Local rules, address checks, school districts and getting around, each with its source.
Cardiff-by-the-Sea is a community inside the City of Encinitas, not its own city, so Encinitas permits, rules and council apply, and most addresses use ZIP code 92007. Buying or selling here comes down to address checks: coastal permit rules, fire and flood zones near San Elijo Lagoon, water and sewer service, and the Cardiff School District, which serves kindergarten through grade 6. Karina Somenzari, REALTOR®, helps buyers and sellers in Cardiff in English or Portuguese.
General information only, not legal advice. See the note near the end of this page.
Karina works with buyers and sellers in Cardiff-by-the-Sea and across San Diego County's cities and communities. Rules that apply across all of Encinitas are in the Encinitas guide. This page covers what is specific to Cardiff.
| Topic | What the official record shows |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Part of the City of Encinitas. The City says it was incorporated in 1986 and brought together New Encinitas, Old Encinitas, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Olivenhain and Leucadia. Most of Cardiff, including downtown, is in City Council District 3 under the City's 2022 map (Resolution 2022-26, March 9, 2022). Check an address on the City's District Map. |
| ZIP codes | Most Cardiff addresses use 92007, and some on the north and east side use 92024. Cardiff Sports Park (1661 Lake Drive) and Encinitas Community Park (425 Santa Fe Drive) sit inside the Cardiff School District, and the Census geocoder places both in 92024. |
| Boundary | No official source this page relies on draws the Cardiff community boundary, and the ZIP code and school district outlines differ, so this page doesn't draw one either. Confirm any address with the City. |
| Downtown plan | The City has a Cardiff-by-the-Sea Specific Plan, part of its Local Coastal Program. It covers a small part of Cardiff, the "business district" or "Downtown Cardiff," along San Elijo Avenue from about Mozart Avenue to Orinda Drive. The City's ordinance table lists amendments in 2012, 2019 and 2022. |
| Setting | San Elijo State Beach runs along Coast Highway 101 near the community, and San Elijo Lagoon sits on its edge. |
The Specific Plan area mixes small-lot single-family and multifamily homes with shops and offices along San Elijo Avenue. The plan's vision says "Many buildings are sited on smaller lots and are modestly scaled." Beyond the plan area, the City's zoning map shows classes from Rural Residential to Residential 15, plus open space, public and office zones. This page doesn't break Cardiff homes down by type. Karina's property report tool also screens an address for fire, flood and fault zones.
The plan states an intent to maintain ocean views, and it limits height in its commercial and office zones to "30 ft. or two stories, whichever is less." The City's residential zones have a standard limit of 22 feet or two stories, whichever is less, and the City notes that additional allowances and restrictions may apply. In the Scenic View Corridor Overlay, the City may apply conditions on a project's bulk, mass and height, and these conditions are required for coastal permits. Ask the City what applies to a lot.
The City's Local Coastal Program was certified by the California Coastal Commission on May 11, 1995, and the City took over coastal permit authority on May 15, 1995. The City's Coastal Zone map covers the Cardiff area. Remodels, additions, ADUs and new homes can need a Coastal Development Permit, and some parcels near the coastal bluff or the lagoon fall in overlays. Parcels with an archaeological or historical site can also need a survey by a qualified professional.
CAL FIRE's 2025 map (dated March 24, 2025) shows parts of the Cardiff area in Very High, High and Moderate zones and parts outside any wildland zone. The area around the San Elijo Lagoon Nature Center is mapped Very High, while Glen Park and both school campuses are not in a wildland zone, so the answer changes by address. Check the CAL FIRE layer.
San Elijo Lagoon and its creeks carry FEMA flood zones. Check an address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. If a home is in a Special Flood Hazard Area, your lender decides whether flood insurance is required, so ask early.
The Specific Plan says the San Dieguito Water District (SDWD) owns and runs the water system in the plan area. Elsewhere, the City says a property's water district is either SDWD or the Olivenhain Municipal Water District, so verify the address with the Water Authority's lookup. Sewer service comes from the City's Cardiff Sanitary Division, and sewage goes to the San Elijo Water Reclamation Facility in Cardiff or the Encina Wastewater Authority in Carlsbad. The City says property owners are responsible for the sewer lateral, the pipe from the home to the sewer main, so ask your inspector about it.
No official HOA list exists, and HOAs vary by building, so ask for the governing documents early. The County Auditor's FY 2025-2026 list of active Mello-Roos districts shows no Cardiff School District CFD and no City CFD in Cardiff. The list does include several San Dieguito Union High School District CFDs, and this page can't tell which parcels they cover, so read the tax bill and title report. Airport Land Use Commissions set an Airport Influence Area for each airport; the Natural Hazard Disclosure and the Airport Authority's land use page show whether an address is in one.
