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Mira Mesa is a community in the city of San Diego, California.

According to the City of San Diego General Plan Mira Mesa is roughly bounded by Interstate 15 on the east, Interstate 805 on the west, the Los Peñasquitos Canyon on the north and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar on the south. The map below depicts the various land uses in Mira Mesa.



History
Around the time of World War II the area now called Mira Mesa was used by the United States Army as a test area. Just west of U.S. Route 395 (now Interstate 15) was a Navy auxiliary landing field that was known locally as Hourglass Field because the layout of the runways was a single piece of asphalt in the shape of an hourglass. The Navy also used the surrounding area as a bombing range.

Starting in 1969 there was a housing boom in the area that now extends from the I-15 freeway in the East to I-805 in the West and is approximately 10,500 acres (42 km²). It was one of the earliest areas of urban sprawl along the I-15 Corridor. Hourglass field became the site of San Diego Miramar College and Hourglass Field Community Park. The area was built so quickly that it was lacking schools, shopping centers, or other services for its thousands of residents. In 1971 Pete Wilson started his political career running for mayor with the slogan "No more Mira Mesas!" as a promise to stop quick, unplanned growth in San Diego.

Since its inception, Mira Mesa was largely influenced by the military located at adjacent NAS Miramar. Mira Mesa was the northernmost "real community" of San Diego, and was separated from the rest of the city by NAS Miramar for many years. For nearly 30 years the Navy's Top Gun School was located here and most of the pilots made their homes in Mira Mesa.

As of the late 1990s, the Mira Mesa area has undergone extensive expansion to accommodate the thousands of new residents attracted by its close proximity to major employers like UC San Diego, MCAS Miramar, Qualcomm, and dozens of biotech and pharmaceutical companies. Several commercial and industrial centers have been built within the Mira Mesa area.

Mira Mesa has a significant concentration of Asian-American residents. Their presence has added to the diverse shopping available in Mira Mesa, including grocery and shops offered mainly by the Filipino and Vietnamese people. The area also offers a wide variety of groups from India.

Economy
Established in the 1950s as a residential area to support Naval Air Station, Miramar, Mira Mesa has grown into the largest community in San Diego.

The community has business and residential zoned areas, providing shopping and recreational opportunities as well as business buildings with technology facilities and office space. There are a variety of ethnic cuisines and restaurants, as well as more traditional dining. There are eight community parks, teen and senior centers, an ice arena, an aquatic complex, multiple shopping centers, and a state-of-the-art movie theater.

Personal income
The community has a median income of approximately $63,000/year.

Geography
The area is situated on the southern edge of the Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve and the northern boundary of MCAS Miramar between Interstate Highway 805 (I-805) on the west and Interstate Highway 15 (I-15) on the east.

Demographics
The community has approximately 80,000 residents, including students, hi-tech employees, families, and single people alike. There are over 23,000 homes in the community, averaging 3.09 people per household. The median age is 32.4 years old.

The 2000 census counted: White (Not Hispanic or Latino) 40.8%, Asian 37.6% (including 20.7% Filipino and 7.8% Vietnamese), Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 11.1%, African American/Black 5.4%, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0.6%, Native American 0.5%.

Transportation
Public transportation is provided by the San Diego Transit and the Metropolitan Transit System, through buses and DART (Direct Access to Regional Transit) shuttles.

A train station serves Mira Mesa in Sorrento Valley and is served by the Coaster commuter train, of the North County transit district. The Coaster links Mira Mesa to Downtown San Diego, and north to coastal communities like Solana Beach and Oceanside.

Main highways include: Interstates 805 and 15.

Main thoroughfares

 * Mira Mesa Boulevard runs east to west, and is the main road in Mira Mesa, and is an important link between Interstates 15 and 805. In the year 2000 this main artery was estimated by the city government to carry over 80,000 vehicles/day. During the normal work week it has arguably the worst traffic in the county due to the excessive amount of commuters traveling in and out of the high density employment area of Sorrento Valley. There has been such a high traffic volume, that the majority of residential roads running in all directions from Mira Mesa Boulevard became backed up. By 1997, in an effort to control the problem, the city had installed additional traffic controls, such as turn prohibitions at various intersections, and speed humps on certain streets, to reduce the cut-through traffic from other neighborhoods, such as Scripps Ranch and Rancho Peñasquitos.

According to the City of San Diego Council Minutes - Sept. 9, 1997, faith in alleviating the Mira Mesa Blvd. traffic problem was put in the completion of east-west running State Route 56 to the north of Mira Mesa Blvd. The minutes state, "(SR 56) is expected to substantially reduce the non-neighborhood cut-through traffic demand on (Mira Mesa residential streets)." SR 56 construction started in 1999 and was scheduled to be completed by the summer of 2004. This was delayed, and with the opening of SR 56 north of Mira Mesa complete in early 2006, there has been a noticeable drop in residential traffic, especially on Calle Cristobal.


