Orinda, California | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Downtown Orinda | |
 Location inContra Costa County and the state ofCalifornia | |
  Orinda, California Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates:37°52′58″N122°10′47″W / 37.88278°N 122.17972°W /37.88278; -122.17972 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | Contra Costa |
| Incorporated | July 1, 1985[1] |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Latika Malkani[2] |
| • State Senator | Tim Grayson (D)[3] |
| • State Assembly | Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D)[4] |
| • U. S. Congress | Mark DeSaulnier (D)[5] |
| Area | |
• Total | 12.87 sq mi (33.33 km2) |
| • Land | 12.85 sq mi (33.29 km2) |
| • Water | 0.015 sq mi (0.04 km2) 0.12% |
| Elevation | 495 ft (151 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 19,514 |
| • Density | 1,518/sq mi (586.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| ZIP Code | 94563 |
| Area code | 925 |
| FIPS code | 06-54232 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 1659313,2411334 |
| Website | www |
Orinda is a city inContra Costa County, California, United States. The city's population as of the2020 census is estimated at 19,514 residents.[7]
Orinda is located within four Mexican land grants:Rancho Laguna de los Palos Colorados,Rancho Acalanes,Rancho El Sobrante andRancho Boca de la Cañada del Pinole. The area was originally rural, mainly known for ranching and summer cabins. TheMoraga Adobe was built in 1841, and is the oldest building in the East Bay. In the late 19th century, the land was named by Alice Marsh Cameron, probably in honor of the poetKatherine Philips, who was also known as the "Matchless Orinda".[8]
In the 1880s, United States Surveyor General for CaliforniaTheodore Wagner built an estate he named Orinda Park.[9] The Orinda Park post office opened in 1888.[9] The post office's name was changed to Orinda in 1895.[9] Orinda was also the site of Bryant Station, a stop on the failedCalifornia and Nevada Railroad around the turn of the 20th century. Later, the area around Bryant Station was known as Orinda Crossroads.[9]
Orinda's popularity as a year-round residence grew after the 1937 completion of theCaldecott Tunnel, which provided easier access to the west. Bisected byCalifornia State Route 24 and framed by its rolling oak-covered hills, the city of Orinda wasincorporated on July 1, 1985. Its first mayor was Richard G. Heggie. The city is served byOrinda station on theBay Area Rapid Transit (BART)Yellow Line and Route 6 of theCounty Connection.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.9 sq mi (33 km2), of which 12.9 sq mi (33 km2) of it is land and 0.016 sq mi (0.041 km2) of it (0.12%) is water.[6]
The area is characterized by a warm-summerMediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification:Csb) with cool, rainy winters and warm, dry summers. Because Orinda is located in a hilly area, microclimates often dominate temperature differences in short distances. TheOakland Hills often block the cool foggy conditions that can be seen in Oakland and the inner Bay. In the summer, fog can spill over the Oakland hills, cooling off the area. Heatwaves from the inland areas can be felt much more in Orinda than in Oakland and the inner Bay during the summer. In the winter, Orinda often sees more precipitation than surrounding areas because of its higher elevation. Snowfall is rare but not unheard of. A dusting of snow may occur in any given year because of the elevation. During stable conditions in the winter, mornings can be cold and frosty in downtown and lower-lying areas, while the higher hills surrounding the area may be several degrees warmer.
