Kearny Mesa

Kearny Mesa, located in the center of the county just north of Mission Valley, is primarily a commercial and industrial area. Montgomery Field, a popular regional airport owned by the City of San Diego, occupies space at the southern end of the district. The airport was originally called Gibbs Airfield and was established in 1937. Many of the buildings in the area have views of the airport and its activities.

Beginning in 1955, General Dynamics and a number of other aerospace and electronic firms developed facilities in this area making it the center of the thriving defense industry in San Diego. With the end of the Cold War and the downsizing of the defense industry, General Dynamics closed its facilities and the site became a redevelopment area.  Now known as Spectrum, the area is rapidly revamping with new buildings and uses. 

National University built its new state-of-the-art library here as well as a large classroom facility.  Thanks to its ease of access from both the I-15, I-805  and SR -52 freeways, numerous other companies have headquarters in the office buildings and business parks that dominate the area. In addition, much of San Diego County's workforce is housed in the County Operations Center at Ruffin Road and Clairemont Mesa Boulevard.

The area is also known as the center of the broadcast industry in San Diego as many TV and radio stations have facilities here. Car dealerships line the freeway and offer quick access to new and used automobiles in a central location.  This area is also home to many Asian restaurants and businesses.

Dominated by commercial development, the area has relatively little residential development.  However, there are three residential neighborhoods located in this region--Kearny Lodge, Royal Highlands and Stonecrest.