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Seaside, California

Seaside, formerly East Monterey, is a city in Monterey County, California, United States, with a population of 32,366 as of the 2020 census. It is located 2.25 mi east-northeast of Monterey, at an elevation of 33 ft, and is the home of California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB), UC MBEST Center, and the Monterey College of Law, which are located on the site of the former military base Fort Ord. Also on the site are the Bayonet and Black Horse golf courses, now open to the public and host to PGA Tour events, including the 2012 PGA Professional National Championship. Seaside is the gateway to Fort Ord National Monument, created on April 20, 2012.

History
In 1888 Seaside, then called East Monterey, was laid out by Dr. J.L.D. Roberts as a resort community. The Seaside post office opened in 1891. Seaside was incorporated in 1954 with Jack Oldemeyer as its first mayor. In the mid-1960s, over a quarter of the population (6,000 out of 22,000) was African-American, which was the largest concentration of African-Americans between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Geography
Seaside is located at 36.61111°N, -121.84472°W, toward the southern end of Monterey Bay. It is bordered to the north by Marina, to the west by Sand City, to the southwest by Monterey, and to the south by Del Rey Oaks. The California State Route 1 freeway runs along the western border of the city, north of Sand City.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Seaside has a total area of 9.1 sqmi, of which 8.9 sqmi are land and 0.1 sqmi, or 1.51%, are water. According to the maps of the United States Geological Survey, the elevation ranges from 0 to 165 m.

Climate
The climate is a cool Mediterranean type, strongly influenced by the prevailing winds from the west, which blow over the Pacific Coast's cool ocean currents from Alaska. At the nearest National Weather Service Climate Station, in the City of Monterey at 385 ft elevation: The coldest month is January, with an average daily high of 59.9 °F; the warmest month is September, with an average daily high of 72 °F; the average daily low is 43 °F in January and 52.7 °F in September; and the average rainfall is 20 in per year, with 90.3% falling during November through April. The weather can be much hotter when the winds blow from the east: Since 1906, there have been 11 days with a high of 100 °F or higher; all 11 days occurred in June, September, or October.

This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Seaside has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.

Law and government
The City of Seaside is a General Law City with a Council/Manager form of government. The five-member City Council is a legislative and policy-making body that is elected on a nonpartisan basis to represent the residents of Seaside.

The City Manager is appointed by the City Council to manage the daily operations of the city and is responsible for making policy recommendations to the City Council and implementing City Council policy directives.

Policy decisions are made at City Council meetings, which are held on the first and third Thursdays of each month at 5:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at City Hall, with special meetings as needed. At these public meetings, the City Council makes policy determinations; approves agreements and contracts; adopts ordinances (local laws) and regulations; and authorizes the expenditure of City funds. The City Council also serves as the board of directors for the Redevelopment Agency of the City Council. Meetings of the Redevelopment Agency are held in concurrence with the City Council Meetings.

2010
At the 2010 census Seaside had a population of 33,025. The population density was 3,522.5 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Seaside was 15,978 (48.4%) White, 2,783 (8.4%) African American, 347 (1.1%) Native American, 3,206 (9.7%) Asian, 529 (1.6%) Pacific Islander, 7,579 (22.9%) from other races, and 2,603 (7.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14,347 persons (43.4%).

The census reported that 31,898 people (96.6% of the population) lived in households, 1,127 (3.4%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.

There were 10,093 households, 4,408 (43.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 5,232 (51.8%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,433 (14.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 708 (7.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 727 (7.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 70 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,927 households (19.1%) were one person and 697 (6.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.16. There were 7,373 families (73.1% of households); the average family size was 3.57.

The age distribution was 8,923 people (27.0%) under the age of 18, 4,428 people (13.4%) aged 18 to 24, 10,154 people (30.7%) aged 25 to 44, 6,675 people (20.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,845 people (8.6%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 30.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.8 males.

There were 10,872 housing units at an average density of 1,159.6 per square mile, of the occupied units 4,183 (41.4%) were owner-occupied and 5,910 (58.6%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.9%. 11,979 people (36.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 19,919 people (60.3%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
At the 2000 census there were 31,696 people in 9,833 households, including 7,394 families, in the city. The population density was 3,591.3 PD/sqmi. There were 11,005 housing units at an average density of 1,246.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 49.21% White, 12.61% African American, 1.04% Native American, 10.09% Asian, 1.29% Pacific Islander, 18.41% from other races, and 7.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 34.48%.

Of the 9,833 households 42.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 18.1% of households were one person and 6.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.21 and the average family size was 3.59.

The age distribution was 30.2% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 34.4% from 25 to 44, 15.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% 65 or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $41,393, and the median family income was $43,259. Males had a median income of $29,204 versus $26,424 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,183. About 9.3% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Seaside High School is home to the 2006 CCS Small-Division Football Championship winners, the Spartans, led by coaches Alfred Avila, Quentin Crosby, Michael Drain, Jeff Quenga, Matt Avila, Pastor Joe Kamp, and Bryan Shaw. The football game between county rival Monterey High School attracts nearly 5,000 people every year. Ron Rivera, head coach of the NFL's Washington Commanders and former linebacker for the Chicago Bears, was a 1980 graduate of Seaside High School.

California State University, Monterey Bay is located in Seaside near Fort Ord and is the second newest campus after CSU Channel Islands. Seaside is also home to Monterey College of Law, a private law school.

Monterey Peninsula College has public safety training center in Seaside that includes a fire and police academy.

Economy
The Defense Manpower Data Center has an office in Seaside, on the former Fort Ord.

Scribble Hill
Scribble Hill (also known as "Message Mountain") is part of Seaside's popular culture. It is a large sand dune near the junction of Fremont Boulevard and State Route 1, technically in Sand City, but adjacent to Seaside High School. People write messages on the dune with ice plant. It is a popular place for birthday messages, wedding proposals, and congratulation messages. Many people climb atop it to view fireworks on July 4. It is also known as "The Big Dune" or "The Dune" or "The Big Sand Hill" or "The Sand Board".

Bayonet and Black Horse golf courses
Bayonet Golf Course, designed in 1954, was built on the Fort Ord military base. It was named after the Army's 7th Infantry division. The course was allegedly designed to play to then-commanding officer Major General Robert B. McClure's terrible slice, and thus has a series of holes nicknamed "Combat Corner" with substantial doglegs. Black Horse, named after the 11th Cavalry, followed in 1964. Until 1997, the golf courses were only open to members of the military; in 1997 it was purchased by the City of Seaside and opened to the public. After several years of renovation, the courses now meet USGA specifications, and have one new and eight redesigned holes. In 2012, these two courses hosted the PGA Professional National Championship Both Bayonet and Black Horse overlook Monterey Bay, and are par 72 courses.

Notable people

 * Jamaree Bouyea, basketball player
 * Tony Curtis, professional football player
 * Herman Edwards, football coach
 * Mason Foster, professional football player
 * Mike Gravel, U.S. senator from Alaska
 * Charley Harraway, professional football player
 * Melvin T. Mason, city councilman and 1984 presidential candidate (SWP)
 * Rachel Roy, fashion designer

title: Seaside, California


text:
Soledad, California

Soledad is a city in Monterey County, California, United States. It is in the Salinas Valley, 21 mi southeast of Salinas, the county seat. Soledad's population was 24,925 at the 2020 census, down from 25,738 in 2010. Soledad's origins started with Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, founded by the Spanish in 1791, under the leadership of Fermín de Lasuén. Catalina Munrás began developing the town of Soledad on her Rancho San Vicente in the 1860s, which eventually incorporated as a city in 1921. Today, Soledad is a notable tourist destination, owing to the heavily restored mission, its proximity to Pinnacles National Park, and its numerous vineyards, as part of the Monterey wine region.

History
The Chalon tribe of the Ohlone nation of indigenous Californians have inhabited the area around Soledad for thousands of years. The Paraíso Hot Springs, west of Soledad, had long been used by the Chalon.

Soledad's history as a settlement began in 1791, when the Spanish founded Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, under the leadership of Padre Fermín de Lasuén. Alongside the Spanish and the Chalon, the Esselen and Yokuts people eventually came to reside in Soledad as well. However, unlike many other missions in California, Soledad did not initially develop into a town outside of the mission. Noted artist Esteban Munrás came to the area in the 1820s, along with his wife Catalina Munrás. He was granted Rancho San Vicente in 1835 by Governor José Castro, although he and his family resided in Monterey until his death in 1850. On his deathbed, Munrás told his dying wishes to his wife Catalina: that she should not sell Rancho San Vicente, but instead hold on to it and develop a town there when the right time came.

Catalina Munrás began to subdivide the rancho and develop a town in the 1860s, and donated land for the construction of a school, a church, and a cemetery. She later granted the right-of-way to the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1872, which established a station in Soledad, allowing the town to emerge as an agricultural center.

