Lee Vining, California
Encyclopedia
Lee Vining is a census-designated place
in Mono County
, California
, United States
. It is located 21 miles (34 km) south-southeast of Bridgeport
, at an elevation of 6781 feet (2067 m). Lee Vining is located on the southwest shore of Mono Lake
. The population was 222 as of the 2010 census, down from 250 reported as of 2000 by Mono County. At the previous census (1990) the town population was 398, and at the census before that (1980) it was 315.
, and is near other tourist destinations such as Mono Lake, the ghost town of Bodie
, popular trout fishing
destinations, and June Mountain
and Mammoth Mountain
ski
areas and the June Lake
recreational area. Tourism is mostly confined to the summer months, because State Route 120
through Yosemite is closed otherwise because of heavy snowfall, although year-round tourism has been increasing in recent years. Lee Vining has a year-round Information Center for visitors.
, the CDP covers an area of 5.2 square miles (13.5 km²), 99.95% of it land, and 0.05% of it water.
. In 1926, the town was laid out by Chris Mattly and named "Lakeview", but when a post office was sought in 1928, it was learned that another town, Lakeview, California
already had the name. The unique name of Lee Vining was chosen in 1953. The place was also called Poverty Flat for its unfavorable conditions for agriculture.
Lee Vining is situated near the foot of Lee Vining Canyon. State Route 120
runs from town, through the canyon, up to Tioga Pass
. Lee Vining Canyon is one of only two ice climbing
venues in California. U.S. Route 395 also runs through the town, connecting to Los Angeles
390 miles (627.6 km) to the South, and Reno, Nevada
135 miles (217.3 km) to the North.
The Lee Vining Airport
lies near the town. The ZIP Code
is 93541. The community is inside area code 760
.
was 42.5 people per square mile (16.4/km²). The racial makeup of Lee Vining was 126 (56.8%) White, 0 (0.0%) African American, 25 (11.3%) Native American, 0 (0.0%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 64 (28.8%) from other races
, and 7 (3.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 96 persons (43.2%).
The Census reported that 213 people (95.9% of the population) lived in households, 9 (4.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 85 households, out of which 31 (36.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 44 (51.8%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 4 (4.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 5 (5.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 5 (5.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 1 (1.2%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 28 households (32.9%) were made up of individuals and 6 (7.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51. There were 53 families
(62.4% of all households); the average family size was 3.25.
The population was spread out with 56 people (25.2%) under the age of 18, 26 people (11.7%) aged 18 to 24, 71 people (32.0%) aged 25 to 44, 52 people (23.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 17 people (7.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30.4 years. For every 100 females there were 107.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.4 males.
There were 112 housing units at an average density of 21.5 per square mile (8.3/km²), of which 43 (50.6%) were owner-occupied, and 42 (49.4%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 10.6%. 108 people (48.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 105 people (47.3%) lived in rental housing units.
Lee Vining is located in the 1st Senate
District, represented by Republican
Ted Gaines
, and in the 25th Assembly
District, represented by Republican Kristin Olsen
. Federally, Lee Vining is located in California's 25th congressional district
, which has a Cook PVI
of R +7 and is represented by Republican Buck McKeon
.
. An elementary school and a high school (Lee Vining High School) are located in Lee Vining. Lee Vining also has a public library.
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...
in 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located 21 miles (34 km) south-southeast of Bridgeport
Bridgeport, California
Bridgeport is a census-designated place that is the county seat of Mono County, California. It lies at an elevation of 6463 feet 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...
, at an elevation of 6781 feet (2067 m). Lee Vining is located on the southwest shore of Mono Lake
Mono Lake
Mono Lake is a large, shallow saline lake in Mono County, California, formed at least 760,000 years ago as a terminal lake in a basin that has no outlet to the ocean...
. The population was 222 as of the 2010 census, down from 250 reported as of 2000 by Mono County. At the previous census (1990) the town population was 398, and at the census before that (1980) it was 315.
Situation
The economy of Lee Vining relies largely on tourism, since it is the closest town to the east entrance of Yosemite National ParkYosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
, and is near other tourist destinations such as Mono Lake, the ghost town 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...
