Avenal, California
Encyclopedia
Avenal is a city in Kings County
, California
, United States
. Avenal is located 35 miles (56 km) southwest of Hanford
, at an elevation of 807 feet (246 m). It is part of the Hanford
–Corcoran
Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA Code 25260), which encompasses all of Kings County. In area, it is the largest city in Kings County. The Zip Code for this community is 93204, and telephone numbers use the sequence (559) 386-XXXX. The population was 15,505 in the 2010 census, which includes inmates at the Avenal State Prison
, the first prison actively solicited by a community in the state of California. Many of the remaining residents largely either work at the prison or in the agriculture industry. The prison provides approximately 1,000 jobs to residents.
The city's motto is "Oasis in the Sun".
soldiers and explorers. In Spanish
, "avena" means oats, and "avenal" means oatfield. This area was covered with wild oats, "waist high," that looked like golden silk and covered the Kettleman Plains.
Early American settlers arrived in the Kettleman Hills during the 1850s with dreams of raising cattle and farming. Oil, however, would bring fame, fortune and people to the area. Indians had always known oil was in the hills, with natural seepage around Coalinga and Tar Canyon. The first Kettleman Hills well was drilled in 1900, followed by countless unproductive efforts.
On March 27, 1927, the Milham Exploration Company began work on Elliot No. 1. The crew toiled for 19 months, drilling past the 7000 feet (2,133.6 m) mark. On October 5, 1928, the well blew out with a roar which was heard 20 miles (32.2 km) away, spewing forth an oil so fine that its color was white, and could reportedly be used unrefined as gasoline in automobiles.
The discovery of oil transformed Avenal into a boomtown. In 1929, Standard Oil surveyed the current site of Avenal to build a town. Makeshift houses were hauled in from Taft
to take the place of the tents. A water line was laid and later a sewer plant was installed, a post office replaced a cigar box in the general store, a fire department was organized and a community grew. Standard Oil Company built the residents a 600-seat theater and a hospital.
Also in the first year (1929), nearly 20 businesses occupied Kings Street and Skyline Boulevard. By 1936, Avenal boasted a population of 3,000 - mostly oil workers - with 100 businesses and 69 private telephones and numerous community organizations. In 1940, Avenal was the second largest town in Kings County with a population of over 4,000 and was known to have some of the best services and schools in the state.
Although today Avenal and its economy are largely reliant on the Avenal State Prison and agriculture, Avenal was once a booming oil town known as the "Oil Fields Capital."
The teeming life of the oil fields, the forward thrust of civilization into the sun-baked hills so recently in their pristine state meant the early development of nearby towns where adequate living facilities could be provided to care for the fast growing population.
Milham City was projected by a group of Kings County
citizens who owned lands on the slope of the hills east of the oil field. It scarcely had emerged from the dream stage when the Standard Oil Company announced in 1929, that a townsite had been set aside on the northwestern slope of the hills and that it would be called Avenal.
Thus the present thriving, interesting little town of Avenal came into being as the "oil capital" of the great field. Roads and streets were surveyed and laid out, water mains were laid, the town was launched on its purposeful career almost overnight.
An emergency hospital was built. Small and large homes were purposefully constructed to enjoy a fuller life in the erstwhile barren plains and trees were planted to provide much needed shade.
On December 5, 1929, the first mail arrived at the new Avenal post office located at Moore's Soda Fountain.
While the oil fields and their urban center were populated with industrious, lay-abiding people the problem of keeping the peace and maintaining the dignity of the law existed there just as it does in all other communities where there is life, action and big payrolls. To meet this commonplace problem a township was established and on April 1, 1937, E.W. Oliver was appointed as justice of the peace and William "Bill" Brendal was named constable. Aiding and cooperating with them in the enforcement of the law was Deputy Sheriff Richard "Dick" Doty, who was appointed by Sheriff L.P. Loftis in 1935.
Two other county offices maintained deputies at Avenal for service in the oil fields. They were Orville Robbins, deputy county assessor; and R. W. Zivnuska, deputy county treasurer.
By election in February 1934, the Avenal Township formed a fire district, which served efficiently both in the town and country districts. The three fire district commissioners originally elected were Ray Mohler, Floyd Rice and Jess Hamilton.
