Del Mar, California

Del Mar (Spanish pronunciation: [del ˈmaɾ]; Spanish for "Of the Sea") is a beach city in San Diego County, California, located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Established in 1885 as a seaside resort, the city incorporated in 1959. The population was 3,954 at the 2020 census, down from 4,161 at the 2010 census.
The San Diego County Fair is an annual fair held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Horse racing is hosted at the Del Mar Racetrack every summer.
Del Mar was first settled in the early 1880s by Theodore M. Loop, a railroad official, and his wife Ella. Ella gave the site its name, inspired by Bayard Taylor's poem "The Fight of Paso del Mar". In 1885, Colonel Jacob Taylor purchased 338 acres (1.37 km) from Enoch Talbert, with visions of building a seaside resort for the rich and famous.
The United States Navy operated a Naval Auxiliary Air Facility for blimps at Del Mar during World War II.
Much of the population is on the coast and nearby bluff which are vulnerable to sea level rise caused by climate change. In 2019, the city refused to develop a managed retreat strategy for moving infrastructure and population centers from the water. This decision was made against the recommendation of the California Coastal Commission. Instead the city is planning on using other climate change adaptation strategies, such as seawalls and beach nourishment.
The Surf Line railroad tracks are adjacent to coastal bluffs some 40 feet (12 m) above the beach for 1.7 miles (2.7 km). Coastal erosion eats away at the bluffs each year. The North County Transit District drove steel beams into the beach at the base of the bluffs in September 2020 to stabilize the face of the bluffs for 20 or 30 years. The city wanted to require the transit agency to cover the shotcrete wall on the bluff with natural soil and native plantings. The city council, the California Coastal Commission, and residents have opposed the district's plans to install a chain-link fence that would stop pedestrians from crossing the tracks to get to the beach. The district considered this to be a safety issue as trespassers along the right-of-way have been hit by trains. This mile-and-a-half stretch (2.4 km) along the southern half of the city does not have legal access to the beach. Due to offshore reefs and wave patterns, this section has some of the best surfing in San Diego County.
In 2023, the city was out of compliance with the state Housing Element Law. They submitted a housing plan to the state that did not meet guidelines for future housing. They were working with the state to get in compliance, but until they did, they couldn't block new housing projects based on city zoning laws alone.
Del Mar is one of only two locations where the Torrey pine tree naturally occurs. The Torrey pine is the rarest pine in the United States; only two populations of this endangered species exist, in Del Mar and on Santa Rosa Island. The Soledad Valley at the south of Del Mar severs two colony segments.
At the southern edge of Del Mar is the Los Peñasquitos Lagoon. To the north is the San Dieguito Lagoon and the San Dieguito River, which empties into the Pacific Ocean at Del Mar.
The bluffs along Del Mar's south beach are subject to collapse. Properties on the bluffs are subject to the impacts of climate change, such as sea level rise and coastal erosion. The transportation infrastructure is under threat. The city has a climate change adaptation plan which excludes the option of a managed retreat, the strategy was recommended by the California Coastal Commission in 2019.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km), of which 1.7 square miles (4.4 km) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km) of it (3.94%) is water.
Del Mar's climate is considered mediterranean-subtropical with warm, dry summers and mild, humid winters. Temperatures exceed 85 °F (29 °C) only on a few occasions throughout the year and rarely drop below 41 °F (5 °C). The average yearly temperature in Del Mar is approximately 65 °F (18 °C). Del Mar regularly receives heavy marine layer clouds due to its position between two lagoons and bordered to the west by the Pacific Ocean.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, at the 2020 census the population was 3,954. The racial makeup of Del Mar was 3,352 (93.1%) White (alone), 22 (0.1%) Black or African American (alone), 9 (0.002%) American Indian and Alaska Native (alone), 152 (4.2%) Asian (alone), 49 (1.2%) of any other race (alone), and 356 (9.9%) two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 274 (14.4%). The median household income of Del Mar in 2018-2022 was $185,335, in 2022 dollars.
The 2010 United States Census reported that Del Mar had a population of 4,161. The population density was 2,341.9 people per square mile (904.2 people/km). The racial makeup of Del Mar was 3,912 (94.0%) White, 10 (0.2%) African American, eight (0.2%) Native American, 118 (2.8%) Asian, three (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 25 (0.6%) from other races, and 85 (2.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 175 people (4.2%).
There were 2,064 households, with 340 (16.5%) having children under the age of 18, and 927 (44.9%) with opposite-sex married couples living together, 114 (5.5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 57 (2.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 124 (6.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 19 (0.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. There were 707 households (34.3%) comprising one individual, and 209 (10.1%) comprising one individual 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.02. There were 1,098 families (53.2% of all households); the average family size was 2.57.
The population comprised 564 people (13.6%) under the age of 18, 205 people (4.9%) aged 18 to 24, 1,071 people (25.7%) aged 25 to 44, 1,455 people (35.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 866 people (20.8%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.1 males.
There were 2,596 housing units at an average density of 1,461.1 units per square mile (564.1 units/km), of which 1,113 (53.9%) were owner-occupied, and 951 (46.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.9%. Of the population, 2,398 people (57.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,763 people (42.4%) lived in rental housing units.
The 2000 census, reported 4,389 people, 2,178 households, and 1,083 families residing in the city, with an average family size of 2.61. The age distribution was reported as 13.6% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 33.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $120,001, and the median income for a family was $130,270. Males had a median income of $81,250 versus $70,069 for females. The per capita income for the city was $92,425. About 7.8% of families and 8.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.6% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.
The City of Del Mar is governed by a city council of five elected representatives. Each year a new mayor is chosen from among the councilmembers. Tracy Martinez is the mayor in 2023.
In the California State Legislature, Del Mar is in the 38th Senate District, represented by Democrat Catherine Blakespear, and in the 77th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Tasha Boerner.
In the United States House of Representatives, Del Mar is in California's 49th congressional district, represented by Democrat Mike Levin.
Del Mar is served by the Del Mar Union School District, which includes eight K–8 schools. High school education is provided by the San Dieguito Union High School District.
The North County Transit District operates their BREEZE bus service. The historic Del Mar station once served passengers on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Surf Line and the Amtrak San Diegan intercity service between the early 1900s until its closure in 1995, due to the opening of the new Solana Beach Transit Center two miles north. That station provides Coaster commuter rail and Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner service. This trainline is the second busiest passenger rail corridor in the United States.
The railroad tracks were built adjacent to coastal bluffs some 40 feet (12 m) above the beach. San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is conducting a $3 million study on relocating the rail line farther inland through the city. On August 16, 2020, the California Coastal Commission emphasized the need to move the railroad tracks inland due to the persistent coastal erosion which eats away at the bluff each year. The accelerating rate of sea level rise due to global warming adds urgency to the issue. A tunnel under Del Mar which would cost more than $3 billion is being considered.