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Orinda, California

Coordinates: 37°52′58″N 122°10′47″W / 37.88278°N 122.17972°W / 37.88278; -122.17972
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"Orinda" redirects here. For other uses, see Orinda (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Olinda, California.

City of Orinda
City
Downtown Orinda
Downtown Orinda
Location in Contra Costa County and the state of California
Location in Contra Costa County and the state of California
City of Orinda is located in the United States
City of Orinda
City of Orinda
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 37°52′58″N 122°10′47″W / 37.88278°N 122.17972°W / 37.88278; -122.17972
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountyContra Costa
IncorporatedJuly 1, 1985[1]
Government
 • MayorDarlene Gee[2]
 • State SenatorSteve Glazer (D)[3]
 • State AssemblyRebecca Bauer-Kahan (D)[4]
 • U. S. CongressMark DeSaulnier (D)[5]
Area
[6]
 • Total12.87 sq mi (33.33 km2)
 • Land12.85 sq mi (33.29 km2)
 • Water0.02 sq mi (0.04 km2)  0.12%
Elevation
495 ft (151 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total19,514
 • Density1,500/sq mi (590/km2)
Time zoneUTC−8 (PST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP Code
94563
Area code925
FIPS code06-54232
GNIS feature IDs1659313, 2411334
Websitewww.cityoforinda.org

Orinda is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city's population as of the 2020 census is estimated at 19,514 residents.[7]

History

[edit]
The Moraga Adobe, built in 1841 by Californio ranchero and soldier Joaquín Moraga on his Rancho Laguna de los Palos Colorados

Orinda is located within four Mexican land grants: Rancho Laguna de los Palos Colorados, Rancho Acalanes, Rancho El Sobrante and Rancho Boca de la Cañada del Pinole. The area was originally rural, mainly known for ranching and summer cabins. The Moraga Adobe was built in 1841, and is the oldest building in the East Bay. In the late 19th century, the land was named by Alice Marsh Cameron, probably in honor of the poet Katherine Philips, who was also known as the "Matchless Orinda".[8]

In the 1880s, United States Surveyor General for California Theodore Wagner built an estate he named Orinda Park.[9] The Orinda Park post office opened in 1888.[9] The post office's name was changed to Orinda in 1895.[9] Orinda was also the site of Bryant Station, a stop on the failed California and Nevada Railroad around the turn of the 20th century. Later, the area around Bryant Station was known as Orinda Crossroads.[9]

Orinda's popularity as a year-round residence grew after the 1937 completion of the Caldecott Tunnel, which provided easier access to the west. Bisected by California State Route 24 and framed by its rolling oak-covered hills, the city of Orinda was incorporated on July 1, 1985. Its first mayor was Richard G. Heggie. The city is served by Orinda station on the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Yellow Line and Route 6 of the County Connection.

Geography

[edit]
Aerial view of Briones Reservoir

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.7 sq mi (33 km2), of which 12.7 sq mi (33 km2) of it is land and 0.015 sq mi (0.039 km2) of it (0.12%) is water.

Climate

[edit]

The area is characterized by a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csb) with cool, rainy winters and warm, dry summers. Because Orinda is located in a hilly area, microclimates often dominate temperature differences in short distances. The Oakland Hills often block the cool foggy conditions that can be seen in Oakland and the inner Bay. In the summer, fog can spill over the Oakland hills, cooling off the area. Heatwaves from the inland areas can be felt much more in Orinda than in Oakland and the inner Bay during the summer. In the winter, Orinda often sees more precipitation than surrounding areas because of its higher elevation. Snowfall is rare but not unheard of. A dusting of snow may occur in any given year because of the elevation. During stable conditions in the winter, mornings can be cold and frosty in downtown and lower-lying areas, while the higher hills surrounding the area may be several degrees warmer.

Orinda, California
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
6
 
 
54
34
 
 
4.9
 
 
59
37
 
 
4.3
 
 
61
38
 
 
2.2
 
 
68
42
 
 
1.2
 
 
71
46
 
 
0.2
 
 
77
49
 
 
0
 
 
82
52
 
 
0.1
 
 
81
51
 
 
0.4
 
 
83
50
 
 
1.9
 
 
75
44
 
 
3.2
 
 
65
38
 
 
6.2
 
 
56
36
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches
Metric conversion
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
152
 