Los Coches Adobe, built in the 1840s, became a popular stopover for people traveling on Southern Pacific trains between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The Soledad post office opened in 1869. The Township of Soledad was created on February 6, 1876, by the Board of Supervisors of Monterey County, upgrading the settlement to an official town. In 1921, Soledad incorporated as a city.

In 1898 Fort Romie was founded just west of Soledad, but is today part of the community of Soledad. In the early 1900s, the Paraíso Hot Springs became a popular resort for travelers on Southern Pacific trains.

Soledad is used as a backdrop in John Steinbeck's 1937 novel Of Mice and Men, a novella about the friendship of two men who find work on a farm in the Salinas Valley.

Geography
Soledad is located in central Monterey County at 36.42472°N, -121.32639°W. It is 8 mi southeast of Gonzales and 9 mi northwest of Greenfield, both via U.S. Route 101.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.65 sqmi, of which 4.46 sqmi are land and 0.19 sqmi, or 4.09%, are water. The Salinas River flows to the northwest past the southernmost part of the city.

Soledad is 10 mi by road southwest of Pinnacles National Park, nestled among the nearby Gabilan Range.

Climate
This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Soledad has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.

Recreation

 * Pinnacles National Park
 * Arroyo Seco AVA

2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,263 people, 2,472 households, and 2,242 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,680.0 PD/sqmi. There were 2,534 housing units at an average density of 603.0 /mi2. The racial makeup of the city was 31.90% White, 1.15% African American, 1.73% Native American, 2.35% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 58.56% from other races, and 4.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 86.82% of the population.

There were 2,472 households, out of which 60.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.9% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 9.3% were non-families. 7.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.54 and the average family size was 4.58.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 36.7% under the age of 18, 12.9% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 13.1% from 45 to 64, and 5.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,602, and the median income for a family was $41,188. Males had a median income of $31,566 versus $23,964 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,442. About 16.3% of families and 18.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.1% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Soledad had a population of 25,738. The population density was 5,637.5 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Soledad was 12,625 (49.1%) White, 2,945 (11.4%) African American, 367 (1.4%) Native American, 757 (2.9%) Asian, 103 (0.4%) Pacific Islander, 8,189 (31.8%) from other races, and 752 (2.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18,308 persons (71.1%).

The Census reported that 15,635 people (60.7% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 10,103 (39.3%) were institutionalized. There were 3,664 households, out of which 2,471 (67.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,387 (65.1%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 586 (16.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 291 (7.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 224 (6.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 30 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 301 households (8.2%) were made up of individuals, and 123 (3.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.27. There were 3,264 families (89.1% of all households); the average family size was 4.41.

The population was spread out, with 5,674 people (22.0%) under the age of 18, 2,455 people (9.5%) aged 18 to 24, 10,126 people (39.3%) aged 25 to 44, 6,296 people (24.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,187 people (4.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 235.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 301.8 males.

There were 3,876 housing units at an average density of 849.0 /mi2, of which 2,092 (57.1%) were owner-occupied, and 1,572 (42.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.1%. 8,642 people (33.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 6,993 people (27.2%) lived in rental housing units.

The mean household income within the Soledad city limits was $58,841, and the median household income was $44,343. Roughly 7.8% of households were below the poverty line.

Socioeconomically, 31.8% of Soledad's households were considered upper middle income to upper income while 45.8% were considered lower middle income to upper middle income. Roughly 22.4% of households were considered lower income.

Economy
Soledad is seated at the heart of one of the most economically productive and technologically advanced agricultural regions in the world; hence, the Salinas Valley name, "Salad Bowl of the World." Agricultural companies working out of this region include Dole Fresh Vegetables, Tanimura & Antle Fresh Foods, Taylor Farms, D'Arrigo Brothers Inc., Mann Packing Inc., Merrill Farms and Braga Farms.

Agriculture
Soledad's farmland is considered "Prime Farmland", meaning that the soils around and near the city have some of the best physical and chemical characteristics for farming. Due to this fact great efforts in conserving farmland are a very high priority for the city. Prime farmland is the backbone of the Soledad economy. Future planning will consider the effect of urban sprawl amongst the farmlands. The climate also allows for year-round crops.

Dole Food Company maintains a plant in Soledad. Opened in 1994, it is touted as being the "world's largest pre-cut salad plant."

As of 2007, Soledad features a weekly certified Farmers' Market on Soledad St.

Wine
Soledad is located in one of the primary wine grape-growing regions of California with over twenty vineyards and wineries within a thirty-mile radius, several of which have tasting rooms and offer a wide selection of wines for sale. Some of the vineyards and wineries located nearby are Chalone, Scheid, Paraiso Vineyards, Pisoni Vineyards, Hahn Estate, San Saba, J. Lohr, Kendall-Jackson, Ventana, Hess Select, Estancia, The Michaud Vineyard and Graff Family Vineyards.

Other notable wineries include Chalone Vineyard, Paraiso Springs Vineyards, Hahn Estate Winery, Zabala Vineyards, Richard Boyer Wines, and Ventana Vineyards. It was once the home of the Paul Masson Winery which is now closed.

Energy
Soledad is home to the Soledad Energy Partnership, operators of a wood-waste burning electric power plant. This 13.5 megawatt facility was restarted in July 2001 after a six-year shut-down due to termination of a PG&E purchase agreement. The plant was recommissioned during the California electricity crisis.

As of mid-2006, the plant was again closed. Several violations at the plant have been issued by the California Integrated Water Quality System Project. The plant was issued violations from 2002 to 2006 for various reporting and pollution allegations.

Media
Television service for the community comes from the Monterey-Salinas-Santa Cruz designated market area (DMA). Radio stations Monterey-Salinas-Santa Cruz area of dominant influence (ADI) or continuous measurement market (CMM). Local newspapers include the Monterey County Herald, Salinas Californian and Soledad Bee.

In a 2013 Safe Cities report, Soledad was rated California's eleventh-safest city. Soledad was highly regarded for its sense of community and high amount of volunteerism. The 50 Safest Cities in California

Soledad was also rated the ninety-fourth-safest city out of one hundred cities nationwide in a 2014 Neighborhood Scout Report.

Schools
Soledad Unified School District serves most of Soledad, but a large portion of unincorporated Soledad is also served by Mission Union School District.

Soledad High School is the primary high school in the area, there is also a continuation school known as Pinnacles High School. Soledad Main Street Middle School is the only middle school in the city and there are five different elementary schools in the area: Rose Ferrero Elementary School, Jack Franscioni Elementary School, Gabilan Elementary School, Frank Ledesma Elementary School, San Vicente Elementary School.

Transportation
Soledad is located on U.S. Route 101 and is accessible via northbound and southbound exit ramps on Front Street, at the north and south ends of town. It is the western terminus of California State Route 146, which connects the city to nearby Pinnacles National Park.

Soledad is serviced by the Monterey-Salinas Transit line 23 (Salinas – King City). As of September 5, 2009, the bus stops in Soledad are located at the correctional facility, Front & San Vicente and Monterey & East.

In popular culture

 * Of Mice and Men by Nobel Prize-winning Californian author John Steinbeck, is set near Soledad.
 * In July 2015, Ghost Adventures filmed an episode for three days at the infamously haunted Los Coches adobe. The city is hoping it will create national attention and could be made into a tourist destination. The episode aired September 26, 2015.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Soledad, California


text:
Spreckels, California

Spreckels is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in the Salinas Valley of Monterey County, California, United States. Spreckels is located 3 mi south of Salinas, at an elevation of 62 ft. Its population was 692 at the 2020 census.

Spreckels is one of the best-preserved company towns in the United States. It was built to house workers for the Spreckels Sugar Company plant, which operated there from 1899 until 1982, named after its founder "Sugar King" Claus Spreckels. When it opened, the Spreckels plant was the world's largest sugar beet factory, each day consuming 13000000 usgal of water—with much of it pumped from wells—to process 3000 ST of beets.

Spreckels is associated with the writer John Steinbeck, who lived and worked there for a time, and used it as a setting in his novel Tortilla Flat. Spreckels was used as a location for the 1955 Steinbeck movie East of Eden.

History
The Spreckels post office opened in 1898. The name honors Claus Spreckels, who built a sugar mill at the site.

Geography
Spreckels is located in northern Monterey County at 36.62194°N, -121.64694°W. It is about 3 mi south of Salinas, the county seat, on the north side of the Salinas River, and approximately 2 mi east of Old Hilltown.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Spreckels CDP has a total area of 0.1 sqmi, all of it land.

Climate
This region experiences warm and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 F. According to the Köppen climate classification, Spreckels has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, Csb on climate maps.

Employers
Spreckels is home to two major agricultural employers: Tanimura & Antle and D'Arrigo Brothers.

2010
At the 2010 census, Spreckels had a population of 673. The population density was 5,509.4 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Spreckels was 483 (71.8%) White, 0 (0.0%) African American, 13 (1.9%) Native American, 26 (3.9%) Asian, 130 (19.3%) from other races, and 21 (3.1%) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 193 people (28.7%).

