Marin County, California
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
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| Official website: http://www.co.marin.ca.us/ | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
 Location of Marin County within California. |
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| Government | |
| Country State |
United States California |
| Board of Supervisors
District One |
Susan Adams |
| Formed | |
| March 11, 1889 | |
| Geographical characteristics | |
| Area | 2,145 km² |
| Land | 1,346 km² |
| Water | 799 km² |
| Population | |
| Total (2000) | 247,289 |
| Density | 184/km²
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| Time zone | Pacific (UTC−8) |
| Summer (DST) | Pacific (UTC−7) |
Marin County (pronounced "mah-RIN") is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. As of 2000, the population was 247,289. The county seat is San Rafael.
Marin County is world-renowned for its stunning natural beauty, liberal politics and pockets of extreme affluence. It is the number one county in the nation for per capita income.
San Quentin Prison is located in the county, as is Skywalker Ranch. Autodesk, the publisher of AutoCAD, is located there, as are numerous other high-tech companies. The headquarters of film and media company Lucasfilm Ltd. has moved to the Presidio of San Francisco. United States Senator Barbara Boxer is from Marin.
The Marin County Civic Center was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and draws thousands of visitors a year to guided tours of its arch and atrium design.
America's oldest cross country race, the Dipsea Race takes place annually in Marin County, attracting thousands of athletes.
Marin County's many beautiful natural sites include the famous Muir Woods redwood forest, Stinson Beach, Point Reyes National Seashore, and Mount Tamalpais, the birthplace of mountain biking.
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[edit] History
Marin County is one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood.
The origin of the county's name is not clear. One version is the county was named for Chief Marin, of the Licatiut tribe of Native Americans who inhabited that section and waged fierce battle against the early Spanish military explorers. The other version is that the bay between San Pedro and San Quentin points was named Bahia de Nuestra Senora del Rosario la Marinera in 1775, and it is quite possible that Marin is simply an abbreviation of this name.
[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,145 km² (828 mi²). 1,346 km² (520 mi²) of it is land and 799 km² (308 mi²) of it (37.24%) is water. According to the records at the County Assessor-Recoder's Office, as of June 2006, Marin had 91,065 acres of taxable land, comprised of 79,086 parcels with a total tax basis of $39.8 billion. These parcels are divided into the following classifications:
| Parcel Type | Tax ID | Quantity | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vacant | 10 | 6,900 | $508.17 million |
| Single Family Residential | 11 | 61,264 | $30,137.02 million |
| Mobile Home | 12 | 210 | $7.62 million |
| House Boat | 13 | 379 | $61.83 million |
| Multi Family Residential | 14 | 1,316 | $3,973.51 million |
| Industrial Unimproved | 40 | 113 | $12.24 million |
| Industrial Improved | 41 | 562 | $482.83 million |
| Commercial Unimproved | 50 | 431 | $97.89 million |
| Commercial Improved | 51 | 7,911 | $4,519.64 million |
Geographically, the county forms a large, southward-facing peninsula, with the Pacific Ocean to the west, San Pablo Bay and San Francisco Bay to the east, and -- across the Golden Gate -- the city of San Francisco to the south. Marin County's northern border is with Sonoma County.
Most of the county's population resides on the eastern side, with a string of communities running along the Bay, from Sausalito to Tiburon to Corte Madera to San Rafael. The interior contains large areas of agricultural and open space; West Marin, through which California State Route 1 runs alongside the California coast, contains many small unincorporated communities dependent on agriculture and tourism for their economies.
