Pacifica, California
Encyclopedia
Pacifica is a city in San Mateo County, California
, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean
between San Francisco and Half Moon Bay
.
above on the east, Montara Mountain
to the south, and the Pacific Ocean
's sandy beaches and rocky bluffs to the west.
Pacifica is well known regionally as a popular surfing
destination. Surfers and families often visit Linda Mar Beach. Rockaway Beach
is a scenic location and offers recreation, shopping and dining. 2005 marked the opening of the top ranked http://www.caliskatz.com/v4/skateparks/ratings.asp Pacifica Skateboard Park. Pacifica is also a popular mountain biking destination, with many trails crossing the hillsides that surround the city, including, Pedro Mountain Road
, Sweeney Ridge
, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area
. Fishermen frequent the local beaches, and the Pacifica Pier
, catching fish including Striped Bass
and Salmon
. Pacifica is also a popular place to hike, either along the many beaches and bluffs including Mori Point
, or on the hillsides including San Pedro Valley County Park
http://www.co.sanmateo.ca.us/smc/department/home/0,,5556687_12313317_12345100,00.html, the Sanchez Adobe and Milagra Ridge
. For live local theater arts, Pacifica Spindrift Players is consistently popular, in addition to Pacifica Performances which regularly serves up both musical presentations and performing arts. Pacifica is also home to the Sharp Park Golf Coursehttp://www.sharpparkgc.com/ designed in 1931 by world renown architect Alister MacKenzie
. The world class bromeliad nursery, Shelldance Orchid Gardens is located just off Highway 1
in Pacifica, adjacent to the Sweeney Ridge hiking trailhead.
As of August 1, 2011, the South San Francisco Police Department took over the Pacifica emergency calls dispatch.
was 2,941.1 people per square mile (1,135.6/km²). The racial makeup of Pacifica was 24,166 (64.9%) White, 976 (2.6%) African American, 206 (0.6%) Native American, 7,230 (19.4%) Asian, 315 (0.8%) Pacific Islander, 1,703 (4.6%) from other races
, and 2,638 (7.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6,243 persons (16.8%).
The Census reported that 37,052 people (99.5% of the population) lived in households, 64 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 118 (0.3%) were institutionalized.
There were 13,967 households, out of which 4,511 (32.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 7,385 (52.9%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 1,592 (11.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 709 (5.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 869 (6.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 237 (1.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 3,126 households (22.4%) were made up of individuals and 1,098 (7.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65. There were 9,686 families
(69.3% of all households); the average family size was 3.12.
The population was spread out with 7,707 people (20.7%) under the age of 18, 2,842 people (7.6%) aged 18 to 24, 10,011 people (26.9%) aged 25 to 44, 12,155 people (32.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 4,519 people (12.1%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.5 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males.
There were 14,523 housing units at an average density of 1,147.2 per square mile (442.9/km²), of which 9,545 (68.3%) were owner-occupied, and 4,422 (31.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.8%. 26,567 people (71.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 10,485 people (28.2%) lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there were 38,390 people, 13,994 households, and 9,655 families residing in the city. The population density
was 3,038.9 people per square mile (1,173.6/km²). There were 14,245 housing units at an average density of 1,127.6 per square mile (435.5/km²).
There were 13,994 households out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.5% were married couples
living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the city, the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.
The median income
for a household in the city was $71,737, and the median income for a family was $78,361 (these figures had risen to $82,000 and $102,463 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $50,761 versus $40,261 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $30,183. About 1.2% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.2% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.
The oldest person to ever live in Pacifica is Rose G. Rosenthal who was born on April 8, 1901, and died December 27, 2008.
The Reverend Herschell Harkins Memorial pier
was constructed in 1973 and was designed to carry sewage piping out to sea. It was closed in 1992 due to corrosion of some of the structure. Since then the pier has been repaired and is a well known fishing spot; on July 8–9, 1995, over 1,000 salmon were caught from the pier.
which flows from the western slope of Sweeney Ridge
. The far eastern portion of Pacifica includes San Andreas Creek
which flows down the eastern slope of Sweeney Ridge
. The Portola expedition
followed these two creeks in the discovery of San Francisco Bay.
