Merced, California

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Merced, California
Official seal of Merced, California
Seal
Location in the state of California
Location in the state of California
Coordinates: 37°18′22″N 120°28′40″W / 37.30611°N 120.47778°W / 37.30611; -120.47778Coordinates: 37°18′22″N 120°28′40″W / 37.30611°N 120.47778°W / 37.30611; -120.47778
Country United States
State California
County Merced
Incorporated 1889
Government
 - Mayor Ellie Wooten
 - Senate Jeff Denham (R)
 - Assembly Cathleen Galgiani (D)
 - U. S. Congress Dennis A. Cardoza (D)
Area
 - Total 19.9 sq mi (51.4 km2)
 - Land 19.9 sq mi (51.4 km2)
 - Water 0 sq mi (0 km2)  0%
Elevation 171 ft (52 m)
Population (2007)
 - Total 80,608
 - Density 3,216.7/sq mi (1,242.2/km2)
Time zone Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
 - Summer (DST) Pacific (PDT) (UTC-7)
ZIP code 95340-95344, 95348
Area code(s) 209
FIPS code 06-46898
GNIS feature ID 1659751
Website http://www.cityofmerced.org/

Merced [mɚ'sɛd], is the county seat of Merced County, California in the San Joaquin Valley of Central California. As of 2007, the city had a total population of 80,608.[1] Incorporated in 1889, Merced is a charter city that operates under a council-manager government. It is named after the Merced River, which flows nearby.

Merced, known as the "Gateway to Yosemite", is less than two hours by car from Yosemite National Park to the east and to the west is Monterey Bay, the Pacific Ocean, and miles of beaches. The community is served by the rail passenger service Amtrak, a major airline through Merced Municipal Airport, and three bus lines.

In 2005, the city became home to the tenth University of California campus, University of California, Merced (UCM), the first research university built in the U.S. in the 21st century.

Contents

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Air

[edit] Bus

  • Greyhound serves Merced.
  • The Bus—Merced County Transit, which operates both regularly scheduled fixed route bus service and Dial-A-Ride (demand response) transportation services throughout Merced County.
  • Cattracks is UCM's bus service, which connects students, staff and faculty at the university to off-campus apartments, the off-campus Castle facilities, local amenities, the Amtrak station, and the downtown area.
Major highways near Merced

[edit] Rail

[edit] Major Roads

[edit] Geography and geology

Merced is located at 37°18′22″N 120°28′40″W / 37.305977°N 120.477916°W / 37.305977; -120.477916.[3] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.9 square miles (51.4 km²).

A major groundwater plume containing the contaminant PCE was discovered in Merced in the year 1987.[4] Subsequently drilling of new water wells was severely restricted.[5]

[edit] Climate

Merced has wet, cool winters and hot, dry summers. Average January temperatures are a maximum of 55.0°F and a minimum of 36.0°F. Average July temperatures are a maximum of 97.1°F and a minimum of 60.9°F. There are an average of 98.7 days with highs of 90°F (32°C) or higher and an average of 33.6 days with lows of 32°F (0°C) or lower. The record highest temperature of 114°F was recorded on July 24, 1902, and August 8, 1905. The record lowest temperature of 13°F was recorded on January 13, 2007.

Most of the rainfall occurs during the winter and averages 12.21 inches annually. There are an average of 48 days annually with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1998 with 21.66 inches and the dryest year was 1947 with 5.50 inches. The most rainfall in one month was 8.00 inches in January 1909. The most rainfall in 24 hours was 2.20 inches, which occurred on January 30, 1911, and March 9, 1911. Although snow is relatively rare in Merced, averaging only 0.6 inch annually, the city's proximity to the Sierra Nevada has resulted in some instances of remarkably heavy snowfall. The record 24 hour snowfall was 13.9 inches on February 16, 1946. The most snowfall in one month was 39.0 inches in December 1906.[6]

[edit] Demographics

Historic County Courthouse, now serving as a museum.

As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 63,893 people, 20,435 households, and 14,631 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,216.7 people per square mile (1,242.2/km²). There were 21,532 housing units at an average density of 1,084.0/sq mi (418.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 52.40% White, 6.33% African American, 1.28% Native American, 12.37% Asian (mostly Hmong), 0.21% Pacific Islander, 23.18% from other races, and 5.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 41.36% of the population.

There were 20,435 households out of which 42.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 18.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.06 and the average family size was 3.62.

