Madera County, California
| County of Madera | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | California | ||
| Region | San Joaquin Valley/Sierra Nevada | ||
| Incorporated | 1893 | ||
| County seat | Madera | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 2,153 sq mi (5,576.2 km2) | ||
| - Land | 2,136 sq mi (5,532.2 km2) | ||
| - Water | 17 sq mi (44 km2) | ||
| Population (2009 Est.) | 152,465 | ||
| - Density | 57/sq mi (22/km2) | ||
| Time zone | Pacific Standard Time (UTC-8) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-7) | ||
| Website | www.madera-county.com | ||
Madera County is a county of the U.S. state of California, located in the Central Valley and the Sierra Nevada north of Fresno County. It comprises the Madera-Chowchilla, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2008 census the population was 152,465. The county seat is Madera.
The southernmost part of Yosemite National Park is located in the county's northeast.
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History
Madera County was formed in 1893, being divided out of the northern part of Fresno County during a special election held on May 16th, 1893. Citizens residing in the area that was to become Madera County voted 1,179 to 358 for establishment of the new county.[1]
Madera is the Spanish term for "wood".[2] The county derives its name from the town of Madera, named when the California Lumber Company built a log flume to carry lumber to the Central Pacific Railroad there in 1876.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,153 square miles (5,577 km²), of which, 2,136 square miles (5,532 km²) is land and 17 square miles (45 km²) is water. The total area is 0.81% water.
Cities and towns
- Ahwahnee
- Bass Lake
- Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos
- Chowchilla
- Coarsegold
- Knowles
- Madera
- Madera Acres
- North Fork
- O'Neals
- Oakhurst
- Parksdale
- Parkwood
- Raymond
- Ripperdan
- Sugar Pine
- Yosemite Lakes
Adjacent counties
- Fresno County, California - south, west
- Merced County, California - northwest
- Mariposa County, California - north
- Tuolumne County, California - northeast
- Mono County, California - northeast
National protected areas
- Devils Postpile National Monument
- Inyo National Forest (part)
- Sierra National Forest (part)
- Yosemite National Park (part)
Transportation infrastructure
Major highways
State Route 41
State Route 49
State Route 99
State Route 145
State Route 152
Public transportation
- Madera County Connection provides service between the cities of Madera and Chowchilla. Routes also run to eastern Madera County. A connection to Fresno can be made at Children's Hospital Central California near the county line.
- The cities of Madera and Chowchilla also have their own local transit services.
- Greyhound buses and Amtrak trains stop in Madera.
Airports
- Madera Municipal Airport and Chowchilla Airport are general aviation airports.
Demographics
As of the census[3] of 2000, there are 123,109 people in the county, organized into 36,155 households, and 28,598 families. The population density is 58 people per square mile (22/km²). There are 40,387 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county is 62.23% White, 4.12% Black or African American, 2.61% Native American, 1.27% Asian, 0.17% Pacific Islander, 24.35% from other races, and 5.25% from two or more races. 44.28% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. 8.0% were of German, 5.9% English, 5.4% American and 5.3% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000. 63.6% spoke English and 33.7% Spanish as their first language.
There are 36,155 households out of which 40.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.9% are married couples living together, 12.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 20.9% are non-families. 16.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.18 and the average family size is 3.52.
In the county the population is spread out with 29.6% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 86.0 males.
The median income for a household in the county is $36,286, and the median income for a family is $39,226. Males have a median income of $33,658 versus $24,415 for females. The per capita income for the county is $14,682. 21.4% of the population and 15.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 28.6% of those under the age of 18 and 9.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Government and politics
| Year | GOP | DEM | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 56.4% 20,251 | 41.8% 14,997 | 1.8% 652 |
| 2004 | 64.0% 24,871 | 34.7% 13,481 | 1.3% 498 |
| 2000 | 60.7% 20,283 | 34.9% 11,650 | 4.4% 1,462 |
| 1996 | 53.8% 16,510 | 36.7% 11,254 | 9.5% 2,898 |
| 1992 | 43.2% 13,066 | 35.9% 10,863 | 20.9% 6,316 |
| 1988 | 54.6% 13,255 | 43.8% 10,642 | 1.6% 384 |
| 1984 | 60.0% 13,954 | 38.7% 8,994 | 1.3% 293 |
| 1980 | 53.6% 10,599 | 39.3% 7,783 | 7.1% 1,398 |
| 1976 | 46.0% 6,844 | 51.2% 7,625 | 2.8% 423 |
| 1972 | 52.6% 7,835 | 44.2% 6,580 | 3.2% 477 |
| 1968 | 43.5% 6,229 | 48.5% 6,932 | 8.0% 1,142 |
| 1964 | 32.2% 4,461 | 67.7% 9,391 | 0.1% 10 |
| 1960 | 41.8% 5,869 | 57.8% 8,126 | 0.4% 62 |
Madera is a strongly Republican county in Presidential and congressional elections. The last Democrat to win a majority in the county was Jimmy Carter in 1976.
The vast majority of Madera is part of California's 19th congressional district, which is held by Republican George Radanovich; a tiny part of Madera is in the 18th district, which is held by Democrat Dennis Cardoza. In the State Assembly, most of Madera is in the 25th district with a small part in the 19th district. Both districts are held by Republicans, Tom Berryhill and Michael Villines respectively. In the State Senate, Madera is part of the 12th and 14th districts, which are held by Republicans Jeff Denham and Dave Cogdill respectively.
On Nov. 4, 2008 Madera County voted 73.4 % for Proposition 8 which amended the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages.
The county is one of three counties in California to establish a separate department to deal with corrections pursuant to California Government Code §23013, the Madera County Department of Corrections, along with Napa County and Santa Clara County. The officers receive their powers under 831 and 831.5 of the California Penal Code.
See also
- Sierra National Forest
- Nelder Grove
- Fresno Dome
- List of school districts in Madera County, California
- USS Madera County (LST-905)
References
- ↑ Madera County GenWeb, Madera County History. Accessed 2010.04.11.
- ↑ Madera County, County History. Accessed 2009.10.09.
- ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
External links
- Madera County GenWeb - Genealogy
- Official Madera County website
- Madera County History -- Transcription of 1933 document on the county's history
- Oakhurst Area Chamber of Commerce
- Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau
- Madera Tribune, newspaper for the county founded March 31, 1892
- Superior Court of Madera County
- Madera County Library
- Madera Community Hospital
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 Madera County, California  |
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