The whole population lived in households, no one lived in noninstitutionalized group quarters and no one was institutionalized.

Of the 229 households, 89 (38.9%) had children under 18 living in them, 134 (58.5%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 27 (11.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 12 (5.2%) had a male householder with no wife present, 7 (3.1%) were unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 2 (0.9%) were same-sex married couples or partnerships; 45 households (19.7%) were one person and 17 (7.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.94. There were 173 families (75.5% of households); the average family size was 3.38.

The age distribution was as follows: 172 people (25.6%) were under 18, 44 people (6.5%) were between 18 and 24, 173 people (25.7%) were between 25 and 44, 208 people (30.9%) were between 45 and 64, and 76 people (11.3%) were 65 or older. The median age was 39.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.9 males. Among those 18 and older, there were 92.7 males for every 100 females.

The 246 housing units had an average density of 2,013.8 per square mile; of the occupied units, 160 (69.9%) were owner-occupied and 69 (30.1%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 2.8%. In all, 467 people (69.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 206 people (30.6%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
At the 2000 census, 485 people, 171 households, and 127 families were in the CDP. The population density was 3,629.3 PD/sqmi. The 176 housing units had an average density of 1,317.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 86.39% White, 0.62% African American, 1.65% Native American, 2.68% Asian, 6.80% from other races, and 1.86% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 27.63%.

Of the 171 households, 40.9% had children under 18 living with them, 56.7% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.7% were not families. About 17.0% of households were one person and 6.4% were one person 65 or older. The average household size was 2.84, and the average family size was 3.20.

The age distribution was 29.1% under 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.

The median household income was $58,009 and the median family income was $51,250. Males had a median income of $22,250 versus $24,750 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $19,752. None of the families and 1.1% of the population were living below the poverty line, including none under 18 and none over 64.

title: Spreckels, California


text:
American Canyon, California

American Canyon (previously known as Napa Junction ) is a city located in southern Napa County, California, United States, 35 mi northeast of San Francisco, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. The 2020 census reported the city's population as 21,837. Its ZIP Code is 94503, and its area code is 707. It is in the Pacific Time time zone and observes Daylight-Saving Time. The city was incorporated in 1992.

Geography
American Canyon is bounded geographically by the Napa River to the west, the foothills of the Sulfur Springs Mountains to the east, Vallejo and Solano County to the south and vineyards and the Napa County Airport (IATA airport code APC) to the north. American Canyon Creek, a tributary of the Napa River, runs through the city.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.8 sqmi, of which 99.83% is land and 0.17% is water.

The unincorporated community of Napa Junction is adjacent to the city.

On August 24, 2014, at 3:20 a.m., the area was struck by a magnitude 6.0 earthquake centered 3.7 mi northwest of the city.

Climate
This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 F. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, American Canyon has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.

Demographics
American Canyon is the second most populous city in Napa County, after the City of Napa.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that American Canyon had a population of 19,454. The population density was 4,015.4 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of American Canyon was 7,564 (38.9%) White, 1,535 (7.9%) African American, 142 (0.7%) Native American, 6,396 (32.9%) Asian, 176 (0.9%) Pacific Islander, 2,357 (12.1%) from other races, and 1,284 (6.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5,009 persons (25.7%).

The Census reported that 99.7% of the population lived in households and 0.3% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters.

There were 5,657 households, out of which 2,805 (49.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,527 (62.3%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 751 (13.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 335 (5.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 296 (5.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 42 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 765 households (13.5%) were made up of individuals, and 309 (5.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.43. There were 4,613 families (81.5% of all households); the average family size was 3.78.

The population was spread out, with 5,496 people (28.3%) under the age of 18, 1,764 people (9.1%) aged 18 to 24, 5,234 people (26.9%) aged 25 to 44, 5,095 people (26.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,865 people (9.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.

There were 5,982 housing units at an average density of 1,234.7 /sqmi, of which 78.5% were owner-occupied and 21.5% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.8%. 77.4% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 22.4% lived in rental housing units.

2000
The 2000 census reported 9,774 people in the city, organized into 3,209 households and 2451 families. The U. S. Census Bureau reported the population of the city as 19,454, an increase of 99%. The city government estimated the population at 19,862, citing statistics from the California Department of Finance Demographic Research Unit.

The 2000 population density was 2,368.0 PD/sqmi. There were 3274 housing units at an average density of 793.2 /sqmi.

There were 3209 households, out of which 38.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.1% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 18.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.0 and the average family size was 3.4. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $52,105, and the median income for a family was $61,536. Males had a median income of $42,358 versus $29,211 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,440. 8.8% of the population and 6.8% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 9.6% of those under the age of 18 and 10.6% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Economy
Major employers in American Canyon include Owens Corning Masonry Products and Mezzetta.

Government
The mayor of American Canyon is popularly elected to a four-year term. The current mayor is Leon Garcia. City Council members are elected to four-year terms, and select one of their members to serve as vice mayor. The other current City Council members are Mariam Aboudamous, Mark Joseph, David Oro, and Pierre Washington. Leon Garcia is serving his fourth term as mayor, and Pierre Washington is the vice mayor.

In the California State Legislature, American Canyon is in, and in.

In the United States House of Representatives, American Canyon is in.

title: American Canyon, California


text:
Angwin, California

Angwin is a census-designated place (CDP) in Napa County, California, best known as the site of Pacific Union College. It is part of the northern San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 3,051 at the 2010 census. Its area code is 707. Its two zip codes are 94508 and 94576. It is in the Pacific time zone.

History
The town of Angwin is named for Edwin Angwin (1841–1919), a native of St. Agnes, Cornwall, who in 1875 purchased a 200 acre parcel within the Rancho La Jota on Howell Mountain and established the Angwin Resort. By the 1900s, Mr. Angwin owned almost 1,600 acre of land in the area.

Prior to 1875, Rancho La Jota was held in its entirety by William Campbell Watson, husband of Elizabeth Anne Davis, the granddaughter of George C. Yount. Mr. Watson began to sell off portions of the Rancho in 1875, Mr. Angwin's being among the first parcels. Soon after a community began to emerge with the success of, and in support of, the Angwin Resort.

In 1909, Healdsburg College (formerly Healdsburg Academy), a Seventh-day Adventist college, moved from its location in Healdsburg when it purchased the Angwin Resort for $60,000 to open Pacific Union College. According to a 1985 KRON-TV news report, more than 80 percent of the population of Angwin belonged to the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

In August 2020, Angwin was evacuated due to the Hennessey Fire.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 4.9 sqmi, 99.14% of it land and 0.86% of it water.

Angwin is located within the Howell Mountain AVA.

Climate
Angwin's Pacific Union College has maintained a National Weather Service cooperative weather station since 1940. Average January temperatures are a maximum of 52.2 F and a minimum of 37.9 F. There are an average of 35.3 days with highs of 90.0 F or higher and 25.1 days with lows of 32.0 F or lower. The record high temperature was 110 F on July 15, 1972. The record low temperature was 14 F on December 9, 1972.

Average annual precipitation is 40.60 in. The wettest year was 1983 with 88.89 in and the driest year was 2020 with 16.28 in. The most precipitation in one month was 40.81 in in January 2017. The most precipitation in 24 hours was 10.48 in on October 24, 2021.

Average annual snowfall is 2.0 in. The most snow in one year was 23.3 in in 1952, including 12.8 in in January.

2010
At the 2010 census Angwin had a population of 3,051. The population density was 626.4 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Angwin was 2,124 (69.6%) White, 139 (4.6%) African American, 22 (0.7%) Native American, 339 (11.1%) Asian, 5 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 234 (7.7%) from other races, and 188 (6.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 625 people (20.5%).

The census reported that 2,058 people (67.5% of the population) lived in households, 944 (30.9%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 49 (1.6%) were institutionalized.

There were 824 households, 233 (28.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 461 (55.9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 66 (8.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 33 (4.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 28 (3.4%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 7 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 209 households (25.4%) were one person and 38 (4.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.50. There were 560 families (68.0% of households); the average family size was 2.93.

The age distribution was 413 people (13.5%) under the age of 18, 1,146 people (37.6%) aged 18 to 24, 565 people (18.5%) aged 25 to 44, 672 people (22.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 255 people (8.4%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 24.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.8 males.

There were 912 housing units at an average density of 187.2 per square mile, of the occupied units 429 (52.1%) were owner-occupied and 395 (47.9%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.9%. 1,131 people (37.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 927 people (30.4%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
At the 2000 census there were 3,148 people, 811 households, and 587 families in the CDP. The population density was 643.5 PD/sqmi. There were 874 housing units at an average density of 178.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP in 2010 was 59.7% non-Hispanic White, 4.2% non-Hispanic Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 10.7% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.4% from other races, and 4.0% from two or more races. 20.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 811 households 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.6% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.6% were non-families. 20.8% of households were one person and 3.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.06.

