City of Holtville | |
|---|---|
 Holtville City Hall | |
 Seal | |
| Motto: "The Carrot Capital of the World"[1] | |
 Location of Holtville in Imperial County, California. | |
  Holtville Location in Southern California Show map of southern California Holtville Location in California Show map of California Holtville Location in the United States Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:32°48′40″N115°22′49″W / 32.81111°N 115.38028°W /32.81111; -115.38028 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Imperial |
| Incorporated | July 1, 1908[2] |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.16 sq mi (3.00 km2) |
| • Land | 1.15 sq mi (2.99 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0039 sq mi (0.01 km2) 0.40% |
| Elevation | −9.8 ft (−3 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 5,605 |
| • Density | 4,860/sq mi (1,870/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code | 92250 |
| Area codes | 442/760 |
| FIPS code | 06-34246 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 1660761,2410780 |
| Website | www |
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Holtville (formerlyHolton)[6] is a city inImperial County, California. Holtville is located 10.5 miles (17 km) east ofEl Centro.[7] The population was 5,605 at the2020 census, down from 5,939 in 2010.[8]
The city was founded in the 1880s bySwiss-German settlers, many of whom entered fromMexico. The construction of railroads in the 1890s, theAll-American Canal in the late 1940s, andU.S. Route 80 in the 1920s (later converted toInterstate 8 in the 1970s) and theNorth American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) economic boom in the 1990s brought more people to Holtville and the Imperial Valley.
The city of Holtville, which was originally calledHolton, was founded in 1903 by W.F. Holt, and incorporated on June 20, 1908.[7] The name was changed to Holtville due to a request by the U. S. Postal Service because the name Holton sounded too much likeColton (inSan Bernardino County), the regional headquarters of theSouthern Pacific Railroad at the time. The name honors W.F. Holt, founder of the community.[7][9]
The city lies on the northeast bank of theAlamo River, one of two rivers that flow north from Mexico into Imperial County.
On March 2, 2021, 13 people were killed just outside of town when an SUV carrying 25 peoplecollided with a semi-truck and trailer.[10][11][12][13]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.16 sq mi (3.0 km2), with 1.15 square miles land and 0.40% water.[3]
This area has a large amount of sunshine year round due to its stable descending air and high pressure. According to theKöppen Climate Classification system, Holtville has adesert climate, abbreviated "Bwh" on climate maps.[14]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 729 | — | |
| 1920 | 1,347 | 84.8% | |
| 1930 | 1,758 | 30.5% | |
| 1940 | 1,772 | 0.8% | |
| 1950 | 2,472 | 39.5% | |
| 1960 | 3,080 | 24.6% | |
| 1970 | 3,496 | 13.5% | |
| 1980 | 4,399 | 25.8% | |
| 1990 | 4,820 | 9.6% | |
| 2000 | 5,612 | 16.4% | |
| 2010 | 5,939 | 5.8% | |
| 2020 | 5,605 | −5.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[15] | |||
The2020 United States census reported that Holtville had a population of 5,605. The population density was 4,857.0 inhabitants per square mile (1,875.3/km2). The racial makeup of Holtville was 30.7%White, 0.6%African American, 1.3%Native American, 0.7%Asian, 0.0%Pacific Islander, 40.2% fromother races, and 26.6% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino of any race were 85.0% of the population.[16]
The census reported that 98.3% of the population lived in households, 1.7% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.[16]
There were 1,709 households, out of which 44.4% included children under the age of 18, 55.5% were married-couple households, 3.6% werecohabiting couple households, 27.2% had a female householder with no partner present, and 13.7% had a male householder with no partner present. 17.0% of households were one person, and 9.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.23.[16] There were 1,358families (79.5% of all households).[17]
The age distribution was 26.5% under the age of 18, 9.3% aged 18 to 24, 24.1% aged 25 to 44, 23.4% aged 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.7 males.[16]
There were 1,793 housing units at an average density of 1,553.7 units per square mile (599.9 units/km2), of which 1,709 (95.3%) were occupied. Of these, 55.4% were owner-occupied, and 44.6% were occupied by renters.[16]
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $63,438, and theper capita income was $22,831. About 14.4% of families and 14.4% of the population were below the poverty line.[18]
At the2010 census Holtville had a population of 5,939. The population density was 5,152.0 inhabitants per square mile (1,989.2/km2). The racial makeup of Holtville was 3,655 (61.5%) White, 37 (0.6%) African American, 41 (0.7%) Native American, 50 (0.8%) Asian, 4 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 1,977 (33.3%) from other races, and 175 (2.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4,858 persons (81.8%).[19]
The whole population lived in households, no one lived in non-institutionalized group quarters and no one was institutionalized.
