Oceanside

Coastal town in San Diego County, southwestern California, USA, on the Pacific Ocean, 55 km/34 mi northwest of San Diego; population (2000) 161,000. Primarily a fast-growing residential community, it is also a beach and fishing resort, and a service centre for Camp Pendleton, a Marine Corps amphibious training base adjacent to the north. Electronic and other light industrial goods are also produced. Incorporated in 1888, Oceanside prospered as a farming hub on the Santa Fe railway, and developed a thriving flower and bulb industry.

Mission San Luis Rey de Francia (1798) is one of the largest of 21 Californian missions founded by the Spanish missionary and explorer Junipero Serra along the trail of El Camino Real (the route from Baja California to San Francisco Bay along which many missions were established from 1769); its July fiesta is a popular tourist attraction. Educational institutions include Mira Costa College (1934). The 51,000-ha/125,000-ac Camp Pendleton contains vast mountain and forest reserves, including the Santa Margaritas mountain and the San Onofre State Beach.

Oceanside

Coastal town in Nassau County, southeastern New York State, USA, on Long Island's South Shore, 8 km/5 mi south of Hempstead; population (1990) 32,400. Primarily residential, it is also a summer resort.