In the city the population was spread out with 34.7% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,429, and the median income for a family was $32,470. Males had a median income of $31,725 versus $24,492 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,115. About 22.4% of families and 27.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.9% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.

Merced is home to one of the largest concentrations of Laotian Hmong immigrants in the United States, which likely make up the "Asian" and "Other" categories in the 2000 census listed above. It has been reported that by the mid-nineties, one in five residents of Merced was Hmong. Despite many struggles with integration and some local xenophobia, because of the exceptionally high concentration, the Hmong community in Merced has managed to retain a great deal of their traditional culture [8]

In the 2007 version of the book "Cities Ranked & Rated" by authors Bert Sperling and Peter Sander, Merced has been ranked 370th of 373 cities nationwide. The factors that determined the ranking of the cities within the book include the quality of life, cost of living in the area, availability and type of jobs, education, health care, climate, crime, commute times, and leisure activities.[9] However, the entry in the book also states that the town may not stay in this place for long, since the authors stated that "Merced is definitely on an upward path and offers potential not found in other Valley towns. This potential is clearly not shown in today's numbers." [10]

[edit] Politics

In the state legislature Merced is located in the 12th Senate District, represented by Republican Jeff Denham, and in the 17th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Cathleen Galgiani. Federally, Merced is located in California's 18th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +4[11] and is represented by Democrat Dennis Cardoza.

[edit] Community

Merced can be described as a "sleepy town," though the arrival of California's tenth UC campus, UC Merced, is altering the city's image.[citation needed] Current recreation in the town include Applegate Park and zoo, Bear and Black Rascal Creeks and their bike trails, a skate park located in Applegate, a live stage theater downtown, two first run movie theaters, The Mainzer Theater which is known for its historic and architectural value, County Courthouse Museum circa 1889, the Merced Multicultural Arts Center and the County Library. Though still growing, Merced has several shopping areas including the Merced Mall, anchored by Target, Sears, JCPenney and, Best Buy mall including Barnes & Noble, Lowe's, Wal-Mart, and several restaurants, and Main Street with several restaurants, movie theaters, and bars. Two athletes from Merced appeared in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, where they received bronze and silver medals.

Also within a short distance from the city limits are the Castle Air Museum, Challenger Learning Center, Castle Science and Technology Museum, Lake Yosemite, and Merced Falls. Merced is also the headquarters of Malibu Boats, a manufacturer of inboard boats.

The city of Merced along with its surrounding cities are serviced by the Merced Sun-Star. This daily newspaper has a circulation of over 20,000 in the Merced area.

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Merced Theater

The Main Place Theater

Civic Center

Applegate Park Rose Garden Fountain, The Laura Fountain

Applegate Park Open Air Theater

Veterans Memorial

Applegate Flag Pole

Bob Hart Square Clock

[edit] Education

Merced is served by two major public high school campuses, Merced High School and Golden Valley High School, as well as a few smaller campuses offering alternative education. Merced has one community college, Merced College, which has an enrollment of more than 10,000 full-time equivalent students (FTES). The University of California, Merced campus opened in late 2005 northeast of the city limits. UC Merced for the 2008-2009 school year currently has an enrollment of about 2,500 students. The city is also served by several private religious and technical schools.

[edit] Notable past and present residents

[edit] References and Notes

  1. ^ About Merced City of Merced website
  2. ^ Merced's Amtrak station
  3. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 
  4. ^ Paul M. Santi1, John E. McCray2 and Jamie L. Martens, Hydrogeology Journal, Issue Volume 14, Numbers 1-2, January, 2006, Springer Berlin /Heidelberg
  5. ^ Environmental Site Assessment for proposed development, Merced, California, Earth Metrics Inc, October 17, 1989
  6. ^ Monthly Climate Summary
  7. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 
  8. ^ Fadiman, Anne. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1997.
  9. ^ "Merced Sun Star". New book ranks Merced fourth worst place to live in U.S.. http://www.mercedsunstar.com/local/story/13578197p-14178145c.html. Retrieved on May 14 2007. 
  10. ^ ibid
  11. ^ "Will Gerrymandered Districts Stem the Wave of Voter Unrest?". Campaign Legal Center Blog. http://www.clcblog.org/blog_item-85.html. Retrieved on 2007-10-20. 
  12. ^ Novelist takes on Vatican secrecy with new spy thriller

[edit] External links

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