El Cajon (Spanish: El Cajón, meaning “the box”) is a city in San Diego County, California, United States, 17 mi (27 km) east of downtown San Diego. The city takes its name from Rancho El Cajón, which was in turn named for the box-like shape of the valley that surrounds the city, which is also the origin of the city’s common nickname of “the Box”.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.4 square miles (37 km2), all land. It is bordered by San Diego and La Mesa on the west, Spring Valley on the south, Santee on the north, and unincorporated San Diego County on the east. It includes the neighborhoods of Fletcher Hills, Bostonia, and Rancho San Diego.
Demographics
The 2010 United States Census reported that El Cajon had a population of 99,478.