Cotati, California
Encyclopedia
Cotati is an incorporated city
in Sonoma County, California
, U.S.A., located about 45 mi (72.4 km) north of San Francisco
in the 101 corridor between Rohnert Park
and Petaluma
.
Cotati's population as of the 2010 Census was 7,265, making it the smallest incorporated community
in Sonoma County.
Like all of Sonoma County, Cotati is included in both the San Francisco Bay Area
and the Redwood Empire. Located in the Sonoma Coast AVA
, Cotati can also be considered part of the Wine Country. E & J Gallo Winery
operates a 400 acre (161.9 ha) vineyard called Two Rock Vineyard in the hills west of town.
Cotati's hexagonal downtown plaza, one of only two hexagonal town layouts in the United States, is California Historical Landmark number 879. The other U.S. city with a hexagonal layout is Detroit, Michigan
.
, the city has a total area of 1.89 sq mi (4.9 km²), 0.53% of which is water.
The city is about 17 mi (27 km) from the Pacific Ocean. It lies entirely in the drainage basin
of the Laguna de Santa Rosa
. The Petaluma River
watershed begins just south of town. To the west is the Stemple Creek
watershed. The sources of all three watercourses lie in the hilly area between Stony Point Road and U.S. 101, just west of town.
A gap
in the coastal ridges near Petaluma
often allows coastal fog to reach Cotati in the summer, giving it a marine climate
that is noticeably cooler and less sunny than the "coastal" climates of nearby Santa Rosa
and Sebastopol
. Cotati averages fewer than 800 hours per growing season in the 70-90 °F (21-32 °C) range.
The soils of the Cotati area are characterized by recent
alluvial materials, explicitly those areas bordering the Laguna de Santa Rosa
and its tributary Washoe Creek
. These materials are largely stream and valley alluvium
, with artificial fill in some areas.
Active earthquake faults near Cotati include the Rodgers Creek Fault (5 mi (8 km) east) and the Tolay Fault.
To the west of Cotati are wetland
habitat
for Sebastopol meadowfoam, Pitkin Marsh lily
, Showy Indian clover
and several other endangered species
.
was 3,857.8 people per square mile (1,489.5/km²). The racial makeup of Cotati was 5,929 (81.6%) White, 122 (1.7%) African American, 75 (1.0%) Native American, 283 (3.9%) Asian, 30 (0.4%) Pacific Islander, 427 (5.9%) from other races
, and 399 (5.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,255 persons (17.3%).
The Census reported that 99.9% of the population lived in households and 0.1% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters.
There were 2,978 households, out of which 941 (31.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,214 (40.8%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 399 (13.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 161 (5.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 259 (8.7%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 35 (1.2%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 812 households (27.3%) were made up of individuals and 215 (7.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44. There were 1,774 families
(59.6% of all households); the average family size was 2.97.
The population was spread out with 1,591 people (21.9%) under the age of 18, 871 people (12.0%) aged 18 to 24, 2,060 people (28.4%) aged 25 to 44, 2,130 people (29.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 613 people (8.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.2 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.
There were 3,143 housing units at an average density of 1,669.0 per square mile (644.4/km²), of which 59.1% were owner-occupied and 40.9% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.6%. 59.3% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 40.6% lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there were 6,471 people, 2,532 households, and 1,607 families residing in the city. The population density
was 3,444/sq mi (1,329/km²). There were 2,585 housing units at an average density of 1,376/sq mi (531/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.56% White, 2.33% African American, 0.90% Native American, 3.60% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 4.40% from other races
, and 4.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.52% of the population.
There were 2,532 households out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.05.
The population was distributed with 25.7% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 35.6% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males. The median income for a household was $52,808, and the median income for a family was $62,419. Males had a median income of $44,771 versus $35,779 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $24,206. About 5.3% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.5% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those over age 64.
In the 2000 Census, 89% of the residents reported that English was their primary spoken language. 11% reported languages other than English, including Spanish (8%), Italian (1%), French (1%), Russian (1%), and Portuguese (less than 1%).
civilization thrived in the Cotati area since at least 2000 BC, with principal villages built near major streams. Documented villages in the area included Lumen-takala (northeast of present-day Cotati), Payinecha (west of present-day Cotati), and Kotati.
