TheMarin County Civic Center was designed byFrank Lloyd Wright and draws thousands of visitors a year to guided tours of itsarch andatrium design. In 1994, a new county jail facility was embedded into the hillside nearby.[6]
Thousands of years ago,Coast Miwok people first populated the area today known as Marin County.
In 1770, Coast Miwok population ranged from 1,500 to 2,000,[8][9] with about 600 village sites throughout the county.
In 1967, theMarin Museum of the American Indian was established, with exhibits focusing on Coast Miwok artifacts, crafts, and artwork.[10] As of 2021, Indigenous-led events include healing drumming,dogbanecordage demonstrations, trade feasts, and traditional dancing.[11]
During theMexican-American war, areas of Marin County were seized by Americans as part of theconquest of California (1846–1847). Marin County is one of the original 27 counties of California, created February 18, 1850, following adoption of theCalifornia Constitution of 1849 and just months before the state was admitted to the Union.[12]
According toGeneral Mariano Vallejo, who headed an 1850 committee to name California's counties, the county was named for"Marin", great chief of the tribe Licatiut. Marin had been named "Huicmuse" until he was baptized as "Marino" at about age 20. Marin / Marino was born into the Huimen people, aCoast Miwok tribe of Native Americans who inhabited the San Rafael area. Vallejo believed that "Chief Marin" had waged several fierce battles against the Spanish. Marino definitely did reside at Mission Dolores (in modern San Francisco) much of the time from his 1801 baptism and marriage until 1817, frequently serving as a baptism witness and godfather; he may have escaped and been recaptured at some point during that time. Starting in 1817, he served as analcalde (in effect, an overseer) at the San Rafael Mission, where he lived from 1817 off and on until his death. In 1821, Marino served as an expedition guide for the Spanish for a couple of years before escaping and hiding out for some months in the tinyMarin Islands (also named after him); his recapture resulted in a yearlong incarceration at the Presidio before his return to the Mission San Rafael area for about 15 years until his death in 1839.[13] In 2009, a plaque commemorating Chief Marin was placed in Mill Valley.
Another version of the origin of the county name is that the bay between San Pedro Point and San Quentin Point was namedBahía de Nuestra Señora del Rosario la Marinera in 1775, and that Marin is simply an abbreviation of this name.[14]
Francis Drake and the crew of theGolden Hind was thought to have landed on the Marin coast in 1579 claiming the land asNova Albion. A bronze plaque inscribed with Drake's claim to the new lands, fitting the description in Drake's own account, was discovered in 1933. This so-calledDrake's Plate of Brass was revealed as a hoax in 2003.[15]
Looking east along the Tennessee Valley Trail, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 828 square miles (2,140 km2), of which 520 square miles (1,300 km2) is land and 308 square miles (800 km2), comprising 37.2%, is water.[16] It is the fourth-smallest county in California by land area. According to the records at the CountyAssessor-Recorder's Office, as of June 2006, Marin had 91,065 acres (369 km2) of taxable land, consisting of 79,086 parcels with a total tax basis of $39.8 billion. These parcels are divided into the following classifications:
Geographically, the county forms a large, southward-facing peninsula, with the Pacific Ocean to the west,San Pablo Bay, andSan Francisco Bay to the east, and – across theGolden Gate – the city of San Francisco to the south. Marin County's northern border is withSonoma County.
Most of the county's population resides on the eastern side, with a string of communities running alongU.S. Route 101 and the San Francisco Bay, fromSausalito toTiburon toCorte Madera toSan Rafael andNovato. The interior contains large areas of agricultural and open space;West Marin, through whichState Route 1 runs alongside the California coast, contains many small unincorporated communities whose economies depend on agriculture and tourism. West Marin has beaches which are popular destinations for surfers and tourists year-round.
Notably, the Lagunitas Creek Watershed is home to the largest remaining wild run ofcoho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in Central California. These coho are part of the "Central California Coast Evolutionarily Significant Unit,[17] " or CCC ESU, and are listed as "endangered" at both the state and federal level.
