Artifacts such as arrowheads, spear points, metates, grinding stones, and pottery found along the bed of Poway Creek all indicate an early Kumeyaay presence.

[citation needed] For approximately a century, Poway served as a stock range for the mission and local ranchos.

In September 1839, Corporal Rosario Aguilar was granted Rancho Paguai a ranch in the valley and it was confirmed on May 22, 1840, but he refused it, becoming juez de paz in 1841 and moving instead to San Juan Capistrano.

Poway has a creek and fertile soil, but the lack of easily available water prevented the settlement from attracting large-scale farmers and the accompanying population growth.

Poway no longer relies on agriculture for its primary source of income and has instead transitioned into a residential community for those who work for employers in and around the San Diego area.

[citation needed] In 2004, the City of Poway adopted the 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, based out of nearby Camp Pendleton.

The Fred L. Kent Post 7907 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars has been the official go-between with the battalion, which has been redeployed at least once to Iraq since its adoption.

The fecund soil proved well-suited to a variety of crops, including peaches, Muscat grapes, apricots, pears, hay, and alfalfa.

Most families kept a cow for milk and butter, chickens for eggs and meat, and perhaps a hog to sustain them while they farmed.

[citation needed]The success of these crops depended on the annual winter rainfall, and remained subject to variations in precipitation until the establishment of the Poway Municipal Water District in 1954.

With water readily available, the town's farming interest shifted to two principal crops: avocados and citrus fruits.

With water came new residents, and the former farm town transformed into a locale full of small commercial businesses and shopping centers.

There are nine congregations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located in Poway that meet in three meetinghouses.

Children learned to read and write using slates, and eventually progressed to study subjects such as arithmetic, spelling, English, language (German or Latin), grammar, history, and geography.

Education, while compulsory and considered a worthwhile pastime, had few far-reaching applications for Poway's farmers' children.

The stage made one stop in town, at the Poway Post Office, and also delivered mail to the farmers who would wait along the road for its arrival.

The men would trot alongside the coach and inquire as to the state of the mail and thus receive letters without requiring it to stop.

Eight to ten passengers could accompany the stagecoach on its three-day journey for a modest $1.00 fee, or purchase a round trip for the bargain price of $1.50.

Windy mountain trails often caused the stage to turn over, spilling both mail and passengers onto the rocky turf.

The city of San Diego discontinued the stage line in 1912, when the advent of the automobile facilitated an easier and less time-consuming method of mail delivery.

On January 29, 1954, an election was held on the formation of the Poway Municipal Water District, which passed with an overwhelming majority of 210 ayes to 32 nays.

At the second election on March 25, 1954, the citizens voted to annex to the San Diego County Water Authority.

At a third election held April 22, 1954, the citizens voted to incur bonded debt of $600,000 to build a water system.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city covers an area of 39.2 square miles (102 km2), 99.78% of it land, and 0.22% of it water.

According to estimates by the San Diego Association of Governments, the median household income of Poway in 2005 was $96,474 (not adjusted for inflation).

[39] One of its students, Anurag Kashyap (an eighth-grader at the time), became the 2005 National Spelling Bee champion after winning on the word "appoggiatura".

Poway Adult School also offers a robust selection of short-term CTE courses in certified nurse assistant, real estate, court reporting, financing, computers, and more.

Poway Adult School is a member of the Education to Career Network of North San Diego County.

The school's athletic teams, the Titans, participate in wrestling, lacrosse, baseball, softball, water polo, football, cross country, and 11 other sports.

[40] The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) operates public transportation in Poway.