Pacifica | |
|---|---|
 Seal  Logo | |
| Nickname: The fog capital of California | |
 Show Pacifica Show San Mateo County Show California Show the United States | |
| Coordinates:37°37′22″N122°29′8″W / 37.62278°N 122.48556°W /37.62278; -122.48556 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | San Mateo |
| Incorporated | November 22, 1957[1] |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Sue Beckmeyer |
| • Mayor Pro Tempore | Christine Boles |
| Area | |
• Total | 12.59 sq mi (32.61 km2) |
| • Land | 12.58 sq mi (32.59 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0077 sq mi (0.02 km2) 0.07% |
| Elevation | 82 ft (25 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 38,640 |
| • Density | 3,071/sq mi (1,186/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP codes | 94044, 94045 |
| Area code | 650 |
| FIPS code | 06-54806 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 277613,2411351 |
| Website | www |
Pacifica (Spanish:Pacífica, meaning "Peaceful")[5] is a city inSan Mateo County, California, on the coast of thePacific Ocean betweenSan Francisco andHalf Moon Bay.
Before European settlers arrived, Pacifica was home to two significantOhlone Indian villages:Pruristac located atSan Pedro Creek near present-day Adobe Drive, and Timigtac onCalera Creek in theRockaway Beach neighborhood.
Pacifica is the location of the oldest European encounter with the San Francisco Bay. An expedition led byGaspar de Portolà sighted the bay by climbing the hills of Sweeney Ridge in Pacifica on November 4, 1769.[6] Before then, earlier Spanish maritime explorers of the California coastJuan Cabrillo andSebastian Vizcaino had missed the San Francisco Bay because heavy fog so frequently shrouded its entrance from the Pacific Ocean (theGolden Gate). Sighting the San Francisco Bay accelerated the Spanish colonization of Alta California because it was the only large, safe, centrally located harbor on the Alta California coast. The Spanish had known about Monterey Bay since the sixteenth century, but, unlike San Francisco Bay, it was too exposed to rough currents and winds to be used as major harbor for their trade between Asia and Mexico. In the Spanish era, Pacifica was the site of theSan Pedro Valley Mission Outpost (1786–1793) ofMission Dolores. That was dissolved when a newly independent Mexico secularized the mission system. Pacifica is also the site of the still-extant Mexican-eraSánchez Adobe, built in 1846. The city is located on a part of the Mexican land grantRancho San Pedro given toFrancisco Sanchez in 1839.
DuringWorld War II, the area around the present-day Sharp Park recreational area held theSharp Park Detention Station, anINS processing facility for Japanese Americans, Japanese nationals, and other "foreign enemies" duringJapanese internment.[7][8] TheStanford professorYamato Ichihashi spent six weeks in Sharp Park. He described the facility, writing, "The ground is limited by tall iron net-fences and small in area; barracks 20' x 120' are well-built and painted outside and inside and are regularly arranged; there are 10 of these for inmates, each accommodating about 40, divided into 5 rooms for 8 persons each; if double-decked (beds), 80 can be put in."[9]
On February 20, 1956, theHazel's Inn raid occurred in Sharp Park.[10] Sheriff Earl Whitmore told theSan Mateo County Times at the time, "The purpose of the raid was to let it be known that we are not going to tolerate gatherings of homosexuals in this county."[11] Ninety people were arrested that night, and the majority were San Francisco residents.
Pacifica was incorporated in 1957, relatively recently in the history ofSan Mateo County. Its first elected mayor wasJean Fassler, one of the first women mayors in California. It was the union of nine previously separate, unincorporated communities–Fairmont, Westview, Pacific Manor (or just Manor), Sharp Park, Fairway Park, Vallemar, Rockaway Beach, Linda Mar and Pedro Point–some of which were stops on the short-livedOcean Shore Railroad.[12] The name "Pacifica" was chosen from Thomas Barca, by vote[citation needed]; "Coastside" was a close runner-up[citation needed]. In 1960, the city seal was designed by resident Ralph Barkey, who was inspired byRalph Stackpole's towering "Pacifica" statue produced for the 1939–1940Golden Gate International Exposition onTreasure Island in theSan Francisco Bay.[13]
Pacifica straddlesSan Pedro Creek which flows from the western slope ofSweeney Ridge. The far eastern portion of Pacifica includesSan Andreas Creek which flows down the eastern slope ofSweeney Ridge. ThePortola expedition followed these two creeks in the discovery of San Francisco Bay.Calera Creek runs through Pacifica Quarry and is protected as ESHA Environmentally Sensitive Habitat.
