Tuolumne County, California

Tuolumne County, California
County
County of Tuolumne
Images, from top down, left to right: The Tuolumne County Courthouse in Sonora, a shop in Columbia State Historic Park, Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park
Flag Seal
Location in the state of California
California's location in the United States
Country	United States
State	California
Regions	Sierra Nevada, Gold Country
Incorporated	February 18, 1850[1]
County seat	Sonora
Government
• County Administrator	Craig Pedro
• Body	Board of Supervisors
Area
• Total	5,890 km^2 (2,274 sq mi)
• Land	5,750 km^2 (2,221 sq mi)
• Water	140 km^2 (54 sq mi)
Population (April 1, 2010)[2]
• Total	55,365
• Estimate (2015)[2]	53,709
• Density	9.4/km^2 (24/sq mi)
Time zone	Pacific Time Zone (UTC-8)
• Summer (DST)	Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-7)
Website	www.co.tuolumne.ca.us

Very fine old crystalline-gold specimen, probably from Tuolumne County. Sold in the 1950s for $65; more recently for $12,500. Published twice.^[3]

Tuolumne County (/tuːˈɒləmiː/ "To All o' Me", with a silent N), officially the County of Tuolumne, is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 55,365.^[2] The county seat and only incorporated city is Sonora.^[4]

Tuolumne County comprises the Sonora, CA Micropolitan Statistical Area. The county is in the Sierra Nevada region.

The northern half of Yosemite National Park is located in the eastern part of the county.

Etymology

The name Tuolumne is of Native American origin and has been given different meanings, such as Many Stone Houses, The Land of Mountain Lions and, Straight Up Steep, the latter an interpretation of William Fuller, a native Chief.^[5] Mariano Vallejo, in his report to the first California State Legislature, said that the word is "a corruption of the Indian word talmalamne which signifies 'cluster of stone wigwams.'" The name may mean "people who dwell in stone houses," i.e., in caves.

History

Tuolumne County is one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood. Prior to statehood, it had been referred to as Oro County. Parts of the county were given to Stanislaus County in 1854 and to Alpine County in 1864.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,274 square miles (5,890 km²), of which 2,221 square miles (5,750 km²) is land and 54 square miles (140 km²) (2.4%) is water.^[6] A California Department of Forestry document reports Tuolumne County's 1,030,812 acres (4,171.55 km²) include federal lands such as Yosemite National Park, Stanislaus National Forest, Bureau of Land Management lands, and Indian reservations. Notable landforms in the county include Table Mountain.

Special Districts

Special districts in Tuolumne County include:

• Belleview Elementary School District
• Big Oak Flat-Groveland Unified School District
• Chinese Camp Elementary School District
• Columbia Fire District
• Columbia Union Elementary School District
• Curtis Creek Elementary School District
• Groveland Community Services District
• Jamestown Elementary School District
• Jamestown Fire District
• Mi-Wuk Sugar Pine Fire Protection District
• Sonora Elementary School District
• Sonora Union High School District
• Soulsbyville Elementary School District
• Strawberry Fire District
• Summerville Elementary School District
• Summerville Union High School District
• Tuolumne County Air Pollution Control District
• Tuolumne County Water District No. 1
• Tuolumne Fire District
• Tuolumne Regional Water District
• Tuolumne Utilities District
• Twain Harte Fire District
• Twain Harte-Long Barn Union Elementary School District
• Yosemite Community College District

Adjacent counties

• Alpine County, California - north
• Calaveras County, California - northwest
• Stanislaus County, California - southwest
• Mariposa County, California - south
• Madera County, California - southeast
• Mono County, California - east
• Merced County, California - southwest

National protected areas

• Stanislaus National Forest (part)
• Yosemite National Park (part)

Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC)

• Red Hills (Tuolumne County)

Transportation

Major highways

• California State Route 49
• California State Route 108
• California State Route 120

Public transportation

Tuolumne County Transit bus routes radiate from Sonora to serve most of the county. In Columbia, a connection can be made to Calaveras County Transit. Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) makes a single daily round trip from Sonora into Yosemite Valley during summer months only. YARTS is set to begin a second daily round trip in June 2013. For details visit www.yarts.com or tuolumnecountytransit.com

Airports

Columbia Airport and Pine Mountain Lake Airport are both general aviation airports located in the Southwest and Northeast corners of the county respectively.

Crime

The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.

