Bridgeport, California
Encyclopedia
Bridgeport is a census-designated place
that is the county seat
of Mono County
, California
. It lies at an elevation of 6463 feet (1970 m) in the middle of the Bridgeport Valley
. Bridgeport is located at the intersection of highways US 395 and State Route 182. The population was 575 at the 2010 census.
.
The US Marine Corps' Mountain Warfare Training Center
is located approximately 20 miles (32.2 km) north of Bridgeport on State Route 108
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP covers an area of 21.7 square miles (56.3 km²), 99.96% of it land, and 0.04% of it water.
was 26.4 people per square mile (10.2/km²). The racial makeup of Bridgeport was 484 (84.2%) White, 1 (0.2%) African American, 43 (7.5%) Native American, 1 (0.2%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 25 (4.3%) from other races
, and 21 (3.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 148 persons (25.7%).
The Census reported that 559 people (97.2% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 16 (2.8%) were institutionalized.
There were 257 households, out of which 67 (26.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 124 (48.2%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 22 (8.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 9 (3.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 12 (4.7%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 1 (0.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 88 households (34.2%) were made up of individuals and 26 (10.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18. There were 155 families
(60.3% of all households); the average family size was 2.83.
The population was spread out with 119 people (20.7%) under the age of 18, 46 people (8.0%) aged 18 to 24, 118 people (20.5%) aged 25 to 44, 193 people (33.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 99 people (17.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.5 years. For every 100 females there were 103.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.5 males.
There were 357 housing units at an average density of 16.4 per square mile (6.3/km²), of which 160 (62.3%) were owner-occupied, and 97 (37.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 5.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 19.0%. 341 people (59.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 218 people (37.9%) lived in rental housing units.
of Bodie
.
Formerly known as Piney Meadows, Bridgeport is annually visited by thousands of tourists, many of whom come to the area for its well-known trout
streams and lakes. Bridgeport Reservoir
, Twin Lakes, Virginia Lakes
, Green Creek, the East Walker River
, the West Walker River
and numerous small tributaries and backcountry lakes offer some of the premier Rainbow, Brown and Cutthroat trout fishing to be found anywhere in the world.
The Bridgeport Fish Enhancement Program sponsors fishing tournaments twice per season.
One of the finest 4th of July
celebrations in the state is held at Bridgeport every year.
Bridgeport also occasionally plays host to the annual E Clampus Vitus
celebration.
Bridgeport has some of the finest backcountry winter recreation in the world. Over 500 miles of cross country skiing, snowshoeing, dogsledding, snowmobiling and multiple-use trails are found around the town, including Virginia Lakes Road, the Sweetwater Range, Buckeye, Bodie Hills and Summers Meadows. Huge numbers of backcountry bowls can be used for telemarking and XC Downhilling. Always check weather and avalanche conditions before venturing into the backcountry; weather conditions change rapidly.
BSk) with cold, snowy winters and hot, dry summers.
Average January temperatures in Bridgeport are a maximum of 41.2 °F (5.1 °C) and a minimum of 8.6 °F (-13 °C). Average July temperatures are a maximum of 82.9 °F (28.3 °C) and a minimum of 40.2 °F (4.6 °C). There are an average of 5.6 days with highs of 90°F (32°C) or higher and an average of 255.7 days with lows of 32°F (0°C) or lower. The record high temperature of 98 °F (36.7 °C) was on July 28, 1944. The record low temperature of -36 F was on January 31, 1916.
Average annual precipitation is 9.36 inches (23.8 cm). There are an average of 40 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1983 with 19.96 inches (50.7 cm) and the driest year was 1990 with 3.02 inches (7.7 cm). The most precipitation in one month was 7.69 inches (19.5 cm) in January 1969. The most precipitation in 24 hours was 2.59 inches (6.6 cm) on January 31, 1963. Average annual snowfall is 49.5 inches (125.7 cm). The most snowfall in one year was 174.06 inches (442.1 cm) in 1916, including 121 inches (307.3 cm) in January 1916.