(Köppen climate classification
Csb) typical of coastal areas of California.
The National Weather Service
has maintained a cooperative weather station in Pacifica since November 1, 1983. Based on those records, average January temperatures range from 45.8 °F (7.7 °C) to 56.7 °F (13.7 °C) and average September temperatures range from 53.9 °F (12.2 °C) to 71.8 °F (22.1 °C). There are an average of 3.0 days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher and an average of 0.2 day with lows of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower. The highest temperature on record was 102 °F (38.9 °C) on October 5, 1987, and the lowest temperature was 23 °F (-5 °C) on December 22, 1990. Annual precipitation averages 30.29 inches (769.4 mm) and has ranged from 15.88 inches (403.4 mm) in 1990 to 43.17 inches (1,096.5 mm) in 1996. The most rainfall in one month was 18.05 inches (458.5 mm) in February 1998 and the most rainfall in 24 hours was 5 inches (127 mm) on December 27, 2004. There are an average of 66 days annually with measurable precipitation, most of which falls from October through May. Summer fogs often produce light drizzle in the night and morning hours. Condensation from the fogs also produces fog drip
from trees overnight. No measurable snowfall has been recorded since records began. The southeastern portions of the municipality, such as Park Pacifica, are known to be much sunnier than the rest of the city.
Pacifica is located in the 8th Senate
District, represented by Democrat
Leland Yee
, and in the 19th Assembly
District, represented by Democrat Jerry Hill
. Federally, Pacifica is located in California's 12th congressional district
, which has a Cook PVI
of D +22 and is represented by Democrat Jackie Speier
.
in 1999.
Pacifica Community Television, Pacifica's Emmy Award
-winning local Public-access television
cable TV channel 26, has continuously operated for 30 years featuring community based television.
Indian villages including Pruristac located at San Pedro Creek
near present day Adobe Drive and Timigtac on Calera Creek
in the Rockaway Beach neighborhood
.
Pacifica is the location of the oldest European discovery of the San Francisco Bay. An expedition led by Gaspar de Portolà
sighted the bay by climbing the hills of Sweeney Ridge in Pacifica on October 31, 1769.http://www.hallman.org/pacifica/portola.html Before then, earlier Spanish maritime explorers of the California coast (such as Juan Cabrillo and Sebastian Vizcaino) had missed the San Francisco Bay because heavy fog so frequently shrouded the entrance of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean (the Golden Gate
). Sighting the San Francisco Bay accelerated the Spanish colonization of Alta California because it was the only large, safe, centrally located harbor on the Alta California coast. The Spanish had used Monterey Bay up until then as their main harbor, but it was much more dangerous than San Francisco Bay. In the Spanish era, Pacifica was the site of the San Pedro Valley Mission Outpost
(1786–1793) of Mission Dolores. This was dissolved when a newly-independent Mexico secularized the mission system. Pacifica is also the site of the still extant Mexican-era Sánchez Adobe
built in 1846. The city is located on a part of the Mexican land grant Rancho San Pedro
given to Francisco Sanchez in 1839.
Pacifica was incorporated in 1957, relatively recently in the history of San Mateo County, as the union of nine previously separate, unincorporated communities, including Edgemar, Sharp Park, Pacific Manor (or just Manor), Vallemar, Rockaway Beach and San Pedro Terrace-By-The-Sea, stops on the short lived Ocean Shore Railroad
.
, known as Pacifica School District
, (formerly the Laguna Salada School District), consists of Vallemar, Cabrillo, Ingrid B. Lacy, Sunset Ridge, Ortega, Linda Mar and Ocean Shore schools, and also a home schooling program. The administration office is located at 375 Reina del Mar Avenue, adjacent to Vallemar School. Each school enrolls about 550-600 students. There are two private K-8 schools, Good Shepherd School and Alma Heights Christian Academy
.
