Welcome To Chula Vista SAFeDATA

"Chula Vista" redirects here. For the area in Florida, see Chula Vista, Florida.

The natural history of the area known as Chula Vista can be traced back 1,000,000s of years through prehistoric fossils of both land and sea types. Archaeological evidence shows at least 10,000 years of human habitation in the region. Around 3000 B.C., Yuman-speaking people began moving into the area. Many of the Native US Indians in San Diego today are descendants of the Kumeyaay tribe who roamed here for thousands of years.

In 1542, a fleet of three small ships sailed into San Diego Harbor commanded by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo. These explorations led the Spanish to forcibly claim the land from the aboriginal inhabitants. In 1795, Chula Vista became a part of a Spanish land grant known as Rancho del Rey or "The King`s Ranch." When Mexico formed its own government in 1831, Rancho del Rey became known as Rancho de la Nación or National Ranch. The ranch encompassed the area now known as National City, Chula Vista, Bonita, Sunnyside and the Sweetwater Valley. Rancho de la Nación was used by the Spanish as grazing land for their cattle and horses until 1845 when it was granted to John Forster, the son-in-law of Mexican governor Pio Pico.

30,000. Frank, Warren and Levi Kimball intended to develop the land into productive US-style cities and farms. Frank Kimball is also responsible for bringing the Santa Fe Railroad to San Diego, with its first terminus in National City.

Several directors of the Santa Fe Railroad and Colonel W.G. Dickerson, a professional town planner, formed the San Diego Land and Town Company. The company set out to develop lands of the National Ranch for new settlers. They issued promotional material to attract settlers that read: "Upon the best part of this tract, 5,000 acres (20 km²) are being subdivided into 5 acre (20,000 m²) lots with avenues and streets 80 feet in width running each way, the steam motor road passing though the center. This tract, known as Chula Vista, lies but a mile from the thriving place of National City." With this announcement, the boom of the 1880s was on.

A resident, James D. Schulyer, suggested the name Chula Vista for the town and the San Diego Land and Town Company adopted it. Chula Vista can be roughly translated in Spanish as "beautiful view."