Also known as Coronado Island, Coronado is Spanish for "the crowned one," and thusly nicknamed The Crown City. One of the most expensive places to reside in the U.S., Coronado lies on a peninsula connected to the mainland by a 10-mile isthmus called the Silver Strand (locally, The Strand.) Locals sometimes call Coronado The Island and they denote the core living and business area as The Village. The city became a major resort destination in 1888 with the opening of the world-famous Hotel Del Coronado.

The Navy still operates Naval Air Station North Island on Coronado. On the southern side of the town is Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, a training center for Navy SEALs.

Real estate in the city of Coronado is very expensive. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the median cost of a single-family home in Coronado is $1,605,000. This makes Coronado the third most expensive place to live in San Diego County and one of the most expensive in the country, as it holds a spot within the top 20 most expensive cities in the United States.