San Diego

Formed February 18, 1850 (13^th county)

San Diego County (3,298,635), San Diego (1,386,960)

The tall tower stands out along Broadway in San Diego.  It is a 1958 Modern style courthouse designed by Samuel W. Hamill.  San Diego was home to the 1889 courthouse as well, the only county seat.  San Diego was an original county.  It was founded on February 18, 1850 as the 13^th county.  The structure is on Broadway between Union and Front streets.  Interstate Highway 5 passes 17 blocks to the east of the courthouse.  A Hall of Justice was added in 1994 and the Administration Center is in the 1934 Civic Center.  The county and city were named after the Mission San Diego.  Its name was from a form of Saint Didcus of Alcala. 

San Diego County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, controller, and treasurer (executive).  It has 5 Supervisors (legislative.)  One hundred twenty-seven Superior Court Judges, clerk, and counsel serve San Diego County (judicial.)  The county is in the far south, south and east of Los Angeles, California.  The Pacific Ocean is its western border and Mexico is on the southern border.  The county center is 17.7 miles Northeast of San Diego nearer Poway.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Riverside and Imperial counties and Mexico and the Pacific Ocean and Orange County.  A measuring cup without a handle best describes the shape for the county.  San Diego is a huge city dominating the southwest part of the county.  San Diego is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 42.1% of the county population.  The county and county seat are pronounced SAN DEE-AE-GOE. 

The area of the county is 4204 square miles.  It is 9 out of 58 in the state.  It ranks 2 out of 58 in population in the state.  It has a density of 784.6 persons per square mile making it 8 out of 58 in the state.  San Diego County has 84.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 5 enters from the north, Orange County, and terminates in San Diego County.  Interstate Highway 8 comes from Imperial County to the east and terminates in the county.  Interstate Highway 15 enters from Riverside County, north, and terminates.  Other Interstate Loops are also in the county.  This county is in the San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos Metropolitan Statistical Area.