San Diego County Administration Center, Government building along Pacific Highway in San Diego, United States

The San Diego County Administration Center is a government building along Pacific Highway featuring Beaux-Arts architecture with symmetrical design, grand columns, and decorative stonework across its facade. The structure houses county administrative offices and serves as a central point for government operations.

This Works Progress Administration project was dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938, representing a major investment in San Diego's civic infrastructure during the Depression era. The dedication reflected the government's commitment to developing public buildings and creating local employment.

Inside, egg-tempera murals by Arthur Ames and Jean Goodwin line the walls, painted with a medium popular in Italy from the 13th to 15th centuries. The county's art collection also holds works by Charles Reiffel and Charles Fries, plus a portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt by Donald Armand Luscomb. Outside, Donal Hord's 1939 sculpture fountain Guardian of Water faces the harbor.

The building is located along Pacific Highway and operates during standard business hours for county services. Keep in mind it functions as an active government office, so some areas may have restricted access depending on official business and security procedures.

The building's nickname, "Jewel on the Bay," comes from its position fronting San Diego Bay. Its 1930s design was called "a prototype of American civic center architecture," and the structure was stabilized with 30-foot steel pilings, some set at alternating angles to bear lateral stress.