Significant efforts to protect and restore these fish[18] have been underway in the Watershed since the 1980s. Fifty percent of historical salmon habitat is now behind dams. Strong efforts are also being made to protect and restore undammed, headwater reaches of this Watershed in theSan Geronimo Valley, where upwards of 40% of the Lagunitas salmon spawn each year and where as much as 1/3 of the juvenile salmon (or fry) spend their entire freshwater lives. The "Salmon Protection and Watershed Network"[19] leads winter tours for the public to learn about and view these spawning salmon, and also leads year-round opportunities for the public to get involved in stream restoration, monitoring spawning and smolt outmigration, juvenile fish rescue and relocation in the summer, and advocacy and policy development. Around 490 different species of birds have been observed in Marin County.[20]
The Veench Vista - Marin County
Despite the lack of rain in the Marin County area due to historic drought levels,[21] in 2014, an estimated 20,000 juvenile Coho salmon made the migration from their spawning grounds in theLagunitas Creek area to the Pacific Ocean. This increase in migration was significantly up from the previous historic record for the same migration measured in 2006 at 11,000.[22]
In 2010, all of the county's beaches were listed as the cleanest in the state.[23]
WhenRichard Henry Dana Jr. visited San Francisco Bay in 1835, he wrote about vasttule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes) herds near theGolden Gate on December 27: "...we came to anchor near the mouth of the bay, under a high and beautifully sloping hill, upon which herds of hundreds and hundreds of red deer [note: "red deer" is the European term for "elk"], and the stag, with his high branching antlers, were bounding about...," although it is not clear whether this was the Marin side or the San Francisco side.[24]
Marin County, California – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of the census[47] of 2000, there were 247,289 people, 100,650 households, and 60,691 families residing in the county. The population density was 476 inhabitants per square mile (184/km2). There were 104,990 housing units at an average density of 202 units per square mile (78 units/km2). Theracial makeup of the county was 84.0%White, 2.9% Black orAfrican American, 0.4% Native American, 4.5%Asian, 0.2%Pacific Islander, 4.5% from other races, and 3.5% from two or more races. 11.1% of the population wereHispanic or Latino of any race.
In 2000, there were 100,650 households, out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the county, 20.3% of the population was under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 29.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males.
According to the most recent data on U.S. life expectancy, published in 2010 by theInstitute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, a female in Marin County could expect to live 85.0 years, the longest for any county in the United States. The national average is 80.8 years for a female.[48]
According to the 2006–2008American Community Survey (ACS), 81.3% of Marin County's residents were born in the United States. Approximately 80.0% of the county's residents were born in one of the fifty states or born abroad to American parents.
Foreign-born individuals made up the remaining 18.7% of the population. Latin America was the most common birthplace of foreign-born residents; those born in Latin America made up the plurality (42.2%) of Marin County's foreign population. Individuals born in Europe were the second largest foreign-born group; they made up 25.3% of Marin County's foreign population. Immigrants from Asia made up 23.7% of the county's foreign population. Those born in other parts of North America and Africa made up 3.9% and 3.8% of the foreign-born populace respectively. Lastly, residents born in Oceania made up a mere 1.2% of Marin County's foreign population.
According to the 2006–2008 ACS, English was the most commonly spoken language at home by residents over five years of age; those who spoke only English at home made up 77.1% of Marin County's residents. Speakers of non-English languages accounted for the remaining 22.9% of the population. Speakers of Spanish made up 11.7% of the county's residents, while speakers of otherIndo-European languages made up 7.1% of the populace. Speakers ofAsian languages and indigenous languages of the Pacific islands made up 3.4% of the population. The remaining 0.7% spoke other languages.Source:[50]
According to the 2007–2009 ACS, there were 16 ancestries in Marin County that made up over 0.9% of its population each.[50] The 16 ancestries are listed below:
Ross is the 4th most expensivezip code in the United States.[51]
The median income for a household in the county was $71,306 and the median income for a family was $88,934. As of 2007, these figures had risen to $83,732 and $104,750.[52]
In May 2010, the county had the lowest unemployment rate inCalifornia.[53] According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, however, in July 2010, Marin's unemployment rate rose to 8.3%.[54]
A fire department for the county was discussed as early as 1881 by the California State Legislature; the Tamalpais Forestry Association formed c. 1900.[57] The Marin County Fire Department came into existence in its current incarnation on July 1, 1941, with passage of an ordinance and two resolutions by the Board of Supervisors.[58]
For most of the 20th century, Marin County was aRepublican stronghold in presidential elections. From 1880 until 1984, the only Democrats to win there wereWoodrow Wilson,Franklin Roosevelt andLyndon Johnson. However, the brand of Republicanism prevailing in Marin County was historically a moderate one. Like most of the historically Republican suburbs of the Bay Area, it became friendlier toDemocrats as the demographics of the area changed and the national party embraced social and religious conservatism. In 1984, it very narrowly voted forWalter Mondale and has supported the Democratic candidate in every presidential election since then. In the2024 presidential election, Kamala Harris received 80.59% of the vote in Marin County, which was her highest vote share in anyCalifornia county, and the only one higher than notably liberalSan Francisco County.
