text:
Fort Bragg, California

Fort Bragg is a city along the Pacific Coast of California along Shoreline Highway in Mendocino County. The city is 24 mi west of Willits, at an elevation of 85 ft. Its population was 6,983 at the 2020 census.

Fort Bragg is a tourist destination because of its views of the Pacific Ocean. Among its notable points of interest are Glass Beach and the California Western Railroad (popularly known as the "Skunk Train").

A California Historical Landmark, Fort Bragg was founded in 1857 prior to the American Civil War as a military garrison rather than a fortification. It was named after army officer Braxton Bragg, who at the time had served the U.S. in the Mexican–American War (and would later serve in the Confederate Army during the Civil War). The city was later incorporated in 1889.

History
The area now known as Fort Bragg was home to Native Americans since before Western expansion, most of whom belong to the Pomo tribe. They historically were hunter gatherers who lived along the northern coast of California.

1855–1867
In 1855, an exploration party from the Bureau of Indian Affairs visited the area looking for a site on which to establish a reservation; in the spring of 1856, the Mendocino Indian Reservation was established at Noyo. It was 25000 acre in size, and its boundary extended north from what is now Simpson Lane to Abalobadiah Creek and east from the Pacific Ocean to Bald Hill.

In the summer of 1857, 1st Lt. Horatio G. Gibson, then serving at the Presidio of San Francisco, established a military post on the reservation, approximately 1+1/2 mi north of the Noyo River, and named it for his former commanding officer Capt. Braxton Bragg, who later became a General in the Army of the Confederacy.

Gibson and Company M, 3rd Artillery, left Fort Bragg in January 1859 to be replaced by Company D, 6th Infantry, which stayed for two years and continued to build up the post.

In June 1862, Company D, 2nd California Infantry, were ordered to garrison the post and remained until 1864. In October of that year, the Fort Bragg garrison was loaded aboard the steamer Panama and completed the evacuation and abandonment of Mendocino County's first military post.

The Mendocino Indian Reservation was discontinued in March 1866, and the land was opened for settlement three years later.

The last remaining building of the Fort Bragg military post is located at 430 North Franklin Street. It may have been the Quartermaster's storehouse and commissary or surgeon's quarters or hospital.

The approximate boundaries of the fort extend from the south side of Laurel, east from the railroad depot to the carriage road behind Franklin, down the lane to a point 100 ft south of Redwood Avenue, west on Redwood to just beyond the Georgia-Pacific Corporation company offices, then north to connect with the Laurel Street border at the railroad station.

1867–1892
By 1867, the reservation and military outpost at Fort Bragg were abandoned. By 1869, small lumber mills were being built at the mouth of every creek. Ranches were settled. By 1873, Fort Bragg had an established lumber port at Noyo.

In 1869, after the fort was abandoned, and the land surveyed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the land of the reservation was returned to the public and offered for sale at $1.25 per acre to settlers. In 1885, C. R. Johnson who, with partners Calvin Stewart and James Hunter, had been operating a sawmill in Mill Creek on the Ten Mile River, moved their mill machinery to Fort Bragg to take advantage of the harbor for shipping.

The company incorporated in 1885 as the Fort Bragg Redwood Company. In 1891, after merging with the Noyo River Lumber Company, it was renamed the Union Lumber Company.

The Fort Bragg Railroad was founded to haul logs to the mill. The first rails were run up Pudding Creek and, in 1887, reached Glen Blair. A San Francisco streetcar was purchased to carry loggers and their families on Sunday excursions to the woods.

Fort Bragg was incorporated in 1889 with C. R. Johnson as its first mayor, and Calvin Stewart drafting its plat maps.

Built in Fort Bragg for Horace Weller in 1886, the Weller House is the oldest existing house in the city. Since 1999, this house, converted into a hotel, has welcomed tourists from around the world.

1893–1916
The Union Lumber Company was incorporated in 1891 by absorbing some of the smaller lumber companies in the area. Some of the new company lands were in the Noyo River watershed east of Fort Bragg making removal of logs difficult by rail, unless a tunnel was built. Johnson hired experienced Chinese tunnel builders from San Francisco. After completion of the tunnel, most of the Chinese settled in Fort Bragg and Mendocino. A six-walled Chinese town was built at Redwood and McPherson. Older residents say that eventually most of the Chinese children moved elsewhere.

In 1901, the Union Lumber Company incorporated the National Steamship Company to carry lumber, passengers and supplies. As the only link to manufactured creature comforts, staples like sugar and coffee were delivered by steamship. In 1905, the California Western Railroad and Navigation Company was established and plans were pushed to get the rail line all the way to Willits, where train connections to the Northwestern Pacific would link to San Francisco.

The 1906 earthquake resulted in a fire that threatened the saw mill and the city. Within Fort Bragg itself, all brick buildings were damaged. Only two were not destroyed completely. Many frame houses were knocked off their piers. The fire downtown burned the entire block bordered by Franklin, Redwood and McPherson Streets, plus the west side of Franklin. The west Franklin block burned down to approximately one half a block beyond the intersection of Redwood and Franklin.

After the earthquake, most downtown reconstruction was completed within 12 months. Coincidentally, the earthquake brought real prosperity to Fort Bragg as the mills furnished lumber to rebuild San Francisco, and the lumber ships returning from San Francisco were ballasted with bricks used for rebuilding Fort Bragg. With the new prosperity, the rail line to Willits was completed and in 1912 the first tourists came to Fort Bragg. By 1916 Fort Bragg had become a popular place to visit—and to settle.

Since 1916
Commercial fishing has also played an important role in the economic base of the community. Once a major commercial fishing port, Fort Bragg was well known for producing quality fish products that were distributed to major metropolitan markets.

In 1916, the Union Lumber Company built a railroad from the South Fork of Ten Mile River to Fort Bragg, where its operations were. By 1929, what lumber could not be sent by rail to the company mill at Fort Bragg was handled by the mill at Pudding Creek owned by the Glen Blair Redwood Company. The Union Lumber Company established its own post office on Churchman Creek to service its logging camps there in 1931, but it operated only until 1932. The railroad was removed in 1945 as rail transport was replaced by haulage by truck; nowadays it is a recreational corridor in MacKerricher State Park.

In 1969, the Union Lumber Company was purchased by Boise Cascade and John Quincy and it became Georgia Pacific Lumber Company in 1973. The mill was shut down in 2002 after being identified as a nonperforming asset. The 400 acre piece of property within the city limits takes up almost the entire coastline of Fort Bragg, including Fort Bragg Landing.

, the mill site was sold and is undergoing redevelopment, including removal of toxic waste.

Calls to rename the city
In 2015, members of the California Legislative Black Caucus petitioned Fort Bragg to change its name due to Braxton Bragg's links to the Confederacy. The mayor of Fort Bragg at that time, Lindy Peters, stated that there was not really much interest among the residents, and cited the costs that every company and institution in the area would have to pay to change all of the addresses.

There were further calls to change the name in June 2020, following the murder of George Floyd. On June 22, the Fort Bragg City Council considered whether to put a proposition on the November ballot asking its residents if they would like a name change, but decided instead to form an ad hoc committee to explore options for the city's name. They estimated the cost to change the name would be $271,000. Among the alternative options that were explored was to simply rededicate the city to a different notable person named Bragg. By late January 2022, the commission announced that it could not come to a consensus on a name change. Meanwhile in 2022, the active military fort of the same name in North Carolina was renamed to Fort Liberty.

Geography
Fort Bragg has an average elevation of 85 ft above sea level.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.8 sqmi, of which 2.7 sqmi is land and 0.04 sqmi  (comprising 1.44%) is water.

Climate
Due to Fort Bragg's location on the shore of the Pacific Ocean, the city has very mild weather throughout the year compared to most inland places. Most of the rainfall occurs from November to April with some occasional drizzle or light showers during the summer. Fog and low overcast are common, especially during the night and early morning hours. The climate experienced in Fort Bragg is classified as warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csb). Although formally known as dry-summer subtropical, Fort Bragg has very cool summer temperatures for a subtropical climate type. Its Mediterranean classification is due to the dry summers with very little rainfall.

Freezing temperatures occur on an average of 11.6 days annually. The record maximum temperature was 91 °F on October 5, 1987. The record minimum temperature was 18 °F on December 21, 1990, and in 2016 there was an ice storm. Winter days always remain well above freezing. The coldest day on record was 39 F in 1972 and the coolest day of the year reached 44 F on average during the 1991–2020 normals. The warmest night of the year averages a moderate 58 F and no overnight low has ever been recorded above 66 F.

Average annual precipitation is 43.16 in. The wettest “rain year” on record was from July 1997 to June 1998 with at least 79.13 in and the driest from July 1976 to June 1977 with 14.90 in. The maximum precipitation in one month was 27.02 in in January 1909. The maximum 24-hour rainfall was 4.72 in on February 6, 2015.

Snow has only ever been recorded on three days, the largest recorded total being 3 in on December 6, 1913, the second being 2 in on January 6, 1907, and the third being 0.5 in on January 12, 1907.

