Bonsall, California

The area known as Bonsall was originally called Mount Fairview and had a post office by that name from December 28, 1871, to December 28, 1880. It received a post office in 1881 under the name Osgood, after California Southern Railroad chief engineer Joseph O. Osgood; the renaming was supposedly an unsuccessful attempt to convince Osgood to build the railroad through the San Luis Rey River Valley (the rail line eventually followed the Santa Margarita River instead). Following a contest, the town was renamed Bonsall in 1890, after local minister James A. Bonsall. ==Geography==

Bonsall is just east of Oceanside and Camp Pendleton, north of Vista and northwest of Hidden Meadows. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of . The is land whereas or (1.28%) is water. ==Demographics==

Bonsall was first listed as a census designated place in the 1990 U.S. census. 2.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 97.1% lived in rural areas. ==Education==

Bonsall is served by the Bonsall Unified School District. consisting of three elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. Joseph Clevenger has served as superintendent since July 1, 2021. ==Politics==

In the California State Legislature, Bonsall is in , and in . In the United States House of Representatives, Bonsall is in . In June 1988, Bonsall-area voters defeated a ballot initiative to create a Community Services District ("CSD") after opponents argued that the boundaries included too many county taxpayers who more closely associated with neighboring cities Vista and Fallbrook rather than the unincorporated Bonsall community. ==References==