Otay Mesa, San Diego

History

Otay is derived from the Kumeyaay language. Although its meaning is disputed, possible derivations include "otai", meaning "brushy"; "Tou-ti" meaning "big mountain"; or "etaay" meaning "big". Mesa is the Spanish word for plateau, table or tableland.

Aviation pioneer John J. Montgomery made the first controlled flights in the western hemisphere using a series of gliders from the west rim of Otay Mesa in 1883/1884.

The area which now includes Otay Mesa was annexed from San Diego County along with other portions of South San Diego in 1957. Additional annexation of almost four thousand acres was approved in 1985.

Since 2010, seven cross-border tunnels have been found linking warehouses in Otay Mesa with entry points within Mexico.

Climate

Otay Mesa has a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification: Bsk) with mild winters and warm, almost rainless summers. |Jan record high F = 90 |Feb record high F = 93 |Mar record high F = 97 |Apr record high F = 99 |May record high F = 102 |Jun record high F = 103 |Jul record high F = 110 |Aug record high F = 102 |Sep record high F = 108 |Oct record high F = 103 |Nov record high F = 99 |Dec record high F = 87 |year record high F = |Jan avg record high F = 82.4 |Feb avg record high F = 81.8 |Mar avg record high F = 83.7 |Apr avg record high F = 85.8 |May avg record high F = 85.5 |Jun avg record high F = 88.8 |Jul avg record high F = 91.4 |Aug avg record high F = 92.9 |Sep avg record high F = 98.2 |Oct avg record high F = 93.7 |Nov avg record high F = 88.5 |Dec avg record high F = 80.3 |year avg record high F = 100.6 |Jan avg record low F = 35.2 |Feb avg record low F = 36.2 |Mar avg record low F = 39.4 |Apr avg record low F = 41.8 |May avg record low F = 47.2 |Jun avg record low F = 51.6 |Jul avg record low F = 56.9 |Aug avg record low F = 57.1 |Sep avg record low F = 53.0 |Oct avg record low F = 47.3 |Nov avg record low F = 40.2 |Dec avg record low F = 34.6 |year avg record low F = 32.9 |Jan record low F = 27 |Feb record low F = 30 |Mar record low F = 34 |Apr record low F = 34 |May record low F = 41 |Jun record low F = 44 |Jul record low F = 50 |Aug record low F = 52 |Sep record low F = 48 |Oct record low F = 38 |Nov record low F = 32 |Dec record low F = 29 |year record low F = |archive-date=April 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210426005251/https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=sgx |url-status=dead

Border crossings

The Otay Mesa Port of Entry is one of two border crossings within the city of San Diego, the other being the San Ysidro Port of Entry six miles to the west. Trucks are generally instructed to use the border crossing in Otay Mesa instead of the San Ysidro one. Otay Mesa also houses an immigration detention center.

Two miles east of the Otay Mesa border crossing in the unincorporated area of East Otay Mesa, the new Otay Mesa East Port of Entry is planned to be in service as early as 2028.

The Cross Border Xpress (CBX) is a terminal serving and a pedestrian bridge crossing to the main terminal of Tijuana International Airport. This crossing has a 45000 sqft facility in Otay Mesa. It was established by Otay-Tijuana Ventures LLC and had a cost of $78 million and opened in 2015. CBX makes Tijuana Airport the world's first geographically binational airport, because unlike the binational airports serving the Swiss cities of Basel (entirely on French territory) and Geneva (entirely on Swiss territory), the CBX terminal is physically located in the United States but serves an airport whose main terminal and runways are in Mexico.

Highways

(Future I-905)

Other landmarks and facilities

Located 1.5 miles north of the Mexico-United States Border, is the 603 megawatt Otay Mesa Energy Center, which came online in 2009. This power plant will be joined with the Pio Pico Energy Center peaker, which will generate an additional 300 megawatts.

Pacific Gateway Park is located between Otay Mesa Road and the international border.

Five major law-enforcement facilities are located in an unincorporated area in the Otay Mesa region:

• the state's Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility
• Otay Mesa Detention Center, privately operated by CoreCivic, formerly called Corrections Corporation of America(CCA)
• the George Bailey County Detention facility
• the East Mesa Detention facility, operated by the City of San Diego
• and a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement firearms training complex used by the FBI, the Customs Service, and local police forces

Education

Otay Mesa is in the San Ysidro School District (SYSD) and the Sweetwater Union High School District (SUHSD).

Public schools in and near Otay Mesa include:

• Finney Elementary School
• Juarez Lincon Elementary School
• Los Altos Elementary School
• Howard Pence Elementary School
• Silverwing Elementary School
• San Ysidro Elementary School

The area is zoned to Montgomery High School.

References

References

2. [https://www.niche.com/places-to-live/n/otay-mesa-san-diego-ca Otay Mesa - San Diego, CA]/
3. "Otay Mesa neighborhood in San Diego".
4. Fetzer, Leland. (10 July 2018). "San Diego County Place Names, A to Z". Sunbelt Publications, Inc..
5. Gudde, Erwin Gustav. (2004). "California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Names". University of California Press.
6. Stein, Lou, ''San Diego County Place-Names,'' pages 88-89, Rand Editions-Tofua Press, 1975
7. Harwood, Craig S. and Fogel, Gary B. ''Quest for Flight: John J. Montgomery and the Dawn of Aviation in the West,'' University of Oklahoma Press, 2012
8. . ["Otay Mesa Nestor"](http://www.sandiego.gov/planning/community/profiles/otaymesanestor/). *City of San Diego*.
9. Michael A. Fairley. (27 February 1985). "Annexation of Otay Mesa Land Approved". Los Angeles Times.
10. Whitcomb, Dan. (4 April 2014). "Two drug tunnels, with rail systems, found at U.S.-Mexico border". Reuters.
11. Elliot Spagat. (26 May 2010). "Health official tours San Diego immigration jail". San Diego Union Tribune.
12. Garrick, David. (2019-09-23). "Building boom is transforming Otay Mesa into an economic engine".
13. Dibble, Sandra. (2015-12-09). "New Tijuana airport bridge opens". [[San Diego Union-Tribune]].
14. Dibble, Sandra. (2012-11-28). "Tijuana's airport preparing for cross-border bridge". [[San Diego Union-Tribune]].
15. Dibble, Sandra. (2010-08-04). "Cross-border bridge gets federal permit". [[San Diego Union-Tribune]].
16. (December 9, 2015). "Above The Border, New Walkway Spans The Gap Between U.S. And Mexico". National Public Radio (NPR).
17. "Map of Geneva Airport in relation to the Geneva area, Geneva Airport website".
18. . (3 October 2009). ["Otay Mesa Power Plant Licensing Case"](http://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/otaymesa/). *State of California*.
19. City News Service. (12 September 2012). "California Energy Commission Approves 300-Megawatt Natural Gas Power Plant". KPBS.
20. "The Center for Land Use Interpretation".
21. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: San Diego County, CA". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
22. "About SUHSD". [[Sweetwater Union High School District]].
23. "PROPOSED COMPREHENSIVE BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENTS (HIGH SCHOOL BOUNDARIES SHOWN)". [[Sweetwater Union High School District]].