Homes, condos and land for sale and rent in National City, CA

Archaic period sites have been found along Sweetwater River which runs through the city limits of modern-day National City. Before the entry of Spanish into the area which modern day National City occupies was part of the territory of the Diegueño tribe, also known as Kamai, 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 Nacion”.

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.

Frank Kimball first brought novelty and change to the area by building his personal residence. His home included a bathtub as well as hot, running water, making it the first modern house in the entire county. However, it was more than his personal innovative endeavors that allowed the region to flourish. By constructing the first roads and railroad in what is now National City, Frank and his brothers most notably were responsible for introducing modern transportation to the residents of the community. The brothers also implemented the area’s first post office and a wharf for sea-bound imports and exports. These large ventures, coupled with smaller personal missions, both contributed to the overall goal of creating a community unparalleled to the times. A lasting mark of the Kimballs was the trees they imported and planted from Europe and Asia, accomplished via a partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These trees can be found dotted throughout the city to this very day. It was the passion and influence of the Kimballs as well as other early pioneers that made way for the city’s incorporation on September 17, 1887.

National City is located at 32°40′15″N 117°5′34″W (32.670903, -117.092725).[15]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.1 square miles (24 km2). 7.3 square miles (19 km2) of it is land and 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2) of it (20.17%) is water. National City is bounded by San Diego to the north and northeast, Bonita to the southeast, and Chula Vista to the south across the Sweetwater River. San Diego Bay lies to the immediate west of the city. Also, within the boundaries of National City on the eastern side of town is the unincorporated area of San Diego County known as Lincoln Acres. National City is 15 minutes away from the US–Mexico Border (Tijuana).

National City has road access by the Interstate 5, Interstate 805, and California State Route 54, in addition to surface streets. National City Blvd, which once served as part of the historic U.S. Route 101, still serves as a north–south arterial street parallel to Highland Ave. Plaza Blvd and 30th Street/Sweetwater Road serve as east–west arterial routes. It has rail access through the San Diego Trolley’s Blue Line. The nearest commercial airport is San Diego International Airport.

In 2012, National City was honored as the most walkable city in San Diego County. It currently holds a walk score of 71, among the highest scores for cities of similar size. However, its current score also puts National City among bigger cities like Seattle, Washington (74) and Portland, Oregon (66). San Diego’s current walk score is 56.

National City’s climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and mild winters, with most of the annual precipitation falling between December and March.[24] The city has a mild climate year-round, with an average of 201 days above 72 °F (22 °C) and low rainfall (9–13 inches [23–33 centimetres] annually). Frequently, particularly during the “May gray/June gloom” period, a thick “marine layer” cloud cover will keep the air cool and damp within a few miles of the coast.

On average, the warmest month is August. The highest recorded temperature was 108 °F in September 1988. On average, the coolest month is December. The lowest recorded temperature was 15 °F in April 2003. The maximum average precipitation occurs in February.

As of the census of 2000, there were 54,260 people, 15,018 households, and 11,804 families residing in the city.

Mexican – 53%
Filipino – 19%
Black or African American – 6%
Other Hispanic or Latino – 5%
German – 3%
Irish – 2%
English – 2%
Italian – 1%
American Indian tribes, specified – 1%
French (except Basque) – 1%
Puerto Rican – 1%
Japanese – 1%
Scottish-Irish – 1%
Subsaharan African – 1%
Polish – 1%
Russian – 1%
Central American: – 1%
Greek -1%
As of 2007, 19.5% of National City residents have incomes listed below the poverty level, a figure above the 12.4% California state average. In 2000, the estimated household income was $29,826. As of 2009, the estimated household income is $39,158, which is below the California state average of $59,958.

The National City Mile of Cars is recognized as one of the first “auto malls” in the world.
National City’s three-mile port area along the San Diego Bay is part of Naval Base San Diego, the largest U.S. Naval base on the west coast.
National City Depot – The National City California Southern Railroad Depot, built in 1882, served as the first Pacific Coast terminus station of the Santa Fe Railway system’s transcontinental railroad. The station was the West Coast general office and figured prominently in Santa Fe’s effort to break the economic and transportation monopoly of California held by the Central/Southern Pacific Railroads. The first transcontinental trains arrived in November 1885, resulting in one of the largest land booms in the history of California. Of the original five transcontinental railroad terminus stations, this unique Italianate designed station is the lone survivor. Location: 900 West 23rd St, National City. Listed as California Historical Landmark no. 1023.
Westfield Plaza Bonita is a shopping mall in National City that attracts customers from all around the South Bay region of San Diego County. It is one of the only completely enclosed (all indoor) shopping malls in the county. It has recently been enlarged and now features a new playground, cafe terrace, Target and an AMC 14-screen cinema.
Paradise Valley Hospital, a 301-bed acute care facility founded by Ellen White, an Adventist, in 1902 as Paradise Valley Sanitarium. The hospital is owned and operated by Prime Healthcare Services.
Cafe La Maze (est. 1941) is recognized as one of National City’s most historic restaurants.
Highland Avenue – infamous Southern California car cruising route.
San Diego Academy – is a private coeducational K-12 school in the Seventh-day Adventist … Established, 1899
Niederfrank’s Ice Cream (est. 1948)
Napoleone Pizza House (est. 1958) is the pizza place that Tom Waits worked at as a teenager He mentions it in the song “I Can’t Wait to Get Off Work (And See My Baby on Montgomery Avenue)” from Small Change and “The Ghosts of Saturday Night (After Hours at Napoleone’s Pizza House)” on The Heart of Saturday Night.
Olivewood Gardens, the old Victorian style house that John T. Walton lived in.
Brick Row on Heritage Square, 909 A Avenue Designed by San Diego architect R. C. Ball (who designed Folsom Prison), it was constructed by Frank Kimball in 1887 for $30,000. These 10 individual row houses were to be used by the executives of the Santa Fe Railroad. This architectural style is unique to this region and was molded after the row houses of Philadelphia and similar eastern cities. It was hoped that the railroad VIPs would not only feel at home surrounded by familiar architecture, but also be impressed by the cosmopolitan appearance of the young city. All the apartments have a formal dining room with fireplace, a kitchen, a parlor with fireplace, a butler’s pantry, and four bedrooms upstairs. Twelve-inch-thick (300 mm) interlocking brick walls divide the units. The brickwork on the row houses was laid with an artistic eye to break the severe lines of the long walls. The bricks above the second story are set upright at an angle. A one-story wooden porch runs the length of the building. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it now is an integral part of National City’s Heritage Square. Each of the 10 units is privately owned and maintained; however, there is a protective covenant on the facade, so the exterior will always be in keeping with the Victorian surroundings.