Biohazard Cleanup Near Fire Mountain Oceanside, CA

Mission San Luis Rey de Francia was founded in 1798 a few miles inland from modern Oceanside and grew into the largest of California's missions, earning the nickname 'King of the Missions.'

The land that is now Camp Pendleton was granted in 1841 as the 133,441-acre Rancho Margarita y Las Flores to brothers Pio and Andres Pico.

The arrival of the railroad in 1883 opened Oceanside's beachfront to development, and the modern city traces its beginnings to that coastal boom.

Oceanside incorporated on July 3, 1888, when it had roughly 1,000 residents, and the first pile of its original wharf was driven that same spring.

The current Oceanside Pier, the city's sixth, opened in 1987 and stretches 1,942 feet into the Pacific Ocean, making it the longest wooden pier on the West Coast.

In 1942 the ranch land north of the city was sold to the United States Navy, creating Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, which still covers about 125,000 acres and 17 miles of coastline.

More than 38,000 active-duty military personnel serve at Camp Pendleton, and Oceanside's economy and culture remain closely tied to the Marine Corps.

The 2020 census counted 174,068 residents in Oceanside.

Oceanside has about 62,000 households, averaging about 2.75 people per household.

About 58 percent of Oceanside homes are owner-occupied, with a median value of about $770,000.