Tracy, California | |
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 Flag | |
| Motto: Think Inside the Triangle[1] | |
 Location inSan Joaquin County and the state of California | |
  Tracy Location in California Show map of California Tracy Location in the United States Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:37°44′23″N121°25′34″W / 37.73972°N 121.42611°W /37.73972; -121.42611 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | San Joaquin |
| Incorporated | July 22, 1910[2] |
| Government | |
| • Type | City Manager[3] |
| • Mayor | Dan Arriola[4] |
| • Manager | Midori Lichtwardt[5] |
| • State senator | Jerry McNerney (D)[6] |
| • Assembly member | Rhodesia Ransom (D)[6] |
| • U. S. rep. | Josh Harder (D)[7] |
| Area | |
• Total | 26.02 sq mi (67.40 km2) |
| • Land | 25.89 sq mi (67.05 km2) |
| • Water | 0.14 sq mi (0.35 km2) 0.52% |
| Elevation | 52 ft (16 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 93,000 |
• Estimate (2024)[11] | 100,136 |
| • Rank | 76th in California |
| • Density | 3,600/sq mi (1,400/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| ZIP codes | 95304, 95376–95378, 95385, 95391 |
| Area code | 209 |
| FIPS code | 06-80238 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 277621,2412090 |
| Website | cityoftracy |
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Tracy is the second most populated city inSan Joaquin County, California, United States. The population was 93,000 at the2020 census and estimated at 100,136 in 2024. Tracy is located inside a geographic triangle formed byInterstate 205 on the north side of the city,Interstate 5 to the east, andInterstate 580 to the southwest.
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Until the 1760s, the area that became the city of Tracy was long populated by theYokuts ethnic group of loosely associated bands of Native Americans and their ancestors. They lived on hunting and gathering game and fish from local rivers and creeks. After encountering the Spanish colonists, the Yokuts suffered from new infectious diseases, which caused social disruption, as did the Spanish efforts to impress them into labor atMission San José. Mexican and American explorers later arrived, pushing the Yokuts out.[12] The Yokuts people remain, living in small groups with about 2,600 people identifying as Yokut. Along with them, another language group of Native Americans found near Tracy are referred to as theMono people, numbering around 1,800.[13]
Tracy is arailroad town that came from the mid-19th century construction, mainly by Chinese laborers, ofCentral Pacific Railroad rail lines running fromSacramento throughStockton to theSan Francisco Bay Area, beginning 1868 and ending September 1878 with the opening of a new branch and junction.[14] A number of small communities sprang up along these lines at designated station sites, including one at the junction named for railroad director J. J. Tracy.[15]
Incorporated in 1911, Tracy grew rapidly and prospered as the center of an agricultural area, even when larger railroad operations began to decline in the 1950s. Competition with trucking and automobiles resulted in widespread railroad restructuring. Tracy is part of theSan Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA Combined Statistical Area, an extension of the Bay Area.
In December 1969, the town of Tracy hosted theAltamont Free Concert, held at the later closedAltamont Raceway Park. An estimated 300,000 people gathered at the speedway infield in an event that was plagued by violence among attendees, many of whom were drunk or drugged. Artists featured included the BritishRolling Stones and the California bandsSantana,Jefferson Airplane,the Flying Burrito Brothers andCrosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
Tracy was the headquarters of a branch of theAmerican Nazi Party. Increased activity was reported by the media in 1972, with the appearance of graffiti spray-painted Naziswastikas and the words "White Power". A surplus army2½-ton 6×6 truck with swastika symbols was seen carrying neo-Nazi recruits around town. Members handed out flyers printed with "Join the National Socialist White People’s Party" and a Tracy-basedpost office box mailing address. The television program60 Minutes aired a report in 1978 titled "The California Reich" with an interview of a Tracy resident who was a neo-Nazi leader. After about a decade, most of the city's neo-Nazis moved toOroville, California.[16]
On August 7, 1998, atire fire ignited at S.F. Royster's Tire Disposal south of Tracy at 29425 South MacArthur Drive, near Linne Road. The tire dump held more than 7 million illegally stored tires and was allowed to burn for over two years before it was extinguished. Allowing the fire to burn was considered to be a better way to avoid groundwater contamination than putting it out.[17] The cleanup of chemicals released by the fire cost $16.2 million. The chemicals were found to have contaminated groundwater in the region.[18][19]
On June 1, 2024, the city got national attention as theCorral Fire ignited south of Tracy. It was the firstwildfire of 2024 to burn over 2,000 acres. The fire started at Site 300 of theLawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The fire grew fast, as on the same day, it went from 30 acres at around 4:30pm,[20] to 4,940 acres at around 7:50pm.[21] By the end of the day, CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit was assigned to the wildfire.[22]
The next day, June 2, 2024, two firefighters were injured and the fire reached 12,500 acres.[23] It reached peak size at 6:52 pm, standing at 14,168 acres. Two-hundred households were evacuated.[24] On June 3, 2024, with the fire still at peak size, CAL FIRE assigned 45 engines, 15 water tenders, 16 dozers, 14 hand crews, and 40 other vehicles, totaling 475 personnel.[25] By that evening, one house was destroyed in a small neighborhood, just south ofInterstate 580 andState Route 132.[26]
On June 6, 2024, the fire was declared 100% contained.[27][28] In the chaos of those last five days, two firefighters were injured, one structure was destroyed, and costed an estimated $3.5 million (2024USD) to suppress.