The Avenal district owned one well-equipped White fire truck and a half interest with the West Side Fire Protection District, of a 2-ton Reo fire truck. Two full-time drivers were regularly employed and 20 firemen worked call. The firehouse provided living quarters for the employees. Fire Chief L. H. Dell was assisted by M. L. Sperling.
By April 1930, Dr. S. V. Dragoo was the head of the emergency hospital. Dr. Dragoo was assisted by one office worker and two nurses, having two special nurses on call. Between five and six hundred calls per month with about thirty accident cases were handled by this organization, not to mention the ambulance service extended.
Appointed postmistress in November 1931, Mrs. Marie Eads served in that office until July 1933, when she resigned and Charles E. Day was appointed. The post office later occupied a two-story building leased by the Standard Oil Company in 1935. Later in Avenal's history, the Post Office leased a space adjacent to Finster's Market (later T&T Market). In the late 1990s, the post office was relocated to its current location near the intersection of Skyline Blvd and San Joaquin Street.
The collapse of oil and gas production came with the intrusion of salt water into the oil reservoir, leaving 65 to 70 percent of the North Dome of the Kettleman Hills still undisturbed.
In 1953, oil companies with holdings in the area fields unitized, naming the Standard Oil Company of California to operate the fields. Avenal's economy dwindled and with it, many stores, buildings and houses were vacated until the 1960s when an influx of agricultural workers made a major impact on Avenal and surrounding area.
The early 1970s saw two substantial projects that had significant impacts on the city: the completion of the California Aqueduct
which brought in needed water to the westside, and the opening of Interstate 5
.
The citizens of Avenal voted for incorporation in September 1979, and while going through the early stages of being a new City, the citizens pursued and were successful in bringing a state prison to Avenal. Avenal State Prison
opened in 1987. By 2009, it housed 6,577 inmates and employed 1,517 people, making it a vital part of the community. The building of the facility dramatically increased the City's total valuation with construction, improvements and activity that could be seen in every area of the City.
Avenal is also home to the Central California Soaring Club headquartered at the Avenal Gliderport. This year round operation is one of the few glider
-only airports in the western United States, and one of only a few in the entire US that owns/operates its own airport. A soaring contest is held there every spring.
Construction has been completed on the renovation of Skyline Boulevard (California State Route 269
) in the City's joint effort with Caltrans. Avenal has also completed a massive public improvement project with the development of 52 miles (83.7 km) of new curbs, gutters and sidewalks throughout the City.
In November 2010, the Avenal Police Department was initiated with 14 sworn officers. Jack Amoroso was the first police chief.
Although Avenal's future is no longer closely tied to oil, it will always mark its beginnings from "the day Milham came in," and the cigar box on the counter of the general store which was its first post office.
and 200 miles (321.9 km) south of both San Francisco and Sacramento
. The city boasts at being located, "Half the way from the Bay to L.A." According to the United States Census Bureau
, Avenal has a total area of 19.4 square miles (50.2 km²), all of it land.
Most of the population resides in the southwestern portion of the city. The northeastern areas, separated by hills, and where Interstate 5
passes through, remain mostly rural.
Growth continues today to include a more diversified economy based on oil, agriculture, and the service industry. In 1978, Avenal citizens voted to incorporate. The presence of the Avenal State Prison helps this rural community maintain economic stability, especially as the once-productive Kettleman North Dome Oil Field
reaches exhaustion (less than one-half of one percent of its original oil remains).
was 798.3 people per square mile (308.2/km²). The racial makeup of Avenal was 6,044 (39.0%) White, 1,625 (10.5%) African American, 186 (1.2%) Native American, 108 (0.7%) Asian, 6 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 7,188 (46.4%) from other races
, and 348 (2.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11,130 persons (71.8%).
The Census reported that 9,082 people (58.6% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 6,423 (41.4%) were institutionalized.
There were 2,222 households, out of which 1,437 (64.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,236 (55.6%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 404 (18.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 236 (10.6%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 236 (10.6%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 11 (0.5%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 229 households (10.3%) were made up of individuals and 73 (3.3%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.09. There were 1,876 families
(84.4% of all households); the average family size was 4.26.