 * Camino Ruiz is a north-south four lane thoroughfare that runs the whole length of the Mira Mesa area, and links Miramar Road to Mira Mesa Boulevard, to Calle Cristobal. It is a main thoroughfare for military personnel traveling to and from MCAS Miramar and the surrounding area.
 * Camino Santa Fe is a north-south four lane thoroughfare that runs the whole length of the Mira Mesa area, and links Miramar Road to Mira Mesa Boulevard, to Calle Cristobal/Sorrento Valley Boulevard.
 * Black Mountain Road is a north-south thoroughfare that connects San Diego to Mira Mesa, and continues to Rancho Peñasquitos, and Del Mar.
 * Calle Cristobal runs east to west, along the northern perimeter of Mira Mesa, through the Los Peñasquitos Canyon..
 * Sorrento Valley Boulevard becomes Calle Cristobal at its intersection with Camino Santa Fe.

Business
Mira Mesa contains hundreds of retail and service business including:

Retail

 * Collins Family Jewelers
 * Babies R Us
 * Bed Bath and Beyond
 * Best Buy
 * Dress Barn
 * Edwards Mira Mesa Theaters
 * Kohls
 * Marshalls
 * The Home Depot
 * Target
 * H Mart
 * Petco
 * Smart & Final

Restaurants

 * Buca Di Beppo
 * El Torito Mexican Grill
 * Islands
 * Mimi's Cafe
 * On The Border
 * O's American Kitchen
 * Red Lobster
 * Souplantation
 * In-N-Out

Sports

 * Mira Mesa girls softball, 12 and under, won the state championship 1999, 2005 and 2006.


 * The Chargers Youth Football and Cheer organization, Coach Roger Dixon, was recognized by the San Diego Chargers with their Community Quarterback award in 2011 recognizing his extraordinary dedication to the children in the community. The Mira Mesa Chargers is a non-profit organization that teaches the fundamentals of football and cheer to kids 5-15.

Community events

 * The Mira Mesa Street Fair is held the third Saturday in September on Camino Ruiz on the block just north of Mira Mesa Boulevard. The fair is sponsored by the Mira Mesa Town Council.
 * On the Fourth of July, a parade runs through town on Mira Mesa Boulevard, then turns on Camino Ruiz. A Family Fun Day follows in the Mira Mesa Community Park with games, booths and rides for the children. In the evening a fireworks display is accompanied by music from the radio station KyXy 96.5. The fireworks are located at Mira Mesa Senior High School
 * Halloween is celebrated at Mira Mesa Recreation Center.
 * There is a Monster Manor, a "haunted house" located in the Target parking lot.
 * Each June Philippine Independence Day celebrates the anniversary of Philippine Independence from Spain. The festivities include a day of music, cultural shows, dance performances, talent competition, exhibits, food, guest speakers and rides for kids. It takes place every summer at the Mira Mesa Community Park and is hosted by the Emilio Aguinaldo Foundation.
 * Every Thursday night, groups of motorcycle riders gather just off of Mira Mesa Blvd (Albertson's/Home Depot shopping center). This is known as "Mira Mesa Bike Night" (MMBN) and is typically a fairly large gathering, attracting over 100 bikers during the warm-weather months.
 * "Mira Mesa Living," a community newspaper publishing local news and events, started publication bimonthly in July 2010. The previous community newspaper, the Mira Mesa Scripps Ranch Sentinel, stopped publication in July 2009.
 * The Epicentre teen center is a music venue by night. There are often concerts each week.

Private schools

 * Good Shepherd Catholic School
 * Christ the Cornerstone Academy
 * Rainbow Kids Integral Preschool
 * Mira Mesa Christian School

Elementary schools

 * Ericson Elementary School
 * Hage Elementary School
 * Hickman Elementary School
 * Mason Elementary School
 * Sandburg Elementary School
 * Walker Elementary School

Middle schools

 * Challenger Middle School
 * Wangenheim Middle School

High schools

 * Mira Mesa Senior High School | Mira Mesa High School

Junior colleges

 * San Diego Miramar College | Miramar College

Public safety
Mira Mesa has two fire stations and is served by the San Diego Police Department Northeastern Division.

Fire service is provided by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department Fire Station 38 and fire station 44. Fire Station 38, which includes Engine 38, Truck 38, and Paramedic 38 is located on New Salem Street near the main Mira Mesa park and Recreation Center. Fire station 44 is located at the corner of Black Mountain Road and Maya Linda Road. It includes Engine 44, Truck 44, and HAZMAT 1 and 2.

Notable people from Mira Mesa

 * Adam Brody (television actor) went to Wangenheim Middle School in Mira Mesa then to Scripps Ranch High School.
 * Chris Chelios (former National Hockey League player and alternate captain of USA Hockey team) attended Mira Mesa High School, and Mt. Carmel High School.
 * Teyo Johnson (National Football League player) went to Mira Mesa High School.
 * Jamie Kime (Grammy Award winning guitarist and member of Zappa Plays Zappa) went to Mira Mesa High School.
 * Michael Pittman (National Football League player) went to Mira Mesa High School.
 * Ray Rowe (National Football League player) went to Mira Mesa High School.
 * J. R. Tolver (National Football League player) went to Mira Mesa High School.