In 1827, an Irishman named John Thomas Reed
ventured into Miwok territory and built a cabin near Crane Creek
. After the natives burned it, he retreated south to Mill Valley
.
and Rohnert Park, and home to Coast Miwok people) to Captain Juan Castaneda, a Mexican military commander from Texas
, in payment for his service as a soldier under General Vallejo
. The grant
took its name from the Coast Miwok village of Kotati. However, a legend arose that Rancho Cotate was named after a Pomo
chief named Cotati, and in 1973 the state
perpetuated this legend on the historical marker it placed in the plaza.
Rancho Cotate consisted of 17238.6 acre (6,976.2 ha). Captain Castaneda moved to San Francisco
and never developed Rancho Cotate. Because he failed to fulfill the legal requirements of the grant, he lost control of the rancho, which passed to Thomas Larkin and then to Joseph Ruckle. In 1849, Ruckle sold the land to Dr. Thomas Stokes Page, a former resident of Valparaíso
, Chile, for $1600. Rancho Cotate was recorded in California state records as follows:
The land holding remained in the Page family for over eighty years. Subject to seasonal flooding from the Laguna de Santa Rosa, the land was used to graze cattle and sheep. In October 1870, the San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad
completed the first railroad from Petaluma
to Santa Rosa
, and a town formed around the wood and water stop
called Page's Station, then Cotati.
The Cotati area was shaken up by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
. After the quake, Drury Butler reported that "the chimneys were as a rule thrown down". In particular, the Stony Point School at 38.34325°N 122.74166°W suffered a chimney failure.
The Northwestern Pacific Railroad
built the Cotati Depot in 1907. It was located near the East Cotati Avenue crossing, almost 1 mi (1.6 km) east of the plaza. The planned Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit
station will be in this area.
Prior to 1915, the major north-south roads (Petaluma Hill Road and Stony Point Road) bypassed Cotati. In that year, the state routed the Redwood Highway (part of U.S. Route 101) onto the mostly-unpaved Cotati Boulevard. U.S. 101 passed through the downtown plaza until 1955, when the highway was re-routed further west. U.S. 101 still bisects Cotati, and the former route is called Old Redwood Highway.
In February 1921, the old schoolhouse at 201 West Sierra burned down. A new school built on the same site opened in 1922. This building has served as City Hall since 1971. The rear of this building housed the Cotati Police Department until September 3, 2003 when the department moved into a new building next door.
The Cotati Speedway, a wooden oval track for automobile racing, was built near the depot around 1921. It was about 1.25 mi (2 km) in circumference. World records were set there, but it failed in its first season and was torn down in 1922.
In 1927, the Cotati Volunteer Fire Department was organized. Since 1993, Cotati has been part of the Rancho Adobe Fire Protection District.
A local weekly newspaper called The Cotatian was established by E. A. Little in 1944 and lasted until 1964. The current local paper is The Community Voice, published in neighboring Penngrove
.
, voters approved (by a 284 to 41 margin) incorporation of Cotati as a separate city. After incorporation, the city grew rapidly, due in part to being within commuting range of San Francisco
. Between 1965 and 2000, the population increased by more than a factor of four.
In 1979, Cotati voters approved a rent control
ordinance for all residential rentals, but in 1995, that ordinance was partly preempted by the passage of AB (Assembly
Bill) 1164, known as the Costa/Hawkins Bill. At the time, Cotati was one of five cities in California with "strong rent control
" laws which included vacancy control. (The other cities were West Hollywood
, Santa Monica
, Berkeley
and East Palo Alto
). The Costa/Hawkins bill made it impossible for California municipalities to enforce vacancy control, except in special cases like mobile home parks
. When the 1979 ordinance was repealed by Cotati voters in 1998, it was replaced with a more limited ordinance aimed at mobile home parks. At the present time, eight of the nine incorporated areas in Sonoma County have rent control for mobile home parks, the exception being Healdsburg
.
In 1990, Cotati citizens voted to impose a limit
on future annexation of land by the city. This was followed in 1997 by a ballot measure prohibiting "big-box" retail stores of more than 43000 square feet (3,994.8 m²). However, on November 4, 2003, Cotati voters approved (by 1,047 votes to 1,013) Measure B, granting an exception to this ordinance so that a Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse could be built on the west side of U.S. 101.
In April 2010, Cotati voters passed Measure A to approve a 1/2 cent sales tax for the next five years. This is expected to stabilize staff and stop the drain on the city's General Fund.
Since 2002, Cotati has been part of California's 3rd State Senate district
.
