What San Diego looked like in the late 1970s

At the beginning of the 1970s, the population of San Diego was around 696,769. The city was thriving and growing rapidly. Republicans had chosen San Diego to host the 1972 Republican National Convention; then, they announced plans to move it to Miami Beach at the last minute. Mayor Pete Wilson declared San Diego “America’s Finest City” after losing the convention. The San Diego College for Women and the nearby San Diego College for Men merged in 1972 to form the University of San Diego.

After the Vietnam War ended, the Marine Corps opened Camp Pendleton Refugee Camp to care for thousands of South Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees. The City of San Diego adopted a tiered growth management categorization system in 1979, which classified the entire city as “Urbanized, Planned Urbanizing, or Future Urbanizing” as part of its ‘Progress Guide and General Plan. By adopting this policy, suburban sprawl northward to North County was initiated, and south bay sprawl began in Otay Mesa from San Ysidro.

Here are some stunning vintage photos that show San Diego in the 1970s by John Margolies.

#1 Campus Drive-In, San Diego, 1977

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#2 Campus Drive-In, San Diego, 1978

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#3 Egyptian Garage, San Diego, 1979

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#4 Egyptian Garage, San Diego, 1979

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#5 Barber-Levy Shop, San Diego, 1979

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#6 Palisade Garden Roller Skating, San Diego, 1978

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#7 Orchid Beauty Shop, 3586 Adams Avenue, San Diego.

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#8 Sombrero Taco Shop, San Diego, California

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#9 Balboa Theater, San Diego, California.

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#10 Castle hole, Storybook Land Golf, Clairmont Mesa Boulevard, San Diego.

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#11 Tower Restaurant, angle 1, University Avenue and Reno Drive, San Diego, 1979

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#12 Government building, San Diego, 1977

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#13 George J. Keating Building (1890), 5th & F Streets, San Diego, California.

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#14 The Tower Bowl, overall-angle view, Broadway near Kettner, San Diego, California, 1977

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#15 Cole Block (1891), angle 1, San Diego, California

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#16 Storybook Land Golf, Egyptian obelisk, San Diego.

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#17 Golden Eagle gas pump, San Diego, 1977

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#18 Golden Eagle gas pumps, 8th & Market Streets, San Diego, 1977

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#19 Palisade Garden Roller Skating, San Diego, 1978

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#20 Palisade Garden Roller Skating, San Diego, California, 1978

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#21 Sombrero Taco Shop, San Diego, California, 1977

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#22 Sombrero Taco Shop, San Diego, California, 1978

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#23 Campus Drive-In Theater, closer view with neon, El Cajon Boulevard, San Diego, California, 1979

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#24 Balboa Theater, San Diego, California, 1979

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#25 Tower Restaurant, angle 2, University Avenue and Rene Drive, San Diego, California, 1979

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#26 Egyptian Garage, San Diego, 1979

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#27 Egyptian Garage, San Diego, 1979

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#28 Campus Drive-In, San Diego, 1979

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#29 Egyptian Garage, San Diego, 1979

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#30 Barber pole, San Diego, 1979

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#31 Eiffel Tower, Storybook Land Golf, Clairmont Mesa Boulevard, San Diego, 1978

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#32 Wheel align sign, San Diego, 1979

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#33 I.O.O.F. Building, Market Street, San Diego.

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#34 Egyptian Garage, San Diego, 1979

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#35 Bitter End, 5th Avenue, San Diego.

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#36 Gavett Studios, 5512 Adams Avenue, San Diego, 1977

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#37 House, Storybook Land Golf, Clairmont Mesa Boulevard, San Diego.

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#38 Cole Block (1891), angle 2, San Diego.

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#39 Egyptian Garage, San Diego, California, 1979

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#40 Egyptian Garage, San Diego, California, 1976

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#41 Barber-Levy Shop, El Cajon Road, San Diego, California

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#42 Trading post, Storybook Land Golf, Clairmont Mesa Boulevard, San Diego, California.

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#43 Castle hole, view 2, Storybook Land Golf, Clairmont Mesa Boulevard, San Diego, California.

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#44 Golden Eagle Gas, San Diego, California, 1977

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#45 Texaco Gas sign, San Diego, California, 1979

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#46 Entrance, Storybook Land Golf, Clairmont Mesa Boulevard, San Diego, California.

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