Bridgeport is located in the 1st Senate
District, represented by Republican
Ted Gaines
, and in the 25th Assembly
District, represented by Republican Kristin Olsen
. Federally, Bridgeport is located in California's 25th congressional district
, which has a Cook PVI
of R +7 and is represented by Republican Buck McKeon
.
Bridgeport is the tribal headquarters for the Bridgeport Paiute Indian Colony of California
.
, which has its main office in town. An elementary school and a high school (Eastern Sierra Academy
) are located in Bridgeport. Bridgeport also has a public library.
Bridgeport is the setting of the 1947 film Out of the Past
; several sequences were filmed on location in the town.
Bridgeport plays a small role in the novel The Dharma Bums
(1958) by Jack Kerouac
; it is the place from where the main characters Ray Smith, Japhy Ryder and Henry Morley start their climb to the nearby Matterhorn Peak
.
Bridgeport is also mentioned in the 1973 supernatural thriller novel The Reincarnation of Peter Proud
by Max Ehrlich. The protagonist, a Native American studies professor at UCLA, is distracted by various memories of a previous life recalled constantly and involuntarily in the form of dreams whenever he falls asleep to the point where it begins to detract from his ability to function. He is called as an expert witness on behalf of a local band of Paiute Native Americans at a court hearing in Bridgeport and bungles it.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
that is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Mono County
Mono County, California
Mono County is a county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of California, to the east of the Sierra Nevada between Yosemite National Park and Nevada. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,202, up from 12,853 at the 2000 census...
, 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...
. It lies at an elevation of 6463 feet (1970 m) in the middle of the Bridgeport Valley
Bridgeport Valley
The Bridgeport Valley is a large, fertile mountain basin between the eastern Sierra Nevada and the Bodie Hills of the U.S. state of California. The valley is long and wide, and is used primarily for ranching. The East Walker River is the main stream flowing through the Bridgeport Valley;...
. Bridgeport is located at the intersection of highways US 395 and State Route 182. The population was 575 at the 2010 census.
Geography and features
The first post office at Bridgeport opened in 1864. The ZIP Code is 93517, and the community is inside area code 760Area code 760
Image:Area_code_442.svg|right|Map of California area codes in blue with 442/760 in redrect 65 82 92 100 Area code 916rect 220 242 245 256 Area code 909rect 243 274 265 287 Area code 951rect 136 323 160 338 Area code 858...
.
The US Marine Corps' Mountain Warfare Training Center
Mountain Warfare Training Center
The Mountain Warfare Training Center is a United States Marine Corps installation located in Pickel Meadows on California State Route 108 in the Toiyabe National Forest, 21 miles northwest of Bridgeport, California...
is located approximately 20 miles (32.2 km) north of Bridgeport on State Route 108
California State Route 108
State Route 108, also known as Highway 108, is a numbered state highway in California. SR 108 runs generally northeast across central California from downtown Modesto near the SR 99/SR 132 interchange, crossing the Sierra Nevada at Sonora Pass, to U.S. Route 395 near the Nevada state line...
.
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...
, the CDP covers an area of 21.7 square miles (56.3 km²), 99.96% of it land, and 0.04% of it water.
Demographics
The 2010 United States Census reported that Bridgeport had a population of 575. 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 26.4 people per square mile (10.2/km²). The racial makeup of Bridgeport was 484 (84.2%) White, 1 (0.2%) African American, 43 (7.5%) Native American, 1 (0.2%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 25 (4.3%) 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 21 (3.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 148 persons (25.7%).
The Census reported that 559 people (97.2% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 16 (2.8%) were institutionalized.
There were 257 households, out of which 67 (26.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 124 (48.2%) 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, 22 (8.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 9 (3.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 12 (4.7%) 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 1 (0.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 88 households (34.2%) were made up of individuals and 26 (10.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18. There were 155 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...
(60.3% of all households); the average family size was 2.83.
The population was spread out with 119 people (20.7%) under the age of 18, 46 people (8.0%) aged 18 to 24, 118 people (20.5%) aged 25 to 44, 193 people (33.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 99 people (17.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.5 years. For every 100 females there were 103.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.5 males.
