San Diego county real estate
City: Tierrasanta

Nestled in the hills within the city limits of San Diego lies the community of Tierrasanta. Because it has very well defined borders, residents refer to it as The Island in the Hills. Miramar Air Station's undeveloped area lies to the north, Mission Trails Park to the east, Friars road to the south and Interstate 15 to the west. The community is built out to these borders.

The Tierrasanta / Murphy Canyon community was part of the original Rancho De la Mission San Diego and the El Cajon Rancho. The Kumeyaay Indians inhabited these two mission ranchos in the first half of the 19th century. The United States government acquired 27,700 acres of this land for a Marine training camp, Camp Elliot. Subsequently the land passed on to the Navy in 1944. In 1960, Camp Elliot was annexed to the City of San Diego and in 1961 the government declared nearly half the land surplus. It was zoned R-1-40 residential. At that time, Christiana Corporation obtained 2600 acres in a land swap with the federal government and in 1971 the first master planned community in the City of San Diego was created. That was the birth of Tierrasanta.

Tierrasanta is conveniently located within a 20 minute commute to downtown San Diego, major shopping centers, beaches, local college campuses, hospitals, Balboa Park, and most major recreation and entertainment attractions. There is easy access to I-15, I-805 and highways 163 and 52. Yet the atmosphere is like that of being in the country because the community enjoys approximately 846 acres of dedicated open space with more to be taken into the Open Space District in the near future. In addition, Mission Trails Regional Park, which abuts the community on the east, offers approximately 5700 acres of undeveloped land and is the site of a beautiful, state of the art Visitor & Interpretive Center. There is an abundance of birds and wildlife in the park as well as in the local canyons.

Tierrasanta proper consists of a well balance mix of one and two story single family homes, townhouses, condos and apartments totaling approximately 8000 units. Infrastructure consists of a public library, fire station, several neighborhood parks, a community park with a recreation center, community pool, tennis courts and playing fields. There are five public elementary school, two middle schools and one high school in the community. There are three shopping areas. Seven churches of different denominations make their homes here. Public transportation is provided by San Diego Transit. The Tierra Times is the community newspaper.