Santee is a suburban city in San Diego County, California, with a population of 60,037 at the 2020 census. Although it is a part of the East County region, Santee is located just 18 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The city is connected to the coastline by State Route 52, a six-lane freeway that runs from Interstate 5 in La Jolla to State Route 67 in El Cajon.