Cotati is in California's 6th State Assembly district
.
With respect to the United States House of Representatives
, Cotati is part of California's 6th congressional district
.
. Thomas Page Elementary School is the only public school actually located in Cotati. The main high school
serving Cotati is Rancho Cotate High School
, which is in neighboring Rohnert Park
.
Sonoma State University
, a public college about 1 mi (1.6 km) east of the city limits, has an influence on Cotati.
Private schools located in Cotati include:
Cotati is served by the Sonoma County Library, a public library with branches in Rohnert Park and Petaluma.
(routes 72, 75, and 80) and Sonoma County Transit
.
The nearest major airports are San Francisco International Airport
and Oakland International Airport
. The Santa Rosa airport
, which is closer, also offers passenger service.
From the south, U.S. Route 101 North and State Route 116
West approach Cotati on a multilane lane freeway alignment which Caltrans
calls the Cotati Grade, with exits at Railroad Avenue and West Sierra Avenue. From the west, State Route 116 East approaches on the two-lane Gravenstein Highway. From the north, U.S. Route 101 South approaches Cotati as a multilane freeway with a single exit at Gravenstein Highway.
Community and Environment Commission:
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
in Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, located on the northern coast of the U.S. state of California, is the largest and northernmost of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. Its population at the 2010 census was 483,878. Its largest city and county seat is Santa Rosa....
, U.S.A., located about 45 mi (72.4 km) north of San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
in the 101 corridor between Rohnert Park
Rohnert Park, California
Rohnert Park is a city in Sonoma County, California, United States, located approximately north of San Francisco. The population at the 2010 United States Census was 40,971. It is an early planned city, modeled directly after Levittown, New York and Levittown, Pennsylvania. Rohnert Park is the...
and Petaluma
Petaluma, California
Petaluma is a city in Sonoma County, California, in the United States. In the 2010 Census the population was 57,941.Located in Petaluma is the Rancho Petaluma Adobe, a National Historic Landmark. It was built beginning in 1836 by General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, then Commandant of the San...
.
Cotati's population as of the 2010 Census was 7,265, making it the smallest incorporated community
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
in Sonoma County.
Like all of Sonoma County, Cotati is included in both the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
and the Redwood Empire. Located in the Sonoma Coast AVA
Sonoma Coast AVA
The Sonoma Coast AVA is an American Viticultural Area in Sonoma County, California, USA containing more than , mostly along the coastline of the Pacific Ocean. It extends from San Pablo Bay to the border with Mendocino County. The appellation is known for its cool climate and high rainfall...
, Cotati can also be considered part of the Wine Country. E & J Gallo Winery
E & J Gallo Winery
E & J Gallo Winery was founded in 1933 by Ernest Gallo and Julio Gallo in Modesto, California. E & J Gallo Winery is the largest exporter of California wines and is a large promoter of wines from Sonoma County.-History:...
operates a 400 acre (161.9 ha) vineyard called Two Rock Vineyard in the hills west of town.
Cotati's hexagonal downtown plaza, one of only two hexagonal town layouts in the United States, is California Historical Landmark number 879. The other U.S. city with a hexagonal layout is Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
.
Geography and environment
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 city has a total area of 1.89 sq mi (4.9 km²), 0.53% of which is water.
The city is about 17 mi (27 km) from the Pacific Ocean. It lies entirely in the drainage basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
of the Laguna de Santa Rosa
Laguna de Santa Rosa
The Laguna de Santa Rosa is a long wetland complex that drains a 254-square mile watershed encompassing most of the Santa Rosa Plain in Sonoma County, California, USA.-Description:...
. The Petaluma River
Petaluma River
The Petaluma River is a river in the California counties of Sonoma and Marin that becomes a tidal slough near its mouth. It springs from farmlands southwest of Cotati and flows generally southward through Petaluma's old town and of tidal marshes to end in northwest San Pablo Bay.-History:The word...
watershed begins just south of town. To the west is the Stemple Creek
Stemple Creek
Stemple Creek is a long, westward-flowing stream in the California counties of Sonoma and Marin, which feeds into the Estero de San Antonio. Its waters ultimately reach Bodega Bay, part of the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary on the Pacific Ocean.-Course:Stemple Creek springs from...
watershed. The sources of all three watercourses lie in the hilly area between Stony Point Road and U.S. 101, just west of town.
