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County in California, United States
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tomcio77/, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
San Diego County is the southern-most region of Southern California. It encompasses the city of San Diego and its large metropolitan area, which includes many smaller cities and communities. San Diego County lies along the U.S.-Mexican border, across from the Mexican city of Tijuana.
The central, largest city of the county, San Diego sprawls across the southwestern portion of the county and is the focal point for visitors to the area. There's much to explore here; among the most notable attractions are the lush Balboa Park with its museums and famed zoo, sunny beach neighborhoods, the upscale seaside community of La Jolla with its cliffs and scenic coves, the historic district of Old Town, California's oldest Spanish mission, and the thriving urban and nightlife center of Downtown.
East of San Diego lies a mountainous region of high desert that's strikingly rural for its proximity to such a large city. Out here visitors will find desert scenery, arid backcountry, forested towns, charming small towns, several casinos operated by local Indian tribes scattered throughout the area, and wine growing regions like the town of Julian.
To the north of San Diego, this is a mostly suburban region of the county with some notable attractions, including a set of delightful beach towns.
Surrounding the San Diego Bay to the south of San Diego, this is a very built-up region with few major attractions, although you'll find some pleasant beaches and the very busy border crossing of San Ysidro.
By plane
S. airlines, offering flights from cities around the country and some international flights to Mexico and Canada. General aviation pilots have several airports spread across the region to choose from.
By train
Amtrak's frequent Pacific Surfliner San Luis Obispo-Los Angeles-San Diego route serves San Diego County with several stops along the coast, stopping in Oceanside, Solana Beach, and at the southern…
By car
Three major interstate roadways, Interstate 5, Interstate 8, and Interstate 15, lead into San Diego County.
By train
The COASTER commuter rail system runs along the coast of San Diego County north of Downtown San Diego, linking together most of the coastal cities and towns of North San Diego County with Old Town…
By bus
The Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and the North County Transit District (NCTD) operate public transit bus services in San Diego County.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
San Diego · International · SAN
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A lovely beach town in North County that's the home of Legoland California, a theme park based on the phenomenally popular toy line, featuring thrill rides, a water park, and strikingly accurate Lego sculptures.
The largest city of the South Bay region. There aren't any major attractions here, although visitors will find a delightful nature center situated in the marshes of the bay and some good boating opportunities.
A beautiful island community just across the San Diego Bay from Downtown San Diego. Much of the island is given over to a major naval base, but you'll also find one of the region's cleanest beaches here as well as the gorgeous and historic Hotel Del Coronado.
A small, very pretty Bavarian style seaside town in North County, famed locally for its charming beach, its fairgrounds, and its horse racing track.
The largest city of the Inland region, El Cajon is largely suburban in character.
A small but picturesque beach town in North County with popular surf spots, beachside camping, coastal wetlands and a lovely botanical garden.
A large inland city of North County, mostly suburban in character but with a few minor attractions. The nearby San Pasqual Valley holds the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, the expansive sister park to the San Diego Zoo that contains stunningly huge exhibits that resemble African savanna.
The largest city of the North County region, Oceanside offers a popular beach and pier, coastal wetlands, and the largest of the Spanish missions in California.
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