Vista, CA

Vista, California

Introduction to Vista, California

Incorporated in 1963, the city of Vista, California is located in the northern portion of San Diego County. Together with the cities of Carlsbad and Oceanside, Vista is the third leg in what is known as the "Tri-City Area" of North San Diego County. It is situated about 40 miles north of downtown San Diego, and about 70 miles south of Anaheim. Vista is served by several neighborhood shopping centers as well as a regional shopping center located within seven miles. In addition, Vista boasts six times the national average of parks located within its borders, largely due to the abundance of open land, especially in the northern part of the city. Two of the most well-known are Guajome County Park and Brengle Terrace Park.

Vista is served by two city-supported theaters: the Avo Playhouse and the Moonlight Amphitheatre. There are four principal highways linking the city and surrounding areas: Interstate Routes 5 and 15, and state highways 76 and 78. For air travel, San Diego International Airport is 37 miles to the south, John Wayne Airport (Irvine) is 45 miles to the north, and Los Angeles International Airport is 93 miles north.

Activities and Attractions in and near Vista

Rancho Guajome Adobe and Rancho Buena Vista, both built in the mid-nineteenth century, offer tours to students and visitors. Another popular Vista attraction is the Wave Waterpark, located near the downtown area and open during spring, summer, and early fall. Vista is also home to the Antique Gas and Steam Engine Museum, which features a variety of agricultural equipment from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Vista's ideal geographic location makes it easily accessible to the large number of world-class attractions located in the San Diego and Anaheim areas. Among these are the following:

• LEGOland (Carlsbad, about 8 miles west)
• Sea World (San Diego)
• San Diego Zoo
• San Diego Wild Animal Park
• San Diego Aerospace Museum
• Balboa Park
• San Diego Museum of Art
• Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure Park (Anaheim)
• Knott's Berry Farm and Knott's Soak City (Buena Park)

Sports fans can see the following professional sports teams which reside within easy driving distance of Vista:

• Major League Baseball (MLB):
  • San Diego Padres
  • Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
• Minor League Baseball (MiLB):
  • San Diego SurfDawgs (a team in the Golden Baseball League not affiliated with a MLB franchise)
• National Football League (NFL):
  • San Diego Chargers
• National Hockey League (NHL):
  • Anaheim Mighty Ducks

Comparative Profile of Vista, CA

Comparing Vista to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in California (State):

Ratings range from (lowest) to (highest).

The People

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Children Under 5 Years Old
Male Share of the Population
Racial Diversity
Well-Paid Single Men
Senior Citizens
Age of the Population
Female Share of the Population

Families

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Average Household Size
Portion of People Married

Wealth

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
College Educated Adults
Median Family Income
People Above Poverty
People in Middle Class or Better

Commute & Sprawl

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Working at Home
Public Transportation Use
Walking and Biking to Work
Short Commute Times

Housing

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Housing Recently Built
Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals
Affordability of Property Taxes
Seasonal and Vacation Housing
Affordability of Rents
People Living Alone

Crime

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Low Property Crime
Low Violent Crime

Vista Almanac

Vista Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

• Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
• Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

Vista Population (2000)

(From 2000 Census, as reported by individuals)

Nearby Cities and Towns

Starbucks in Vista

Wal-Mart in Vista

Vista High Schools (2004)

VISTA HIGH
400 E. BOBIER DR.
760-726-5611
Title I eligible, not participating.
Serves 3,385 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 24.6

RANCHO BUENA VISTA HIGH
1601 LONEHORN DRIVE
760-727-7284
Serves 3,212 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 26.8

GUAJOME PARK ACADEMY CHARTER
2000 NORTH SANTA FE AVE.
760-631-7482
A charter school.
Serves 2,125 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 25.7

EAGLES PEAK CHARTER
981 VALE TERRACE DRIVE
760-630-3200
A charter school.
Serves 1,459 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 14.9

ALTA VISTA HIGH (CONT.)
1575 BONAIR DR.
760-724-3775
A Non-traditional School
Title I eligible, not participating.
Serves 319 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 16

PALOMAR HIGH (INDEP. STUDY)
1575 BONAIR ROAD
760-724-4785
A Non-traditional School
Serves 131 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 18.7

SIERRA VISTA HIGH (SPECIAL EDU
325 E. BOBIER DR.
760-758-3400
A Special Education School
Serves 100 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 8.3

Vista Colleges

Click school name for a detailed profile.

Kaplan College

(List of All California Colleges)

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