Independent shops in San Diego
There are 1,590 independent shops in San Diego County on the Hot Tip map, counted on , across 96 neighborhoods and towns. None is part of a national or regional chain.
Counted from the live Hot Tip map. Listings start from OpenStreetMap and are corrected by hand.
- 1,590independent shops
- 96neighborhoods and towns
- 352with hours on record
- 248chain locations left off the map
The rule for a chain is its owner. Anything with a national or regional corporate parent is out. A San Diego group with a few locations of its own stays.
By kind, as tagged in OpenStreetMap
- Clothing193
- Gift shop108
- Jewelry64
- Bike shop55
- Furniture55
- Tobacco shop49
- Florist46
- Sporting goods46
- Bookstore41
- Trade supply40
- Pet store33
- Tailor28
- Hardware24
- Shoes24
- Sweets22
- Art21
Every one of a kind, county-wide
By neighborhood
Each name goes to that area's full list: every place, with street, hours, website and phone where on record. An area with fewer than three has no list of its own, and its link goes to the area's page.
Central San Diego 626
- Convoy and Kearny Mesa87
- Mira Mesa77
- Clairemont Mesa52
- University City43
- Old Town34
- Downtown San Diego31
- Hillcrest28
- San Diego28
- Midway District24
- Little Italy22
- Normal Heights19
- North Park19
- East Village17
- Mission Valley17
- City Heights16
- Gaslamp Quarter13
- Linda Vista13
- Scripps Ranch13
- San Carlos and Del Cerro11
- University Heights10
- Balboa Park9
- Mission Hills8
- Mid-City7
- South Park5
- Tierrasanta5
- Barrio Logan4
- Golden Hill4
- College Area3
- Encanto2
- Skyline2
- Southeastern San Diego2
- Uptown1
Coastal San Diego 183
- Point Loma45
- La Jolla33
- Pacific Beach30
- Mission Bay26
- Ocean Beach23
- Coronado14
- Torrey Pines9
- Mission Beach2
- Sunset Cliffs1
North County coastal 204
- Oceanside47
- Carlsbad46
- Encinitas42
- Carmel Valley19
- Carlsbad Village18
- Del Mar16
- Solana Beach13
- Pacific Highlands Ranch3
North County inland 210
- Escondido81
- San Marcos30
- Vista24
- Poway17
- Fallbrook13
- Rancho Bernardo11
- San Pasqual9
- Rancho Peñasquitos6
- Black Mountain Ranch4
- 4S Ranch3
- Carmel Mountain Ranch3
- Sabre Springs3
- Pala2
- Bonsall1
- Miramar Ranch North1
- Pauma Valley1
- Valley Center1
East County 219
- El Cajon60
- La Mesa29
- Lemon Grove23
- Ramona18
- Lakeside17
- Casa de Oro14
- Rancho San Diego11
- Santee9
- Spring Valley7
- Julian6
- Jamul5
- Alpine4
- Borrego Springs2
- Descanso2
- Jacumba2
- Mount Laguna2
- Wynola2
- Boulevard1
- Campo1
- Guatay1
- Live Oak Springs1
- Santa Ysabel1
- Shelter Valley1
South Bay 148
- Chula Vista89
- San Ysidro30
- National City11
- Imperial Beach8
- Nestor6
- Otay Mesa3
- Bonita1
What the map can tell you
How many independent shops are there in San Diego?
Hot Tip lists 1,590 independent shops in San Diego County, counted on 5 October 2026: 626 in Central San Diego, 183 in Coastal San Diego, 204 in North County coastal, 210 in North County inland, 219 in East County and 148 in South Bay. By the tag each one carries in OpenStreetMap: Clothing 193, Gift shop 108, Jewelry 64, Bike shop 55, Furniture 55, Tobacco shop 49, Florist 46, Sporting goods 46, no tag on file 39. Chains are not counted, so the county has more than this in all.
Which San Diego neighborhoods have the most independent shops?
Chula Vista (89), Convoy and Kearny Mesa (87), Escondido (81), Mira Mesa (77), El Cajon (60) and Clairemont Mesa (52). Each area's list names every one, with street, hours, website and phone where on record.
What counts as independent here?
The rule for a chain is its owner. Anything with a national or regional corporate parent is out. A San Diego group with a few locations of its own stays. 248 chain locations were removed from the OpenStreetMap pull of 7 September 2026 on that test. Hot Tip does not record who owns a place, so it cannot say which are family owned. It can say that none of these is a chain.
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Free. A first name and an email, and no password.