Cardiff By The Sea

Known simply as “Cardiff” among locals, Cardiff-by-the-Sea is a beach community in Encinitas, San Diego County. Cardiff can technically be regarded as a neighborhood in Encinitas; however, it is slightly south of the city and has its own zip code, representing its unique, separate sense of community. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean, lending fantastic ocean views to most of its homes and streets. Sitauted about 25 miles north of downtown San Diego, the community has a population of under 12,000.

Cardiff was an informal farming community during the 19^th century. More extensive development began 1911 when Boston developer, J. Frank Cullen, broke ground on a major effort to build new homes. The name Cardiff was given to the community when Cullen’s wife, who was a native of Cardiff, Wales, persuaded him to name the community after her hometown. This also explains why many street names in Cardiff are inspired by cities in the UK. The German developer, Victor Kramer, later added “by-the-Sea” to the community’s original name.

Two school districts serve the Cardiff area, and they are run by the Cardiff School District and San Dieguito Union High School District. Cardiff School District oversees Ada Harris Elementary, for grades three through six, and Cardiff Elementary, which serves kindergarten through 3^rd grade. For higher-level education, students attend middle and high schools in San Dieguito Union High School District.