[2] The area currently serves as an important shopping and entertainment center for San Diego.

In 1958, the city council rezoned 90 acres (36 ha) of the river valley to allow the construction of San Diego's first regional shopping center.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the U.S. 80 freeway (now Interstate 8) was constructed through Mission Valley, further opening the area up for development.

[11] Westgate Park, a baseball stadium for the then-minor-league San Diego Padres, was built in Mission Valley in 1957.

The exact boundary between Mission Valley East and West is State Route 163.

[13][14] Mission Valley is located in City Council District 7 and is currently represented by Councilmember Raul Campillo.

The Green Line of the San Diego Trolley system also runs through Mission Valley.

The main hub for buses is located at the Fashion Valley Transit Center and Mall.

Many other commercial developments can be found in the region as well, including smaller shopping plazas, auto malls, and vocational schools.