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Pacifica has awarm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classificationCsb) typical of coastal areas of California.[14]TheNational Weather Service has maintained a cooperative weather station in Pacifica since November 1, 1983. Based on those records, average January temperatures range from 45.8 to 56.7 °F (7.7 to 13.7 °C) and average September temperatures range from 53.9 to 71.8 °F (12.2 to 22.1 °C). There are an average of 3.0 days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher and an average of 0.2 day with lows of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower. The highest temperature on record was 102 °F (39 °C) on October 5, 1987, and the lowest temperature was 23 °F (−5 °C) on December 22, 1990. Annual precipitation averages 30.29 inches (769 mm) and has ranged from 15.88 inches (403 mm) in 1990 to 43.17 inches (1,097 mm) in 1996. The most rainfall in one month was 18.05 inches (458 mm) in February 1998 and the most rainfall in 24 hours was 5.00 inches (127 mm) on December 27, 2004. There are an average of 66 days annually with measurable precipitation, most of which falls from October through May. Summer fogs often produce light drizzle in the night and morning hours. Condensation from the fogs also producesfog drip from trees overnight. No measurable snowfall has been recorded since records began.[15] The southeastern portions of the municipality, such as Park Pacifica, are known to be much sunnier than the rest of the city.[16]
| Climate data for Pacifica, California, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1983–2012 | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 74 (23) | 78 (26) | 82 (28) | 93 (34) | 95 (35) | 98 (37) | 100 (38) | 96 (36) | 98 (37) | 102 (39) | 81 (27) | 74 (23) | 102 (39) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 58.1 (14.5) | 60.1 (15.6) | 61.4 (16.3) | 63.9 (17.7) | 66.9 (19.4) | 68.8 (20.4) | 69.4 (20.8) | 71.0 (21.7) | 72.3 (22.4) | 70.1 (21.2) | 64.1 (17.8) | 58.8 (14.9) | 65.4 (18.6) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 51.7 (10.9) | 53.1 (11.7) | 53.8 (12.1) | 55.7 (13.2) | 58.2 (14.6) | 59.8 (15.4) | 60.8 (16.0) | 62.2 (16.8) | 62.9 (17.2) | 61.2 (16.2) | 56.9 (13.8) | 52.5 (11.4) | 57.4 (14.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 45.3 (7.4) | 46.0 (7.8) | 46.1 (7.8) | 47.6 (8.7) | 49.4 (9.7) | 50.8 (10.4) | 52.3 (11.3) | 53.3 (11.8) | 53.4 (11.9) | 52.3 (11.3) | 49.7 (9.8) | 46.2 (7.9) | 49.4 (9.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 29 (−2) | 27 (−3) | 33 (1) | 37 (3) | 38 (3) | 44 (7) | 42 (6) | 40 (4) | 36 (2) | 38 (3) | 35 (2) | 22 (−6) | 22 (−6) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 6.14 (156) | 6.48 (165) | 4.45 (113) | 2.36 (60) | 1.00 (25) | 0.25 (6.4) | 0.01 (0.25) | 0.08 (2.0) | 0.11 (2.8) | 1.50 (38) | 2.86 (73) | 6.64 (169) | 31.88 (810.45) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 10.8 | 11.9 | 9.7 | 6.3 | 4.3 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 3.5 | 6.7 | 10.6 | 68.7 |
| Source 1: NOAA[17] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[18] | |||||||||||||
Pacifica is divided into roughly eleven districts from north to south:
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 20,995 | — | |
| 1970 | 36,020 | 71.6% | |
| 1980 | 36,866 | 2.3% | |
| 1990 | 37,670 | 2.2% | |
| 2000 | 38,390 | 1.9% | |
| 2010 | 37,234 | −3.0% | |
| 2020 | 38,640 | 3.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[24] | |||
The2020 United States census reported that Pacifica had a population of 38,640. The population density was 3,070.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,185.6/km2). The racial makeup of Pacifica was 53.0%White, 1.9%African American, 0.8%Native American, 21.7%Asian, 0.7%Pacific Islander, 6.3% fromother races, and 15.6% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.1% of the population.[25]
The census reported that 99.6% of the population lived in households, 0.2% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.2% were institutionalized.[25]
