MCAS Miramar is in San Diego, California, on the far north side of the city, away from the built up areas. San Diego is a major city, with about 1,300,000 people, and is in San Diego County, which has a population of about 3,100,000 people. The city of San Diego takes up a large area, and includes a great many urban village neighborhoods. Other nearby smaller communities include the neighborhoods of Miramar, University City, Mira Mesa; La Jolla; Clairemont, Kearny Mesa, and Tierrasanta.

Downtown San Diego is about 12 miles to Miramar, taking about 20 minutes in good traffic, the average commute time in the city is about 23 minutes. Be advised that San Diego is a large city, with congested traffic, and travel times can vary significantly around the city.

Local Housing Rental Prices: The average apartment rent in the San Diego area ranges from $900 to $1500 per month, with a median of about $1200 per month.

Local Housing Purchase Prices: The average price for a house in San Diego is about $620,000, compared to $595,000 for California.

Short Description of the Area: San Diego is the second largest city in California and one of the ten largest in the USA. The area has a strong local economy, generally pleasant climate, many local parks, a natural deep water harbor, many beaches, a busy downtown with global ties, and many world-class museums and cultural locations. San Diego is on the US-Mexico border, one of the strategic cornerstones of the USA, and defended by the US Marine Corps and US Navy.

Climate and Weather: The area has a moderate, dry climate, with winter temperatures of the mid-60s to high 40s and summer temperatures in the mid-70s to high 60s. The area has generally clear days through most of the year with little rain. Summers are warm but generally not hot and winters are mild. May and/or June can suffer from overcast (May Grey or June Gloom); September to February are often very dry, under the influence of the Santa Ana Winds, but this reverses in middle to late February, with up to 7" of winter rain. The northside of the San Diego city limits can be prone to wildfires in hot dry weather, and families should be ready for a fast bug out in fire season.

Transportation: in San Diego is mostly by car - this is Southern California - but San Diego does have a well developed transit system, including a full bus network and light rail line, the MTS Trolley (the Green Line runs near station; Washington Street Station is about 1200 feet from a gate), and the Sprinter and Coaster rail systems for local travel without having to deal with traffic.