| Bolinas | |
|---|---|
| — census-designated place — | |
| street scene in Bolinas, 2009 | |
| Location in Marin County and the state of California | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States of America |
| State | California |
| County | Marin |
| Government | |
| • Type | unincorporated |
| • County Board | Steve Kinsey District 4 |
| • Senate | Mark Leno (D) |
| • Assembly | Jared Huffman (D) |
| • U. S. Congress | Lynn Woolsey (D) |
| Area[1] | |
| • Total | 5.826 sq mi (15.091 km2) |
| • Land | 5.826 sq mi (15.091 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) 0% |
| Elevation[2] | 36 ft (11 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 1,620 |
| • Density | 278.1/sq mi (107.3/km2) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| ZIP code | 94924 |
| Area code(s) | 415 |
| FIPS code | 06-07316 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0277476 |
Bolinas is an unincorporated coastal community in Marin County, California.[3] The town of Bolinas is located just off of State Route 1 approximately 30 miles (48 km) north of San Francisco, on the California coast.
The community is known for its reclusive residents. Historically, it is only accessible via unmarked roads; any road sign along nearby State Route 1 that points the way into town has been torn down by residents.[4] Bolinas and its reclusive reputation are featured in the 1981 novel Ecotopia Emerging by Ernest Callenbach. It was also the mythical setting for Richard Brautigan's novel In Watermelon Sugar.
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The town of Bolinas is located 10 miles (16 km) west-southwest of San Rafael,[5] at an elevation of 36 feet (11 m).[2] on the California coast just off of State Route 1 approximately 30 miles (48 km) north of San Francisco. It is bound on the northeast by Bolinas Lagoon and Kent Island, and on the south by Bolinas Bay and Duxbury Point.[2] According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 5.8 square miles (15 km2), all of it land. The GNIS has cited archaic alternate town-names, including "Ballenas", "Baulenas", "Baulings", and "Bawlines".[2]
Bolinas lies west of the San Andreas Fault, which runs the length of Bolinas Lagoon and continues northward through Olema Valley and Tomales Bay. Bolinas and the Point Reyes peninsula are on the Pacific Plate, moving north relative to Stinson Beach and the North American Plate at an average rate of about 1 inch (2.5 cm) per year.
Bolinas and present day Stinson Beach were once encompassed by Rancho Las Baulines, a Mexican land grant given by Governor Pío Pico to Gregorio Briones in 1846.[5][6][7]
The first post office in the town of Bolinas opened in 1863.[5]
The 2010 United States Census reported that the Bolinas CPD (Census-designated place) had a population of 1,620.[8] The population density was 278.0 people per square mile (107.4/km²). The racial makeup of Bolinas was 1,406 (86.8 percent) White, 27 (1.7 percent) African American, 10 (0.6 percent) Native American, 17 (1.0 percent) Asian, 14 (0.9 percent) Pacific Islander, 64 (4.0 percent) from other races, and 82 (5.1 percent) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 260 persons (16.0 percent).
The Census reported that 88.4 percent of the population lived in households and 11.6 percent lived in non-institutionalized group quarters.
There were 698 households, out of which 144 (20.6 percent) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 259 (37.1 percent) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 54 (7.7 percent) had a female householder with no husband present, 32 (4.6 percent) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 49 (7.0 percent) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and nine (1.3 percent) same-sex married couples or partnerships. There were 280 households (40.1 percent) made up of individuals and 98 (14.0 percent) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05. There were 345 families (49.4 percent of all households); the average family size was 2.65.
The population was spread out with 234 people (14.4 percent) under the age of 18, 76 people (4.7 percent) aged 18 to 24, 385 people (23.8 percent) aged 25 to 44, 642 people (39.6 percent) aged 45 to 64, and 283 people (17.5 percent) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49.3 years. For every 100 females there were 115.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 113.6 males.
There were 986 housing units at an average density of 169.2 per square mile (65.3/km²), of which 57.4 percent were owner-occupied, and 42.6 percent were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7 percent; the rental vacancy rate was 2.6 percent. 54.1 percent of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 34.3 percent lived in rental housing units.
As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 1,246 people, 486 households, and 260 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 900.6 people per square mile (348.6/km²). There were 629 housing units at an average density of 454.7 per square mile (176.0/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP in 2010 was 77.7 percent non-Hispanic White, 0.5 percent non-Hispanic Black or African American, 0.2 percent Native American, 0.9 percent Asian, 0.2 percent Pacific Islander, 0.1 percent from other races, and 4.3 percent from two or more races. 16.0 percent of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 486 households out of which 27.4 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.9 percent were married couples living together, 10.5 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.3 percent were non-families. Of all households, 32.1 percent were made up of individuals and 4.5 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 21.0 percent under the age of 18, 4.7 percent from 18 to 24, 26.0 percent from 25 to 44, 40.3 percent from 45 to 64, and 8.0 percent who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 110.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.1 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $53,188, and the median income for a family was $56,111. Males had a median income of $48,281 versus $40,417 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $28,973. About 5.5% of families and 10.2 percent of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.7 percent of those under age 18 and 2.8 percent of those age 65 or over.
The much larger area defined by the Census Bureau as Zip Code Tabulation Area 94924, which includes Horseshoe Hill, Dogtown, and Five Brooks, had a 2000 population of 1,560 people (see map).[10]
Bolinas is in the Bolinas-Stinson Union School District, the Tamalpais Union High School District, and the Marin Community College District. Students in primary grades (kindergarten – grade 2) attend Stinson Beach School, while elementary grade students (grades 3–8) attend Bolinas School. Bolinas is included in the attendance area of Tamalpais High School, in Mill Valley.
In 1951, Ford Times identified Bolinas as the first in its series of "Tom Sawyer Towns... a good place for boys and girls to live and grow... its school days, its summer vacations, its vast adventures in fishing, swimming, baseball, basking and dreaming in the sun. Such a place is Bolinas."[11]
Bolinas is unincorporated, receiving general government services from Marin County, including law enforcement, land use planning, public health, and code enforcement. Two special districts provide local services. The Bolinas Community Public Utility District provides water and wastewater service and contracts for garbage and recycling collection.[12] The Bolinas Fire Protection District provides fire protection, emergency medical care, and disaster management services.[13]
Besides the public access beach near the downtown area, there is a county park, Agate Beach, which contains extensive tide pools that are protected as part of the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. The town also hosts the Marin-Bolinas Botanical Gardens, and borders on the Point Reyes National Seashore to the north.
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