Rocklin, California

Rocklin, California
City
City of Rocklin
Amtrak station and Chamber of Commerce, Rocklin
Motto: "A Family Community"[1]
Location in Placer County and the state of California
Rocklin, California Location in the United States
Coordinates: 38°48′0″N 121°14′48″W / 38.80000°N 121.24667°W / 38.80000; -121.24667Coordinates: 38°48′0″N 121°14′48″W / 38.80000°N 121.24667°W / 38.80000; -121.24667
Country	United States
State	California
County	Placer
Incorporated	February 24, 1893[2]
Government
• State Senate	Ted Gaines (R)
• State Assembly	Beth Gaines (R)
• U. S. Congress	Tom McClintock (R)[3]
Area[4]
• Total	19.594 sq mi (50.749 km2)
• Land	19.541 sq mi (50.610 km2)
• Water	0.053 sq mi (0.139 km2)  0.27%
Elevation	249 ft (79 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	56,974
• Density	2,900/sq mi (1,100/km2)
Time zone	PST (UTC-8)
• Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP codes	95677, 95765
Area code(s)	916
FIPS code	06-62364
GNIS feature ID	0277586
Website	www.ci.rocklin.ca.us

Rocklin is a city in Placer County, California located approximately 22 miles (35 km) from Sacramento, California, and about 6.1 miles (9.8 km) northeast of Roseville in the Sacramento metropolitan area. Besides Roseville, it shares borders with Granite Bay, Loomis and Lincoln. As of the 2010 census, Rocklin's population was 56,974.

History

Prior to the California Gold Rush the Nisenan Maidu occupied both permanent villages and temporary summer shelters along the rivers and streams which miners sifted, sluiced, dredged and dammed to remove the gold.^[5] Explorer Jedediah Smith and a large party of American fur trappers crossed the Sacramento Valley in late April, 1827. The group saw many Maidu villages along the river banks.^[5] Deprived of traditional foodstuffs, homesites and hunting grounds by the emigrants, the Nisenan were among the earliest California Indian tribes to disappear.^[5]

During the 1850s, miners sluiced streams and rivers including Secret Ravine which runs through Rocklin. The piles of dredger tailings is still obvious today, between Roseville and Loomis southeast of Interstate 80.^[6] Secret Ravine at the area now at the intersection of Ruhkala Road and Pacific Street was later mined for granite, some of which was used as the base course of the California Capitol Building in Sacramento, although the earliest recorded use of the rock was for Fort Mason at San Francisco in 1855.^[7] The granite was hauled out by ox carts before the arrival of the railroad many years later.^[7]

In 1860, the U.S. Census counted 440 residents in the area of Secret Ravine, of which approximately 16% had been born in Ireland and the majority of whom worked as miners.^[8] The area was referred to as Secret Ravine or the "granite quarries at the end of the tracks" as late as 1864.^[8]

Rocklin's history is closely tied to the transcontinental railroad. In 1862, the Pacific Railroad Act granted the Central Pacific Railroad land near Secret Ravine.^[8] In 1864, the Central Pacific Railroad completed an extension of its track southwest from Newcastle to Secret Ravine. It named the area Rocklin after its granite quarry, and used the site a refueling and water stop. The Central Pacific built a roundhouse in 1867.^[9] The transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869, significantly increasing railroad traffic through the town. According to the 1870 census, Rocklin had grown to 542 residents,^[10] and the majority of Irish immigrants had foregone mining and were working for the railroad.^[8] In 1906 the Central Pacific moved its facility from Rocklin to Roseville, where more land was available for expansion.^[9] The site in Roseville has remained in continuous use since. As of August 2014, it is the largest rail facility near the US West Coast.^[11]

In 1869 a group of laid-off Chinese railroad workers moved to Secret Ravine to mine and raise vegetables which they sold locally. They were driven out during the anti-Chinese pogrom of September 1876 but the area is still known as China Gardens.^[7]

The Rocklin post office opened in 1868.^[12] Finnish immigrants settled in Rocklin starting in the 1870s, and Spanish settlers arriving by way of Hawaii settled in Rocklin during the early 20th Century.^[8] The town incorporated in 1893.^[12]

Geography

Rocklin is located at 38°48′00″N 121°14′48″W / 38.800011°N 121.246731°W / 38.800011; -121.246731.^[13]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.6 square miles (51 km²), of which 0.05 square miles (0.13 km²), or 0.27%, is water.

Climate

Rocklin has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) that is characterized by cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers. Summer months are hot, with a July high of 94 °F (34 °C) and rainless for the most part. Winter months on the other hand, are cool with a December average of 47 °F (8 °C) and give way to plenty of rain. Rocklin very rarely sees any snow accumulation.

Demographics

2010

The 2010 United States Census^[16] reported that Rocklin had a population of 56,974. The population density was 2,907.7 people per square mile (1,122.7/km²). The racial makeup of Rocklin was 47,047 (82.6%) White, 858 (1.5%) African American, 410 (0.7%) Native American, 4,105 (7.2%) Asian, 150 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 1,538 (2.7%) from other races, and 2,866 (5.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6,555 persons (11.5%).

The Census reported that 56,337 people (98.9% of the population) lived in households, 456 (0.8%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 181 (0.3%) were institutionalized.

