Mission Valley and the mesas to the north form this section of the City of San Diego.  Tierrasanta is a master planned community on the eastern side of I-15. When it was built in the 60s it seemed far away from downtown but is now considered close in.  Neighborhoods in this area include Allied Gardens, Birdland, Lake Murray, Del Cerro, Grantville, San Carlos and Serra Mesa.  Proximity to both I-15 and I-8 make this area accessible from all over the county and there are many businesses located in the Kearny Mesa area.

The San Diego Trolley runs through Mission Valley and connects downtown to the Fashion Valley Mall and Qualcomm Stadium.  It is now being extended to the SDSU area beyond Mission Valley.  Mission Valley takes its name from the Mission de San Diego de Alcala, the first mission church built in California. Friars Road, named for the Franciscan missionaries runs up the center of the valley.