culture
Neighborhood · City of San Diego neighborhood
Point Loma
Peninsula of Navy housing, Liberty Station, and the tide pools at Cabrillo. Sunset Cliffs on the ocean side.
Population
21,651
Median home value
$1,811,667
Aug high / Jan low
77° / 50°
To downtown
6 mi
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Point Loma is the long, high peninsula that shelters San Diego Bay from the Pacific, and it holds more of the city's origin story than any other neighborhood. Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo landed near its tip in 1542, the first European landing in what is now California, and the Old Point Loma Lighthouse was first lit in 1855. Much of the southern peninsula remains federal land: Cabrillo National Monument, Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery and Naval Base Point Loma. The residential side is a collection of distinct areas. Roseville and La Playa along the bay were the base of the Portuguese and Italian tuna fleet, which gave the area the nickname Tunaville; the Festa do Espirito Santo has been held there every year since 1910. The Wooded Area and Sunset Cliffs hold some of the city's most expensive homes, while Loma Portal, closer to the airport, has more modest postwar houses under the flight path. Point Loma Nazarene University occupies the former Theosophical Society grounds known as Lomaland. The biggest recent change was the conversion of the Naval Training Center, closed in 1997, into Liberty Station, a 361-acre district of homes, schools, restaurants and arts studios in restored Navy buildings. Shelter Island and Harbor Island add marinas, hotels and waterfront dining. The 92106 ZIP skews affluent and older, with a notable veteran population, and Zillow's typical home value there is about $1.81 million.
Places in Point Loma
See allCabrillo National Monument
The tip of Point Loma, where Cabrillo landed in 1542 — sweeping harbor views, a historic lighthouse and some of the county's best tide pools.
Attraction
Liberty Station
A former naval training center turned arts, food and shopping district, with galleries, a public market and walkable waterfront paths.
Attraction
Sunset Cliffs Natural Park
Dramatic seaside bluffs along Point Loma made for sunsets, tide pools and clifftop walks. Free, and busiest right at golden hour.
Attraction
Living here
Draws
- Bay, ocean and national park land at the doorstep
- Close to the airport and downtown
- Established, lower-density residential streets
- Liberty Station's parks, schools and restaurants
Tradeoffs
- Among the most expensive areas in the city, with a typical value around $1.8 million
- Jet noise in Loma Portal and near the flight path
- Limited transit and congested Rosecrans Street
- Cliff erosion along Sunset Cliffs
Good for: Families, military and Navy households, and buyers who want a quieter coastal neighborhood close to downtown.
Weather
Lindbergh Field sits at the base of the peninsula, so its normals fit the bay side closely. The ocean side and the ridge top catch more wind and fog, and the marine layer can hide the lighthouse on May and June mornings. Winter is clear and cool, and the best season for whale watching from the monument.
Aug avg high
77°F
Jan avg low
50°F
Annual rain
9.79"
Best time to visit: December through March for gray whale migration and the lowest daytime tides at the Cabrillo tide pools; September for the warmest weather.
Housing
Typical home value $1,811,667 (-0.1% year over year)
Custom and mid-century homes on large lots in the Wooded Area and near Sunset Cliffs, older bayside homes in La Playa and Roseville, postwar houses in Loma Portal, and newer townhomes and single-family homes at Liberty Station.
Facts
- Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo's 1542 landing at Point Loma was the first by a European in present-day California.
- The Old Point Loma Lighthouse was completed in 1854 and first lit on Nov. 15, 1855.
- Cabrillo National Monument was established by presidential proclamation on Oct. 14, 1913.
- The Naval Training Center San Diego closed in 1997, and its 361-acre site became Liberty Station.
- Point Loma Nazarene University occupies Lomaland, the former headquarters of the Theosophical Society, which moved there around 1900.
- Portuguese fishing families settled in Roseville more than a century ago, earning it the nickname Tunaville.
- Naval Base Point Loma at the peninsula's southern end hosts submarine and mine countermeasures commands.
- The 92106 ZIP has a median household income of $142,897 and about 9.5% veterans, per ACS 2024 5-year estimates.
Fun facts
- The old lighthouse was replaced after only 36 years in 1891 by a new light built nearer sea level at the tip of the peninsula.
- Cabrillo's whale overlook, opened in 1950, is described as the first public whale-watching station in the world.
- The Festa do Espirito Santo has been held since 1910, making it San Diego's oldest ethnic celebration.
- Liberty Station's restaurants and galleries occupy buildings where Navy recruits once trained.
Getting around
Freeways: I-8, I-5
Transit: MTS buses link Point Loma and Liberty Station with the Old Town Transit Center; the Old Town trolley and Coaster station is the nearest rail.
Parking: Liberty Station and Shelter Island have large free lots; Cabrillo National Monument charges an entrance fee per vehicle and its lot fills on clear weekends.
Walkability: Liberty Station and the Shelter Island waterfront are walkable, but the hilly residential areas are largely car-dependent.
Frequently asked
Is Point Loma a good place to live?
It is one of San Diego's most sought-after areas for families, with water on three sides, a short drive to downtown and the airport, and a median household income of about $143,000 in ZIP 92106. The main drawbacks are price, airport noise in Loma Portal and limited transit.
What is the average home price in Point Loma?
Zillow's typical home value for ZIP 92106 was $1,811,667 as of May 2026, essentially flat year over year. Wooded Area and Sunset Cliffs homes often sell for considerably more.
What is the weather like in Point Loma?
Mild, with January highs around 66 degrees and August highs around 77 at nearby Lindbergh Field, and under 10 inches of rain a year. The ridge and ocean side are windier and foggier, especially in May and June.
What is Point Loma known for?
Cabrillo National Monument and the 1855 Old Point Loma Lighthouse, Liberty Station, Shelter Island's marinas and its Portuguese tuna-fishing heritage. It is also home to a major Navy presence.
When is the best time to see the tide pools at Cabrillo National Monument?
Late fall and winter, when daytime low tides drop to minus one foot or lower. That season overlaps with the December-to-March gray whale migration visible from the overlook.