Kearny Mesa, located in the center of the county just north of Mission Valley, is primarily a commercial and industrial area. Montgomery Field, a popular regional airport owned by the City of San Diego, occupies space at the southern end of the district. The airport was originally called Gibbs Airfield and was established in 1937. Many of the buildings in the area have views of the airport and its activities.

Beginning in 1955, General Dynamics and a number of other aerospace and electronic firms developed facilities in this area making it the center of the thriving defense industry in San Diego. With the end of the Cold War and the downsizing of the defense industry, General Dynamics closed its facilities and the site became a redevelopment area.  Now known as Spectrum, the area is rapidly revamping with new buildings and uses.