The extreme maritime effect of the Pacific Ocean is demonstrated by the fact that Fort Bragg has uniquely cool summers for cities on the 39th parallel north, both domestically and internationally. To illustrate the extremes of Fort Bragg, coastal climates with warmer summers than the city are found as far north as on the 66th latitude on the Bothnia Bay in between Sweden and Finland, a net latitudinal anomaly of 27 degrees. That is nearly one-third of the distance between the poles and the equator. In places some miles inland, consistently hotter summer temperatures are found, a phenomenon typical of the Californian coastline.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 7,273 people, 2,812 households, and 1,644 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,644.7 PD/sqmi. There were 3,051 housing units at an average density of 1,119.1 /sqmi. The ethnic makeup of the city was 74.8% Caucasian, 16.0% Mestizo, 4.6% multiethnic, 2.2% Native American, 1.5% Asian American, 0.7% African American, and 0.2% Pacific Islands American. 31.8% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino of any ethnicity.

There were 2,840 households, out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.4% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.1% were non-families. 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.6% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,539, and the median income for a family was $36,000. Males had a median income of $25,833 versus $23,287 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,832. About 11.9% of families and 20.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.5% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.

Parks and recreation
A trail that extends over a mile along the coast from the Noyo River Headlands north along the bluff over the Pacific Ocean reaches the former Georgia-Pacific mill site. It is accessible from Highway 1 (Main Street) at Cypress Street. The trail includes information signage about the area's pre-European residents, the Pomo Native Americans. The trail leads to a visitor center maintained by the Noyo Center for Marine Science. Offshore along the trail are rocks where harbor seals haul out and other sealife may be viewed.

Arts and culture
Built in 1892, the Guest House Museum served as lodging for the owners of Union Lumber Company, VIP visitors, and potential buyers of ULCO products. It has become the headquarters of the Fort Bragg-Mendocino Coast Historical Society, where visitors learn about the history of the area.

The Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens is a 47 acre garden along the coastal bluffs.

Glass Beach

Glass Beach is on the edge of Fort Bragg, along the ocean. In the early 20th century, Fort Bragg residents threw their household garbage over cliffs owned by the Union Lumber Company onto what is now Glass Beach, discarding glass, appliances, and even vehicles. Locals referred to it as "The Dumps". Fires were lit to reduce the size of the trash pile. In 1967, city leaders closed the area and various cleanup programs were brought on through the years to fix the damage. Over several decades the pounding waves wore down the discarded glass into the small, smooth pieces called sea glass that coat the beach. The area along the beach at the end of Elm Street is now visited by tourists.

Other points of interest

 * The Pudding Creek Trestle
 * Noyo Harbor
 * MacKerricher State Park
 * Russian Gulch State Park
 * Point Cabrillo Light Station

Transportation
Fort Bragg is the western terminus of the California Western Railroad (otherwise known locally as the "Skunk Train"). Steam passenger service was started in 1904, and then extended in 1911 through the Coast Redwood forests to the city of Willits, 40 mi inland. Started in 1885 as a rail route for moving large logs to the mills, the Skunk Train now offers scenic tours through the redwoods. In 1925 self-powered, yellow "Skunk" rail cars were inaugurated. The little trains were quickly nicknamed for their original gas engines, which prompted folks to say, "You can smell 'em before you can see 'em." In 1965 the line reintroduced summer steam passenger service between Fort Bragg and Willits with Baldwin-built steam locomotives Nos. 45 and 46, calling the colorful train "The Super Skunk". That train was discontinued in 2001 due to owing to the embargo of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad, then revived in September 2006 as a special event train, currently the most popular attraction for tourists in the Fort Bragg region. No.45 and 46 are now out of service waiting for overhaul. Trains continue with diesel locomotives used to power excursion trains from Fort Bragg as far as Northspur, the CWR's midpoint, on selected weekends from summer to early autumn.

State Route 1 (the Pacific Coast Highway) passes through Fort Bragg, concurrent with and signed as Main Street within the city limits. It travels on two bridges while doing so, the Noyo River Bridge and the Pudding Creek Bridge. State Route 20's western terminus is in Fort Bragg at its junction with Route 1, traveling east it runs parallel and several miles south of the Skunk Train's route to Willits and beyond to Nevada City before terminating at a junction with Interstate 80.

The city also has a small private airport, with an 1,850. × paved runway.

Municipal government

 * Mayor: Bernie Norvell (Elected December 2020; term expires December 2024)
 * Vice Mayor: Jason Godeke (Elected December 2022; term expires December 2026)
 * Councilmembers:
 * Tess Albin-Smith (Elected November 2022; term expires December 2026)
 * Lindy Peters (Elected November 2022; Vice Mayor 2014–2016, Mayor 2016–2018; term expires December 2024)
 * City Manager: Tabatha Miller (hired March 2018)

State and federal representation
In the state legislature, Fort Bragg is in, and.

Federally, Fort Bragg is in.

Education
Children in Fort Bragg are served by the Fort Bragg Unified School District, typically attending Fort Bragg High School, Fort Bragg Middle School, Dana Gray Elementary and Redwood Elementary during their time in the public school system, though several alternative schools are available as well. In 2006, Three Rivers Learning Center, a charter school under the jurisdiction of Mattole Valley Charter School opened.

In popular culture
Several major movies have been filmed in and around Fort Bragg, including:
 * Johnny Belinda (1948), a drama, based on the Broadway hit of the same name, starring Jane Wyman
 * The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! (1966), a comedy about a Soviet submarine that accidentally runs aground off the coast of New England, starring Carl Reiner and Eva Marie Saint
 * Racing with the Moon (1984), a drama starring Sean Penn, Elizabeth McGovern, and Nicolas Cage
 * Overboard (1987), a romantic comedy starring Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell
 * The Majestic (2001), a romantic period drama starring Jim Carrey

Notable people

 * Tom Hawkins, the probable writer of the Wanda Tinasky Letters
 * Cammie King, child actress best known for Gone with the Wind, died in Fort Bragg in 2010
 * Edward Norris, film actor who made over 70 films. Moved to Fort Bragg in 1997 and died there in 2002.
 * Ray Peterson, NFL player
 * Gregory E. Pyle, former chief of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Relocated to Durant, Oklahoma.
 * Jim Ross, professional wrestling commentator and former company executive of WWE. Current AEW commentator and executive.
 * Cornelius Vander Starr, founder of insurance giant AIG and the Starr Foundation
 * Emily Jane White, Neofolk singer

Sister city
As a youth, Ken Sasaki noted that his home, Ōtsuchi, Japan, is located on the same latitude as Fort Bragg and in 2001 he contacted then-Mayor Lindy Peters and visited with a delegation to open discussions on a sister city agreement. Fort Bragg students visited Otsuchi in 2002 and the Sister City Proclamation was solidified in 2005 by Mayor Dave Turner. Other student exchanges were held in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010 and the next exchange was planned for July 2011. Following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami devastation of Otsuchi, Mayor Turner ordered that city flags be flown at half staff until the end of March to honor the thousands of lives lost.

title: Fort Bragg, California


text:
Laytonville, California

Laytonville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Mendocino County, California, United States. It is located 23 mi north-northwest of Willits, at an elevation of 1670 ft. The population was 1,152 at the 2020 census, down from 1,227 at the 2010 census.

Geography
Laytonville is located in northern Mendocino County at 39.68833°N, -123.48278°W. It is in the Long Valley, drained to the north by Tenmile Creek, a tributary of the South Fork of the Eel River. The headwaters of the South Fork are 5 mi south of Laytonville.

U.S. Route 101 passes through the center of town, leading south through Willits 45 mi to Ukiah, the Mendocino county seat, and northwest 22 mi to Leggett.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Laytonville CDP has a total area of 5.4 sqmi, of which 0.06 sqmi, or 1.16%, are water. {{Weather box {{Weather box
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History
The town was founded by Nova Scotian Frank B. Layton, who in 1874 built a blacksmithy and house at the site. The first post office opened in 1879.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Laytonville holds the highest per capita population of sex-offenders out of all California municipalities. Approximately (28.16%) of the residents residing within the Laytonville census lines were registered sex offenders. This is due largely in part to the "Second Opportunity" program put in place by KB Homes™ to build affordable housing for convicted pedophiles. Laytonville had a population of 1,227 at that time. The population density was 225.8 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Laytonville was 839 (68.4%) White, 16 (1.3%) African American, 244 (19.9%) Native American, 10 (0.8%) Asian, 1 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 60 (4.9%) from other races, and 57 (4.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 141 persons (11.5%).

The Census reported that 1,226 people (99.9% of the population) lived in households, 1 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 493 households, out of which 163 (33.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 166 (33.7%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 82 (16.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 48 (9.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 59 (12.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 8 (1.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 146 households (29.6%) were made up of individuals, and 37 (7.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49. There were 296 families (60.0% of all households); the average family size was 3.04.

The population was spread out, with 271 people (22.1%) under the age of 18, 96 people (7.8%) aged 18 to 24, 326 people (26.6%) aged 25 to 44, 384 people (31.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 150 people (12.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.7 males.