The age distribution was 15.4% under the age of 18, 36.8% from 18 to 24, 20.5% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% 65 or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males.

The median household income was $56,453 and the median family income was $63,972. Males had a median income of $46,589 versus $34,917 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $20,126. About 5.5% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.0% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.

Government
In the California State Legislature, Angwin is in, and in.

In the United States House of Representatives, Angwin is in.

title: Angwin, California


text:
Calistoga, California

Calistoga (Wappo: Nilektsonoma) is a city in Napa County, California, United States. Located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the city had a population of 5,228 as of the 2020 census.

Calistoga was founded in 1868 when the California Pacific Railroad was built, establishing the town as a tourist destination for its Calistoga Hot Springs. Today, Calistoga continues as a popular tourist destination in Wine Country, owing to its vineyards and historic landmarks.

History
The Upper Napa Valley was once the home of a significant population of Indigenous People, called the Wappo during the Spanish colonial era of the late 18th century. With abundant oak trees providing acorns as a food staple and the natural hot springs as a healing ground Calistoga (Wappo: Nilektsonoma, meaning "Chicken Hawk Place") was the site of several villages. Following Mexican Independence, mission properties were secularized and disposed of by the Mexican government with much of the Napa Valley being partitioned into large ranchos in the 1830s and 1840s. The first Anglo settlers began arriving in the 1840s, with several taking up lands in the Calistoga area.

Samuel Brannan was the leader of a Mormon settlement expedition on the ship Brooklyn landing in Yerba Buena (San Francisco) in 1846. He published San Francisco's first English language newspaper, the California Star. Following the discovery of gold in Coloma, Brannan became California's first millionaire. Fascinated by Calistoga's natural hot springs, Brannan purchased more than 2000 acre with the intent to develop a spa reminiscent of Saratoga Springs in New York.

The name of Calistoga was given to the place in the fall of 1867, by Mr. Brannan, who has been reported and quoted as saying that the name came from a slip of the tongue that transformed "Saratoga of California" into "Calistoga of Sarifornia". The place had already been previously called Hot Springs by the few Americans, and Agua Caliente by the Spaniards and Indians. Brannan's Hot Springs Resort surrounding Mt. Lincoln with the Spa/Hotel located at what is now Indian Springs Resort and Brannan Cottage Inn, opened to California's rich and famous in 1862. The Napa Valley Railroad Company's track was completed to Calistoga in 1868, providing an easier connection for ferry passengers traveling from San Francisco, as well as transforming Calistoga into a transportation hub for the upper Napa Valley and a gateway to Lake and Sonoma Counties. Calistoga's economy was based on mining (silver and mercury) agriculture (grapes, prunes and walnuts) and tourism (the hot springs). One of the early visitors was Robert Louis Stevenson, who wrote the Silverado Squatters while honeymooning with his wife Fanny Vandegrift at a cabin near Silverado Mine on Mount Saint Helena.

In 1920, Giuseppe Musante, a soda fountain and candy store owner in Calistoga, was drilling for a cold water well at the Railway Exchange when he tapped into a hot water source. In 1924 he set up a bottling line and began selling Calistoga Sparkling Mineral Water. The company became a major player in the bottled water business after Elwood Sprenger bought the small bottling plant in 1970 known today as Calistoga Water Company.

Calistoga was named a Distinctive Destination by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2001.

In 2017, the Tubbs Fire, which killed at least 19 people, started off of Highway 128 and Bennett Lane in Calistoga. The fire led to the evacuation of almost the entire population of Calistoga. The 2017 Tubbs Fire took exactly the same path as the 1964 Hanley Fire. In 2020, the Glass Fire forced an evacuation of the city for the second time in four years.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.6 sqmi, 99.30% of it land and 0.70% of it water.

Climate
According to National Weather Service records, Calistoga has cool, wet winters with temperatures dropping to freezing on an average of 35.6 days. Summers are usually very dry, with daytime temperatures regularly reaching 90 F or higher on an average of 70.8 days, but nights are cool, dropping into the mid-fifties. Average January temperatures range from 58.8 to 39.4 °F. Average July temperatures range from 89.5 to 54.7 °F. The record high temperature of 118 °F occurred on September 6, 2022. The record low temperature of 10 °F was recorded on December 11, 1932. Calistoga has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa) according to the Köppen climate classification system.

Average annual rainfall is 38.58 in with measurable precipitation falling on an average of 65.7 days each year. The wettest year was 1983 with 75.38 in and the driest year was 2013 with 6.45 in. The most rainfall in one month was 32.06 in in February 1986. The most rainfall in 24 hours was 8.10 in on February 17, 1986. Snow often falls in the nearby mountains during the winter months, but is rare in Calistoga. On January 3, 1974, 3.0 in of snow fell in the city.

2010
At the 2010 census Calistoga had a population of 5,155. The population density was 1,972.4 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Calistoga was 3,735 (72.5%) White, 27 (0.5%) African American, 21 (0.4%) Native American, 47 (0.9%) Asian, 10 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 968 (18.8%) from other races, and 347 (6.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2,545 persons (49.4%).

The census reported that 5,100 people (98.9% of the population) lived in households, 20 (0.4%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 35 (0.7%) were institutionalized.

There were 2,019 households, 630 (31.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 927 (45.9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 189 (9.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 99 (4.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 141 (7.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 20 (1.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 641 households (31.7%) were one person and 332 (16.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.53. There were 1,215 families (60.2% of households); the average family size was 3.23.

The age distribution was 1,167 people (22.6%) under the age of 18, 400 people (7.8%) aged 18 to 24, 1,341 people (26.0%) aged 25 to 44, 1,283 people (24.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 964 people (18.7%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 40.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.7 males.

There were 2,319 housing units at an average density of 887.3 per square mile, of the occupied units 1,166 (57.8%) were owner-occupied and 853 (42.2%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.0%. 2,545 people (49.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 2,555 people (49.6%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
At the 2000 census there were 5,190 people in 2,042 households, including 1,243 families, in the city. The population density was 1,997.4 PD/sqmi. There were 2,249 housing units at an average density of 865.5 /mi2. Of the 2,042 households 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.1% were non-families. 31.4% of households were one person and 17.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.20.

The age distribution was 23.3% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $38,454, and the median family income was $44,375. Males had a median income of $32,344 versus $29,844 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,134. About 5.2% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.5% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Major employers in Calistoga include Solage resort, Calistoga Joint Unified School District, Indian Springs Calistoga resort, and the Calistoga Spa Hot Springs. Neighboring vineyards include Sterling Vineyards.

Tourism
Calistoga is at the north end of the Napa Valley Calistoga AVA, part of California's Wine Country. There are numerous wineries within a short drive. The city allows visitors to see Wine Country as it was before freeways and fast food—only two-lane roads lead there, inducing those segments of Highway 29 and Highway 128 that pass through Calistoga, and fast food franchises are banned by law.

Calistoga itself is noted for its hot springs spas such as Calistoga Spa Hot Springs. A local specialty is immersion in hot volcanic ash, known as a mud bath. Nearby attractions include an artificial geothermal geyser known as the "Old Faithful of California" or "Little Old Faithful". The geyser erupts from the casing of a well drilled in the late 19th century. According to Dr. John Rinehart, in his book A Guide to Geyser Gazing (1976 p. 49), a man had drilled into the geyser in search for water. He had actually "simply opened up a dead geyser".

Government
In the California State Legislature, Calistoga is in, and in.

In the United States House of Representatives, Calistoga is in.

The above districts are based on the 2021 Redistricting in California.

The mayor of Calistoga is Donald Williams, who was elected in 2022 by a 27-vote margin. He defeated former fire chief Gary Kraus with 841 votes over Kraus's 814. Williams was sworn into office in December 2022.

During his tenure as mayor, Williams has focused on preserving Calistoga's small town character, expensive water rates, and the city's acquisition of the Napa County Fairgrounds.

In popular culture
Scenes from the movie Hot Rod 1979 were filmed in and around Calistoga. Scenes from the Disney movie Bedtime Stories starring Adam Sandler were filmed in Calistoga in June 2008. The Netflix movie, "Wine Country (2019)" used Calistoga's downtown as a filming location in May 2018.

Notable people

 * Bob Knepper, former Major League Baseball player, attended Calistoga High School.
 * Tom Seaver, former Major League Baseball player, lived south of Calistoga.
 * Dick Vermeil, former head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, St. Louis Rams, & Kansas City Chiefs, was born in Calistoga.

title: Calistoga, California


text:
Deer Park, California

Deer Park is a census-designated place (CDP) in Napa County, California, United States. The population was 1,267 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Napa, California Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its area code is 707. Its zip code is 94576. It is in the Pacific time zone. Deer Creek is where Elmshaven, a large Victorian home lived in by Ellen White in the early twentieth century, is located.

