La Honda, California
Encyclopedia
La Honda is a census-designated place
(CDP) in southern San Mateo County
, California
, United States
. The population was 928 at the 2010 census. It is located in the Santa Cruz Mountains
between Silicon Valley
and the Pacific coast of California
. La Honda is near the La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve and State Route 84
on the ocean side of the Coastal Range
.
The ZIP Code for La Honda is 94020 and the area code is 650
. Land-line numbers in the La Honda telephone exchange
follow the pattern 747-xxxx while wired telephones in and around the Middleton Tract
(along Portola State Park Road
) work out of the Los Altos
exchange with 94x-xxxx numbers. Per the U.S. Geological Survey, Lahonda is a historic variant of the modern spelling.
, the CDP covers an area of 4.3 square miles (11.0 km²), 99.65% of it land, and 0.35% of it water.
was 217.7 people per square mile (84.1/km²). The racial makeup of La Honda was 811 (87.4%) White, 13 (1.4%) African American, 0 (0.0%) Native American, 16 (1.7%) Asian, 2 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 18 (1.9%) from other races
, and 68 (7.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 69 persons (7.4%).
The Census reported that 916 people (98.7% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 12 (1.3%) were institutionalized.
There were 411 households, out of which 98 (23.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 203 (49.4%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 31 (7.5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 16 (3.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 40 (9.7%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 10 (2.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 101 households (24.6%) were made up of individuals and 16 (3.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23. There were 250 families
(60.8% of all households); the average family size was 2.64.
The population was spread out with 153 people (16.5%) under the age of 18, 50 people (5.4%) aged 18 to 24, 202 people (21.8%) aged 25 to 44, 442 people (47.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 81 people (8.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.6 years. For every 100 females there were 113.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.8 males.
There were 472 housing units at an average density of 110.8 per square mile (42.8/km²), of which 293 (71.3%) were owner-occupied, and 118 (28.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.3%. 689 people (74.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 227 people (24.5%) lived in rental housing units.
, the author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
(pages of which were written all over the restroom wall of his La Honda residence) and other books, owned a home in La Honda, which served as the base of operations for The Merry Pranksters
where they used LSD
and other drugs.
The escapades of Kesey and the Merry Pranksters are documented in Tom Wolfe's
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test
, which describes the wildly painted school bus, 'Furthur', driven by Neal Cassady
, who had been the hyperkinetic driver in Jack Kerouac
's On the Road
.
The La Honda house where Kesey's adventures became famous—one mile (1.6 km) west of Apple Jack's Inn—has been faithfully restored after years of neglect and a near catastrophic flood in 1998, although the road sign on the bridge no longer exists: "No Left Turn Unstoned".
In the last few years, La Honda has become known for its wine grape vineyards, most notably Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese planted by La Honda Winery (of Redwood City) just north of California State Route 84 above the Red Barn.
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...
(CDP) in southern San Mateo County
San Mateo County, California
San Mateo County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. It covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula just south of San Francisco, and north of Santa Clara County. San Francisco International Airport is located at the northern end of the county, and...
, 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...
. The population was 928 at the 2010 census. It is located in the Santa Cruz Mountains
Santa Cruz Mountains
The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a mountain range in central California, United States. They form a ridge along the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco, separating the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley, and continuing south,...
between Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
and the Pacific coast of 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...
. La Honda is near the La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve and State Route 84
California State Route 84
State Route 84 is a split-section California State Highway consisting of two sections. The first section is an east–west arterial road running from San Gregorio to Menlo Park, across the Dumbarton Bridge through Fremont and Newark and ending at I-580 in Livermore. The route overlaps the...
on the ocean side of the Coastal Range
Santa Cruz Mountains
The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a mountain range in central California, United States. They form a ridge along the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco, separating the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley, and continuing south,...
.
The ZIP Code for La Honda is 94020 and the area code is 650
Area code 650
North American area code 650 is a California telephone area code which includes most of San Mateo County and the extreme northwestern portion of Santa Clara County including Palo Alto, Mountain View, and Los Altos....
. Land-line numbers in the La Honda telephone exchange
Telephone exchange
In the field of telecommunications, a telephone exchange or telephone switch is a system of electronic components that connects telephone calls...
follow the pattern 747-xxxx while wired telephones in and around the Middleton Tract
Middleton Tract, California
Middleton Tract is a rural community in the coastal Redwoods of San Mateo County, California. Unattributed press reports say the name Middleton Tract may have been applied to this area as early as 1925. In the present day, the name is official at the county government level...
(along Portola State Park Road
Portola Redwoods State Park
Portola Redwoods State Park is a California state park, located in San Mateo County. Peters Creek and Pescadero Creek meet in Portola, and are the park's primary watercourses, and feature numerous tributaries. Tip Toe Falls is a small waterfall along Fall Creek, a tributary of Pescadero Creek...
) work out of the Los Altos
Los Altos, California
Los Altos is a city at the southern end of the San Francisco Peninsula, in the San Francisco Bay Area. The city is in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 28,976 according to the 2010 census....
exchange with 94x-xxxx numbers. Per the U.S. Geological Survey, Lahonda is a historic variant of the modern spelling.
Geography
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 CDP covers an area of 4.3 square miles (11.0 km²), 99.65% of it land, and 0.35% of it water.