The population was spread out with 3,315 people (21.4%) under the age of 18, 1,661 people (10.7%) aged 18 to 24, 6,039 people (38.9%) aged 25 to 44, 3,872 people (25.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 618 people (4.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.2 years. For every 100 females there were 262.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 357.9 males.
There were 2,410 housing units at an average density of 124.1 per square mile (47.9/km²), of which 1,011 (45.5%) were owner-occupied, and 1,211 (54.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.1%. 4,077 people (26.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 5,005 people (32.3%) lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there were 15,689 people, 1,928 households, and 1,640 families residing in the city. The population density
was 767.3 people per square mile (296.3/km²). There were 2,061 housing units at an average density of 107.8 per square mile (41.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 35.84% White
, 12.61% Black or African American
, 0.95% Native American
, 0.39% Asian
, 0.05% Pacific Islander
, 47.38% from other races
, and 2.79% from two or more races. 65.88% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 1,928 households out of which 60.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.5% were married couples
living together, 16.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.9% were non-families. 11.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.14 and the average family size was 4.30.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 13.5% from 18 to 24, 46.5% from 25 to 44, 15.0% from 45 to 64, and 3.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 289.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 403.5 males.
The median income
for a household in the city was $29,710, and the median income for a family was $28,019. Males had a median income of $30,802 versus $20,852 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $14,090. About 28.3% of families and 30.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.4% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.
The City has been actively pursuing industrial development and is looking at future development of the Interstate 5 interchange area for both commercial and industrial uses.
In 2008, a 600-megawatt electric power generating plant
was proposed to be built and operated in Avenal by Macquarie Cook Power, a subsidiary of the Macquarie Group
, doing business as Avenal Power Center, LLC. The project application indicates that the power plant would be fueled with natural gas
and that it would be air-cooled. The capital cost of the project would be $530 million. According to the project's proponents, the plant would generate enough electricity to supply 450,000 homes and businesses annually. The California Energy Commission
gave its final approval to the project on December 16, 2009. However, opponents of the power plant vowed to continue to fight. Bradley Angel, Executive Director of Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice, threatened to file a lawsuit if the United States Environmental Protection Agency
(USEPA) approved the project. However, federal approval was delayed, causing the company to sue the USEPA. In February 2011, an EPA official told the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that the agency would allow the project to proceed. According to a newspaper story, Bradley Angel commented that Greenaction would continue to fight the project. On May 26, 2011, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon ordered the USEPA to make a final permit decision, which the agency did the following day. Construction of the power plant could begin after a 60-day administrative appeal period. Paul Cort of Earthjustice
was quoted in a news story as saying that an administrative appeal would be filed, and if that is unsuccessful, the organization would appeal to the federal court. In June 2011, both People for Clean Air and Water and the Sierra Club
filed petitions for review with the USEPA's environmental appeals board. The Center for Biological Diversity
joined the Sierra Club's petition. Their petition alleged that the proposed plant would emit excessive nitrogen oxides and is being wrongfully grandfathered in under old clean air rules. On August 18, 2011, the USEPA's environmental appeals board denied the petition. Bradley Angel renewed his vow to continue the fight in court. A news story quoted him as saying: "Basically the fix was in when EPA boss Lisa Jackson
broke her committment to environmental justice and illegally approved the permit. We're going to continue to challenge it. It's going to court." On November 3, 2011, The Sierra Club, the Center for Biological Diversity and Greenaction filed suit with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals challenging the EPA permit.
Many local residents are employed in agriculture, which experienced significant growth on the westside of the San Joaquin Valley
after the completion of the California Aqueduct
in the early 1970s. However, the community has been impacted by the late 2000s recession
as well as drought and restrictions on pumping from the Sacramento River
delta to protect endangered species. In
October 2011, the unemployment rate was 22.6%.
Avenal is located in the 16th Senate
District, represented by Democrat
Michael Rubio, and in the 30th Assembly
District, represented by Republican David Valadao
. Federally, Avenal is located in California's 20th congressional district
, which has a Cook PVI
of D +5 and is represented by Democrat Jim Costa
.
Avenal is represented on the Kings County Board of Supervisors by Richard Valle of Corcoran.
