Stinson Beach | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 37°54′02″N122°38′40″W / 37.90056°N 122.64444°W | |
Country | United States |
State | California |
County | Marin |
Government | |
• County Board | District 4 Dennis Rodoni [1] |
• State Senate | Mark Leno (D)[ needs update ] |
• Assembly | Stephanie Nguyen (D) |
• U. S. Congress | Jared Huffman (D) [2] |
Area | |
• Total | 0.892 sq mi (2.31 km2) |
• Land | 0.892 sq mi (2.31 km2) |
• Water | 0.0 sq mi (0 km2) 0.0% |
Elevation | 26 ft (8 m) |
Population (2020) [5] | |
• Total | 541 |
• Density | 610/sq mi (230/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−8 (PST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
ZIP Code | 94970 |
Area codes | 415/628 |
FIPS code | 06-74172 |
GNIS feature ID | 235489 |
Stinson Beach is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Marin County, California, on the west coast of the United States. Stinson Beach is located east-southeast of Bolinas, right across the channel that terminates the bay mouth bar of the Bolinas Lagoon. [6] at an elevation of 26 feet (8 m). [4] The population of the Stinson Beach CDP was 541 at the 2020 census. [5]
Stinson Beach is about a 35-minute drive from the Golden Gate Bridge on California State Route 1 (the Shoreline Highway). It is near important attractions such as Muir Woods National Monument, Muir Beach, and Mount Tamalpais.
Stinson Beach is a popular day trip for people in the San Francisco Bay Area and for tourists visiting Northern California. Although most visitors arrive by private car, Stinson Beach is linked to Marin City by a daily bus service, and the network of hiking trails around Mount Tamalpais also reaches the town. The beach is one of the cleanest in the state, and sandy, unlike the rockier neighboring beach in Bolinas. [7]
Prior to the European colonization of California, the area was inhabited by groups of the Coast Miwok people.
Nathan H. Stinson bought land at the site in 1866. [6]
In 1870, the first road was built along the Pacific coast from Sausalito, and a tent settlement sprang up amongst the willow trees at the beach, which gave rise to the town's original name, Willow Camp. The Mt. Tamalpais & Muir Woods Railway opened in 1896, making Willow Camp more accessible. Visitors could ride the train to West Point Inn and then hike or arrange a stagecoach to take them to the beach. In 1906, refugees from the San Francisco earthquake came to the area and built some of the area's first businesses. Stinson Beach became the official town name in 1916, in honor of the largest landowners, Rose and Nathan Stinson.
The first post office opened in 1916. [6]
In 1939, the beach was sold to Marin County. It was transferred to the state of California in 1950, and was eventually transferred to the National Park Service in 1977.
In 1963, Merrill and Joann Grohman started the Pacific Sun, Stinson Beach's only newspaper of general circulation. It began operations in the back of a Stinson Beach's larger grocery store, Bill's Superette, in the space previously housing the Post Office. [8] The Sun moved to San Rafael in 1966.
In 2002, a surfer was attacked by a 12-to-15-foot-long (3.7 to 4.6 m) great white shark while surfing off Stinson Beach. The young man survived, but received more than 100 stitches to close his wounds. The attack was the second in Stinson Beach, and the 13th in Marin County since 1952. In 1998, Jonathan Kathrein was attacked by a great white shark while bodyboarding. His injury from the shark bite required over 600 stitches. [9] [10] The surf off Stinson Beach is within an area known as the Red Triangle, where there have been an unusually high number of shark attacks. [11]
Marin County added 12 tsunami warning signs to the Stinson Beach shoreline in 2012 to explain the risk to beachgoers. [12]
Stinson Beach is located in southern Marin County at 37°54′02″N122°38′40″W / 37.90056°N 122.64444°W , [4] between Bolinas and Muir Beach. It is 15 miles (24 km) by road northwest of Sausalito and 20 miles (32 km) northwest of San Francisco.
The CDP has a total area of 0.89 square miles (2.31 km2), all of it recorded as land. [3]
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Stinson Beach has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps. Like much of the California coast, summer afternoons are often cool and windy (and usually foggy) as winds blow in off the cold ocean. Adjacent sea surface temperatures are typically in the low to mid 50s F year-round. It receives more rain than other coast cities in the San Francisco Bay Area in this latitude with 1,034.70 mm (40.736 in) of rain.
