Poway calls itself "The City in the Country," and it has retained much of its rustic charm through its transformation into a thriving bedroom community close to the City of San Diego and other areas of the county.

The area was originally recorded in the Mission San Diego de Alcala documents as "Paguay" The name was derived from the Indian word for the valley--Pau-wi--and translates as "the meeting of the valleys." The Paguay name appeared on maps as late as 1869.  However, when the Postmaster General granted the area's application for a post office, he crossed out the name that had been suggested and substituted "Poway" fixing the current spelling once and for all. It was the first post office located between San Bernardino and San Diego.

Poway's central location mid-county on I-15 and 20 miles northeast of downtown San Diego makes it a strategic location for businesses.  Poway was rated No. 6 in business growth in California by Outlook Magazine. The South Poway Business Park is linked to I-15 by six-lane Scripps Poway Parkway and contains 313 businesses. 

The 700-acre park is located in the southwestern part of the city and is home to 11,119 employees. Recently the City of Poway rezoned part of the area from light industrial to commercial making it possible for large-scale retail to locate in the park. There is a Staples, Kohl's Department Store, CostCo and Lowe's within the complex.