Amador County, California

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Amador County, California
County
The Amador County foothills in April 2007
The Amador County foothills in April 2007
Flag of Amador County, California
Flag
Official seal of Amador County, California
Seal
Nickname(s): 
"The Heart of the Mother Lode"
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
Interactive map of Amador County
Location in the state of California
Location in the state of California
Country United States
State California
RegionSierra Nevada
IncorporatedMay 1, 1854[1]
Named forJosé María Amador
County seatJackson
Largest cityIone (population and area)
Area
 • Total606 sq mi (1,570 km2)
 • Land595 sq mi (1,540 km2)
 • Water11.4 sq mi (30 km2)
Highest elevation9,414 ft (2,869 m)
Population
 (April 1, 2010)[3]
 • Total38,091
 • Estimate 
(2019)[4]
39,752
 • Density63/sq mi (24/km2)
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific Time Zone)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Area code209
FIPS code06-005
GNIS feature ID1675841
Websitewww.co.amador.ca.us

Amador County, is a county in the U.S. state of California, in the Sierra Nevada. As of the 2010 census, the population was 38,091.[5] The county seat is Jackson.[6] Amador County, located within California's Gold Country, is known as "The Heart of the Mother Lode". There is a substantial viticultural industry in the county.

History[]

Amador County is named after José María Amador, a Californio miner who found gold in the area in 1848.
Dr. Charles Boarman (1828-1880), son of Rear Admiral Charles Boarman, and his family settled in the area. He served as the first county physician and coroner from 1863 to 1880.
The former Amador County Courthouse consists of two buildings: the second courthouse (built 1864) and the Hall of Records (1893), that were enclosed and combined in 1939 with an Art Deco exterior.[7]
High-grade Gold-quartz ore from Amador County

Amador County was created by the California Legislature on May 11, 1854, from parts of Calaveras and El Dorado counties.[8] It was organized on July 3, 1854.[8] In 1864, part of the county's territory was given to Alpine County.

The county is named for José María Amador, a soldier, rancher, and miner, born in San Francisco in 1794,[9] the son of Sergeant Pedro Amador (a Spanish soldier who settled in California in 1771) and younger brother to Sinforosa Amador.

In 1848, Jose Maria Amador, with several Native Americans, established a successful gold mining camp near the present town of Amador City. In Spanish, the word amador means "one who loves". Some of the Mother Lode's most successful gold mines were located in Amador County, including the Kennedy, Argonaut, and Keystone.

There are numerous gold mines in Amador County including the Argonaut Mine, the Kennedy Mine, the Central Eureka, and the Lincoln. The Kennedy Mine in Jackson was the deepest gold mine of its time. The federal government closed all of the Mother Lode's mines in 1942 because they were considered non-essential to the war effort.[citation needed]

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 606 square miles (1,570 km2), of which 595 square miles (1,540 km2) is land and 11.4 square miles (30 km2) (1.9%) is water.[10] It is the fifth-smallest county in California by land area and second-smallest by total area. Water bodies in the county include Lake Amador, Lake Camanche, Pardee Reservoir, Bear River Reservoir, Silver Lake, Sutter Creek, Cosumnes River, Mokelumne River, and Lake Tabeaud. Thirty-seven miles of the North Fork and main Mokelumne River were added to the California Wild and Scenic Rivers System on June 27, 2018, when Governor Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown signed Senate Bill 854.

Amador County is located approximately 45 miles (72 km) southeast of Sacramento in the part of California known as the Mother Lode, or Gold Country in the Sierra Nevada.

Amador County ranges in elevation from approximately 250 feet (76 m) in the western portion of the county to over 9,000 feet (2,700 m) in the eastern portion of the county, the tallest point being Thunder Mountain. The county is bordered on the north by the Cosumnes River and El Dorado County and on the south by the Mokelumne River and Calaveras County, on the west by Sacramento and San Joaquin Counties, and the east by Alpine County.

Adjacent counties[]

  • El Dorado County - north
  • Alpine County - east
  • Calaveras County - south
  • San Joaquin County - southwest
  • Sacramento County - west

National protected area[]

Demographics[]

2011[]

Places by population, race, and income[]