, popular trout fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
destinations, and June Mountain
June Mountain
June Mountain is a winter resort in northern California, located near June Lake, southeast of Yosemite National Park. June Mountain hosted the 2006 Ski Mountaineering Race Series and the ski and snowboard portions of the 2006 California Winter Games in March 2006.The ski resort is now owned by...
and Mammoth Mountain
Mammoth Mountain
Mammoth Mountain is a lava dome complex west of the town of Mammoth Lakes, California in the Inyo National Forest of Madera County and Mono County. It is home to a large ski area on the Mono County side....
ski
Ski
A ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
areas and the June Lake
June Lake, California
June Lake is a census-designated place in Mono County, California. It is located against the southern rim of the Mono Basin, south of Lee Vining, at an elevation of 7654 feet ....
recreational area. Tourism is mostly confined to the summer months, because State Route 120
California State Route 120
State Route 120 , in northern California, runs between the Central Valley near Manteca, through Yosemite National Park, and ends at U.S. Route 6 in Mono County.-Route description:...
through Yosemite is closed otherwise because of heavy snowfall, although year-round tourism has been increasing in recent years. Lee Vining has a year-round Information Center for visitors.
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 5.2 square miles (13.5 km²), 99.95% of it land, and 0.05% of it water.
History
The town was named after Leroy Vining, who founded the town in 1852 as a mining camp. His life came to an untimely end when he accidentally shot himself at the nearby town of Aurora, NevadaAurora, Nevada
Aurora is a ghost town in Mineral County in the western central part of the U.S. state of Nevada, approximately southwest of the town of Hawthorne and three miles from the California border....
. In 1926, the town was laid out by Chris Mattly and named "Lakeview", but when a post office was sought in 1928, it was learned that another town, Lakeview, California
Lakeview, California
Lakeview is a census-designated place in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 2,104 at the 2010 census, up from 1,619 at the 2000 census...
already had the name. The unique name of Lee Vining was chosen in 1953. The place was also called Poverty Flat for its unfavorable conditions for agriculture.
Sights
The town is the site of the Upside-Down House, a distinctive local landmark built by silent film actress Nellie Bly O'Bryan.Lee Vining is situated near the foot of Lee Vining Canyon. State Route 120
California State Route 120
State Route 120 , in northern California, runs between the Central Valley near Manteca, through Yosemite National Park, and ends at U.S. Route 6 in Mono County.-Route description:...
runs from town, through the canyon, up to Tioga Pass
Tioga Pass
Tioga Pass is a mountain pass in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. State Route 120 runs through it, and serves as the eastern entry point for Yosemite National Park. It is the highest highway pass in California and in the Sierra Nevada. Mount Dana is to the east of the pass...
. Lee Vining Canyon is one of only two ice climbing
Ice climbing
Ice climbing, as the term indicates, is the activity of ascending inclined ice formations. Usually, ice climbing refers to roped and protected climbing of features such as icefalls, frozen waterfalls, and cliffs and rock slabs covered with ice refrozen from flows of water. For the purposes of...
venues in California. U.S. Route 395 also runs through the town, connecting to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
390 miles (627.6 km) to the South, and Reno, Nevada
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
135 miles (217.3 km) to the North.
The Lee Vining Airport
Lee Vining Airport
Lee Vining Airport is a public use airport located one nautical mile east of the central business district of Lee Vining, a town in Mono County, California, United States. The airport is owned by the City of Los Angeles...
lies near the town. The ZIP Code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
is 93541. The community is inside area code 760
Area 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...
.
Demographics
The 2010 United States Census reported that Lee Vining had a population of 222. 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 42.5 people per square mile (16.4/km²). The racial makeup of Lee Vining was 126 (56.8%) White, 0 (0.0%) African American, 25 (11.3%) Native American, 0 (0.0%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 64 (28.8%) 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 7 (3.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 96 persons (43.2%).
The Census reported that 213 people (95.9% of the population) lived in households, 9 (4.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 85 households, out of which 31 (36.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 44 (51.8%) 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, 4 (4.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 5 (5.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 5 (5.9%) 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 (1.2%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 28 households (32.9%) were made up of individuals and 6 (7.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51. There were 53 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...
(62.4% of all households); the average family size was 3.25.
The population was spread out with 56 people (25.2%) under the age of 18, 26 people (11.7%) aged 18 to 24, 71 people (32.0%) aged 25 to 44, 52 people (23.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 17 people (7.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30.4 years. For every 100 females there were 107.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.4 males.
There were 112 housing units at an average density of 21.5 per square mile (8.3/km²), of which 43 (50.6%) were owner-occupied, and 42 (49.4%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 10.6%. 108 people (48.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 105 people (47.3%) lived in rental housing units.
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...
Lee Vining 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, Lee Vining 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:...
.
Education
Lee Vining 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...
. An elementary school and a high school (Lee Vining High School) are located in Lee Vining. Lee Vining also has a public library.