In 1957, when San Diego annexed the Otay Mesa area, there were less than a 1,000 residents who were probably outnumbered by the area's rabbit population.  The name means "wide and level place" or "brushy place." a fitting description in the early days.  By the 1960's residential development had increased dramatically.  Otay Mesa was established as a community in 1985 with the creation of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.  The Otay Mesa/Nestor Community Plan was adopted in 1979 and updated in 1997.

Otay Mesa established in 1985 is located in the Southeast corner of the City of San Diego. The area is a mix of residential and industrial development.  Otay's proximity to the international border with Mexico  makes it a thriving and rapidly growing business area.  The area has gone from land covered with brush and jack rabbits with less than a 1,000 residents in 1957 to the largest commercial crossing on the California/Mexico border. The Otay Mesa Port of Entry handles the second highest volume of trucks and the third highest dollar value in trade among all U.S./Mexico land border crossings.  Over 1.4 million trucks use the Port of Entry each year carrying over $19.2 billion in products.