There were 14,180 households, out of which 30.7% included children under the age of 18, 54.6% were married-couple households, 7.0% werecohabiting couple households, 23.3% had a female householder with no partner present, and 15.1% had a male householder with no partner present. 20.9% of households were one person, and 10.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.72.[25] There were 10,050families (70.9% of all households).[26]
The age distribution was 19.0% under the age of 18, 6.7% aged 18 to 24, 27.5% aged 25 to 44, 28.5% aged 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.0 males.[25]
There were 14,652 housing units at an average density of 1,164.4 units per square mile (449.6 units/km2), of which 14,180 (96.8%) were occupied. Of these, 67.8% were owner-occupied, and 32.2% were occupied by renters.[25]
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 21.9% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 73.4% spoke only English at home, 9.0% spokeSpanish, 4.3% spoke otherIndo-European languages, 12.2% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 1.1% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 95.5% were high school graduates and 48.5% had a bachelor's degree.[27]
The median household income in 2023 was $156,819, and theper capita income was $69,917. About 4.2% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line.[28]
At the2010 census Pacifica had a population of 37,234. The population density was 2,941.1 inhabitants per square mile (1,135.6/km2). The racial makeup of Pacifica was 55.6% white, 16.8% (6,243) Hispanic or Latino of any race, 976 (2.6%) African American, 206 (0.6%) Native American, 7,230 (19.4%) Asian, 315 (0.8%) Pacific Islander, 1,703 (4.6%) from other races, and 2,638 (7.1%) from two or more races.[29]
The census reported that 37,052 people (99.5% of the population) lived in households, 64 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 118 (0.3%) were institutionalized.
There were 13,967 households, 4,511 (32.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 7,385 (52.9%) wereopposite-sex married couples living together, 1,592 (11.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 709 (5.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 869 (6.2%)unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 237 (1.7%)same-sex married couples or partnerships. 3,126 households (22.4%) were one person and 1,098 (7.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.65. There were 9,686 families (69.3% of households); the average family size was 3.12.
The age distribution was 7,707 people (20.7%) under the age of 18, 2,842 people (7.6%) aged 18 to 24, 10,011 people (26.9%) aged 25 to 44, 12,155 people (32.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 4,519 people (12.1%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 41.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males.
There were 14,523 housing units at an average density of 1,147.2 per square mile, of the occupied units 9,545 (68.3%) were owner-occupied and 4,422 (31.7%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.8%. 26,567 people (71.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 10,485 people (28.2%) lived in rental housing units.
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At the2000 census, the medianincome for a household in the city was $31,737, and the median family income was $48,361 (these figures had risen to $52,000 and $62,463 respectively as of a 2007 estimate[31]). Males had a median income of $50,761 versus $40,261 for females. The per capita income for the city was $30,183. About 1.2% of families and 2.9% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 1.2% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.[32]
The oldest person to ever live in Pacifica is Rose G. Rosenthal who was born on April 8, 1901, and died December 27, 2008.
TheReverend Herschell Harkins Memorial pier was constructed in 1973 and was designed to carry sewage piping out to sea. It was closed in 1992 due to corrosion of some of the structure. Since then the pier has been repaired and is a well known fishing spot; on July 8–9, 1995, over 1,000 salmon were caught from the pier.