(RSUSD) located at 205 N. Park Avenue, Avenal CA, 93204. Suzanne Monroe was appointed Interim Superintendent of the school district in 2008.
The schools in this district are:
West Hills Community College
is located in Coalinga about 18 miles (29 km) northwest of Avenal.
Kings County, California
Kings County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. It is located in a rich agricultural region. Kings County is also home to NAS Lemoore, which is the U.S. Navy's newest and largest master jet air station. The county seat is Hanford...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Avenal is located 35 miles (56 km) southwest of Hanford
Hanford, California
Hanford is an important commercial and cultural center in the south central San Joaquin Valley and is the county seat of Kings County, California. It is the principal city of the Hanford-Corcoran, California Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Kings County, including the cities...
, at an elevation of 807 feet (246 m). It is part of the Hanford
Hanford, California
Hanford is an important commercial and cultural center in the south central San Joaquin Valley and is the county seat of Kings County, California. It is the principal city of the Hanford-Corcoran, California Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Kings County, including the cities...
–Corcoran
Corcoran, California
Corcoran is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Corcoran is located south-southeast of Hanford, at an elevation of 207 feet . It is part of the Hanford–Corcoran, Metropolitan Statistical Area...
Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA Code 25260), which encompasses all of Kings County. In area, it is the largest city in Kings County. The Zip Code for this community is 93204, and telephone numbers use the sequence (559) 386-XXXX. The population was 15,505 in the 2010 census, which includes inmates at the Avenal State Prison
Avenal State Prison
Avenal State Prison is a male-only state prison in the city of Avenal, Kings County, California.-Facilities:The structures on ASP's include "17 open dorm buildings, six 200-bed open dorm E-bed buildings, six converted gymnasiums, a 100-cell administrative segregation unit, and a 10-bed...
, the first prison actively solicited by a community in the state of California. Many of the remaining residents largely either work at the prison or in the agriculture industry. The prison provides approximately 1,000 jobs to residents.
The city's motto is "Oasis in the Sun".
Early history
The City of Avenal was named by SpanishSpanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
soldiers and explorers. In Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, "avena" means oats, and "avenal" means oatfield. This area was covered with wild oats, "waist high," that looked like golden silk and covered the Kettleman Plains.
Early American settlers arrived in the Kettleman Hills during the 1850s with dreams of raising cattle and farming. Oil, however, would bring fame, fortune and people to the area. Indians had always known oil was in the hills, with natural seepage around Coalinga and Tar Canyon. The first Kettleman Hills well was drilled in 1900, followed by countless unproductive efforts.
On March 27, 1927, the Milham Exploration Company began work on Elliot No. 1. The crew toiled for 19 months, drilling past the 7000 feet (2,133.6 m) mark. On October 5, 1928, the well blew out with a roar which was heard 20 miles (32.2 km) away, spewing forth an oil so fine that its color was white, and could reportedly be used unrefined as gasoline in automobiles.
The discovery of oil transformed Avenal into a boomtown. In 1929, Standard Oil surveyed the current site of Avenal to build a town. Makeshift houses were hauled in from Taft
Taft, California
Taft is a city in the foothills at the extreme southwestern edge of the San Joaquin Valley, in Kern County, California. Taft is located west-southwest of Bakersfield, at an elevation of 955 feet . The population was 9,327 at the 2010 census...
to take the place of the tents. A water line was laid and later a sewer plant was installed, a post office replaced a cigar box in the general store, a fire department was organized and a community grew. Standard Oil Company built the residents a 600-seat theater and a hospital.
Also in the first year (1929), nearly 20 businesses occupied Kings Street and Skyline Boulevard. By 1936, Avenal boasted a population of 3,000 - mostly oil workers - with 100 businesses and 69 private telephones and numerous community organizations. In 1940, Avenal was the second largest town in Kings County with a population of over 4,000 and was known to have some of the best services and schools in the state.
Although today Avenal and its economy are largely reliant on the Avenal State Prison and agriculture, Avenal was once a booming oil town known as the "Oil Fields Capital."
The teeming life of the oil fields, the forward thrust of civilization into the sun-baked hills so recently in their pristine state meant the early development of nearby towns where adequate living facilities could be provided to care for the fast growing population.