Pacifica has one private high school and two public high schools which are part of the Jefferson Union High School District
. Oceana High School
in the central part of the city while Terra Nova High School and Alma Heights Christian High School are in the south. Many students in the northern part of Pacifica attend Jefferson High School
or Westmoor High School
nearby in adjacent Daly City. Oceana's teaching paradigm is geared toward longer classes, senior exhibitions, and mandated community service. Much larger Terra Nova is a more traditional institution, featuring numerous sports, clubs, and a broad-based and enriching educational experience. Alma Heights Christian High School is a private high school located 5 minutes from popular Linda Mar Beach.
operates the Pacifica-Sanchez Library and the Pacifica-Sharp Park Library.
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...
, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
between San Francisco and Half Moon Bay
Half Moon Bay, California
Half Moon Bay is a coastal city in San Mateo County, California, USA. Its population was 11,324 as of the 2010 census. Immediately at the north of Half Moon Bay is the Pillar Point Harbor and the unincorporated community of Princeton-by-the-Sea....
.
Overview
The City of Pacifica is spread along a six mile (10 km) stretch of the north central California coastal beach and hills, nestled in several small valleys spanning between Sweeney RidgeSweeney Ridge
Sweeney Ridge, a national park in Pacifica, California, is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Historically, the ridge was the location of the San Francisco Bay Discovery Site, as part of the Portolá Expedition on November 4, 1769.-Description:...
above on the east, Montara Mountain
Montara Mountain
Montara Mountain, positioned between the unincorporated community of Montara, California to the southwest and the city of Pacifica, California to the north, forms the northern spur of the Santa Cruz Mountains, a narrow mountain range running the length of the San Francisco Peninsula that separates...
to the south, and the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
's sandy beaches and rocky bluffs to the west.
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
destination. Surfers and families often visit Linda Mar Beach. Rockaway Beach
Rockaway Beach, California
Rockaway Beach is a shoreline area of the Pacific Ocean in the southern portion of Pacifica, California, United States, approximately miles south of the city of San Francisco...
is a scenic location and offers recreation, shopping and dining. 2005 marked the opening of the top ranked http://www.caliskatz.com/v4/skateparks/ratings.asp Pacifica Skateboard Park. Pacifica is also a popular mountain biking destination, with many trails crossing the hillsides that surround the city, including, Pedro Mountain Road
Pedro Mountain Road
Pedro Mountain Road describes a series of historical road crossings of Pedro Mountain, a promontory ridge located between Montara Mountain and the coastal cliffs of Devil's Slide in San Mateo County, California. This Pedro Mountain headland blocks the easy passage of coastal travelers between the...
, Sweeney Ridge
Sweeney Ridge
Sweeney Ridge, a national park in Pacifica, California, is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Historically, the ridge was the location of the San Francisco Bay Discovery Site, as part of the Portolá Expedition on November 4, 1769.-Description:...
, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
The Golden Gate National Recreation Area is a U.S. National Recreation Area administered by the National Park Service that surrounds the San Francisco Bay area. It is one of the most visited units of the National Park system in the United States, with over 13 million visitors a year...
. Fishermen frequent the local beaches, and the Pacifica Pier
Pacifica Pier
Pacifica Pier is a fishing pier in Pacifica, in western San Mateo County, California. The L shaped pier spans out into the Pacific Ocean for a quarter mile from the City of Pacifica. Its official name is the Rev. Herschell Harkins Memorial Pacifica Pier....
, catching fish including Striped Bass
Bass (fish)
Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...
and Salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
. Pacifica is also a popular place to hike, either along the many beaches and bluffs including Mori Point
Mori Point
Mori Point is a site located in Pacifica, California that is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. In 2000, Mori Point was put up for sale at auction, and the Pacifica Land Trust, the California Coastal Conservancy and the Trust for Public Land launched a campaign to purchase the...
