The January 1, 2006, population of the Ramona Community Planning Area is estimated to be 36,405 by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG).

[6][7] Before it was permanently settled, the Ramona area was inhabited by the Kumeyaay Nation of Native Americans (Diegueño), a semi-nomadic people, who established annual settlements there as they moved between coastal and inland grounds.

[13] The Hall was built on two lots donated by Milton Santee, who as noted above headed up the Santa Maria Land & Water Company syndicate.

[14] Augustus and Martha Barnett donated the $17,000[14] "to the towns people of Nuevo, on Washington's Birthday, February 22, 1894."

Ramona Town Hall was designed by architect William S. Hebbard, who later, with his partner, Irving Gill, produced San Diego's best architecture until its breakup in 1907.

The town’s first bank and first library also started in the building, and several religious groups met there before their churches were built.

Moore fought from 1936 until 1963 and battled the top names in boxing at the time, including Rocky Marciano, Floyd Patterson and Muhammad Ali.

Moore's connection to San Diego was his retreat, the Salt Mine Training Camp in Ramona.

55-year-old former-tennis-great-turned-hustler, Bobby Riggs, challenged the then 30-year-old women's world number-one player, Margaret Court, to a match.

He later lost to Billie Jean King in The Battle of the Sexes at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas, on September 20, 1973.

The Cedar Fire began in Ramona approximately 3 miles (5 km) east of the San Diego Country Estates area, on October 25, 2003.

The fire would eventually consume approximately 280,000 acres (1,133 km2), burn 2,820 buildings (including 2,232 homes), and take 15 lives.

In her book, A Canyon Trilogy, author Chi Varnado, a longtime Ramona resident, described many of the hardships the victims faced in the aftermath of the fire.

Woodson Elementary, Natalie Jones, was forbidden from delivering a class presentation on assassinated gay San Francisco city councilor Harvey Milk because her principal, and later the school district, declared it a "sensitive" issue that not all parents might want their children to learn about.

[15] As an unincorporated town, Ramona's plenary local governing body is the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.

The charter school failed after a few years from a decline in the number of students and political friction from the RUSD.

Ramona Adult School is a provider of adult education services in Ramona, California and serves the communities of Ballena, Santa Ysabel, San Diego Country Estates, Four Corners, Barona Reservation, Fernbrook, San Pasqual Valley, and Wynola.

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

The Ramona Community Planning Area encompasses more than 84,000 acres (340 km2)[27] (over 130 square miles (340 km2)) in central San Diego County.

The RCPA includes the unincorporated town of Ramona, California, and is located in the foothills of the Laguna Mountains.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Ramona CDP covers an area of 38.4 square miles (99 km2), 99.95% of it land, and 0.05% of it water.

Ramona has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) typical of inland southern California, with a high diurnal temperature variation that averages 30.3 °F (16.8 °C) over the year.

[38] The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), San Diego County's regional planning agency, has compiled census data for all census tracts in the Ramona Community Planning Area (RCPA).

Of those 25 or older 86.34% had graduated high school (including GEDs), and 31.1% had attended college, but had not earned a degree.

[42] According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 15.3 square miles (40 km2), all land.

According to the United States Census Bureau the San Diego Country Estates CDP is located at 33°0′9″N 116°47′56″W / 33.00250°N 116.79889°W / 33.00250; -116.79889 (33.002636, -116.799005).

[44] The demise of the egg industry was, in part, due to population growth and increased land values.

Notable among current agricultural pursuits in Ramona is rapidly growing wine grape production.

Although the cost of imported water has been a negative issue in recent years,[46] avocado and citrus orchards are also prominent.

The Golden Eagle Farm in eastern Ramona's Ballena Valley was the home of Best Pal, the second-place finisher[48] of the 1991 Kentucky Derby.