Milham City was projected by a group of Kings County
Kings County, California
Kings County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. It is located in a rich agricultural region. Kings County is also home to NAS Lemoore, which is the U.S. Navy's newest and largest master jet air station. The county seat is Hanford...
citizens who owned lands on the slope of the hills east of the oil field. It scarcely had emerged from the dream stage when the Standard Oil Company announced in 1929, that a townsite had been set aside on the northwestern slope of the hills and that it would be called Avenal.
Thus the present thriving, interesting little town of Avenal came into being as the "oil capital" of the great field. Roads and streets were surveyed and laid out, water mains were laid, the town was launched on its purposeful career almost overnight.
An emergency hospital was built. Small and large homes were purposefully constructed to enjoy a fuller life in the erstwhile barren plains and trees were planted to provide much needed shade.
On December 5, 1929, the first mail arrived at the new Avenal post office located at Moore's Soda Fountain.
Growth and development
Among the first business establishments at Avenal were Koepp's Welding Works, The Republic Supply Company, Mac's Coffee Shop, Moore's Soda Fountain and the Cross Lumber Company. Presently, the town included 26 oil field supply houses, 12 oil field service company branches, 9 grocery stores, 9 service stations, 8 restaurants, 5 welding establishments, 4 builders' supply houses and numerous other enterprises.While the oil fields and their urban center were populated with industrious, lay-abiding people the problem of keeping the peace and maintaining the dignity of the law existed there just as it does in all other communities where there is life, action and big payrolls. To meet this commonplace problem a township was established and on April 1, 1937, E.W. Oliver was appointed as justice of the peace and William "Bill" Brendal was named constable. Aiding and cooperating with them in the enforcement of the law was Deputy Sheriff Richard "Dick" Doty, who was appointed by Sheriff L.P. Loftis in 1935.
Two other county offices maintained deputies at Avenal for service in the oil fields. They were Orville Robbins, deputy county assessor; and R. W. Zivnuska, deputy county treasurer.
By election in February 1934, the Avenal Township formed a fire district, which served efficiently both in the town and country districts. The three fire district commissioners originally elected were Ray Mohler, Floyd Rice and Jess Hamilton.
The Avenal district owned one well-equipped White fire truck and a half interest with the West Side Fire Protection District, of a 2-ton Reo fire truck. Two full-time drivers were regularly employed and 20 firemen worked call. The firehouse provided living quarters for the employees. Fire Chief L. H. Dell was assisted by M. L. Sperling.
By April 1930, Dr. S. V. Dragoo was the head of the emergency hospital. Dr. Dragoo was assisted by one office worker and two nurses, having two special nurses on call. Between five and six hundred calls per month with about thirty accident cases were handled by this organization, not to mention the ambulance service extended.
Appointed postmistress in November 1931, Mrs. Marie Eads served in that office until July 1933, when she resigned and Charles E. Day was appointed. The post office later occupied a two-story building leased by the Standard Oil Company in 1935. Later in Avenal's history, the Post Office leased a space adjacent to Finster's Market (later T&T Market). In the late 1990s, the post office was relocated to its current location near the intersection of Skyline Blvd and San Joaquin Street.
The collapse of oil and gas production came with the intrusion of salt water into the oil reservoir, leaving 65 to 70 percent of the North Dome of the Kettleman Hills still undisturbed.
In 1953, oil companies with holdings in the area fields unitized, naming the Standard Oil Company of California to operate the fields. Avenal's economy dwindled and with it, many stores, buildings and houses were vacated until the 1960s when an influx of agricultural workers made a major impact on Avenal and surrounding area.
The early 1970s saw two substantial projects that had significant impacts on the city: the completion of the California Aqueduct
California Aqueduct
The Governor Edmund G. Brown California Aqueduct is a system of canals, tunnels, and pipelines that conveys water collected from the Sierra Nevada Mountains and valleys of Northern- and Central California to Southern California. The Department of Water Resources operates and maintains the...
which brought in needed water to the westside, and the opening of Interstate 5
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S...
.