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| Climate data for Orinda, California | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 69 (21) | 76 (24) | 84 (29) | 88 (31) | 100 (38) | 103 (39) | 107 (42) | 109 (43) | 110 (43) | 101 (38) | 87 (31) | 77 (25) | 110 (43) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 53.8 (12.1) | 58.6 (14.8) | 61.4 (16.3) | 67.5 (19.7) | 70.9 (21.6) | 77.2 (25.1) | 82.8 (28.2) | 81.2 (27.3) | 82.5 (28.1) | 74.6 (23.7) | 64.5 (18.1) | 56.2 (13.4) | 69.3 (20.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 44.0 (6.7) | 47.5 (8.6) | 49.9 (9.9) | 54.5 (12.5) | 58.2 (14.6) | 63.3 (17.4) | 66.7 (19.3) | 66.3 (19.1) | 66.3 (19.1) | 59.6 (15.3) | 51.4 (10.8) | 46.0 (7.8) | 56.1 (13.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 34.3 (1.3) | 36.5 (2.5) | 38.4 (3.6) | 41.6 (5.3) | 45.6 (7.6) | 49.4 (9.7) | 51.6 (10.9) | 51.3 (10.7) | 50.0 (10.0) | 44.3 (6.8) | 38.3 (3.5) | 35.8 (2.1) | 43.1 (6.2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 15 (−9) | 18 (−8) | 23 (−5) | 28 (−2) | 32 (0) | 35 (2) | 42 (6) | 40 (4) | 32 (0) | 26 (−3) | 22 (−6) | 19 (−7) | 15 (−9) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 5.99 (152) | 4.86 (123) | 4.31 (109) | 2.16 (55) | 1.22 (31) | 0.18 (4.6) | 0.02 (0.51) | 0.05 (1.3) | 0.41 (10) | 1.85 (47) | 3.24 (82) | 6.24 (158) | 30.53 (773.41) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 11 | 9 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 64 |
| Source: Western Regional Climate Center[10] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 5,568 | — | |
| 1970 | 6,790 | 21.9% | |
| 1980 | 16,825 | 147.8% | |
| 1990 | 16,642 | −1.1% | |
| 2000 | 17,599 | 5.8% | |
| 2010 | 17,643 | 0.3% | |
| 2020 | 19,514 | 10.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[11] | |||
The2020 United States census reported that Orinda had a population of 19,514. The population density was 1,518.4 inhabitants per square mile (586.3/km2). The racial makeup of Orinda was 68.8%White, 1.0%African American, 0.2%Native American, 17.4%Asian, 0.1%Pacific Islander, 1.4% fromother races, and 11.1% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.6% of the population.[12]
The census reported that 99.8% of the population lived in households, 0.0% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.2% were institutionalized.[12]
There were 6,957 households, out of which 38.2% included children under the age of 18, 72.6% were married-couple households, 2.8% werecohabiting couple households, 16.0% had a female householder with no partner present, and 8.6% had a male householder with no partner present. 16.0% of households were one person, and 11.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.8.[12] There were 5,597families (80.5% of all households).[13]
The age distribution was 24.9% under the age of 18, 5.8% aged 18 to 24, 16.9% aged 25 to 44, 29.1% aged 45 to 64, and 23.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.6 males.[12]
There were 7,232 housing units at an average density of 562.7 units per square mile (217.3 units/km2), of which 6,957 (96.2%) were occupied. Of these, 88.1% were owner-occupied, and 11.9% were occupied by renters.[12]
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 19.9% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 80.5% spoke only English at home, 3.1% spokeSpanish, 6.7% spoke otherIndo-European languages, 9.2% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 0.5% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 98.1% were high school graduates and 85.4% had a bachelor's degree.[14]
The median household income was over $250,000, and theper capita income was $139,503. About 0.4% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line.[15]
As of February 10, 2019, Orinda has 14,020 registered voters, with 6,692 (47.7%) registered as Democrats, 3,176 (22.7%) registered as Republicans, and 3,662 (26.1%)decline to state voters.[16]
Once a Republican stronghold,[17] Orinda has trended Democratic since 1992.
| Year | Democratic | Republican |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 77.4%9,625 | 19.6%2,442 |
| 2020 | 78.8%10,435 | 19.3%2,561 |
| 2016 | 74.2%8,557 | 19.9%2,295 |
| 2012 | 62.8%7,158 | 34.7%3,958 |
| 2008 | 67.5%7,864 | 30.8%3,594 |
| 2004 | 61.5%7,025 | 37.2%4,245 |
| 2000 | 51.5%5,515 | 44.3%4,746 |
| 1996 | 46.4%4,778 | 45.1%4,642 |
| 1992 | 42.6%4,719 | 37.5%4,163 |
| 1988 | 39.0%4,163 | 59.9%6,384 |
Orinda has four public elementary schools: Sleepy Hollow Elementary, Wagner Ranch Elementary, Glorietta Elementary and Del Rey Elementary. Orinda Intermediate School is the only middle school. Together, these five schools make up theOrinda Union School District. Orinda's high school,Miramonte High School, is a part of theAcalanes Union High School District.
Orinda is home to three private educational establishments:Orinda Academy,Holden High School, and Fountainhead Montessori School. Of these, two (OA & Holden) are private high schools, while Fountainhead Montessori School services kindergarten through fifth grade.
TheContra Costa County Library has a branch in Orinda.
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