History
In August 2020, Deer Park was evacuated due to the Hennessey Fire, which resulted in the burning of over 315,000 acre in five counties, including near Deer Park.

The Glass Fire caused significant damage throughout Deer Park in late September 2020, destroying numerous houses as well as much of the Foothills Adventist Elementary School.

Geography
Deer Park is located at 38.53722°N, -122.4725°W (38.537257, -122.472386).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 5.6 sqmi, 99.93% of it land and 0.07% of it water.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Deer Park had a population of 1,267. The population density was 227.0 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Deer Park was 1,108 (87.5%) White, 13 (1.0%) African American, 9 (0.7%) Native American, 51 (4.0%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 61 (4.8%) from other races, and 25 (2.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 147 persons (11.6%).

The Census reported that 1,245 people (98.3% of the population) lived in households, 5 (0.4%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 17 (1.3%) were institutionalized.

There were 564 households, out of which 114 (20.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 281 (49.8%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 44 (7.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 15 (2.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 31 (5.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 4 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 174 households (30.9%) were made up of individuals, and 67 (11.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21. There were 340 families (60.3% of all households); the average family size was 2.67.

The population was spread out, with 191 people (15.1%) under the age of 18, 68 people (5.4%) aged 18 to 24, 245 people (19.3%) aged 25 to 44, 488 people (38.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 275 people (21.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 51.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males.

There were 685 housing units at an average density of 122.7 /sqmi, of which 318 (56.4%) were owner-occupied, and 246 (43.6%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.0%. 764 people (60.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 481 people (38.0%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,433 people, 575 households, and 395 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 250.5 PD/sqmi. There were 653 housing units at an average density of 114.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP in 2010 was 81.4% non-Hispanic White, 1.0% non-Hispanic Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 4.0% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. 11.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Deer Park is home to a small but growing population of Argentine Americans already approaching 4 percent of the population of the small hamlet.

There were 575 households, out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.0% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 19.7% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 30.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.9 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $63,833, and the median income for a family was $69,741. Males had a median income of $45,197 versus $40,750 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $34,665. About 3.1% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Government
In the California State Legislature, Deer Park is in, and in.

In the United States House of Representatives, Deer Park is in.

title: Deer Park, California


text:
Napa, California

Napa is the largest city and county seat of Napa County and a principal city of Wine Country in Northern California, United States. Located in the North Bay region of the Bay Area, the city had a population of 77,480 as of the end of 2021. Napa is a major tourist destination in California, known for its wineries, restaurants, and arts culture.

History

The origin of the word "Napa" is disputed.

The word "napa" is of Native American derivation and has been variously translated as "grizzly bear", "house", "motherland" or "fish". Of the many explanations of the name's origin, the most plausible seems to be that it is derived from the Patwin word napo, meaning "house".

Further adding confusion, Napa was originally spelled with two Ps: Nappa. There are maps and deeds dating back to the mid-1850s bearing this spelling. Shortly thereafter, the present spelling was adopted; the reasons for this are unclear.

Mexican era
At the time of the first recorded exploration into Napa Valley in 1823, the majority of the inhabitants consisted of Native Americans. Padre José Altimira, founder of Mission San Francisco Solano in Sonoma, led the expedition. Spanish priests converted some natives; the rest were attacked and dispersed by Mexican soldiers.

The first American settlers began arriving in the area in the 1830s.

Post-Conquest era
Prior to the American Conquest of California, Napa Valley was in California's District of Sonoma. At the time, its boundaries also included Lake County to the north. By this time, the indigenous people were either working as field laborers or living in small bands in the hills surrounding the valley. Tensions between the white settlers and Native Americans broke into war in 1850, resulting in soldiers hunting down and massacring all the natives they could find, driving the remainder north toward Clear Lake. By 1870, the Native American population consisted of only a few laborers and servants working for the white settlers.

The City of Napa was founded by Nathan Coombs in 1847. General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo had paid to survey for a township downriver at Soscol Landing, where riverboats could turn around prior to Napa's founding. Instead, the Napa town site was surveyed on property Coombs had received from Nicolas Higuera, original holder of the Rancho Entre Napa, a Mexican land grant. The first record of a ship navigating the river was the Susana in 1842, though by 1850 the Dolphin became the first passenger steamship to navigate the Napa River in order to open another path of commerce.

In the mid-1850s, Napa's Main Street rivaled that of many larger cities, with as many as 100 saddle horses tied to the fences on an average afternoon. John Patchett opened the first commercial winery in the county in 1859. The Napa Valley Register, founded by J.I. Horrell and L. Hoxie Strong, made its debut on August 10, 1863, with weekly publications until becoming a daily newspaper in 1872. The California Gold Rush of the late 1850s expanded Napa City. A tent city was erected along Main Street. Many cattle ranches were maintained, and the lumber industry had greatly expanded. Sawmills in the valley were in operation cutting up timber that was hauled by team to Napa and then shipped out on the river to Benicia and San Francisco. In 1858, the great silver rush began in Napa Valley, and miners eagerly flocked to the eastern hills. In the 1860s, mining carried on, in a large scale, with quicksilver mines operating in many areas of Napa County. The most noted mine was the Silverado Mine, near the summit of Mount Saint Helena. At this time, the first wave of rural, foreign laborers from coastal villages of China's Canton province arrived in California and at Napa County mines. A settlement for Chinese laborers in Napa was established in the early 1860s. At its peak from the 1880s to the early 1900s, the Chinese population grew to a population of over 300 people.

In 1869, F. A. Sawyer established Sawyer Tanning Company in Napa and was joined in the business by his father B. F. Sawyer a year later. It went on to become the largest tannery west of the Mississippi River. The world-famous Nappa leather or Napa leather was invented by Emanuel Manasse in Napa in 1875 while working at the Sawyer Tanning Company.

Napa was incorporated on March 23, 1872, and reincorporated in 1874 as the City of Napa.

The Napa State Hospital received its first patients in 1876. The Napa Valley Opera House became popular after its debut on February 13, 1880, with a production of Gilbert and Sullivan's HMS Pinafore, but it later languished and was closed for many years. It was reestablished in the 1980s.

Modern era
Napa had become the primary business and economic center for the Napa Valley by the dawn of the 20th century. The San Francisco, Napa and Calistoga Railway was established in 1905 for passenger and freight service. The railroad carried passengers from ferry boats in Vallejo to stops in Napa and other locations in the valley.

As agricultural and wine interests developed north of the city limits, much of the light industry, banking, commercial and retail activity in the county evolved within the city of Napa and in earlier times along the Napa River through the historic downtown. Napa Glove Factory was established in 1903 and was the largest plant of its kind west of Chicago. Edwin Pridham and Peter L. Jensen invented the moving-coil loudspeaker in 1915 in their Napa workshop while working on an improvement for the telephone receiver. Pridham and Jensen went on to found the Magnavox Company in 1917. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Napa was known for having a sizable red-light district, with brothels primarily concentrated on and around Clinton Street.

Following studies made by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1930-40s, the U.S. Congress authorized channel improvements on Napa River and construction of a dam on Conn Creek as part of the Flood Control Act of 1944, though funding was never approved. The City of Napa funded and built the dam in order to create the water conservation reservoir Lake Hennessey in 1948; however, flooding continued to be a problem. The 1986 Napa River flood revived public interest in finding a remedy. After a plan to widen the river channel proposed by the Army Corps of Engineers was presented in 1995 and roundly rejected, a group of special interests called Friends of the River formed, which built consensus on a "living river" plan. Voters in the County of Napa narrowly approved an increase of sales tax in a March 1998 election to fund the Napa River Flood Project. In 2005, the Napa River again flooded the entire downtown area and destroyed 1,000 homes across the county.

An ambitious redevelopment plan encompassing several blocks of downtown Napa's retail property was undertaken by the city in the early 1970s, though it did little to improve the city's economy. Downtown Napa finally began to recover and emerge from a long economic slumber in the 2000s, triggered by a significant growth in Main Street restaurants and hotels. The redevelopment of First and Main streets and the Napa Mill complex helped to stimulate investments along the Napa riverfront.

In 2014, the Napa area was struck by a magnitude 6.1 earthquake centered 3.7 mi northwest of nearby American Canyon. In October 2017, the Atlas Fire and Partrick Fires burned several parts of Napa County (see also October 2017 Northern California wildfires).

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.1 sqmi, of which 17.8 sqmi is land and 0.3 sqmi, or 1.69%, is water. Napa was the first location in California to be part of the North Coast American Viticultural Area. Renowned for its wine due to the Mediterranean climate, surprisingly only about 9% of Napa's acreage is planted with grapes.

The Napa River traverses the city on its journey to the San Pablo Bay. The city has conducted a variety of waterfront development along the banks of the river, including certain fill operations governed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers regulations. The Napa River Flood Project has been in progress since the late 1990s, with the goal of mitigating the risk of flooding along a 6 mi stretch of the river and 1 mi of Napa Creek.

