Campo, California
Place in California, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Campo (Spanish for "Field") is an unincorporated community in the Mountain Empire area of southeastern San Diego County, California, United States. The population was 2,955 at the 2020 United States census. The United States Census Bureau defines Campo as a census-designated place (CDP).
Campo, California | |
|---|---|
Campo Store | |
 Location of Campo in San Diego County, California. | |
  Campo, California Location within the state of California  Campo, California Campo, California (the United States) | |
| Coordinates: 32°36′23″N 116°28′5″W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | San Diego |
| Area | |
• Total | 23.51 sq mi (60.89 km2) |
| • Land | 23.51 sq mi (60.88 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0077 sq mi (0.02 km2) 0.03% |
| Elevation | 2,802 ft (854 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 2,955 |
| • Density | 125.7/sq mi (48.54/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP codes | 91906 |
| Area code | 619 |
| FIPS code | 06-10508 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2582962[2] |
The CDP includes three distinct settlements: Campo, Cameron Corners and Morena Village. Cameron Corners is about one mile (1.6 km) north of Campo. Morena Village is located several miles further north, just east of Morena Dam. These communities all use Campo postal addresses and the ZIP Code 91906.
Campo is part of the United States-Mexico border. The border in Campo is also the trailhead of the Pacific Crest Trail.
History
In 1868, Silas and Luman Gaskill opened the Gaskill Brothers' Stone Store; they were among the area's first residents. Seven years later in 1875, the store became the site of one of the deadliest Old West shootouts in California, with eight killed as the gang of bandits failed to raid the store.[3][4]
Morena Dam was constructed between 1896 and 1912 to provide water to the San Diego area.
Campo was a station on the San Diego and Arizona Railway, completed in 1919.
Campo was a military town during World War II and was known as Camp Lockett. It was home to a veterans' convalescent hospital, a 300-bed Italian prisoner-of-war camp in Cameron Corners and an all African-American Buffalo Soldiers Cavalry unit which patrolled the border on horseback until 1944.[5]
The United States military continues activities nearby at La Posta Mountain Warfare Training Facility.
Geography
Nearby communities include Boulevard, Potrero, Tecate, Dulzura, Jacumba, Pine Valley, Mount Laguna, Descanso, and Jamul.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP covers an area of 23.5 square miles (60.7 km2), 99.97% of it land, and 0.03% of it water.
It is 50 miles (80 km) southeast of San Diego.[5]
Climate
Campo has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa) with hot, dry summers and cool, relatively wet winters. The diurnal temperature variation is large throughout the year.
| Climate data for Campo, California (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1950–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 85 (29) |
89 (32) |
92 (33) |
99 (37) |
103 (39) |
110 (43) |
111 (44) |
108 (42) |
110 (43) |
105 (41) |
94 (34) |
86 (30) |
111 (44) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 77.7 (25.4) |
78.1 (25.6) |
83.4 (28.6) |
89.7 (32.1) |
94.4 (34.7) |
100.6 (38.1) |
104.2 (40.1) |
104.2 (40.1) |
100.8 (38.2) |
94.1 (34.5) |
85.7 (29.8) |
78.7 (25.9) |
106.0 (41.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 63.6 (17.6) |
64.0 (17.8) |
67.9 (19.9) |
72.6 (22.6) |
78.8 (26.0) |
87.7 (30.9) |
93.9 (34.4) |
95.1 (35.1) |
90.3 (32.4) |
80.2 (26.8) |
70.9 (21.6) |
63.2 (17.3) |
77.4 (25.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 49.2 (9.6) |
49.5 (9.7) |
52.1 (11.2) |
55.3 (12.9) |
60.6 (15.9) |
66.5 (19.2) |
73.4 (23.0) |
74.6 (23.7) |
70.0 (21.1) |
61.4 (16.3) |
53.9 (12.2) |
48.3 (9.1) |
59.6 (15.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 34.7 (1.5) |
35.0 (1.7) |
36.3 (2.4) |
38.1 (3.4) |
42.4 (5.8) |
45.2 (7.3) |
53.0 (11.7) |
54.2 (12.3) |
49.7 (9.8) |
42.6 (5.9) |
37.0 (2.8) |
33.4 (0.8) |
41.8 (5.4) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 22.2 (−5.4) |
23.2 (−4.9) |
26.6 (−3.0) |
27.6 (−2.4) |
32.1 (0.1) |
35.8 (2.1) |
40.6 (4.8) |
40.9 (4.9) |
37.1 (2.8) |
30.7 (−0.7) |
25.7 (−3.5) |
22.0 (−5.6) |
19.6 (−6.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 10 (−12) |
12 (−11) |
15 (−9) |
20 (−7) |
25 (−4) |
29 (−2) |
34 (1) |
30 (−1) |
29 (−2) |
22 (−6) |
16 (−9) |
12 (−11) |
10 (−12) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.09 (78) |
3.45 (88) |
2.28 (58) |
1.04 (26) |
0.38 (9.7) |
0.09 (2.3) |
0.29 (7.4) |
0.42 (11) |
0.40 (10) |
0.67 (17) |
1.03 (26) |
2.44 (62) |
15.58 (396) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.3 (0.75) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 6.9 | 7.8 | 6.6 | 4.7 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 4.5 | 7.1 | 47.9 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| Source: NOAA[6][7] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
Campo first appeared as a census designated place in the 2010 U.S. census.[24]
Racial and ethnic composition
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010[26] | Pop 2020[25] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 1,634 | 1,488 | 60.88% | 50.36% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 105 | 61 | 3.91% | 2.06% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 60 | 87 | 2.24% | 2.94% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 24 | 42 | 0.89% | 1.42% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 6 | 7 | 0.22% | 0.24% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 0 | 23 | 0.00% | 0.78% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 61 | 160 | 2.27% | 5.41% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 794 | 1,087 | 29.58% | 36.79% |