There were 1,799 households, 894 (49.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,033 (57.4%) wereopposite-sex married couples living together, 290 (16.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 106 (5.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 81 (4.5%)unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 6 (0.3%)same-sex married couples or partnerships. 319 households (17.7%) were one person and 164 (9.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.30. There were 1,429 families (79.4% of households); the average family size was 3.72.
The age distribution was 1,850 people (31.2%) under the age of 18, 618 people (10.4%) aged 18 to 24, 1,327 people (22.3%) aged 25 to 44, 1,416 people (23.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 728 people (12.3%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 32.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.2 males.
There were 1,937 housing units at an average density of 1,680.3 per square mile (648.8/km2), of which 1,799 were occupied, 904 (50.3%) by the owners and 895 (49.7%) by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.5%. 3,017 people (50.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 2,922 people (49.2%) lived in rental housing units.
The city's major civic event is the annualCarrot Festival, held in late January or early February. It usually features a parade, a carnival and other activities over a 10-day period. Holtville was famous in the mid 20th century with having theHoltville "Carrot Festival" but was confused with the "Coachella Valley" name from theBugs Bunny cartoonBully for Bugs when he reads a map seeking a "Carrot Festival".
In thestate legislature, Holtville is inthe 18th senatorial district, represented byDemocrat Steve Padilla,[20] andthe 36th Assembly district, represented byRepublican Jeff Gonzalez.[21]
Federally, Holtville is inCalifornia's 25th congressional district, represented byDemocrat Raul Ruiz.[22]
History was made during the election cycle of 2006, when voters elected Lisa Bianca Padilla, who thus became the first female Hispanic candidate ever to win a seat on the city council.[23]
A weekly newspaper,The Holtville Tribune, is distributed by mail and newsstand in the Holtville area. Its circulation is about 3,750. The daily newspaper, theImperial Valley Press in El Centro, has circulation at over 20,000.
The old U.S. Route 80 once ran along Fifth Street through the center of town. A small obelisk in Holt Park, just north of Fifth Street, gives the distances to various points to the north, east and west. U.S. Route 80 has been decommissioned and made asCounty Route S80 in California. The portion in and near Holtville is now part ofState Route 115.
Much of the east–west automobile traffic has been diverted to Interstate 8, about 2.5 miles to the south. Holtville is easily accessible through the Orchard Road interchange. The newly constructedState Route 7 connects Holtville with the factories and industrial areas ofMexicali, Baja California, Mexico.
The city was once joined by railroad to El Centro, but this line (nicknamed the "Holton Interurban"), and another railroad line going to the north, have been abandoned. The closure of the railroad station brought economic decline to the town in the late 20th century.
The city formerly had its own police force, but police protection is now provided by the Imperial County Sheriff's Department.
The city provides its own water and sewer service. Trash services are provided by CR&R.[24] Other utility providers for Holtville areSouthern California Gas,Imperial Irrigation District,AT&T California, andSpectrum.[25]
A trail was constructed in the 2010s that begins along Evan Hewes Highway and ends at the Holtville Skatepark. The trail was dedicated to former city planning commissioner, Pete Mellinger.
"The 1911 novel and the 1926 silent film,The Winning of Barbara Worth, was set and then filmed in the area.[26] The city was featured in Milton J. Silverman's bestselling novel "Open and Shut," which chronicled the true crime story of Norma Winters, a Holtville resident who contracted for the death of her husband during the summer of 1974.[27]
Municipalities and communities ofImperial County, California,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Indian reservations | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