Climate data for Stinson Beach (Bolinas), California | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 55.2 (12.9) | 59.6 (15.3) | 63.0 (17.2) | 66.1 (18.9) | 69.8 (21.0) | 74.1 (23.4) | 76.7 (24.8) | 77.1 (25.1) | 77.0 (25.0) | 72.1 (22.3) | 62.6 (17.0) | 55.3 (12.9) | 67.4 (19.7) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 48.8 (9.3) | 52.2 (11.2) | 54.5 (12.5) | 56.8 (13.8) | 55.8 (13.2) | 59.9 (15.5) | 65.4 (18.6) | 65.8 (18.8) | 65.4 (18.6) | 61.7 (16.5) | 54.8 (12.7) | 49.1 (9.5) | 57.5 (14.2) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 42.3 (5.7) | 44.7 (7.1) | 45.9 (7.7) | 47.4 (8.6) | 50.0 (10.0) | 52.7 (11.5) | 54.0 (12.2) | 54.4 (12.4) | 53.8 (12.1) | 51.3 (10.7) | 47.0 (8.3) | 42.9 (6.1) | 48.9 (9.4) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 7.7 (200) | 7.8 (200) | 5.5 (140) | 2.2 (56) | 1.3 (33) | 0.3 (7.6) | 0 (0) | 0.1 (2.5) | 0.3 (7.6) | 1.9 (48) | 5.3 (130) | 8.3 (210) | 40.7 (1,034.7) |
Source: Bestplaces.net [13] |
The 2010 United States Census [14] reported that Stinson Beach had a population of 632. The population density was 433.1 inhabitants per square mile (167.2/km2). The racial makeup of Stinson Beach was 582 (92.1%) White, 3 (0.5%) African American, 8 (1.3%) Native American, 14 (2.2%) Asian, 1 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 9 (1.4%) from other races, and 15 (2.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 33 persons (5.2%).
The Census reported that 629 people (99.5% of the population) lived in households, 3 (0.5%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 339 households, out of which 50 (14.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 134 (39.5%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 14 (4.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 10 (2.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 26 (7.7%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 8 (2.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 147 households (43.4%) were made up of individuals, and 45 (13.3%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.86. There were 158 families (46.6% of all households); the average family size was 2.54.
The population was spread out, with 76 people (12.0%) under the age of 18, 26 people (4.1%) aged 18 to 24, 117 people (18.5%) aged 25 to 44, 278 people (44.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 135 people (21.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 54.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.1 males.
There were 773 housing units at an average density of 529.8 per square mile (204.6/km2), of which 209 (61.7%) were owner-occupied, and 130 (38.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 9.7%. 425 people (67.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 204 people (32.3%) lived in rental housing units.
As of the census [15] of 2000, there were 751 people, 374 households, and 178 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 712 inhabitants per square mile (275/km2). There were 693 housing units at an average density of 657 per square mile (254/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP in 2010 was 89.6% non-Hispanic White, 0.5% non-Hispanic African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.2% Asian, 0.2% from Pacific Islander, 0.5% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.2% of the population.
There were 374 households, out of which 18.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% were married couples living together, 4.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 52.4% were non-families. 42.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.98 and the average family size was 2.75.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 16.9% under the age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 39.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $87,679, and the median income for a family was $105,827. Males had a median income of $58,750 versus $56,875 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $62,452. About 3.8% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.8% of those under the age of eighteen and 10.4% of those 65 or over.
Stinson Beach is in the Bolinas-Stinson Union School District, the Tamalpais Union High School District, [16] and the Marin Community College District. Students in primary grades (K-2) attend Stinson Beach School, while elementary grade students (grades 3–8) attend Bolinas School. Stinson Beach is in the attendance area of Tamalpais High School, in Mill Valley.
Stinson Beach is unincorporated, receiving general government services from Marin County, including law enforcement, land use planning, library, public health, and code enforcement. Three special districts provide local services. The Stinson Beach County Water District provides water and septic tank maintenance service and contracts for garbage and recycling collection. [17] The Stinson Beach Volunteer Fire Protection District provides fire protection, emergency medical care, and disaster management services. [18] The Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District administers programs which aim to mitigate flooding, historically concentrating on issues related to the flooding of Easkoot Creek. [19]
The Stinson Beach Village Association was formed in 1976 to represent the town as the County developed the first Stinson Beach Community Plan. [20] The Village Association's current elected president is village resident Michael Matthews. Previously, development of the town had been promoted by the Stinson Beach Progressive Club, one of several non-profit organizations that formed the board of the Stinson Beach Community Center. [21] The other founding organizations were the Allied Arts Club, the Stinson Beach Community Church, The Volunteer Fire Department, and the Parent-Teachers Club. The Community Center complex on Belvedere Avenue includes the Fire House, which fronts on Shoreline Highway, the Community Center, and the Chapel. The land was donated by the FitzHenrys and the other heirs of the Stinson families.