[edit] Major highways
Interstate 580
U.S. Highway 101 (Redwood Highway)
California State Route 1
California State Route 37
California State Route 131 (Tiburon Road)
[edit] Scenic roads
- Dillon Beach Road
- Paradise Drive
- Crown Road
- Tomales Petaluma Road
- Chileno Valley Road: Connects Marshall Petaluma Road to Tomales Petaluma Road
- Marshall Petaluma Road
- Hicks Valley Road: Connects Marshall Petaluma Road to Point Reyes Petaluma Road
- Point Reyes Petaluma Road
- Novato Boulevard: Novato to Point Reyes Petaluma Road
- Sir Francis Drake Blvd: Point Reyes Lighthouse to California Park
- Bolinas Fairfax Road: Connects Sir Francis Drake Blvd to California State Route 1 at Bolinas
- Bolinas Ridge Road: Connects Bolinas Fairfax Road to Panoramic Highway and Muir Woods Road
[edit] Adjacent counties
- San Francisco County, California - south (across the Golden Gate Bridge)
- Contra Costa County, California - east (across the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge)
- Sonoma County, California - north
[edit] Ecology
Marin county is considered in the California Floristic Province, a zone of extremely high biodiversity and endemicism. There are numerous ecosystems present, including coastal strand, oak woodland, chaparral and riparian zones. There are also a considerable number of protected plant and animal species present: fauna include the Northern Red-legged Frog, while flora include Marin Dwarf Flax, Hesperolinon congestum.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 247,289 people, 100,650 households, and 60,691 families residing in the county. The population density was 184/km² (476/mi²). There were 104,990 housing units at an average density of 78/km² (202/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 84.03% White, 2.89% Black or African American, 0.43% Native American, 4.53% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 4.50% from other races, and 3.47% from two or more races. 11.06% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 100,650 households out of which 27.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.40% were married couples living together, 8.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.70% were non-families. 29.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.60% 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 the population was spread out with 20.30% under the age of 18, 5.50% from 18 to 24, 31.00% from 25 to 44, 29.70% from 45 to 64, and 13.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 98.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $71,306, and the median income for a family was $88,934. Males had a median income of $61,282 versus $45,448 for females. The per capita income for the county was $44,962. About 4.70% of families and 9.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.90% of those under age 18 and 2.50% of those age 65 or over. Marin County has the second highest median household income in California behind Santa Clara County.
Marin County has the highest per capita income of any county in the United States. This is driven in particular by expensive enclaves in Belvedere, Kentfield, Larkspur, Ross, Tiburon, Mill Valley, Sausalito, San Anselmo and portions of San Rafael and Novato.
The traditionally middle class towns of Corte Madera, Fairfax, Novato and San Rafael (where per capita incomes typically paralleled the California state average as late as 1985) also have experienced especially sharp rises in real estate values, due in part to their proximity to the "prestige" address areas. The county's resistance to urban sprawl and its preservation of open space have also had an upward impact on housing prices by reducing the number of new subdivisions built in the area since 1970. As a result of these factors, many lower-income middle class families have moved, often to Sonoma County, California, for cheaper housing.
The trend of increased affluence has not held true for two neighborhoods in particular, populated almost exclusively by low-income persons of color: Marin City (which shares a zip code with Sausalito) and the Canal Neighborhood in San Rafael.
- Marin City has a population of 3,000 and is ethnically diverse with large East Asian, Hispanic, and African American populations. Many families live in public housing apartment buildings that are now approaching 60 years old.
- The population in The Canal is largely Hispanic, with many households residing in over-crowded apartment units.
San Rafael has asserted to the Federal Government that this population is significantly undercounted by the U.S. Census due to the high percentage of illegal immigrants, depriving the city of tax funds for improved social services. They assert that the 6.6% of the county-wide population listed as below the poverty line is both under-reported, and heavily concentrated in The Canal.
[edit] Notable current and former residents
- Andre Agassi, tennis player.
- Isabel Allende, writer.
- Melba Beale, civil rights activist.
- Barbara Boxer, current United States Senator.
- Pete Carroll, head football coach at USC.
- Edwin Catmull, President of the Disney-Pixar Studios.
- Brenda Chapman, animation director.
- Sam Chapman, baseball player.
- Julia Child, host of "The French Chef"
- Peter Coyote, actor.
- Ram Dass, author of Be Here Now.
- Dana Carvey, actor and comedian.
- Gary Fisher, mountain biking pioneer.
- Booker T. Jones, musician.
- John Lennon, musician.
- Klaus Kinski, actor.
- Anne Lamott, writer.
- Sammy Hagar, singer.
- Janis Joplin, singer.
- John Lasseter, film director and Disney executive.
- Barry Levinson, film director.
- Huey Lewis, singer.
- Kevin Lima, film director.
- John Walker Lindh, American who fought for the Taliban.
- George Lucas, film director and founder of Lucasfilm.
- Marin Timmy, musician.