The citizens of Avenal voted for incorporation in September 1979, and while going through the early stages of being a new City, the citizens pursued and were successful in bringing a state prison to Avenal. Avenal State Prison
Avenal State Prison
Avenal State Prison is a male-only state prison in the city of Avenal, Kings County, California.-Facilities:The structures on ASP's include "17 open dorm buildings, six 200-bed open dorm E-bed buildings, six converted gymnasiums, a 100-cell administrative segregation unit, and a 10-bed...
opened in 1987. By 2009, it housed 6,577 inmates and employed 1,517 people, making it a vital part of the community. The building of the facility dramatically increased the City's total valuation with construction, improvements and activity that could be seen in every area of the City.
Avenal is also home to the Central California Soaring Club headquartered at the Avenal Gliderport. This year round operation is one of the few glider
Glider aircraft
Glider aircraft are heavier-than-air craft that are supported in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air against their lifting surfaces, and whose free flight does not depend on an engine. Mostly these types of aircraft are intended for routine operation without engines, though engine failure can...
-only airports in the western United States, and one of only a few in the entire US that owns/operates its own airport. A soaring contest is held there every spring.
Construction has been completed on the renovation of Skyline Boulevard (California State Route 269
California State Route 269
State Route 269 is a state highway in California, USA, which runs from Avenal to State Route 145.-Route description:The southern terminus of SR 269 is at State Route 33 in Avenal, where it drops into the San Joaquin Valley at I-5...
) in the City's joint effort with Caltrans. Avenal has also completed a massive public improvement project with the development of 52 miles (83.7 km) of new curbs, gutters and sidewalks throughout the City.
In November 2010, the Avenal Police Department was initiated with 14 sworn officers. Jack Amoroso was the first police chief.
Although Avenal's future is no longer closely tied to oil, it will always mark its beginnings from "the day Milham came in," and the cigar box on the counter of the general store which was its first post office.
Geography
Avenal is located at 36°00′15"N 120°07′14"W, 180 miles (289.7 km) north of Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and 200 miles (321.9 km) south of both San Francisco and Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
. The city boasts at being located, "Half the way from the Bay to L.A." According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, Avenal has a total area of 19.4 square miles (50.2 km²), all of it land.
Most of the population resides in the southwestern portion of the city. The northeastern areas, separated by hills, and where Interstate 5
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S...
passes through, remain mostly rural.
Demographics
Avenal is a small city of approximately 15,505 people, including prison inmates. Avenal owes its origin to the discovery of oil on 4 October 1928, in the adjacent Kettleman Hills. Avenal was the site of a "tent city" as the boom started, but foresight made the boom orderly, so that by 1940 Avenal was the second largest town in Kings County with a population of 4,600.Growth continues today to include a more diversified economy based on oil, agriculture, and the service industry. In 1978, Avenal citizens voted to incorporate. The presence of the Avenal State Prison helps this rural community maintain economic stability, especially as the once-productive Kettleman North Dome Oil Field
Kettleman North Dome Oil Field
The Kettleman North Dome Oil Field is a large oil and gas field in Kings and Fresno Counties, California. Discovered in 1928, it is fifteenth largest field in the state by total ultimate oil recovery, and of the top twenty oil fields it is the closest to exhaustion, with less than one-half of one...
reaches exhaustion (less than one-half of one percent of its original oil remains).
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Avenal had a population of 15,505. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 798.3 people per square mile (308.2/km²). The racial makeup of Avenal was 6,044 (39.0%) White, 1,625 (10.5%) African American, 186 (1.2%) Native American, 108 (0.7%) Asian, 6 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 7,188 (46.4%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 348 (2.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11,130 persons (71.8%).
The Census reported that 9,082 people (58.6% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 6,423 (41.4%) were institutionalized.
There were 2,222 households, out of which 1,437 (64.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,236 (55.6%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 404 (18.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 236 (10.6%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 236 (10.6%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 11 (0.5%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 229 households (10.3%) were made up of individuals and 73 (3.3%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.09. There were 1,876 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(84.4% of all households); the average family size was 4.26.
The population was spread out with 3,315 people (21.4%) under the age of 18, 1,661 people (10.7%) aged 18 to 24, 6,039 people (38.9%) aged 25 to 44, 3,872 people (25.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 618 people (4.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.2 years. For every 100 females there were 262.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 357.9 males.
