West Sacramento, California
Encyclopedia
West Sacramento is a city in Yolo County
Yolo County, California
Yolo County is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of California, bordered by the other counties of Sacramento, Solano, Napa, Lake, Colusa, and Sutter. The city of Woodland is its county seat, though Davis is its largest city....

, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. It is contiguous with Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...

, but is separated by the Sacramento River
Sacramento River
The Sacramento River is an important watercourse of Northern and Central California in the United States. The largest river in California, it rises on the eastern slopes of the Klamath Mountains, and after a journey south of over , empties into Suisun Bay, an arm of the San Francisco Bay, and...

 which is also the county line, so West Sacramento is in a different county than Sacramento. It is a fast growing community; the population was 48,744 at the 2010 census, up from 31,615 at the 2000 census.

West Sacramento is part of the Sacramento–Arden Arcade–Roseville
Roseville, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Roseville had a population of 118,788. The population density was 3,279.4 people per square mile...

 Metropolitan Statistical Area
Sacramento metropolitan area
The Greater Sacramento area, or officially Sacramento–Arden Arcade–Yuba City, CA-NV Combined Statistical Area, is a combined statistical area consisting of several metropolitan statistical areas and seven counties in Northern California and one in Western Nevada. These are Sacramento, Yolo, El...

 which has a population (2000) of approximately 1,796,857. Major industries to the region include agriculture and transportation.

Gold Rush era

In 1844, John Schwartz, a Flemish traveler, was the first Euro-American to permanently settle in the area of West Sacramento. He built a shack on the west bank of the Sacramento River six miles (10 km) south of its connection with the American River. John, with the help of his brother George, founded a salmon fishery along the river. In addition to the fishery, they also found the soil to be fertile and began farming and raising livestock. The announcement of the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill
Sutter's Mill
Sutter's Mill was a sawmill owned by 19th century pioneer John Sutter in partnership with James W. Marshall. It was located in Coloma, California, at the bank of the South Fork American River...

 in 1848 brought a multitude of miners to the region.

In 1846, a man named James McDowell bought 600 acres (2.4 km²) from John Schwartz. With his wife, Margaret, and their three daughters, McDowell settled in the area we know today as Broderick
Broderick, California
Broderick is a former town in Yolo County, California, USA, now forming part of the City of West Sacramento. It is located just west of the Sacramento River in the eastern portion of the county. Broderick's ZIP Code is 95605 and its area code 916...

. The McDowell family experienced first-hand the violence that the gold rush era brought with it. In May 1849, James McDowell was shot and killed in a barroom argument that he had supposedly started. With the loss of the sole supporter of the McDowell family, Margaret needed to find a way to provide for her family.

In October 1849, Margaret hired a land surveyor to map out 160 acre (0.6474976 km²), which was then divided into forty one blocks. She sold individual lots within this platted area which she named the "Town of Washington". The first lot was sold to August W. Kaye for $500. During its first ten years, the rural Town of Washington went through a significant increase in business development and shipping activity. One of the first businesses to be established in the town was the California Steam Navigation Company, which was attracted to the area in 1859 by how close the Sacramento River is to it. Other businesses in early Washington included hotels, saloons, and restaurants catering to the needs of people passing through. Many of the travelers making the treacherous journey through the marshlands on their way to Sacramento were appreciative of the rest stop at the Town of Washington.

While Sacramento began to urbanize on the other side of the river, early West Sacramento found its hand at agricultural development. Salmon, sturgeon, catfish, eel, crayfish, and clams proved to be lucrative in this region as fisherman soon found. The river settlement was flourishing, stocking fish markets not only in Sacramento, but in San Francisco as well. In addition, the rich soil of the valley produced abundant crops of com, melons, cucumbers, and sweet potatoes. The dairy industry also established roots in West Sacramento around this time.

One of the area's most well known dairy farmers was Mike Bryte. Bryte came to California in 1849 to try his hand at gold mining. He didn't make a fortune in gold, but was able to purchase a dairy farm with his findings. When the California Steam Navigation Company came to Washington, Bryte used the steamships to carry his dairy products to various markets within the region. Profits from this allowed Bryte to expand his holdings. Bryte was able to own several thousand acres of land in the area to farm on, as well as raise his many livestock on. Mike Bryte's influence in the community was marked by his election to the Yolo County Board of Supervisors and later as sheriff. During the 20th century, Mike Bryte's property was divided and became known as the community of Bryte
Bryte, California
Bryte is a former town in Yolo County, California, now forming part of West Sacramento. It is located just west of the Sacramento River in the eastern portion of the county. Bryte's ZIP Code is 95605 and its area code 916...

