Tuolumne County, California

Last updated

Tuolumne County
County
Hetch Hetchy Valley (54152192812) (cropped).jpg
Hetch Hetchy in Yosemite National Park
Tuolumne County Courthouse (cropped).jpg
Sonora
ColumbiaCAMainSt (cropped).jpg
Columbia
Standard mill office.jpg
Soulsbyville
2009-0724-CA-Jamestown-Emporium.jpg
Jamestown
Groveland California photo D Ramey Logan.jpg
Groveland and Stanislaus National Forest
Flag of Tuolumne County, California.svg
Flag
Seal of Tuolumne County, California.png
Seal
Tuolumne County, California
Interactive map of Tuolumne County
Map of California highlighting Tuolumne County.svg
Location in the state of California
Country United States
State California
Regions Sierra Nevada, Gold Country
Incorporated February 15, 1850 [1]
County seat Sonora
Largest citySonora
Government
 • Type Council–Administrator
 • BodyBoard of Supervisors
 • ChairJaron Brandon
 • Vice ChairRyan Campbell
 • Board of Supervisors [2]
Supervisors
  • Michael Holland
  • Ryan Campbell
  • Daniel Anaiah Kirk
  • Stephen Griefer
  • Jaron Brandon
 • County AdministratorTracie Riggs [3]
Area
 • Total
2,274 sq mi (5,890 km2)
 • Land2,221 sq mi (5,750 km2)
 • Water54 sq mi (140 km2)
Highest elevation
13,114 ft (3,997 m)
Population
 (April 1, 2020) [4]
 • Total
54,226
 • Density24.42/sq mi (9.427/km2)
GDP
[5]
 • Total$2.884 billion (2022)
Time zone UTC−8 (Pacific Time Zone)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Congressional district 5th
Website tuolumnecounty.ca.gov
Very fine old crystalline-gold specimen, most likely from Tuolumne County. Sold in the 1950s for $65; more recently for $12,500. Published twice. Gold-rar09-mf07a.jpg
Very fine old crystalline-gold specimen, most likely from Tuolumne County. Sold in the 1950s for $65; more recently for $12,500. Published twice.

Tuolumne County ( /tuˈɒləmi/ ⓘ ), officially the County of Tuolumne, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 55,620. [7] The county seat and only incorporated city is Sonora. [8]

Contents

Tuolumne County comprises the Sonora, CA Micropolitan Statistical Area. The county is in the Sierra Nevada region.

City of Sonora in Tuolumne County California City of Sonora in Tuolumne County.jpg
City of Sonora in Tuolumne County California

The northern half of Yosemite National Park is located in the eastern part of the county.

Etymology

The name Tuolumne is of Native American origin and has been given different meanings, such as Many Stone Houses, The Land of Mountain Lions, and Straight Up Steep, the latter an interpretation of William Fuller, a native Chief. [9] Mariano Vallejo, in his report to the first California State Legislature, said that the word is "a corruption of the Native American word talmalamne which signifies 'cluster of stone wigwams.'" [10] The name may mean "people who dwell in stone houses," i.e., in caves.

History

Tuolumne County Boundaries

One of California's original 27 counties, Tuolumne was organized in 1850.

Prior to the official naming of counties by the state, Tuolumne was sometimes referred to as Oro County. [11]

The original lines of Tuolumne County were not long established. In 1854 and 1855 the portion of Tuolumne County that extended west into the San Joaquin Valley was reorganized as Stanislaus County. In 1864 a number of the original counties including Tuolumne contributed lands that would lead to the establishment of Alpine County to the northeast. With the State's Adoption of the Political Code in 1872 the current boundaries of Tuolumne County were largely established as shown in the maps below.

Tuolumne map.jpg
Tuolumne County 1935 Map.jpg

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,274 square miles (5,890 km2), of which 2,221 square miles (5,750 km2) is land and 54 square miles (140 km2) (2.4%) is water. [12] A California Department of Forestry document reports Tuolumne County's 1,030,812 acres (4,171.55 km2) include federal lands such as Yosemite National Park, Stanislaus National Forest, Bureau of Land Management lands, and Indian reservations. Notable landforms in the county include Table Mountain.

Special Districts

Special districts in Tuolumne County include:

Adjacent counties

Geographical features

Environmental
Valleys

Transportation

Major highways

Public transportation

Tuolumne County Transit bus routes radiate from Sonora to serve most of the county. In Columbia, a connection can be made to Calaveras County Transit. There is no public transportation into or out of Tuolumne County that connects to any of the closest metropolitan areas.

Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) makes a single daily round trip from Sonora into Yosemite Valley during the summer months.

Airports

Columbia Airport and Pine Mountain Lake Airport are both general aviation airports located in the Southwest and Northeast corners of the county respectively.

Crime

The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.

