Folsom, California
Encyclopedia
Sacramento County, California
Sacramento County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Sacramento, which is also the state capital. As of 2010 the county had a population of 1,418,788....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Folsom is most commonly known for its famous Folsom Prison. The population was 72,203 at the 2010 census.
Folsom is a suburb of Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
and is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade
Arden-Arcade, California
Arden-Arcade is a census-designated place in Sacramento County, California, United States. The population was 92,186 at the 2010 census. It is east of the city of Sacramento and west of the community of Carmichael....
–Roseville
Roseville, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Roseville had a population of 118,788. The population density was 3,279.4 people per square mile...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Sacramento metropolitan area
The Greater Sacramento area, or officially Sacramento–Arden Arcade–Yuba City, CA-NV Combined Statistical Area, is a combined statistical area consisting of several metropolitan statistical areas and seven counties in Northern California and one in Western Nevada. These are Sacramento, Yolo, El...
.
History
Folsom is named for Joseph Libbey FolsomJoseph Libbey Folsom
Joseph Libbey Folsom was a U.S. Army officer and real estate investor in the early days of California's statehood. He is the founder of what is now Folsom, California...
who purchased Rancho Rio de los Americanos
Rancho Rio de los Americanos
Rancho Rio de los Americanos was a Mexican land grant in present-day Sacramento County, California given in 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to William Leidesdorff . The grant takes its name from Río de los Americanos, the name of the American River during the Mexican-rule era...
from the heirs of a San Francisco merchant William Alexander Leidesdorff, and laid out the town called Granite City, mostly occupied by gold miners seeking fortune in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Though few amassed a great deal of wealth, the city prospered due to Joseph Folsom's lobbying to get a railway to connect the town with Sacramento. Joseph died in 1855, and Granite City was later renamed to Folsom in his honor. The railway was abandoned in the 1980s but later opened up as the terminus of the Gold Line of Sacramento Regional Transit District
Sacramento Regional Transit District
The Sacramento Regional Transit District, commonly referred to as RT, is the agency responsible for public transportation in the Sacramento, California area. It was established on April 1, 1973, as a result of the acquisition of the Sacramento Transit Authority...
's light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
service. A few former gold-rush era towns are located within city limits of Folsom, including Prairie City, California
Prairie City, California
Prairie City was a gold-mining community that once sat in the California foothills. The Folsom, California subdivision 'Prairie Oaks' was named because it is believed that the city once stood in this general area....
, Salmon Falls
Salmon Falls, California
Salmon Falls is a former settlement in El Dorado County, California. It was located on the South Fork of the American River south-southwest of Pilot Hill, at an elevation of 469 feet . It was flooded by Folsom Lake. Nearby were waterfalls from which the place got its name.-Overview:Mining began...
, and Mormon Island (though these towns no longer exist).
Folsom was home to a significant Chinese American
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
community when it was first incorporated, but arsonists burned Folsom's Chinatown in March 1886, driving Chinese Americans out of town.
Folsom Prison was established in 1880, when the Livermore family made an agreement with the state to donate land for the prison in exchange for prison labor. Their plan was to build a hydro-electric dam from the American River
American River
The American River is a California watercourse noted as the site of Sutter's Mill, northwest of Placerville, California, where gold was found in 1848, leading to the California Gold Rush...
for a sawmill. Though the sawmill did not work out, the Livermores soon realized that the natural force of running water could provide enough power to transmit to Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, and the Folsom Powerhouse
Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park
Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park is a historical site located in Folsom near Sacramento, California, in the United States. Built in the late 19th century by the Natoma Water and Mining Company and prison labor from Folsom Prison, the hydroelelectric powerhouse first delivered power to...
, now a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
, was opened. At the time it was opened, it had the longest overhead run of electricity (22 miles) in the country. The powerhouse operated until 1952.