.

Developing a city

In time, the region began to develop. The Town of Washington was renamed Broderick in honor of U. S. Senator David C. Broderick
David C. Broderick
David Colbreth Broderick was a Democratic U.S. Senator from California. He was a first cousin of Andrew Kennedy and Case Broderick.-Early life and education:...

. After 1900, the three communities known as Bryte
Bryte, California
Bryte is a former town in Yolo County, California, now forming part of West Sacramento. It is located just west of the Sacramento River in the eastern portion of the county. Bryte's ZIP Code is 95605 and its area code 916...

, Broderick
Broderick, California
Broderick is a former town in Yolo County, California, USA, now forming part of the City of West Sacramento. It is located just west of the Sacramento River in the eastern portion of the county. Broderick's ZIP Code is 95605 and its area code 916...

, and West Sacramento were cumulatively known as "East Yolo". From 1900 to 1920, the population of this area doubled from 1,398 to 2,638. The West Sacramento post office opened in 1915.

Officially incorporated as a city in 1987, these communities are what the City of West Sacramento is based upon.

In June 1963, the Port of Sacramento was opened to deep sea traffic with the completion of the Deep Water Ship Channel. The project had been authorized by Congress in 1946 and construction commenced in 1949.

Geography

West Sacramento is located at 38°34′50"N 121°31′49"W.

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the city has a total area of 22.8 square miles (59.1 km²), of which, 21.4 square miles (55.4 km²) of it is land and 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²) of it (6.22%) is water.

West Sacramento, which lies in Yolo County, is separated from the city of Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...

 and Sacramento County by the Sacramento River
Sacramento River
The Sacramento River is an important watercourse of Northern and Central California in the United States. The largest river in California, it rises on the eastern slopes of the Klamath Mountains, and after a journey south of over , empties into Suisun Bay, an arm of the San Francisco Bay, and...

. West Sacramento, incorporated in 1987, consists of three communities that were originally distinct towns, Broderick
Broderick, California
Broderick is a former town in Yolo County, California, USA, now forming part of the City of West Sacramento. It is located just west of the Sacramento River in the eastern portion of the county. Broderick's ZIP Code is 95605 and its area code 916...

, Bryte, and West Sacramento (originally just the community north of the port canal and south of the railroads), as well as the Southport area.

The Southwest community originally consisted of few homes, but now has a considerable population that resulted from a housing boom in the early 1990s. After the housing boom of the early 2000s, however Southport can now be broken into 5 areas: Linden, Gateway, Arlington Oaks, Bridgeway, and the Country, with Bridgeway and Gateway being the newest additions to the city.

Retail

In March, 2006, IKEA
IKEA
IKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds and desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer...

 opened a store in West Sacramento near Reed Avenue and Interstate 80 in the Riverpoint Shopping Center. On November 15, 2007 a Home Depot opened in the Riverpoint Shopping Center, next to IKEA. Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...

 opened a new store at the Southport Shopping Center directly across from Nugget Market
Nugget Markets
Nugget Markets is a family-owned upscale supermarket chain operating within the greater Sacramento metropolitan area. It is headquartered in Woodland, California. As of October 2009, the company operates 9 of its flagship Nugget-brand stores, as well as 3 Food 4 Less franchises.- History :Nugget...

, an upscale grocery store headquartered in Woodland, California
Woodland, California
Woodland is the county seat of Yolo County, California, located approximately northwest of Sacramento, and is a part of the Sacramento - Arden-Arcade - Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 55,468 at the 2010 census.Woodland's origins trace back to 1850 when California...

. A Lowe's
Lowe's
Lowe's Companies, Inc. is a U.S.-based chain of retail home improvement and appliance stores. Founded in 1946 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the chain now serves more than 14 million customers a week in its 1,710 stores in the United States and 20 in Canada. Expansion into Canada began in...

 Home Improvement Center just west of Target, behind Arlington Oaks was completed in February 2008.

