Why is there a sign saying "Leaving San Diego County" off Pomerado Road?

Hey, MatMan:

Sometimes after getting off work in Kearny Mesa, I'll jump off I-15 at Pomerado on my way home to the great big city of Poway. Shortly after leaving the freeway, just before USIU, there is a sign that sez "Leaving San Diego County." Try as I might, I never can seem to find a sign that tells me I've returned to San Diego County, although I'm real sure that my beloved Poway is in that very county. So I've got two questions for you: 1) If I truly leave San Diego County like the sign sez, where am I? and B) At what point do I return to the county?

-- Tim, the net

If you keep your eyes on the road, Tim, I'll watch for signs. In fact that may be why you missed the companion notice -- because at that point you're rounding a corner and jockeying for maximum speed position, trying to ace out the other commuters. "Entering San Diego County" is on the south side of Pomerado Road, just a few hundred yards east of I-15. This is definitely a case of the government giving us more information than we need.

The county owns a small chunk of the northeast quadrant of the I-15 intersection with Pomerado/Miramar. Pomerado runs through one tiny part of it. According to the county roads folks, the signs just indicate they're responsible for maintenance of the paltry rectangle of asphalt between "Entering" and "Leaving." Apparently you'll find lots of these signs around the county. Of course, the next logical question is, since the U.S. government owns a lot of the land below Miramar and Pomerado, when you turn south, why doesn't it say "Entering the United States"?