San Marcos Information

The San Marcos real estate area covers about 30 square miles and is made up of zip codes 92069 (mostly north of highway 78) and 92078 (mostly south of 78).  San Marcos is the home of some of the finest North County real estate and is sometimes referred to as the jewel of North County.  It is 11 miles inland form the Pacific Ocean and between the cities of Vista to the west and Escondido to the east.  Being only 30 miles north of downtown San Diego,  San Marcos real estate is sometimes referred to as a bedroom or commuter city.  San Marcos real estate is surrounded by beautiful rolling hills and located in an area known as “Valley of Discovery.”  San Marcos is also home to many professionals, small businesses, restaurants, students, young families and retirees. The climate averages mid 70’s in the summer and in the mid 60’s during winter. The population has grown to over 82,000 as of 2009 and is one of the fastest growing cities in San Diego North County. The annual average rainfall is 15 inches with January being the wettest month.

The population of San Marcos is roughly 64,000 and is made up of a very diverse culture.  There are over 18,000 San Marcos homes with more planned.  If fact, in the last few years, San Marcos CA real estate has grown faster than most areas in San Diego county.  Even with all the growth, it still has over 40% of its land area available for development.  San Marcos is a very desirable becau se of the weather and the beauty of the area.  It is mostly a valley (know as the Valley of Discovery) surrounded by rolling green hills, referred to as the emerald hills.  The weather is warm, moderate, and almost perfect with highs in the summer usually around 75 degrees.  Being located inland, over 70 percent of its days are sunny and clear.  San Marcos is seldom hot and is cooled by gentle ocean breezes.   Average rainfall for the area is about 11 inches a year.

There is a variety of businesses in San Marcos including unique boutiques, restaurants, the new Grand Plaza, wholesalers, large chains like Wal-Mart, warehouse stores such as Costco, and many office and household furniture stores like Jeromes and Ethan Allen.   Businesses are mainly located along San Marcos Boulevard, Rancho Santa Fe Road, and Los Vallecitos Boulevard.   San Marcos has become famous for its Old California Restaurant Row where there is Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Latin, Mexican, European, and most every kind of ethnic food choice imaginable.  It also includes all the old favorites like barbeque, steak, burgers, fish, pizza, etc.  Conveniently located along restaurant row is an Edwards Stadium 18 theater.

Transportation choices are varied for San Marcos residents.  Highway 78 connects the major north/south freeways in North County, Interstate 5 and Interstate 15.  A new light rail system called the Sprinter, completed in 2008,  connects all the cities along highway 78 from Escondido to Oceanside.  Once in Oceanside, you are able to connect via Amtrak or the Coaster to the coastal cities and Los Angeles.  Palomar Airport is 6 miles form San Marcos along Palomar Airport Road on the way to the coast.  And Lindberg Field, our major regional airport, is only 35 miles away.   It can be reached by going south on Rancho Santa Fe Road to Interstate 5 and then south.   Great educational opportunities aid the continued successful development of the area.  San Marcos has been home to Palomar Community College for over 50 years and is now home to the new California State University at San Marcos.  This campus opened in 1989 and has helped create an influx of young students and professors to the area.  The university is modern, growing, and on the cutting edge of technology and science. The area is also served by the award winning San Marcos Unified School District.  This school district is proud to have 7 California Distinguished School awards

Find home info on lower priced listings of San Marcos homes, including San Marcos starter homes.  For more on San Marcos see San Marcos CA homes for sale.  Whether buying or selling let Gary be your Living Lifestyles Realtor San Marcos.  For active retirement living try nearby Ocean Hills Country Club.     Content by ..