Moraga, California

Last updated

Moraga, California
Town of Moraga
Moraga, California 2014 (cropped).jpg
Moraga, CA USA - Saint Mary's College of California - panoramio (4) (cropped).jpg
Brousseau Hall 4711 (cropped).jpg
Augustine Hall 4651 (cropped).jpg
Top: view of Moraga; bottom: St. Mary's College
Contra Costa County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Moraga Highlighted.svg
Location in Contra Costa County and the state of California
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
Moraga, California
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 37°50′06″N122°07′47″W / 37.83500°N 122.12972°W / 37.83500; -122.12972
CountryUSA
State Flag of California.svg  California
County Contra Costa
Incorporated November 13, 1974 [1]
Government
   Mayor Teresa Onoda [2]
   State Senator Steve Glazer (D) [3]
   State Assembly Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D) [4]
   U. S. Congress Mark DeSaulnier (D) [5]
Area
[6]
  Total9.45 sq mi (24.49 km2)
  Land9.45 sq mi (24.46 km2)
  Water0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)  0.09%
Elevation
499 ft (152 m)
Population
 (2020) [7]
  Total16,870
  Density1,800/sq mi (690/km2)
Time zone UTC-8 (PST)
  Summer (DST) UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP codes
94556, 94570, 94575
Area code 925
FIPS code06-49187 (formerly 06-49194)
GNIS feature IDs 1659171, 2413013
Website www.moraga.ca.us

Moraga is a town in Contra Costa County, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. The town is named in honor of Joaquín Moraga, member of the famed Californio family. As of 2020, Moraga had a total population of 16,870 people. Moraga is the home of Saint Mary's College of California.

Contents

History

Moraga is named after Joaquin Moraga, the Californio ranchero who founded the town. He was the son and grandson of famed expeditionaries Gabriel Moraga and Jose Joaquin Moraga. Joaquin Moraga.gif
Moraga is named after Joaquín Moraga, the Californio ranchero who founded the town. He was the son and grandson of famed expeditionaries Gabriel Moraga and José Joaquín Moraga.

The land now called Moraga was first inhabited by the Saklan Native Americans who belonged to the Bay Miwok language group. [8]

Joaquin Moraga was the grandson of José Joaquín Moraga, builder of the Presidio of San Francisco and founder of the pueblo that grew into the city of San Jose. Joaquin's father Gabriel Moraga was also a soldier, and an early explorer who named many of the state's rivers, including the Sacramento and San Joaquin.

Moraga is located on the 1835 Mexican Land Grant Rancho Laguna de los Palos Colorados given to Joaquin Moraga and his cousin, Juan Bernal. Part of that grant was the property today known as Moraga Ranch. The Moraga Adobe has been preserved and is located in neighboring Orinda. Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School, a middle school in Moraga, bears his name.

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 Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail.

Moraga's first post office opened in 1886, and was closed in 1887; it reopened in 1915. [9] In 1955, Moraga built a new post office. Saint Mary's College of California moved to Moraga in 1928. Moraga incorporated in 1974, when the communities of Moraga Town, Rheem, and Rheem Valley, united into one town. [10]

In June 2017, Moraga declared a fiscal emergency, because a sinkhole in the downtown area and a failed bridge on Canyon Road were expected to cost $5 million to repair. [11]

Geography

Aerial view of Moraga. Aerial view of Moraga, California, October 2020.JPG
Aerial view of Moraga.

Moraga is located at 37°50'06" North, 122°07'47" West, at an elevation of 499 feet (152 m). [10] 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, Oakland, San Francisco, Concord and Berkeley.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 9.4 square miles (24 km2), of which 9.4 square miles (24 km2) is land and 0.09% is water. Moraga is in a valley, surrounded by rolling hills. Large sections of the Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail pass through the town.

Climate

Moraga has a Mediterranean climate, with warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. In the summer, morning fog is a common occurrence, but it usually burns off by the late morning or early afternoon, giving way to clear skies the rest of the day. Most of the annual rainfall comes during the winter; snow is very rare, but occasional light dustings have been seen. Over the course of a year, the town averages 26 days of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher, 40 nights of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower, and 59 days with rain. In 2014, the southwestern US was plagued by a serious drought. Moraga was badly burdened, with high fire warnings. [12]

Moraga
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
6.1
 
 
53
35
 
 
4.3
 
 
58
38
 
 
3.7
 
 
62
39
 
 
2
 
 
67
42
 
 
0.6
 
 
72
47
 
 
0.2
 
 
77
51
 
 
0.1
 
 
82
54
 
 
0.1
 
 
81
54
 
 
0.3
 
 
81
52
 
 
1.6
 
 
73
46
 
 
3.6
 
 
62
40
 
 
5
 
 
54
36
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches
Source: WRCC [12]
Metric conversion
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
155
 