Population and crime rates
Population [14] 55,736
Violent crime [15] 1582.83
  Homicide [15] 10.02
  Forcible rape [15] 250.45
  Robbery [15] 190.34
  Aggravated assault [15] 1132.03
Property crime [15] 66912.00
  Burglary [15] 3546.35
  Larceny-theft [15] [note 1] 84615.18
  Motor vehicle theft [15] 1001.79
Arson [15] 110.20

Cities by population and crime rates

Cities by population and crime rates
CityPopulation [16] Violent crimes [16] Violent crime rate
per 1,000 persons		Property crimes [16] Property crime rate
per 1,000 persons
Sonora 4,804204.0731163.33

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1850 8,351—
1860 16,22994.3%
1870 8,150−49.8%
1880 7,848−3.7%
1890 6,082−22.5%
1900 11,16683.6%
1910 9,979−10.6%
1920 7,768−22.2%
1930 9,27119.3%
1940 10,88717.4%
1950 12,58415.6%
1960 14,40414.5%
1970 22,16953.9%
1980 33,92853.0%
1990 48,45642.8%
2000 54,50112.5%
2010 55,3651.6%
2020 55,6200.5%
2024 (est.)53,893 [17] −3.1%
U.S. Decennial Census [18]
1790–1960 [19] 1900–1990 [20]
1990–2000 [21] 2010 [22] 2020 [23]

2020 census

Tuolumne County, California – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000 [24] Pop 2010 [22] Pop 2020 [23] % 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020
White alone (NH)30,94541,88746,37745,32542,25491.21%86.44%85.09%81.87%75.97%
Black or African American alone (NH)3731,5291,1351,1149891.10%3.16%2.08%2.01%1.78%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)5998768648307841.77%1.81%1.59%1.50%1.41%
Asian alone (NH)1893623775307700.56%0.75%0.69%0.96%1.38%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x [25] x [26] 8162110xx0.15%0.11%0.20%
Other race alone (NH)4176472303130.12%0.16%0.09%0.42%0.56%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x [27] x [28] 1,1751,3563,276xx2.16%2.45%5.89%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)1,7813,7264,4455,9187,1245.25%7.69%8.16%10.69%12.81%
Total33,92848,45654,50155,36555,620 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2011

Population, race, and income
Total population [14] 55,736
  White [14] 48,47787.0%
  Black or African American [14] 1,1722.1%
  American Indian or Alaska Native [14] 1,0081.8%
  Asian [14] 6051.1%
  Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander [14] 820.1%
  Some other race [14] 2,2764.1%
  Two or more races [14] 2,1163.8%
 Hispanic or Latino (of any race) [29] 5,86110.5%
Per capita income [30] $26,084
Median household income [31] $47,359
Median family income [32] $59,710

Places by population, race, and income

Places by population and race
PlaceType [33] Population [14] White [14] Other [14]
[note 2] 		Asian [14] Black or African
American [14] 		Native American [14]
[note 3] 		Hispanic or Latino
(of any race) [29]
Cedar Ridge CDP 1,07189.8%6.9%0.7%0.3%2.3%3.5%
Chinese Camp CDP 15490.9%9.1%0.0%0.0%0.0%8.4%
Cold Springs CDP 29394.2%5.8%0.0%0.0%0.0%6.5%
Columbia CDP 2,25874.1%20.8%0.1%0.0%5.0%11.3%
East Sonora CDP 2,05089.6%5.6%1.0%0.0%3.9%7.9%
Groveland CDP 61297.2%2.8%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%
Jamestown CDP 4,03189.4%10.4%0.2%0.0%0.0%19.7%
Long Barn CDP 353100.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%
Mi-Wuk Village CDP 76168.3%11.8%0.8%0.0%19.1%7.6%
Mono Vista CDP 2,63894.2%3.0%0.0%2.4%0.4%13.4%
Phoenix Lake CDP 4,45298.2%0.6%0.4%0.6%0.2%9.5%
Pine Mountain Lake CDP 2,69595.5%2.3%0.9%0.0%1.3%6.8%
Sierra Village CDP 209100.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%
Sonora City 4,89993.2%3.4%1.0%1.4%0.9%5.1%
Soulsbyville CDP 2,00899.0%0.0%0.7%0.0%0.3%1.7%
Strawberry CDP 168100.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%
Tuolumne City CDP 2,15288.6%11.2%0.1%0.0%0.1%10.2%
Tuttletown CDP 903100.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%
Twain Harte CDP 2,15191.7%5.8%1.2%0.0%1.3%13.0%
Places by population and income
PlaceType [33] Population [34] Per capita income [30] Median household income [31] Median family income [32]
Cedar Ridge CDP 1,071$35,230$59,323$80,833
Chinese Camp CDP 154$29,125$45,313$106,250
Cold Springs CDP 293$34,753$74,018$88,269
Columbia CDP 2,258$23,152$34,231$49,135
East Sonora CDP 2,050$30,722$35,781$50,292
Groveland CDP 612$22,075$31,587$51,719
Jamestown CDP 4,031$19,279$27,764$29,329
Long Barn CDP 353$38,008$24,898$16,071
Mi-Wuk Village CDP 761$32,578$60,769$81,786
Mono Vista CDP 2,638$19,865$42,328$52,835
Phoenix Lake CDP 4,452$33,759$65,292$85,365
Pine Mountain Lake CDP 2,695$31,992$54,200$64,973
Sierra Village CDP 209$46,769$71,607$71,607
Sonora City 4,899$28,425$31,424$62,396
Soulsbyville CDP 2,008$26,181$56,853$72,750
Strawberry CDP 168$13,504$22,467$22,467
Tuolumne City CDP 2,152$18,620$35,291$38,509
Tuttletown CDP 903$20,840$31,827$45,750
Twain Harte CDP 2,151$31,264$46,250$49,911

