Fairfax, California

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Fairfax is a town in Marin County, California, United States. The population is 7,500 at the 2006 census.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Environmental factors
4 History
5 Hearsay Stories
6 Noted Fairfaxians
7 References
8 External links

[edit] Geography

Fairfax is located at 37°59′10″N, 122°35′34″W (37.986023, -122.592823)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.5 km² (2.1 mi²), all land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 7,500 people, 3,306 households, and 1,811 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,326.7/km² (3,441.2/mi²). There were 3,418 housing units at an average density of 619.6/km² (1,607.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 91.39% White, 1.16% Black or African American, 0.48% Native American, 1.97% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 1.53% from other races, and 3.31% from two or more races. 5.71% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,306 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.2% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.2% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.76.

In the town the population was spread out with 19.2% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 33.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $58,465, and the median income for a family was $68,308. Males had a median income of $51,457 versus $40,815 for females. The per capita income for the town was $34,080. About 4.3% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Environmental factors

Soils in the Fairfax area mostly belong to the Tocaloma Series as Classified by the U.S. Soil Conservation Service.^[1] These soils consist of moderately deep, well drained soils on uplands. These soils are typically formed from sandstone and shale and often occur on slopes ranging above 15 percent.

[edit] History

The Coast Miwok Indians occupied stretches along local creeks, spring and seep areas; moreover prehistoric habitations were usually chosen near permanent and seasonal drainages, typically along flat ridges and terraces.

The town was named for Charles S. Fairfax.

[edit] Hearsay Stories

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Here are some items that have been told^{[citation needed]} about Fairfax:

In the 1960s, a baseball game between Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead took place^{[citation needed]} at Central Field, a public downtown baseball field.

Fairfax's first sheriff, Andy Peri, used to stand at the Fairfax train platform with a stern look and shake his head "no" at anyone who looked scruffy, had a beard, or might be "undesirable". (Provided by John & Annette van der Slice and confirmed by Andy Peri, the former sheriff's grandson.)^{[citation needed]}

Some silent films, such as Bronco Billy, were filmed in Fairfax.

Irving Berlin used to serenade from a treetop piano at the site now known as the Marin Town & Country Club.

During prohibition, a rider of the Fairfax Inclined Railway could provide a certain amount of money to the driver and would be dropped off at Berry Trail, a path where lots of speakeasies were located. The speakeasies are now all homes with beautiful views, but at the time, were impossible to see from downtown.

Fairfax has been likened to "Mayberry on acid".^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Noted Fairfaxians

[edit] References

^ Environmental Impact Report for the Groza-Erickson Property, Ridgeway Avenue, Fairfax, California, Earth Metrics Inc, prepared for the State of California Environmental Clearinghouse, Sacramento, Ca., January, 1989