Places by population and race hide
Place Type[16] Population[11] White[11] Other[11]
[note 1] 		Asian[11] Black or African
American[11] 		Native American[11]
[note 2] 		Hispanic or Latino
(of any race)[12]
Amador City City 158 100.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Buckhorn CDP 2,090 98.4% 1.6% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 5.6%
Buena Vista CDP 435 68.5% 25.1% 0.0% 0.0% 6.4% 0.0%
Camanche North Shore CDP 791 96.7% 3.3% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 16.9%
Camanche Village CDP 704 100.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Drytown CDP 138 100.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Fiddletown CDP 121 100.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Ione City 7,873 70.7% 14.6% 2.6% 9.7% 2.4% 25.3%
Jackson City 4,626 90.7% 4.8% 1.2% 0.8% 2.5% 16.6%
Kirkwood‡ CDP 158 96.8% 0.0% 0.6% 2.5% 0.0% 0.0%
Martell CDP 140 100.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Pine Grove CDP 2,573 93.0% 5.9% 1.1% 0.0% 0.0% 7.3%
Pioneer CDP 1,226 82.1% 2.6% 0.0% 0.0% 15.3% 0.0%
Plymouth City 1,055 94.0% 3.2% 0.6% 0.0% 2.2% 11.7%
Red Corral CDP 1,757 84.4% 11.8% 2.3% 0.2% 1.4% 2.9%
River Pines CDP 578 97.1% 0.0% 2.9% 0.0% 0.0% 6.9%
Sutter Creek City 2,497 93.4% 1.5% 4.8% 0.0% 0.3% 5.3%
Volcano CDP 184 99.4% 0.0% 0.6% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%

‡ Data for Amador County area of this CDP

Places by population and income hide
Place Type[16] Population[17] Per capita income[13] Median household income[14] Median family income[15]
Amador City City 158 $36,439 $63,036 $81,500
Buckhorn CDP 2,090 $31,611 $50,365 $54,833
Buena Vista CDP 435 $12,573 $32,944 $33,444
Camanche North Shore CDP 791 $31,857 $58,309 $79,125
Camanche Village CDP 704 $35,199 $98,333 $98,631
Drytown CDP 138 $20,676 $21,172 $70,595
Fiddletown CDP 121 $69,702 $65,192 $49,766
Ione City 7,873 $14,946 $72,734 $79,775
Jackson City 4,626 $24,945 $48,631 $63,028
Kirkwood‡ CDP 39 $14,623 $7,188 [18]
Martell CDP 140 $23,051 $50,962 $90,391
Pine Grove CDP 2,573 $29,918 $52,917 $74,048
Pioneer CDP 1,226 $32,153 $42,917 $92,600
Plymouth City 1,055 $21,626 $38,333 $56,667
Red Corral CDP 1,757 $20,145 $58,450 $57,803
River Pines CDP 578 $30,626 $31,544 $38,875
Sutter Creek City 2,497 $26,788 $46,316 $51,389
Volcano CDP 183 $47,178 $89,688 [18]

‡ Data for Amador County area of this CDP

2010[]

The 2010 United States Census reported that Amador County had a population of 38,091. The racial makeup of Amador County was 33,149 (87.0%) White, 962 (2.5%) African American, 678 (1.8%) Native American, 419 (1.1%) Asian, 77 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 1,450 (3.8%) from other races, and 1,356 (3.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4,756 persons (12.5%).[19]

Population reported at 2010 United States Census hide
Place Type Total
population 		White African
American 		Native
American 		Asian Pacific
Islander 		Other
races 		Two or
more races 		Hispanic
or Latino
(of any race)
Amador County County 38,091 33,149 962 678 419 77 1,450 1,356 4,756
Amador City City 185 171 0 4 2 0 2 6 11
Ione City 7,918 5,826 824 173 110 21 678 286 1,991
Jackson City 4,651 4,090 32 94 60 4 185 186 520
Plymouth City 1,005 850 3 18 6 2 70 56 183
Sutter Creek City 2,501 2,272 10 34 65 5 40 75 219
Buckhorn CDP 2,429 2,259 9 37 25 4 47 48 168
Buena Vista CDP 429 365 1 23 0 0 12 28 35
Camanche North Shore CDP 979 860 3 14 12 3 38 49 150
Camanche Village CDP 847 762 0 9 8 4 31 33 121
Drytown CDP 167 153 0 0 1 0 2 11 11
Fiddletown CDP 235 215 0 5 1 0 8 6 22
Kirkwood‡ CDP 61 59 0 1 1 0 0 0 2
Martell CDP 282 234 0 14 0 5 14 15 36
Pine Grove CDP 2,219 2,027 9 36 9 6 49 83 202
Pioneer CDP 1,094 1,017 0 34 1 2 12 28 52
Red Corral CDP 1,413 1,259 24 15 12 3 33 67 147
River Pines CDP 379 324 0 5 4 0 8 38 31
Volcano CDP 115 109 0 2 2 0 0 2 7
All others not CDPs (combined) Others not CDPs 11,182 10,297 47 160 100 18 221 339 848

‡ Census results for the portion of this CDP in Amador County

2000[]