, or on the hillsides including San Pedro Valley County Park
San Pedro Valley County Park
San Pedro Valley County Park is a San Mateo County park located in Pacifica, California, which includes the headwaters of San Pedro Creek.-Trails:* Montara Mountain Trail, 2.1 miles, includes views of the Pacific Ocean....
http://www.co.sanmateo.ca.us/smc/department/home/0,,5556687_12313317_12345100,00.html, the Sanchez Adobe and Milagra Ridge
Milagra Ridge
Milagra Ridge is a 240 acre parcel of land that is an isolated island ecosystem, located about 7 miles south of San Francisco, near the city of Pacifica. It first inhabited by the Ohlone indigenous people, then later claimed by Spanish settlers and Mexican ranchers.-History:In 1942 the U.S...
. For live local theater arts, Pacifica Spindrift Players is consistently popular, in addition to Pacifica Performances which regularly serves up both musical presentations and performing arts. Pacifica is also home to the Sharp Park Golf Coursehttp://www.sharpparkgc.com/ designed in 1931 by world renown architect Alister MacKenzie
Alister MacKenzie
Dr. Alister MacKenzie was an internationally renowned, British golf course architect whose course designs, on three different continents, are consistently ranked among the finest golf courses in the world...
. The world class bromeliad nursery, Shelldance Orchid Gardens is located just off Highway 1
California State Route 1
State Route 1 , more often called Highway 1, is a state highway that runs along much of the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. It is famous for running along some of the most beautiful coastlines in the world, leading to its designation as an All-American Road.Highway 1 does not run...
in Pacifica, adjacent to the Sweeney Ridge hiking trailhead.
Neighborhoods
Pacifica is divided into roughly twelve distinct neighborhoods from north to south:- Fairmont
- Westview (Pacific Highlands)
- Pacific Manor (Manor)http://www.californiacoastline.org/cgi-bin/image.cgi?image=200505972&mode=sequential
- Edgemar
- Sharp Park http://www.californiacoastline.org/cgi-bin/image.cgi?image=200505995&mode=sequential
- Fairway Park http://www.californiacoastline.org/cgi-bin/image.cgi?image=200506010&mode=sequential
- Vallemar and Rockaway BeachRockaway Beach, CaliforniaRockaway Beach is a shoreline area of the Pacific Ocean in the southern portion of Pacifica, California, United States, approximately miles south of the city of San Francisco...
- Pedro Point http://www.californiacoastline.org/cgi-bin/image.cgi?image=200506051&mode=sequential and Shelter CoveShelter Cove, PacificaShelter Cove is a beach neighborhood at the southerly edge of Pacifica, California consisting of seventeen dilapidated rental cottages owned by Arno Rohloff since July 1997...
http://www.californiacoastline.org/cgi-bin/image.cgi?image=200506056&mode=sequential in the south west, - Linda Mar, Linda Mar Valley, (formerly Pedro Valley or San Pedro Valley) in the south.
- Park Pacifica in south east portions of the city (called the Back of the Valley).
Government
Governed by a city council of five elected members, with each council seat in turn serving as mayor for a one-year term. A City Manager, City Attorney and City Clerk are appointed and serve in support of the Council to enact the ordinances passed by the Council, which meets biweekly on the second and fourth Mondays of the month.Departments
The major City departments, ranked by expenditure:- 32% - Police and Communication Services
- 23% - Fire and Emergency Services
- 6% - Development and Engineering
- 6% - Childcare programs
- 5% - City Attorney
- 5% - Public Works
- 5% - Parks, Beach & Recreation
- 5% - Finance and MIS
As of August 1, 2011, the South San Francisco Police Department took over the Pacifica emergency calls dispatch.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Pacifica had a population of 37,234. 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 2,941.1 people per square mile (1,135.6/km²). The racial makeup of Pacifica was 24,166 (64.9%) White, 976 (2.6%) African American, 206 (0.6%) Native American, 7,230 (19.4%) Asian, 315 (0.8%) Pacific Islander, 1,703 (4.6%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2,638 (7.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6,243 persons (16.8%).
The Census reported that 37,052 people (99.5% of the population) lived in households, 64 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 118 (0.3%) were institutionalized.