Population and crime rates
Population[7]	55,736
Violent crime[8]	158	2.83
Homicide[8]	1	0.02
Forcible rape[8]	25	0.45
Robbery[8]	19	0.34
Aggravated assault[8]	113	2.03
Property crime[8]	669	12.00
Burglary[8]	354	6.35
Larceny-theft[8][note 1]	846	15.18
Motor vehicle theft[8]	100	1.79
Arson[8]	11	0.20

Cities by population and crime rates

Cities by population and crime rates
City	Population[9]	Violent crimes[9]	Violent crime rate per 1,000 persons	Property crimes[9]	Property crime rate per 1,000 persons
Sonora	4,911	20	4.07	311	63.33

Demographics

2011

Population, race, and income
Total population[7]	55,736
White[7]	48,477	87.0%
Black or African American[7]	1,172	2.1%
American Indian or Alaska Native[7]	1,008	1.8%
Asian[7]	605	1.1%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander[7]	82	0.1%
Some other race[7]	2,276	4.1%
Two or more races[7]	2,116	3.8%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)[10]	5,861	10.5%
Per capita income[11]	$26,084
Median household income[12]	$47,359
Median family income[13]	$59,710

Places by population, race, and income

Places by population and race
Place	Type[14]	Population[7]	White[7]	Other[7] [note 2]	Asian[7]	Black or African American[7]	Native American[7] [note 3]	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)[10]
Cedar Ridge	CDP	1,071	89.8%	6.9%	0.7%	0.3%	2.3%	3.5%
Chinese Camp	CDP	154	90.9%	9.1%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	8.4%
Cold Springs	CDP	293	94.2%	5.8%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	6.5%
Columbia	CDP	2,258	74.1%	20.8%	0.1%	0.0%	5.0%	11.3%
East Sonora	CDP	2,050	89.6%	5.6%	1.0%	0.0%	3.9%	7.9%
Groveland	CDP	612	97.2%	2.8%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Jamestown	CDP	4,031	89.4%	10.4%	0.2%	0.0%	0.0%	19.7%
Long Barn	CDP	353	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Mi-Wuk Village	CDP	761	68.3%	11.8%	0.8%	0.0%	19.1%	7.6%
Mono Vista	CDP	2,638	94.2%	3.0%	0.0%	2.4%	0.4%	13.4%
Phoenix Lake	CDP	4,452	98.2%	0.6%	0.4%	0.6%	0.2%	9.5%
Pine Mountain Lake	CDP	2,695	95.5%	2.3%	0.9%	0.0%	1.3%	6.8%
Sierra Village	CDP	209	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Sonora	City	4,899	93.2%	3.4%	1.0%	1.4%	0.9%	5.1%
Soulsbyville	CDP	2,008	99.0%	0.0%	0.7%	0.0%	0.3%	1.7%
Strawberry	CDP	168	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Tuolumne City	CDP	2,152	88.6%	11.2%	0.1%	0.0%	0.1%	10.2%
Tuttletown	CDP	903	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Twain Harte	CDP	2,151	91.7%	5.8%	1.2%	0.0%	1.3%	13.0%

Places by population and income
Place	Type[14]	Population[15]	Per capita income[11]	Median household income[12]	Median family income[13]
Cedar Ridge	CDP	1,071	$35,230	$59,323	$80,833
Chinese Camp	CDP	154	$29,125	$45,313	$106,250
Cold Springs	CDP	293	$34,753	$74,018	$88,269
Columbia	CDP	2,258	$23,152	$34,231	$49,135
East Sonora	CDP	2,050	$30,722	$35,781	$50,292
Groveland	CDP	612	$22,075	$31,587	$51,719
Jamestown	CDP	4,031	$19,279	$27,764	$29,329
Long Barn	CDP	353	$38,008	$24,898	$16,071
Mi-Wuk Village	CDP	761	$32,578	$60,769	$81,786
Mono Vista	CDP	2,638	$19,865	$42,328	$52,835
Phoenix Lake	CDP	4,452	$33,759	$65,292	$85,365
Pine Mountain Lake	CDP	2,695	$31,992	$54,200	$64,973
Sierra Village	CDP	209	$46,769	$71,607	$71,607
Sonora	City	4,899	$28,425	$31,424	$62,396
Soulsbyville	CDP	2,008	$26,181	$56,853	$72,750
Strawberry	CDP	168	$13,504	$22,467	$22,467
Tuolumne City	CDP	2,152	$18,620	$35,291	$38,509
Tuttletown	CDP	903	$20,840	$31,827	$45,750
Twain Harte	CDP	2,151	$31,264	$46,250	$49,911

