Moraga, California
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Moraga, California | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Contra Costa |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Lynda Deschambault (G) |
| - Senate | Tom Torlakson (D) |
| - Assembly | Loni Hancock (D) |
| - U. S. Congress | Ellen Tauscher (D) |
| Area | |
| - Total | 9.3 sq mi (24 km²) |
| - Land | 9.3 sq mi (24 km²) |
| - Water | 0 sq mi (0 km²) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 16,290 |
| - Density | 1,751.6/sq mi (678.8/km²) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) |
| - Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| ZIP codes | 94556, 94570, 94575 |
| Area code(s) | 925 |
| FIPS code | 06-49194 |
Moraga is an affluent suburban incorporated town located in Contra Costa County, California, The United States of America (USA), in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is named in honor of Joaquin Moraga, whose grandfather was José Joaquin Moraga, second in command to Juan Bautista de Anza. As of the 2000 census, Moraga was the 79th wealthiest place in the US with a population above 10,000.
It is also known as the home of Saint Mary's College of California, a Catholic university with approximately 4,500 undergraduate and postgraduate students. As of 2000, Moraga had a total population of 16,269, not including the college.
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[edit] Geography
Moraga is located at 37°50'38" North, 122°7'28" West (37.843776, -122.124500)[1]. It is located adjacent to the cities of Lafayette and Orinda, as well as the unincorporated community of Canyon. Other nearby cities include Walnut Creek, San Francisco, Oakland, Concord and Berkeley.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 9.3 square miles (24.0 km²), of which, 9.3 square miles (24.0 km²) of it is land and 0.11% is water. Originally Moraga was abundant with pears, however, over the years more houses are being built and it is losing its pear trees. Large sections of the Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail pass through the town.
Moraga is a valley, surrounded by rolling green hills and grazing cows. Residents enjoy walking or biking the many trails in the Lamorinda area.
[edit] History
In the first half of the 20th century, the line of the Sacramento Northern Railroad ran through Moraga. Much of the old right-of-way is now part of the popular Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail. It was also a part of the Pony Express mail chain.
The name Moraga was given to the town by explorer Joaquin Moraga who was granted the land by the Mexican government in 1835. Joaquin Moraga's grandfather, Jose Joaquin Moraga, is credited as the founder of San Francisco, the Presidio and the Mission district. Moraga became a Union in 1850. In 1955 Moraga built its first post office. In 1927 Moraga was designation for the first telephone service in California.
The United Nations initially looked at Moraga when deciding where to hold their headquarters. Moraga appealed to the United Nations as a possible location due to its weather and rich agricultural backdrop.
Due to its small lakes and redwoods, Moraga has been called Rancho Laguna meaning “ranch of the lake of the redwoods”. Moraga’s redwoods have been used to towards the construction of buildings both through out the bay area as well as Mission San Jose. More recently, "Rancho Laguna" has become known as the name of a controversial proposed housing development in Moraga -- one of several projects encompassing nearly 1,000 homes that are being considered by town officials.
Standing next to the Moraga fire department is the hazard house. The hazard house serves as a display for elementary school tours to demonstrate all the things not to do and how to prevent a fire. The Moraga fire department began as a volunteer service.
[edit] Schools
Moraga's school district includes:
- Camino Pablo Elementary School, grades K-5
- Los Perales Elementary School, grades K-5
- Donald Rheem Elementary School, grades K-5
- Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School, grades 6-8
Students in certain parts of Moraga generally attend the nearby Stanley Intermediate School (in Lafayette) or Orinda Intermediate School (in Orinda)
Moraga's only high school is Campolindo High School, part of the Acalanes Union High School District (AUHSD). Some students from Moraga instead attend the nearby Miramonte High School, which is also part of the AUHSD, while other students from nearby Lafayette attend Campolindo High School.
Saklan Valley School (formerly, Moraga Country Day School and Carden School of Moraga), a private elementary school founded in 1954, is also located in Moraga. It is a co-educational school with around 155 students from preschool to 8th grade. The school is accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. It has a maximum class size of 16.
Another private school in Moraga is the Orion Academy, a high school for students with NLD and Asperger's Syndrome.
[edit] Notable residents, past and present
- 8-time Olympic medalist swimmer Matt Biondi
- NASA astronaut Stephen Robinson
- Poet Robert Hass
- Actor and football player Herman Wedemeyer
- Commandant of the Coast Guard Chester R. Bender
- Navy Admiral Nathan Sonenshein
- Musician and psychologist Daniel Levitin
- Basketball player Tom Meschery
- Tennis player Anna McCune Harper
- Journalist and author Rajiv Chandrasekaran
- Basketball player Tim Hardaway
- Rap producer J.R. Rotem
- Actress and Model Lyndsy Fonseca
- Wrestler Nikko Triggas
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there are 16,290 people, 5,662 households, and 4,325 families permanently residing in the town. The population density is 1,756.9 people per square mile (678.5/km²). There are 5,760 housing units at an average density of 621.2/sq mi (239.9/km²). The racial makeup is 81.10% White, 1.01% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 12.44% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 1.45% from other races, and 3.75% from two or more races. 4.76% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 5,662 households out of which 35.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.7% are married couples living together, 6.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% are non-families. 19.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.59 and the average family size is 2.99.
In the town the population is spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 13.9% from 18 to 24, 18.6% from 25 to 44, 29.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 42 years. For every 100 females there are 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 84.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $98,080, and the median income for a family is $116,113. Males have a median income of $92,815 versus $51,296 for females. The per capita income for the town is $45,437. 2.9% of the population and 1.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 3.5% of those under the age of 18 and 1.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
[edit] References
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
[edit] External links
- Town of Moraga home page
- Shop Moraga First: Interactive Map & Business Listings
- Moraga history
- Moraga Historical Society
- Contra Costa Historical Society - Judge Bray radio essays
- St. Mary's College of California
- St. Giles Episcopal Church
- Moraga Valley Presbyterian Church
- Lamorinda Weekly Newspaper
- Moraga, California is at coordinates Coordinates:
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