San Diego California Events. Area focus - Jacumba

City: Unincorporated area of San Diego County
Area Population: 695
Elevation: 2,673 feet above sea level
Distance from downtown SD: 83.3 miles southeast

Jacumba Airport
Jacumba, CA 91934 Map

On Old Highway 80, one mile east of Jacumba and 75 miles east of San Diego. Jacumba Airport was acquired from the federal government in 1953. The airport is unattended and unlighted. It is used mainly as an operation area for gliders, especially on weekends.

Flying over, or driving by on Interstate 8, you might miss tiny Jacumba. But hundreds of soaring enthusiasts know the airport and some even know where the town is. However, few people know what Jacumba is all about.

On weekends you’ll find sail planes being towed aloft to catch the thermals, with pilots who savor the solitude and challenge of powerless flight. During the week the airport is quiet, inhabited by hawks and their prey.

The town itself has a history. Today some 400 people live in Jacumba. What now appears a quiet high desert retreat was once a thriving spa. In the 1920s and ‘30s the community thrived, its therapeutic hot springs a mecca for Hollywood celebrities and wealthy Imperial Valley growers. Clark Gable is said to have made Jacumba famous by frequenting its spa.

Old U.S. Highway 80 bisects the town which is about three miles west of the airport. There are several stores including a market and gift shop. The landmark Jacumba Hotel was destroyed by a fire and was torn down in 1991. But walking through town on a sunny day you get the sense of history. The old buildings, tumbleweeds and dry air give the imagination room to wander, to sense what was.

San Diego County Website
San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce
Jacumba Demographic Profile - Fact Sheet
Jacumba Demographic Profile - Map

Jacumba Weather - NOAA
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Moon Phases & Astronomical Events
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Services
Jacumba

Library
44605 Old Highway 80, Jacumba, CA 91934
(619-766-4608) Map - Website

Post Office
1209 North Railroad Street, Jacumba, CA 91934
(800-275-8777) Map

Schools
Jacumba

Jacumba Elementary School (Preschool-3)
44343 Old Highway 80, Jacumba, CA 91934
(619-766-4464) Map - Website

Useful Links
Jacumba

East County Magazine
Mountain Empire Unified School District
San Diego County Airports
San Diego County Branch Libraries
San Diego County Business Directory - Jacumba
San Diego County, Office of Education
Wikipedia - Jacumba, California

Jacumba (pronounced "ha-COOM-ba") is an unincorporated community in San Diego County, California, United States. The town is in a valley in the Jacumba Mountains. The area is dry with an annual average rainfall of 11.8 inches (300 mm). It is served by Old Highway 80; Interstate 8 bypasses the town at a distance of two miles (3 km). Jacumba is located on the US-Mexico border. A small settlement exists on the Mexican side, known as La Rumorosa; the unmanned crossing was closed in 1995. The new, enlarged border fence now runs through the area. The United States Border Patrol maintains an increased presence in the area to curtail smuggling and illegal immigration.

History

The Kumeyaay peoples occupied Jacumba and surrounding areas prior to European incursion. They were probably attracted by the warm Jacumba hot spring (temperature 104 °F), one of many mineral hot springs which occur up and down the Peninsular Ranges of California. Ranchers occupied the area in the 19th century and were often in conflict with the Indians. Many were slain by ranchers for cattle rustling in the 1870 Jacumba Massacre.

Around the turn of the century, the health and relaxation benefits of natural hot springs began to be commercialized. The Jacumba hot spring is prolific and delivered enough water to fill large public baths, the remains of which can still be seen. The water contains sulfur but has a pleasant clean smell. In 1919 rail service connected Jacumba to San Diego. By 1925 the town had a world class hotel, the Hotel Jacumba. In the 1930s, Jacumba had developed into a top destination and had a population of more than 5,000. Many of the foremost movie stars and celebrities of the time regarded Jacumba as a prime destination for relaxation.

Jacumba's role as a prime destination continued through World War II; however as the southernmost California hot spring, it began to feel competition from more northern ones, including Murrieta and Palm Springs. After the new Interstate 8 bypassed Jacumba by two miles, most of the roadside service businesses folded and the community went into economic decline.

The Jacumba Hotel closed and was destroyed in an arson fire in 1985. The ruins stood until 1991. Today, the stub of the massive central fireplace can still be seen. The great public baths closed, The swimming pool was filled in, and the well was capped by its rights-owner.

In the 1980s, the Jacumba Motel was the only hotel facility left in Jacumba. However, the area continues to attract primarily foreign visitors and the motel has acquired rights to the spring and opened a spa.

Tourism

Most visitors enjoy Jacumba as part of a larger mountain tour by automobile. By traveling down Old Highway 80, visitors step back in time to a quainter, more relaxed time, and Jacumba does nothing to break the spell. Jacumba is a great place to stop for lunch on such a tour, and perhaps explore the remains of a once great past. Other places of interest nearby include Desert View Tower, Mount Laguna, the McCain Valley, and Cuyamaca Rancho State Park (which reopened in early 2006 after the October 2003 wildfires).


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