2010

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1850	8,351		—
1860	16,229		94.3%
1870	8,150		−49.8%
1880	7,848		−3.7%
1890	6,082		−22.5%
1900	11,166		83.6%
1910	9,979		−10.6%
1920	7,768		−22.2%
1930	9,271		19.3%
1940	10,887		17.4%
1950	12,584		15.6%
1960	14,404		14.5%
1970	22,169		53.9%
1980	33,928		53.0%
1990	48,456		42.8%
2000	54,501		12.5%
2010	55,365		1.6%
Est. 2015	53,709	[16]	−3.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[17] 1790-1960[18] 1900-1990[19] 1990-2000[20] 2010-2015[2]

The 2010 United States Census reported that Tuolumne County had a population of 55,365. The racial makeup of Tuolumne County was 48,274 (87.2%) White, 1,143 (2.1%) African American, 1,039 (1.9%) Native American, 572 (1.0%) Asian, 76 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 2,238 (4.0%) from other races, and 2,023 (3.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5,918 persons (10.7%).^[21]

Population reported at 2010 United States Census
The County	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Tuolumne County	55,365	48,274	1,143	1,039	572	76	2,238	2,023	5,918
Incorporated cities and towns	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Sonora	4,903	4,402	24	95	79	12	84	207	542
Census-designated places	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Cedar Ridge	1,132	1,066	3	6	5	1	5	46	71
Chinese Camp	126	92	0	7	0	0	16	11	25
Cold Springs	181	175	1	3	1	0	0	1	4
Columbia	2,297	2,064	27	26	29	1	27	123	171
East Sonora	2,266	2,129	7	16	32	1	35	46	152
Groveland	601	542	2	9	9	2	17	20	49
Jamestown	3,433	2,948	20	96	27	4	135	203	511
Long Barn	155	140	1	3	0	0	5	6	13
Mi-Wuk Village	941	871	5	17	3	0	11	34	71
Mono Vista	3,127	2,796	6	58	38	8	61	160	300
Phoenix Lake	4,269	3,991	15	40	50	3	51	119	305
Pine Mountain Lake	2,796	2,596	18	25	24	7	21	105	183
Sierra Village	456	421	3	7	3	1	7	14	36
Soulsbyville	2,215	2,038	3	41	13	2	38	80	206
Strawberry	86	82	0	0	0	0	1	3	7
Tuolumne City	1,779	1,547	13	83	12	1	50	73	206
Tuttletown	668	613	5	14	5	1	12	18	48
Twain Harte	2,226	2,026	5	34	31	4	46	80	171
Unincorporated communities	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
All others not CDPs (combined)	21,708	17,735	985	459	211	28	1,616	674	2,847

2000

As of the census^[22] of 2000, there were 54,501 people, 21,004 households, and 14,240 families residing in the county. The population density was 9/km² (24/mi²). There were 28,336 housing units at an average density of 5/km² (13/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.5% White, 2.1% Black or African American, 1.8% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 2.9% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. 8.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 94.7% spoke English and 3.5% Spanish as their first language.

There were 21,004 households out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.82.

In the county the population was spread out with 20.7% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 111.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,725, and the median income for a family was $44,327. Males had a median income of $35,373 versus $25,805 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,015. About 8.1% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.2% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Voter registration statistics

Population and registered voters
Total population[7]	55,736
Registered voters[23][note 4]	32,101	57.6%
Democratic[23]	10,306	32.1%
Republican[23]	13,529	42.1%
Democratic–Republican spread[23]	-3,223	-10.0%
Independent[23]	1,313	4.1%
Green[23]	248	0.8%
Libertarian[23]	248	0.8%
Peace and Freedom[23]	100	0.3%
Americans Elect[23]	1	0.0%
Other[23]	68	0.2%
No party preference[23]	6,288	19.6%

Cities by population and voter registration

Cities by population and voter registration
City	Population[7]	Registered voters[23] [note 4]	Democratic[23]	Republican[23]	D–R spread[23]	Other[23]	No party preference[23]
Sonora	4,899	55.0%	38.2%	32.4%	+5.8%	10.7%	22.8%

Overview

Presidential election results

Year	GOP	DEM	Others
2012	56.5% 13,410	40.6% 9,628	2.9% 692
2008	55.2% 14,700	42.5% 11,319	2.3% 620
2004	60.0% 15,745	38.5% 10,104	1.5% 386
2000	55.5% 13,172	39.4% 9,359	5.0% 1,196
1996	47.3% 10,386	40.7% 8,950	12.0% 2,636
1992	35.3% 8,525	38.1% 9,216	26.6% 6,437
1988	54.0% 10,646	44.2% 8,717	1.8% 352
1984	58.1% 10,485	40.4% 7,283	1.6% 283
1980	54.9% 8,810	33.9% 5,449	11.2% 1,804
1976	46.9% 6,104	49.9% 6,492	3.1% 407
1972	54.3% 5,894	42.3% 4,596	3.4% 366
1968	47.5% 4,330	42.9% 3,913	9.6% 876
1964	36.6% 2,861	63.2% 4,939	0.3% 20
1960	49.1% 3,691	50.3% 3,781	0.6% 44

Tuolumne county tends to vote Republican in Presidential and congressional elections. The last Democrat to win the county was Bill Clinton in 1992.

