Local History

The History of Coronado: From Kumeyaay Land to Naval Island

A timeline of how a sandy peninsula became a Victorian resort, the birthplace of naval aviation and one of California's best-loved small towns.

Updated September 2026 · Rudy Flores

Coronado's story is packed into a place you can bike across in minutes. Scroll through the timeline to see how the Hotel del, the Navy, the ferry and the bridge shaped the island you can visit and live in today.

Facts here come from public sources and local histories. For more, visit the Coronado Historical Association and the Coronado Museum of History and Art.

Related reading

Around the Island: Coronado Dining, Parks, Shopping and Things to Do — Where to eat, play, shop and get around in Coronado, organized the way residents actually use the island.
Getting On and Off Coronado: Bridge, Ferry, Shuttle and the Silver Strand — The ways in and out of Coronado, and what to check about each one before you decide where to live.
Things to Do in Coronado — Museums, theater, the Hotel del and a ferry ride to downtown, all within a few minutes of home.
Ocean Boulevard and the Hotel del — The beachfront streets around the Hotel del Coronado, where the island meets the Pacific.

Before the town
Long before 1880
Kumeyaay people live along the bay
The Coronado peninsula lies within the traditional homeland of the Kumeyaay, who lived along San Diego Bay and the coast for thousands of years.
1602
The islands get their name
Spanish explorer Sebastian Vizcaino names the islands off the coast Los Coronados. The name later comes to the peninsula.
The resort years
1885
Five investors buy the peninsula
In November, five investors purchase Coronado and North Island, about 4,000 acres, for $110,000, with a vision of a seaside resort.
1887
A post office and a big construction site
Coronado's first post office opens in February. In March, construction begins on a grand hotel on a sandspit once home to jackrabbits and coyotes.
1888
The Hotel del Coronado opens
On February 19 the Hotel del opens with 399 rooms, then the largest resort hotel in the world. Its Victorian silhouette and red conical roof are still the island's signature.
1890
Coronado is incorporated
The community incorporates as a town on December 11.
1900
Tent City rises on the sand
John D. Spreckels creates Tent City south of the hotel, an affordable seaside vacation village that becomes a summer tradition.
A naval island
1911
The first U.S. flying school opens
Aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss founds the first flying school in the United States on the island's north end, the beginning of what becomes Naval Air Station North Island.
1917
The government builds airfields
Congress appropriates the land and commissions two airfields on North Island's sandy flats.
1927
Lindbergh takes off from North Island
On May 10, Charles Lindbergh departs in the Spirit of St. Louis on the first leg toward New York and his famous Atlantic crossing.
1937
The Navy takes the whole north end
The Army departs and the Navy expands to cover the entire island.
1939
The streetcars retire
Streetcars that had run on Orange Avenue since the 1910s are retired.
1945
The Spanish Bight is filled in
During World War II the channel between North and South Coronado is filled, joining the land into one island.
1958
Hollywood comes to the Hotel del
The hotel is featured in the comedy Some Like It Hot, filmed in 1958 and released in 1959.
1963
Birthplace of Naval Aviation
On August 15, North Island is officially recognized as the Birthplace of Naval Aviation.
The modern island
1969
The Coronado Bridge opens
The ferry makes its last run on August 2, and the next day the 2.1-mile San Diego-Coronado Bridge opens to traffic, an architectural landmark that connects the island to downtown.
1971 and 1977
The Hotel del is honored
The hotel is added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1977.
1986
The ferry returns
On June 20 a passenger ferry resumes service to downtown after 17 years, and the Ferry Landing area grows into a waterfront marketplace.
2002
Bridge tolls end
Tolls on the Coronado Bridge come to an end on June 27, making the trip to the island free.

What the history means for homes today

The Village's compact street grid, the Victorian and bungalow architecture, the naval presence and the walkable waterfront all trace back to these chapters. Rudy can show you how each part of the island carries its own piece of the story.

Historical facts come from public sources and local histories and may be simplified. Rudy is not a historian, so for deeper research visit your local historical society.

The History of Coronado: From Kumeyaay Land to Naval Island

Related reading

Kumeyaay people live along the bay

The islands get their name

Five investors buy the peninsula

A post office and a big construction site

The Hotel del Coronado opens

Coronado is incorporated

Tent City rises on the sand

The first U.S. flying school opens

The government builds airfields

Lindbergh takes off from North Island

The Navy takes the whole north end

The streetcars retire

The Spanish Bight is filled in

Hollywood comes to the Hotel del

Birthplace of Naval Aviation

The Coronado Bridge opens

The Hotel del is honored

The ferry returns

Bridge tolls end

What the history means for homes today

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