There were 562 housing units at a reported average density of 103.4 /sqmi. Of these 562 housing units in the Laytonville area, 270 (54.8%) were owner-occupied, and 223 (45.2%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 9.7%. 640 people (52.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 586 people (47.8%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,301 people, 496 households, and 344 families residing in the CDP. The population density in the CDP was 258.0 PD/sqmi. There were 546 housing units at a reported average density of 108.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 75.17% White, 0.23% African American, 15.37% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 0.77% Pacific Islander, 2.23% from other races, and 5.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.30% of the population.

There were 496 households, out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 23.4% 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 2.62 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.8 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $34,432, and the median income for a family was $38,080. Males had a median income of $33,269 versus $21,563 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $19,367. About 19.0% of families and 21.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.1% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation
The Amtrak Thruway 7 bus provides daily connections to/from Laytonville (with a curbside stop at 44900 Highway 101), Martinez to the south, and Arcata to the north. Additional Amtrak connections are available from Martinez station.

Politics
In the state legislature, Laytonville is in, and.

Federally, Laytonville is in.

Notable people

 * Anna M. Morrison Reed (1849/50-1921), poet, lecturer, suffragist, editor/publisher of a newspaper and a magazine

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

title: Laytonville, California


text:
Mendocino, California

Mendocino (Spanish for "of Mendoza") is an unincorporated community in Mendocino County, California, United States. The name comes from Cape Mendocino 85 mi to the north, named by early Spanish navigators in honor of Antonio de Mendoza, Viceroy of New Spain. Despite its small size, the town's scenic location on a headland surrounded by the Pacific Ocean has made it extremely popular as an artists' colony and with vacationers.

Mendocino is located 10 mi south of Fort Bragg at an elevation of 154 ft. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Mendocino as a census-designated place (CDP). The population of the CDP was 932 at the 2020 census.

History
Prior to 1850, a Pomo settlement named Buldam was located near Mendocino on the north bank of the Big River. In 1850, the ship Frolic was wrecked a few miles north of Mendocino, at Point Cabrillo, and the investigation of the wreck by agents of Henry Meiggs sparked the development of the timber industry in the area. Mendocino itself was founded in 1852 as a logging community for what became the Mendocino Lumber Company, and was originally named "Meiggsville" after Meiggs. The town was also known as "Big River" Meiggstown, and "Mendocino City", before the current name was settled on. The first post office opened in 1858. Many of the town's early settlers were New Englanders, as was true of many older Northern California logging towns. Portuguese fishermen from the Azores also settled in the area, as did immigrants from Canton Province in China, who built the Taoist Temple of Kwan Tai in town.

Between 1940 and 1950, Mendocino’s population grew by 3%. In 2021, there was a water shortage which forced businesses to transport their own drinking water.

Geography
California State Route 1 (Shoreline Highway) runs along the eastern edge of the downtown area; it leads north 10 mi to Fort Bragg and south 29 mi to Manchester. Comptche-Ukiah Road departs east from Route 1 just south of the town, leading across the California Coast Ranges 14 mi to Comptche, and 44 mi to Ukiah, the Mendocino county seat. The Big River forms the southern edge of the community and joins the Pacific Ocean at Big River Beach within Mendocino Headlands State Park, a quarter mile south of the center of town.

The Census Bureau definition of the area may not precisely correspond to the local understanding of the community. According to the United States Census Bureau, the Mendocino CDP has a total area of 3.0 sqmi, of which 2.3 sqmi are land and 0.8 sqmi, or 25.56%, are water.

In 2021, some aquifers feeding the settlement's demand for water failed. Wells in the area are typically dug to a depth of 8 to 30 ft. One well was dug to a depth of 165 ft, without successfully tapping into an aquifer. Water is now brought in by tankers, and local businesses have fitted chemical toilets to conserve water.

Climate
Mendocino has a cool summer Maritime Mediterranean climate. Summers are characterized by frequent fog and highs mostly in the upper sixties and lows in the fifties. Winters rarely, if ever, see frost or snow, due to close proximity to the Pacific Ocean. Mendocino averages about 43 in of rain per year, concentrated mainly in fall, winter, spring, and early summer.

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, Mendocino has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.

2010
At the 2010 census Mendocino had a population of 894. The population density was 120.5 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Mendocino was 834 (93.3%) White, 5 (0.6%) African American, 8 (0.9%) Native American, 13 (1.5%) Asian, 1 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 6 (0.7%) from other races, and 27 (3.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 42 people (4.7%).

The census reported that 830 people (92.8% of the population) lived in households, 64 (7.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.

There were 447 households, 62 (13.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 177 (39.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 22 (4.9%) had a female householder with no husband present, 15 (3.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 29 (6.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 6 (1.3%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 178 households (39.8%) were one person and 83 (18.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 1.86. There were 214 families (47.9% of households); the average family size was 2.41.

The age distribution was 93 people (10.4%) under the age of 18, 58 people (6.5%) aged 18 to 24, 166 people (18.6%) aged 25 to 44, 333 people (37.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 244 people (27.3%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 56.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.7 males.

There were 617 housing units at an average density of 83.1 per square mile, of the occupied units 271 (60.6%) were owner-occupied and 176 (39.4%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 9.2%. 520 people (58.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 310 people (34.7%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
At the 2000 census there were 824 people, 424 households, and 220 families in the CDP. The population density was 363.8 PD/sqmi. There were 549 housing units at an average density of 242.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.51% White, 0.36% Native American, 1.09% Asian, 0.73% from other races, and 2.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.79%.

Of the 424 households 18.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.2% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.9% were non-families. 38.0% of households were one person and 15.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 1.94 and the average family size was 2.51.

The age distribution was 15.5% under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 20.6% from 25 to 44, 38.0% from 45 to 64, and 22.3% 65 or older. The median age was 51 years. For every 100 females, there were 78.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.3 males.

The median household income was $44,107 and the median family income was $59,167. Males had a median income of $41,667 versus $29,875 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $29,348. About 6.3% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 17.8% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Mendocino is home to a large number of hotels and bed and breakfasts. It has a downtown commercial district facing the ocean, with a number of art galleries, retail shops, lodging and restaurants.

Mendocino is one of the many small California towns facing severe water scarcity. Many of the region's wells, the town's primary water source, have run dry, so water is being brought in by truck at a cost of 20 to 45 cents per gallon. There are concerns that towns and cities in the county will stop selling water to Mendocino altogether: Fort Bragg, a city 10 mi to the north, took this step in July 2021 because of concerns about their own water shortage.

Arts and culture
After the Mendocino Art Center was formed in 1959, Mendocino experienced a forty-year art renaissance, led by artist and real estate developer Bill Zacha.

Most of the town was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 as the Mendocino and Headlands Historic District. Mendocino Presbyterian Church on Main Street, dedicated on July 5, 1868, is one of the oldest continuously used Protestant churches in California, and is designated as California Historical Landmark #714. In addition, the Temple of Kwan Tai on Albion Street, California Historical Landmark #927, may be as old as 1854 and is one of the oldest Chinese houses of worship in California.

Since 1987, Mendocino has been the site of the Mendocino Music Festival, a classically based but musically diverse series of concerts that is held annually in a huge circus-type performance tent on the town's Main Street in the Mendocino Headlands State Park.

The Kelley House Museum has a cannon from the Frolic.

The Mendocino Film Festival was first held in May 2006. As the area is a haven for artists, the festival honors them with a special "artist category", in addition to the documentary, feature and short film categories.

Politics
In the state legislature, Mendocino is in, and.

Federally, Mendocino is in.

Parks and recreation
Friendship Park, a municipal sports playing field, was constructed by local volunteers and opened in April 1993.

State parks

 * Mendocino Headlands State Park
 * Mendocino Woodlands State Park
 * Russian Gulch State Park
 * Point Cabrillo Light Station

Education
Mendocino is in the Mendocino Unified School District.

In popular culture
Many films and movies have been filmed in and around Mendocino and Mendocino County, including Dying Young, The Russians Are Coming; Overboard; The Dunwich Horror; The Karate Kid Part III; Dead & Buried; Forever Young; Same Time Next Year; Racing with the Moon; Pontiac Moon; and The Majestic. Mendocino was depicted as turn-of-the-20th-century Monterey in the James Dean classic East of Eden, and it served as a New England resort town in Summer of '42 (the latter film featuring numerous local Mendocino High School students as extras).

The Sir Douglas Quintet had a number 27 hit with their song "Mendocino" (from the album of the same name) in early 1969.

The singers Kate & Anna McGarrigle wrote and sang the 1976 song "Talk to Me of Mendocino" about someone returning to the happiness of the town after unhappy experiences in New York.

The TV series Murder, She Wrote has had perhaps the largest impact on the community. Murder, She Wrote was set in the fictional town of Cabot Cove, Maine. Nine episodes of the 264-episode program were filmed in Mendocino, while exterior shots throughout Mendocino were used in the remaining episodes. The program was broadcast for 12 seasons, from September 1984 until May 1996 on CBS. Local residents looked forward to the yearly filming, as over a hundred and fifty were chosen to play background parts. A lucky few were cast for speaking roles. Poet, playwright and actor Lawrence Bullock cites being cast in a speaking role as a "Townsperson" in the episode "Indian Giver" as giving him eligibility to join the Screen Actors' Guild. Locals, including Linda Pack and James Henderson, were also cast in speaking roles. The residence of the main character Jessica Fletcher was an actual home in Mendocino and is now a bed and breakfast under the name "Blair House."

