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is a city in San Diego County, California, United States. The population was 54,749 at the 2000 census. It was founded in 1869 and officially incorporated as a city on February 16 1912. It is the hometown of NBA player Bill Walton, football stars Reggie Bush, and Alex Smith, famous actor Dennis Hopper, singer of rock band Pearl Jam Eddie Vedder, and the birthplace of heavy metal musician Dave Mustaine. Its official flower is the bougainvillea. At the beginning of each October, La Mesa holds their biggest event of the year, Oktoberfest.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 24.1 km² (9.3 mi²). 24.0 km² (9.3 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.32%) is water. La Mesa in Spanish means "the table", or alternately "the plateau", relating to its geography. La Mesa was part of a larger tract, Mission San Diego de Alcalá, and used by Spanish Missionaries.