City facts, housing, address checks, school districts and local rules, each with its source.
Del Mar is an incorporated city on the Pacific coast of San Diego County, incorporated in 1959. It had 3,954 residents at the 2020 Census, the smallest of the county's 18 cities, and City Hall's ZIP code is 92014. All or nearly all of the city is in the coastal zone, a large share is in FEMA flood hazard areas, and parts are mapped in CAL FIRE fire hazard zones. Short-term rentals are capped citywide. Before you make an offer, check the exact address for each of these, plus school boundaries.
General information only, not legal advice. See the note near the end of this page.
Want a Del Mar real estate agent to look at a specific home with you? Karina Somenzari, REALTOR®, works with buyers and sellers in Del Mar and across San Diego County's cities and communities, in English or Portuguese; contracts and escrow documents are in English.
| Topic | What the official record shows |
|---|---|
| City status | Incorporated in 1959. City Hall is at 1050 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar, CA 92014. |
| Location | On the Pacific coast, which the City describes as 20 miles north of San Diego. Its beach runs more than two miles. North Beach reaches the border with Solana Beach, the city to the north. |
| Population | 3,954 at the April 1, 2020 Census, the smallest of San Diego County's 18 cities. |
| ZIP code | City Hall's ZIP is 92014. |
| Police and fire | Law enforcement is by contract with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. Fire administration is through a mutual agreement among Del Mar, Encinitas and Solana Beach. |
| Planning office | Planning and Community Development: planning@delmar.ca.us, (858) 375-9516. The City asks for applications by email and uses eTRAKiT for online permitting. |
The City says Del Mar is mainly single-family neighborhoods, with shops and restaurants downtown, a small commercial area and several hotels. Its ADU page names the single-unit zones as CVPP, R1-10, R1-10B, R1-14, R1-40, R1-5 and R1-5B, and names RM-South as a zone for three or more units on a lot. Zoning rules are in Chapter 30 of the Municipal Code.
Each check below depends on the exact address. A free property report pre-checks fire, flood and fault zones for any San Diego County address.
All or nearly all of Del Mar is in the coastal zone. Under Public Resources Code 30600, development there generally needs a coastal development permit in addition to other permits. The City has a certified Local Coastal Program. The Coastal Commission first certified its Land Use Plan on March 18, 1993, and its Implementing Ordinances on September 11, 2001. The Commission's Coastal Zone Boundary map says it is not survey accuracy and may not replace a formal boundary determination, so ask the City about a specific lot before you plan a remodel or addition.
CAL FIRE's 2025 local map, dated March 24, 2025, maps parts of Del Mar as Very High (441 acres), High (153 acres) and Moderate (120 acres). Del Mar has no state responsibility area land. Check the address in the CAL FIRE viewer. Sellers of homes in High or Very High zones disclose the zone.
FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas cover a large share of Del Mar. Look up the address at the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. If a home is in a Special Flood Hazard Area and your loan comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, flood insurance is required, so get a quote during your inspection period.
The County Auditor's active Mello-Roos list shows no City of Del Mar district. It does list districts formed by the school districts that serve the area, including Del Mar Union School District CFD 95-1 and CFD 99-1, Solana Beach School District CFD 1999-1, 2000-1 and 2004-1, and several San Dieguito Union High School District CFDs. The list doesn't say which Del Mar parcels pay. Check the home's tax bill and the seller's Mello-Roos notice.
Not every Del Mar home has a homeowners association. Ask your agent and the title company early, and read the documents before your contingencies end. The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority sets an Airport Influence Area for each airport plan, and you can check an address at its airport land use page. The seller's Natural Hazard Disclosure report states flood, dam inundation, fire hazard, fault and seismic zones, and gives an airport notice when one applies.
Del Mar Union School District serves most of the city, Solana Beach School District serves a small part, and San Dieguito Union High School District serves all of it. Use each district's lookup, then confirm with the district.
| District | Address lookup |
|---|---|
| Del Mar Union School District | School Locator on the district boundary page. Questions about a prospective home: district office, (858) 755-9301. |
| Solana Beach School District | My School Locator on the attendance boundaries page. |
| San Dieguito Union High School District | Boundaries map and boundary locator. The district says only the school itself can confirm attendance boundaries and enrollment eligibility. |
This page doesn't rate or rank schools.
