Chula Vista is located in Greater San Diego south of San Diego and north of Tijuana, Mexico. It lies along Interstates 805 and 5 near Lower Otay Lake and the United States/Mexico border.
Once called the lemon capital of the nation, the city was laid out in the late 1880s and incorporated in 1911.
Today, sunny Chula Vista is a port of entry near a citrus orchard and vegetable farm area. A retail and manufacturing city, Chula Vista's major industry is the aerospace industry. Several businesses operate plants in Mexico and maintain their corporate headquarters in Chula Vista. Due to its proximity to the border, the city is home to a large percentage of Mexican-American residents.
Points of interest include the Chula Vista Heritage Museum and Chula Vista Nature Center. The Californian, the state's official tall ship, can be seen in Chula Vista Harbor. The city is home to Southwestern Community College.
Chula Vista is part of the San Diego, California metro area.