Sold Nov 2
$2,100,000
Falcon Ridge Court
3 bd · 3 ba · 2,112 sq ft
91.5% of list price
Listing courtesy of Keller Williams Realty
San Diego Neighborhood Guide
Del Mar Heights and the surrounding Torrey Pines community form a coastal part of the City of San Diego between Interstate 5 and the Pacific, just south of the City of Del Mar. About 2,600 acres, roughly 1,000 of them open space, the area is known for Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve and its rare Torrey pines, Torrey Pines State Beach, Los Peñasquitos Lagoon and Crest Canyon. Homes sit mainly on the Del Mar Heights mesa and in Del Mar Terrace, many with canyon or ocean views.
Quick Facts
| Area | About 2,600 acres (Torrey Pines community planning area), roughly 1,000 acres of it open space |
|---|---|
| Planning area | Torrey Pines (City of San Diego, Council District 1) |
| ZIP code | 92014 |
| Boundaries | The Torrey Pines planning area runs from the City of Del Mar and Solana Beach on the north to the University community on the south, with Interstate 5 on the east and the Pacific Ocean and City of Del Mar on the west. Del Mar Heights is the residential mesa in the center; Del Mar Terrace sits above Los Peñasquitos Lagoon. |
| Founded | Community plan adopted March 6, 1975; Torrey Pines reserve first set aside by the City in 1899; Del Mar Heights School opened in 1959 |
| Home types | Mostly detached single-family homes, plus attached homes and condominiums near Interstate 5 and Carmel Valley Road |
| Signature style | Single-family homes on view and canyon-rim lots, from older homes on large lots to newer contemporary rebuilds |
| Price tier | Luxury |
| Best for | buyers who want quiet coastal residential streets, ocean and canyon views, and direct access to the Torrey Pines reserve, beaches and lagoon trails |
Jeff’s Take
I’ve sold and leased a lot of homes in Del Mar Heights and Torrey Pines. You live next to Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve and the beach, with individually built homes on the mesa and easy access to I-5.
This is a luxury market with real open space around it: the reserve, Los Peñasquitos Lagoon and Crest Canyon.
Who it’s not for: Del Mar Heights is quiet and residential, with only a few businesses of its own. If you want to walk to restaurants and shops, you’ll be happier in Del Mar’s village or Solana Beach.
Del Mar Heights vs. Carmel Valley: Del Mar Heights offers older, individually built homes beside the reserve and the beach. Carmel Valley across I-5 is a newer master-planned community with more retail.
What buying in Del Mar Heights / Torrey Pines often looks like
Say you find a mid-century home near Crest Canyon. Before we write, I check the coastal permit rules that cover most of this area, the fire-zone requirements for canyon-edge lots, and what you can remodel or rebuild, so the price reflects what the lot really allows.
Market Snapshot
| Measure | Oct 2026 | Oct 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $4,300,000 | $4,422,500 | −3% |
| Avg. price per sq. ft. | $1,129 | $2,337 | −52% |
| Homes sold | 5 | 12 | −58% |
| New listings | 10 | 11 | −9% |
| Median days on market | 69 | 41 | +68% |
| % of list price received | 97% | 95% | +2% |
| Months of inventory | 3.2 | 4.4 | −27% |
Single-family homes, ZIP 92014, as of October 2026. Source: San Diego Multiple Listing Service (SDMLS) closed sales, compiled by Jeff Brick. ZIP 92014 also includes the City of Del Mar.
| Measure | Current listings |
|---|---|
| Median asking price | $4,980,000 |
| Median asking price per sq. ft. | $1,501 |
| Homes for sale | 33 |
| Median days on market (current listings) | 58 |
| Months of supply | 7.3 |
| HouseCanary 1-year price forecast | 2.1% |
Single-family homes, ZIP 92014, listings on the market as of November 3, 2026. Source: HouseCanary Market Insights. Asking prices are what sellers are listing for, not final sale prices.
Jeff’s note (Q4 2026): 5 homes sold in October at a median of $4,300,000, down 3% from a year ago. With only 5 sales, these numbers can swing a lot from month to month. The median and the price per square foot moved differently, which points to a different mix of homes selling rather than a change in values. At 3.2 months of inventory the market is fairly balanced: well-priced homes sell, and overpriced ones sit.
A Few Recent Sales
Not every sale, just a few recent closings I picked to show what buyers are actually paying in Del Mar Heights / Torrey Pines right now. Updated monthly · November 2026.
