Port Costa, California
Encyclopedia
Port Costa is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Contra Costa County
, California
, United States
. The population was 190 at the 2010 census.
, the CDP has a total area of 0.16 square mile (0.4143980976 km²), all of it land. Port Costa is surrounded by rolling hills grazed by cattle and managed by East Bay Regional Park District
. Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline
stretches from Crockett
through Port Costa and to Martinez
. Big Bull Valley Creek runs along McEwen Road into a historic reservoir just above the town, then it runs in an underground pipe culvert beneath the town to the Carquinez Strait.
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Port Costa was founded in 1879 as a landing for the railroad ferry
Solano
, owned and operated by the Central Pacific Railroad
. This put Port Costa on the main route of the transcontinental railroad
. The Solano, later joined by the Contra Costa, carried entire trains across the Carquinez Strait
from Benicia to Port Costa, from whence they continued on to the Oakland Pier. For a time, it was also the United States' busiest wheat-shipping port and had a reputation as a colorful, sometimes violent community.
After California
's wheat output dropped in the early 20th Century and especially, after the Southern Pacific
(which took over the operations of the Central Pacific) constructed a railroad bridge at Martinez
in 1930 to replace the ferry crossing, Port Costa lost population and importance. Bill Rich was an influential property owner and raconteur. Since the late 1960s, it has mainly been a small shopping venue for antique hunters and a gathering place for bikers and motorcyclists.
Port Costa's first post office was established in 1881.
was 1,200.1 people per square mile (463.3/km²). The racial makeup of Port Costa was 172 (90.5%) White, 2 (1.1%) African American, 2 (1.1%) Native American, 7 (3.7%) Asian, and 7 (3.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10 persons (5.3%).
The Census reported that 100% of the population lived in households.
There were 99 households, out of which 15 (15.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 37 (37.4%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 4 (4.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 5 (5.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 10 (10.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 3 (3.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 42 households (42.4%) were made up of individuals and 9 (9.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.92. There were 46 families
(46.5% of all households); the average family size was 2.61.
The population was spread out with 19 people (10.0%) under the age of 18, 13 people (6.8%) aged 18 to 24, 38 people (20.0%) aged 25 to 44, 80 people (42.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 40 people (21.1%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 52.5 years. For every 100 females there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.2 males.
There were 110 housing units at an average density of 694.8 per square mile (268.3/km²), of which 53 (53.5%) were owner-occupied, and 46 (46.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 5.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 2.1%. 118 people (62.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 72 people (37.9%) lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there were 232 people, 108 households, and 60 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 342.1 people per square mile (131.7/km²). There were 115 housing units at an average density of 169.6 per square mile (65.3/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 90.95% White
, 0% Black
,1.29% Native American
, 1.29% Asian
, 1.72% from other races
, and 4.74% from two or more races. 6.90% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 108 households out of which 20.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% were married couples
living together, 3.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.4% were non-families. 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.80.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 15.5% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 37.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 121.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $61,429, as was the median income for a family. Males had a median income of $40,769 versus $58,000 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $33,563. About 9.7% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.9% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those sixty five or over.
100% of the residents speak English.
24.0% of the population were Czech American
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in Contra Costa County
Contra Costa County, California
Contra Costa County is a primarily suburban county in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 1,049,025...
, 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...
. The population was 190 at the 2010 census.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 CDP has a total area of 0.16 square mile (0.4143980976 km²), all of it land. Port Costa is surrounded by rolling hills grazed by cattle and managed by East Bay Regional Park District
East Bay Regional Park District
The East Bay Regional Park District is a special district operating in Alameda County and Contra Costa County, California, within the East Bay area of the San Francisco Bay Area...
. Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline
Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline
Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline is a regional park that is part of the East Bay Regional Parks system. It is located on the shores of the San Pablo Bay and stretches east from the city of Crockett, CA on the west through Port Costa, CA to Martinez, CA...
stretches from Crockett
Crockett, California
Crockett is a census-designated place in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 3,094 at the 2010 census...
through Port Costa and to Martinez
Martinez, California
Martinez is a city and the county seat of Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 35,824 at the 2010 census. The downtown is notable for its large number of preserved old buildings...