There were 20,800 households, out of which 8,424 (40.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 11,974 (57.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 2,191 (10.5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 895 (4.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,035 (5.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 124 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 4,403 households (21.2%) were made up of individuals and 1,652 (7.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71. There were 15,060 families (72.4% of all households); the average family size was 3.18.

The population was spread out with 15,613 people (27.4%) under the age of 18, 5,306 people (9.3%) aged 18 to 24, 15,159 people (26.6%) aged 25 to 44, 14,668 people (25.7%) aged 45 to 64, and 6,228 people (10.9%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.7 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.

There were 22,010 housing units at an average density of 1,123.3 per square mile (433.7/km²), of which 13,797 (66.3%) were owner-occupied, and 7,003 (33.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.3%. 39,295 people (69.0% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 17,042 people (29.9%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the census^[17] of 2000, there were 36,330 people, 13,258 households, and 10,009 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,246.2 people per square mile (867.5/km²). There were 14,421 housing units at an average density of 891.6 per square mile (344.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.32% White, 0.91% African American, 0.80% Native American, 4.16% Asian, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 1.93% from other races, and 3.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.91% of the population. 16.8% were of German, 11.8% English, 10.6% Irish, 8.1% Italian and 6.5% American ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 13,258 households out of which 42.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.3% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were non-families. 18.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the city the population was spread out with 30.0% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 33.7% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $84,508, according to the City of Rocklin website. Males had a median income of $54,426 versus $35,920 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,910. About 3.1% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Granite mining ended in 2004 in Rocklin.^[8] The economy diversified; the Formica Company formerly operated a manufacturing plant in Rocklin. Educational Media Foundation, which owns the K-LOVE and Air1 radio networks, is based in Rocklin. Two colleges opened as did other businesses including the Educational Media Foundation and the U.S.-based subsidiary of SMA Solar Technology AG, a manufacturer of solar inverters.^[18]

Shopping, entertainment and dining are provided by smaller businesses and the area is served by the Blue Oaks Town Center, a regional shopping center anchored by national tenants, located on the Highway 65 corridor.^[19] A section of Granite Drive along Interstate 80 is known as Toy Row, and there is also a local antique mall.

Education

The Rocklin area is home to eleven elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools, two alternative education institutions as well as campuses of Sierra College^[20] and William Jessup University.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Interstate 80 and State Route 65 intersect in Rocklin. The Rocklin (Amtrak station) is served by the Capitol Corridor and the California Zephyr routes.

Notable people

• Johnny Davis, kickboxer
• Brotha Lynch Hung, rapper
• Jeffrey Leonard, retired MLB All-Star and professional baseball player, most notably for the San Francisco Giants
• Kevin Martin, shooting guard of the Minnesota Timberwolves
• Geoff Petrie, General Manager of the Sacramento Kings

• Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Home Improvement
• Karyn White, pop singer

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rocklin, California.

• City of Rocklin official website Portal style website, Government, Business, Library, Recreation and more
• City-Data.com Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Rocklin
• Secret Ravine Adaptive Management Plan. Dry Creek Conservancy. December 2001. 

		Lincoln Highway 65	Loomis Interstate 80
	Roseville
		Rocklin
	Roseville	Roseville	Granite Bay

Municipalities and communities of Placer County, California, United States County seat: Auburn Cities and towns Auburn Colfax Lincoln Loomis Rocklin Roseville CDPs Alta Carnelian Bay Dollar Point Dutch Flat Foresthill Granite Bay Kings Beach Kingvale‡ Meadow Vista Newcastle North Auburn Penryn Sheridan Sunnyside-Tahoe City Tahoe Vista Tahoma‡ Unincorporated communities Alpine Meadows Applegate Baxter Big Bend Blue Canyon Brockway Cape Horn Casa Loma Chambers Lodge Cisco Cisco Grove Clayton Clipper Gap Donner Eder Elders Corner Emigrant Gap Forebay Four Acres Gold Hill Greekstore Heather Glen Hidden Valley Homewood Hughes Mill Idlewild Iowa Hill Kilaga Springs Lake Forest Lander Crossing Last Chance Magra McCulloh Michigan Bluff Midas Monte Vista Nielsburg Ophir Pinecroft Rainbow Rampart Ramsey Crossing Rawhide Secret Town Soda Springs Squaw Valley Sunnyside Tahoe City Tahoe Pines The Cedars Todd Valley Towle Troy Virginiatown Westville Weimar Whitney Yankee Jims Zuver Ghost towns Ackerman Andover Arctic Baltimore Bath Blue Bluffs Bullion Cairns Ceres Flat Chicago Park Coon Creek Deadwood Drum East Auburn Flat Ravine Florence Spring Fort Trojan Frytown Fulda Gilsons Station Goggins Gold Run Indiana Hill Knapp Kulkumish Leta Little Rattlesnake Bar Lone Star Lost Camp Mayflower Millertown Mineral Bar Molma Moss Hills Oilville Pine Grove Pitsokut Ralston Red Point Secret Canyon Secret Ravine Smiths Spruce Stanford Stewarts Flat Stonehill Tamarack Union Shed Vantrent Webster Yorkville Footnotes ‡This CDP also has portions in an adjacent county or counties