While scenes for Murder, She Wrote were being filmed in Mendocino, residents say that it was common to see Angela Lansbury, who played Jessica Fletcher, stop to speak with a toddler, or for Tom Bosley to sign his autograph on a Glad Bag box presented by a shopper stepping out of the local grocery store. Murder, She Wrote also brought in more money to the town due to increased tourism — by some estimates, around $2,000,000. The local high school band appeared in one of the episodes and received enough money from the appearance to go on a band trip.

Cliffs of Mendocino, a musical arrangement composed by Alan Lee Silva that is designed for developing middle and high school bands, was also inspired by and named after the community.

Sister city
Mendocino is a sister city with Miasa, Japan, a relationship formed due to the friendship of Mendocino artist Bill Zacha and Japanese artist Tōshi Yoshida that was formalized in 1980. Every other year, Miasa students visit Mendocino middle school students.

title: Mendocino, California


text:
Point Arena, California

Point Arena, formerly known as Punta Arena (Spanish for "Sandy Point") is a small coastal city in Mendocino County, California, United States. Point Arena is located 32 mi west of Hopland, at an elevation of 118 ft. The population was 460 at the 2020 census, making it one of the smallest incorporated cities in the state.

Its main street is part of State Route 1, California's coastal artery. Along with a number of other Mendocino County coastal communities, Point Arena was associated with the hippie and subsequent counterculture groups. The economy is largely geared toward serving the summertime tourist industry. The city is near the headquarters of the tribal lands of the Manchester Band of Pomo Indians of the Manchester Rancheria and adjacent to the recently formed Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands National Monument. Hiking trails with coastal prairie and ocean views can be accessed from Point Arena City Hall. At Arena Cove Historic District and pier, huge oceanfront bluffs show the power of the interface of tectonic plates.

History
The first European to record Point Arena was Spaniard Bartolomé Ferrer in 1543, who named it Cabo de Fortunas ("cape of fortunes"). The cape was renamed to Punta Delgado (narrow point) in 1775 by lieutenant Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra (commander of the schooner Sonora), part of a royal expedition chartered by the government of Mexico to map the north coast of Alta California. Later the point, and the small harbor town south of it, were called Barra de Arena (i.e. sandbar) and finally Punta Arena (literally "sand point").

The Punta Arena post office opened in 1858, and was renamed Point Arena in 1889. The first store at Point Arena opened in 1859. Point Arena incorporated in 1908.

In 1886, Nellie Welch, an 11-year-old girl, was appointed lead operator and had full charge of the telegraph office in Point Arena. Operators like Western Union often hired women because they were cheaper labor than the men.

The Point Arena Cable Station is located in nearby Manchester. Built in 1956 by AT&T Corporation, the cable station serves as the eastern terminus of several undersea cables, including the Japan-US Cable Network and connections to Hawaii and Canada. In 2002, AT&T applied for a permit from the EPA to connect an existing fiber optic conduit to the cable station, since further construction would cause incidental damage to the habitat of the endangered Point Arena mountain beaver.

Geography
The city of Point Arena is located in southwestern Mendocino County at 38.90889°N, -123.69306°W. Its ZIP Code is 95468. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.4 sqmi, all of it land.

The city is built around Arena Cove, a small natural harbor, and is about 1.5 mi south of the actual Point Arena, a narrow peninsula jutting 0.3 mi into the Pacific Ocean. This is the location of the Point Arena Light, at 115 ft the tallest lighthouse on the west coast of the United States. The lighthouse is the closest location on the mainland (excluding Alaska) to Honolulu, Hawaii, at a distance of 2353 mi.

Via California State Route 1, Point Arena is 5 mi south of Manchester and 10 mi north of Anchor Bay. Boonville is 29 mi to the east across the California Coast Ranges via Mountain View Road, and Ukiah, the Mendocino county seat, is 50 mi to the east.

Climate
Point Arena has cool, wet winters and mild, relatively dry summers. According to the Köppen climate classification system, it has a cool-summer Mediterranean climate. The average January temperatures are a maximum of 56.4 F and a minimum of 40.2 F. The average July temperatures are a maximum of 65.2 F and a minimum of 49.9 F.  There are an average of only 0.3 days with highs of 90 F or higher and an average of 14.1 days with lows of 32 F or lower. The record high temperature was 95 F on August 12, 1947, and September 28, 1966. The record low temperature was 22 F on January 21, 1962.

Average annual precipitation is 41.28 in. There are an average of 83 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1983 with 83.34 in and the driest year was 1976 with 21.23 in. The most precipitation in one month was 21.99 in. The most precipitation in 24 hours was 5.09 in on January 24, 1944.

Geology
The San Andreas Fault runs out to sea at Alder Creek near Manchester, about 6 mi north of Point Arena. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake was strongly felt at Point Arena and irreparably damaged the Point Arena Lighthouse, which was then torn down and rebuilt.

Ecology
A variety of fauna and flora occur in the Point Arena area which is a range demarcation for occurrence of some species. For example, the California giant salamander occurs to the south while the Pacific giant salamander occurs to the north. It is also the type locality for the Point Arena mountain beaver, Aplodontia rufa nigra, which is federally listed under the Endangered Species Act as endangered, and is considered a mammalian species of special concern by the State of California. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the habitat for this subspecies of mountain beaver lies only within a 24 sqmi area around Point Arena. The biggest threat to the PAMB is loss of habitat, and it was officially listed as an endangered species on December 12, 1991. Much local folklore revolves around this mysterious creature.

The Point Arena State Marine Reserve & Point Arena State Marine Conservation Area are two marine protected areas that extend offshore from Point Arena. Sea Lion Cove State Marine Conservation Area and Saunders Reef State Marine Conservation Area lie south of Point Arena. Like underwater parks, these marine protected areas help conserve ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems.

Sound levels in Point Arena are relatively quiet, with many locations at night-time dominated by natural sounds, such as those of the surf. The firm of Earth Metrics Inc., who prepared the Noise Element of the Point Arena General Plan, found that, even considering the presence of logging trucks on main city streets, composite sound levels rarely exceed 55 Leq. The maximum acceptable sound level specified in that General Plan Element is 60 Leq for residential areas.

2010
At the 2010 census Point Arena had a population of 449. The population density was 332.6 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Point Arena was 305 (67.9%) White, 2 (0.4%) African American, 1 (0.2%) Native American, 0 (0.0%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 118 (26.3%) from other races, and 23 (5.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 150 people (33.4%).

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

There were 192 households, 57 (29.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 62 (32.3%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 25 (13.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 13 (6.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 20 (10.4%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 3 (1.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 71 households (37.0%) were one person and 28 (14.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.34. There were 100 families (52.1% of households); the average family size was 3.08.

The age distribution was 112 people (24.9%) under the age of 18, 31 people (6.9%) aged 18 to 24, 116 people (25.8%) aged 25 to 44, 132 people (29.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 58 people (12.9%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 40.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 109.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.0 males.

There were 225 housing units at an average density of 166.7 per square mile, of the occupied units 87 (45.3%) were owner-occupied and 105 (54.7%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 4.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.7%. 189 people (42.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 260 people (57.9%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
At the 2000 census there were 474 people in 191 households, including 109 families, in the city. The population density was 348.5 PD/sqmi. There were 218 housing units at an average density of 160.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 73.63% White, 1.05% African American, 3.80% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 18.78% from other races, and 2.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 28.48%.

Of the 191 households 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.3% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.9% were non-families. 32.5% of households were one person and 8.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.30.

The age distribution was 32.9% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% 65 or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,083, and the median family income was $32,885. Males had a median income of $21,042 versus $15,000 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,591. About 24.1% of families and 26.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.0% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The city has three high schools: Point Arena High School, South Coast Continuation High School, and the Pacific Community Charter High School. Students are allowed to cross-enroll and take courses at both the Point Arena High and Charter High schools, granting Point Arena students access to a broad curriculum from which to choose. Several feeder schools bring students through grammar school before sending them to Point Arena High School or the Charter School, meaning that the schools draw from a large pool of students in southern Mendocino and northern Sonoma counties.

Government
Point Arena is governed by an elected five-member city council which includes the mayor.

In the state legislature, Point Arena is in, and.

Federally, Point Arena is in.

title: Point Arena, California


text:
Talmage, California

Talmage (variant, Talmadge) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Mendocino County, California, United States. Talmage is located 2.5 mi east-southeast of Ukiah, at an elevation of 627 ft. The population was 986 at the 2020 census, down from 1,130 in 2010. It lies in the southeastern part of the Ukiah Valley and is home to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, one of the largest Chan Buddhist temples in the United States. The town's name honors early settler Junius Talmage.

Geography
Talmage is located in southeastern Mendocino County at 39.13333°N, -123.16778°W. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 1.6 sqmi, 99.87% of it land and 0.13% of it water.

