Piru, California

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This article is about the town of Piru in Ventura County, California. For the street gang, see Pirus (gang). For the Finnish evil spirit, see Piru.

Piru is a census-designated place in located in Eastern Ventura County, California, near the Santa Clara River and Highway 126. The population was 1,196 at the 2000 census. Lake Piru in the Los Padres National Forest is the main recreational attraction. The name is derived from the Chumash Indian term "reeds" for the reeds growing along Piru Creek that were used in making baskets. Piru was struck by two major disasters in the twentieth century. On the night of March 12, 1928, the St. Francis Dam broke, causing the deaths of 400 people, many in Piru. The Northridge earthquake of January 17, 1994 destroyed several buildings in the historic downtown area.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Trivia
4 External links

[edit] Geography

Piru is located at 34°24′26″N, 118°47′59″W (34.407297, -118.799675)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 6.0 km² (2.3 mi²). 6.0 km² (2.3 mi²) of it is land and 0.43% is water.

Elevation: 692 feet.

Piru is located in Santa Clara River Valley.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 1,196 people, 308 households, and 263 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 199.0/km² (514.5/mi²). There were 328 housing units at an average density of 54.6/km² (141.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 53.51% White, 0.25% African American, 3.01% Native American, 1.67% Asian, 38.38% from other races, and 3.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 67.89% of the population.

There were 308 households out of which 52.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.2% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.3% were non-families. 9.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.88 and the average family size was 4.11.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 35.1% under the age of 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.0 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $41,490, and the median income for a family was $40,703. Males had a median income of $32,303 versus $17,159 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $14,337. About 16.4% of families and 27.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.5% of those under age 18 and 16.1% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Trivia

Piru stood in for Clarksburg in the 1974 TV movie, The California Kid.

Piru credited to movie "A Memory In My Heart" 1999 with Jane Seymour

Piru stood in for the town of Happy, Texas for the 1997 film Happy Texas.
Piru stood in for Orkly, Idaho in the 1985 short film, The Orkly Kid which was later made part of The Beaver Trilogy.