Climate
Napa has a Mediterranean climate similar to many other parts of Northern California. Winters are cool and damp and summers are warm and dry. During the summer months rain is rare. Occasionally there may be a day or two of light rain in June and September. Heat waves do occur, with the temperatures rising above 100 F. Wildfires can be a problem during the summer months. The fall is pleasant and many people come to visit Napa at this time. The winters are quite wet and cool and flooding can be a problem. Nighttime temperatures occasionally drop below freezing (32 F). The rainy season is from October to April and occasionally into May. Snow is rare. The hottest temperature recorded in Napa was 114 °F on September 6, 2022, while the coldest temperature recorded was 14 °F on December 22, 1990. The most rainfall in one year was 51.24 in in 1983 and the least amount of rainfall was 6.74 in in 2013. The most rainfall in one month was 16.13 in in December 1955.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Napa had a population of 76,915. The population density was 4,238.5 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Napa was 57,754 (75.1%) White, 486 (0.6%) African American, 637 (0.8%) Native American, 1,755 (2.3%) Asian, 144 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 13,256 (17.2%) from other races, and 2,883 (3.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 28,923 persons (37.6%).

The Census reported that 75,678 people (98.4% of the population) lived in households, 568 (0.7%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 669 (0.9%) were institutionalized.

There were 28,166 households, out of which 9,826 (34.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 13,862 (49.2%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 3,201 (11.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,571 (5.6%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,694 (6.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 221 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 7,457 households (26.5%) were made up of individuals, and 3,278 (11.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69. There were 18,634 families (66.2% of all households); the average family size was 3.25.

The population was spread out, with 18,848 people (24.5%) under the age of 18, 6,724 people (8.7%) aged 18 to 24, 20,933 people (27.2%) aged 25 to 44, 19,919 people (25.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 10,491 people (13.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.

There were 30,149 housing units at an average density of 1,661.4 /mi2, of which 16,148 (57.3%) were owner-occupied, and 12,018 (42.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.7%. 41,591 people (54.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 34,087 people (44.3%) lived in rental housing units.

Economy
Napa's economy is characterized by its position as one of the principal cities of Wine Country, resulting in a significant portion of jobs in the city relating to wineries, restaurants, hotels, and other hospitality industries.

The Napa State Hospital is located in Imola, an unincorporated area bordering the city of Napa.

The Napa Valley Business Park is located adjacent to the Napa County Airport in an unincorporated area of Napa County. Employers in the area include The Doctors Company and Treasury Wine Estates.

The town's comprehensive annual financial report for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2020, lists the top ten employers in the City of Napa as the following:
 * Top employers

Government
In the California State Legislature, Napa is in, and in. In the United States House of Representatives, Napa is in.

Transportation
CA-29 runs through Napa, connecting to Vallejo and the East Bay Area to the south and the Napa Wine Country to the north. CA-12 runs to the south of the city, connecting to Fairfield and Interstate 80 to the east and Sonoma and US-101 to the west.

Napa is also served by several airports: Oakland and San Francisco International 50 mi to the south, Sonoma County 30 mi northwest, and Sacramento International Airport 65 mi northeast. Napa County Airport to the south, also serves as a small public airport.

Valley Intercity Neighborhood Express, more commonly known by the acronym "VINE Transit", is the public transportation service for Napa as well as for Napa County. It is managed under the Napa County Transportation and Planning Agency and is operated by Veolia Transportation. VINE has additional service throughout the county and has connections to other public transportation systems in the nearby counties.

The Amtrak Thruway 7 bus makes daily stops in Napa to/from the Soscol Gateway Transit Center at 825 Burnell Street. From there, connections are available to Martinez to the south, and Arcata to the north.

Evans Transportation provides daily service to and from Oakland International Airport and San Francisco International Airport daily from their main office on CA-29.

Notable people

 * Larry Allen, former NFL player
 * Alisa Bellettini, television producer, creator of House of Style
 * Jerry Bohlander, mixed martial arts fighter
 * Phil Bonifield, NASCAR driver
 * John Boyett, former NFL player
 * Warren Brusstar, MLB player
 * Bill Buckner, MLB player
 * Cristina García, novelist
 * Mike Gibson, NFL player for the Arizona Cardinals
 * Steve Hendrickson, former NFL player
 * Adam Housley, Fox News correspondent
 * Josh Jackson, NBA player
 * Joe Kmak, MLB player for the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs
 * Jim Landis, MLB player
 * Ray Manzarek, The Doors keyboard player
 * Scott McCarron, Professional Golfer
 * Peter Menzel, photographer
 * Johnny Miller, golfer
 * Olivia O'Brien, musician
 * Donny Robinson, Olympic BMX bronze medalist
 * Andrew Talansky, Professional Cyclist for Cannondale-Garmin
 * Shirley Walker, film score composer
 * Bill Green, former United States and NCAA record holder in Track and Field, 5th in the hammer throw at the 1984 Summer Olympics
 * Charles Woodson, former NFL player and Heisman Trophy winner.

Sister cities
Napa's sister cities are:
 * 🇨🇱 Casablanca, Chile
 * 🇯🇵 Iwanuma, Japan, since February 15, 1973
 * 🇦🇺 Launceston, Australia

title: Napa, California


text:
St. Helena, California

St. Helena is a city in Napa County, California, United States. Located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the population was 5,438 at the 2020 census.

St. Helena is a popular tourist destination, owing to its vineyards and culinary scene. The city is the center of St. Helena American Viticultural Area (AVA), which expands 9060 acre of the Napa Valley with over 400 vineyards encompassing 6800 acre of cultivation. St. Helena is the location of The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone and a campus of Napa Valley College.

History
St. Helena was first inhabited by a native American group known as the Wappo people. They spoke Yukian and are believed to have first settled in St. Helena as early as 2000 B.C. The Wappo name for the area is Anakotanoma, meaning Bull Snake Village.

The area was likely named after a nearby mountain known as Mount St. Helena. The locale became renowned when White Sulphur Springs was discovered in 1848 and established as an operating resort in 1852. During the later 19th century, affluent San Franciscans traveled here by steamer across the Bay, and then four miles by stage and later by train. At its prime, California's oldest resort was able to accommodate 1000 guests in its grand hotels which were later lost to local wildfires. The site is recognized as a National Historic Landmark.

The town of St. Helena was founded by Henry Still, who bought land from the Edward Bale family in 1855. By 1858 there was a school house and a little Baptist church. Four years later Professor William Brewer of the Whitney party called it a "pretty little village with fifty or more houses . . .nestled among grand old oaks." It officially became a town on March 24, 1876, and by 1886 the population grew to 1,800 inhabitants. Shortly after in 1868, the first railroad was created in St. Helena allowing for shipment of resources such as fruit and mining products. The newly built train tracks also brought in tourists.

Ellen White, co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, had a home called Elmshaven near St. Helena, beginning in 1900. She died there in 1915, and the site is now a National Historic Landmark. Both the Beringer Vineyards and the Charles Krug Winery are California Historical Landmarks.

St. Helena's community center was built as a Carnegie library; it served as the city library from 1908 to 1978.

Geography
St. Helena has a total area of 5.03 sqmi, of which 4.99 sqmi is land and 0.11 sqmi (0.81%) is water.

Climate
The National Weather Service has a cooperative weather station in St. Helena. Winters are cool and wet, while summers have hot days and cool nights with little precipitation. Average temperatures in December, the coldest month, range from 58.3 °F to 39.6 °F. Average temperatures in July and August, the warmest months, range from 89 °F to 56 °F. There are an average of 54.6 days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher and an average of 13.8 days with lows of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower. The record high temperature was 115 °F on July 13, 1972, and the record low temperature was 11 °F on December 11, 1932.

Average annual precipitation is 33.97 in. There are an average of 68 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1983 with 75.40 in and the driest year was 1976 with 10.41 in. The wettest month on record was February 1986 with 25.60 in. The most rainfall in 24 hours was 6.83 in on January 21, 1967. Although snow rarely falls in St. Helena, there is an annual average snowfall of 0.2 in. The most snowfall in one month was 4.0 in, recorded in January 1974 and again in March 1976. The most snowfall in 24 hours was 4.0 in on March 2, 1976.

Demographics
The 2010 United States Census reported that St. Helena had a population of 5,814. The population density was 1,156.7 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of St. Helena was 4,525 (77.8%) White, 25 (0.4%) African American, 35 (0.6%) Native American, 98 (1.7%) Asian, 9 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 978 (16.8%) from other races, and 144 (2.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,914 persons (32.9%).

The Census reported that 98.3% of the population lived in households and 1.7% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters.

There were 2,401 households, out of which 694 (28.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,118 (46.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 223 (9.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 99 (4.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 96 (4.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 20 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 805 households (33.5%) were made up of individuals, and 411 (17.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38. There were 1,440 families (60.0% of all households); the average family size was 3.03.