TV stations

West Sacramento is home to Sacramento area CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

 television station KOVR
KOVR
KOVR, channel 13, is an owned-and-operated station of the CBS Television Network located in Sacramento, California and licensed to Stockton. KOVR-TV shares its offices and studio facilities with sister station KMAX-TV in West Sacramento, California, and its transmitter is located in Walnut Grove,...

 and The CW station KMAX-TV
KMAX-TV
KMAX-TV, channel 31, is the CW affiliate serving the Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto, California broadcast area. The station is owned by CBS Television Stations along with the local CBS station, KOVR; the two stations are two of the 3 English network O&Os in the market, along with Ion Television...

. Both stations, under a duopoly, are housed on KOVR Drive.

Newspapers

The News-Ledger is a weekly, printed newspaper that serves West Sacramento.

Sports

The Sacramento Rivercats play in West Sacramento at Raley Field
Raley Field
Raley Field is the home of the Sacramento River Cats minor league baseball team in the Pacific Coast League. Raley Field was built on the site of old warehouses and railyards, in West Sacramento, California, USA across the Sacramento River from the California State Capitol.The privately financed...


California Highway Patrol

West Sacramento is the home of the California Highway Patrol
California Highway Patrol
The California Highway Patrol is a law enforcement agency of the U.S. state of California. The CHP has patrol jurisdiction over all California highways and also acts as the state police....

 Academy and Museum.
Also, there are efforts to move the California Highway Patrol official headquarters from Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...

 (in Sacramento County) to West Sacramento (in Yolo County).

Schools

WyoTech located at 980 Riverside Parkway, West Sacramento CA, 95605. In January 2004, WyoTech’s third campus opened in West Sacramento, California, with Automotive Technology, Applied Service Management, and Motorsports Chassis Fabrication courses. In addition, a new facility was added in 2005, and course offerings were expanded to include Street Rod and Custom Fabrication and Advanced Automotive Diagnostics. In October 2006 the third facility expansion was added and course offerings were expanded to include Collision/Refinishing Technology, Trim and Upholstery Technology and High Performance Power Trains. In October 2007, Light Duty Diesel was added to the Specialty Course offerings utilizing existing classrooms and shop space in the Automotive facility.

Other businesses

Raley's
Raley's
Raley's Supermarkets is a privately held, family-owned supermarket chain that operates 133 stores under the Raley's, Bel Air Markets, Nob Hill Foods, and Food Source banners in northern California and Nevada. Founded in 1935 by Tom Raley in Placerville, Raley's employs around 13,400 workers today...

, a major grocery store chain in Northern and Central California, has its corporate headquarters in West Sacramento.

The pension fund CalSTRS
CalSTRS
The California State Teachers' Retirement System provides retirement, disability and survivor benefits for California's 852,316 prekindergarten through community college educators and their families...

 is based in West Sacramento.

Top employers

According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
# Employer # of Employees
1 United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...

1,620
2 United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the...

1,435
3 State 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...

1,200
4 Nor-Cal Beverage 1,016
5 Washington Unified School District 802
6 Raley's Supermarkets 572
7 FedEx
FedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...

492
8 City of West Sacramento 422
9 First Health
Coventry Health Care
Coventry Health Care, Inc. is a diversified national insurer in the United States.Based in Bethesda, Maryland, Coventry operates health plans, insurance companies, network rental and workers’ compensation services companies...

400
10 Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...

391
11 Citibank
Citibank
Citibank, a major international bank, is the consumer banking arm of financial services giant Citigroup. Citibank was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York, later First National City Bank of New York...

380
12 ProLogix Distribution Services 375
13 Xyratex 350
14 Tony's Fine Foods 340
15 YRC Worldwide
YRC Worldwide
YRC Worldwide Inc. is the holding company for a portfolio of brands including YRC, YRC Reimer, New Penn, USF Holland and USF Reddaway. YRC Worldwide has a comprehensive network in North America with local, regional, national and international capabilities...

279
16 All Phase Security 272
17 Hunter Douglas
Hunter Douglas
Hunter Douglas N.V. is a Dutch public corporation and major worldwide manufacturer of window coverings and architectural products. Hunter Douglas has its head office in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and a management office in Lucerne, Switzerland...

265
18 Clark Pacific 250
19 Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...

