Otay Mesa, San Diego

{{About|the neighborhood in San Diego|the borough of Tijuana|Mesa de Otay|the border crossing|Otay Mesa Port of Entry}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox settlement    |name=Otay Mesa, San Diego |official_name=Otay Mesa |other_name= |native_name= |nickname= |settlement_type=[[List of communities and neighborhoods of San Diego|Community of San Diego]] |total_type= |motto=  |image_skyline= |imagesize= |image_caption= |image_flag= |flag_size= |image_sea= |seal_size= |image_shield= |shield_size= |image_blank_emblem= |blank_emblem_type= |blank_emblem_size= |image_map= |mapsize= |map_caption= |pushpin_map=United States San Diego Southern |pushpin_label_position=top |pushpin_map_caption=Location within Southern San Diego |pushpin_mapsize=  |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = {{Nowrap|{{Flag|United States of America|size=23px}}}} |subdivision_type1 = [[U.S. state|State]] |subdivision_name1 = {{Flag|California|size=23px}} |subdivision_type2 = [[County (United States)|County]] |subdivision_name2 = {{Flagicon image|Flag of San Diego County, California.png|size=23px}} [[San Diego County, California|San Diego]] |subdivision_type3 = [[List of municipalities in California|City]] |subdivision_name3 = {{Flagicon image|Flag of San Diego, California.svg|size=23px}} [[San Diego]]  |seat_type= |seat= |parts_type= |parts_style= |parts= |p1= |p2=  |government_footnotes= |government_type= |leader_title= |leader_name= |leader_title1= |leader_name1= |leader_title2= |leader_name2= |leader_title3= |leader_name3= |established_date=  |area_magnitude= |unit_pref= |area_footnotes= |area_total_sq_mi= |area_land_sq_mi= |area_water_sq_mi= |area_water_percent=  |elevation_footnotes= |elevation_m= |elevation_ft= |elevation_max_m= |elevation_max_ft= |elevation_min_m= |elevation_min_ft=  |population_as_of= |population_footnotes=<ref>[https://www.niche.com/places-to-live/n/otay-mesa-san-diego-ca Otay Mesa - San Diego, CA]/</ref> |population_note= |population_total= 23707 |population_density_sq_mi=  |timezone= |utc_offset= |timezone_DST= |utc_offset_DST= |coordinates = {{coord|32.5583913|-116.9425228|display=inline}}  |postal_code_type= |postal_code= |area_code= |website= |footnotes= }} '''Otay Mesa''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|oʊ|t|ai|_|ˈ|m|eɪ|s|ə}} {{respell|OH|ty|_|MAY|sə}}) is a community in the [[South San Diego|southern exclave]] of [[San Diego]], California, just north of the [[U.S.–Mexico border]].

It is bordered by the [[Otay River]] Valley and the city of [[Chula Vista]] on the north; [[Interstate 805]] and the neighborhoods of [[Ocean View Hills]] and [[San Ysidro, San Diego|San Ysidro]] on the west; unincorporated [[San Diego County]] on the north and east including [[East Otay Mesa]] and the [[San Ysidro Mountains]]; and the [[Otay Centenario]] borough of [[Tijuana]], Mexico, on the south.

Major thoroughfares include Otay Mesa Road/[[California State Route 905]], Otay Valley Road/Heritage Road, Siempre Viva Road, and [[California State Route 125]]. Otay Mesa is the second-least walkable neighborhood of San Diego.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.walkscore.com/CA/San_Diego/Otay_Mesa|title=Otay Mesa neighborhood in San Diego|website=Walk Score}}</ref>

==History== ''Otay'' is derived from the [[Kumeyaay language]]. Although its meaning is disputed,<ref name="auto">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AOVyQyWDyqUC|title=San Diego County Place Names, A to Z|first=Leland|last=Fetzer|date=10 July 2018|publisher=Sunbelt Publications, Inc.|isbn=9780932653734|via=Google Books}}</ref> possible derivations include "otai", meaning "brushy"; "Tou-ti" meaning "big mountain";<ref name="auto"/> or "etaay" meaning "big".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gudde |first=Erwin Gustav |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kqwt5RlMVBoC&dq=otay+otai&pg=PA273 |title=California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Names |date=2004 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-24217-3 |language=en}}</ref> ''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.<ref>Stein, Lou, ''San Diego County Place-Names,'' pages 88-89, Rand Editions-Tofua Press, 1975</ref><ref>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</ref>

The area which now includes Otay Mesa was annexed from [[San Diego County]] along with other portions of South San Diego in 1957.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sandiego.gov/planning/community/profiles/otaymesanestor/ |title=Otay Mesa Nestor |author= |work=Development Services Department, Planning Division |publisher=City of San Diego |access-date=16 January 2013}}</ref> Additional annexation of almost four thousand acres was approved in 1985.<ref>{{cite news |title=Annexation of Otay Mesa Land Approved |author=Michael A. Fairley |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-02-27-mn-8660-story.html |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=27 February 1985 |access-date=16 January 2013}}</ref>