. Big Bull Valley Creek runs along McEwen Road into a historic reservoir just above the town, then it runs in an underground pipe culvert beneath the town to the Carquinez Strait.
History
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
Solano
Solano (ferry)
thumb|right|300px|The ferry "Contra Costa", sister ship to "Solano" circa 1917The Solano was a large railroad ferryboat which operated across the Carquinez Strait between Benicia and Port Costa in California....
, owned and operated by the Central Pacific Railroad
Central Pacific Railroad
The Central Pacific Railroad is the former name of the railroad network built between California and Utah, USA that formed part of the "First Transcontinental Railroad" in North America. It is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad. Many 19th century national proposals to build a transcontinental...
. This put Port Costa on the main route of the transcontinental railroad
Transcontinental railroad
A transcontinental railroad is a contiguous network of railroad trackage that crosses a continental land mass with terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks can be via the tracks of either a single railroad, or over those owned or controlled by multiple railway companies...
. The Solano, later joined by the Contra Costa, carried entire trains across the Carquinez Strait
Carquinez Strait
The Carquinez Strait is a narrow tidal strait in northern California. It is part of the tidal estuary of the Sacramento and the San Joaquin rivers as they drain into the San Francisco Bay...
from Benicia to Port Costa, from whence they continued on to the Oakland Pier. For a time, it was also the United States' busiest wheat-shipping port and had a reputation as a colorful, sometimes violent community.
After 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...
's wheat output dropped in the early 20th Century and especially, after the Southern Pacific
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
(which took over the operations of the Central Pacific) constructed a railroad bridge at Martinez
Martinez
-Argentina:* Martínez, Buenos Aires* Coronel Martínez de Hoz, Buenos Aires Province* Villa Martínez de Hoz, Buenos Aires Province* Martínez del Tineo, Salta...
in 1930 to replace the ferry crossing, Port Costa lost population and importance. Bill Rich was an influential property owner and raconteur. Since the late 1960s, it has mainly been a small shopping venue for antique hunters and a gathering place for bikers and motorcyclists.
Port Costa's first post office was established in 1881.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Port Costa had a population of 190. 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 1,200.1 people per square mile (463.3/km²). The racial makeup of Port Costa was 172 (90.5%) White, 2 (1.1%) African American, 2 (1.1%) Native American, 7 (3.7%) Asian, and 7 (3.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10 persons (5.3%).
The Census reported that 100% of the population lived in households.
There were 99 households, out of which 15 (15.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 37 (37.4%) 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, 4 (4.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 5 (5.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 10 (10.1%) 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 3 (3.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 42 households (42.4%) were made up of individuals and 9 (9.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.92. There were 46 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...
(46.5% of all households); the average family size was 2.61.
The population was spread out with 19 people (10.0%) under the age of 18, 13 people (6.8%) aged 18 to 24, 38 people (20.0%) aged 25 to 44, 80 people (42.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 40 people (21.1%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 52.5 years. For every 100 females there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.2 males.
There were 110 housing units at an average density of 694.8 per square mile (268.3/km²), of which 53 (53.5%) were owner-occupied, and 46 (46.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 5.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 2.1%. 118 people (62.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 72 people (37.9%) 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 232 people, 108 households, and 60 families residing in the CDP. 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 342.1 people per square mile (131.7/km²). There were 115 housing units at an average density of 169.6 per square mile (65.3/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 90.95% White
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...
, 0% Black
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...
,1.29% Native American
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...
, 1.29% Asian
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...
, 1.72% 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 4.74% from two or more races. 6.90% of the population were Hispanic
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...
or Latino
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...
of any race.
There were 108 households out of which 20.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% 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, 3.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.4% were non-families. 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.80.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 15.5% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 37.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 121.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $61,429, as was the median income for a family. Males had a median income of $40,769 versus $58,000 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 CDP was $33,563. About 9.7% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.9% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those sixty five or over.
100% of the residents speak English.
24.0% of the population were Czech American
Czech American
Czech Americans are citizens of the United States who were born in, or who descended from, the territory of the historic Czech lands, , or succession states, now known as the Czech Republic...