Folsom Dam
Folsom Dam
Folsom Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the American River in Northern California, about northeast of Sacramento. Folsom Dam is high concrete and long, flanked by earthen wing dams...
was built in 1956, providing much-needed flood control and water rights for the Sacramento Valley. The creation of this dam also created one of the most popular lakes in Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
, Folsom Lake
Folsom Lake
Folsom Lake is a reservoir in Northern California about northeast of Sacramento in Placer, El Dorado, and Sacramento Counties. The lake is formed by Folsom Dam, constructed in 1955 to control the American River. The dam and lake are part of the Folsom Project, which also includes the Nimbus...
. The dam is located on the southwest corner of the lake. The lake is an estimated 4.8 miles (7.7 km) from Granite Bay to the most southern point of Folsom Lake
Folsom Lake
Folsom Lake is a reservoir in Northern California about northeast of Sacramento in Placer, El Dorado, and Sacramento Counties. The lake is formed by Folsom Dam, constructed in 1955 to control the American River. The dam and lake are part of the Folsom Project, which also includes the Nimbus...
.
Folsom is home to Folsom Lake College
Folsom Lake College
Folsom Lake College is a comprehensive, public community college, the 114th community college in the State of California, and the fourth campus of the Los Rios Community College District...
, Folsom Dam, Folsom Lake, Folsom High School, Vista del Lago High School and a historic district. Folsom is also home to the largest private employer in the Sacramento area, Intel.
Geography
Folsom is located at 38.672127°N 121.157838°W.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 24.3 square miles (62.9 km²), of which, 21.9 square miles (56.7 km²) of it is land and 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²) of it (9.69%) is water, primarily accounted for by Folsom Lake
Folsom Lake
Folsom Lake is a reservoir in Northern California about northeast of Sacramento in Placer, El Dorado, and Sacramento Counties. The lake is formed by Folsom Dam, constructed in 1955 to control the American River. The dam and lake are part of the Folsom Project, which also includes the Nimbus...
.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Folsom had a population of 72,203. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,971.2 people per square mile (1,147.2/km²). The racial makeup of Folsom was 53,627 (74.3%) White, 4,140 (5.7%) African American, 427 (0.6%) Native American, 9,000 (12.5%) Asian, 173 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 1,818 (2.5%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 3,018 (4.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8,064 persons (11.2%).
The Census reported that 65,243 people (90.4% of the population) lived in households, 188 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 6,772 (9.4%) were institutionalized.
There were 24,951 households, out of which 9,796 (39.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 14,399 (57.7%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 2,195 (8.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,006 (4.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,150 (4.6%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 137 (0.5%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 5,788 households (23.2%) were made up of individuals and 1,930 (7.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61. There were 17,600 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(70.5% of all households); the average family size was 3.13.
The population was spread out with 17,570 people (24.3%) under the age of 18, 5,344 people (7.4%) aged 18 to 24, 23,022 people (31.9%) aged 25 to 44, 19,358 people (26.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 6,909 people (9.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.6 years. For every 100 females there were 114.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 117.9 males.
There were 26,109 housing units at an average density of 1,074.4 per square mile (414.8/km²), of which 17,442 (69.9%) were owner-occupied, and 7,509 (30.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.2%. 47,982 people (66.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 17,261 people (23.9%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 51,884 people, 17,196 households, and 12,518 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,386.7 people per square mile (921.5/km²). There were 17,968 housing units at an average density of 826.5 per square mile (319.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 77.89% Caucasian, 5.99% African American, 0.58% Native American, 7.19% Asian, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 4.71% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 3.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.47% of the population.