Since 2010, seven cross-border tunnels have been found linking warehouses in Otay Mesa with entry points within Mexico.<ref>{{cite news |last=Whitcomb |first=Dan |date=4 April 2014 |title=Two drug tunnels, with rail systems, found at U.S.-Mexico border |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-mexico-drugtunnel-idUSBREA331DG20140404 |newspaper=Reuters |location=Los Angeles |access-date=4 April 2014 }}</ref>

==Climate== Otay Mesa has a [[semi-arid climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]]: ''Bsk'') with mild winters and warm, almost rainless summers. {{Weather box|location = [[Brown Field Municipal Airport]] (normals 1998–2020, extremes 1945–1946, 1954–1961, 1998–present) |single line = Y |collapsed = Y |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 high F = 67.0 |Feb high F = 66.4 |Mar high F = 67.5 |Apr high F = 69.8 |May high F = 71.2 |Jun high F = 74.3 |Jul high F = 78.3 |Aug high F = 80.6 |Sep high F = 79.8 |Oct high F = 76.7 |Nov high F = 71.8 |Dec high F = 66.7 |year high F = 72.5 |Jan mean F = 55.7 |Feb mean F = 55.8 |Mar mean F = 57.4 |Apr mean F = 59.9 |May mean F = 62.8 |Jun mean F = 66.1 |Jul mean F = 69.9 |Aug mean F = 71.8 |Sep mean F = 70.3 |Oct mean F = 66.0 |Nov mean F = 60.2 |Dec mean F = 55.3 |year mean F = 62.6 |Jan low F = 44.4 |Feb low F = 45.2 |Mar low F = 47.3 |Apr low F = 50.0 |May low F = 54.4 |Jun low F = 57.9 |Jul low F = 61.5 |Aug low F = 63.0 |Sep low F = 60.8 |Oct low F = 55.3 |Nov low F = 48.6 |Dec low F = 43.8 |year low F = 52.7 |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 = |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation inch = 1.83 |Feb precipitation inch = 2.39 |Mar precipitation inch = 1.52 |Apr precipitation inch = 0.80 |May precipitation inch = 0.27 |Jun precipitation inch = 0.10 |Jul precipitation inch = 0.04 |Aug precipitation inch = 0.01 |Sep precipitation inch = 0.18 |Oct precipitation inch = 0.44 |Nov precipitation inch = 0.83 |Dec precipitation inch = 1.82 |year precipitation inch = 10.23 |unit precipitation days = 0.01 in |Jan precipitation days = 6.6 |Feb precipitation days = 7.4 |Mar precipitation days = 7.5 |Apr precipitation days = 6.0 |May precipitation days = 3.2 |Jun precipitation days = 1.5 |Jul precipitation days = 1.3 |Aug precipitation days = 0.9 |Sep precipitation days = 2.1 |Oct precipitation days = 3.5 |Nov precipitation days = 5.1 |Dec precipitation days = 6.9 |year precipitation days = |source 1 = [[NOAA]]<ref name = NOAA>{{cite web |url=https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=sgx |title=NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data |publisher=NOAA |accessdate=February 8, 2021 |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 }}</ref> }}

==Border crossings== [[File:Otay Mesa Port of Entry.jpg|thumb|Otay Mesa Port of Entry]] 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.<ref>{{cite news |title=Health official tours San Diego immigration jail |author=Elliot Spagat |agency=Associated Press |url=http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2010/may/26/health-official-tours-san-diego-immigration-jail/ |newspaper=San Diego Union Tribune |date=26 May 2010 |access-date=16 January 2013}}</ref>

