About Stockton, California
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
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| City nickname: "California's Sunshine Seaport" | |||||
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| County: | San Joaquin | ||||
| Area code: | 209 | ||||
| ZIP code: | 952xx | ||||
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Area: - Total - Water |
144.9 km˛ (56.0 mi˛) 3.2 km˛ (1.2 mi˛) 2.22% |
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| Population: | 279,513 579.0/km˛ |
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| Time zone: | Pacific: UTC-8 | ||||
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Latitude: Longitude: |
37°58' N 121°18' W |
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| Mayor: | Edward Chavez | ||||
| City of Stockton Official Website | |||||
Stockton is a city in California and the seat of San Joaquin County (the 5th largest agricultural county in the United States). According to the California Department of Finance (January 2005), Stockton has a population of 279,513 and is the 13th largest city in California. Stockton is also the fourth largest inland city in California, behind Fresno, Sacramento, and Bakersfield.
Encompassing Interstate 5, State Route 99 and State Route 4, Stockton is strategically located about 60 miles east of the San Francisco Bay Area and 45 miles south of Sacramento, the capital of California. Stockton is surrounded by the rich and fertile lands of the California Central Valley and is home to the largest inland seaport in California. In and around Stockton are numerous waterways which comprise the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
Recently, Stockton and the nearby communities of Tracy and Manteca have experienced a population boom. This is largely due to thousands of people settling in the area to escape the relatively high cost of living of the San Francisco Bay Area. This influx of new residents, however, resulted in a sharp increase in the cost of living of Stockton, although it is still significantly lower than any Bay Area city of comparable size.
In the midst of a massive, city-wide redevelopment project (still in progress), Stockton was twice named an All-America City, in 1999 & 2004.
Geography
Stockton is located at 37°58' North, 121°18' West; its land area is 52.57 square miles (136 km˛); its water area is 0.95 square miles (2.5 km˛). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 144.9 km˛ (56.0 mi˛). 141.7 km˛ (54.7 mi˛) of it is land and 3.2 km˛ (1.2 mi˛) of it is water. The total area is 2.22% water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 243,771 people, 78,556 households, and 56,167 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,720.4/km˛ (4,455.7/mi˛). There are 82,042 housing units at an average density of 579.0/km˛ (1,499.6/mi˛). The racial makeup of the city is 43.26% White, 11.25% African American, 1.12% Native American, 19.90% Asian, 0.40% Pacific Islander, 17.31% from other races, and 6.76% from two or more races. 32.50% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 78,556 households out of which 40.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% are married couples living together, 17.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 28.5% are non-families. 22.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.04 and the average family size is 3.59.
In the city the population is spread out with 32.4% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 30 years. For every 100 females there are 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $35,453, and the median income for a family is $40,434. Males have a median income of $35,181 versus $26,602 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,405. 23.9% of the population and 18.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 32.8% of those under the age of 18 and 11.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Government
Edward J. Chavez was elected mayor of Stockton in 2004 and officially began his term on January 1, 2005. Chavez succeeded the popular Gary Podesto to the mayorship. His term expires December 31, 2008.
Chavez joined the Stockton Police Department in August 1973 as a Patrol Officer. Working his way up, he was appointed Chief of Police in August 1993 and served until his retirement in 2003.
Mark Lewis was appointed City Manager by the City Council in April 2001. Lewis, best known for his economic and developmental policies, successfully served the cities of Monterey Park, Colton, Union City and South San Francisco, California in the same capacity.
The Stockton City Council is comprised of six councilmembers, each elected by their respective districts:
- District 1 - Steve J. Bestolarides
- District 2 - Dan J. Chapman
- District 3 - Leslie B. Martin
- District 4 - Clem Lee
- District 5 - Gary S. Giovanetti (Vice Mayor)
- District 6 - Rebecca G. Nabors
Industry
Although historically an agriculturally based community, Stockton's economy has diversified into all sectors of industry. Several top-tier companies have chosen to base their operations in Stockton, some of which include:
- Golden State Lumber
- Pac-West Telecommunications
- Zacky Farms
- Duraflame
- Diamond of California
- Kellogs
- Dollar Tree
- Washington Mutual Financial Services
In addition, due to readily available land and office space in Stockton, several corporations have either shifted their regional headquarters to the city or are in negotiations with city officials to do so.