$2,100,000
Falcon Ridge Court
3 bd · 3 ba · 2,112 sq ft
91.5% of list price
Listing courtesy of Keller Williams Realty
$3,100,825
Brittany Forrest Lane
5 bd · 5 ba · 3,827 sq ft
100.2% of list price
Listing courtesy of Lyst Realty
$670,000
Camino Mira Del Mar
2 bd · 2 ba · 864 sq ft
97.2% of list price
Listing courtesy of 1st Class Real Estate SD
$635,000
Pell Place
1 bd · 1 ba · 748 sq ft
100% of list price
Listing courtesy of Coastal Luxe Properties
$750,000
Caminito El Rincon
2 bd · 2 ba · 944 sq ft
25000% of list price
Listing courtesy of Linda Hunt Realty
$900,000
Caminito Carmel Landing
3 bd · 3 ba · 1,368 sq ft
87.4% of list price
Listing courtesy of Real Broker
$628,000
Pell Place
1 bd · 1 ba · 748 sq ft
98.3% of list price
Listing courtesy of San Diego Castles Realty
$761,250
Caminito El Rincon
2 bd · 2 ba · 944 sq ft
93.4% of list price
Listing courtesy of Coldwell Banker West
$2,025,000
San Gregorio Way
3 bd · 3 ba · 2,189 sq ft
96.4% of list price
Listing courtesy of San Diego Brokerage
$2,606,800
Ocean Vista Road
3 bd · 4 ba · 2,479 sq ft
93.1% of list price
Listing courtesy of Compass
Sold information from the San Diego MLS (SDMLS®), deemed reliable but not guaranteed. These homes may have been listed and sold by other brokerages; they are shown to illustrate the local market, not as Jeff Brick’s own sales. Want the full list of recent sales or a value estimate for your home? Ask Jeff.
History
The Kumeyaay lived along this stretch of coast, using the lagoons and bluffs, long before European settlement. In 1850 botanist Charles C. Parry identified the rare local pine as its own species and named it for his mentor John Torrey. Concerned about the trees, the San Diego City Council set aside several hundred acres of former pueblo land as a public park in 1899. Philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps bought nearby land that had been slated for subdivision to protect more groves, which later became part of the reserve. In 1921 naturalist Guy Fleming was named custodian and laid out the first trails, and in 1923 the Pueblo Revival Torrey Pines Lodge, designed by Richard Requa and Herbert Jackson and paid for by Scripps, opened as a restaurant for travelers on the coast highway. The reserve became a state park in 1959. On the mesa to the north, Del Mar Heights grew into a residential neighborhood, and in 1959 the Del Mar school district opened Del Mar Heights School on what was then the eastern edge of town. The City adopted the Torrey Pines Community Plan in 1975 and a local coastal program in 1981, and Crest Canyon was later acquired as permanent open space.
Del Mar Heights did not grow from a single master-planned development. City records and the 1981 local coastal program describe a neighborhood of older single-family homes on large lots, many owned for decades, alongside later attached homes and condominiums built north of Carmel Valley Road, near the Del Mar Heights Road interchange with Interstate 5 and around Portofino Circle west of the freeway. Much of the area’s character comes from what was left unbuilt: the City set aside the Torrey Pines reserve in 1899, Ellen Browning Scripps bought land that had been planned for subdivision, and Crest Canyon was acquired as open space. Today most construction is remodeling or replacement of individual homes.
Architecture
Del Mar Heights is a neighborhood of individually built homes rather than one uniform tract, so styles vary from street to street. Along the mesa and in Del Mar Terrace, older single-family homes sit on large lots, many oriented toward views of the ocean, Los Peñasquitos Lagoon or the canyons. Over the decades many of these houses have been remodeled or replaced with larger contemporary homes designed around big windows, decks and indoor-outdoor living. Homes along the rim of the Torrey Pines Reserve Extension are spread loosely along the canyon edge. Attached homes and condominium complexes add a different scale near Interstate 5 and north of Carmel Valley Road. The area’s best-known building is the Torrey Pines Lodge, a 1923 Pueblo Revival design by Richard Requa and Herbert Jackson modeled on Hopi dwellings, which now serves as the reserve’s visitor center.
There is no City-designated historic district in Del Mar Heights. The area’s most important historic resource is Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, first set aside by the City in 1899 and made a state park in 1959, along with the 1923 Torrey Pines Lodge, which now houses the visitor center. Ellen Browning Scripps and naturalist Guy Fleming played central roles in protecting it. Owners of individually designated historical resources in the City of San Diego may apply for a Mills Act contract, which can lower property taxes in exchange for preservation.
Living Here
Housing in Del Mar Heights is mostly detached single-family homes on the mesa and in Del Mar Terrace, with attached homes and condominiums concentrated north of Carmel Valley Road, near the Del Mar Heights Road and Interstate 5 interchange, and around Portofino Circle. The 1981 local coastal program describes older homes on large lots, and many have since been remodeled or rebuilt. About 98 percent of the planning area lies within the Coastal Zone, and a large share of the land is permanent open space, so new development is limited.
