center. Buildings later became home to museums and other public institutions.
City of San Diego: Balboa Park history ↗
See the history for yourself.
Explore Balboa Park’s museums, gardens and cultural attractions. Check current visitor information at Balboa Park.
For deeper research, the San Diego Public Library provides library collections and research resources. Historic photographs have their own permissions; check collection-specific reuse guidance.
Selected milestones from the linked historical sources. This is an introduction, not a complete account of the city’s history.