A gap
Petaluma Gap
The Petaluma Gap is a geographical region in Sonoma County, California which extends in a band from the Pacific Ocean to San Pablo Bay. It is an area of low land 22 to 31 miles wide in the coast ranges of the northern San Francisco Bay Area. The western edge of the gap is located in the coastal...
in the coastal ridges near Petaluma
Petaluma, California
Petaluma is a city in Sonoma County, California, in the United States. In the 2010 Census the population was 57,941.Located in Petaluma is the Rancho Petaluma Adobe, a National Historic Landmark. It was built beginning in 1836 by General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, then Commandant of the San...
often allows coastal fog to reach Cotati in the summer, giving it a marine climate
Oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...
that is noticeably cooler and less sunny than the "coastal" climates of nearby Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa, California
Santa Rosa is the county seat of Sonoma County, California, United States. The 2010 census reported a population of 167,815. Santa Rosa is the largest city in California's Wine Country and fifth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area, after San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and Fremont and 26th...
and Sebastopol
Sebastopol, California
Sebastopol is a city in Sonoma County, California, United States, approximately north of San Francisco. The population was 7,379 at the 2010 census, but its businesses also serve surrounding rural portions of Sonoma County, totaling about 50,000 people...
. Cotati averages fewer than 800 hours per growing season in the 70-90 °F (21-32 °C) range.
The soils of the Cotati area are characterized by recent
Quaternary
The Quaternary Period is the most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the ICS. It follows the Neogene Period, spanning 2.588 ± 0.005 million years ago to the present...
alluvial materials, explicitly those areas bordering the Laguna de Santa Rosa
Laguna de Santa Rosa
The Laguna de Santa Rosa is a long wetland complex that drains a 254-square mile watershed encompassing most of the Santa Rosa Plain in Sonoma County, California, USA.-Description:...
and its tributary Washoe Creek
Washoe Creek
Washoe Creek is a perennial stream located in Sonoma County, California. It is about long and discharges to the Laguna de Santa Rosa.Washoe Creek rises in the low lying Meacham Hills southwest of the city of Cotati. It descends to the northeast, flowing under Roblar Road and Stony Point Road...
. These materials are largely stream and valley alluvium
Alluvium
Alluvium is loose, unconsolidated soil or sediments, eroded, deposited, and reshaped by water in some form in a non-marine setting. Alluvium is typically made up of a variety of materials, including fine particles of silt and clay and larger particles of sand and gravel...
, with artificial fill in some areas.
Active earthquake faults near Cotati include the Rodgers Creek Fault (5 mi (8 km) east) and the Tolay Fault.
To the west of Cotati are wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
for Sebastopol meadowfoam, Pitkin Marsh lily
Lilium pardalinum subsp. pitkinense
The Pitkin Marsh lily, or Lilium pardalinum subsp. pitkinense, is an endangered perennial herb of the Liliaceae family that is endemic to certain wetland areas in the California Coast Ranges of Sonoma County, California, USA. This subspecies of Lilium pardalinum attains a height of one to two...
, Showy Indian clover
Trifolium amoenum
Trifolium amoenum, known by the common name Showy Indian clover is endemic to California, and is an endangered annual herb that subsists in grassland areas of the San Francisco Bay Area and the northern California Coast Ranges.-Description:...
and several other endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Cotati had a population of 7,265. 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 3,857.8 people per square mile (1,489.5/km²). The racial makeup of Cotati was 5,929 (81.6%) White, 122 (1.7%) African American, 75 (1.0%) Native American, 283 (3.9%) Asian, 30 (0.4%) Pacific Islander, 427 (5.9%) 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 399 (5.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,255 persons (17.3%).
The Census reported that 99.9% of the population lived in households and 0.1% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters.
There were 2,978 households, out of which 941 (31.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,214 (40.8%) 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, 399 (13.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 161 (5.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 259 (8.7%) 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 35 (1.2%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 812 households (27.3%) were made up of individuals and 215 (7.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44. There were 1,774 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...
(59.6% of all households); the average family size was 2.97.
The population was spread out with 1,591 people (21.9%) under the age of 18, 871 people (12.0%) aged 18 to 24, 2,060 people (28.4%) aged 25 to 44, 2,130 people (29.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 613 people (8.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.2 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.