There were 13,967 households, out of which 4,511 (32.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 7,385 (52.9%) 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, 1,592 (11.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 709 (5.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 869 (6.2%) 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 237 (1.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 3,126 households (22.4%) were made up of individuals and 1,098 (7.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65. There were 9,686 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...
(69.3% of all households); the average family size was 3.12.
The population was spread out with 7,707 people (20.7%) under the age of 18, 2,842 people (7.6%) aged 18 to 24, 10,011 people (26.9%) aged 25 to 44, 12,155 people (32.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 4,519 people (12.1%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.5 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males.
There were 14,523 housing units at an average density of 1,147.2 per square mile (442.9/km²), of which 9,545 (68.3%) were owner-occupied, and 4,422 (31.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.8%. 26,567 people (71.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 10,485 people (28.2%) 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 38,390 people, 13,994 households, and 9,655 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 3,038.9 people per square mile (1,173.6/km²). There were 14,245 housing units at an average density of 1,127.6 per square mile (435.5/km²).
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, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the city, the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.
The median income
Income
Income is the consumption and savings opportunity gained by an entity within a specified time frame, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. However, for households and individuals, "income is the sum of all the wages, salaries, profits, interests payments, rents and other forms of earnings...
for a household in the city was $71,737, and the median income for a family was $78,361 (these figures had risen to $82,000 and $102,463 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $50,761 versus $40,261 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 $30,183. About 1.2% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.2% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.
The oldest person to ever live in Pacifica is Rose G. Rosenthal who was born on April 8, 1901, and died December 27, 2008.
The Reverend Herschell Harkins Memorial pier
Pacifica Pier
Pacifica Pier is a fishing pier in Pacifica, in western San Mateo County, California. The L shaped pier spans out into the Pacific Ocean for a quarter mile from the City of Pacifica. Its official name is the Rev. Herschell Harkins Memorial Pacifica Pier....
was constructed in 1973 and was designed to carry sewage piping out to sea. It was closed in 1992 due to corrosion of some of the structure. Since then the pier has been repaired and is a well known fishing spot; on July 8–9, 1995, over 1,000 salmon were caught from the pier.
Top employers
According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pacifica School District Pacifica School District Pacifica School District is a school district in California, USA. It consists of one middle school, three K-8 elementary schools, two K-5 elementary schools, and the Linda Mar Educational Center... |
307 |
| 2 | City of Pacifica | 287 |
| 3 | Safeway Safeway Inc. Safeway Inc. , a Fortune 500 company, is North America's second largest supermarket chain after The Kroger Co., with, as of December 2010, 1,694 stores located throughout the western and central United States and western Canada. It also operates some stores in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Eastern... |
214 |
| 4 | Jefferson Union High School District Jefferson Union High School District The Jefferson Union High School District is a high school district in northern California, and serves the cities of Daly City, Brisbane, Pacifica, and the town of Colma. Its district office is located at 699 Serramonte Blvd., #100Daly City, California 94015... |
170 |
| 5 | Lucky Lucky Stores Lucky Stores is an American supermarket chain founded in Alameda County, California in 1935. Lucky is currently operated by SuperValu in Southern California and Nevada and by Save Mart in Northern California and Nevada.In 1998, Lucky's parent company, American Stores, was taken over by Albertsons,... |
125 |
| 6 | Rite Aid Rite Aid Rite Aid is a drugstore chain in the United States and a Fortune 500 company headquartered in East Pennsboro Township, Pennsylvania, near Camp Hill. Rite Aid is the largest drugstore chain on the East Coast and the third largest drugstore chain in the U.S.... |
52 |
| 7 | Recology Recology Recology, Inc.is an integrated resource recovery company headquartered in San Francisco, California. The company collects and processes municipal solid waste, reclaiming useful materials that would have otherwise been buried in a landfill. The company also runs transfer stations, materials recovery... of the Coast |
50 |
| 8 | Ross | 48 |
| 9 | North Coast County Water District | 22 |
Topography
Pacifica straddles San Pedro CreekSan Pedro Creek
San Pedro Creek is a perennial stream in the City of Pacifica, San Mateo County, California in the San Francisco Bay Area whose tributaries originate on Sweeney Ridge in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Montara Mountain in the Santa Cruz Mountains.The creek mainstem flows through the...
which flows from the western slope of Sweeney Ridge
Sweeney Ridge
Sweeney Ridge, a national park in Pacifica, California, is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Historically, the ridge was the location of the San Francisco Bay Discovery Site, as part of the Portolá Expedition on November 4, 1769.-Description:...
