About Poway

Poway is a city in San Diego County, California. Originally an unincorporated community in San Diego County, Poway officially became a city on December 1, 1980. Even though Poway lies geographically in the middle of San Diego County, most consider its relative location as north county inland. Poway's rural roots gave rise to its slogan "The City in the Country." As of the 2010 census the city had a population of 47,811. The ZIP code is 92064.

Poway is located at 32°58′12″N 117°2′19″W (32.969895, -117.038479) which lies north of the city of San Diego and south of the city of Escondido. Some nearby communities of San Diego include Rancho Bernardo, Sabre Springs, Scripps Ranch, Rancho Peñasquitos, and in the county to the east, the community of Ramona. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 39.3 square miles (102 km2). 39.2 square miles (102 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (0.25%) is water.

Artifacts such as arrow heads, spear points, metates, grinding stones, and pottery found along the bed of Poway Creek all indicate an early Diegueño presence. Various pictographs adorn many of Poway's boulders, and modern techniques suggest that these paintings date back to the 16th century or earlier. Poway's contemporary history began in the late 18th century, when padres from the Mission San Diego de Alcalá kept cattle in the valley.

Documents of Mission San Diego de Alcala record the name of the valley as "Paguay" as early as 1828. Though there is a discrepancy on the exact translation of "Paguay," the generally accepted version indicates "the meeting of little valleys" or "end of the valley." Some controversy also surrounds the proper spelling on the name Poway, historically it has also been written as Paguai, Paui, Pauai, Pauy, and Powaii.

The name of the valley of Poway (Pauwai) is derived from the language of the Diegueno and Luiseno Indians who roamed the area for several hundred years before the Spaniards came. Traces of these Native Americans still remain. In Diegueño, the area is known as Pawiiy.