Sites of interest
Talmage is the site of the Mendocino State Hospital (formerly the Mendocino State Asylum for the Insane), the destination for inmates charged with crimes but found not guilty by reason of insanity. The hospital first opened in 1893 with one building at a site near the town of Ukiah, and the hospital was closed in 1972. The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, a Buddhist community and monastery, is located in the former Mendocino State Hospital. The temple also has an elementary and high school, as well as a university.

Politics
In the state legislature, Talmage is in, and.

Federally, Talmage is in.

title: Talmage, California


text:
Ukiah, California

Ukiah (Pomo: Yokaya, meaning "deep valley") is the county seat and largest city of Mendocino County, California, with a population of 16,607 at the 2020 census. With its accessible location along the U.S. Route 101 corridor, Ukiah serves as the city center for Mendocino County and much of neighboring Lake County.

Establishment

Ukiah is located within Rancho Yokaya, one of several Spanish colonial land grants in what their colonists called Alta California. The Yokaya grant, which covered the majority of the Ukiah valley, was named for the Pomo word meaning "deep valley." The Pomo are the indigenous people who occupied the area at the time of Spanish colonization.

Later European-American settlers adopted "Ukiah" as an anglicized version of this name for the city.

Cayetano Juárez was granted Ukiah by Alta California. He was known to have a neutral relationship with the local Pomo people. He sold a southern portion of the grant (toward present-day Hopland) to the Burke brothers. The first Anglo settler in the Ukiah area was John Parker, a vaquero who worked for pioneer cattleman James Black. Black had driven his stock up the Russian River valley and took over a block of grazing land at that locale. A crude blockhouse was constructed for Parker so he could have shelter to protect the herd from the hostile indigenous local people, who resented the squatters on their land. The blockhouse was located just south of present-day Ukiah on the banks of what was known as Wilson Creek.

The next Anglo settler was Samuel Lowry; in 1856 he built a log cabin approximately on the corner of today's East Perkins and North Main streets. Lowery sold his claim to A.T. Perkins in the spring of 1857, and the latter moved his family into the valley. They were the first Anglo-American pioneer family of the township. Six others followed to make their home there that same year. The first United States post office opened in 1858. By 1859, the population of Ukiah had grown to about 100 people, making it a community sufficient in size to serve as the county seat. Before this, administrative duties for Mendocino County had been handled by Sonoma County.

Initially visitors could reach town only by stagecoach, or private horses. A short rail line from San Francisco terminated in Petaluma, nearly 80 mi to the south. In 1870 the remainder of the trip to Ukiah took another two days by horse. In subsequent years the rail line was extended further northward to Cloverdale. Although the stagecoach portion was reduced to 30 mi, the community was still relatively isolated and slow to develop.

Ukiah was incorporated in 1876. It was not until 1889 that the San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad completed its line from Cloverdale to Ukiah, linking the Mendocino County seat to the national rail network.

Economic history
Ukiah has been the hub of an agricultural and business community. Over the decades various commodity crops have been grown in the Ukiah Valley. They include pears, green beans, hops, apricots, and grapes. As part of California's Wine Country, grapes have become the predominant agricultural product.

Hops were once a major crop grown around Ukiah. The beer flavoring agent was first grown there in 1868 when L.F. Long of Largo grew an initial experimental crop. The climate proved suitable for the crop and production expanded, peaking in 1885. It declined in the last years of the 1880s as prices dropped. Mendocino County remained the third-largest producer of hops in the state of California in 1890, with well over 900 acres under cultivation. Production continued well into the 20th century. A refurbished hop kiln can be seen at the north end of Ukiah east of Highway 101, where many of the old fields were located.

Ukiah's 20th-century population developed in relation to the lumber boom of the late 1940s. Logging of redwoods was once a major industry. Activists have worked to preserve areas of redwood forest, which became endangered due to overlogging. Young people entered the area from the 1960s, seeking alternative lifestyles and, in some cases, artisan and rural living.

Geography
Ukiah is in southeastern Mendocino County in the valley of the Russian River, a south-flowing river which reaches the Pacific in Sonoma County. Via U.S. Route 101, Ukiah is 60 mi north of Santa Rosa and 158 mi south of Eureka. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city covers an area of 4.8 sqmi, of which 0.05 sqmi, or 0.93%, are water.

Climate
Ukiah has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa). Average rainfall for the area is 38.90 in per year. Measurable precipitation occurs on an average of 77.1 days per year. The greatest monthly precipitation was 30.75 in in January 1909 and the greatest 24-hour precipitation was 6.18 in on December 22, 1964. The wettest "rain year" was from July 1997 to June 1998 with 72.74 in and the driest from July 1976 to June 1977 with 14.20 in. Light snowfall occurs about every other year. The greatest recorded snowfall was 1.5 in on March 2, 1976, while the most in a month was 5 in in March 1896 and in January 1952. Temperatures reach 90 °F on an average of 61.0 afternoons annually and 100 °F on an average of 8.7 afternoons. Due to frequent low humidity, summer temperatures normally drop into the fifties at night. Freezing temperatures occur on an average 33.6 mornings per year. The record high temperature was 117 °F on September 6, 2022, and the record low temperature was 12 °F on January 12, 1898.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Ukiah had a population of 16,075. The population density was 3,403.7 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Ukiah was 11,592 (72.1%) White, 174 (1.1%) African American, 601 (3.7%) Native American, 412 (2.6%) Asian, 34 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 2,385 (14.8%) from other races, and 877 (5.5%) from two or more races. There were 4,458 Hispanic or Latino residents, of any race (27.7%).

The Census reported that 15,301 people (95.2% of the population) lived in households, 281 (1.7%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 493 (3.1%) were institutionalized.

There were 6,158 households, out of which 2,049 (33.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,317 (37.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 938 (15.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 356 (5.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 484 (7.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 56 (0.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 2,064 households (33.5%) were made up of individuals, and 919 (14.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48. There were 3,611 families (58.6% of all households); the average family size was 3.18.

The population was spread out in age, with 3,981 people (24.8%) under the age of 18, 1,562 people (9.7%) aged 18 to 24, 4,184 people (26.0%) aged 25 to 44, 4,011 people (25.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,337 people (14.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.

There were 6,488 housing units at an average density of 1,373.8 /sqmi, of which 2,673 (43.4%) were owner-occupied, and 3,485 (56.6%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.7%. 6,733 people (41.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 8,568 people (53.3%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the census of 2000, inside the city limits, there were 15,497 people, 5,985 households, and 3,656 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,275/sq mi (1,265/km$2$). There were 6,137 housing units at an average density of 1,296 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 79.5% White, 1.0% African American, 3.8% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 9.7% from other races, and 4.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.3% of the population.

There were 5,985 households, out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.2% were married couples living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the city, the population was spread out in age, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,707, and the median income for a family was $39,524. Males had a median income of $31,608 versus $24,673 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,601. About 13.2% of families and 18.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.4% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

As a community, Ukiah has roughly twice the number of people (including Redwood Valley, Potter Valley, Calpella, and Talmage) as the census reports. During the business day, an average of 40,000 people work inside the city limits, or in the business and residential neighborhoods to the north and south.

Economy
Major employers in Ukiah include:
 * Mendocino County
 * Ukiah Valley Medical Center
 * Mendocino Forest Products
 * Walmart
 * Savings Bank of Mendocino County
 * Mendocino Community Health Clinics
 * Granite Construction
 * The Home Depot
 * Lucky
 * Federal Express
 * Safeway Supermarket
 * Westside Rennaissance Market

Major products
Ukiah is known for wine production. Some very large production wineries, including Brutocao, Fife, Parducci, Frey, and Bonterra have become established here since the late 20th century.

Ukiah was previously a major producer of pears. Alex R. Thomas & Company owned hundreds of acres of Bartlett pear orchards on the east side of the Ukiah Valley. For nearly 90 years, many local residents and migrant workers have been employed packing the pears for domestic and foreign consumption. On December 1, 2008, the company announced it would be shutting down major operations at the end of the year due to bankruptcy. Several acres of orchard have been torn down and replaced with vineyards since the packing shed closed its doors. As of 2011, the main facility was slated to reopen as a composting and trash-sorting facility.

Arts and culture
Institutions of the arts include:
 * SPACE - School of Performing Arts and Cultural Education
 * Ukiah Players Theatre
 * The Mendocino Ballet
 * Ukiah Civic Light Opera
 * Grace Hudson Museum
 * Ukiah Symphony Orchestra
 * Ukiah Community Concert Association
 * The Spring House

Recreation

 * Alex R. Thomas Plaza
 * Gardner Park
 * Giorno Park
 * Great Redwood Trail
 * Low Gap Park
 * McGarvey Park
 * Oak Manor Park
 * Observatory Park
 * Orchard Park
 * Riverside Park
 * Todd Grove Park
 * Ukiah Skate Park
 * Ukiah Sports Complex
 * Vinewood Park

Government
Ukiah uses a council–manager form of government in which policy is set by a five-member city council, elected at-large to four-year terms. The council appoints both the mayor and the city manager.