 
12
1
 
 
123
 
 
15
3
 
 
109
 
 
16
4
 
 
55
 
 
20
5
 
 
31
 
 
22
8
 
 
4.6
 
 
25
10
 
 
0.5
 
 
28
11
 
 
1.3
 
 
27
11
 
 
10
 
 
28
10
 
 
47
 
 
24
7
 
 
82
 
 
18
4
 
 
158
 
 
13
2
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm
Climate data for Orinda, California
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 69
(21) 		76
(24) 		84
(29) 		88
(31) 		100
(38) 		103
(39) 		107
(42) 		109
(43) 		110
(43) 		101
(38) 		87
(31) 		77
(25) 		110
(43)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 54.8
(12.7) 		59.6
(15.3) 		62.4
(16.9) 		70.5
(21.4) 		70.9
(21.6) 		77.2
(25.1) 		81.2
(27.3) 		81.0
(27.2) 		79.5
(26.4) 		73.6
(23.1) 		63.5
(17.5) 		55.2
(12.9) 		69.1
(20.6)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 38.3
(3.5) 		41.5
(5.3) 		43.4
(6.3) 		45.6
(7.6) 		48.6
(9.2) 		52.1
(11.2) 		54.0
(12.2) 		55.3
(12.9) 		54.0
(12.2) 		50.3
(10.2) 		45.3
(7.4) 		39.8
(4.3) 		47.3
(8.5)
Record low °F (°C) 15
(−9) 		18
(−8) 		23
(−5) 		28
(−2) 		32
(0) 		35
(2) 		42
(6) 		40
(4) 		32
(0) 		26
(−3) 		22
(−6) 		19
(−7) 		15
(−9)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 5.99
(152) 		4.86
(123) 		4.31
(109) 		2.16
(55) 		1.22
(31) 		0.18
(4.6) 		0.02
(0.51) 		0.05
(1.3) 		0.41
(10) 		1.85
(47) 		3.24
(82) 		6.24
(158) 		30.53
(773.41)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 11 9 10 5 4 1 0 1 1 4 7 11 64
Source: Western Regional Climate Center[10]

Demographics

[edit]
The historic Merrill House, built in a Monterey Revival style
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
19605,568—
19706,79021.9%
198016,825147.8%
199016,642−1.1%
200017,5995.8%
201017,6430.3%
202019,51410.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]

The 2010 United States Census[12] reported that Orinda had a population of 17,643, The population density was 1,389.5 inhabitants per square mile (536.5/km2), The racial makeup of Orinda was 14,533 (82.4%) White-American, 149 (0.8%) African American, 22 (0.1%) Native American, 2,016 (11.4%) Asian-American, 24 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 122 (0.7%) from other races, and 777 (4.4%) from two or more races. There were 807 people (4.6%) of Hispanic or Latino origin, of any race.

The Census reported that 17,600 people (99.8% of the population) lived in households, 6 (>0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 37 (0.2%) were institutionalized.

Orinda station is served by Bay Area Rapid Transit.

There were 6,553 households, out of which 2,361 (36.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 4,673 (71.3%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 370 (5.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 159 (2.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 138 (2.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 58 (0.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships, 1,127 households (17.2%) were made up of individuals, and 695 (10.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69. There were 5,202 families (79.4% of all households); the average family size was 3.03.

The population was spread out, with 4,512 people (25.6%) under the age of 18, 729 people (4.1%) aged 18 to 24, 2,741 people (15.5%) aged 25 to 44, 6,111 people (34.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 3,550 people (20.1%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.

There were 6,804 housing units, at an average density of 535.8 per square mile (206.9/km2), of which 6,553 were occupied, of which 5,876 (89.7%) were owner-occupied, and 677 (10.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.2%. 16,010 people (90.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,590 people (9.0%) lived in rental housing units.

Government

[edit]
Orinda Community Center

As of February 10, 2019, Orinda has 14,020 registered voters, with 6,692 (47.7%) registered as Democrats, 3,176 (22.7%) registered as Republicans, and 3,662 (26.1%) decline to state voters.[13]

Education

[edit]

Orinda has four public elementary schools: Sleepy Hollow Elementary, Wagner Ranch Elementary, Glorietta Elementary and Del Rey Elementary. Orinda Intermediate School is the only middle school. Together, these five schools make up the Orinda Union School District. Orinda's high school, Miramonte High School, is a part of the Acalanes Union High School District.

Orinda is home to three private educational establishments: Orinda Academy, Holden High School, and Fountainhead Montessori School. Of these, two (OA & Holden) are private high schools, while Fountainhead Montessori School services kindergarten through fifth grade.

The Contra Costa County Library has a branch in Orinda.

Notable people

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "California Cities by Incorporation Date". California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions. Archived from the original (Word) on October 17, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  2. ^ "City Council".
  3. ^ "Senators". State of California. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  4. ^ "Members Assembly". State of California. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  5. ^ "California's 10th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  6. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  7. ^ "QuickFacts: Orinda, CA". Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  8. ^ History of Orinda, Orinda Historical Society
  9. ^ a b c d Durham, David L. (November 1998). "Part Five - San Francisco Bay Region". California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Word Dancer Press. p. 676. ISBN 978-1-884995-14-9. Retrieved July 22, 2009.
  10. ^ "General Climate Summary Tables - ORINDA BOWMAN, CALIFORNIA". Western Regional Climate Center. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  11. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  12. ^ "2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Orinda city". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  13. ^ https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/ror/ror-odd-year-2019/politicalsub.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  14. ^ Martin, Douglas (August 3, 2001). "Poul Anderson, Science Fiction Novelist, Dies at 74". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  15. ^ Lefkow, Mike (February 23, 2017). "Orinda: Miramonte High to induct spectacular Hall of Fame class". East Bay Times. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  16. ^ Richards, Sam (July 8, 2010). "John Hampton, co-founder of Toys for Tots, dies at 103". Contra Costa Times. Retrieved July 26, 2010.
  17. ^ Michael Steven Green. "Hans Kelsen and the Logic of Legal Systems". Scholarship.law.wm.edu. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  18. ^ Daniels, Lee a (September 24, 1992). "William P. Mott Jr. Is Dead at 82; Directed the National Park Service". The New York Times.
  19. ^ "Nicolle Wallace » About Nicolle". Nicollewallace.com. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
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