Located in the Central Valley, Tracy is near both fertile and (due to a region of hills west of Tracy) infertile agricultural lands. Tracy has a Mediterranean climate.
Some of this land (in the east and mostly north of Tracy because of the moist Delta river system) has come under increasing development pressure. TheSan Francisco Bay Area's vigorous population growth has spilled over into the Tracy area as well as other locations, such as the new town ofMountain House. Tracy passed Measure A in 1990 in an attempt to contain and limit development.
In an effort to reduce environmental impacts of the city, it launched the Emerald Tracy Project in September 2009. City spokesman Matt Robinson said that if it succeeds, Tracy will be the second city afterRiverside, California to satisfy the state's goal for sustainable communities.[citation needed]
Tracy features asemi-arid climate (KöppenBSk), with cool, moist winters and very hot and dry summers, displaying Mediterranean characteristics. December and January are the coolest months, and average around 47.1 °F (8.4 °C), and there are 19 nights with lows at or below freezing annually, with the coldest night of the year typically bottoming out below 30 °F (−1 °C).[29] July is the warmest month, averaging 76.4 °F (24.7 °C); normally, there are 18 days of 100 °F (38 °C)+ highs and 82 days of 90 °F (32 °C)+ highs. Average annual precipitation is around 12.5 in (320 mm), which, by definition, results in the area being classified as a semi-desert.
| Climate data forTracy Pumping Plant, California (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1955–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 74 (23) | 79 (26) | 88 (31) | 97 (36) | 107 (42) | 112 (44) | 112 (44) | 111 (44) | 112 (44) | 103 (39) | 85 (29) | 74 (23) | 112 (44) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 65.5 (18.6) | 70.6 (21.4) | 78.3 (25.7) | 88.0 (31.1) | 95.6 (35.3) | 103.1 (39.5) | 104.6 (40.3) | 103.3 (39.6) | 100.1 (37.8) | 91.0 (32.8) | 77.1 (25.1) | 66.4 (19.1) | 106.3 (41.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 54.7 (12.6) | 61.2 (16.2) | 66.7 (19.3) | 72.6 (22.6) | 80.1 (26.7) | 86.8 (30.4) | 92.6 (33.7) | 91.8 (33.2) | 87.6 (30.9) | 78.2 (25.7) | 64.6 (18.1) | 55.4 (13.0) | 74.4 (23.5) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 47.2 (8.4) | 52.0 (11.1) | 56.5 (13.6) | 61.1 (16.2) | 67.5 (19.7) | 72.9 (22.7) | 77.3 (25.2) | 76.7 (24.8) | 73.5 (23.1) | 65.9 (18.8) | 55.3 (12.9) | 47.6 (8.7) | 62.8 (17.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 39.6 (4.2) | 42.9 (6.1) | 46.3 (7.9) | 49.6 (9.8) | 54.9 (12.7) | 59.1 (15.1) | 62.0 (16.7) | 61.6 (16.4) | 59.5 (15.3) | 53.6 (12.0) | 45.9 (7.7) | 39.9 (4.4) | 51.2 (10.7) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 30.3 (−0.9) | 34.2 (1.2) | 37.6 (3.1) | 40.8 (4.9) | 48.1 (8.9) | 51.9 (11.1) | 54.9 (12.7) | 54.7 (12.6) | 52.4 (11.3) | 45.5 (7.5) | 35.4 (1.9) | 29.3 (−1.5) | 27.1 (−2.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 18 (−8) | 23 (−5) | 25 (−4) | 29 (−2) | 34 (1) | 37 (3) | 44 (7) | 42 (6) | 40 (4) | 30 (−1) | 24 (−4) | 17 (−8) | 17 (−8) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 2.50 (64) | 2.40 (61) | 1.78 (45) | 0.79 (20) | 0.50 (13) | 0.10 (2.5) | trace | 0.03 (0.76) | 0.23 (5.8) | 0.74 (19) | 1.61 (41) | 2.20 (56) | 12.88 (328.06) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 12.0 | 10.0 | 8.5 | 4.5 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 2.6 | 7.1 | 10.7 | 59.5 |
| Source:NOAA[30][31] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 596 | — | |
| 1920 | 1,238 | 107.7% | |
| 1930 | 3,829 | 209.3% | |
| 1940 | 4,056 | 5.9% | |
| 1950 | 8,410 | 107.3% | |
| 1960 | 11,289 | 34.2% | |
| 1970 | 14,724 | 30.4% | |
| 1980 | 18,428 | 25.2% | |
| 1990 | 33,558 | 82.1% | |
| 2000 | 56,929 | 69.6% | |
| 2010 | 82,922 | 45.7% | |