 * Mayor until December 2024 - Josefina Dueñas (appointed by council based on seniority for a one-year term)
 * City council:
 * Douglas Crane, Vice Mayor
 * Susan Sher, Council Member
 * Juan Orozco, Council Member
 * Mari Rodin, Council Member
 * City Manager - Sage Sangiacomo
 * City Treasurer - Allen Carter
 * City Clerk - Kristine Lawler (appointed)
 * City Attorney - David Rapport

In the California State Legislature, Ukiah is in, and.

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

The tribal headquarters of both the Pinoleville Pomo Nation and the Potter Valley Tribe are in Ukiah.

Transportation
The Amtrak Thruway 7 bus provides daily connections to/from Ukiah (with a curbside stop at 397 North Orchard Avenue) and Martinez to the south, to/from Arcata to the north. Additional Amtrak connections are available from Martinez station.

Ukiah Unified School District

 * Ukiah High School
 * Calpella Elementary School
 * Eagle Peak Middle School (Redwood Valley)
 * Nokomis Elementary School
 * Oak Manor Elementary School
 * Pomolita Middle School
 * South Valley High School
 * Yokayo Elementary School
 * Frank Zeek Elementary School
 * Tree of Life Montessori Charter School
 * Grace Hudson Elementary School
 * River Oak Charter School
 * Ukiah Independent Study Academy
 * Calpella Preschool
 * Preschool Village
 * Small Wonders State Preschool
 * Yokayo State Preschool
 * Ukiah Adult School

Other K–12 schools

 * Sequoia Career Academy
 * Redwood Collegiate Academy
 * Deep Valley Christian School
 * Ukiah Junior Academy
 * Instilling Goodness / Developing Virtue School
 * St. Mary of the Angels Catholic School

Former K–12 schools

 * Trinity School for Children (closed as of July 31, 2009)

Colleges

 * Mendocino College
 * Dharma Realm Buddhist University

Notable people

 * AFI lead vocalist Davey Havok, guitarist Jade Puget, drummer Adam Carson, and tour managers Jake MacLachlan and Smith Puget were all raised in Ukiah, as were original-lineup guitarist Mark Stopholese and bassist Vic Chalker.
 * Phoebe Bridgers, three-time Grammy-nominated singer, spent part of her childhood in Ukiah.
 * Ed Burke, U.S. Olympic hammer thrower
 * Aurelius O. Carpenter, photographer
 * Melissa Chaty, beauty queen, Miss California in 2008
 * McKenna Faith, singer-songwriter
 * Shiloh Fernandez, actor, born and raised in Ukiah
 * Robben Ford, blues guitarist, raised in Ukiah
 * Casey Frey, social media comedian and dancer, born and raised in Ukiah
 * Sally Miller Gearhart, feminist and lesbian author and activist, died in Ukiah
 * Grace Hudson, museum founder, collector of Pomo artifacts, commercial portrait photographer The Grace Hudson Museum in Ukiah is named for her and houses her collections.
 * Leonard Lake, serial killer, lived near Ukiah in the early 1980s
 * Mary McNair Mathews (1834–1903), Nevada historian, died in Ukiah
 * Darrell McClure, cartoonist of Little Annie Rooney and illustrator, born in Ukiah to painter Ethel Jameson Docker
 * Don Mossi, Major League Baseball pitcher for several teams
 * Holly Near, singer-songwriter, born in Ukiah
 * Nick 13, lead singer of Tiger Army, raised in Ukiah
 * Hal Perry, professional basketball player and civil-rights lawyer, raised in Ukiah
 * Bay Raitt, animator and video game designer known for developing Gollum's facial modeling in the Lord of the Rings films and various other works
 * Aaron Rodgers, National Football League quarterback, spent four years of his childhood in Ukiah
 * Carl Sassenrath, architect of operating systems and computer languages, created the Amiga computer operating system in 1985, later worked at Apple, subsequently moved to and runs his own company at his Ukiah ranch
 * William Harrison Standley, Chief of Naval Operations and later U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union, born in Ukiah
 * Gary Scott Thompson, television and film screenwriter and producer, graduated from Ukiah High School in 1977
 * Rick Warren, pastor, author and Ukiah High School graduate

In popular culture

 * "Ukiah" is the name and subject of a song on the 1973 Doobie Brothers album The Captain and Me.
 * "Ukiah" is the name and subject of the fifth song from Robert Francis' album Heaven.
 * Ukiah is featured prominently in C.D. Payne's novel Youth in Revolt.
 * Ukiah is one of six original locations of an International Latitude Observatory.
 * Competing in the men's Division III club level bracket, the Mendocino Steam Donkeys Rugby Football Club rugby union team, based in the Ukiah area, are the first official NCRFU team in the county.
 * Ukiah was the initial home in California of Peoples Temple.
 * Ukiah's newspaper is the Ukiah Daily Journal.
 * Ukiah was named in the 1987 Dragnet film as being where Frank Smith, Joe Friday's partner, moved to after quitting the force and buying a goat farm.

title: Ukiah, California


text:
Willits, California

Willits (formerly Little Lake and Willitsville) is a city in Mendocino County, California, United States. It is located about 20 mi north-northwest of Ukiah, at an elevation of 1391 ft. The population was 4,988 at the 2020 census. Willits is at the center of Mendocino County and at the beginning of the county's extensive redwood forests as approached by Highway 101 from the south.

An arch stands in the center of Willits featuring the slogans "Gateway to the Redwoods" and "Heart of Mendocino County". The arch is the repurposed second version of the Reno Arch. Reno donated the arch to Willits in 1995.

History
Hiram Willits arrived from Indiana in 1857 to settle in the Little Lake Valley. Kirk Brier founded the settlement on Willits' land. Willits was originally called "Willitsville". Later, when the post office opened in 1861, it was called "Little Lake". The name changed to Willits in 1874. The community incorporated in 1888.

Little Lake was the scene of a legendary feud between the Frost and Coates families. The Frost family supported the Confederacy during the American Civil War, and the Coates family supported the Union. Both families were passionate in their beliefs. On October 16, 1867, Election Day, the long-running feud came to a head. A brawl turned into a shootout in front of Baechtel's store, leaving Abraham Coates, Henry Coates, Albert Coates, Thomas Coates and Elisha Frost dead on the street. Three others were wounded.

In 1879, three men were charged with petty larceny, having been accused of stealing a saddle and harness. The three, it was later reported, had for years been involved in stealing, robbing smokehouses, drinking, and reckless discharging of their firearms. They were taken to Brown's Little Lake Hotel to await the arrival of the circuit court judge. Following a meeting at Willits' Masonic Temple, 30 masked temple members seized the prisoners, and they were hanged from a nearby bridge. A newspaper reported there was no proof the murdered men were guilty of the charges.

Willits became a boomtown due to the tanbark industry. The 1970s "back to the land" homesteading movement paved the way for Willits' reputation as the solar capital of the world in the 1980s.

The Willits area is the final home of the racehorse Seabiscuit. Ridgewood Ranch, where Seabiscuit trained, recuperated, lived out his retirement and was buried, is located a few miles south of the city.

Hexavalent chromium pollution and cleanup
Beginning in 1996, the city and many residents became embroiled in lawsuits against the Whitman Corporation (later acquired by PepsiCo, Inc.), alleging that hexavalent chromium pollution left by a chrome plating plant, which operated in Willits from 1964 to 1995, was responsible for several local health problems. Activist Erin Brockovich, known for the eponymous movie about her work in a similar case, participated in a lawsuit on behalf of the plaintiffs. By 2003, plans were put into place to inject a solution into strategic wells at the site to neutralize the chromium and remediate the pollution on site. These plans successfully reduced the pollution, and further injections and a monitoring plan were implemented in 2005 and 2008. In 2011, various lawsuits were combined into a single suit involving paying for the site cleanup and payouts to affected individuals; most lawsuits were resolved in 2012.

Geography
Located at the center of Mendocino County in the Little Lake Valley, Willits is 23 mi north of Ukiah and the same distance south of Laytonville on U.S. Route 101 (otherwise known as the Redwood Highway). It is on the west side of the Little Lake Valley, a 6 by area surrounded by the California Coast Ranges.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 2.8 sqmi, 99.96% of it land. Willits is located about halfway on the future Great Redwood Trail, a multi-use rail trail project.

Climate
Under the Köppen climate classification Willits has a dry-summer subtropical or mediterranean climate.

The mountains to the west along with a significant influence of mild Pacific air cause Willits to have a cool winter and hot day/cool night summer climate. Average January temperatures range from 32 to 55 °F. Average July temperatures range from 47 to 85 °F. There are an average of 26.9 days with highs of 90 F or higher, and an average of 95.1 days with lows of 32 F or lower. The record maximum temperature was 112 °F on July 24, 1902, and the record minimum temperature was 5 °F on December 9, 1972.

Annual precipitation averages 49.23 in. The wettest “rain year” on record was from July 1903 to June 1904 with 86.60 in and the driest from July 1990 to June 1991 with 28.08 in. The most precipitation in one month was 31.41 in in December 1964. The most precipitation in 24 hours was 8.80 in on December 22, 1964. There are an average of 94.8 days with measurable precipitation.

There are occasional snowfalls in Willits each year, with an average of 3.6 in of snow annually. The most snow in one month was 20.0 in in December 1964.