| Total | 2,684 | 2,955 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Campo had a population of 2,955 and a population density of 125.7 inhabitants per square mile (48.5/km2).[27][28]
The age distribution was 25.6% under the age of 18, 7.7% aged 18 to 24, 24.3% aged 25 to 44, 26.3% aged 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 114.9 males age 18 and over.[27][28]
The census reported that 98.6% of the population lived in households, 1.4% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized. Of residents, 0.0% lived in urban areas and 100.0% lived in rural areas.[27][29]
There were 969 households, out of which 34.9% included children under the age of 18, 49.4% were married-couple households, 7.3% were cohabiting couple households, 21.1% had a female householder with no partner present, and 22.2% had a male householder with no partner present. 22.4% of households were one person, and 10.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.01.[27] There were 688 families (71.0% of all households).[30]
There were 1,036 housing units at an average density of 44.1 units per square mile (17.0 units/km2), of which 969 (93.5%) were occupied and 6.5% were vacant. Of the occupied units, 73.3% were owner-occupied and 26.7% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2%, and the rental vacancy rate was 3.3%.[27]
Features
Campo is home to three museums: the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum which also offers historic train rides, the Motor Transport Museum at the historic Feldspar Mill, and the Gaskill Brothers' Stone Store.
A CDF fire station is located at 31577 State Route 94. The 1998 Cameron Corners, California 7.5-minute quadrangle plots the station near Dewey Place and SR 94.[31] A Southern California Automobile Association map, believed to be c. 1910–1930, shows a business named "Dewey Store" in Cameron Corners. The business is plotted on the north side of SR 94 just east of County Road S1. This may be a variant name of Dewey Place.[32]
There is a county road maintenance station on Forrest Gate Road and a county fire station at Jeb Stewart and Parker roads.
Large employers in the area include US Department of Homeland Security Border Patrol[5][33] and the San Diego County, California Probation, Juvenile Ranch Facility, (population 250).
According to a September 9, 2004 San Diego Union Tribune article, foster care activist Father Joe Carroll proposed building a foster camp for children here. The proposed name was, "Promiseland Ranch," and the proposed facility would encompass about 600 acres (2.4 km2). Although the project was approved by the Board of Supervisors in 2008,[34] it has since been abandoned for lack of funds.
Campo is near the official southern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail, a recreational hiking and equestrian trail extending 2,650 miles (4,260 km) north to the Canada–United States border.
Transportation
An unnamed private air strip is 4.2 miles (6.8 km) at 332 degrees off true north at 32°39′35″N 116°30′08″W.[35] The name of the field is not listed in the National Geographic Names Data Base or U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Location Identifiers (7350.7U) dated 09/01/2005 (2005-09-01). On the topographic map, it measures about 0.6 miles (970 m) in length and runs almost due north–south at the intersection of Lake Morena Drive and Hauser Creek Road.
The town is along the line of the former Southern Pacific (originally the San Diego and Arizona Railway). Freight operations are currently embargoed (not offered) by the Carrizo Gorge Railway (currently the Pacific Imperial Railroad), while passenger operations are operated by the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum. The Railroad Museum shows an address of 750 Depot Street and is located near (NAD83) 32°36′50″N 116°28′19″W.[36]
Tribal areas
There are at least two tribal areas included in the nearby Campo Indian Reservation. One is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) due north of Campo and adjoining Cameron Corners. A point inside the reservation is (NAD83) 32°38′28″N 116°28′16″W) and the area is roughly 1-mile (1.6 km) on each side. The reservation government is the Campo Band of Mission Indians. Another tribal area is about seven miles (11 km) east along State Route 94 in the Campo Valley. It extends nine miles (14 km) to the north and beyond Interstate 8. The eastern portion of the reservation is about 4.75 miles (7.64 km) in an east–west dimension and includes the community of Live Oak Springs. The tribal government has been reported in the news media to provide wireless Internet service to members over a cooperative tribal government microwave backbone from Pala.[37][38][39][40]
Schools
31360 State Route 94: federal records report three schools in Campo. The schools are:
- Rancho Del Campo High School - Juvenile Ranch (Detention) Facility (9–12)
- Campo Elementary School (K-8)
- Campo Continuation (at the old Campo Elementary School)
- Hillside Alternative Junior/Senior High (7–12)
- Cottonwood Community Day (7–12)
- Mountain Empire Junior/Senior High (7–12)
About 1.3 miles (2.1 km) north in Cameron Corners, Campo Elementary (K-6) is located at 1654 Buckman Springs Rd. This is considered in Campo for postal addresses.[41]
See also
