Vista

Vista is a city in Southern California and is located in northwestern San Diego County. Vista is a medium-sized city within the San Diego Metropolitan Area and had a population of 93,834 at the 2010 census. Vista also includes portions of unincorporated San Diego County to north and east, with a county island in the central west, which is within its sphere of influence. Located just seven miles inland from the Pacific Ocean, it has a Mediterranean climate.Originally the lands of Rancho Buena Vista, Vista was founded on October 9, 1882 with the establishment of a post office. It was incorporated on January 28, 1963 and became a charter city on June 13, 2007.Vista has more than 25 educational institutions for youth, and a business park home to over 800 companies. Vista is ranked as the 173rd-best place in California for families, based on factors such as family life, recreational opportunities, education, health, safety, and affordability in a 2015 review.HistoryThe Vista area was originally inhabited by the Luiseño Indians, who lived on the land until the founding of the San Luis Rey Mission in 1798. The prosperity of the mission-era declined by the 1830s with the independence of Mexico from Spain. The Mexican government began to grant land ownerships to a variety of people, thus beginning the Rancho era of California. Three ranchos were granted in the Vista area: Rancho Guajome, Rancho Buena Vista, and Agua Hedionda Y los Manos.