There were 357 housing units at an average density of 16.4 per square mile (6.3/km²), of which 160 (62.3%) were owner-occupied, and 97 (37.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 5.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 19.0%. 341 people (59.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 218 people (37.9%) lived in rental housing units.
Tourism
Bridgeport is also notable for its proximity to the well-preserved ghost townGhost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
of Bodie
Bodie, California
Bodie is a ghost town in the Bodie Hills east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Mono County, California, United States, about 75 miles southeast of Lake Tahoe. It is located east-southeast of Bridgeport, at an elevation of 8379 feet . As Bodie Historic District, the U.S. Department of the...
.
Formerly known as Piney Meadows, Bridgeport is annually visited by thousands of tourists, many of whom come to the area for its well-known trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
streams and lakes. Bridgeport Reservoir
Bridgeport Reservoir, California
Bridgeport Reservoir, also known as Bridgeport Lake, is a lake at the lower end of Bridgeport Valley in Mono County, California. Its earth-filled dam was constructed in 1923 by the Walker River Irrigation District, along the East Walker River...
, Twin Lakes, Virginia Lakes
Virginia Lakes
Virginia Lakes refers to a cluster of lakes in the Eastern Sierra Nevada in Mono County, California. Virginia Lakes is located a few miles off U.S. Highway 395; the road to the lakes turns off U.S...
, Green Creek, the East Walker River
East Walker River
The East Walker River is a tributary of the Walker River, approximately long, in eastern California and western Nevada in the United States. It drains part of the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada in the watershed of Walker Lake in the Great Basin....
, the West Walker River
West Walker River
The West Walker River is a tributary of the Walker River, approximately long, in eastern California and western Nevada in the United States. It drains part of the Sierra Nevada range along the California-Nevada border in the watershed of Walker Lake in the Great Basin.It rises from snowmelt in the...
and numerous small tributaries and backcountry lakes offer some of the premier Rainbow, Brown and Cutthroat trout fishing to be found anywhere in the world.
The Bridgeport Fish Enhancement Program sponsors fishing tournaments twice per season.
One of the finest 4th of July
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
celebrations in the state is held at Bridgeport every year.
Bridgeport also occasionally plays host to the annual E Clampus Vitus
E Clampus Vitus
The Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus is a fraternal organization dedicated to the study and preservation of Western heritage, especially the history of the Mother Lode and gold mining regions of the area...
celebration.
Bridgeport has some of the finest backcountry winter recreation in the world. Over 500 miles of cross country skiing, snowshoeing, dogsledding, snowmobiling and multiple-use trails are found around the town, including Virginia Lakes Road, the Sweetwater Range, Buckeye, Bodie Hills and Summers Meadows. Huge numbers of backcountry bowls can be used for telemarking and XC Downhilling. Always check weather and avalanche conditions before venturing into the backcountry; weather conditions change rapidly.
Climate
Bridgeport experiences a semi-arid climate (KöppenKöppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
BSk) with cold, snowy winters and hot, dry summers.
Average January temperatures in Bridgeport are a maximum of 41.2 °F (5.1 °C) and a minimum of 8.6 °F (-13 °C). Average July temperatures are a maximum of 82.9 °F (28.3 °C) and a minimum of 40.2 °F (4.6 °C). There are an average of 5.6 days with highs of 90°F (32°C) or higher and an average of 255.7 days with lows of 32°F (0°C) or lower. The record high temperature of 98 °F (36.7 °C) was on July 28, 1944. The record low temperature of -36 F was on January 31, 1916.
Average annual precipitation is 9.36 inches (23.8 cm). There are an average of 40 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1983 with 19.96 inches (50.7 cm) and the driest year was 1990 with 3.02 inches (7.7 cm). The most precipitation in one month was 7.69 inches (19.5 cm) in January 1969. The most precipitation in 24 hours was 2.59 inches (6.6 cm) on January 31, 1963. Average annual snowfall is 49.5 inches (125.7 cm). The most snowfall in one year was 174.06 inches (442.1 cm) in 1916, including 121 inches (307.3 cm) in January 1916.
