Solana Beach, California

Solana Beach is an affluent city in San Diego County, California. The population was 12,867 at the 2010 census.

Geography

Solana Beach is located at 32°59′43″N 117°15′37″W / 32.99528°N 117.26028°W / 32.99528; -117.26028 (32.992937,-117.271135).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.6 square miles (9.3 km²). 3.5 square miles (9.1 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²) of it (2.88%) is water.

Over 12,000 residents call this small beach community their home. The Pacific Ocean is to the west; the community of Cardiff-by-the-Sea to the north, and the City of Del Mar to the south. The unincorporated village of Rancho Santa Fe is located on the east side.

History

Solana Beach station

Solana Beach, also known as the Solana Beach Transit Center, is a train station on Amtrak California's Pacific Surfliner passenger train and on North County Transit District's COASTER commuter rail route located in Solana Beach, California. The tracks were lowered to their current position in the late 90s, to alleviate congestion on Lomas Santa Fe Road and Downtown Solana Beach. There is enough room between the two tracks to create a third track, which could be used as a bypass track.

The station was designed by architect Rob Wellington Quigley, and was built in 1994 to replace the depot in Del Mar, California. Funding for the station included $2.8 million from Proposition 116; an additional $3.3 million used for land acquisition and design was obtained through Transnet, a half-cent county sales tax. Quigley drew inspiration for the design from a group of Quonset huts that used to line North Cedros Avenue in the 1940s. To the basic semi-circular form of the hut, the architect added a tower reminiscent of those found on many train depots dating to the second half of the 19th century.