. The far eastern portion of Pacifica includes San Andreas Creek
San Andreas Creek
San Andrés Creek , now called San Andreas Creek, is a perennial stream that flows miles southeasterly along the San Andreas Fault from Sweeney Ridge in San Mateo County, California, providing the inflow to and outflow from San Andreas Reservoir, and then entering Lower Crystal Springs Reservoir,...
which flows down the eastern slope of Sweeney Ridge
Sweeney Ridge
Sweeney Ridge, a national park in Pacifica, California, is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Historically, the ridge was the location of the San Francisco Bay Discovery Site, as part of the Portolá Expedition on November 4, 1769.-Description:...
. The Portola expedition
Portola expedition
250px|right|Point of San Francisco Bay DiscoveryThe Portolá Expedition was led by Gaspar de Portolá from July 14, 1769 to January 24, 1770. It was the first recorded Spanish land entry and exploration of present day California, United States...
followed these two creeks in the discovery of San Francisco Bay.
Climate
Pacifica has a cool summer Mediterranean climateMediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
(Köppen climate classification
Köppen 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...
Csb) typical of coastal areas of California.
The National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
has maintained a cooperative weather station in Pacifica since November 1, 1983. Based on those records, average January temperatures range from 45.8 °F (7.7 °C) to 56.7 °F (13.7 °C) and average September temperatures range from 53.9 °F (12.2 °C) to 71.8 °F (22.1 °C). There are an average of 3.0 days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher and an average of 0.2 day with lows of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower. The highest temperature on record was 102 °F (38.9 °C) on October 5, 1987, and the lowest temperature was 23 °F (-5 °C) on December 22, 1990. Annual precipitation averages 30.29 inches (769.4 mm) and has ranged from 15.88 inches (403.4 mm) in 1990 to 43.17 inches (1,096.5 mm) in 1996. The most rainfall in one month was 18.05 inches (458.5 mm) in February 1998 and the most rainfall in 24 hours was 5 inches (127 mm) on December 27, 2004. There are an average of 66 days annually with measurable precipitation, most of which falls from October through May. Summer fogs often produce light drizzle in the night and morning hours. Condensation from the fogs also produces fog drip
Fog drip
Fog drip is a type of precipitation that forms when fog droplets condense on the needles or leaves of trees or other objects, and drips to the ground....
from trees overnight. No measurable snowfall has been recorded since records began. The southeastern portions of the municipality, such as Park Pacifica, are known to be much sunnier than the rest of the city.
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...
Pacifica is located in the 8th Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
District, represented by Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Leland Yee
Leland Yee
Leland Yee is a California State Senator in District 8 which represents the western half of San Francisco and most of San Mateo County. Prior to becoming state senator, Yee was a California State Assemblyman, Supervisor of San Francisco's Sunset District, and was a member and President of the San...
, and in the 19th 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 Democrat Jerry Hill
Jerry Hill (Politician)
Jerry Hill is a Democratic state assemblyman representing California's 19th assembly district since December 2008. The district includes the cities of San Mateo, Burlingame, Brisbane, Daly City, Foster City, Millbrae, San Bruno, South San Francisco, Half Moon Bay, Pacifica, and Belmont.- Personal...
. Federally, Pacifica is located in California's 12th congressional district
California's 12th congressional district
California's 12th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California that spans from the southwestern portions of San Francisco in the north down to San Mateo in the south, and from Moss Beach in the west to the edge of San Mateo in the east, where it borders...