The population was spread out, with 1,280 people (22.0%) under the age of 18, 453 people (7.8%) aged 18 to 24, 1,333 people (22.9%) aged 25 to 44, 1,627 people (28.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,121 people (19.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.9 males.

There were 2,776 housing units at an average density of 552.3 /sqmi, of which 55.4% were owner-occupied and 44.6% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.8%. 51.4% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 46.9% lived in rental housing units.

Economy
Major employers in St. Helena include Trinchero Family Estates, Beringer Vineyards, and The Culinary Institute of America. The city is distinct in its regulation against chain restaurants; only one exists in the city - an A&W - established before the legislation was enacted. The St. Helena AVA was designated in 1995 for the valley region surrounding the town. Duckhorn Vineyards, Newton Vineyard, Charles Krug Winery, Brown Estate and numerous other vineyards and wineries exist near St. Helena. Adventist Health St. Helena is located in neighboring Deer Park.

Government
St. Helena is a general law city which lacks its own charter. It operates under a council–manager form of government. In the California State Legislature, St. Helena is in, and in. In the United States House of Representatives, St. Helena is in.

Education
Saint Helena Unified School District is the local school district. Saint Helena Primary School teaches kindergarten through second grade. Saint Helena Elementary School teaches grades three through five, and is ranked as the #2 best public school in the Napa Valley. Robert Louis Stevenson Middle School teaches grades six through eight; it is ranked as the #1 best public middle school in the Napa Valley, with a teacher to student ratio of 13:1. St. Helena High School teaches grades nine through twelve; it is ranked as the #1 best public school in the Napa Valley.

The city has two tertiary campuses: the Upper Valley Campus of Napa Valley College, and The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, a branch campus of the main institution in Hyde Park, New York.

Notable people

 * Michela Alioto-Pier, former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
 * Wayne Belardi, Major League Baseball player
 * David Duncan, vintner
 * M. F. K. Fisher, food writer
 * Louise E. Francis, journalist
 * William Hamilton, cartoonist and playwright
 * Fred Hofmann, MLB player
 * Siegfried Horn, archaeologist and Biblical scholar
 * William B. Hurlbut, born in St. Helena, raised in NY, professor at Stanford University Medical Center
 * Charles Krug, winemaker
 * Bob Marshall, mayor of San Bruno, California
 * Fritz Maytag, businessman
 * Donald C. McRuer, congressman
 * Don Mossi, MLB player
 * Peter Newton, winemaker
 * Charles O'Rear, photographer
 * Billy Orr, MLB player
 * Carl Osburn, naval officer and sports shooter
 * Frank K. Richardson, associate justice of the California Supreme Court
 * Dave Smith, engineer and musician
 * Edwin R. Thiele, missionary, writer and archaeologist
 * Mike Thompson, U.S. Representative for CA's 5th congressional district, St. Helena native and lifelong resident
 * Josephine Tychson, the first woman to build and operate a winery in California
 * Owen Wade, politician
 * Ellen G. White, author and co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

In popular culture

 * One of Disney's classic movies "Pollyanna" was filmed on Railroad Avenune in Saint Helena in 1960.
 * The Elvis Presley 1961 release, "Wild in the Country", was filmed in a small Saint Helena house now known as a popular inn called The Ink House.
 * "A Walk in the Clouds" (1995) was filmed in northern Saint Helena. The movie depicts a love story involving a daughter of a vineyard owner.
 * "Patch Adams" (1989) starring Robin Williams had a scene filmed at the picturesque cemetery in St. Helena.
 * The "When Death Comes Calling" episode (S6.E2, 2013) of My Ghost Story was filmed at a winery in the city.

title: St. Helena, California


text:
Alta Sierra, California

Alta Sierra (Spanish for "Upper Range") is a census-designated place (CDP) in Nevada County, California, United States. The population was 6,911 at the 2010 census, up from 6,522 at the 2000 census.

History
Alta Sierra was laid out by property developers in the 1960s. Alta Sierra is a golf course community, with homes built around the Alta Sierra Country Club, a semi-private 18 hole course built in 1964. The community has a member-owned airport with a 2800-foot runway. The community is located just east of California State Highway 49, at an elevation of approximately 2300 feet, between the cities of Grass Valley, California to the north and Auburn, California to the south. There is a small commercial district with several restaurants, a gas station, a market and personal service businesses. There is also an elementary school and a motel.

Geography
Alta Sierra is located at 39.12889°N, -121.0525°W (39.128952, -121.052442).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 8.3 sqmi, of which, 8.3 sqmi of it is land and 0.02 sqmi of it (0.25%) is water.

There is also another community called Alta Sierra in northcentral Kern County, CA near Lake Isabella.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Alta Sierra had a population of 6,911. The population density was 828.9 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Alta Sierra was 6,436 (93.1%) White, 18 (0.3%) African American, 55 (0.8%) Native American, 73 (1.1%) Asian, 9 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 122 (1.8%) from other races, and 198 (2.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 488 persons (7.1%).

The Census reported that 6,890 people (99.7% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 21 (0.3%) were institutionalized.

There were 2,830 households, out of which 726 (25.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,794 (63.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 197 (7.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 109 (3.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 127 (4.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 29 (1.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 580 households (20.5%) were made up of individuals, and 305 (10.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43. There were 2,100 families (74.2% of all households); the average family size was 2.78.

The population was spread out, with 1,345 people (19.5%) under the age of 18, 401 people (5.8%) aged 18 to 24, 1,208 people (17.5%) aged 25 to 44, 2,339 people (33.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,618 people (23.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.7 males.

There were 3,030 housing units at an average density of 363.4 /sqmi, of which 2,403 (84.9%) were owner-occupied, and 427 (15.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.1%. 5,654 people (81.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,236 people (17.9%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,522 people, 2,577 households, and 2,084 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 779.0 PD/sqmi. There were 2,682 housing units at an average density of 320.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.94% White, 0.29% Black or African American, 0.57% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races, and 1.73% from two or more races. 4.14% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,577 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.4% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.1% were non-families. 15.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.78.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 21.7% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 20.0% from 25 to 44, 30.1% from 45 to 64, and 24.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.7 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $56,868, and the median income for a family was $59,776. Males had a median income of $47,121 versus $31,302 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $28,876. About 3.2% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.1% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over.

Politics
In the state legislature, Alta Sierra is in, and.

Federally, Alta Sierra is in.

title: Alta Sierra, California


text:
Grass Valley, California

Grass Valley is a city in Nevada County, California, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 12,860. Situated at roughly 2,500 ft in elevation in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, this northern Gold Country city is 57 mi by car from Sacramento and 88 mi west of Reno.

History

Grass Valley, which was originally known as Boston Ravine and later named Centerville, dates from the California Gold Rush, as does nearby Nevada City. Gold was discovered at Gold Hill in October 1850 and population grew around the mine. When a post office was established in 1851, it was renamed Grass Valley the next year for unknown reasons. The town was incorporated in 1860.

The essential history of Grass Valley mining belongs to the North Star, Empire and Idaho-Maryland mines, for continuous production over a span of years. From 1868 until 1900, the Idaho-Maryland mine was the most productive in the district. From 1900 until 1925, the North Star and the Empire produced the most gold in the county. In 1932, the Empire and North Star were physically connected at the 4600-foot level and 5300-foot level.

Grass Valley has the Empire Mine and North Star Mine, two of California's richest mines. George Starr, manager of the Empire Mine, and William Bowers Bourn II, the owner, donated mine property which became Memorial Park. Wiliam Bourn Jr. had taken over management of the Empire Mine in 1878 after his father's death, replacing water power with steam. In 1884, Bourn purchased and rejuvenated the North Star mine. The Idaho and Maryland mines were consolidated by Samuel P. Dorsey in 1893. In 1925, Errol MacBoyle acquired the Idaho-Maryland. By 1938, the Idaho-Maryland was the second largest gold producer in the country. However, gold mining operations in the area ended during WWII, due to War Production Board Limitation Order 208. After the war, renewed operations were attempted, but according to Gage McKinney, "by the mid-1950s mining was no longer profitable in what had been the richest gold mining district in California."

Many of those who came to settle in Grass Valley were tin miners from Cornwall, United Kingdom. Most arrived between 1860 and 1895, composing three quarters of Grass Valley's population.

Grass Valley still holds on to its Cornish heritage, with events such as its annual Cornish Christmas and St. Piran's Day celebrations. Cornish pasties are a local favorite dish with a few restaurants in town specializing in recipes handed down from the original immigrant generation. Grass Valley is also twinned with Bodmin in Cornwall (UK).

There was formerly a (short-lived) Roman Catholic Diocese of Grass Valley in 1868–1884, later relocated in Sacramento (and now a titular see).

The Grass Valley Kmart store, opened in 1981, was the last remaining location in California at the time that it closed in 2021. It is now a Target department store.

Geography
Grass Valley is located at 39.21917°N, -121.05833°W (39.219215, -121.058414). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 4.7 sqmi, all of it land.

