Sold Nov 2
$982,500
Oakridge Road
3 bd · 2 ba · 1,304 sq ft
101.8% of list price
Listing courtesy of Real Broker
San Diego Neighborhood Guide
San Carlos is a residential neighborhood in the Navajo community of eastern San Diego, set at the foot of Cowles Mountain between Lake Murray, Del Cerro and Mission Trails Regional Park, and bordering the City of La Mesa. It is known for direct trail access to Cowles Mountain, the highest point in the City of San Diego, its “Lake”-named streets of 1960s and 1970s ranch homes, and small shopping centers along Navajo Road and Jackson Drive. It suits buyers who want open space and quiet streets.
Quick Facts
| Area | Part of the Navajo Community Plan area, about 8,000 acres in all (Navajo also includes Allied Gardens, Del Cerro and Grantville) |
|---|---|
| Planning area | Navajo (City of San Diego; Council District 7) |
| ZIP code | 92119 |
| Boundaries | Roughly Mission Trails Regional Park and Cowles Mountain to the north and east, the City of La Mesa and Lake Murray to the south, and Del Cerro and Allied Gardens to the west; boundaries are informal. |
| Founded | Developed mainly from the 1960s into the 1970s on land annexed to the City of San Diego in 1954 |
| Home types | Mostly single-family homes, with some condominiums and apartments near commercial corners |
| Signature style | Single-story and two-story ranch homes from the 1960s and 1970s |
| Price tier | Upper |
| Best for | buyers who want hiking-trail access, quiet residential streets, single-family ranch homes and proximity to Lake Murray |
Jeff’s Take
I’ve sold and leased a lot of homes in San Carlos, and it’s where I show buyers who want quiet suburban streets at the foot of Cowles Mountain. Trails, Lake Murray and Mission Trails are right there.
Homes are mostly 1960s and 1970s ranch houses on the “Lake”-named streets, with small shopping centers along Navajo Road.
Who it’s not for: San Carlos is suburban and car-oriented. If you want to walk to restaurants and nightlife, look at La Mesa’s village or North Park.
San Carlos vs. Del Cerro: San Carlos is a bit farther from I-8 and the university but sits right at the base of Cowles Mountain, with more trail access from the neighborhood itself.
What buying in San Carlos often looks like
Say you find a ranch home near the Mission Trails edge. Before we write, I check the fire-zone requirements, ask about past evacuations and insurance, and review the roof, windows and vents with fire-hardening in mind.
Market Snapshot
| Measure | Oct 2026 | Oct 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $1,193,500 | $997,450 | +20% |
| Avg. price per sq. ft. | $652 | $619 | +5% |
| Homes sold | 8 | 18 | −56% |
| New listings | 21 | 13 | +62% |
| Median days on market | 10 | 11 | −9% |
| % of list price received | 100% | 99% | +1% |
| Months of inventory | 1.4 | 1.4 | 0% |
Single-family homes, ZIP 92119 (San Carlos), as of October 2026. Source: San Diego Multiple Listing Service (SDMLS) closed sales, compiled by Jeff Brick.
| Measure | Current listings |
|---|---|
| Median asking price | $1,226,750 |
| Median asking price per sq. ft. | $606 |
| Homes for sale | 30 |
| Median days on market (current listings) | 27 |
| Months of supply | 2.1 |
| HouseCanary 1-year price forecast | 0.8% |
Single-family homes, ZIP 92119, 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): 8 homes sold in October at a median of $1,193,500, up 20% from a year ago. With 1.4 months of inventory, sellers have the edge, so come in with your financing ready.
A Few Recent Sales
Not every sale, just a few recent closings I picked to show what buyers are actually paying in San Carlos right now. Updated monthly · November 2026.
$982,500
Oakridge Road
3 bd · 2 ba · 1,304 sq ft
101.8% of list price
Listing courtesy of Real Broker
$1,050,000
Volclay Drive
4 bd · 2 ba · 1,750 sq ft
105% of list price
Listing courtesy of Keller Williams La Jolla
$1,495,000
Forrestal Road
6 bd · 3 ba · 2,824 sq ft
94.3% of list price
Listing courtesy of Compass
$1,237,000
Golfcrest Drive
4 bd · 2 ba · 1,843 sq ft
99% of list price
Listing courtesy of LPT Realty
$465,000
Bell Bluff Avenue
2 bd · 1 ba · 806 sq ft
94.9% of list price
Listing courtesy of Market Real Estate
$355,000
Navajo Road
2 bd · 1 ba · 836 sq ft
101.7% of list price
Listing courtesy of Market Real Estate
$430,000
Navajo Road
2 bd · 1 ba · 836 sq ft
104.9% of list price
Listing courtesy of Mission Realty Group
$1,150,000
Jennite Drive
4 bd · 2 ba · 1,572 sq ft
97.5% of list price
Listing courtesy of Keller Williams La Jolla
$1,545,000
Belle Glade Avenue
4 bd · 3 ba · 2,334 sq ft
94.8% of list price
Listing courtesy of Proptero Holdings
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 used the hills and river valleys around Cowles Mountain long before European settlement, and the land later passed through ranching hands. The mountain is named for George A. Cowles, an early San Diego rancher and businessman. In 1931, San Diego State College students placed a giant “S” on its slope, which is why it is still sometimes called S Mountain. San Carlos itself is a postwar neighborhood. In 1954 the City of San Diego annexed Waring Tract No. 2, nearly 5,000 acres, and San Carlos and Del Cerro were later developed within that area. Most of San Carlos was built in the 1960s and early 1970s as rows of tract homes on what was then the edge of the city. A 2005 Union-Tribune account traced the name to developer Carlos Tavares, best known for Clairemont. As homes crept up the hillside, residents pushed to protect the mountain, and Cowles Mountain was purchased and preserved in 1974, becoming part of what was named Mission Trails Regional Park in 1979.