, which has a Cook PVI
Cook Partisan Voting Index
The Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...
of D +22 and is represented by Democrat Jackie Speier
Jackie Speier
Karen Lorraine Jacqueline "Jackie" Speier is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2008. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes the northern two-thirds of San Mateo County and the southwest quarter of San Francisco.She is also a former member of the California State...
.
Media
The local newspaper, the Pacifica Tribunehttp://www.pacificatribune.com, is published every Wednesday. It originated as the Coastside Tribune early in the twentieth century. The Tribune was locally owned until its purchase by the ANG NewspapersANG Newspapers
Bay Area News Group is the largest newspaper publisher in the San Francisco Bay Area and has corporate headquarters based in San Ramon, California with publications offices in San Jose and Walnut Creek, although the Walnut Creek location is scheduled to be closed under a 2011 restructuring.BANG...
in 1999.
Pacifica Community Television, Pacifica's Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
-winning local Public-access television
Public-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
cable TV channel 26, has continuously operated for 30 years featuring community based television.
History
Prehistorically, Pacifica was home to two significant OhloneOhlone
The Ohlone people, also known as the Costanoan, are a Native American people of the central California coast. When Spanish explorers and missionaries arrived in the late 18th century, the Ohlone inhabited the area along the coast from San Francisco Bay through Monterey Bay to the lower Salinas Valley...
Indian villages including Pruristac located at San Pedro Creek
San Pedro Creek
San Pedro Creek is a perennial stream in the City of Pacifica, San Mateo County, California in the San Francisco Bay Area whose tributaries originate on Sweeney Ridge in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Montara Mountain in the Santa Cruz Mountains.The creek mainstem flows through the...
near present day Adobe Drive and Timigtac on Calera Creek
Calera Creek
Calera Creek is a stream in the Rockaway Beach and Vallemar neighborhoods of Pacifica, California. The creek is named for the limestone deposits and historical quarry located nearby...
in the Rockaway Beach neighborhood
Rockaway Beach, California
Rockaway Beach is a shoreline area of the Pacific Ocean in the southern portion of Pacifica, California, United States, approximately miles south of the city of San Francisco...
.
Pacifica is the location of the oldest European discovery of the San Francisco Bay. An expedition led by Gaspar de Portolà
Gaspar de Portolà
Gaspar de Portolà i Rovira was a soldier, governor of Baja and Alta California , explorer and founder of San Diego and Monterey. He was born in Os de Balaguer, province of Lleida, in Catalonia, Spain, of Catalan nobility. Don Gaspar served as a soldier in the Spanish army in Italy and Portugal...
sighted the bay by climbing the hills of Sweeney Ridge in Pacifica on October 31, 1769.http://www.hallman.org/pacifica/portola.html Before then, earlier Spanish maritime explorers of the California coast (such as Juan Cabrillo and Sebastian Vizcaino) had missed the San Francisco Bay because heavy fog so frequently shrouded the entrance of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean (the Golden Gate
Golden Gate
The Golden Gate is the North American strait connecting San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. Since 1937 it has been spanned by the Golden Gate Bridge...
). Sighting the San Francisco Bay accelerated the Spanish colonization of Alta California because it was the only large, safe, centrally located harbor on the Alta California coast. The Spanish had used Monterey Bay up until then as their main harbor, but it was much more dangerous than San Francisco Bay. In the Spanish era, Pacifica was the site of the San Pedro Valley Mission Outpost
San Pedro y San Pablo Asistencia
The San Pedro y San Pablo Asistencia was established in 1786, as a "sub-mission" to Mission San Francisco de Asís in the San Pedro Valley at the Ohlone village of Pruristac...
(1786–1793) of Mission Dolores. This was dissolved when a newly-independent Mexico secularized the mission system. Pacifica is also the site of the still extant Mexican-era Sánchez Adobe
Sánchez Adobe Park
The Sánchez Adobe Park, home to the Sánchez Adobe, is located in Pacifica, California at 1000 Linda Mar Boulevard, on the north bank of San Pedro Creek, approximately one mile from the Pacific Ocean in Linda Mar Valley...
built in 1846. The city is located on a part of the Mexican land grant Rancho San Pedro
Rancho San Pedro (Sanchez)
Rancho San Pedro was a Mexican land grant in present day San Mateo County, California given in 1839 by Governor Juan Alvarado to Francisco Sanchez...
given to Francisco Sanchez in 1839.
