Del Mar

History

In 1880, the California Southern Railroad was formed to connect San Diego to the national rail network and Del Mar was along the planned route. It was first settled in 1882 by Theodore M. Loop, a railroad official from New York, and his wife Ella. Loop thought the area was "the most attractive place on the entire coast". Ella gave the site its name, inspired by Bayard Taylor's poem "The Fight of Paso del Mar". Instead of moving on when the railroad was completed, Loop decided he wanted to stay. In 1885, Loop met Colonel Jacob Taylor and proposed building a town together. Taylor was a prosperous rancher that had come to the region with his family. He had bought Rancho Santa Maria de Los Peñasquitos and intended to stay there. On seeing the beauty and development potential of the Del Mar area, he changed his plans. He purchased 338 acres (1.37 km2) of land from Enoch Talbert, with visions of building a seaside resort for the rich and famous. He installed the first telephone line between Del Mar and Peñasquitos so he could manage his ranch while living on the coast and developing his resort. By 1888, there was a village of about 25 homes with what is now 10th Street as its main corridor. The city built the first dedicated school for the surrounding sparsely populated area, ending the practice of students being taught in barns. The town's development suffered a major setback when Taylor's hotel "Casa del Mar" burned to the ground due to a kitchen fire the following year. Flooding in Southern California had damaged roads, bridges, and railroad tracks causing widespread devastation and leaving Del Mar isolated. San Diego's population fell in half from its 1887 peak by 1890. Despite Taylor's initial pledge to rebuild, he was not only unable to complete the project, he lost his ranch in the subsequent recession and left California. Development stalled and the city closed the century with a population of fewer than a hundred people.

In 1905, the South Coast Land Company acquired all of Taylor's land. They hired Ed Fletcher, who later became a State Senator, to subdivide the land and lay out a road system. They hired John C. Austin, one of Los Angeles' most prominent architects, to revive Taylor's hotel site for their first building in Del Mar. The hotel site became the Stratford Inn and was completed around 1910. Austin was from Oxfordshire, England near William Shakespeare's home of Stratford-upon-Avon. The hotel name and its Tudor Revival architecture style were meant to evoke Shakespeare's home and era.

Shakespeare was important to the Hollywood silent film stars the South Coast Land Company wanted to attract. Around a quarter of silent films were adaptations of Shakespeare's work. The hotel and town quickly became a favorite of Hollywood stars. Del Mar's first retail center, now called Stratford Square, was built in 1927 across the street using a similar style. Additional Tudor style homes and around a dozen commercial buildings were built and it became a unique and distinctive feature of Old Del Mar. It contrasted with the dominant style of the region, which had become Spanish Colonial Revival. The style had started replacing others after being featured at the Panama–California Exposition as suited to the regional climate. At close of the silent film era, Los Angeles Times Sports editor Pawl Lowry observed that, "Del Mar has class written all over it ... Del Mar has the Spanish touch of Old California, the artistic, aristocratic air of the day of the Dons. The buildings are in keeping from stern to stern."

Geography

Del Mar is one of only two locations where the Torrey pine tree naturally occurs. The Torrey pine is the rarest pine in the United States; only two populations of this endangered species exist, in Del Mar and on Santa Rosa Island. The Soledad Valley at the south of Del Mar severs two colony segments.

At the southern edge of Del Mar is the Los Peñasquitos Lagoon. To the north is the San Dieguito Lagoon and the San Dieguito River, which empties into the Pacific Ocean at Del Mar.

The bluffs along Del Mar's south beach are subject to collapse. Properties on the bluffs are subject to the impacts of climate change, such as sea level rise and coastal erosion. The transportation infrastructure is under threat. The city has a climate change adaptation plan which excludes the option of a managed retreat, the strategy that was recommended by the California Coastal Commission in 2019.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2), of which 1.7 square miles (4.4 km2) of it is land and 0.05 square miles (0.13 km2) of it (3.08%) is water.

Climate

Del Mar's climate is considered mediterranean-subtropical with warm, dry summers and mild, humid winters. Temperatures exceed 85 °F (29 °C) only on a few occasions throughout the year and rarely drop below 41 °F (5 °C). The average yearly temperature in Del Mar is approximately 65 °F (18 °C). Del Mar regularly receives heavy marine layer clouds due to its position between two lagoons and bordered to the west by the Pacific Ocean.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Del Mar had a population of 3,954 and a population density of 2,302.9 inhabitants per square mile (889.2/km2).

The age distribution was 12.7% under the age of 18, 5.6% aged 18 to 24, 20.1% aged 25 to 44, 31.3% aged 45 to 64, and 30.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 53.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.9 males age 18 and over.

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

The whole population lived in households. There were 1,932 households, out of which 18.6% included children under the age of 18. Of all households, 46.7% were married-couple households, 20.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. 32.9% of households were one person, and 14.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.05. There were 1,101 families (57.0% of all households).