 Healthcare Diagnostics
235
20 KOVR
KOVR
KOVR, channel 13, is an owned-and-operated station of the CBS Television Network located in Sacramento, California and licensed to Stockton. KOVR-TV shares its offices and studio facilities with sister station KMAX-TV in West Sacramento, California, and its transmitter is located in Walnut Grove,...

230
21 Idexx 222
22 DBI Beverage
Ingram Entertainment Holdings Inc.
Ingram Entertainment Holdings Inc. is an american distributor of home entertainment products, like DVDs, audiobooks, video game software and hardware. Ingram Entertainment Inc, is the nation's largest distributor of DVD software...

214
23 Consolidated Procurement Services 230
24 Farmer's Rice Cooperative 200
25 Ikea
IKEA
IKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds and desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer...

200

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that West Sacramento had a population of 48,744. 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 2,133.5 people per square mile (823.8/km²). The racial makeup of West Sacramento was 29,521 (60.6%) White, 2,344 (4.8%) African American, 798 (1.6%) Native American, 5,106 (10.5%) Asian, 534 (1.1%) Pacific Islander, 6,709 (13.8%) 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 3,732 (7.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15,282 persons (31.4%).

The Census reported that 48,406 people (99.3% of the population) lived in households, 246 (0.5%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 92 (0.2%) were institutionalized.

There were 17,421 households, out of which 6,626 (38.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 8,073 (46.3%) 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, 2,574 (14.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,016 (5.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,307 (7.5%) 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 186 (1.1%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 4,264 households (24.5%) were made up of individuals and 1,314 (7.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78. There were 11,663 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...

 (66.9% of all households); the average family size was 3.37.

The population was spread out with 13,036 people (26.7%) under the age of 18, 4,435 people (9.1%) aged 18 to 24, 15,129 people (31.0%) aged 25 to 44, 11,363 people (23.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 4,781 people (9.8%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.6 years. For every 100 females there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.0 males.

There were 18,681 housing units at an average density of 817.7 per square mile (315.7/km²), of which 10,234 (58.7%) were owner-occupied, and 7,187 (41.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.0%. 28,012 people (57.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 20,394 people (41.8%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the census
Census
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 31,615 people, 11,404 households, and 7,595 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 1,509.5 people per square mile (582.9/km²). There were 12,133 housing units at an average density of 579.3 per square mile (223.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 64.99% White, 2.57% African American, 1.76% Native American, 7.22% Asian, 0.58% Pacific Islander, 15.99% 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 6.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 29.95% of the population.

There were 11,404 households out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% were 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, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.39.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.8% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 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 $31,718, and the median income for a family was $36,371. Males had a median income of $31,176 versus $30,183 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 $15,245. About 17.2% of families and 22.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.8% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.

Famous residents

  • Malcolm Floyd, NFL Wide Receiver
  • Eugene Garin
    Eugene Garin
    Eugene Garin was a contemporary seascape artist. Born in Odessa, Ukraine, Garin was the most influential contemporary seascape artist. He spawned and inspired many of today's great seascapists through his tremendous talent and imagination. Garin was best known for his rendition of the transparent...

    , contemporary seascape artist
  • Burney Lamar
    Burney Lamar
    Burney Lamar is an American race car driver. He has driven in both the NASCAR Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series and is currently a free agent.-Racing career:...

    , NASCAR
    NASCAR
    The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...

     driver
  • Oleg Maskaev
    Oleg Maskaev
    Oleg Alexandrovich Maskaev is a Russian professional boxer and a former WBC heavyweight champion. He is an ethnic Mordvin.-Boxing career:Maskaev, a former mine worker, began his career in the 1980s as an amateur boxer in the Soviet Union, where he held a victory over world champion Vitali...

    , former World Boxing Council
    World Boxing Council
    The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...

     heavyweight
    Heavyweight
    Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...

     boxing champion of the world
  • Anthony Portantino, CA State Assemblyman from La Canada Flintridge lives in a condo near the river when the legislature is in session
  • Steve Sax
    Steve Sax
    Stephen Louis Sax is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball. He was a right-handed batter for the Los Angeles Dodgers , New York Yankees , Chicago White Sox , and the Oakland Athletics ....

    , former LA Dodgers 2nd baseman

Other notable people

  • Thomas E. Bumgarner - American Hero, DoW May 14, 1969 (attack on LZ Oasis May 11, 1969) http://www.vvmf.org/thewall/Wall_Id_No=6687

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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