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...
Bridgeport is located in the 1st 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 Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Ted Gaines
Ted Gaines
Edward M. Gaines is a California State Senator, representing the 1st Senate district. He won a January 4, 2011, special election to replace the late Dave Cox and took office two days later...
, and in the 25th 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 Kristin Olsen
Kristin Olsen
Kristin Olsen is an American politician currently serving in the California State Assembly. She is a Republican representing the 25th district, encompassing Calaveras, Mariposa, Mono, and Tuolumne counties, and parts of Madera and Stanislaus counties...
. Federally, Bridgeport is located in California's 25th congressional district
California's 25th congressional district
California's 25th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California that covers part of Los Angeles County and extends out to broad stretches of interior California along the Nevada border. It includes the cities of Santa Clarita, Palmdale, Lancaster, and the...
, 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 R +7 and is represented by Republican Buck McKeon
Howard McKeon
Howard Philip "Buck" McKeon is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:...
.
Bridgeport is the tribal headquarters for the Bridgeport Paiute Indian Colony of California
Bridgeport Paiute Indian Colony of California
The Bridgeport Paiute Indian Colony of California is a federally recognized tribe of Northern Paiute Indians in Mono County, California.-Reservation:...
.
Education
Bridgeport is in the Eastern Sierra Unified School DistrictEastern Sierra Unified School District
The Eastern Sierra Unified School District is a public school district in Mono County, California. It oversees public education in the central and northern part of the county, including the communities of:*Benton*Bridgeport*Coleville*June Lake*Lee Vining...
, which has its main office in town. An elementary school and a high school (Eastern Sierra Academy
Eastern Sierra Academy
Eastern Sierra Academy is an extremely small , technology-based, college-preparatory public high school serving the town of Bridgeport, California, USA. In Newsweek magazine's Challenge index ranking of America's 27,000 public high schools, ESA was ranked 19th in the nation based upon its 2004...
) are located in Bridgeport. Bridgeport also has a public library.
Bridgeport in fiction
Out of the Past
Out of the Past is a 1947 film noir directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, and Kirk Douglas. The film was adapted by Daniel Mainwaring , with uncredited revisions by Frank Fenton and James M...
; several sequences were filmed on location in the town.
Bridgeport plays a small role in the novel The Dharma Bums
The Dharma Bums
The Dharma Bums is a 1958 novel by Beat Generation author Jack Kerouac. The semi-fictional accounts in the novel are based upon events that occurred years after the events of On the Road...
(1958) by Jack Kerouac
Jack Kerouac
Jean-Louis "Jack" Lebris de Kerouac was an American novelist and poet. He is considered a literary iconoclast and, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Kerouac is recognized for his spontaneous method of writing, covering topics such as Catholic...
; it is the place from where the main characters Ray Smith, Japhy Ryder and Henry Morley start their climb to the nearby Matterhorn Peak
Matterhorn Peak
Matterhorn Peak is located in the Sierra Nevada, in the western U.S. state of California, at the northern boundary of Yosemite National Park. At elevation, it is the tallest peak in the craggy Alps-like Sawtooth Ridge and the northernmost peak in the Sierra Nevada. The peak also supports the...
.
Bridgeport is also mentioned in the 1973 supernatural thriller novel The Reincarnation of Peter Proud
The Reincarnation of Peter Proud
The Reincarnation of Peter Proud is an American motion picture released by Bing Crosby Productions, and Cinerama Productions Corporation. In the supernatural suspense genre, the film was directed by J...
by Max Ehrlich. The protagonist, a Native American studies professor at UCLA, is distracted by various memories of a previous life recalled constantly and involuntarily in the form of dreams whenever he falls asleep to the point where it begins to detract from his ability to function. He is called as an expert witness on behalf of a local band of Paiute Native Americans at a court hearing in Bridgeport and bungles it.
External links
- Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce
- http://www.shopoutdoors.com/bridgeport.html shows photos and links to the area, winter recreation services.