On the second Sunday of June, the town serves as the ending point for the annual running of the Dipsea Race, the second-oldest footrace in the U.S. The California Road Club holds its Mount Tamalpais Hill Climb, one of the oldest bicycle races in the West, in early fall. Since 2002, the race has been held on the third Saturday of the month, with about 400 bicyclists competing in the 12.5-mile (20.1 km) road race from Stinson to the head of Bolinas Lagoon and on to the West summit of Mount Tamalpais at Rock Spring. [23]
"Cuisine on the Green" is a yearly event held in the town's central park, the Village Green, each May. It features local restaurants and merchants selling a wide variety of foods, trinkets, clothing, art, and novelty items at different booths. Talent local to the area often performs on the small park stage. Cuisine on the Green benefits the Stinson Beach Community Center.
On July 4 of every year, a "tug-of-war" is held with Bolinas across the inlet dividing the two communities. Thirty women from each shore pull against each other until a winner is declared, and then 30 men from each take their turn. It is a slice of life, pure Americana, and always contested both during the actual event and then afterward in the local bars of Smiley's and the Sand Dollar, where the winners' trophies are displayed.
Residents, landowners, and summer people important in the development, life, and culture of Stinson Beach. Arrival or tenure is shown in square brackets. Birth and death dates are shown in parentheses.
Stinson Beach has been the setting and filming location for several movies, including:
The town was mentioned in an episode of M*A*S*H —"The Merchant of Korea". In the episode, BJ borrows $200 from Charles to wire home to his wife as a down payment on the purchase of a one-acre lot with "trees, the beach, a view of San Francisco...everything!"
George Frayne (Commander Cody) wrote a song about Stinson Beach entitled "Midnight on The Strand". It was recorded on his 1987 album, Let's Rock.
The town and the beach are the topic of a poem by Garrison Keillor. In We Are Still Married: Stories and Letters, Keillor has a four-page essay about his visits to Stinson Beach and how thinking of the beach helps him sleep. [57]
The poet Robert Duncan wrote his influential collection Opening the Field at a house in Stinson Beach. [58]
Janis Joplin's cremated ashes were scattered along this beach as well as the Pacific Ocean. [59]
The story of a young surfer's recovery from a shark attack is the subject of a book, Far from Shore. [60]
Author Danielle Steel writes about Stinson Beach in her novel One Day at a Time (Dell, 2009, ISBN 978-0-440-24333-5).
Marin County is a county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and largest city is San Rafael. Marin County is across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, and is included in the San Francisco–Oakland–Berkeley, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Belvedere is a residential incorporated city located on the San Francisco Bay in Marin County, California, United States. Consisting of two islands and a lagoon, it is connected to the Tiburon Peninsula by two causeways. At the 2020 census, the population was 2,126. The per capita income of Belvedere residents in 2000 was $250,000, but currently the average income is $283,000, making it one of the highest-income cities in California and the eighth highest-income community in the United States. Belvedere and Tiburon share a post office and the 94920 ZIP code.
Bolinas is an unincorporated coastal community and census-designated place in Marin County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 1,483. It is located on the California coast, approximately 13 miles (21 km) northwest of San Francisco, and 27 miles (43 km) by road.
Kentfield is a census-designated place (CDP) in Marin County, California, United States, just north of San Francisco. Kentfield is located 2 miles (3 km) southwest of downtown San Rafael, at an elevation of 115 feet. The population was 6,808 at the 2020 census. The ZIP codes are 94904 for street addresses, and 94914 for PO boxes, and are shared with the neighboring community of Greenbrae.
Muir Beach is a census designated place (CDP), unincorporated community, and beach on the Pacific Ocean. The community is located 16.5 miles (26.6 km) northwest of San Francisco in western Marin County, California, United States. Unlike many other entities in the area, it is not named directly in honor of conservationist John Muir; instead, it was named after Muir Woods National Monument to capitalize on the latter's popularity. The population was 304 at the 2020 census. The community itself flanks the northwest side of the beach.