 
12
2
 
 
109
 
 
15
3
 
 
95
 
 
17
4
 
 
50
 
 
19
5
 
 
16
 
 
22
8
 
 
4.1
 
 
25
10
 
 
1.3
 
 
28
12
 
 
1.8
 
 
27
12
 
 
6.4
 
 
27
11
 
 
41
 
 
23
8
 
 
91
 
 
17
4
 
 
126
 
 
12
2
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Climate data for Moraga, California (Saint Mary's College)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °F (°C)69
(21)
74
(23)
87
(31)
90
(32)
98
(37)
108
(42)
110
(43)
105
(41)
109
(43)
96
(36)
85
(29)
73
(23)
110
(43)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)53.1
(11.7)
58.1
(14.5)
61.7
(16.5)
66.8
(19.3)
71.5
(21.9)
77.3
(25.2)
81.9
(27.7)
81.0
(27.2)
80.5
(26.9)
72.7
(22.6)
61.9
(16.6)
54.0
(12.2)
68.4
(20.2)
Daily mean °F (°C)44.1
(6.7)
48.0
(8.9)
50.4
(10.2)
54.3
(12.4)
59.0
(15.0)
64.1
(17.8)
67.7
(19.8)
67.5
(19.7)
66.3
(19.1)
59.4
(15.2)
50.8
(10.4)
45.0
(7.2)
56.4
(13.5)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)35.1
(1.7)
37.9
(3.3)
39.1
(3.9)
41.7
(5.4)
46.5
(8.1)
50.8
(10.4)
53.6
(12.0)
53.9
(12.2)
52.1
(11.2)
46.2
(7.9)
39.6
(4.2)
36.0
(2.2)
44.4
(6.9)
Record low °F (°C)18
(−8)
19
(−7)
22
(−6)
28
(−2)
32
(0)
37
(3)
42
(6)
40
(4)
35
(2)
28
(−2)
19
(−7)
14
(−10)
14
(−10)
Average precipitation inches (mm)6.12
(155)
4.28
(109)
3.74
(95)
1.98
(50)
0.62
(16)
0.16
(4.1)
0.05
(1.3)
0.07
(1.8)
0.25
(6.4)
1.63
(41)
3.59
(91)
4.98
(126)
27.47
(696.6)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)109953101147959
Source: Western Regional Climate Center [13]

Demographics

Panel of azulejos depicting the Moraga family coat of arms at St. Mary's College Moraga Panel of Azulejos (cropped).jpg
Panel of azulejos depicting the Moraga family coat of arms at St. Mary's College
Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1970 14,205
1980 15,0145.7%
1990 15,8525.6%
2000 16,2902.8%
2010 16,016−1.7%
2020 16,8705.3%
U.S. Decennial Census [14]

The 2010 United States Census [15] reported that Moraga had a population of 16,016. The population density was 1,696.3 inhabitants per square mile (654.9/km2). The racial makeup of Moraga was 12,201 (76.2%) White, 277 (1.7%) African American, 31 (0.2%) Native American, 2,393 (14.9%) Asian, 25 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 281 (1.8%) from other races, and 808 (5.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1,123 persons (7.0%).

The Census reported that 14,293 people (89.2% of the population) lived in households, 1,545 (9.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 178 (1.1%) were institutionalized.

There were 5,570 households, out of which 1,945 (34.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,685 (66.2%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 418 (7.5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 165 (3.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 121 (2.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 24 (0.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,073 households (19.3%) were made up of individuals, and 564 (10.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57. There were 4,268 families (76.6% of all households); the average family size was 2.95.

The population was spread out, with 3,474 people (21.7%) under the age of 18, 2,342 people (14.6%) aged 18 to 24, 2,193 people (13.7%) aged 25 to 44, 4,947 people (30.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 3,060 people (19.1%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.

There were 5,754 housing units at an average density of 609.4 units per square mile (235.3 units/km2), of which 4,673 (83.9%) were owner-occupied, and 897 (16.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.1%. 12,073 people (75.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 2,220 people (13.9%) lived in rental housing units.

Politics

As of February 10, 2019, Moraga has 11,024 voters with 4,737 (43%) registered Democrats, 2,766 (25.1%) registered Republicans and 3,105 (28.2%) independent voters. [16]

Education

Saint Mary's College of California Brousseau Hall 4716 (cropped).jpg
Saint Mary's College of California

Moraga is home to the grade schools of Los Perales Elementary, Donald L. Rheem School, Camino Pablo School, and Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School; Campolindo High School; and Saint Mary's College of California, a private college. In 2011, Moraga was named a top city to live and learn in. [17]

Primary and secondary schools

The majority of Moraga is in the Moraga School District. [18] That district includes:

A small section of Moraga is in Orinda Union Elementary School District. [18]

All of Moraga is in the Acalanes Union High School District. [18] That district includes:

The Saklan School (formerly known as Saklan Valley School and The Carden School of Moraga), a private elementary school founded in 1954, is also located in Moraga. [23] 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 (a member of the National Association of Independent Schools), and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. It has a maximum class size of 16.