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
186010,930—
18709,582−12.3%
188011,38418.8%
189010,320−9.3%
190011,1167.7%
19109,086−18.3%
19207,793−14.2%
19308,4949.0%
19408,9735.6%
19509,1512.0%
19609,9909.2%
197011,82118.3%
198019,31463.4%
199030,03955.5%
200035,10016.8%
201038,0918.5%
2019 (est.)39,752[4]4.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[20]
1790–1960[21] 1900–1990[22]
1990–2000[23] 2010–2015[5]

As of the census[24] of 2000, there were 35,100 people, 12,759 households, and 9,071 families residing in the county. The population density was 59 people per square mile (23/km2). There were 15,035 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile (10/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 85.8% White, 3.9% Black or African American, 1.8% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 5.0% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. 8.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 14.9% were of German, 12.6% English, 11.7% Irish, 8.8% Italian and 7.3% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 93.1% spoke English and 5.1% Spanish as their first language.

There were 12,759 households, out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.9% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.81.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.6% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 122.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 123.4 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,280, and the median income for a family was $51,226. Males had a median income of $39,697 versus $28,850 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,412. About 6.1% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.1% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

Economy[]

Amador Vineyard

The Shenandoah Valley was once the principal viticultural region of California though not as well known as the Napa Valley AVA or Sonoma Valley AVA viticultural regions.[25] With the discovery of gold, the area quickly became a mecca for those trying to make their fortune. In the process numerous wineries sprouted up, many of whose vineyards are still in use by wineries today. The decline of the California Gold Rush coupled with the onset of Prohibition devastated the wine-making region of Amador County. Today this area has been resurrected and is now home to over 40 different wineries. Amador County is known for its Zinfandel, but many other varietals are produced as well. Amador County has a high percentage of old Zinfandel vines. Some of the Zinfandel vineyards in this county are more than 125 years old[when?], including the original Grandpère vineyard, planted with Zinfandel before 1869 and believed to be the oldest Zinfandel vineyard in America.[26] This 10-acre (40,000 m2) vineyard is home to some of the oldest Zinfandel vines on earth, with proof of their existence dating to 1869 when it was listed as a descriptor on a deed from the U.S. Geological Survey. A grant deed in Amador County records further proves their existence in 1869.[citation needed]

Politics, government, and policing[]

County Supervisors[]

The county is governed by a five-person elected Board of Supervisors and a County Administrator. The county seat is Jackson.

Policing[]

The unincorporated areas of Amador County are patrolled by the county sheriff's department who also operates the county jail and protects the courts. Municipal police departments within the county are at Ione, Jackson, and Sutter Creek.

Voter registration statistics[]

Cities by population and voter registration[]

Cities by population and voter registration hide
City Population[11] Registered voters[27]
[note 3] 		Democratic[27] Republican[27] D–R spread[27] Other[27] No party preference[27]
Amador 158 83.5% 34.1% 41.7% -7.6% 9.8% 18.2%
Ione 7,873 29.0% 27.3% 49.4% -22.1% 11.4% 16.8%
Jackson 4,626 55.7% 32.3% 42.6% -10.3% 11.2% 18.4%
Plymouth 1,055 49.4% 30.9% 38.8% -7.9% 13.2% 22.5%
Sutter Creek 2,497 68.4% 35.9% 41.9% -6.0% 9.6% 16.7%

Overview[]

Historically Amador was a Democratic-leaning county that voted Republican only in landslide victories. Between 1876 and 1976, Amador voted Republican only in 1900, 1904, 1908, 1920, 1952 and 1972[28] – and even in George McGovern’s landslide loss it voted more Democratic than the nation. Since 1980 Amador has become and remained a strongly Republican county in Presidential and congressional elections. The last Democrat to win a majority in the county was Jimmy Carter in 1976.

Presidential elections results

Amador County is in California's 4th congressional district, represented by Republican Tom McClintock.[29] In the State Assembly, the county is in the 5th Assembly District, represented by Republican Frank Bigelow.[30] In the California State Senate, the county is in the 8th Senate District, represented by Republican Andreas Borgeas.[31]

Election results from statewide races
Year Office Results
2010 Whitman 52.4 - 41.6%
Maldonado 52.1 - 33.4%
Dunn 50.5 - 38.5%
Chiang 50.4 - 40.2%
Walters 48.3 - 42.9%
Cooley 59.1 - 27.8%
Villines 50.6 - 35.1%
2006 Schwarzenegger 72.1 - 22.5%
McClintock 56.8 - 38.3%
McPherson 62.0 - 31.2%
Strickland 52.4 - 40.2%
49.0 - 42.5%
Poochigian 52.7 - 42.0%
Poizner 62.9 - 25.4%

Crime[]

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

Cities by population and crime rates[]

Cities by population and crime rates hide
City Population[33] Violent crimes[33] Violent crime rate
per 1,000 persons 		Property crimes[33] Property crime rate
per 1,000 persons
Ione 7,977 10 1.25 109 13.66
Jackson 4,677 38 8.12 136 29.08
Sutter Creek 2,513 7 2.79 62 24.67

Education[]

Due to the low population of the area, there are few schools with small class sizes. In total for public schools, there are two high schools, two junior high schools, and six elementary schools.[34] These numbers are in addition to two independent study schools, one charter school and one continuing education school for adults. There are no colleges or universities within the county's borders.

In popular culture[]

"The Luck of Roaring Camp" is a short story by American author Bret Harte. It was first published in the August 1868 issue of the Overland Monthly and helped push Harte to international prominence. Harte lived in this area during his "Gold Rush" period, and possibly based the story in a mining camp on the Mokelumne River.

In the 1993 movie Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, a map of Amador County is shown, as well as many other California counties.

Transportation[]

Major highways[]

Public transportation[]

Amador Transit provides service in Jackson and nearby communities. Connections to Calaveras County and Sacramento are additionally provided.

Airport[]

Amador County Airport is a general aviation airport located near Jackson.

Communities[]

Cities[]

Unincorporated communities[]

Population ranking[]

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Amador County.[35]

† county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2010 Census)
1 Ione City 7,918
2 † Jackson City 4,651
3 Sutter Creek City 2,501
4 Buckhorn CDP 2,429
5 Pine Grove CDP 2,219
6 Red Corral CDP 1,413
7 Pioneer CDP 1,094
8 Plymouth City 1,005
9 Camanche North Shore CDP 979
10 Camanche Village CDP 847
11 Buena Vista CDP 429
12 River Pines CDP 379
13 Martell CDP 282
14 Fiddletown CDP 235
15 Amador City City 185
16 Drytown CDP 167
17 Kirkwood (partially in Alpine County) CDP 158
18 Volcano CDP 115
19 Ione Band of MiwokTDSA[36] AIAN 5

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Other = Some other race + Two or more races
  2. ^ Native American = Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander + American Indian or Alaska Native
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Percentage of registered voters with respect to total population. Percentages of party members with respect to registered voters follow.
  4. ^ Only larceny-theft cases involving property over $400 in value are reported as property crimes.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o For statistical purposes, defined by the United States Census Bureau as a census-designated place (CDP).

References[]

  1. ^ "Amador County". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  2. ^ "Thunder Mountain". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  3. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2016 Estimates". Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  6. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  7. ^ [1], Judicial Council of California. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b Whittle, Syd (September 8, 2008). "1854 · Amador County · 1954". The Historical Marker Database. J. J. Prats. Retrieved May 14, 2012. (historical marker placed by Board of Supervisors and Amador County Historical Society, 1954)
  9. ^ William Bright; Erwin Gustav Gudde (November 30, 1998). 1500 California place names: their origin and meaning. University of California Press. p. 15. ISBN 978-0-520-21271-8. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
  10. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B03003. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  13. ^ Jump up to: a b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  17. ^ U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  18. ^ Jump up to: a b Data unavailable
  19. ^ "2010 Census P.L. 94-171 Summary File Data". United States Census Bureau.
  20. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  21. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  22. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  23. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  24. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  25. ^ Costa, Eric J (January 1, 1994). Old vines: A history of winegrowing in Amador County. Jackson, CA: Cenotto Publications. pp. v, 46. ISBN 0-938121-08-1.
  26. ^ "Golden Oldies / There's more than just fruit in old-vine Zinfandel - its earthy flavors are history in a bottle - SFGate". SFgate.com. Hearst Communications Inc. July 28, 2005. Retrieved December 14, 2010.
  27. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q California Secretary of State. February 10, 2013 - Report of Registration Archived November 3, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  28. ^ Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, pp. 153-156 ISBN 0786422173
  29. ^ "California's 4th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  30. ^ "Members Assembly". State of California. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  31. ^ "Communities of Interest - Counties". California Citizens Redistricting Commission. Archived from the original on October 23, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  32. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j 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.
  33. ^ Jump up to: a b c United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime in the United States, 2012, Table 8 (California). Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  34. ^ "Amador County Public Schools". Amadorcoe. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  35. ^ "2010 U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2015-12-06.
  36. ^ Staff, Website Services & Coordination. "US Census Bureau 2010 Census Interactive Population Map". www.census.gov. Archived from the original on December 28, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2018.

External links[]

Coordinates: 38°26′N 120°40′W / 38.44°N 120.66°W / 38.44; -120.66

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