A variety of igneous and metamorphic rock supports Grass Valley. Granitic rock such as quartz diorite underlies the downtown core and extends south along Highway 49. Metavolcanic rock and diabase underlie areas around the granitic zone. Neighborhoods around Nevada County Golf Course and Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital are underlain by ultramafic rock which supports infertile soils of the Dubakella series. Here the vegetation is sparse considering the high average annual precipitation, with much grassland, and forested areas are often dominated by several species of oaks and the crooked, thin-crowned gray pine. Luxuriant forest dominated by straight, dense ponderosa pine inhabits the more fertile soils, which include Musick series on granitic rock and Sites series on mafic or metamorphic rock.

Climate
Grass Valley has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) with warm to hot, dry summers and wet, cool, rainy winters. Summer is very dry, but thunderstorms may occur. Rainfall averages over 50 in per year, in extreme contrast with the semi-arid valley below, which average as low as 12 in in some parts. The high rainfall also gives the area green vegetation typical of an oceanic climate. This contributes to a heavy fuel-loading of brush and grass, which dry out during the near-rainless summer, posing a wildfire hazard.

Winters are cool but rarely cold. There are at least one or more snow events per year, often in the late winter. Frequent and large disruptive winter storms occur some years, while other years may have little to no snow. Less marine influence means that snow tends to occur more irregularly than some communities at similar elevation nearby to the south, such as Pollock Pines.

Over the course of a year, 36.4 days of 90 °F or hotter and 0.9 days of 100 °F or hotter occur, with 61.4 days with minimum of 32 °F or colder.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Grass Valley had a population of 12,860. The population density was 2,711.3 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Grass Valley was 11,493 (89.4%) White, 208 (1.6%) Native American, 188 (1.5%) Asian, 46 (0.4%) African American, 9 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 419 (3.3%) from other races, and 497 (3.9%) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1,341 persons (10.4%).

The census reported that 12,401 people (96.4% of the population) lived in households, 118 (0.9%) lived in noninstitutionalized group quarters, and 341 (2.7%) were institutionalized.

Of the 6,077 households, 1,544 (25.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,665 (27.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 980 (16.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, and 316 (5.2%) had a male householder with no wife present, 466 (7.7%) were unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 33 (0.5%) were same-sex married couples or partnerships. About 2,605 households (42.9%) were made up of individuals, and 1,415 (23.3%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.04. The 2,961 families (48.7% of all households) had an average family size of 2.78.

The population was distributed as 2,625 people (20.4%) under the age of 18, 1,146 people (8.9%) aged 18 to 24, 2,882 people (22.4%) aged 25 to 44, 3,183 people (24.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 3,024 people (23.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 78.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.5 males.

The 6,637 housing units averaged 1,399.3 per square mile (540.3/km$2$), of which 2,391 (39.3%) were owner-occupied, and 3,686 (60.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 4.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.7%; 4,663 people (36.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 7,738 people (60.2%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
As of the census of 2000, 10,922 people, 5,016 households, and 2,678 families resided in the city. The population density was 2,660.2 PD/sqmi.

Of the 5,016 households, 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.4% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.6% were not families. About 39.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.80 people.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,182, and for a family was $33,220. Males had a median income of $32,568 versus $21,915 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,877. About 12.9% of families and 14.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.0% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
The combined communities of Grass Valley and Nevada City have a fairly diversified economy. The Gold Rush days left a historical legacy and tourism and the related services sector constitute the bulk of the local economy. Nevada County is sometimes thought of as a bedroom community for families, with significant numbers of retirees. Those of working age often commute to Sacramento Valley cities to work, especially to job centers in Roseville, Yuba City, and Sacramento; and sometimes as far as the Bay Area. These commutes are quite long, resulting in many residents becoming super commuters. Many of those who do not commute to the Sacramento Valley work locally in retail, wholesale, trade, engineering, manufacturing, construction, and other businesses, as well in local and state government. A significant number of high-tech electronics companies are in the area.

Another significant sector of the local economy is agriculture, as the soil in Nevada County is quite fertile. Around the time of the Gold Rush, farmers planted orchards, vegetables, and other produce as ranchers brought in cattle, sheep, and other livestock. While the proportion of land dedicated to agriculture has significantly decreased over the last few decades, agriculture continues to be an important aspect of the local economy, including organic agricultural products. Nevada County has also become known for its growing wine industry.

Major employers in Grass Valley include Nevada Union High School, Nevada Irrigation District, Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital, Golden Empire Nursing and Rehab Center, AJA Video Systems, Inc. and Briar Patch Food Co-op.

The Grass Valley Group is a media technology research and development company founded in the city in 1959.

Government
Grass Valley has been a charter city since it was incorporated in 1893. It uses a council-manager form of government.

Representatives
In the California State Legislature, Grass Valley is in, and.

In the United States House of Representatives, Grass Valley is in.

Higher education

 * Nevada County Campus of Sierra College

Public primary and secondary schools

 * Bear River High School
 * Bell Hill Academy
 * Bitney College Prep Charter High School
 * Cottage Hill Elementary School
 * Forest Charter School
 * Grass Valley Charter School
 * Lyman Gilmore Middle School
 * Magnolia Intermediate School
 * Nevada Union High School
 * Nevada City School District
 * Pleasant Ridge Elementary School
 * Scotten Elementary School
 * Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning
 * Union Hill Middle School
 * William and Marian Ghidotti Early College High School
 * Yuba River Charter School
 * Clear Creek Elementary School

Public libraries

 * Josiah Royce Public Library

Transportation
Grass Valley is at the intersection of State Route 49 and State Route 20. Public transportation is served by the Gold Country Stage and limited to the urban areas.

Designated historical landmarks

 * Empire Mine State Historic Park (CHL#298)
 * Grass Valley Public Library (NRHP#92000267)
 * Holbrooke Hotel (CHL#914)
 * Home of Lola Montez (CHL#292)
 * Home of Lotta Crabtree (CHL#293)
 * Lyman Gilmore Middle School
 * Mount Saint Mary's Convent and Academy (CHL#855)
 * North Star Mine Powerhouse (CHL#843)
 * Overland Emigrant Trail (CHL#799)
 * Site of the First Discoveries of Quartz Gold in California (CHL#297)

Popular culture
Wallace Stegner's Angle of Repose features Grass Valley.

Sister cities
Grass Valley has two sister cities:
 * Bodmin, Cornwall, United Kingdom
 * 🇮🇹 Limana, Italy

Notable people

 * Sam Aanestad, dentist and politician
 * Cecelia Ager, American film critic and reporter
 * Patrick Brice, film director, actor
 * Hunter Burgan, musician
 * John Cardiel, professional skateboarder
 * Lou Conter, last known survivor of the sinking of the USS Arizona
 * Lotta Crabtree, 19th-century actress
 * Pete Daley, baseball player
 * Jonathan Dayton, film director
 * Alonzo Delano, first city treasurer
 * Mary Florence Denton, educator in Japan
 * Matt DiBenedetto, NASCAR driver
 * Brodie Farber, professional fighter
 * Arthur De Wint Foote, mining engineer
 * Mary Hallock Foote, author and illustrator
 * Lisa Mispley Fortier, NCAA WBB coach
 * John Arthur Gellatly, Lieutenant Governor of Washington
 * Lyman Gilmore, historically significant pilot
 * Justin Gross, voiceover actor
 * Charles Scott Haley, mining engineer, expert in the field of placer gold deposits.
 * Fred Hargesheimer, World War II pilot, philanthropist
 * John Flint Kidder, builder, historically significant railroad owner
 * Sarah Kidder, historically significant railroad owner
 * Mark Meckler, political activist
 * Lola Montez, 19th-century dancer
 * Joanna Newsom, American singer-songwriter
 * Hans Ostrom, writer and professor
 * Jim Pagliaroni, professional baseball player
 * Mike Pinder, musician
 * Charles H. Prisk, newspaper editor-publisher
 * William F. Prisk, State Senator, newspaper editor-publisher
 * Chuck Ragan, singer, songwriter, guitarist
 * Dennis Richmond, news anchor
 * John Rollin Ridge, writer
 * Clint Ritchie, actor
 * Tim Rossovich, professional football player, actor
 * Richard Roundtree, actor
 * Josiah Royce, philosopher
 * Gabe Ruediger, professional fighter
 * Chris Senn, professional skateboarder
 * Jeremy Sisto, actor
 * Meadow Sisto, actress
 * John Aloysius Stanton, painter, born in Grass Valley.
 * Wallace Stegner, author and winner of the Pulitzer Prize
 * J. Christopher Stevens, assassinated U.S. ambassador to Libya, born in Grass Valley
 * Brad Sweet, World of Outlaws Sprint Car Driver and 5X Champion
 * Clint Walker, actor
 * William Watt, miner, State Senator, University of California Regent

title: Grass Valley, California