Moraga's only public high school is Campolindo High School, although some Moraga students choose to attend Miramonte High School, located just across the town border in Orinda. Both schools are part of the Acalanes Union High School District, which encompasses Moraga, Lafayette, Orinda, and parts of Walnut Creek.

Orion Academy is a private secondary school for students with conditions such as Asperger syndrome, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and nonverbal learning disorder.

Colleges and universities

Saint Mary's College of California is located just northeast of downtown Moraga; [9] it is a Catholic university with 3,962 undergraduate and postgraduate students in the 2007–2008 school year. The college was originally located in San Francisco and then Oakland, but moved to Moraga in 1928.

Public libraries

The Moraga Library of the Contra Costa County Library is located along Saint Marys Road in Moraga. [24]

Notable people

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Contra Costa County, California</span> County in California, United States

Contra Costa County is a county located in the U.S. state of California, in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 1,165,927. The county seat is Martinez. It occupies the northern portion of the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area and is primarily suburban. The county's name refers to its position on the other side of the bay from San Francisco. Contra Costa County is included in the San Francisco–Oakland–Berkeley, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stanislaus County, California</span> County in California, United States

Stanislaus County is a county located in the San Joaquin Valley of the U.S. state of California. As of 2023, its estimated population is 564,404. The county seat is Modesto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alamo, California</span> Unincorporated community in California, United States

Alamo is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Contra Costa County, California, in the United States. It is a suburb located in the San Francisco Bay Area's East Bay region, approximately 28 miles (45 km) east of San Francisco. Alamo is equidistant from the city of Walnut Creek and the incorporated town of Danville. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,314.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lafayette, California</span> City in California, United States

Lafayette is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. As of 2020, the city's population was 25,391. It was named after the Marquis de Lafayette, a French military officer of the American Revolutionary War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martinez, California</span> City in California, United States

Martinez is a city and the county seat of Contra Costa County, California, United States, in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Located on the southern shore of the Carquinez Strait, the city's population was 37,287 at the 2020 census. The city is named after Californio ranchero Ygnacio Martínez, having been founded on his Rancho El Pinole. Martinez is known for its historic center and its waterfront.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orinda, California</span> City in California, United States

Orinda is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city's population as of the 2020 census is estimated at 19,514 residents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pittsburg, California</span> City in California, United States

Pittsburg is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. It is an industrial suburb located on the southern shore of the Suisun Bay in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, and is part of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta area, the Eastern Contra Costa County area, and the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 76,416 at the 2020 United States Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Pablo, California</span> City in California, United States

San Pablo is an enclave city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 32,127 at the 2020 census. The current mayor is Patricia Ponce. Currently, the city council consists of Abel Pineda, Arturo Cruz, Elizabeth Pabon-Alvarado, and Rita Xavier. Ponce is mayor, and Cruz, Pabon-Alvarado, and Xavier are council members. Dorothy Gantt is the city Clerk. Viviana Toledo is the city treasurer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walnut Creek, California</span> City in California, United States

Walnut Creek is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States, located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, about 16 miles east of the city of Oakland. Walnut Creek has a total population of 70,127 per the 2020 census, is located at the junction of the highways from Sacramento and San Jose (I-680) and San Francisco/Oakland (SR-24), and is accessible by BART. The city shares its borders with Clayton, Lafayette, Alamo, Pleasant Hill, and Concord.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lemoore, California</span> City in California, United States

Lemoore is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Lemoore is located 7.5 miles (12 km) west-southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of 230 feet (70 m). It is part of the Hanford-Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 24,531 at the 2010 Census. The California Department of Finance estimated that Lemoore's population was 26,725 on July 1, 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Clara, California</span> City in California, United States

Santa Clara is a city in the county of the same name in the state of California. The city's population was 127,647 at the 2020 census, making it the eighth-most populous city in the Bay Area. Located in the southern Bay Area, the city was founded by the Spanish in 1777 with the establishment of Mission Santa Clara de Asís under the leadership of Junípero Serra.

Lamorinda is an area within Contra Costa County, California in the United States. The name is a portmanteau from the names of the three cities that make up the region: Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda.

Acalanes Union High School District is a public high school district in Contra Costa County, located in the Bay Area of California. The district takes its name from Rancho Acalanes, an 1834 Mexican rancho grant which occupied much of the area from Orinda to Lafayette. The district operates four high schools.