There were 17,196 households out of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.2% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 39.0% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 123.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 131.0 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $87,542, and the median income for a family was $109,032.http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/STTable?_bm=y&-context=st&-qr_name=ACS_2007_1YR_G00_S1901&-ds_name=ACS_2007_1YR_G00_&-CONTEXT=st&-tree_id=307&-redoLog=false&-_caller=geoselect&-geo_id=16000US0624638&-format=&-_lang=en Males had a median income of $60,616 versus $42,434 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $30,210. About 2.6% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
In the state legislatureCalifornia State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
Folsom is located in the 1st Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
District, represented by Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Dave Cox
Dave Cox
David E. Cox was an American politician from Holdenville, Oklahoma. A Republican, he served as a California State Senator, representing the 1st district from December 2004 until his death in July 2010, and also served as an California State Assemblyman for the six years immediately before his...
, and in the 5th Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
District, represented by Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Roger Niello
Roger Niello
Roger Niello was a Republican of the California State Assembly since 2004. He represented California's 5th Assembly District, which includes the Sacramento County cities and towns of Arden-Arcade, Carmichael, Citrus Heights, Fair Oaks, Folsom, North Highlands, McClellan Park, Orangevale, Natomas,...
. Federally, Folsom is located in California's 3rd congressional district
California's 3rd congressional district
California's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of California. It covers most of Sacramento County and part of Solano County, as well as all of Alpine, Amador and Calaveras counties...
, which has a Cook PVI
Cook Partisan Voting Index
The Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...
of R +7 and is represented by Republican Dan Lungren
Dan Lungren
Daniel Edward "Dan" Lungren is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. The district covers most of Sacramento County and part of Solano County, as well as all of Alpine, Amador and Calaveras counties...
.
Top employers
According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Intel | 6,500 |
| 2 | California State Prison, Sacramento California State Prison, Sacramento California State Prison, Sacramento is a male-only state prison located in the city of Folsom, in Sacramento County, California. The facility is also referenced as Sacramento State Prison, CSP-Sacramento, CSP-SAC, and occasionally, New Folsom or New Folsom Prison which was its official name prior... |
1,450 |
| 3 | Verizon Verizon Communications Verizon Communications Inc. is a global broadband and telecommunications company and a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average... |
1,100 |
| 4 | Folsom State Prison Folsom State Prison Folsom State Prison is a California State Prison located in the city of Folsom, California, northeast from the state capital of Sacramento. Opened in 1880, Folsom is the second-oldest prison in the state of California after San Quentin and was the first in the country to have electricity... |
975 |
| 5 | Folsom Cordova Unified School District Folsom Cordova Unified School District Folsom Cordova Unified School District is a school district headquartered in Folsom, California. It covers the cities of Folsom, Rancho Cordova, and most of Mather. With 32 separate schools, it also has an adult education program... |
875 |
| 6 | Worthington Imports | 680 |
| 7 | Peterson's Folsom Lake Enterprises | 654 |
| 8 | California ISO ISO RTO In North America, an ISO is an Independent System Operator and an RTO is a Regional Transmission Organization. The two are similar with an RTO being more clearly defined and born out of the concept of electrical grid reliability... |
550 |
| 9 | City of Folsom | 480 |
| 10 | Mercy Hospital of Folsom Catholic Healthcare West Catholic Healthcare West is a California-based not-for-profit public benefit corporation that operates hospitals in California, Arizona, and Nevada. As such, it is exempt from federal and state income taxes... |
450 |
Bike Trails
Folsom is home to 32 miles of bike trails including the Humbug-Willow Creek Trail. This particular trail system follows both Humbug and Willow Creeks, along with dredger tailings and riparian forests. Other trails include the Folsom Rail Trail (along Folsom Boulevard), The Folsom Lake Trail (to connect El Dorado Hills with Lake Natoma), and the Oak Parkway Trail (between Blue Ravine Road and East Natoma Street).Bridges
Folsom is home to several notable bridges - Lake Natoma Crossing, Rainbow Bridge, a historic truss bridge, and Folsom Lake Crossing. There is also pedestrian bridge over East Bidwell Street that opened on November 6, 2010 as part of a new segment on the Humbug-Willow Creek Trail called the Johnny Cash Trail.Notable residents
- Jerry Horton, guitarist for Papa RoachPapa RoachPapa Roach is an American rock band from Vacaville, California. Their first major-label release was the triple-platinum album Infest . The group's success continued with their gold album Lovehatetragedy , their platinum album Getting Away with Murder , The Paramour Sessions , and Metamorphosis...
