<Tr> <Th> Population </Th> <Td> 480,463 </Td> </Tr> <P> East County is a region of San Diego County, California east of San Diego . </P> <P> East County does not have an official geographic definition . It commonly includes the four cities east of San Diego and South Bay--El Cajon, La Mesa, Santee, and Lemon Grove--as well as suburban unincorporated communities such as Lakeside, Spring Valley, Jamul, and Alpine . Many sources also include vast swathes of the backcountry of San Diego County also known as the Mountain Empire, including communities along Interstate 8 such as Pine Valley and Descanso, and communities along the rural section of California State Route 94 such as Potrero, Boulevard, and Jacumba . Other sources consider communities within the entire eastern two - thirds of the county to be East County, thereby encompassing places like Ramona, Julian, and Borrego Springs, The Ramona urban area--Ramona, San Diego Country Estates and Barona Mesa--is often considered part of inland North County due to its association with Poway, Rancho Bernardo, Escondido and other North County Inland communities . </P> <P> The populace of East County primarily dwells in the interior valleys east of San Diego proper while some development encroaches the coastal foothills . </P>

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