Carlsbad is a coastal resort city lying along the Pacific Ocean in San Diego's North County region of Southern California. Carlsbad is located 87 miles (140 km) south of Los Angeles and 35 miles (56 km) north of downtown San Diego. High property values, very high median family incomes, and high education levels have made Carlsbad one of the wealthiest communities in California and in the United States. The majority of San Diego County's top twenty-five employers have their locations closer to Carlsbad than San Diego.[2] A coastal location, thriving commercial sector, and award-winning school district all contribute to the high standard of living in the area. It is one of the highest-income places in the United States. The city is mainly known for shopping, tourism, a booming high-tech industry, and resort living. The population was 105,328 at the 2010 census.
The city has drafted ordinances protecting sensitive wildlife habitat, becoming one of the first municipalities in the state of California to do so. The city has also pledged to protect a specified amount of land within the city limits from development of any kind and spends significant funds to restore habitats destroyed by newer development projects.
History
Statue of John Frazier
Carlsbad's history begins with the Luiseño people who located one of their villages, Palamai, near what is today Agua Hedionda Lagoon. In the 1880s a former sailor named John Frazier dug a well in the area. He began offering his water at the train station and soon the whistle-stop became known as Frazier's Station. A test done on a second fresh-water well discovered the water to be chemically similar to the one found in some of the most renowned spas in the world, such as the Carlsbad Spa in Bohemia, or Karlovy Lazne in the city of Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic.
To take advantage of the find, the Carlsbad Land and Mineral Water Company was formed by a German-born merchant from the Midwest named Gerhard Schutte together with Samuel Church Smith, D.D.Wadsworth and Henry Nelson. The naming of the town followed soon after, along with a major marketing campaign to attract visitors. The area experienced a period of growth, with homes and businesses sprouting up in the 1880s. Agricultural development of citrus fruits, avocados and olives soon changed the landscape. By the end of 1887, land prices fell throughout San Diego County. However, the community survived on the back of its fertile agricultural lands.
The site of John Frazier's original well can still be found at Alt Karlsbad, a replica of a German Hanseatic house, located on Carlsbad Boulevard.
The world's first skateboard park, Skatepark, was built here in March 1976. It was located on the grounds of Carlsbad Raceway and was designed and built by inventors Jack Graham and John O'Malley.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 39.1 square miles (101 km2) of which 37.7 square miles (98 km2) are land and 1.4 square miles (3.6 km2) are (3.55%) water, the majority of which is contained within three lagoons and one lake.
The northern area of the city is considered to be part of the tri-city area, which consists of northern Carlsbad, southern Oceanside and western Vista.
Most of the current city area, including many of its boasted attractions, has been annexed from neighboring unincorporated areas since the 1970s.
Climate
Carlsbad has a Subtropical-Mediterranean Climate, similar to many coastal areas of California.
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Climate data for Carlsbad, California
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Month
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Jan
|
Feb
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Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
|
Record high °F (°C)
|
87
(31)
|
90
(32)
|
90
(32)
|
93
(34)
|
89
(32)
|
93
(34)
|
103
(39)
|
94
(34)
|
108
(42)
|
105
(41)
|
100
(38)
|
90
(32)
|
108
(42)
|
|
Average high °F (°C)
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64
(18)
|
64
(18)
|
64
(18)
|
65
(18)
|
66
(19)
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69
(21)
|
72
(22)
|
74
(23)
|
73
(23)
|
71
(22)
|
68
(20)
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65
(18)
|
67.9
(19.9)
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|
Average low °F (°C)
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45
(7)
|
47
(8)
|
48
(9)
|
51
(11)
|
56
(13)
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60
(16)
|
63
(17)
|
64
(18)
|
61
(16)
|
56
(13)
|
49
(9)
|
45
(7)
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53.8
(12.1)
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|
Record low °F (°C)
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20
(−7)
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28
(−2)
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34
(1)
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33
(1)
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38
(3)
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43
(6)
|
44
(7)
|
47
(8)
|
43
(6)
|
36
(2)
|
29
(−2)
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27
(−3)
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20
(−7)
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Precipitation inches (mm)
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2.42
(61.5)
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2.23
(56.6)
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2.11
(53.6)
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0.92
(23.4)
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0.23
(5.8)
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0.09
(2.3)
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0.02
(0.5)
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0.13
(3.3)
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0.29
(7.4)
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0.43
(10.9)
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0.92
(23.4)
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1.34
(34)
|
11.13
(282.7)
|
|
