Rancho Bernardo is a planned community of the city of San Diego, California, located in San Diego County. It is geographically located about 20 miles north-north-east of downtown San Diego, immediately north of Carmel Mountain Ranch, northwest of the city of Poway and south of Escondido.
The pre-history of Rancho Bernardo, or popularly known as RB, starts in 1789 with a land grant from the king of Spain as La Cañada de San Bernardo (or "The Gorge of Saint Bernard"). As the early name implies, the topography of RB consists of canyons and rolling hills. At the beginning of Rancho Bernardo's pre-history, circa 1800, the population consisted of a volatile combination of indigenous Native Americans and ranchers.[citation needed]
The history of the Gorge of Saint Bernard is largely coincidental to the existence of present-day RB. Neither its population nor its built environment owes anything to this earlier settlement. The present-day area is instead a sprawling community of largely affluent tract homes, shopping malls, golf courses and office parks that is typical of San Diego growth machine development. The 1960s saw Rancho Bernardo's birth into its present state of nomenclature when the Rancho Bernardo real estate obtained incorporation with the approval of the AVCO Community Developers. This was the beginning of Rancho Bernardo as it is known today. Rancho Bernardo is home to Corporate Headquarters of Sony US, the first Japanese factory in the U.S.
On October 22, 2007 the Witch Creek Fire burned through Rancho Bernardo and several other populous areas of San Diego County, destroying hundreds of houses. The neighborhoods of the Trails, Montelena and Westwood were the main areas hit in Rancho Bernardo.
Learn more about this area.
Area of Rancho Bernardo, CA official site
Area of Rancho Bernardo, CA Chamber of Commerce
Area of Rancho Bernardo, CA newspaper
County of Rancho Bernardo, CA official site
State of California official site