Ocean Shore Railroad
The Ocean Shore Railroad was intended to be built from San Francisco to Santa Cruz, California, via a route along the Pacific coastline.-History:...
.
Primary and secondary schools
The public elementary and middle school districtSchool district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
, known as Pacifica School District
Pacifica School District
Pacifica School District is a school district in California, USA. It consists of one middle school, three K-8 elementary schools, two K-5 elementary schools, and the Linda Mar Educational Center...
, (formerly the Laguna Salada School District), consists of Vallemar, Cabrillo, Ingrid B. Lacy, Sunset Ridge, Ortega, Linda Mar and Ocean Shore schools, and also a home schooling program. The administration office is located at 375 Reina del Mar Avenue, adjacent to Vallemar School. Each school enrolls about 550-600 students. There are two private K-8 schools, Good Shepherd School and Alma Heights Christian Academy
Alma Heights Christian Academy
Alma Heights Christian Schools, formerly Alma Heights Christian Academy, consists of an elementary, middle and high school. Together, the organization is a private evangelical Christian school located in Pacifica, California...
.
Pacifica has one private high school and two public high schools which are part of the Jefferson Union High School District
Jefferson Union High School District
The Jefferson Union High School District is a high school district in northern California, and serves the cities of Daly City, Brisbane, Pacifica, and the town of Colma. Its district office is located at 699 Serramonte Blvd., #100Daly City, California 94015...
. Oceana High School
Oceana High School (Pacifica, California)
Oceana High School is a small public high school in northern Pacifica, California. Offering an alternative college preparatory program, the school serves just over 600 students in grades nine through twelve. The school is one of five public schools in the Jefferson Union High School District...
in the central part of the city while Terra Nova High School and Alma Heights Christian High School are in the south. Many students in the northern part of Pacifica attend Jefferson High School
Jefferson High School (Daly City, California)
For schools with a similar name, see Jefferson High School .Jefferson High School is an American public high school in Daly City, California and is the first school in the Jefferson Union High School District...
or Westmoor High School
Westmoor High School
Westmoor High School is an American public high school in Daly City, California that serves grades 9 through 12 as part of the Jefferson Union High School District . It generally serves the residents of Daly City, Pacifica, and Colma. Westmoor High School was recently selected as a California...
nearby in adjacent Daly City. Oceana's teaching paradigm is geared toward longer classes, senior exhibitions, and mandated community service. Much larger Terra Nova is a more traditional institution, featuring numerous sports, clubs, and a broad-based and enriching educational experience. Alma Heights Christian High School is a private high school located 5 minutes from popular Linda Mar Beach.
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Public libraries
Peninsula Library SystemPeninsula Library System
The Peninsula Library System is the public library organization serving San Mateo County, California, United States, which forms the bulk of the region within the San Francisco Bay Area known as "The Peninsula"...
operates the Pacifica-Sanchez Library and the Pacifica-Sharp Park Library.
Notable residents
- Rob SchneiderRob SchneiderRobert Michael "Rob" Schneider is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and director. A stand-up comic and veteran of the NBC sketch-comedy series Saturday Night Live, Schneider has gone on to a successful career in feature films, including starring roles in the comedy films Deuce Bigalow:...
grew up in Pacifica. In 1997 he formed the Rob Schneider Music Foundation to support its school music program, and has since donated approximately $2 million. - In 1971, Pacifica gained worldwide attention as the popular St. Peter's Catholic priest, Father Bob Duryea, was excommunicated, after a defiant confrontation with the church, for being married http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,902904-1,00.html.
- In 1982, Jena Balistreri gained recognition as a victim of severe domestic abuse by her husband and indifferent, rude treatment by Pacifica Police Dept. in the years since.