Encinitas is a coastal city in northern San Diego County, California, about 25 miles north of downtown San Diego, stretching along roughly six miles of Pacific shoreline between Carlsbad and Solana Beach. Its identity is famously not one town but five: New Encinitas, Old Encinitas, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Olivenhain, and Leucadia. The 2020 census counted 62,007 residents. The city grew up around Coast Highway 101 and the railroad, and its coastal communities have long drawn surfers to breaks such as Swami's and Grandview along the bluffs. The Self-Realization Fellowship Encinitas Temple, with its golden spires and cliff-top meditation gardens, is an enduring local landmark. Downtown Encinitas is more than a century old, with historic architecture, boutiques, and sidewalk cafes, while Leucadia carries a laid-back, bohemian feel and Cardiff-by-the-Sea remains a classic surf community centered on its beach and lagoon. Encinitas balances its beach culture with family-oriented amenities. Moonlight State Beach is a wide, sandy family beach with volleyball and tennis courts, and the 37-acre San Diego Botanic Garden showcases plants ranging from desert to rainforest. Inland, Olivenhain retains a rural, equestrian character with larger lots and horse properties, a sharp contrast to the denser, walkable beach bungalows near the coast. Public schools are a strong draw. Encinitas Union School District serves grades K–6 in nine elementary schools, all recognized as California Distinguished Schools, while grades 7–12 fall under the San Dieguito Union High School District, which is headquartered in Encinitas. Commuters use Interstate 5, Coast Highway 101, and the COASTER commuter rail, which stops in Encinitas on its run between Oceanside and San Diego. The result is a coastal city that combines surf-town character, highly regarded schools, and convenient access to the larger San Diego region, appealing to surfers, families, and commuters alike.