There were 3,143 housing units at an average density of 1,669.0 per square mile (644.4/km²), of which 59.1% were owner-occupied and 40.9% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.6%. 59.3% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 40.6% 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 6,471 people, 2,532 households, and 1,607 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 3,444/sq mi (1,329/km²). There were 2,585 housing units at an average density of 1,376/sq mi (531/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.56% White, 2.33% African American, 0.90% Native American, 3.60% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 4.40% 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 4.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.52% of the population.
There were 2,532 households out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.05.
The population was distributed with 25.7% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 35.6% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males. The median income for a household was $52,808, and the median income for a family was $62,419. Males had a median income of $44,771 versus $35,779 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 $24,206. About 5.3% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.5% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those over age 64.
In the 2000 Census, 89% of the residents reported that English was their primary spoken language. 11% reported languages other than English, including Spanish (8%), Italian (1%), French (1%), Russian (1%), and Portuguese (less than 1%).
History
The Coast MiwokCoast Miwok
The Coast Miwok were the second largest group of Miwok Native American people. The Coast Miwok inhabited the general area of modern Marin County and southern Sonoma County in Northern California, from the Golden Gate north to Duncans Point and eastward to Sonoma Creek...
civilization thrived in the Cotati area since at least 2000 BC, with principal villages built near major streams. Documented villages in the area included Lumen-takala (northeast of present-day Cotati), Payinecha (west of present-day Cotati), and Kotati.
In 1827, an Irishman named John Thomas Reed
John Reed (Early Californian)
John Thomas Reed was an early California European settler who was the grantee of Rancho Corte Madera del Presidio in what is present day Marin County, California.-Life:Reed went to Acapulco, Mexico in 1820...
ventured into Miwok territory and built a cabin near Crane Creek
Crane Creek (California)
Crane Creek is a stream in Sonoma County, California, USA which rises in the northern Sonoma Mountains. This watercourse flows through Crane Canyon and the Crane Creek Regional Park situated on the northwestern flank of Sonoma Mountain...
. After the natives burned it, he retreated south to Mill Valley
Mill Valley, California
Mill Valley is a city in Marin County, California, United States located about north of San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge. The population was 13,903 at the 2010 census.Mill Valley is located on the western and northern shores of Richardson Bay...
.
Rancho Cotate
In July 1844, the Mexican government granted Rancho Cotate (encompassing present-day towns of Cotati, PenngrovePenngrove, California
Penngrove is a census-designated place in Sonoma County, California, United States, situated between the cities of Petaluma and Cotati, at the foot of Sonoma Mountain. It is part of the North Bay subregion of the San Francisco Bay Area...
and Rohnert Park, and home to Coast Miwok people) to Captain Juan Castaneda, a Mexican military commander from Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, in payment for his service as a soldier under General Vallejo
Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo
Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo was a Californian military commander, politician, and rancher. He was born a subject of Spain, performed his military duties as an officer of Mexico, and shaped the transition of California from a Mexican district to an American state...
. The grant
Ranchos of California
The Spanish, and later the Méxican government encouraged settlement of territory now known as California by the establishment of large land grants called ranchos, from which the English ranch is derived. Devoted to raising cattle and sheep, the owners of the ranchos attempted to pattern themselves...
took its name from the Coast Miwok village of Kotati. However, a legend arose that Rancho Cotate was named after a Pomo
Pomo people
The Pomo people are an indigenous peoples of California. The historic Pomo territory in northern California was large, bordered by the Pacific Coast to the west, extending inland to Clear Lake, and mainly between Cleone and Duncans Point...
chief named Cotati, and in 1973 the state
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...
perpetuated this legend on the historical marker it placed in the plaza.
Rancho Cotate consisted of 17238.6 acre (6,976.2 ha). Captain Castaneda moved to San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
and never developed Rancho Cotate. Because he failed to fulfill the legal requirements of the grant, he lost control of the rancho, which passed to Thomas Larkin and then to Joseph Ruckle. In 1849, Ruckle sold the land to Dr. Thomas Stokes Page, a former resident of Valparaíso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
, Chile, for $1600. Rancho Cotate was recorded in California state records as follows:
The land holding remained in the Page family for over eighty years. Subject to seasonal flooding from the Laguna de Santa Rosa, the land was used to graze cattle and sheep. In October 1870, the San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad
San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad
San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad provided the first extensive standard gauge rail service to Sonoma County and became the southern end of the regional Northwestern Pacific Railroad...
completed the first railroad from Petaluma
Petaluma, California
Petaluma is a city in Sonoma County, California, in the United States. In the 2010 Census the population was 57,941.Located in Petaluma is the Rancho Petaluma Adobe, a National Historic Landmark. It was built beginning in 1836 by General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, then Commandant of the San...
to Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa, California
Santa Rosa is the county seat of Sonoma County, California, United States. The 2010 census reported a population of 167,815. Santa Rosa is the largest city in California's Wine Country and fifth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area, after San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and Fremont and 26th...
