Portola, California
| City of Portola | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
 |
|
| Coordinates: 39°48′37″N 120°28′11″W / 39.81028°N 120.46972°WCoordinates: 39°48′37″N 120°28′11″W / 39.81028°N 120.46972°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | Plumas |
| Area[1] | |
| • Total | 5.407 sq mi (14.003 km2) |
| • Land | 5.407 sq mi (14.003 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | 4,856 ft (1,480 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 2,104 |
| • Density | 389.1/sq mi (150.3/km2) |
| Time zone | Pacific (PST) (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| ZIP codes | 96122, 96129 |
| Area code(s) | 530 |
| FIPS code | 06-58352 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1659425 |
| Website | www.ci.portola.ca.us |
Portola is the only incorporated city in Plumas County, California, United States. The population was 2,104 at the 2010 census, down from 2,227 at the 2000 census. Portola is located on the Middle Fork of the Feather River, and was named after Spanish explorer Gaspar de Portola (though he never explored this area of the state).
Portola is a crew change site on the Western Pacific Railroad (now Union Pacific Railroad) Feather River Route over the Sierra Nevada mountains. The city is also home to the Western Pacific Railroad Museum (formerly Portola Railroad Museum), one of the largest railroad museums in the Western US. The museum is famous for its Run A Locomotive program, where the public can participate in a "fantasy experience" program allowing them to run a railroad locomotive on the museum grounds.
Portola was in the national media spotlight in 1996-1997 when a conflict occurred between the local community and the Department of Fish and Game over how to deal with an invasive species of Northern Pike in Lake Davis. The lake was chemically treated in 1997 to eradicate the fish, but they reappeared in 1999. In early September 2007, the California Department of Fish and Game plans to eradicate the pike using CFT Legumine, a new liquid formulation of rotenone[1].
Contents |
[edit] Geography
Portola is located at 39°48′37″N 120°28′11″W / 39.810151°N 120.469843°W.[2]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.4 square miles (14 km2), all of it land.
[edit] Demographics
[edit] 2010
The 2010 United States Census[3] reported that Portola had a population of 2,104. The population density was 389.1 people per square mile (150.2/km²). The racial makeup of Portola was 1,762 (83.7%) White, 13 (0.6%) African American, 54 (2.6%) Native American, 12 (0.6%) Asian, 1 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 198 (9.4%) from other races, and 64 (3.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 342 persons (16.3%).
The Census reported that 2,080 people (98.9% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 24 (1.1%) were institutionalized.
There were 887 households, out of which 278 (31.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 378 (42.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 114 (12.9%) had a female householder with no husband present, 53 (6.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 68 (7.7%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 4 (0.5%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 286 households (32.2%) were made up of individuals and 113 (12.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34. There were 545 families (61.4% of all households); the average family size was 2.92.
The population was spread out with 502 people (23.9%) under the age of 18, 198 people (9.4%) aged 18 to 24, 462 people (22.0%) aged 25 to 44, 638 people (30.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 304 people (14.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.8 years. For every 100 females there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.
There were 1,134 housing units at an average density of 209.7 per square mile (81.0/km²), of which 482 (54.3%) were owner-occupied, and 405 (45.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 6.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 21.0%. 1,156 people (54.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 924 people (43.9%) lived in rental housing units.
[edit] 2000
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 2,227 people, 899 households, and 595 families residing in the city. The population density was 994.6 people per square mile (383.9/km²). There were 1,008 housing units at an average density of 450.2 per square mile (173.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.21% White, 0.45% African American, 2.65% Native American, 1.08% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 5.84% from other races, and 3.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.81% of the population.
There were 899 households out of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.5% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,103, and the median income for a family was $35,156. Males had a median income of $32,159 versus $21,157 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,734. About 14.5% of families and 20.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.7% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Politics
In the state legislature Portola is located in the 1st Senate District, represented by Republican Ted Gaines, and in the 3rd Assembly District, represented by Republican Dan Logue. Federally, Portola is located in California's 4th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of R +11[5] and is represented by Republican Tom McClintock.
[edit] References
- ^ U.S. Census
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ All data are derived from the United States Census Bureau reports from the 2010 United States Census, and are accessible on-line here. The data on unmarried partnerships and same-sex married couples are from the Census report DEC_10_SF1_PCT15. All other housing and population data are from Census report DEC_10_DP_DPDP1. Both reports are viewable online or downloadable in a zip file containing a comma-delimited data file. The area data, from which densities are calculated, are available on-line here. Percentage totals may not add to 100% due to rounding. The Census Bureau defines families as a household containing one or more people related to the householder by birth, opposite-sex marriage, or adoption. People living in group quarters are tabulated by the Census Bureau as neither owners nor renters. For further details, see the text files accompanying the data files containing the Census reports mentioned above.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Will Gerrymandered Districts Stem the Wave of Voter Unrest?". Campaign Legal Center Blog. http://www.clcblog.org/blog_item-85.html. Retrieved 2007-10-20.
[edit] External links
- Official city website
- Portola Reporter - Local newspaper
- Feather River Rail Society
- Western Pacific Railroad Museum at Portola
- Article about the Portola Railroad Museum
- http://www.portolarailroaddays.com
- http://www.discoverplumascounty.com