| 2020 | 93,000 | 12.2% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 100,136 | [10] | 7.7% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[32] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[33] | Pop 2010[34] | Pop 2020[35] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 30,723 | 30,005 | 25,117 | 53.97% | 36.18% | 27.01% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 2,976 | 5,636 | 5,737 | 5.23% | 6.80% | 6.17% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 297 | 297 | 310 | 0.52% | 0.36% | 0.33% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 4,481 | 11,803 | 19,339 | 7.87% | 14.23% | 20.79% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 275 | 641 | 897 | 0.48% | 0.77% | 0.96% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 182 | 223 | 634 | 0.32% | 0.27% | 0.68% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 2,230 | 3,760 | 4,969 | 3.92% | 4.53% | 5.34% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 15,765 | 30,557 | 35,997 | 27.69% | 36.85% | 38.71% |
| Total | 56,929 | 82,922 | 93,000 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
The2020 United States census reported that Tracy had a population of 93,000. The population density was 3,592.3 inhabitants per square mile (1,387.0/km2). The racial makeup of Tracy was 33.8%White, 6.4%African American, 1.3% Native American, 21.2%Asian, 1.1%Pacific Islander, 19.4% fromother races, and 16.7% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino of any race were 38.7% of the population.[36]
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.[36]
There were 27,595 households, out of which 45.8% included children under the age of 18, 59.3% were married-couple households, 6.4% werecohabiting couple households, 19.7% had a female householder with no partner present, and 14.6% had a male householder with no partner present. 13.6% of households were one person, and 5.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.36.[36] There were 22,541families (81.7% of all households).[37]
The age distribution was 26.0% under the age of 18, 10.0% aged 18 to 24, 26.5% aged 25 to 44, 26.6% aged 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.4 males.[36]
There were 28,436 housing units at an average density of 1,098.4 units per square mile (424.1 units/km2), of which 27,595 (97.0%) were occupied. Of these, 63.0% were owner-occupied, and 37.0% were occupied by renters.[36]
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income in 2023 was $118,253, and the per capita income was $42,884. About 5.9% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line.[38]
The2010 United States census[39] reported that Tracy had a population of 82,922. The population density was 3,745.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,446.1/km2). The racial makeup of Tracy was 43,724 (52.7%)White, 5,953 (7.2%)African American, 715 (0.9%)Native American, 12,229 (14.7%)Asian, 747 (0.9%)Pacific Islander, 13,173 (15.9%) fromother races, and 6,381 (7.7%) from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 30,557 persons (36.9%).
The Census reported that 82,606 people (99.6% of the population) lived in households, 69 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 247 (0.3%) were institutionalized.
There were 24,331 households, out of which 13,143 (54.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 15,122 (62.2%) wereopposite-sex married couples living together, 3,196 (13.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, and 1,627 (6.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,501 (6.2%)unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 184 (0.8%)same-sex married couples or partnerships. 3,326 households (13.7%) were made up of individuals, and 1,026 (4.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.40. There were 19,945families (82.0% of all households); the average family size was 3.72.
The population was spread out, with 26,668 people (32.2%) under the age of 18, 7,476 people (9.0%) aged 18 to 24, 23,826 people (28.7%) aged 25 to 44, 19,202 people (23.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 5,750 people (6.9%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.9 males.
There were 25,963 housing units at an average density of 1,172.7 units per square mile (452.8 units/km2), of which 16,163 (66.4%) were owner-occupied, and 8,168 (33.6%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.9%. 54,275 people (65.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 28,331 people (34.2%) lived in rental housing units.
