Yuba City, California
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Yuba City is the county seat of Sutter County, California, United States. It is the principal city of the Yuba City Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Yuba City, Sutter, and Yuba counties. As of May 2006, the city had a total population of 60,507, while the metro area's population was 156,029. It is the 21st largest metropolitan area in California ranked behind Redding, and Chico. It is the 243rd largest in the United States. Yuba City has three Zip Codes, 95991, 95992, & 95993. The division of the 95991 & 3 is along highway 99 east and west sides.
The Yuba City area is 40 minutes north of Sacramento and is part of the Sacramento Valley. Although popularly believed to be the home of the smallest mountain range in the world (the Sutter Buttes), the volcanic domes are not actually mountains. [citation needed] The area is sometimes called the "Feather River Valley" named for the river that divides Yuba City from its neighbor Marysville, such as the minor league baseball team: the Feather River Mudcats of the Western Baseball League in the late 1990s.
Yuba City battled a negative image for over two decades, because of local media publicized the area's high crime, poverty rates, youth gangs, and illegal drug trade. Its' designation as the "worst city to live in America" by Forbes Magazine and Fortune Magazine in the late 1980s and 1990s. In 2005, Yuba City was finally not in the bottom 50 cities and metropolitian areas on those two magazines. Since 2000, Yuba City and most of Sutter County experienced rapid population growth and more new homes popped up in the surroundings of Yuba City proper.
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[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 24.4 km² (9.4 mi²). 24.3 km² (9.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.64% water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there are 36,758 people (60,507 as of 1/1/2006), 13,290 households, and 8,944 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,514.7/km² (3,924.4/mi²). There are 13,912 housing units at an average density of 573.3/km² (1,485.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 66.95% White, 2.82% African American, 1.75% Native American, 8.93% Asian, 0.29% Pacific Islander, 14.37% from other races, and 4.89% from two or more races. 24.56% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 13,290 households out of which 36.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% are married couples living together, 14.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% are "non-families." 26.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.70 and the average family size is 3.28.
In the city the population is spread out with 29.0% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. For every 100 females there are 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $32,858, and the median income for a family is $39,381. Males have a median income of $34,303 versus $23,410 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,928. 18.1% of the population and 14.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 24.8% of those under the age of 18 and 9.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Yuba City is known for its sizeable Sikh community. The Punjabi population in the Yuba-Sutter area has grown to be one of the largest in the United States and one of the largest Sikh populations outside of the Punjab state of India. Each year on the first Sunday of November, Sikhs from throughout the United States, Canada, India, and the United Kingdom attend the Sikh parade in Yuba City, which commemorates the receipt by Sikhs of their Holy scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, in 1708. The 4.5-mile-long parade features floats and a procession of parade participants. The 2005 parade, the 26th to be held, drew an estimated 55,000 Sikhs.
The Yuba-Sutter area is not as developed a tourist location as the wine-producing counties to the southwest, but it has some of the best agricultural land in the United States, placed between the Sierra Nevada mountains to the east and the Coast Range to the west.
[edit] History
The Maidu tribe settled this locale in prehistoric times.<ref>Final Environmental Impact Report, Yuba City Redevelopment Project, Earth Metrics Incorporated, prepared for the city of Yuba City, May, 1989</ref> The Yuba City area was not significantly influenced by early Spanish and Mexican activity. Trappers occasionally worked the area in the early 1830's, and Settlement by American pioneers in the 1840s. The principal occupations of the settlers were fur trading, livestock raising and some crop production. The year 1848 ushered in the gold rush era.
[edit] Schools
- River Valley High School
- Faith Christian High School
- Yuba City High School
- Albert Powell High School
- Gray Avenue Middle School
- Andros Karperos Middle School
- Park Avenue Elementary School
- King Avenue Elementary School
- Tierra Buena Elementary School
- Barry Elementary School
- St Isidores School
- Grace Christian School
- Lincrest Elementary School
- Lincoln Elementary School
- Bridge Street Elementary School
- April Lane Elementary School
- Central Gather Elementary School
- Yuba City Charter School
[edit] Parks
Community Parks:
- Sam Brannan Park
- Blackburn-Talley Sports Complex/Park
- Gauche Park
Neighborhood Parks:
- Bogue Park
- Greenwood Park
- Happy Park
- Hillcrest Park
- Kingwood Park
- Lloyd Park
- Maple Park
- Moore Park
- Northridge Park
- Patriot Park
- Regnecy Park
- Shanghai Garden Park
- Southside Park
Passive Parks:
- Clark-Ainsley Mini Park
- Plumas Tower Plaza Mini Park
- Veterans Memorial Park
Other Rec Facilities:
- April Lane School/Park
- Geweke Field
- City Hall
- Senior Center
- Feather River Levee Bike Trail
[edit] Agriculture
Yuba City's agricultural history dates back to the 1840s when John Sutter started a stock ranch that was later set on fire by vandals. However, since then people have continued to move to and cultivate crops due to the fertile soil and great climate. The ten leading crops in cultivation are rice, beans, tomatoes, melons, alfalfa, hay, tree crops of peaches, almonds, walnuts, and plums.
Yuba City is home to the largest prune packing plant in the world[1], Sunsweet Growers Incorporated so it isn't surprising that beginning in 1988 Yuba City was home to the California Prune Festival. In 2001 the name was changed to the California Dried Plum Festival and in early 2003 directers announced the end of the festival's 15 year run in the Yuba-Sutter area. This was primarily due to rise in costs, securing sponsers, and competition from other festivals.
[edit] Government Agencies
[edit] References
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[edit] External links
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
Incorporated places: Yuba City (County seat) • Live Oak
Census-designated places: South Yuba City • Sutter • Tierra Buena