Demographics
The 2010 United States Census reported that La Honda had a population of 928. 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 217.7 people per square mile (84.1/km²). The racial makeup of La Honda was 811 (87.4%) White, 13 (1.4%) African American, 0 (0.0%) Native American, 16 (1.7%) Asian, 2 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 18 (1.9%) 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 68 (7.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 69 persons (7.4%).
The Census reported that 916 people (98.7% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 12 (1.3%) were institutionalized.
There were 411 households, out of which 98 (23.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 203 (49.4%) 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, 31 (7.5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 16 (3.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 40 (9.7%) 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 10 (2.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 101 households (24.6%) were made up of individuals and 16 (3.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23. There were 250 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...
(60.8% of all households); the average family size was 2.64.
The population was spread out with 153 people (16.5%) under the age of 18, 50 people (5.4%) aged 18 to 24, 202 people (21.8%) aged 25 to 44, 442 people (47.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 81 people (8.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.6 years. For every 100 females there were 113.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.8 males.
There were 472 housing units at an average density of 110.8 per square mile (42.8/km²), of which 293 (71.3%) were owner-occupied, and 118 (28.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.3%. 689 people (74.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 227 people (24.5%) lived in rental housing units.
Cultural history
Ken KeseyKen Kesey
Kenneth Elton "Ken" Kesey was an American author, best known for his novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest , and as a counter-cultural figure who considered himself a link between the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the hippies of the 1960s. "I was too young to be a beatnik, and too old to be a...
, the author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a 1975 American drama film directed by Miloš Forman and based on the 1962 novel of the same name by Ken Kesey....
(pages of which were written all over the restroom wall of his La Honda residence) and other books, owned a home in La Honda, which served as the base of operations for The Merry Pranksters
Merry Pranksters
The Merry Pranksters were a group of people who formed around American author Ken Kesey in 1964 and sometimes lived communally at his homes in California and Oregon...
where they used LSD
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
and other drugs.
The escapades of Kesey and the Merry Pranksters are documented in Tom Wolfe's
Tom Wolfe
Thomas Kennerly "Tom" Wolfe, Jr. is a best-selling American author and journalist. He is one of the founders of the New Journalism movement of the 1960s and 1970s.-Early life and education:...
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test is a work of literary journalism by Tom Wolfe, published in 1968. Using techniques from the genre of hysterical realism and pioneering new journalism, the "nonfiction novel" tells the story of Ken Kesey and his band of Merry Pranksters...
, which describes the wildly painted school bus, 'Furthur', driven by Neal Cassady
Neal Cassady
Neal Leon Cassady was a major figure of the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the psychedelic movement of the 1960s. He served as the model for the character Dean Moriarty in Jack Kerouac's novel On the Road....
, who had been the hyperkinetic driver in 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...
's On the Road
On the Road
On the Road is a novel by American writer Jack Kerouac, written in April 1951, and published by Viking Press in 1957. It is a largely autobiographical work that was based on the spontaneous road trips of Kerouac and his friends across mid-century America. It is often considered a defining work of...
.
In the last few years, La Honda has become known for its wine grape vineyards, most notably Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese planted by La Honda Winery (of Redwood City) just north of California State Route 84 above the Red Barn.
Notable residents
- Joe CottonwoodJoe CottonwoodJoe Cottonwood is an American author of fiction and poetry for adults and children. He was born in 1947 and lives in La Honda, California.-Novels for all:The Adventures of Boone Barnaby ,Danny Ain't ,...
- Richard Allen DavisRichard Allen DavisRichard Allen Davis is a convicted murderer, whose criminal record fueled support for passage of California's "Three strikes law" for repeat offenders...
- Reed HastingsReed HastingsWilmot Reed Hastings, Jr. is an entrepreneur and education philanthropist. He is the CEO of Netflix, and on the boards of Microsoft, Facebook, and numerous non-profit organizations.- Early life and education :...
- Jessica Kahn
- Ken KeseyKen KeseyKenneth Elton "Ken" Kesey was an American author, best known for his novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest , and as a counter-cultural figure who considered himself a link between the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the hippies of the 1960s. "I was too young to be a beatnik, and too old to be a...
- Paul VixiePaul VixiePaul Vixie is an American Internet pioneer, the author of several RFCs and well-known Unix software.Vixie attended George Washington High School in San Francisco, California. He received a Ph.D in computer science from Keio University in 2011....
- Neil YoungNeil YoungNeil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
- Blade Backspin
Sources
- U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System.
- Map: State of California, Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources, District 3, Map W3-10.
See also
- Middleton TractMiddleton Tract, CaliforniaMiddleton Tract is a rural community in the coastal Redwoods of San Mateo County, California. Unattributed press reports say the name Middleton Tract may have been applied to this area as early as 1925. In the present day, the name is official at the county government level...
- Skeggs PointSkeggs Point, CaliforniaSkeggs Point is a scenic turnout in San Mateo County along State Route 35 between Kings Mountain and State Route 84. The feature is marked with a guide sign along the road and is listed on the USGS 7.5 minute quadrangle, "Woodside, California" as well as in the National Geographic Names Database...
External links
- Sam McDonald county park – reference includes biography of a very interesting man more details
- Pescadero creek park
- Memorial park
- [ftp://ftp.consrv.ca.gov/pub/oil/maps/dist3/w3-10/Mapw3-10.pdf PDF Oil field map of La Honda area, (see Inset B).]