San Carlos grew as a series of tract subdivisions within the City’s 1954 Waring Tract No. 2 annexation. A 2005 San Diego Union-Tribune account, cited by local residents, credits developer Carlos Tavares, the builder of Clairemont, with the neighborhood and its name; his Tavares Development Company was later acquired by Sunset International Petroleum, where he led the real estate division. Street names follow a theme, with many called “Lake” something, such as Lake Aral Drive, Lake Ashmere Drive and Lake Badin Avenue. Sources we reviewed do not list every tract builder, so individual subdivision builders should be confirmed through recorded maps.
Architecture
San Carlos is a ranch-house neighborhood. Typical homes from the late 1960s and early 1970s are single-story ranch designs of roughly 900 to 1,225 square feet, with two to four bedrooms and attached two-car garages, though sizes vary by tract and some streets were built with two-story plans. Over the decades many owners have added patios, room additions and second stories, so the streetscape mixes original low-slung facades with larger remodels. Homes on the upper streets near Cowles Mountain and along canyon edges often have views across Lake Murray and Mission Trails. Newer infill is limited and includes a small number of later subdivisions on former school sites.
We found no designated historic district in San Carlos. The neighborhood is postwar, and its best-known heritage sites are natural ones: Cowles Mountain, preserved in 1974, and Lake Murray, whose dam was built in 1918 by the Cuyamaca Water Company. Owners who believe a home is significant can research it through the City of San Diego’s Historical Resources Board process; designated properties may qualify for a Mills Act contract, which can lower property taxes in exchange for preservation. Check any individual address against the City’s Historical Resources Register.
Living Here
San Carlos is mainly detached single-family housing, and the City’s Navajo community profile describes the San Carlos and Del Cerro areas as mainly residential. Most homes date from the 1960s and 1970s, and many have been expanded. Lot sizes are typical of suburban tracts, with sloped and larger lots on the hillside streets near Cowles Mountain. Attached housing is limited and concentrated near commercial corners such as Navajo Road at Jackson Drive and Lake Murray Boulevard. Because the neighborhood is built out, new construction is mostly remodels, additions and accessory dwelling units.
Outdoor recreation is the center of daily life. The main Cowles Mountain trailhead sits at Navajo Road and Golfcrest Drive, with a quieter route from Barker Way, and Mission Trails Regional Park offers more than 8,000 acres of trails. Lake Murray’s paved shoreline path is popular for walking, running and biking, and the lake allows fishing and small boats. The San Carlos Recreation Center on Lake Badin Avenue and the San Carlos Branch Library on Jackson Drive anchor community life. Neighborhood shopping centers on Navajo Road and Jackson Drive hold cafes, a hardware store and casual restaurants.
Getting Around
Walk Score: 35 (Car-Dependent). Source: https://www.walkscore.com/CA/San_Diego/San_Carlos · Transit Score: 16 (Minimal Transit) · Bike Score: 25
San Carlos is served by San Diego Unified School District within the Patrick Henry cluster. Neighborhood elementary schools include Dailard, Gage, Green and Benchley/Weinberger. Middle school students attend schools such as Pershing or Lewis depending on address, and high school students attend Patrick Henry High School, located between San Carlos and Del Cerro. School assignments follow attendance boundaries, so buyers should confirm the schools for a specific address with the district.
Cowles Mountain and Pyles Peak, Mission Trails Regional Park, Lake Murray and its shoreline path, Lake Murray Community Park, and the San Carlos Recreation Center.
Explore San Carlos
Public and charter schools closest to the heart of San Carlos.
San Diego Unified
San Diego Unified
San Diego Unified
San Diego Unified
San Diego Unified
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 San Carlos.
Park data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Distances are approximate, measured from the center of San Carlos.
San Carlos occupies the northeast corner of the Navajo community in eastern San Diego. Cowles Mountain and Mission Trails Regional Park rise along its northern and eastern edges, while Lake Murray and the City of La Mesa lie to the south. Del Cerro and Allied Gardens are directly west, and the City of El Cajon lies beyond the park to the east. Interstate 8 is a few minutes south.
Local Favorites
Photos, ratings and links from Google Maps
FAQ
San Carlos is mostly car-dependent, with a Walk Score of 35. Some streets are within walking distance of the shopping centers on Navajo Road and Jackson Drive, and many homes are a short walk from trails into Mission Trails Regional Park.
San Carlos is quiet and residential, with ranch-home streets, little through traffic and a strong outdoor focus. Residents hike Cowles Mountain, walk the Lake Murray path and use the local recreation center and library.
Public students attend San Diego Unified schools in the Patrick Henry cluster, including Dailard, Gage, Green and Benchley/Weinberger elementary schools and Patrick Henry High School. Confirm assigned schools by address with the district.
Downtown is usually about 20 to 25 minutes away by car via Interstate 8 without traffic. The nearest beaches, such as Mission Beach and Ocean Beach, are typically about 25 to 30 minutes west.
The City of San Diego lists Cowles Mountain at 1,591 feet, the highest point in both Mission Trails Regional Park and the City of San Diego. The main trailhead is at Navajo Road and Golfcrest Drive in San Carlos.
San Carlos was built mostly in the 1960s and 1970s, so its homes are mid-century ranch designs rather than older historic houses. We found no designated historic district in the neighborhood.
Both are hilly, residential parts of the Navajo community served by Patrick Henry High School. Del Cerro is closer to Interstate 8 and San Diego State University, while San Carlos sits farther east with direct access to Cowles Mountain and Mission Trails.
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: Mission Valley · Clairemont · University City / UTC · Tierrasanta · Allied Gardens / Del Cerro
Header photo: Joe Mabel (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources
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