Sister cities
Stockton has 6 (six) sister cities worldwide:
- Parma, Italy
- Foshan, China
- Empalme, Mexico
- Shizuoka, Japan
- Battambag, Cambodia
- Ililo City, Phillipines
Transportation
Stockton has an excellent and unmatched transportation system which provides easy access to the city:
Land
Due to its location at the 'crossroads' of the Central Valley and an uncongested highway system, Stockton is easily accessable from almost anywhere. Interstate 5 and State Route 99, California's major north-south thoroughfare's, pass through city limits. Also, Stockton is just minuets away from Interstates 205, 580 and 80.
Stockton is also connected to the rest of the nation through an extensive network of railways. Amtrak, ACE Commuter Express, Southern Pacific and Union Pacific all make stops in Stockton and have lines countrywide. Recently, Burlington Northern Santa Fe opened a much needed $150 million intermodal facility in southeast Stockton, which satisfies long-haul transportation needs.
Air
Stockton is served by Stockton Metropolitan Airport, located on county land just south of city limits. The airport has been designated a Foreign Trade Zone and is mainly used by manufacturing and agricultural companies for shipping purposes. San Joaquin County officials are currently considering plans to upgrade the facility to provide domestic flight service.
Water
The Port of Stockton is the third largest landholder seaport in California and has also been designated a Foreign Trade Zone. The Port operates a 2,100 acre transportation center with berthing space for 14 vessels. In addition, 6.5 million square feet of warehouse storage space is also available.
Higher education
Stockton is home to several institutions of higher education. These include San Joaquin Delta Community College, Humphrey's College and School of Law, and the University of the Pacific (UOP).
University of the Pacific is a famous institution and has been used to film several Hollywood films, partly due to its aesthetic likeness to East Coast Ivy League universities. Its most famous such appearance is probably in Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Stockton used to be the site of a California State Hospital, the oldest in the state system, founded only a few years after statehood. Stockton State Hospital was closed in 1996 and has since been converted into the Stockton Campus of California State University, Stanislaus.
Professional sports
Although Stockton lacks a major-league sports team, it is home to several minor-league franchises:
- Stockton Ports - (High-A California League baseball team; affiliate of the Oakland Athletics)
- California Cougars - (MISL soccer team)
- Stockton Thunder - (ECHL Ice Hockey team)
The Stockton Ports play their home games at Banner Island Ballpark, a new 5,000 seat facility built for the team in downtown Stockton. A new 10,000 seat arena, the Waterfront Entertainment Center, is also under construction in downtown Stockton, which will house the California Cougars and Stockton Thunder. City officials are agressively pursuing an Arena Football League (AF2) team which would also play at the arena.
Famous Stocktonians
- Maxine Hong Kingston - Author
- Daniel Goleman - Psychologist
- Alex Spanos - Billionaire tycoon
- Janet Leigh - Actress
- Jamie Lee Curtis - Actress
- Benjamin Holt - Inventor
- Dave Brubeck - Jazz Musician
- Chris Isaak - Singer/Songwriter
- Pavement - Renowned indie rock band
- Grant-Lee Phillips - Singer/Songwriter; member of alternative rock band Grant Lee Buffalo
- Darrin Atkins - Author and Novelist
- Leonard Gardner - Author of "Fat City," famous boxing book
Interesting facts
- Stockton was originally named 'Tuleburg' due to the large quantity of tules (a plant) in the area at one time.
- Stockton was twice named an All-America City (1999 & 2004).
- With over 100,000 trees, Stockton was thrice named 'best tree city' in the western United States by Sunset magazine.
- Several high-profile people have visited Stockton, including President George W. Bush, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, comedian Jerry Seinfeld and former New York City mayor Rudy Guiliani.
- The Port of Stockton is the furthest east inland seaport in California.
- On January 17, 1989, a mentally ill Stockton man, Patrick Purdy, opened fire onto an elementary school field with an AK-47 assault rifle, killing five children and wounding twenty-nine others and a teacher, before taking his own life. This event received national news coverage and is sometimes referred to as the Stockton Massacre.
External links
- City of Stockton
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Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from MapQuest or Google Maps
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Satellite image from Google Maps
| Cities and communities of San Joaquin County, California | ||||||
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