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]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-09-23/building-boom-is-transforming-otay-mesa-into-economic-engine|title=Building boom is transforming Otay Mesa into an economic engine|last=Garrick|first=David|date=2019-09-23|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Dibble, Sandra|url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/border-baja-california/sdut-tijuana-airport-bridge-opens-2015dec09-htmlstory.html|title=New Tijuana airport bridge opens|newspaper=[[San Diego Union-Tribune]]|date=2015-12-09|access-date=2017-01-18}}</ref> This crossing has a {{convert|45000|sqft|sqm|adj=on}} facility in Otay Mesa.<ref>{{cite news|author=Dibble, Sandra|url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/border-baja-california/sdut-bridge-to-tijuana-airport-2012nov28-htmlstory.html|title=Tijuana's airport preparing for cross-border bridge|newspaper=[[San Diego Union-Tribune]]|date=2012-11-28|access-date=2017-01-18}} "The company operating the A.L. Rodríguez International Airport is a key player in a plan for a privately owned terminal in Otay Mesa that would allow ticketed, toll-paying airline passengers to cross between San Diego and Tijuana."</ref> It was established by Otay-Tijuana Ventures LLC and had a cost of $78 million and opened in 2015.<ref>{{cite news|author=Dibble, Sandra|url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-cross-border-bridge-gets-federal-permit-2010aug04-story.html|title=Cross-border bridge gets federal permit |newspaper=[[San Diego Union-Tribune]]|date=2010-08-04|access-date=2017-01-18}}</ref> CBX makes Tijuana Airport the world's first geographically binational airport,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Dwyer|first1=Colin|last2=Wagner|first2=Laura|title=Above The Border, New Walkway Spans The Gap Between U.S. And Mexico|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/12/09/459138808/new-airport-bridge-spanning-u-s-mexico-border-opens|access-date=22 December 2016|publisher=National Public Radio (NPR)|date=December 9, 2015}}</ref> because unlike the binational airports serving the Swiss cities of [[EuroAirport Basel–Mulhouse–Freiburg|Basel]] (entirely on French territory) and [[Geneva Airport|Geneva]] (entirely on Swiss territory),<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://gva.ch/en/Portaldata/1/Resources/fichiers/voyageurs/plans_d_acces/GA_Plan3.pdf |title=Map of Geneva Airport in relation to the Geneva area, Geneva Airport website |access-date=2018-07-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160804072648/http://www.gva.ch/en/Portaldata/1/Resources/fichiers/voyageurs/plans_d_acces/GA_Plan3.pdf |archive-date=2016-08-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref> the CBX terminal is physically located in the United States but serves an airport whose main terminal and runways are in Mexico.

==Highways== {{jct|state=CA|I|5}}<br /> {{jct|state=CA|I|805}}<br /> {{jct|state=CA|CA|11}}<br /> {{jct|state=CA|CA-Toll|125}}<br /> {{jct|state=CA|CA|905}} (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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/otaymesa/ |title=Otay Mesa Power Plant Licensing Case |author= |date=3 October 2009 |work=California Energy Commission |publisher=State of California |access-date=16 January 2013 |archive-date=March 8, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130308170942/http://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/otaymesa/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> This [[power plant]] will be joined with the [[Pio Pico Energy Center]] [[Peaking power plant|peaker]], which will generate an additional 300 megawatts.<ref>{{cite news |title=California Energy Commission Approves 300-Megawatt Natural Gas Power Plant |author=City News Service |url=http://www.kpbs.org/news/2012/sep/12/california-energy-commission-approves-300-megawatt/ |newspaper=KPBS |date=12 September 2012 |access-date=16 January 2013 }}</ref>

Pacific Gateway Park is located between Otay Mesa Road and the international border.{{citation needed|date=January 2013}}

Five major law-enforcement facilities are located in an [[unincorporated area]] in the Otay Mesa region:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://clui.org/ludb/site/otay-mesa-prison-area|title=The Center for Land Use Interpretation|website=clui.org}}</ref>

* 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).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st06_ca/schooldistrict_maps/c06073_san_diego/DC20SD_C06073.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: San Diego County, CA|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|page=5 (PDF p. 6/7)|accessdate=2022-02-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sweetwaterschools.org/about-suhsd/|title=About SUHSD|publisher=[[Sweetwater Union High School District]]|accessdate=2022-02-11|quote=[...]including the communities of [...]Otay Mesa, [...]}}</ref>

Public schools in and near Otay Mesa include:{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

* 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 (San Diego)|Montgomery High School]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sweetwaterschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Proposed-Attendance-Area-Boundary-Adjustments-Overall-Map.pdf|title=PROPOSED COMPREHENSIVE BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENTS (HIGH SCHOOL BOUNDARIES SHOWN)|publisher=[[Sweetwater Union High School District]]|accessdate=2022-02-11}} - [http://www.sweetwaterschools.org/attendance-boundaries/ Shown as approved]</ref>

==See also== {{Portal|California}} *[[Mexico–United States border]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.sandiego.gov/planning/community/profiles/otaymesa/ Otay Mesa community profile, city of San Diego] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20060924181730/http://www.bts.gov/help/border_crossing_entry_data.html#9 Bureau of Transportation Statistics - Border Crossing/Entry Data] * [http://www.sandiego.edu/tbi Trans-Border Institute] at the University of San Diego * [https://web.archive.org/web/20071025001411/http://www.tijuana.gob.mx/Delegaciones/Delegaciones.asp?delegacion=5 Mesa de Otay Delegation, Tijuana, Mexico (In Spanish)]

[[Category:Neighborhoods in San Diego]] [[Category:South Bay (San Diego County)]]