Two districts serve Cardiff addresses. Attendance areas depend on the exact address, and the high school district says only the school itself can confirm boundaries and enrollment eligibility.
| District | Grades and campuses | Address lookup |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiff School District | Kindergarten to grade 6. Cardiff School (K-2), 1888 Montgomery Ave, 760-632-5892. Ada Harris School (3-6), 1508 Windsor Road, 760-632-5894. | Cardiff School District boundary map |
| San Dieguito Union High School District | Grades 7 to 12. The district's rules put the Cardiff Elementary District in the Oak Crest Middle School (grades 7-8) and La Costa Canyon High School boundaries. | School Locator |
This page doesn't rate or rank schools.
Cardiff follows Encinitas-wide rules for short-term rentals, tenant protections, the Housing Element and SB 9. Short-term rentals need a permit under Chapter 9.38 of the Municipal Code, and the City is changing those rules in 2026, so check the City's page before you rely on any of them. The Encinitas guide covers the rest.
For ADUs, two Cardiff-relevant points: the City says an ADU in the Coastal Zone requires a Coastal Development Permit, and most City plan-review and inspection fees for ADUs are waived. The Specific Plan also has objective standards for housing development (Section 4.2.1, added by a 2022 ordinance). Read the City's ADU page for your lot.
Interstate 5 and Coast Highway 101 are the main routes. Inside the plan area, San Elijo and Newcastle Avenues carry most north-south traffic, and Birmingham Drive and San Elijo Avenue are designated Circulation Element roads. NCTD's BREEZE route 101 runs along Highway 101. NCTD lists COASTER service at the Encinitas station (25 East D Street) and the Solana Beach station (105 North Cedros Avenue), so check NCTD for stops and times.
The Coastal Rail Trail has a 1.3-mile segment, opened in May 2019, from Chesterfield Drive to the Santa Fe Drive undercrossing on the east side of the tracks near San Elijo Avenue. SANDAG says construction on the next piece, from Santa Fe Drive to E Street, is planned for 2027.
San Elijo State Beach and its bluff-top campground are at 2050 S Coast Hwy 101. The County of San Diego describes San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve as a 979-acre reserve, managed with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the nonprofit Nature Collective; its Nature Center is at 2710 Manchester Avenue. The City lists Glen Park (2149 Orinda Drive), with a play area, picnic facilities, restrooms and courts, and Cardiff Sports Park (1661 Lake Drive), with reservable fields. The Cardiff-by-the-Sea library branch is at 2081 Newcastle Avenue. Hours change, so check each site before you go.
If you own in Cardiff, a buyer will ask about the same address checks: coastal permits for past work, the fire and flood zone, sewer lateral and water district, and any HOA documents. Gathering permit records and the lateral's condition before you list can head off questions. The selling a house in San Diego page covers disclosures, costs and timing, and you can ask what your Cardiff home is worth.
Karina Somenzari, REALTOR®, is a real estate agent licensed in California (DRE# 02248263) with eXp Realty of California, Inc. She represents buyers and sellers in Cardiff-by-the-Sea and across San Diego County. You can work with her in English or Portuguese; contracts and escrow documents are in English.
To start, tell her about your plans or call 619-369-4598. If you'd rather talk in Portuguese, read about working with a Portuguese-speaking real estate agent.
No. Cardiff-by-the-Sea is one of five communities that the City of Encinitas brought together when it incorporated in 1986, along with New Encinitas, Old Encinitas, Olivenhain and Leucadia. City of Encinitas permits, rules and council apply. The City places most of Cardiff, including downtown, in Council District 3 under its 2022 map, and you can confirm an address with the City's District Map.
Most Cardiff addresses use ZIP code 92007, and some on the north and east side use 92024. For example, Cardiff Sports Park (1661 Lake Drive) sits inside the Cardiff School District, and the Census geocoder places it in 92024. ZIP codes and the Cardiff School District boundary don't match, so check the exact address.
Cardiff School District serves kindergarten through grade 6, with Cardiff School for kindergarten through grade 2 and Ada Harris School for grades 3 through 6. San Dieguito Union High School District serves grades 7 through 12. Use the district's boundary map and the San Dieguito School Locator, then confirm with the school directly. This page doesn't rate or rank schools.
Often. The City's Coastal Zone map covers the Cardiff area, and the City says an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in the Coastal Zone requires a Coastal Development Permit. Some parcels near the coastal bluff or San Elijo Lagoon also fall in overlay zones. Ask the City which rules apply to your address before you plan a project.
NCTD lists COASTER service at the Encinitas station (25 East D Street) and the Solana Beach station (105 North Cedros Avenue). BREEZE route 101 runs along Highway 101. Check gonctd.com for stops and times.
The County Auditor's FY 2025-2026 list of active Mello-Roos districts shows no Cardiff School District CFD and no City of Encinitas CFD in Cardiff. A property can still carry another special tax or assessment, so read the preliminary title report and the current property tax bill.
Karina offers a free, no-pressure conversation in English or Portuguese, whether you're buying or selling in Cardiff-by-the-Sea (contracts and escrow documents are in English). Bring an address, and she'll go over these checks with you.