Tuolumne County is in California's 4th congressional district, represented by Republican Tom McClintock.^[24] In the state legislature Tuolumne is in the 25th Assembly district, which is held by Republican Kristin Olsen, and the 14th Senate district, which is held by Republican Tom Berryhill.

In the 2008 presidential election, 14,988 votes were counted for John McCain with now president Barack Obama receiving 11,532 votes.^[25]

Communities

City

• Sonora

Census-designated places

• Cedar Ridge
• Chinese Camp
• Cold Springs
• Columbia
• East Sonora
• Groveland
• Jamestown
• Long Barn
• Mi-Wuk Village
• Mono Vista
• Phoenix Lake
• Pine Mountain Lake
• Sierra Village
• Soulsbyville
• Strawberry
• Tuolumne
• Tuttletown
• Twain Harte

Unincorporated communities

• Blanchard
• Buchanan
• Bumblebee
• Confidence
• Dardanelle
• Deadwood
• Groveland-Big Oak Flat
• Mather
• Moccasin
• Phoenix Lake-Cedar Ridge
• Pinecrest
• Priest
• Standard

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Tuolumne County.^[26]

† county seat

Rank	City/Town/etc.	Municipal type	Population (2010 Census)
1	† Sonora	City	4,903
2	Phoenix Lake	CDP	4,269
3	Jamestown	CDP	3,433
4	Mono Vista	CDP	3,127
5	Pine Mountain Lake	CDP	2,796
6	Columbia	CDP	2,297
7	East Sonora	CDP	2,266
8	Twain Harte	CDP	2,226
9	Soulsbyville	CDP	2,215
10	Tuolumne City	CDP	1,779
11	Cedar Ridge	CDP	1,132
12	Mi-Wuk Village	CDP	941
13	Tuttletown	CDP	668
14	Groveland	CDP	601
15	Sierra Village	CDP	456
16	Tuolumne Rancheria[27]	AIAN	185
17	Cold Springs	CDP	181
18	Long Barn	CDP	155
19	Chinese Camp	CDP	126
20	Strawberry	CDP	86
21	Chicken Ranch Rancheria[28]	AIAN	4

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Tuolumne County, California

Notes

1. Only larceny-theft cases involving property over $400 in value are reported as property crimes.
2. Other = Some other race + Two or more races
3. Native American = Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander + American Indian or Alaska Native
4. Percentage of registered voters with respect to total population. Percentages of party members with respect to registered voters follow.

References

1. "Chronology". California State Association of Counties. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
2. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
3. rar09-mf07 - Gold - $ 12500 SOLD, scroll down
4. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
5. http://twainhartevisitor.com/entitypages/displayentitypc.php?towncodename=miwukvicinity&entitycodename=chief&return=category&category=info&showwhichentities=all
6. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
7. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
8. Office of the Attorney General, Department of Justice, State of California. Table 11: Crimes – 2009. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
9. United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime in the United States, 2012, Table 8 (California). Retrieved 2013-11-14.
10. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B03003. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
11. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
12. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
13. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
14. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
15. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
16. "County Totals Dataset: Population, Population Change and Estimated Components of Population Change: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved July 2, 2016.
17. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
18. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
19. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
20. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
21. "2010 Census P.L. 94-171 Summary File Data". United States Census Bureau.
22. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
23. California Secretary of State. February 10, 2013 - Report of Registration. Retrieved 2013-10-31.
24. "California's 4th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
25. http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/individual/#mapPCA
26. http://www.census.gov/2010census/
27. http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=4330
28. http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=0620

Further reading

• A Memorial and Biographical History of the Counties of Merced, Stanislaus, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Mariposa, California. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1892.
• "Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit: 2005 Pre-Fire Management Plan, September 28, 2005 Edition," California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, 09-28-2005, pp. 16.
• US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.
• CNN News, "Local and National Election Results - Election Center 2008", CNN News, November, 2008.

External links

• Official website
• Tuolumne County Economic Development Authority's Web Site

Coordinates: 38°01′N 119°56′W / 38.02°N 119.94°W