Arroyo Grande, California

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Arroyo Grande, California
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settlement_type = city
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map_caption = Location in San Luis Obispo County and the state of California


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = California
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = San Luis Obispo
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area_total_km2 = 14.7
area_land_km2 = 14.7
area_water_km2 = 0
area_total_sq_mi = 5.7
area_land_sq_mi = 5.7
area_water_sq_mi = 0
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population_as_of = 2000
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population_total = 15851
population_density_km2 = 1078.3
population_density_sq_mi = 2780.9
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timezone = Pacific (PST)
utc_offset = -8
timezone_DST = PDT
utc_offset_DST = -7
latd = 35 |latm = 7 |lats = 15 |latNS = N
longd = 120 |longm = 35 |longs = 12 |longEW = W
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 36
elevation_ft = 118
postal_code_type = ZIP codes
postal_code = 93420-93421
area_code = 805
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 06-02868
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1660271
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Arroyo Grande is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. The population was 15,851 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Arroyo Grande is located at coor dms|35|7|15|N|120|35|12|W|city (35.120878, -120.586799)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.7 square miles (14.7 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 15,851 people, 6,478 households, and 4,353 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,795.3 people per square mile (1,079.4/km²). There were 6,750 housing units at an average density of 1,190.3/sq mi (459.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.45% White, 0.62% African American, 0.45% Native American, 3.08% Asian, 0.18% Pacific Islander, 3.77% from other races, and 3.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.17% of the population.

There were 6,478 households out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $48,236, and the median income for a family was $55,494. Males had a median income of $41,304 versus $30,688 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,311. About 4.3% of families and 6.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

In the state legislature Arroyo Grande is located in the 15th Senate District, represented by Republican Abel Maldonado, and in the 33rd Assembly District, represented by Republican Sam Blakeslee. Federally, Arroyo Grande is located in California's 22nd congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of R +16 [cite web | title = Will Gerrymandered Districts Stem the Wave of Voter Unrest? | publisher = Campaign Legal Center Blog | url=http://www.clcblog.org/blog_item-85.html | accessdate = 2008-02-10] and is represented by Republican Kevin McCarthy.

History

The earliest inhabitants of the Arroyo Grande valley were Chumash Indians. The first European to see the area was Spanish explorer Juan Cabrillo. The Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa was established nearby, and agricultural activities expanded into the area. The Arroyo Grande valley was found to have particularly fertile ground, and was given the name for "wide riverbed" in Spanish.

Francis Ziba Branch, originally from New York, saw the area on a hunting expedition during the period when California was part of Mexico. Branch married Dona Manuela Carlona, and this marriage entitled Branch to file claim for a Mexican land grant. In 1836 he and his wife and baby son moved onto the 17,000-acre Santa Manuela Rancho.

They were managing a successful cattle ranching operation when California became a U.S. territory, and then a U.S. State. But some years later they suffered financial difficulties during a drought when many cattle died. They sold off smaller parcels of land to settlers. In 1862, the San Luis Obispo Board of Supervisors established the township of Arroyo Grande. Businesses developed along a road called Branch Street to serve local agriculture. A railroad depot was built in 1882. The city of Arroyo Grande was incorporated on July 10, 1911.

Environmental factors

This community experienced rapid growth in the 1970s and 1980s, partially due to the expansion of the wastewater treatment plant, under an EPA Clean Water Grant, that removed a growth constraint. This federal grant progam required preparation of an Enivronmental Impact Report, which document provided much of the initial environmental database for Arroyo Grande.

Arroyo Grande is located in a coastal ecosystem within the California floristic province, and the habitats include forest, coastal prairie, dunes and intertidal zone.

Notable residents

* Zac Efron - "actor in Disney's High School Musical and several other movies"
* Lou Ferrigno - "actor in movies and TV shows, including The Incredible Hulk"
* Horace Grant - "retired American basketball player"
* Kyle Hoover - "author of "The House That Wisdom Built"
*Mike White - director and editor of "Bug Lord Apocalypse"

ee also

*Arroyo Grande High School
*Lopez Lake
*The Pit (mixed martial arts)

External links

* [http://www.arroyogrande.org/ City of Arroyo Grande]
* [http://www.arroyograndecc.com/ Arroyo Grande Chamber Of Commerce]
* [http://www.southcountyhistory.org/ South County Historical Society]
* [http://www.lmusd.org/education/school/school.php?sectionid=6 Arroyo Grande High School]
* [http://www.lmusd.org/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectionid=19 Paulding Middle School]
* [http://www.lmusd.org/ Lucia Mar Unified School District]

References