- Van Morrison, singer and songwriter.
- Jonny Moseley, gold medal winning Olympic skier.
- Gavin Newsom, current mayor of San Francisco.
- Don Novello, actor and writer.
- Sean Penn, actor.
- Robin Wright Penn, actress.
- Steve Potts, bicycle framebuilder.
- Kathleen Quinlan, actress.
- Bonnie Raitt, singer.
- Carlos Santana, musician.
- Michael Savage (commentator), conservative radio host
- Charles Schwab, investor.
- Tupac Shakur, rapper, poet, and actor.
- Laura Esposto, newswoman and talk show host.
- Peter Tork, musician. Member of The Monkees
- Robin Williams, actor and comedian.
- Tony Williams, drummer.
- Nicholas Grabowski, Supporter of the Arts.
- Jennifer Aniston, actress.
- James Hetfield, musician
- Lars Ulrich, musician
- Tom Zimberoff, photographer.
- Most members of The Grateful Dead
[edit] Presidential elections results
| Year | Republican | Democratic |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 25.4% 34,378 | 73.2% 99,070 |
| 2000 | 28.3% 34,872 | 64.3% 79,135 |
| 1996 | 28.2% 32,714 | 58.0% 67,406 |
| 1992 | 23.3% 30,479 | 58.3% 76,158 |
| 1988 | 39.7% 46,855 | 58.8% 69,394 |
| 1984 | 49.0% 56,887 | 49.6% 57,533 |
| 1980 | 45.8% 49,678 | 42.9% 39,231 |
| 1976 | 52.5% 53,425 | 42.9% 43,590 |
| 1972 | 52.1% 54,123 | 45.6% 47,414 |
| 1968 | 50.1% 41,422 | 43.8% 36,278 |
| 1964 | 38.1% 28,682 | 61.7% 46,462 |
| 1960 | 57.3% 37,620 | 42.5% 27,888 |
Though the county is marked by its fiscal conservatism and isolationism, it tends to support liberal positions on social issues, and it (like much of the rest of the San Francisco Bay Area) has become a stronghold of the Democratic Party in recent decades. Marin County presidential election returns since 1960 can be seen in the adjoining table.
[edit] Cities, Towns and Unincorporated Districts
- Belvedere
- Bolinas
- Corte Madera
- Dillon Beach
- Fairfax
- Inverness
- Inverness Park
- Kentfield
- Lagunitas-Forest Knolls
- Larkspur
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- Bel Marin Keys
- Black Point-Green Point
- Hamilton
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- Lucas Valley-Marinwood
- Peacock Gap
- Santa Venetia
- Terra Linda
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[edit] In books and films
- Marin County lifestyles of the 1970s were spoofed in the 1977 novel The Serial: A Year in the Life of Marin County by Cyra McFadden, and in the subsequent film Serial (1980 film) which was based on the novel.
- The book Invasion of the Body Snatchers was set in Mill Valley.
- Marin County's reputation as a counterculture enclave, especially the town of Bolinas and its isolationist reputation, made it a location of many key events in the 1981 novel Ecotopia Emerging by Ernest Callenbach.
- The 2002 film High Crimes takes place in Marin
- The 1997 film Gattaca was filmed on location in Marin County
[edit] See also
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: |
- List of California counties
- Golden Gate Transit
- List of school districts in Marin County, California
- Gnoss Field
- Mount Tamalpais State Park
[edit] External links
- County of Marin official website
- Marin County Free Library
- Marin County Real Estate
- Photos of Marin County - Terra Galleria
- Marin Fraternal Organizations
- Marin County community profiles at the Marin Independent Journal
- Marin County Arts
- Marin County Fire Department
Incorporated places
Population over 10,000: San Rafael (County seat) • Larkspur • Mill Valley • Novato • San Anselmo
Population under 10,000: Belvedere • Corte Madera • Fairfax • Ross • Sausalito • Tiburon
Census-designated places
Black Point-Green Point, California • Bolinas • Dillon Beach • Inverness • Kentfield • Lagunitas-Forest Knolls • Lucas Valley-Marinwood • Muir Beach • Point Reyes Station • San Geronimo • Santa Venetia • Stinson Beach • Strawberry • Tamalpais-Homestead Valley • Tomales • Woodacre