Orinda Union School District (OUSD) is a school district in Orinda, California, United States, that serves students in Transitional Kindergarten (TK) through 8th grade. It consists of four elementary schools and one middle school. It is the highest ranked TK–8 school district in California, ranked by API score. Orinda Union School District’s Del Rey Elementary, Glorietta Elementary, and Wagner Ranch Elementary were also selected as California Distinguished Schools for 2018. On completion of middle school, students generally enroll in nearby Acalanes Union High School District, usually to either Miramonte High School (Orinda) or Campolindo High School (Moraga).

Campolindo High School is a public high school located in Moraga, California, United States, and is in the Acalanes Union High School District.

Rheem, also known as Rheem Valley and Rheem Center, is an unincorporated community in Contra Costa County, California, United States. It is located 7.5 miles (12 km) north-northwest of Danville, at an elevation of 587 feet. It was incorporated into the town of Moraga when that town was incorporated in 1974.

Rancho Laguna de Los Palos Colorados was a 13,316-acre (53.89 km2) Mexican land grant in the Berkeley Hills within present-day Contra Costa County, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moraga Adobe</span> Historic house in California, United States

The Moraga Adobe is located at 24 Adobe Lane in Orinda, California. It was built by Don Joaquin Moraga who was the grandson of Jose Joaquin Moraga an early Spanish explorer in California who founded the city of San Jose, California. In 1835, Mexico granted 13,326 acres (5,393 ha), El Rancho Laguna de los Palos Colorados, to Joaquin Moraga and his cousin Juan Bernal. Six years later in 1841, Joaquin built this house, which is the oldest of the five surviving adobe houses in Contra Costa County. The adobe sits on a knoll at the center of the 20-acre (8.1 ha) property of what is left of the original land grant. The house has been restored and remodeled twice since it was photographed for HABS, first in 1941 when Katharine Brown White Irvine of Oakland, California purchased the old adobe, making additions such as adding three bedrooms and a veranda, and covering the adobe walls and again in 1964 when it was incorporated into a private home. The house is not accessible to the public and it is fenced off. However, it was photographed in 1922 for the Historical American Building Survey (HABS). Today, the Moraga Adobe is privately owned and unoccupied. The overall condition of the original adobe section and the more modern addition is neglected, but the building appears sound. The surrounding property was recently purchased, and the new owners have boarded up the windows to prevent vandalism and trespassing. The Moraga Adobe has been designated as a Historical Landmark by the City of Orinda and the State of California. A campaign has been started to purchase the property and restore the house to its 1848 configuration, to be used as a museum and educational site.

The Moraga School District is an elementary school district in Moraga, California.

The Lafayette–Moraga Regional Trail is a 7.65-mile (12.31 km) pedestrian, bicycle, and equestrian path which runs between the cities of Lafayette and Moraga in Contra Costa county, California. It was one of the first rail trails to be built in California.

References

  1. "California Cities by Incorporation Date". California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions. Archived from the original (Word) on October 17, 2013. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
  2. "Town Council: Moraga, CA". Moraga.ca.us. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  3. "Senators". State of California. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  4. "Members Assembly". State of California. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  5. "California's 10th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  6. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  7. "Moraga (town) QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  8. Archived April 1, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  9. 1 2 Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, Calif.: Word Dancer Press. p. 666. ISBN   1-884995-14-4.
  10. 1 2 "Moraga". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  11. Allison Graham (August 1, 2017). "Moraga sinks into fiscal straits". San Francisco Chronicle.
  12. 1 2 "SAINT MARYS COLLEGE, CALIFORNIA – Climate Summary". Western Regional Climate Center. Retrieved August 30, 2012.
  13. "General Climate Summary Tables - SAINT MARYS COLLEGE, CALIFORNIA". Western Regional Climate Center. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  14. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  15. "2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA – Moraga town". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  16. "Election results" (PDF). elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov. 2019.
  17. "Find a school skills articles, book lists, videos, and milestones - GreatSchools". Parenting.
  18. 1 2 3 "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Contra Costa County, CA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  19. "Camino Pablo Elementary school". Archived from the original on February 18, 2007. Retrieved October 24, 2008.
  20. "Los Perales Elementary School: Home Page". lp.moraga.k12.ca.us.
  21. "Donald Rheem Elementary School: Home Page". rh.moraga.k12.ca.us.
  22. "Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School: Home Page". Archived from the original on October 6, 2011. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
  23. "The Saklan School". www.saklan.org.
  24. "Moraga Library." Contra Costa County Library. Retrieved on April 1, 2010.
  25. "Corbin Burnes Wins UCU WCC Alumni Player of the Week Honors". wccsports.com. August 31, 2020. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  26. Ross, Martha (November 10, 2016). "Moraga: Campolindo grad, ex-war reporter's podcast captures 'remarkable' good news stories". East Bay Times. Retrieved September 24, 2024.