Relocation of the mission to the current valley site (1774)

After its founding on Presidio Hill in 1769, Mission San Diego de Alcalá was moved to a valley location in 1774 to secure better access to arable land and water for the mission community. The present mission complex on San Diego Mission Road occupies that post-1774 site and contains structures and archaeological materials associated with the relocated mission. Historic records and mission documents record the decision and timing of the move. The relocation shaped the mission's agricultural and settlement patterns during the 18th and 19th centuries.