, and a town formed around the wood and water stop
Water stop
A water stop or water station on a railroad is a place where trains stop to replenish water. The stopping of the train itself is also referred to as "water stop". The term originates from the times of steam engines, when large amounts of water were essential...
called Page's Station, then Cotati.
Development of a town
Cotati's hexagonal plaza and street grid plan was designed during the 1890s by Newton Smyth as an alternative to the traditional grid. Dr. Thomas Page's barn once stood where the plaza is today, and each of the streets surrounding the plaza is named after one of his sons. In 1892, the Page family created the Cotati Land Company to subdivide their ranch into parcels of five to twenty acres (two to eight hectares). By 1901, good land was selling for $30 to $60 per acre. Page family ownership ended in 1944.The Cotati area was shaken up by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
. After the quake, Drury Butler reported that "the chimneys were as a rule thrown down". In particular, the Stony Point School at 38.34325°N 122.74166°W suffered a chimney failure.
The Northwestern Pacific Railroad
Northwestern Pacific Railroad
The Northwestern Pacific Railroad is a regional railroad serving California's North Coast. The railroad currently runs on 62 miles of the 462 mile main line, stretching from Schellville, California to Eureka, California...
built the Cotati Depot in 1907. It was located near the East Cotati Avenue crossing, almost 1 mi (1.6 km) east of the plaza. The planned Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit
Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit
The SMART or Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit project is a future passenger rail service and high density housing project in Northern California, USA, to serve Sonoma and Marin counties. The project was approved with passage of Measure "Q" by the voters in 2008 by the required 2/3 vote...
station will be in this area.
Prior to 1915, the major north-south roads (Petaluma Hill Road and Stony Point Road) bypassed Cotati. In that year, the state routed the Redwood Highway (part of U.S. Route 101) onto the mostly-unpaved Cotati Boulevard. U.S. 101 passed through the downtown plaza until 1955, when the highway was re-routed further west. U.S. 101 still bisects Cotati, and the former route is called Old Redwood Highway.
In February 1921, the old schoolhouse at 201 West Sierra burned down. A new school built on the same site opened in 1922. This building has served as City Hall since 1971. The rear of this building housed the Cotati Police Department until September 3, 2003 when the department moved into a new building next door.
The Cotati Speedway, a wooden oval track for automobile racing, was built near the depot around 1921. It was about 1.25 mi (2 km) in circumference. World records were set there, but it failed in its first season and was torn down in 1922.
In 1927, the Cotati Volunteer Fire Department was organized. Since 1993, Cotati has been part of the Rancho Adobe Fire Protection District.
A local weekly newspaper called The Cotatian was established by E. A. Little in 1944 and lasted until 1964. The current local paper is The Community Voice, published in neighboring Penngrove
Penngrove, California
Penngrove is a census-designated place in Sonoma County, California, United States, situated between the cities of Petaluma and Cotati, at the foot of Sonoma Mountain. It is part of the North Bay subregion of the San Francisco Bay Area...
.
Incorporation, growth, and rent control
On July 2, 1963, less than year after the incorporation of the lands north of town to form Rohnert ParkRohnert Park, California
Rohnert Park is a city in Sonoma County, California, United States, located approximately north of San Francisco. The population at the 2010 United States Census was 40,971. It is an early planned city, modeled directly after Levittown, New York and Levittown, Pennsylvania. Rohnert Park is the...
, voters approved (by a 284 to 41 margin) incorporation of Cotati as a separate city. After incorporation, the city grew rapidly, due in part to being within commuting range of San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. Between 1965 and 2000, the population increased by more than a factor of four.
In 1979, Cotati voters approved a rent control
Rent control
Rent control refers to laws or ordinances that set price controls on the renting of residential housing. It functions as a price ceiling.Rent control exists in approximately 40 countries around the world...
ordinance for all residential rentals, but in 1995, that ordinance was partly preempted by the passage of AB (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...