There were 2,410 housing units at an average density of 124.1 per square mile (47.9/km²), of which 1,011 (45.5%) were owner-occupied, and 1,211 (54.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.1%. 4,077 people (26.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 5,005 people (32.3%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 15,689 people, 1,928 households, and 1,640 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 767.3 people per square mile (296.3/km²). There were 2,061 housing units at an average density of 107.8 per square mile (41.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 35.84% White
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
, 12.61% Black or African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 0.95% Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, 0.39% Asian
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, 0.05% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...
, 47.38% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.79% from two or more races. 65.88% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 1,928 households out of which 60.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 16.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.9% were non-families. 11.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.14 and the average family size was 4.30.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 13.5% from 18 to 24, 46.5% from 25 to 44, 15.0% from 45 to 64, and 3.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 289.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 403.5 males.
The median income
Income
Income is the consumption and savings opportunity gained by an entity within a specified time frame, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. However, for households and individuals, "income is the sum of all the wages, salaries, profits, interests payments, rents and other forms of earnings...
for a household in the city was $29,710, and the median income for a family was $28,019. Males had a median income of $30,802 versus $20,852 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $14,090. About 28.3% of families and 30.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.4% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Avenal State Prison employs over 1,500 people.The City has been actively pursuing industrial development and is looking at future development of the Interstate 5 interchange area for both commercial and industrial uses.
In 2008, a 600-megawatt electric power generating plant
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
was proposed to be built and operated in Avenal by Macquarie Cook Power, a subsidiary of the Macquarie Group
Macquarie Group
Macquarie Group Limited is a global investment banking and diversified financial services group, providing banking, financial, advisory, investment and funds management services to institutional, corporate and retail clients and counterparties around the world...
, doing business as Avenal Power Center, LLC. The project application indicates that the power plant would be fueled with natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
and that it would be air-cooled. The capital cost of the project would be $530 million. According to the project's proponents, the plant would generate enough electricity to supply 450,000 homes and businesses annually. The California Energy Commission
California Energy Commission
The California Energy Commission is California’s primary energy policy and planning agency. Created in 1974 and headquartered in Sacramento, the Commission has responsibility for activities that include forecasting future energy needs, promoting energy efficiency through appliance and building...
gave its final approval to the project on December 16, 2009. However, opponents of the power plant vowed to continue to fight. Bradley Angel, Executive Director of Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice, threatened to file a lawsuit if the United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
(USEPA) approved the project. However, federal approval was delayed, causing the company to sue the USEPA. In February 2011, an EPA official told the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that the agency would allow the project to proceed. According to a newspaper story, Bradley Angel commented that Greenaction would continue to fight the project. On May 26, 2011, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon ordered the USEPA to make a final permit decision, which the agency did the following day. Construction of the power plant could begin after a 60-day administrative appeal period. Paul Cort of Earthjustice
Earthjustice
Earthjustice is a non-profit public interest law firm based in the United States that specializes in cases protecting natural resources, safeguarding public health, and promoting clean energy...
was quoted in a news story as saying that an administrative appeal would be filed, and if that is unsuccessful, the organization would appeal to the federal court. In June 2011, both People for Clean Air and Water and the Sierra Club
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
filed petitions for review with the USEPA's environmental appeals board. The Center for Biological Diversity
Center for Biological Diversity
The Center for Biological Diversity based in Tucson, Arizona, is a nonprofit membership organization with approximately 220,000 members and online activists, known for its work protecting endangered species through legal action and scientific petitions...
joined the Sierra Club's petition. Their petition alleged that the proposed plant would emit excessive nitrogen oxides and is being wrongfully grandfathered in under old clean air rules. On August 18, 2011, the USEPA's environmental appeals board denied the petition. Bradley Angel renewed his vow to continue the fight in court. A news story quoted him as saying: "Basically the fix was in when EPA boss Lisa Jackson
Lisa Jackson
Lisa Jackson may refer to:* Lisa P. Jackson, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency* Lisa Jackson , writer of romance novels and thrillers* Lisa Jackson, contestant who participated in America's Next Top Model, Cycle 9...
broke her committment to environmental justice and illegally approved the permit. We're going to continue to challenge it. It's going to court." On November 3, 2011, The Sierra Club, the Center for Biological Diversity and Greenaction filed suit with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals challenging the EPA permit.
