San Diego County is on the southern coast of California, bordering Mexico. Its geography ranges from ocean surf, to pine-covered mountains, to stark deserts. Its climate includes year-round mild temperatures along the coast, winter snowfalls in the mountains, and blistering summer heat in the desert.

The county covers over 4200 square miles, which makes it approximately the size of the state of Connecticut. According to the 2000 census, its population is roughly 2,800,000, with about half of that in the City of San Diego.