2010 census

The 2010 United States census reported that Tuolumne County had a population of 55,365. The racial makeup of Tuolumne County was 48,274 (87.2%) White, 1,143 (2.1%) African American, 1,039 (1.9%) Native American, 572 (1.0%) Asian, 76 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 2,238 (4.0%) from other races, and 2,023 (3.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5,918 persons (10.7%). [35]

2000

As of the census [36] of 2000, there were 54,501 people, 21,004 households, and 14,240 families residing in the county. The population density was 9/km2 (23/sq mi). There were 28,336 housing units at an average density of 5/km2 (13/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 89.5% White, 2.1% Black or African American, 1.8% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 2.9% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. 8.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 94.7% spoke English and 3.5% Spanish as their first language.

There were 21,004 households, out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.82.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.7% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 111.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,725, and the median income for a family was $44,327. Males had a median income of $35,373 versus $25,805 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,015. About 8.1% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.2% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government and policing

The Government of Tuolumne County is established and defined by the California Constitution and is a five-member elected Board Of Supervisors who serve four year elected terms. The government provides services such as elections and voter registration, law enforcement, jails, vital records, property records, tax collection, public health, and social services. The Board is the government for all unincorporated areas. Sonora is the only incorporated city in Tuolumne County.

Sheriff and Police

The Tuolumne County Sheriff provides court protection, jail administration, and coroner services for the entire county. It provides patrol and detective services for the unincorporated areas of the county.

Within the city limits of Sonora, patrol and detective services are served by the Sonora Police Department.

Politics

Voter registration statistics

Population and registered voters
Total population [14] 55,736
  Registered voters [37] [note 4] 32,10157.6%
    Democratic [37] 10,30632.1%
    Republican [37] 13,52942.1%
    Democratic–Republican spread [37] -3,223-10.0%
    Independent [37] 1,3134.1%
    Green [37] 2480.8%
    Libertarian [37] 2480.8%
    Peace and Freedom [37] 1000.3%
    Americans Elect [37] 10.0%
    Other [37] 680.2%
    No party preference [37] 6,28819.6%

Cities by population and voter registration

Cities by population and voter registration
CityPopulation [14] Registered voters [37]
[note 4] 		Democratic [37] Republican [37] D–R spread [37] Other [37] No party preference [37]
Sonora 4,89955.0%38.2%32.4%+5.8%10.7%22.8%

Overview

Tuolumne county tends to vote Republican in Presidential and congressional elections. The last Democrat to win the county was Bill Clinton in 1992. In the 2008 presidential election, 14,988 votes were counted for John McCain with former president Barack Obama receiving 11,532 votes. [38]

United States presidential election results for Tuolumne County, California [39]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
1892 73940.56%91650.27%1679.17%
1896 83438.06%1,30859.70%492.24%
1900 1,30945.09%1,53052.70%642.20%
1904 1,28048.76%1,00638.32%33912.91%
1908 94344.40%87841.34%30314.27%
1912 80.30%1,45955.58%1,15844.11%
1916 1,05736.17%1,58454.21%2819.62%
1920 1,28559.38%65930.45%22010.17%
1924 1,28743.03%35711.94%1,34745.04%
1928 1,73154.80%1,36043.05%682.15%
1932 1,14530.18%2,52166.45%1283.37%
1936 1,19926.40%3,30372.72%400.88%
1940 2,00435.63%3,54162.96%791.40%
1944 1,86441.77%2,56657.51%320.72%
1948 2,63948.21%2,56146.78%2745.01%
1952 4,05059.18%2,73539.96%590.86%
1956 3,61952.12%3,31047.67%140.20%
1960 3,69149.11%3,78150.31%440.59%
1964 2,86136.59%4,93963.16%200.26%
1968 4,33047.48%3,91342.91%8769.61%
1972 5,89454.29%4,59642.34%3663.37%
1976 6,10446.94%6,49249.93%4073.13%
1980 8,81054.85%5,44933.92%1,80411.23%
1984 10,48558.09%7,28340.35%2831.57%
1988 10,64654.00%8,71744.22%3521.79%
1992 8,52535.26%9,21638.12%6,43726.62%
1996 10,38647.27%8,95040.73%2,63612.00%
2000 13,17255.51%9,35939.44%1,1965.04%
2004 15,74560.02%10,10438.51%3861.47%
2008 14,98854.90%11,53242.24%7832.87%
2012 13,88056.06%9,99840.38%8803.55%
2016 14,55156.20%9,12335.23%2,2198.57%
2020 17,68958.17%11,97839.39%7412.44%
2024 17,21059.72%10,90937.86%6972.42%