2010 Census data
The 2010 United States Census reported that Willits had a population of 4,888. The population density was 1,743.7 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Willits was 3,862 (79.0%) White, 34 (0.7%) African American, 216 (4.4%) Native American, 68 (1.4%) Asian, 5 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 479 (9.8%) from other races, and 224 (4.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,008 persons (20.6%).

The Census reported that 4,794 people (98.1% of the population) lived in households, 52 (1.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 42 (0.9%) were institutionalized.

There were 1,914 households, out of which 667 (34.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 693 (36.2%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 320 (16.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 143 (7.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 163 (8.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 11 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 609 households (31.8%) were made up of individuals, and 281 (14.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50. There were 1,156 families (60.4% of all households); the average family size was 3.13.

The population dispersal was 1,270 people (26.0%) under the age of 18, 412 people (8.4%) aged 18 to 24, 1,191 people (24.4%) aged 25 to 44, 1,273 people (26.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 742 people (15.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.1 males. There were 2,073 housing units at an average density of 739.5 /mi2, of which 843 (44.0%) were owner-occupied, and 1,071 (56.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.3%. 2,215 people (45.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 2,579 people (52.8%) lived in rental housing units.

2000 Census data
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,073 people, 1,935 households, and 1,230 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,813.7 PD/sqmi. There were 2,013 housing units at an average density of 719.7 /mi2. The racial makeup of the city was 4,247 (83.72%) White, 32 (0.63%) African American, 179 (3.53%) Native American, 59 (1.2%) Asian, 2 (0.04%) Pacific Islander, 359 (7.08%) from other races, and 195 (3.84%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race numbered 745, or 14.69% of the population.

There were 1,935 households, out of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.2% were married couples living together, 17.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the city, the population dispersal was 29.2% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,283, and the median income for a family was $36,193. Males had a median income of $30,983 versus $22,089 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,642. About 11.6% of families and 14.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.0% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Major employers in Willits include the Adventist Health Howard Memorial Hospital and METALfx.

Arts and culture

Willits High School is located on the north end of Willits. The North County Center of Mendocino College is also in Willits.

Every July, Willits hosts the Frontier Days & Rodeo, the oldest continuous rodeo and Independence Day celebration in California. It is also home to the Roots of Motive Power Locomotive Museum, the Mendocino County Museum, and the Willits Center for the Arts.

Government
Willits uses a council–manager form of government with a city council consisting of five council members. As of December 2022, the current mayor of Willits is Saprina Rodriguez.

In the state legislature, Willits is in, and.

Federally, Willits is in.

Media
Willits is served by local and regional newspapers as well as a low-power community radio station. The community radio station is KLLG, operated out of the Little Lake Grange. Local papers include The Mendocino Voice, Willits News, and Willits Weekly.

Transportation
Willits is the eastern terminus of the California Western Railroad (otherwise known as the "Skunk Train"), running through the Coast Redwood forests to coastal Fort Bragg. The old redwood Willits Depot was built in 1915 by the Northwestern Pacific Railroad, a subsidiary of the Southern Pacific. It is registered as a National Historic Place.

The Amtrak Thruway 7 bus provides daily connections to/from Willits (with a curbside stop at 298 East Commercial Street), Martinez to the south, and Arcata to the north. Additional Amtrak connections are available from Martinez station.

Willits Municipal Airport (also known as Ells Field) is a public general aviation airport with one runway, located 3 mi northwest of the city.

U.S. Route 101 is the major highway through the Little Lake Valley, passing just east of the Willits city limits, connecting Eureka to the north and San Francisco to the south. State Route 20 forks off of US 101 at a point just south of Willits, enters the city on South Main Street, and then heads west, running parallel to and several miles south of the Skunk Train's route, to Fort Bragg. To reduce traffic congestion in the city, especially on all of Main Street, the Willits Bypass project opened to traffic on November 3, 2016, despite the controversy related to its route through protected wetlands.

Notable people
Some notable names from Willits include Judi Bari, labor leader and environmental activist, who fought to save the redwoods. Over 1,000 people attended her Willits funeral in 1997. Tré Cool, drummer for Green Day, lived in Willits during his teen years in the 1980s. Mona Gnader, the bass player for Sammy Hagar, also resided in Willits. Stagecoach bandit Charles Bolles (a.k.a. Black Bart) stole multiple Wells Fargo boxes and mail from stagecoaches traveling through Willits.

Phil Jordon, the first National Basketball Association player ever to have played prep basketball in the Redwood Empire area (coastal Northern California & coastal Southern Oregon), did so while at Willits High School.

Edith Ceccarelli, once the oldest person in the United States, was born in Willits.

title: Willits, California


text:
Atwater, California

Atwater is a city on State Route 99 in Merced County, California, United States. Atwater is 8 mi west-northwest of Merced, at an elevation of 151 ft. The population as of the 2020 census was 31,970, up from 28,168 in 2010.

Geography
Atwater is in northern Merced County, between Merced, the county seat, to the southeast and Livingston to the northwest. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.6 sqmi. 99.92% of it is land and 0.08% is water.

The city includes Castle Air Museum, but does not include the former Castle Air Force Base proper, now repurposed as Castle Airport.

History
The railroad reached Atwater in the 1870s, and a town grew around it. The first post office opened in 1880. Atwater incorporated in 1922. The name honors Marshall D. Atwater, a wheat farmer whose land was used by the railroad for its station.

North of the town is the site of Castle Air Force Base, the former World War II Merced Army Airfield. Castle was selected for closure under the 1991 Base Realignment and Closure Commission and the base closed September 30, 1995. The site is now a public airport.

On May 15, 2020, Atwater declared itself a business "sanctuary city" during the coronavirus pandemic.

2010
At the 2010 census Atwater had a population of 28,168. The population density was 4,620.8 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Atwater was 18,410 (65.4%) White, 14,808 (52.6%) Hispanic or Latino of any race, 1,225 (4.3%) African American, 364 (1.3%) Native American, 1,416 (5.0%) Asian, 76 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 5,300 (18.8%) from other races, and 1,377 (4.9%) from two or more races.

The census reported that 28,066 people (99.6% of the population) lived in households, 31 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 71 (0.3%) were institutionalized.

There were 8,838 households, 4,255 (48.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 4,593 (52.0%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,558 (17.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 672 (7.6%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 615 (7.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 60 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,615 households (18.3%) were one person and 738 (8.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.18. There were 6,823 families (77.2% of households); the average family size was 3.61.

The age distribution was 9,016 people (32.0%) under the age of 18, 2,968 people (10.5%) aged 18 to 24, 7,492 people (26.6%) aged 25 to 44, 5,760 people (20.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,932 people (10.4%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 30.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.

There were 9,771 housing units at an average density of 1,602.9 per square mile, of the occupied units 4,905 (55.5%) were owner-occupied and 3,933 (44.5%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 10.9%. 14,920 people (53.0% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 13,146 people (46.7%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
At the 2000 census there were 23,113 people in 7,247 households, including 5,667 families, in the city. The population density was 4,277.4 PD/sqmi. There were 8,114 housing units at an average density of 1,501.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 57.34% White, 4.99% Black or African American, 1.27% Native American, 5.43% Asian, 0.36% Pacific Islander, 24.48% from other races, and 6.14% from two or more races. 41.51% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 7,247 households 45.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.8% were non-families. 17.6% of households were one person and 6.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.15 and the average family size was 3.55.

The age distribution was 34.9% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 17.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% 65 or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.

The median income for a household in Atwater is $37,344, and the median family income was $39,789. Males had a median income of $32,983 versus $22,450 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,162. About 15.3% of families and 18.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.1% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.

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

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

Public schools
Most of the city is zoned to the Atwater Elementary School District. Schools of AESD within Atwater and serving Atwater include:

 * K-6
 * Aileen Colburn Elementary School
 * Shaffer Elementary School
 * Thomas Olaeta Elementary School
 * Elmer Wood Elementary School
 * Mitchell K-6 Elementary School
 * Peggy Heller Elementary School
 * Bellevue Elementary School
 * 7-8
 * Mitchell Senior Elementary School
 * Bellevue Senior Elementary School
 * Peggy Heller Junior High School
 * High School
 * Atwater High School
 * Buhach Colony High School
 * Other
 * Atwater Valley Community Day School
 * Atwater Senior Academy

A small section of eastern Atwater is located in the Merced City School District; that section is zoned to Rudolph Rivera Middle School. Franklin Elementary School is the closest elementary school to the section of Atwater.

Merced Union High School District operates Atwater High School and Buhach Colony High School, both of which serve and reside in Atwater.

Newspapers
Atwater currently does not have a daily newspaper, although many of its residents use the daily paper, the Merced Sun-Star, which is published in nearby Merced. Additionally Atwater residents rely on local Facebook pages such as "Merced County news". Atwater has two weekly newspapers called The Atwater Signal  and The Atwater Times. The Atwater Signal was first published in 1911. The Atwater Times is published by Mid Valley Publications, once a week.