United States presidential election results for Marin County, California[62][note 4]
On November 4, 2008, the citizens of Marin County voted strongly againstProposition 8, a constitutional amendment which eliminated the right of same-sex couples to marry, by a 75.1 percent to 24.9 percent margin. The official tally was 103,341 against and 34,324 in favor.[63] OnlySan Francisco County voted against the measure by a wider margin (75.2% against).[64]
According to theCalifornia Secretary of State, as of February 10, 2019, Marin County has 161,870 registered voters. Of those, 89,526 (55.31%) are registered Democrats, 23,380 (14.44%) are registeredRepublicans, 7,020 (4.35%) are registered with other political parties, and 41,908 (25.89%) havedeclined to state a political party.[65] Democrats hold wide voter-registration majorities in all political subdivisions in Marin County. Democrats' largest registration advantage in Marin is in the town ofFairfax, wherein there are only 344 Republicans (6.1%) out of 5,678 total voters compared to 3,758 Democrats (66.2%) and 1,276 voters who have declined to state a political party (22.5%).
The last time Marin elected a Republican to represent them in the United States House of Representatives wasWilliam S. Mailliard in 1972. The last competitive race for the U.S. House of Representatives in Marin was in 1982 whenBarbara Boxer was first elected. The longest serving representative of Marin in congress wasClarence F. Lea who served in theHouse from 1917 to 1949.[citation needed]
Due to the dynamic nature of California's population, Marin's congressional district has changed numerous times over the decades. The county has been part of the2nd congressional district of California since 2012; the only other time it was part of the 2nd district was 1902–12. It has also been part of the1st (1894–1902 and 1912–66),3rd (1864–94),5th (1974–82), and the6th (1972–74 and 1982–2012). The only time the county has not been in a single congressional district was between 1966 and 1972, when it was divided between the northern half in the 1st district and the southern half in the 6th district.[citation needed]
In 2002, former U.S. PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush denounced convicted American Taliban associateJohn Walker Lindh as "some misguided Marin County hot-tubber," as a reference to the county's liberal, "hippie" political culture, mispronouncing "Marin" as he did so. Outraged by the label, some local residents wrote scathing letters to theMarin Independent Journal, complaining of Bush's remarks. In response, Bush wrote a letter to readers in the same newspaper, admitting regret and promising to not use the phrasesMarin County andhot tub "in the same sentence again."[66]
Golden Gate Transit provides service primarily along the U.S. 101 corridor, serving cities in Marin County, as well as San Francisco andSonoma County. Service is also provided toContra Costa County via theRichmond-San Rafael Bridge. Ferries to San Francisco operate from Larkspur, Sausalito and Tiburon. Ferry service from Tiburon is provided by Golden Gate Ferry, Blue and Gold Fleet and by theAngel Island Ferry.
Local bus routes within Marin County are operated by Golden Gate Transit under contract withMarin Transit. Marin Transit also operates theWest Marin Stage, serving communities in the western, rural areas of Marin County, the Muir Woods Shuttle, and 6 community shuttle routes.
TheSonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit system, which began service in August 2017, is acommuter rail service and bicycle-pedestrian pathway serving Sonoma and Marin counties. As of 2019[update] service operates from Sonoma County Airport to six stations in Marin ending near Larkspur Landing. Later phases of construction will extend service further north to Cloverdale in Sonoma County.
The Marin Airporter offers scheduled bus service to and from Marin County and the San Francisco Airport.
College of Marin, established in 1926, includes two campuses. The Kentfield Campus is inKentfield; the Indian Valley Campus is inNovato. The college offers more than 40 degree programs leading to an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree and over 20 Certificates of Achievement with various specialties. The college serves approximately 9,000 students each term. Approximately 5,700 students enroll in COM's credit program. About 1,300 students enroll in English as a Second Language classes. Approximately 1,900 enroll in community education classes. The college employs about 300 permanent staff and faculty and many part-time employees.
Marin is also home toDominican University of California, in San Rafael. Founded as a women's college in 1890 by the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, it became the first Catholic institution in California to offer bachelor's degrees to women. The college became fully coeducational in 1971, and in 2000 became an independent liberal-arts university, changing from its original name of Dominican College of San Rafael.[68] There are about 1,400 undergraduate and 500 graduate students.[69]
The 2013 gross value of all agricultural production in Marin County was about $84 million; of this, more than $63 million was from the sale of livestock and their products (milk, eggs, wool, etc.).[71] Only 175 acres were planted to grapes.[72]
As of the fourth quarter 2021, Marin County had a median home value of $1,090,583, an increase of 11% from the prior year.[73]
^Goerke, Betty. 2007.Chief Marin, Leader, Rebel, and Legend: A History of Marin County's Namesake and his People. Berkeley: Heyday Books.ISBN978-1-59714-053-9
^Gudde, Erwin G. (1949).California Place Names: A Geographical Dictionary, p. 204. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press; Paperback edition (2004).ISBN0-520-24217-3.
^Chen, Allan,Drake's Plate: the end of the mystery?, Science Beat, Berkeley Lab, April 4, 2003
^abcdefghijklmnopU.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001.U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
^abU.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B03003.U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
^abU.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301.U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
^abU.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013.U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
^abU.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113.U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
^abU.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
^U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003.U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
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