Strawberry is a census-designated place (CDP) and an unincorporated district of Marin County, California, United States. It shares a ZIP code (94941) with Mill Valley and falls within its school districts; however, it is considered within the sphere of influence of the town of Tiburon. It is largely separated from Mill Valley by U.S. Route 101. Its population was 5,447 at the 2020 census.
Tamalpais-Homestead Valley is a census-designated place (CDP) in Marin County, California, United States. The population was 11,492 at the 2020 census.
Bolinas Lagoon is a tidal estuary, approximately 1,100 acres (4.5 km2) in area, located in the West Marin region of Marin County, California, United States, adjacent to the town of Bolinas. It is a part of the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. In 1974, Aubrey Neasham and William Pritchard wrote in support of Bolinas Lagoon as Drake's New Albion landing site.
Mount Tamalpais, known locally as Mount Tam, is a peak in Marin County, California, United States, often considered symbolic of Marin County. Much of Mount Tamalpais is protected within public lands such as Mount Tamalpais State Park, the Marin Municipal Water District watershed, and National Park Service land, such as Muir Woods.
Marin City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Marin County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 2,993, up from 2,666 in 2010. It is located 1.5 miles northwest of downtown Sausalito, 8 miles (13 km) south-southeast of San Rafael, and about 5 miles (8 km) north of San Francisco from the Golden Gate Bridge, at an elevation of 23 feet (7.0 m). Marin City was developed for housing starting in 1942, to accommodate wartime shipyard workers and other migrants to California. Among those were African Americans from the South in the Great Migration, which continued until 1970.
The Dipsea Race is a trail running event in California, United States. It is the oldest cross-country trail running event and one of the oldest foot races of any kind in the United States. The 7.5 mile (12 km) long Dipsea Race has been held annually almost every year since November 19, 1905, starting in Mill Valley, and finishing at Stinson Beach, in Marin County. Since 1983, the race has been held on the second Sunday in June. The Dipsea celebrated its 111th running on Sunday, June 12, 2022.
The Marin Hills are a series of steep high ridges and peaks in southern Marin County. They are a part of the long Pacific Coast Ranges mountain system. The centerpoint of these hills is the 2,571 foot Mount Tamalpais near Mill Valley. The hills are bordered to the north by the Santa Rosa Plain and Laguna de Santa Rosa; to the east by the San Pablo Bay, the northern arm of San Francisco Bay; to the south by the Golden Gate Strait; and to the west by the San Andreas Fault, running through Tomales Bay, Olema Valley, Bolinas Lagoon, and Stinson Beach. Parts of the hills are protected for their scenic beauty by Mount Tamalpais State Park and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The many ridges and peaks of these hills form a dramatic backdrop to the Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco skyline, and several towns around Richardson Bay when viewed from the south.
The Tamalpais Union High School District or TUHSD provides high school education to students residing in ten elementary districts in central and southern Marin County, California and parts of West Marin. The headquarters are on the property of Redwood High School in Larkspur, California.
Dogtown is an unincorporated community in the rural West Marin region of coastal Marin County, California in the San Francisco Bay Area's North Bay. It lies at an elevation of 187 feet. With a population of 30, the town is located beside the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Point Reyes National Seashore, in the Olema Valley west of the Bolinas Ridge mountain range.
Stinson Gulch is a valley in Marin County, California, United States which is associated with a small stream.
Kent Island is a small island in Marin County, California. In 1964, it was proposed for large-scale development including a hotel and marina, but the plan was defeated in 1967. The island is now included in the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary.
Bolinas Ridge is a north-south ridge in southwestern Marin County, California. Much of the western side of the ridge is protected parkland in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and the eastern side is watershed lands of the Marin Municipal Water District.
Marin County, California contains many public and private schools and a few higher education institutions.
Rancho Tomales y Baulines was a 9,468-acre (38.32 km2) Mexican land grant in present-day Marin County, California, given in 1836 by Governor Nicolás Gutiérrez to Rafael Garcia. The grant extended south from Point Reyes Station along the Olema Valley and encompassed present day Olema and Garcia.
Rancho Las Baulines was a 8,911-acre (36.06 km2) Mexican land grant in present-day Marin County, California, given in 1846 by Governor Pío Pico to Gregorio Briones. The grant extended around Bolinas Lagoon and encompassed present-day Stinson Beach and Bolinas.