The City Council adopted its short-term rental (STR) ordinance on September 23, 2024. The Coastal Commission certified it on February 5, 2026, and that put it into immediate effect. A citywide cap of 129 STRs applies. The City counted 150 existing STRs, and the application period for existing STRs closed on May 1, 2026. New STR owners aren't eligible for a permit under the cap, and the City keeps a waitlist. Permits run two years. In February 2026 the Council set the permit fee at $815 for existing operators and $598 for two-year renewals. STR owners must collect and pay transient occupancy tax under Municipal Code Chapter 3.12. Confirm a property's permit status with the City before you assume rental use.
Del Mar's ADU rules are in Chapter 30.91 of the Municipal Code. They took effect on June 12, 2025, the day the Coastal Commission gave final approval. State law requires a streamlined, ministerial review. The City processes ADU applications under its administrative Coastal Development Permit procedures, and plans that meet Government Code Section 65852.2 are approved within 60 days of a complete application. The City posts three sample ADU floor plans, from 446 to 955 square feet, all designed to be fully accessible.
The City has also offered an ADU Amnesty Program for unpermitted units and an ADU Incentive Program for affordable rentals. Its page said the amnesty program ran through December 4, 2025, so ask the City whether it is open. California requires owners to disclose unpermitted development before a sale.
The County Recorder's fee schedule (revised June 30, 2025) lists a documentary transfer tax of $0.55 per $500 of value. Ask your escrow officer whether any city tax applies on top of that.
NCTD's BREEZE Route 101, which runs from Oceanside to the VA, UCSD and UTC along Highway 101, serves Del Mar. There is no COASTER station in the city. The nearest COASTER stations are Solana Beach (which also has Amtrak) to the north and Sorrento Valley to the south. NCTD runs FLEX routes 473 and 479 as first and last mile links from the Sorrento Valley station. City pages name Camino Del Mar and Jimmy Durante Boulevard as streets with commercial zones.
If you own in Del Mar, several checks above become part of your disclosure package: the Natural Hazard Disclosure report, fire zone information, any HOA documents and Mello-Roos notice, and any unpermitted work. If you rent the home short term, gather the permit paperwork too. This isn't a complete list. See selling a house in San Diego for the process, or ask what your Del Mar 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 Del Mar 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.
Del Mar is its own city in San Diego County, separate from the City of San Diego. It was incorporated in 1959, and the City describes itself as about 20 miles north of San Diego. At the 2020 Census it had 3,954 residents, the smallest of the county's 18 cities. The City contracts with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department for law enforcement.
No. NCTD's city-by-city route list shows Del Mar with BREEZE Route 101 only and no COASTER station. The nearest COASTER stations on that list are Solana Beach to the north and Sorrento Valley to the south. Check NCTD for current schedules.
Del Mar Union School District serves most of the city, and Solana Beach School District serves a small part. San Dieguito Union High School District serves all of it. Boundaries follow addresses, not city lines, so use each district's lookup tool and then confirm with the district or school.
Maybe not. Since February 5, 2026, the City's short-term rental ordinance has been in effect, with a citywide cap of 129 permits. The City counted 150 existing short-term rentals, and the window for existing operators to apply closed on May 1, 2026. New owners can't get a permit now and may join a waitlist. Confirm a property's status with the City before you count on rental income.
ADU applications are processed under the City's administrative Coastal Development Permit procedures. The City says plans that meet Government Code Section 65852.2 are approved within 60 days of a complete application. Rules differ by lot, so ask the City's Planning and Community Development department about your address.
Use CAL FIRE's Fire Hazard Severity Zone viewer and the FEMA Flood Map Service Center, and read the seller's Natural Hazard Disclosure report for the specific home. The free property report on this site also pre-checks fire, flood and fault zones for any San Diego County address.
Karina offers a free, no-pressure conversation in English or Portuguese, whether you're buying or selling in Del Mar (contracts and escrow documents are in English). Bring an address, and she'll go over these checks with you.