Tracy City Hall and Jail was first commissioned by the city in November–December 1899 and completed in March 1900 after the original Jail and city hall was burnt down. This historical site served as the local governments place of operation during Tracy's formative years, which makes this building an integral part of Tracy's foundation. The structure is made of a simple brick building that is 24 by 43 feet in dimension located on 25 West Seventh Street, and was built by J.F. Hoerl. In the historical resources inventory, the Tracy City Hall and Jail was one of only fourteen buildings to receive and "exceptional" rating.[40]
The Tracy Inn was originally opened in 1927 with a total of 60 rooms on the second floor and is still located on 24 West Eleventh Street. The building has a very transitional architectural style befitting the 1920s with a classic Spanish Colonial revival and modern styles mixed together. The building was designed by the Oakland firm of Slocomhe and Tuttle. In 1949, after the ownership changed, the Tracy Inn suffered with a fire that burned the only original blue prints of the building. Even with this loss the owner was still able to recreate the original look of the Tracy Inn. The iconic sign of the Tracy Inn has also been replaced in 1945.[41]
TheUnited States Postal Service operates the Tracy Post Office[42] and the Tracy Carrier Annex.[43]
TheCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation operates theDeuel Vocational Institution, a state prison, inunincorporatedSan Joaquin County, near Tracy.
TheTracy Defense Distribution Depot began its operations back in 1942, and has since been a main supply for American troops for all major wars since World War II. The distribution depot has around 30 warehouses and is a major employer for the area, just under Safeway.[44]
In theUnited States House of Representatives, most of Tracy is inCalifornia's 9th congressional district and is represented by Democrat Josh Harder, and the southeast corner of Tracy is inCalifornia's 13th congressional district and is represented byDemocratAdam Gray.
Three public school districts serve the city of Tracy. The largest and most recognized is theTracy Unified School District. This school system incorporates many elementary and middle schools as well as five Tracy high schools:Tracy High School,Merrill F. West High School,Delta Charter High School,Millennium Charter High School,Tracy Independent Study Charter School andJohn C. Kimball High School.
Tracy's students with behavioral issues attend the Willow Community Day School, and the Tracy One Program, or Community One. The other two school districts are:Lammersville Joint Unified School District, which includes six K-8 schools (Peter Hansen Elementary, Julius Cordes Elementary, Wicklund Elementary, Bethany Elementary, Questa Elementary, and Altamont Elementary) along with Mountain House High School, which was opened in 2014. andJefferson School District. The latter covers the south side of Tracy and includes four schools: Jefferson Middle School, Tom Hawkins Elementary School, Monticello Elementary School and Anthony C. Traina School.
Tracy'sdaily newspaper is theTracy Press, a once-weekly newspaper.Bilingual Weekly News covers Tracy in English and Spanish.
Tracy is served by several bus services: locally,Tracer runs seven lines that serve as circulators between major transit hubs, shopping, school, residential, and downtown areas.San Joaquin Regional Transit District (SJRTD) runs two county hopper routes that connect the city with other San Joaquin County communities and one commuter route that runs toDublin/Pleasanton BART station.
Greyhound, Tracer, and SJRTD all connect with taxis, bike stations, and parking at theTracy Transit Center, a transit station built in 2010.Amtrak Thruway buses serve the city's bus station to connect the area with six daily trips to the South Bay and two to San Francisco, all of which stop at BART and job centers in Livermore.
South Tracy offers theAltamont Corridor Express (ACE) service atTracy (ACE station), which providescommuter rail transportation to theBay Area and connects with VTA inSan Jose, BART via shuttle inPleasanton andFremont, in addition to Amtrak train inSanta Clara and San Jose.Valley Link is planned to pass through Tracy and provide a passenger rail service connecting directly to BART. Intercity passenger rail service toTracy ended in 1971 with the formation ofAmtrak.[45]
Interstate 205 passes along the north side of the city and connects the nearby Interstates580 to the west and5 on the east, with the three Interstates forming a triangle around much of the city.Business Loop 205 runs through the center of Tracy along 11th Street, formerly a portion ofU.S. Highway 50. In addition, the northern terminus ofState Highway 33 is located at South Bird Road and Interstate 5 southeast of Tracy.
Tracy is served byTracy Municipal Airport, located south of the city. It servesgeneral aviation; there is no scheduled airline service from the airport.
Tracy has been asister city ofMemuro, Hokkaido, Japan since 1989. The city is also a sister city ofVelas in theAzores.[64]
Tide Level Branch of the Central Pacific Railroad, between Oakland and Sacramento, will be started into operation about the 1st of September. This route leaves the Western Division at Tracey,a new station located about half-way between Ellis and Bantas; thence it runs to Martinez, and follows the edge of San Pablo and San Francisco bays to Oakland wharf. Ellis Station will be abandoned after Sunday, September 1, and all the buildings at that point are to be moved up to Tracey. ... Sacramento Bee
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Municipalities and communities ofSan Joaquin County, California,United States | ||
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