Bill) 1164, known as the Costa/Hawkins Bill. At the time, Cotati was one of five cities in California with "strong rent control
Rent control
Rent control refers to laws or ordinances that set price controls on the renting of residential housing. It functions as a price ceiling.Rent control exists in approximately 40 countries around the world...
" laws which included vacancy control. (The other cities were West Hollywood
West Hollywood, California
West Hollywood, a city of Los Angeles County, California, was incorporated on November 29, 1984, with a population of 34,399 at the 2010 census. 41% of the city's population is made up of gay men according to a 2002 demographic analysis by Sara Kocher Consulting for the City of West Hollywood...
, Santa Monica
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
, Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
and East Palo Alto
East Palo Alto, California
East Palo Alto is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States.-Overview:As of the 2010 census, the population of East Palo Alto was 28,155. It is situated on the San Francisco Peninsula, roughly halfway between the cities of San Francisco and San Jose...
). The Costa/Hawkins bill made it impossible for California municipalities to enforce vacancy control, except in special cases like mobile home parks
Trailer park
A trailer park is a semi-permanent or permanent area for mobile homes or travel trailers. The main reasons for living in such trailer parks are the often lower cost compared to other housing, and the ability to move to a new area more quickly and easily, for example when changing jobs to another...
. When the 1979 ordinance was repealed by Cotati voters in 1998, it was replaced with a more limited ordinance aimed at mobile home parks. At the present time, eight of the nine incorporated areas in Sonoma County have rent control for mobile home parks, the exception being Healdsburg
Healdsburg, California
Healdsburg is a city located in Sonoma County, California, in the United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a population of 11,254...
.
In 1990, Cotati citizens voted to impose a limit
Urban growth boundary
An urban growth boundary, or UGB, is a regional boundary, set in an attempt to control urban sprawl by mandating that the area inside the boundary be used for higher density urban development and the area outside be used for lower density development.An urban growth boundary circumscribes an...
on future annexation of land by the city. This was followed in 1997 by a ballot measure prohibiting "big-box" retail stores of more than 43000 square feet (3,994.8 m²). However, on November 4, 2003, Cotati voters approved (by 1,047 votes to 1,013) Measure B, granting an exception to this ordinance so that a Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse could be built on the west side of U.S. 101.
Budget crisis
In order to cope with declining revenue, the City instituted a series of budget cuts, starting in 2007. As of August 2009, the City expected to run out of money in its General Fund within a year.In April 2010, Cotati voters passed Measure A to approve a 1/2 cent sales tax for the next five years. This is expected to stabilize staff and stop the drain on the city's General Fund.
Government
Cotati is governed by a city council with five members, who serve four-year terms. Each year, council members elect a mayor and vice mayor from among themselves. Municipal election are held in November during even-numbered years.Since 2002, Cotati has been part of California's 3rd State Senate district
California's 3rd State Senate district
California's 3rd State Senate District is one of 40 California State Senate districts. It is currently represented by Democrat Mark Leno of San Francisco.-District profile:...
.
Cotati is in California's 6th State Assembly district
California's 6th State Assembly district
California's 6th State Assembly District is one of 80 districts in the California State Assembly. It is currently represented by Democrat Jared Huffman of San Rafael.-District profile:...
.
With respect to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, Cotati is part of California's 6th congressional district
California's 6th congressional district
California's 6th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California that stretches up the Pacific coast north of the San Francisco Bay...
.
Education
The city is served by Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School DistrictCotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District
The Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District is a school district based in Sonoma County, California.The District serves approximately 6,700 students in the cities of Cotati and Rohnert Park and neighboring areas of Sonoma County...
. Thomas Page Elementary School is the only public school actually located in Cotati. The main high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
serving Cotati is Rancho Cotate High School
Rancho Cotate High School
Rancho Cotate High School "The Ranch" for short, is a four-year comprehensive high school located in Rohnert Park, California. It is located at 5450 Snyder Lane, adjacent to the campus of Sonoma State University....
, which is in neighboring Rohnert Park
Rohnert Park, California
Rohnert Park is a city in Sonoma County, California, United States, located approximately north of San Francisco. The population at the 2010 United States Census was 40,971. It is an early planned city, modeled directly after Levittown, New York and Levittown, Pennsylvania. Rohnert Park is the...
.
Sonoma State University
Sonoma State University
Sonoma State University is a public, coeducational business and liberal arts college affiliated with the California State University system. The main campus is located in Rohnert Park, California, United States and lies approximately south of Santa Rosa and north of San Francisco...