According to the city's 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[33] the top employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pacifica School District | 499 |
| 2 | City of Pacifica | 282 |
| 3 | Safeway | 262 |
| 4 | Jefferson Union High School District | 137 |
| 5 | Oceana Market | 55 |
| 6 | Ace Hardware | 36 |
| 7 | Recology of the Coast | 35 |
| 8 | Rite Aid | 34 |
| 9 | Ross | 31 |
| 10 | North Coast County Water District | 22 |
Governed by a city council of five elected members, with each council seat in turn serving as mayor for a one-year term. A city manager, city attorney and city clerk are appointed and serve in support of the council to enact the ordinances passed by the council, which meets biweekly on the second and fourth Mondays of the month.[34]
The major City departments, ranked by cost:[35]
As of August 1, 2011, the South San Francisco Police Department took over the Pacifica emergency calls dispatch.[36]
In theCalifornia State Legislature, Pacifica is inthe 13th senatorial district, represented byDemocrat Josh Becker, and inthe 23rd Assembly district, represented byDemocrat Marc Berman.[37]
In theUnited States House of Representatives, Pacifica is inCalifornia's 16th congressional district, represented byDemocrat Sam Liccardo.[38]
According to theCalifornia Secretary of State, as of February 10, 2019, Pacifica has 25,029 registered voters. Of those, 13,404 (53.6%) are registeredDemocrats, 3,290 (13.1%) are registeredRepublicans, and 7,154 (28.6%) havedeclined to state a political party.[39]
Pacifica is well known regionally as a popularsurfing destination. Surfers and families often visitPacifica State Beach, also known as Linda Mar Beach. It is also the site of theWorld Dog Surfing Championships.Rockaway Beach is a scenic location and offers recreation, shopping and dining. Pacifica is also a popular place to hike, with many trails that wind along the beaches and bluffs, includingMori Point,San Pedro Valley County Park,Frontierland Park, theSanchez Adobe,Milagra Ridge, and the privately ownedRockaway Quarry, and a popularmountain biking destination, with many trails crossing the hillsides that surround the city, includingPedro Mountain Road,Sweeney Ridge, and areas of theGolden Gate National Recreation Area.[40] Fishermen frequent the local beaches and thePacifica Pier, often catchingstriped bass andsalmon. 2005 marked the opening of the top-rankedPacifica Skatepark.[41] Pacifica is also home to theSharp Park Golf Course,[42] which was designed in 1931 by architectAlister MacKenzie.
For live local theater and performing arts, Pacifica Spindrift Players is a local favorite, in addition to Pacifica Performances, which provides performing arts including musical presentations.[43][44] The world classbromeliad nursery Shelldance Orchid Gardens, is located just offHighway 1 in Pacifica, adjacent to the Sweeney Ridge hiking trailhead.[45] TheTaco Bell Cantina at Pacifica, a 1960 building that is one of the few restaurants remaining on the west side ofHighway 1, has a reputation as the most beautiful in the world.[46]
The local weekly newspaper, thePacifica Tribune,[47] is mailed out every Wednesday. It is part of Coastside News Group, a locally owned California Benefit Corporation that includes the Half Moon Bay Review[48] and Coastside Magazine. It originated as theCoastside Tribune early in the twentieth century.
Other media include:
Pacifica Community Television, Pacifica'sEmmy Award-winning localpublic-access televisioncable TV channel 26, has continuously operated for 30 years, featuring community based television. On national television,Guy Fieri visitedGorilla BBQ for the fifth season ofDiners, Drive-Ins and Dives in 2009.[54]
The final scene ofHarold and Maude in which Harold makes the leap off a cliff was filmed atMori Point in Pacifica.[55] The 2003 filmHouse of Sand and Fog and the 2012Chasing Mavericks were also filmed in Pacifica.[55]
The 2007National Book Award finalistStory of a Girl bySara Zarr is set in Pacifica.[56] In 2017, it was adapted into aLifetime movie.
The public elementary and middleschool district, known asPacifica School District, (formerly the Laguna Salada School District), consists of Vallemar, Cabrillo, Ingrid B. Lacy, Sunset Ridge, Ortega, Linda Mar and Ocean Shore schools, and also a home schooling program. The administration office is located at 375 Reina del Mar Avenue, adjacent to Vallemar School. Each school enrolls about 550–600 students. There are two private K–8 schools, Good Shepherd School andPacific Bay Christian School, a K–12 school which was founded as a segregation academy.
Pacifica also previously had an established elementary school from 1969 to 2005 known as Oddstad (Oddstad Andres) Elementary located in the Park Pacifica neighborhood. Though now non-operational, the campus site has been host to numerous community events, and private courses as well as sporting events and leisure.
Pacifica has one private high school and two public high schools which are part of theJefferson Union High School District.Oceana High School in the central part of the city whileTerra Nova High School and Pacific Bay Christian School are in the south. Many students in the northern part of Pacifica attendJefferson High School orWestmoor High School nearby in adjacentDaly City. Oceana's teaching paradigm is geared toward longer classes, senior exhibitions, and mandated community service. Much larger Terra Nova is a more traditional institution, featuring numerous sports, clubs, and a broad-based and enriching educational experience.
San Mateo County Libraries, a member of thePeninsula Library System, operates the Pacifica-Sanchez Library and the Pacifica-Sharp Park Library.[57]
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