- Cristina MendonsaCristina MendonsaCristina Mendonsa is a local television news anchor for KXTV. She joined the station in December 1995....
, News10 Anchor KXTVKXTVKXTV, channel 10, is an ABC affiliate television station in Sacramento, California. It is owned and operated by the Gannett Company. Its transmitter tower is located in Walnut Grove, California, and studios are located on Broadway, just south of Business Loop 80 at the south edge of downtown...
in Sacramento - Dmitry TursunovDmitry TursunovDmitry Igorevich Tursunov is a Russian professional male tennis player. He was 12 years old when he came to the United States to train and further his prospects of becoming a professional player....
, Tennis Player. Representing Russia in 2008 Olympics - Peter CamejoPeter CamejoPeter Miguel Camejo was an American author, activist and politician. In the 2004 United States presidential election, he was selected by independent candidate Ralph Nader as his vice-presidential running mate on a ticket which had the endorsement of the Reform Party.Camejo was a three-time Green...
, Green Party Activist
Education
Folsom Cordova Unified School DistrictFolsom Cordova Unified School District
Folsom Cordova Unified School District is a school district headquartered in Folsom, California. It covers the cities of Folsom, Rancho Cordova, and most of Mather. With 32 separate schools, it also has an adult education program...
operates public schools. Folsom High School
Folsom High School
Folsom High School is a nationally acclaimed American high school located in Folsom, California, established in 1922. It is a part of the Folsom-Cordova Unified School District...
and Vista del Lago High School
Vista del Lago High School
Vista Del Lago High School is located in Folsom, California. It is one of three high schools in the Folsom Cordova Unified School District. The school opened in 2007 to serve the southern side of Folsom and to relieve overcrowding at Folsom High School. The official colors for VDLHS are navy blue...
are located in Folsom. There are two middle schools in Folsom: Folsom Middle School
Folsom Middle School
Folsom Middle School is a middle school located in Folsom, California which educates grades six through eight, and feeds to nearby Vista del Lago High School and Folsom High School. Its principal is Chris Aland and the school mascot is the jaguar. Folsom Middle School is part of the Folsom-Cordova...
and Sutter Middle School.
The city operates the Folsom Public Library, located in the Georgia Murray Building, and the Norman R. Siefkin Public Library.
Adjacent areas
Sister cities
- Jiaohe CityJiaoheJiaohe is a middle-sized city in east-central Jilin province, People's Republic of China. It is under the administration of Jilin City, to the west, and it is well-known for its production of tobacco...
, Jilin Province, PR China - Crespano del GrappaCrespano del GrappaCrespano del Grappa is a city in the province of Treviso, Veneto region of Italy. As of 2007 Crespano del Grappa had an estimated population of 4,680.The sister city to Crespano del Grappa is Folsom, California in the USA....
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... - Pereira, ColombiaPereira, ColombiaPereira is the capital city of the Colombian department of Risaralda. It stands in the center of the western region of the country, located in a small valley that descends from a part of the western Andes mountain chain. Its strategic location in the coffee producing area makes the city an urban...
Arts
- Home to the Folsom Lake Civic BalletFolsom Lake Civic BalletFolsom Lake Civic Ballet is the official dance company for Folsom, California, USA. It is primarily a pre-professional ballet, and most performers are auditioned from the Folsom dance school Hawkins School of Performing Arts although adult dancers are invited as 'guest artists'.-Important people:*...
- Home to Hawkins School of Performing Arts, the official school of the Folsom Lake Civic Ballet
- Home to Folsom Lake Symphony Orchestra
- Home of the Award-winning Folsom High School music program http://www.folsommusic.org