, a public college about 1 mi (1.6 km) east of the city limits, has an influence on Cotati.
Private schools located in Cotati include:
- Cotati-Rohnert Park Co-Op Nursery School
- Rancho Bodega School (grades 6-12)
- Rainbow Bridge Montessori School (Kindergarten only)
- Training Wheels Preschool
Cotati is served by the Sonoma County Library, a public library with branches in Rohnert Park and Petaluma.
Transportation
Cotati is served by bus routes operated by Golden Gate TransitGolden Gate Transit
Golden Gate Transit is a public transportation system serving the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in California, United States. It mainly serves Marin and Sonoma Counties, and also provides limited service to San Francisco and Contra Costa County.Golden Gate Transit is one of three...
(routes 72, 75, and 80) and Sonoma County Transit
Sonoma County Transit
Sonoma County Transit is a public transportation system based in Sonoma County, California.-Cities and communities served:As the primary bus system in the county, Sonoma County Transit operates to the following communities, listed by zones from south to north:Sonoma Coast and Russian River:*...
.
The nearest major airports are San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco International Airport is a major international airport located south of downtown San Francisco, California, United States, near the cities of Millbrae and San Bruno in unincorporated San Mateo County. It is often referred to as SFO...
and Oakland International Airport
Oakland International Airport
Oakland International Airport , also known as Metropolitan Oakland International Airport, is a public airport located south of the central business district of Oakland, a city in Alameda County, California, United States...
. The Santa Rosa airport
Charles M. Schulz - Sonoma County Airport
Charles M. Schulz – Sonoma County Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located 6 nautical miles northwest of downtown Santa Rosa, a city in Sonoma County, California, United States. It serves the county and surrounding areas of Wine Country in California.The airport is named after Charles M...
, which is closer, also offers passenger service.
From the south, U.S. Route 101 North and State Route 116
California State Route 116
State Route 116 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California in Sonoma County. The route runs from State Route 1 on the Pacific coast near Jenner to State Route 121 south of Sonoma.-Route description:...
West approach Cotati on a multilane lane freeway alignment which Caltrans
California Department of Transportation
The California Department of Transportation is a government department in the U.S. state of California. Its mission is to improve mobility across the state. It manages the state highway system and is actively involved with public transportation systems throughout the state...
calls the Cotati Grade, with exits at Railroad Avenue and West Sierra Avenue. From the west, State Route 116 East approaches on the two-lane Gravenstein Highway. From the north, U.S. Route 101 South approaches Cotati as a multilane freeway with a single exit at Gravenstein Highway.
Parks and recreation
As of 1995, Cotati had 20.06 acre (8.12 ha) of parks. Cotati parks include:- Cator Field (along School Street, where the tennis courts are located)
- Helen Putnam Park (along Myrtle Avenue, where the dog park and soccer field are located)
- Kotate Park (playground)
- La Plaza Park (along Old Redwood Highway in the center of town, where the bandstand is located and many annual events are held)
Entertainment
Cotati has numerous annual events, many of them organized by itsCommunity and Environment Commission:
- Pasta Feed and Bingo Night, a fundraising event, usually held in late February or early March
- Farmers' Market, weekly from June to September
- Cotati Jazz FestivalCotati Jazz FestivalThe Cotati Jazz Festival is an annual music festival held in Cotati, California, USA, since 1980. It typically takes place on Father's Day weekend...
, since 1981, usually in mid-June - Cotati Earth Day, around the end of June
- Kids Day Parade and Festival, for more than 12 years, usually in mid-July
- Accordion Festival, since 1991, usually in mid-August
- Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony, usually in early December
Further reading
- "Access Genealogy: Indian Tribal records, Miwok Indian Tribe. Retrieved on August 6. 2006. A list of all verified Coastal Miwok villages in the area.
- DeClercq, John H. A History of Rohnert Park "from seed to city" , 1977. Retrieved on August 6, 2006. Includes history of the Cotati-Penngrove region.
- Draper, Prudence and Lloyd Draper, Images of America: Cotati. Arcadia Publishing, 2004. ISBN 0-73852-873-0. Local history with many old photos.
- Shumway, Burgess M., California Ranchos: Patented Private Land Grants Listed by County. San Bernardino, California: The Borgo Press, 1988. ISBN 0-89370-935-2.