There were 2,574 housing units, of which 24.9% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 14.7%. Of the 1,932 occupied housing units, 57.4% were owner-occupied and 42.6% were occupied by renters.

Income and poverty

The median household income of Del Mar in 2019-2023 was $192,845, in 2023 dollars. About 0.4% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line.

2010 census

The 2010 United States census reported that Del Mar had a population of 4,161. The population density was 2,341.9 people per square mile (904.2 people/km2). The racial makeup of Del Mar was 3,912 (94.0%) White, 10 (0.2%) African American, eight (0.2%) Native American, 118 (2.8%) Asian, three (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 25 (0.6%) from other races, and 85 (2.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 175 people (4.2%).

There were 2,064 households, with 340 (16.5%) having children under the age of 18, and 927 (44.9%) with opposite-sex married couples living together, 114 (5.5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 57 (2.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 124 (6.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 19 (0.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. There were 707 households (34.3%) comprising one individual, and 209 (10.1%) comprising one individual 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.02. There were 1,098 families (53.2% of all households); the average family size was 2.57.

The population comprised 564 people (13.6%) under the age of 18, 205 people (4.9%) aged 18 to 24, 1,071 people (25.7%) aged 25 to 44, 1,455 people (35.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 866 people (20.8%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.1 males.

There were 2,596 housing units at an average density of 1,461.1 units per square mile (564.1 units/km2), of which 1,113 (53.9%) were owner-occupied, and 951 (46.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.9%. Of the population, 2,398 people (57.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,763 people (42.4%) lived in rental housing units.

Government

The City of Del Mar is governed by a city council of five elected representatives. Each year a new mayor is chosen from among the councilmembers. Tracy Martinez is the mayor in 2026.

In the California State Legislature, Del Mar is in the 38th senatorial district, represented by Democrat Catherine Blakespear, and in the 77th Assembly district, represented by Democrat Tasha Boerner.

In the United States House of Representatives, Del Mar is in California's 49th congressional district, represented by Democrat Mike Levin.

Education

Del Mar is served by the Del Mar Union School District, which includes eight K–8 schools. High school education is provided by the San Dieguito Union High School District.

Transportation

The North County Transit District operates their BREEZE bus service. The historic Del Mar station once served passengers on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Surf Line and the Amtrak San Diegan intercity service between the early 1900s until its closure in 1995, due to the opening of the new Solana Beach station two miles north. That station provides Coaster commuter rail and Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner service. This trainline is the second busiest passenger rail corridor in the United States.

The railroad tracks were built adjacent to coastal bluffs some 40 feet (12 m) above the beach. The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is conducting a $3 million study on relocating the rail line farther inland through the city. On August 16, 2020, the California Coastal Commission emphasized the need to move the railroad tracks inland due to the persistent coastal erosion which eats away at the bluff each year. The accelerating rate of sea level rise due to global warming adds urgency to the issue. A tunnel under Del Mar which would cost more than $3 billion is being considered.

Attractions

Del Mar Racetrack, held live during the summer and now the fall at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The fairgrounds also hosts the satellite wagering facility Surfside Race Place throughout the year when races are not live.

San Diego County Fair

Torrey Pines State Beach

Powerhouse Community Center

Del Mar Antiques + Art + Design Show, held three times a year for over 50 years on the Del Mar Fairgrounds

North Beach Area (29th Street to Solana Beach border), also known as "Dog Beach".

Notable people

Desi Arnaz, maintained a residence in North Del Mar on the beach west of Highway 101 near the Del Mar Racetrack after his divorce from Lucille Ball. He was arrested once for brandishing a firearm and ordering people off of his beach area. He resided there until his death.

Brad Ausmus, Major League Baseball catcher, manager, and coach

Burt Bacharach, songwriter, had a beach residence in north Del Mar.

Gary Beck, radio DJ lived on top of Del Mar Heights in the early 70's on Mission Carmel Cove.

Drew Brees, quarterback of the New Orleans Saints.

Rachel Buehler, defender for the United States women's national soccer team.

Martin Cooper, conceived the first handheld mobile phone.

Tom DeLonge, guitarist and founding member of the pop-punk band Blink-182, rock band Angels & Airwaves, and punk rock band Box Car Racer.

Jimmy Durante, lived on the beach for many years and has a street named after him.

Steve Fisher, former head basketball coach at San Diego State University, resident since 1999.

Rachael Flatt, former figure skater, 2010 Olympian, 2010 US Champion, three-time US silver medalist and 2008 World Junior Champion, was born in Del Mar.

Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft Corporation, has a vacation residence on Del Mar beach.

In popular culture

In 1966, winners of a KHJ radio station contest rode with members of The Monkees band on a train from Del Mar, which had been renamed 'Clarksville' for the day by the town's mayor.

Del Mar is the first surfing location mentioned in the 1963 Beach Boys song "Surfin' U.S.A."

Tip on a Dead Crab (Viking Press 1984), William Murray's first mystery in the Shifty Lou Anderson series, is set at Del Mar's racetrack.