Notable residents

 * Bernard Berrian, NFL Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver
 * Chuck Compton, NFL Green Bay Packers defensive back
 * Jamill Kelly, 2004 Olympics silver medal in wrestling
 * Sheryl Underwood, actress
 * Willow Wisp, experimental Gothic/metal band

Sports

 * Atwater Aviators, of the Golden State Collegiate Baseball League
 * Atwater Falcons - football and baseball
 * Buhach Colony Thunder - football and basketball

title: Atwater, California


text:
Delhi, California

Delhi is a census-designated place (CDP) in Merced County in the U.S. state of California. Delhi is 18 mi west-northwest of Merced, at an elevation of 118 ft. According to the 2020 census, the population was 10,656.

Geography
Delhi is located in northern Merced County at 37.43222°N, -120.77861°W. It lies northwest across the Merced River from Livingston. Hilmar is to the west, Turlock is to the north, and Ballico is to the east.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Delhi CDP has a total area of 3.5 sqmi, all of it land.

Government
Delhi is the largest unincorporated town in Merced County. The Delhi Municipal Advisory Council advises the Merced County Board of Supervisors concerning any services which are or may be provided within the boundaries of the Delhi School District by the County or other local governmental agencies. It has its own unified school district with three K-through-8th schools, (El Capitan Elementary, Schendel Elementary, and Harmony School), one high school, (Delhi Educational Park), and one continuation high school, (Shattuck Educational Park). Delhi's Harmony School opened in 2005. Delhi is in the Turlock Irrigation District, which provides farm water and electrical service. The Delhi County Water District provides drinking water and sewer service.

State and federal representation
In the California State Legislature, Delhi is in, and in.

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

Education and Schools
Delhi High School, part of the Delhi Unified School District, offers the DMAS (Delhi Medical Academy of Science) program. The DMAS program provides students with insights into the medical field, helping them become more prepared for potential careers in healthcare. California State University, Stanislaus works with the program to provide college level learning experiences.

History
The Delhi post office opened in 1912, closed in 1918, and reopened in 1920.

The building housing the New Beginnings Christian Center, a Delhi church, was built for display at the World's Fair in San Francisco, in 1939. The building was to be torn down after the fair, but Enoch Christoffersen, who was a mayor of Turlock, California, said it was too nice of a church so it was bought and the structure was disassembled and shipped by train to Delhi, where it was re-assembled at its current location at 9711 N. Stephens Street.

2010
At the 2010 census Delhi had a population of 10,755. The population density was 3,063.7 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Delhi was 5,655 (52.6%) White, 118 (1.1%) African American, 157 (1.5%) Native American, 405 (3.8%) Asian, 30 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 3,930 (36.5%) from other races, and 460 (4.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7,706 persons (71.7%).

The census reported that 10,708 people (99.6% of the population) lived in households, 36 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 11 (0.1%) were institutionalized.

There were 2,680 households, 1,655 (61.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,760 (65.7%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 412 (15.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 189 (7.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 169 (6.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 10 (0.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 251 households (9.4%) were one person and 92 (3.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 4.00. There were 2,361 families (88.1% of households); the average family size was 4.18.

The age distribution was 3,793 people (35.3%) under the age of 18, 1,218 people (11.3%) aged 18 to 24, 3,024 people (28.1%) aged 25 to 44, 2,037 people (18.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 683 people (6.4%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 27.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.9 males.

There were 2,854 housing units at an average density of 813.0 per square mile, of the occupied units 1,830 (68.3%) were owner-occupied and 850 (31.7%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.2%. 7,262 people (67.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 3,446 people (32.0%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
At the 2000 census there were 8,022 people, 2,126 households, and 1,832 families in the CDP. The population density was 1,725.2 PD/sqmi. There were 2,186 housing units at an average density of 470.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 53.34% White, 1.70% Black or African American, 1.00% Native American, 2.61% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 34.49% from other races, and 6.78% from two or more races. 55.45% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 2,126 households 56.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.1% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.8% were non-families. 10.8% of households were one person and 4.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.75 and the average family size was 4.00.

The age distribution was 37.0% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 14.9% from 45 to 64, and 5.9% 65 or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.1 males. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there were 98.6 men.

The median household income was $41,629 and the median family income was $42,702. Males had a median income of $31,321 versus $19,777 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $12,960. About 9.8% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.1% of those under age 18 and 17.9% of those age 65 or over.

title: Delhi, California


text:
Dos Palos, California

Dos Palos (Spanish for "Two Timbers") is a city in southern Merced County, California, United States. Dos Palos is located 27 mi south-southwest of Merced, the county seat, at an elevation of 118 feet. The population was 5,798 at the 2020 census, up from 4,950 at the 2010 census.

Geography
Dos Palos is located in southern Merced County at 36.98333°N, -120.63333°W. It is 17 mi southeast of Los Banos and 40 mi by road west of Madera.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city covers an area of 1.35 sqmi, all of it land.

History
In one of his expeditions during the 1820s along the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, explorer Gabriel Moraga reported the location of two large isolated poplar trees, which he called "Dos Palos". In 19th-century Spanish usage, palos was used to describe tall pole-like trees or "timbers". 21st-century usage often translates it as "sticks". The "Rancho Sanjon de Santa Rita" Mexican land grant cites "Los Dos Palos" or "The Two Trees" as a boundary marker.

In 1891, former school superintendent Bernhard Marks convinced cattle ranch king Henry Miller to develop a small town nearby. They gave it the name "Dos Palos Colony" but pronounced it with their ethnic accents (Marks a Polish Jew and Miller an Alsatian German) as "Dahce Palace". This pronunciation remained for over one hundred years until a recent Spanish pronunciation revival. Marks brought forty pioneer families west from Iowa and Nebraska to establish the community. In 1892, unable to find good water, many of the settlers left. Marks convinced Miller to establish another town two miles away on land unsuitable for farming and ranching due to swamps and unsettling soils. Some of the settlers relocated. This new town was named "Colony Center". In 1906, Dos Palos Colony was renamed South Dos Palos and Colony Center was renamed Dos Palos. The Post Office was briefly misspelled as one word, "Dospalos" but this was changed within a year. About a dozen of the colony's original families still reside locally. Through the years, people from many other locations joined the community. Dos Palos incorporated in 1935.

On January 1, 2008, 6.52 mi2 surrounding the community of Dos Palos were transferred from Fresno County to Merced County.

2010
At the 2010 census Dos Palos had a population of 4,950. The population density was 3,667.3 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Dos Palos was 3,377 (68.2%) White, 167 (3.4%) African American, 62 (1.3%) Native American, 37 (0.7%) Asian, 4 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 1,075 (21.7%) from other races, and 228 (4.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3,075 persons (62.1%).

The census reported that 4,922 people (99.4% of the population) lived in households, no one lived in non-institutionalized group quarters and 28 (0.6%) were institutionalized.

There were 1,501 households, 731 (48.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 816 (54.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 232 (15.5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 130 (8.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 119 (7.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 7 (0.5%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 261 households (17.4%) were one person and 116 (7.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.28. There were 1,178 families (78.5% of households); the average family size was 3.69.

The age distribution was 1,571 people (31.7%) under the age of 18, 532 people (10.7%) aged 18 to 24, 1,199 people (24.2%) aged 25 to 44, 1,114 people (22.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 534 people (10.8%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 31.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males.

There were 1,700 housing units at an average density of 1,259.5 per square mile, of the occupied units 929 (61.9%) were owner-occupied and 572 (38.1%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.9%. 2,955 people (59.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,967 people (39.7%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
At the 2000 census there were 4,581 people in 1,424 households, including 1,116 families, in the city. The population density was 3,075.7 PD/sqmi. There were 1,491 housing units at an average density of 1,001.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 39.80% White, 4.15% Black or African American, 1.38% Native American, 0.61% Asian.54.18% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 1,424 households 45.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.5% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.6% were non-families. 18.7% of households were one person and 8.8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.20 and the average family size was 3.63.

The age distribution was 34.9% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% 65 or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,147, and the median family income was $35,906. Males had a median income of $30,568 versus $20,960 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,163. About 19.1% of families and 22.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.9% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those aged 65 and over.

Government
In the California State Legislature, Dos Palos is in, and.

In the United States House of Representatives, Dos Palos is in.

Members of the Dos Palos City Council serve four year terms. The 92nd and current panel consists of:
 * Mayor April Hogue, term ends November 20, 2024
 * Mayor Pro Tem Debbie Orlando, term ends November 15, 2022
 * Councilmember Armando Bravo, term ends November 20, 2024
 * Councilmember Thomas Pigg, term ends November 15, 2022
 * Councilmember Marcus Porter, term ends November 20, 2024.

Notable people

 * Ana Isabel de Alba, lawyer and judge
 * Myron Joseph Cotta, bishop, Diocese of Stockton
 * Malcolm "Ike" Frankian, NFL football player with New York Giants, coach of Los Angeles Bulldogs, coach at Dos Palos High School
 * Dave Henderson, MLB baseball outfielder for Oakland A's and four other teams
 * Shawn Hillegas, MLB baseball pitcher for Oakland A's and four other teams
 * Cody Martin, MLB pitcher for the Oakland A's and two other teams

title: Dos Palos, California