# Whence Tia Juana Street, Colorado Springs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 30, 2017, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-tia-juana-street-colorado-springs/787732 "2017-05-30T19:55:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-tia-juana-street-colorado-springs/787732/1 "2017-05-30T19:55:16Z")
Looking at some data today, I saw an address on Tia Juana Street in Colorado Springs, CO. I’m curious: Is the street named after someone’s Aunt Jane? If so, whose? Or is it a misspelling of ‘Tijuana’, which I believe is a Native word from the indigenous people of the area around Tijuana, MX, that means ‘by the sea’? ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-tia-juana-street-colorado-springs/787732/2 "2017-05-30T22:37:24Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Looking at some data today, I saw an address on Tia Juana Street in Colorado Springs, CO. I’m curious: Is the street named after someone’s Aunt Jane? If so, whose? Or is it a misspelling of ‘Tijuana’, which I believe is a Native word from the indigenous people of the area around Tijuana, MX, that means ‘by the sea’? I can’t answer your question, but I snorted derisively at your etymology for “Tijuana” because the name derives from the Tia Juana River. Or so I thought, because the voice in my head suggested I look it up just in case, and I’m glad I did because (as you already know) you’re right! I was born and lived in San Diego for my first 54 years, and with my Mexican maternal grandparents being the only extended family I ever knew, we spent a lot of time in TJ. Somewhere along the line I apparently must have assumed the “Tia Juana River” and “Tijuana” connection, and the assumption became a “fact.” Reminding me once again: Don’t believe everything you think. Ignorance Fought. It’s never too late. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-tia-juana-street-colorado-springs/787732/3 "2017-05-30T23:00:37Z")
I note that the street next to it is “Juanita Street”, FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-tia-juana-street-colorado-springs/787732/4 "2017-05-31T03:29:57Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Reminding me once again: Don’t believe everything you think. > > Ignorance Fought. It’s never too late. Note that I _think_ Tijuana comes from the native word. I don’t _know_, though. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-tia-juana-street-colorado-springs/787732/5 "2017-05-31T06:25:02Z")
Not to pile on, TC, but it’s not the Tia Juana River. It’s the Tijuana River, just like the city. (Unless we’re thinking of different rivers.) I think Johnny is right about it being a native word (Kumeyaay). Probably Tia Juana is a back formation, like the City of Angels for Los Angeles, which is really the City of Our Lady, Queen of the Angels. I’d guess the street takes its name from the back formation. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-tia-juana-street-colorado-springs/787732/6 "2017-05-31T09:42:05Z")
Why not ask the city? Several years ago I found myself in a street named for a Guardia Civil sergeant who happened to share the name of my grandfather and his father, a Guardia Civil sergeant. As the name is quite common, if it hadn’t been for the mention of the job I would have just assumed coincidence, but that detail made me curious. I wrote to the location’s city hall, they sent me a small bio of the sergeant in question. It wasn’t my great-grandad but it still was an interesting tidbit to have. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-tia-juana-street-colorado-springs/787732/7 "2017-05-31T11:18:01Z")
Not that it answers your question, but I searched city directories for Colorado Springs. The street wasn’t built(and named) until after 1948. That area was most likely outside the city limits. The 1956 City Directory says > [@](#): > > Tia Juana (Mount View Heights) parallel to Circle Drive South to Juanita. I too wonder if it had any thing to do with Juanita. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-tia-juana-street-colorado-springs/787732/8 "2017-05-31T16:10:25Z")
> [@Greg\_Charles](#): > > Not to pile on, TC, but it’s not the Tia Juana River. It’s the Tijuana River, just like the city. (Unless we’re thinking of different rivers.) Half a century later, I _know_ I saw “Tia Juana river” on a map, and I _think_ I’m positive it was near Tijuana the city. I’m hoping the map was in error, because otherwise my famously faulty memory has embarrassed me yet again. I’ll be gone for a couple of weeks, so go ahead and pile on. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-tia-juana-street-colorado-springs/787732/9 "2017-05-31T19:22:51Z")
The USGS lists several variant names of the Tijuana River. I don’t know which ones might have appeared on printed maps > [@](#): > > Variant Name > Arroyo De Tijuan > Rio Del Tia Juana > Rio Tecate > Rio Tia Juana > Rio Tiajuana > Rio Tijuana > Ti Juana River > Tia Juana > Tia Juana River > Tiajuana River ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-tia-juana-street-colorado-springs/787732/10 "2017-05-31T23:51:30Z")
Here’s the probable answer–the Mount View Heights area was almost certainly developed in the late 1940s-early 1950s as a huge need for houses arose in the US after the end of WW!!. That previously somewhat rural area was bought by a development company and houses were built. Streets were named by the company who created the houses. If you look at the street names around the area you see Tia Juana Don Juan De Cortez Santa Rosa Querida So, some Anglo in the Development Company thought up some Spanish sounding names for their streets. He/she had obviously never seen the name Tijuana written before, so wrote it phonetically(to his ear). Not uncommon in that day. You can read newspaper headlines and stories written between 1920 and 1950 in which the news story has a dateline of Tijuana but the reporter/headline writer spells it Tia Juana(two words). Not uncommon at all. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-tia-juana-street-colorado-springs/787732/11 "2017-06-01T00:01:43Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > He/she had obviously never seen the name Tijuana written before, so wrote it phonetically(to his ear). Not uncommon in that day. > > You can read newspaper headlines and stories written between 1920 and 1950 in which the news story has a dateline of Tijuana but the reporter/headline writer spells it Tia Juana(two words). Not uncommon at all. This reminds me… When I was a kid in San Diego, there was Gailxy Avenue. I’ve often wondered if it’s a misspelling. ETA: I can’t find it on a map. . ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-tia-juana-street-colorado-springs/787732/12 "2017-06-01T12:12:55Z")
About what year? Found a Galaxy Court in 1976 City Directory. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-tia-juana-street-colorado-springs/787732/13 "2017-06-01T15:43:07Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > About what year? Found a Galaxy Court in 1976 City Directory. I lived in San Diego until 1976. But now that I think of it, Gailxy might not have been there after all. Googling, I see a Gailxy Avenue in Santa Clarita, but for all I know it could have been in California City or someplace.