Daily life centers on the outdoors. Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve offers bluff-top trails among the rare pines, and the free Reserve Extension trails sit right inside the neighborhood. Torrey Pines State Beach and Los Peñasquitos Lagoon are at the foot of the hill, Crest Canyon trails lead north toward San Dieguito Lagoon, and the City of Del Mar’s village is next door. Streets are quiet and residential, with most shopping and dining just east of Interstate 5 in Carmel Valley or north in Del Mar. The Torrey Pines Golf Course, opened in 1957, is a short drive south.
Getting Around
Walk Score: Del Mar Heights 36 (Car-Dependent). Walk Score’s separate Torrey Pines neighborhood page shows 64, but it appears to cover a broader area to the south. Source: https://www.walkscore.com/CA/San_Diego/Del_Mar_Heights · Transit Score: Del Mar Heights 19 (Minimal Transit) · Bike Score: Del Mar Heights 28
Del Mar Heights is served by the Del Mar Union School District for elementary grades, including Del Mar Heights School at 13555 Boquita Drive and Del Mar Hills Academy at 14085 Mango Drive, and by the San Dieguito Union High School District for middle and high school, whose schools serving the area include Torrey Pines High School at 3710 Del Mar Heights Road, Canyon Crest Academy and Carmel Valley Middle School. Buyers should confirm school assignments for a specific address with each district.
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve and the Reserve Extension, Torrey Pines State Beach, Los Peñasquitos Lagoon and Marsh Natural Preserve, Crest Canyon Neighborhood Park and Open Space, and the San Dieguito Lagoon and River Park to the north.
Explore Del Mar Heights / Torrey Pines
Public and charter schools closest to the heart of Del Mar Heights / Torrey Pines.
Del Mar Union Elementary
Del Mar Union Elementary
San Dieguito Union High
Solana Beach Elementary
Del Mar Union Elementary
Solana Beach Elementary
San Dieguito Union High
School assignment depends on the exact address, so confirm the schools for any home with the school district. Source: California Department of Education, 2024–25 school sites. Report cards link to the official California School Dashboard.
Green space, trails and play areas in and around Del Mar Heights / Torrey Pines.
Park data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Distances are approximate, measured from the center of Del Mar Heights / Torrey Pines.
Del Mar Heights and the Torrey Pines community occupy the coastal mesas and lagoons between Interstate 5 and the Pacific at the north end of the City of San Diego. The City of Del Mar lies to the north and west, Carmel Valley is east across Interstate 5, and the University community, including the Torrey Pines Golf Course and UC San Diego, lies to the south.
Local Favorites
Landmark hotel and restaurants beside Torrey Pines Golf Course (south edge)
11480 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA 92037
Directions →Landmark paragliding and hang-gliding port and shop (south edge)
2800 Torrey Pines Scenic Dr, La Jolla, CA 92037
Directions →Shopping and dining center just east of I-5
12925 El Camino Real, San Diego, CA 92130
Directions →Italian restaurant in the Sky Deck dining collective
12841 El Camino Real, San Diego, CA 92130
Directions →Oceanfront restaurant in neighboring Del Mar
1660 Coast Blvd, Del Mar, CA 92014
Directions →Photos, ratings and links from Google Maps
FAQ
No. Del Mar Heights is a neighborhood of the City of San Diego within the Torrey Pines community planning area, although it uses Del Mar, CA 92014 mailing addresses and borders the City of Del Mar.
Del Mar Heights has a Walk Score of 36, so most errands require a car. Trails into the Torrey Pines Reserve Extension and Crest Canyon, however, start right in the neighborhood.
It is quiet and residential, surrounded by protected open space, with many homes looking toward the ocean, lagoon or canyons. Residents use the Torrey Pines reserve trails and beach daily, and shop in nearby Carmel Valley or Del Mar.
Elementary students attend the Del Mar Union School District, including Del Mar Heights School and Del Mar Hills Academy, and older students attend San Dieguito Union High School District schools such as Torrey Pines High. Confirm assignments by address.
Torrey Pines State Beach is at the foot of the hill, just minutes away. Downtown San Diego and the airport are typically about 25 minutes by car without traffic.
Yes. Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve was first protected by the City in 1899, and its 1923 Pueblo Revival lodge by Richard Requa and Herbert Jackson now serves as the visitor center. The neighborhood itself has no designated historic district.
Del Mar Heights, west of Interstate 5, is older, quieter and closer to the beach and reserve, with individually built homes. Carmel Valley, to the east, is a newer master-planned community with more shopping and newer homes.
Work With Jeff
Jeff Brick, San Diego REALTOR® at Compass, DRE# 02156850. Million Dollar Service at All Price Points. Call or text 858-324-4448.
Nearby neighborhood guides: La Jolla · Pacific Beach · Mission Beach · Ocean Beach · Point Loma
Header photo: Z3lvs (CC0), via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources
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