Solana Beach sits in one of those coastal stretches where the present looks settled, but the past is still just beneath it. Rail lines still cut through the corridor, older neighborhood patterns linger in the street grid, and the shoreline itself shows signs of being shaped as much as used.
Before the homes, shops, and ocean views defined it, this was a landscape of farmland, rail access, and bluff-top terrain that was gradually reworked as development moved in. What exists today sits on top of earlier layers — some erased, some repurposed, and some still visible, if you know where to look.
Solana Beach is easy to pass through without thinking about how it came together. But beneath its neighborhoods and familiar streets are traces of Lockwood Mesa, early agriculture, railroad planning, and long-established communities that grew alongside the coast’s transformation.
(Caption info and photo courtesy of the San Diego History Center)
Here are eight layers that shaped Solana Beach.
1. Before it was Solana Beach, it was called Lockwood Mesa
Early maps and land records identified the area as Lockwood Mesa, a name tied more to the landform than a town. At the time, the coast was still defined by ranch boundaries, open space, and scattered development rather than a unified community identity.
As rail access expanded along the coast and subdivision activity increased in the early 20th century, the Lockwood Mesa name slowly disappeared. By the 1920s, “Solana Beach” became the dominant designation as development, mapping, and promotion reshaped how the area was defined.
2. Fletcher Cove was created by cutting into the bluff
Fletcher Cove, now one of the most recognizable beach access points in Solana Beach, was not always easily reached. In the 1920s, part of the coastal bluff was graded and cut to create a direct route down to the shoreline.
That change made the beach more accessible, but it also reflects a broader pattern of early coastal development — where physical terrain was modified to support access, settlement, and public use.
3. La Colonia de Eden Gardens has deep community roots
La Colonia de Eden Gardens developed in the 1920s as Mexican and Mexican-American families settled near agricultural fields, ranch work, and railroad-related employment. Housing developed in close proximity to these jobs, forming a working community tied directly to the region’s early economy.
Over time, La Colonia became one of the area’s most established neighborhoods. Many families have remained for generations, and the community continues to reflect continuity even as the surrounding region has changed significantly.
4. Solana Beach was once covered in lima bean fields
In the early 1900s, the area had very few permanent residents. Much of the land was used for agriculture, including grain crops and lima bean fields that stretched across the mesas and open land.
Farming remained one of the primary land uses until coastal access, transportation links, and subdivision development began reshaping the area. As that transition accelerated, agricultural fields gradually gave way to residential and commercial growth.
5. The townsite sold for just over $40,000
In 1922, the Santa Fe Land Improvement Co. purchased the land that would become Solana Beach for a little over $40,000. The purchase marked the beginning of a planned coastal development organized around rail access and mapped subdivision layout.
The company’s vision centered on creating a residential community connected to transportation corridors and regional growth. Those early planning decisions remain embedded in the town’s street patterns and development structure.
6. Bing Crosby once lived in the area
Before establishing his long-term residence in Rancho Santa Fe, entertainer Bing Crosby lived in a restored adobe near what is now Via de la Valle.
His time in North County reflects a broader mid-20th-century pattern of public figures and entertainers spending time in quieter coastal and ranch-adjacent areas of San Diego County.
7. Cedros Avenue grew along the railroad
Cedros Avenue developed alongside the Santa Fe rail corridor, which helped define early patterns of movement, commerce, and settlement. Small businesses and services clustered near the tracks to serve both residents and rail passengers passing through the area.
As rail travel declined and automobile use increased, the corridor gradually shifted away from transportation-based commerce. Today’s Cedros Avenue Design District still follows that original alignment, even as its function has evolved into a local retail and arts district.
8. The name ‘Solana’ means ‘sunny spot’
The name “Solana” comes from Spanish and is commonly translated as “sunny place” or “sunny spot.” It reflects the region’s coastal climate and was adopted as the community developed in the early 20th century.
The name replaced earlier geographic identifiers as the area transitioned from rural land and ranch boundaries into a mapped coastal town.
Read more history stories here, and do you have a story to tell? Send an email to DebbieSklar@cox.net.
City of Solana Beach – History
San Diego History Center Digital Collections
San Diego History Center – Fletcher materials
City of San Diego Digital Archives
California Office of Historic Preservation
North County Transit District – Rail history