Many local residents are employed in agriculture, which experienced significant growth on the westside of the San Joaquin Valley
San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
after the completion of the California Aqueduct
California Aqueduct
The Governor Edmund G. Brown California Aqueduct is a system of canals, tunnels, and pipelines that conveys water collected from the Sierra Nevada Mountains and valleys of Northern- and Central California to Southern California. The Department of Water Resources operates and maintains the...
in the early 1970s. However, the community has been impacted by the late 2000s recession
Late 2000s recession
The late-2000s recession, sometimes referred to as the Great Recession or Lesser Depression or Long Recession, is a severe ongoing global economic problem that began in December 2007 and took a particularly sharp downward turn in September 2008. The Great Recession has affected the entire world...
as well as drought and restrictions on pumping from the Sacramento River
Sacramento River
The Sacramento River is an important watercourse of Northern and Central California in the United States. The largest river in California, it rises on the eastern slopes of the Klamath Mountains, and after a journey south of over , empties into Suisun Bay, an arm of the San Francisco Bay, and...
delta to protect endangered species. In
October 2011, the unemployment rate was 22.6%.
Culture
Avenal has an annual celebration held on the last weekend in April called Avenal Old Timers Day.Politics
In the state legislatureCalifornia State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
Avenal is located in the 16th Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
District, represented by Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Michael Rubio, and in the 30th Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
District, represented by Republican David Valadao
David Valadao
David Valadao is an American politician currently serving his first term in the California State Assembly. He is a Republican representing the 30th district, encompassing Kings County and parts of Fresno, Kern, and Tulare counties. He won his first term in 2010, defeating Shafter Mayor Fran Florez...
. Federally, Avenal is located in California's 20th congressional district
California's 20th congressional district
California's 20th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California that covers parts of Fresno and Kern counties and all of Kings county. It contains most of the city of Fresno....
, which has a Cook PVI
Cook Partisan Voting Index
The Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...
of D +5 and is represented by Democrat Jim Costa
Jim Costa
James Manuel "Jim" Costa is the U.S. Representative for , serving since his initial election in 2004. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district takes in large and predominantly Latino portions of Fresno and Bakersfield in the Central Valley.-Early life and education:Born in Fresno,...
.
Avenal is represented on the Kings County Board of Supervisors by Richard Valle of Corcoran.
Education
All of the schools in the city of Avenal are within the Reef-Sunset Unified School DistrictReef-Sunset Unified School District
Reef-Sunset Unified School District is a school district in the Central Valley of California. The district has its headquarters in Avenal.-Schools:Adult schools* Avenal Adult School High schools* Avenal High School...
(RSUSD) located at 205 N. Park Avenue, Avenal CA, 93204. Suzanne Monroe was appointed Interim Superintendent of the school district in 2008.
The schools in this district are:
- Avenal Elementary School (K-5) Mascot: Wildcats
- Tamarack Elementary School (K-3) Mascot: Tigers
- Reef-Sunset Middle School (6-8) Mascot: Diamondbacks
- Avenal High School (9-12) Mascot: Buccaneers
- Sunrise Continuation School (9-12) Mascot: Eagles
- Adelante Continuation School (9-12) Mascot: Eagles
- Kettleman City Elementary School (K-8) Mascot: Coyotes
- Avenal Adult School (adults) Mascot: Tortoise
West Hills Community College
West Hills College
West Hills College is a public two-year community college serving students in the San Joaquin Valley. There are two campuses: the original campus in Coalinga, established in 1932, with 1,200 students, and the Lemoore campus, built in 2002 and serving 3,200 students...
is located in Coalinga about 18 miles (29 km) northwest of Avenal.
Notable residents
- The Williams Brothers: Paul WilliamsPaul Williams (American football)Paul Edward Williams is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Fresno State....
, who is a wide receiverWide receiverA wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for the Houston TexansHouston TexansThe Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, J.D. Williams who is a former NFL cornerbackCornerbackA cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
, and the late Curtis Williams who was paralyzed while playing college footballCollege footballCollege football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at the University of WashingtonUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
. - The Bon Larvis Band, boogie woogie blues band