Moraga, California

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Moraga is an affluent suburban town located in Contra Costa County, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is named in honor of Joaquin Moraga, whose grandfather was José Joaquin Moraga, second in command to Juan Bautista de Anza. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total permanent population of 16,290. Moraga is best known as the location of Saint Mary's College of California.

Contents 1 Geography 2 History 3 Schools 4 Notable Residents, Past and Present 5 Demographics 6 External links

[edit] Geography

Moraga is located at 37°50'38" North, 122°7'28" West (37.843776, -122.124500)^GR1. It is located adjacent to the cities of Lafayette and Orinda, as well as the unincorporated community of Canyon. Other nearby cities include Walnut Creek, Oakland, Concord and Berkeley.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 24.0 km² (9.3 mi²). 24.0 km² (9.3 mi²) of it is land and 0.11% is water.

[edit] History

In the first half of the 20th century, the line of the Sacramento Northern Railroad ran through Moraga. Much of the old right-of-way is now a popular pedestrian and bicycle path. It was also a part of the Pony Express mail chain.

[edit] Schools

Moraga's public elementary and intermediate schools comprise the Moraga School District:

• Camino Pablo Elementary School, grades K-5
• Los Perales Elementary School, grades K-5
• Donald Rheem Elementary School, grades K-5
• Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School, grades 6-8

Students in certain parts of Moraga generally attend the nearby Stanley Intermediate School (in Lafayette) or Orinda Intermediate School (in Orinda).

Moraga's only high school is Campolindo High School, site of a Grateful Dead concert on May 16, 1969 and part of the Acalanes Union High School District (AUHSD). Some students from Moraga instead attend the nearby Miramonte High School, which is also part of the AUHSD, while some students from nearby Lafayette attend Campolindo High School.

Saklan Valley School, a private elementary school, is also located in Moraga. It was founded in 1954. It is a co-educational school with around 155 students from preschool to 8th grade. The school is accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. It has a maximum class size of 16.

Another private school in Moraga is the Orion Academy, a High School for teenagers with NLD and Asperger's Syndrome.

[edit] Notable Residents, Past and Present

• 11-time Olympic medalist swimmer Matt Biondi
• NASA astronaut Stephen Robinson
• Poet Robert Hass
• Actor and football player Herman Wedemeyer
• Commandant of the Coast Guard Chester R. Bender
• Navy Admiral Nathan Sonenshein
• Musician and psychologist Daniel Levitin
• Basketball player Tom Meschery
• Tennis player Anna McCune Harper

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there are 16,290 people, 5,662 households, and 4,325 families permanently residing in the town. The population density is 678.5/km² (1,756.9/mi²). There are 5,760 housing units at an average density of 239.9/km² (621.2/mi²). The racial makeup is 81.10% White, 1.01% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 12.44% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 1.45% from other races, and 3.75% from two or more races. 4.76% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 5,662 households out of which 35.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.7% are married couples living together, 6.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% are non-families. 19.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.59 and the average family size is 2.99.

In the town the population is spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 13.9% from 18 to 24, 18.6% from 25 to 44, 29.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 42 years. For every 100 females there are 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 84.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $98,080, and the median income for a family is $116,113. Males have a median income of $92,815 versus $51,296 for females. The per capita income for the town is $45,437. 2.9% of the population and 1.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 3.5% of those under the age of 18 and 1.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

[edit] External links

• Town of Moraga home page
• Moraga history
• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 37.843776° -122.1245°
  • Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
  • Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA