Tuolumne County, California facts for kids

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Tuolumne County, California

County of Tuolumne

Images, from top down, left to right: the Old Tuolumne County Courthouse in Sonora, a shop in Columbia State Historic Park, Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park

Flag

Seal

Location in the state of California

Regions

Sierra Nevada, Gold Country

Incorporated

February 15, 1850

County seat

Sonora

Largest city

Sonora

Government

• Type

Council–Administrator

• Body

Board of Supervisors

Area

• Total

2,274 sq mi (5,890 km²)

• Land

2,221 sq mi (5,750 km²)

• Water

54 sq mi (140 km²)

Highest elevation

13,114 ft (3,997 m)

Population

(April 1, 2020)

• Total

55,620

• Density

24.459/sq mi (9.4437/km²)

Time zone

UTC−8 (Pacific Time Zone)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−7 (Pacific Daylight Time)

Congressional district

5th

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 (ⁱ/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. The county seat and only incorporated city is Sonora.

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

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. 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.'" 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.

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.

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. 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:

Belleview Elementary School District
Big Oak Flat-Groveland Unified School District
Chinese Camp Elementary School District
Columbia Fire District
Columbia Union Elementary School District
Curtis Creek Elementary School District
Groveland Community Services District
Jamestown Elementary School District
Jamestown Fire District
Mi-Wuk Sugar Pine Fire Protection District
Sonora Elementary School District
Sonora Union High School District
Soulsbyville Elementary School District
Strawberry Fire District
Summerville Elementary School District
Summerville Union High School District
Tuolumne County Air Pollution Control District
Tuolumne County Water District No. 1
Tuolumne Fire District
Tuolumne Regional Water District
Tuolumne Utilities District
Twain Harte Fire District
Twain Harte-Long Barn Union Elementary School District
Yosemite Community College District

Adjacent counties

Alpine County, California - north
Calaveras County, California - northwest
Stanislaus County, California - southwest
Mariposa County, California - south
Madera County, California - southeast
Mono County, California - east
Merced County, California - southwest

Geographical features

Environmental

Red Hills (Tuolumne County) (Area of Critical Environmental Concern)
Stanislaus National Forest (National protected area, part)
Yosemite National Park (NPA, part)

Valleys

Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne
Lone Gulch
Tiltill Valley

Transportation

Major highways

California State Route 49
California State Route 108
California State Route 120

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.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	8,351	—
1860	16,229	94.3%
1870	8,150	−49.8%
1880	7,848	−3.7%
1890	6,082	−22.5%
1900	11,166	83.6%
1910	9,979	−10.6%
1920	7,768	−22.2%
1930	9,271	19.3%
1940	10,887	17.4%
1950	12,584	15.6%
1960	14,404	14.5%
1970	22,169	53.9%
1980	33,928	53.0%
1990	48,456	42.8%
2000	54,501	12.5%
2010	55,365	1.6%
2020	55,620	0.5%
2023 (est.)	54,204	−2.1%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010 2020

2020 census

**Tuolumne County, California - Demographic Profile**
(*NH = Non-Hispanic*)
Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	45,325	42,254	81.87%	75.97%
Black or African American alone (NH)	1,114	989	2.01%	1.78%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	830	784	1.50%	1.41%
Asian alone (NH)	530	770	0.96%	1.38%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	62	110	0.11%	0.20%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	230	313	0.42%	0.56%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	1,356	3,276	2.45%	5.89%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	5,918	7,124	10.69%	12.81%
Total	55,365	55,620	100.00%	100.00%

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 can be of any race.

2011

Population, race, and income
Total population	55,736
White	48,477	87.0%
Black or African American	1,172	2.1%
American Indian or Alaska Native	1,008	1.8%
Asian	605	1.1%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander	82	0.1%
Some other race	2,276	4.1%
Two or more races	2,116	3.8%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	5,861	10.5%
Per capita income	$26,084
Median household income	$47,359
Median family income	$59,710

Places by population, race, and income

Places by population and race
Place	Type	Population	White	Other	Asian	Black or African American	Native American	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Cedar Ridge	CDP	1,071	89.8%	6.9%	0.7%	0.3%	2.3%	3.5%
Chinese Camp	CDP	154	90.9%	9.1%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	8.4%
Cold Springs	CDP	293	94.2%	5.8%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	6.5%
Columbia	CDP	2,258	74.1%	20.8%	0.1%	0.0%	5.0%	11.3%
East Sonora	CDP	2,050	89.6%	5.6%	1.0%	0.0%	3.9%	7.9%
Groveland	CDP	612	97.2%	2.8%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Jamestown	CDP	4,031	89.4%	10.4%	0.2%	0.0%	0.0%	19.7%
Long Barn	CDP	353	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Mi-Wuk Village	CDP	761	68.3%	11.8%	0.8%	0.0%	19.1%	7.6%
Mono Vista	CDP	2,638	94.2%	3.0%	0.0%	2.4%	0.4%	13.4%
Phoenix Lake	CDP	4,452	98.2%	0.6%	0.4%	0.6%	0.2%	9.5%
Pine Mountain Lake	CDP	2,695	95.5%	2.3%	0.9%	0.0%	1.3%	6.8%
Sierra Village	CDP	209	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Sonora	City	4,899	93.2%	3.4%	1.0%	1.4%	0.9%	5.1%
Soulsbyville	CDP	2,008	99.0%	0.0%	0.7%	0.0%	0.3%	1.7%
Strawberry	CDP	168	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Tuolumne City	CDP	2,152	88.6%	11.2%	0.1%	0.0%	0.1%	10.2%
Tuttletown	CDP	903	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Twain Harte	CDP	2,151	91.7%	5.8%	1.2%	0.0%	1.3%	13.0%

Places by population and income
Place	Type	Population	Per capita income	Median household income	Median family income
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%).

Population reported at 2010 United States Census
The County	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Tuolumne County	55,365	48,274	1,143	1,039	572	76	2,238	2,023	5,918
Incorporated cities and towns	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Sonora	4,903	4,402	24	95	79	12	84	207	542
Census-designated places	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Cedar Ridge	1,132	1,066	3	6	5	1	5	46	71
Chinese Camp	126	92	0	7	0	0	16	11	25
Cold Springs	181	175	1	3	1	0	0	1	4
Columbia	2,297	2,064	27	26	29	1	27	123	171
East Sonora	2,266	2,129	7	16	32	1	35	46	152
Groveland	601	542	2	9	9	2	17	20	49
Jamestown	3,433	2,948	20	96	27	4	135	203	511
Long Barn	155	140	1	3	0	0	5	6	13
Mi-Wuk Village	941	871	5	17	3	0	11	34	71
Mono Vista	3,127	2,796	6	58	38	8	61	160	300
Phoenix Lake	4,269	3,991	15	40	50	3	51	119	305
Pine Mountain Lake	2,796	2,596	18	25	24	7	21	105	183
Sierra Village	456	421	3	7	3	1	7	14	36
Soulsbyville	2,215	2,038	3	41	13	2	38	80	206
Strawberry	86	82	0	0	0	0	1	3	7
Tuolumne City	1,779	1,547	13	83	12	1	50	73	206
Tuttletown	668	613	5	14	5	1	12	18	48
Twain Harte	2,226	2,026	5	34	31	4	46	80	171
Other unincorporated areas	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
All others not CDPs (combined)	21,708	17,735	985	459	211	28	1,616	674	2,847

2000

As of the census 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.

Communities

City

Sonora (county seat)

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Population ranking

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

† county seat

Rank	City/Town/etc.	Municipal type	Population (2010 Census)
1	† Sonora	City	4,610
2	Phoenix Lake	CDP	4,269
3	Jamestown	CDP	3,433
4	Mono Vista	CDP	3,127
5	Pine Mountain Lake	CDP	2,796
6	Columbia	CDP	2,297
7	East Sonora	CDP	2,266
8	Twain Harte	CDP	2,226
9	Soulsbyville	CDP	2,215
10	Tuolumne City	CDP	1,779
11	Cedar Ridge	CDP	1,132
12	Mi-Wuk Village	CDP	941
13	Tuttletown	CDP	668
14	Groveland	CDP	601
15	Sierra Village	CDP	456
16	Tuolumne Rancheria	AIAN	185
17	Cold Springs	CDP	181
18	Long Barn	CDP	155
19	Chinese Camp	CDP	126
20	Strawberry	CDP	126
21	Chicken Ranch Rancheria	AIAN	91