Tuolumne County is in California's 5th congressional district , represented by Republican Tom McClintock. [40] In the state legislature Tuolumne is in the 8th Assembly district, which is held by Republican David Tangipa and the 4th Senate district, which is held by Republican Marie Alvarado-Gil.

Communities

City

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Tuolumne County. [41]

†county seat

RankCity/Town/etc.Municipal typePopulation (2010 Census)
1† Sonora City4,610
2 Phoenix Lake CDP4,269
3 Jamestown CDP3,433
4 Mono Vista CDP3,127
5 Pine Mountain Lake CDP2,796
6 Columbia CDP2,297
7 East Sonora CDP2,266
8 Twain Harte CDP2,226
9 Soulsbyville CDP2,215
10 Tuolumne City CDP1,779
11 Cedar Ridge CDP1,132
12 Mi-Wuk Village CDP941
13 Tuttletown CDP668
14 Groveland CDP601
15 Sierra Village CDP456
16 Tuolumne Rancheria [42] AIAN 185
17 Cold Springs CDP181
18 Long Barn CDP155
19 Chinese Camp CDP126
20 Strawberry CDP126
21 Chicken Ranch Rancheria [43] AIAN91

See also

Explanatory notes

  1. ↑ Only larceny-theft cases involving property over $400 in value are reported as property crimes.
  2. ↑ Other = Some other race + Two or more races
  3. ↑ Native American = Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander + American Indian or Alaska Native
  4. 1 2 Percentage of registered voters with respect to total population. Percentages of party members with respect to registered voters follow.

References

  1. ↑ "Chronology". California State Association of Counties. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Board of Supervisors | Tuolumne County, CA - Official Website".
  3. ↑ "Tuolumne County". Tuolumne County Government. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  4. ↑ "State & County QuickFacts".
  5. ↑ "Gross Domestic Product: All Industries in Tuolumne County, CA". Federal Reserve Economic Data . Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
  6. ↑ rar09-mf07 - Gold - $ 12,500 SOLD Archived May 14, 2013, at the Wayback Machine , scroll down
  7. ↑ "Tuolumne County, California". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Chief Fuller Historical Monument". Twainhartevisitor.com. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  10. ↑ Fabian, Jose; Schlepp, Travis (July 2, 2022). "The most mispronounced places in California". KTLA. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Tuolumne County, California – International Cities of Peace" . Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  12. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  13. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lone Gulch
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Office of the Attorney General, Department of Justice, State of California. Table 11: Crimes – 2009 Archived December 2, 2013, at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  16. 1 2 3 United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime in the United States, 2012, Table 8 (California). Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2024". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing from 1790-2000". US Census Bureau . Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
  21. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
  22. 1 2 "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Tuolumne County, California". United States Census Bureau .
  23. 1 2 "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Tuolumne County, California". United States Census Bureau .
  24. ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Tuolumne County, California". United States Census Bureau .
  25. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  26. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
  27. ↑ not an option in the 1980 Census
  28. ↑ not an option in the 1990 Census
  29. 1 2 U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B03003. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  30. 1 2 U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  31. 1 2 U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  32. 1 2 U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  33. 1 2 U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  34. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  35. ↑ "2010 Census P.L. 94-171 Summary File Data". United States Census Bureau.
  36. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  37. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 California Secretary of State. February 10, 2013 - Report of Registration Archived July 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  38. ↑ "Local and National Election Results - Election Center 2008 - Elections & Politics from CNN.com". Cnn.com. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  39. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  40. ↑ "California's 4th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  41. ↑ "Census Coverage Measurement". Census.gov. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  42. ↑ "2010 Census Interactive Population Search : Tuolumne Rancheria". Census.gov. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  43. ↑ "2010 Census Interactive Population Search : Chicken Ranch Rancheria". Census.gov. Retrieved November 7, 2017.

Further reading

38°01′N119°56′W / 38.02°N 119.94°W / 38.02; -119.94

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