Orinda, California
Orinda, California | |
|---|---|
 Location in Contra Costa County and the state of California | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Counties | Contra Costa |
| Area | |
• Total | 12.6 sq mi (32.7 km2) |
| • Land | 12.6 sq mi (32.6 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.1 km2) |
| Population (2000) | |
• Total | 17,599 |
| • Density | 1,396.7/sq mi (538.2/km2) |
Orinda is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 17,599 at the 2000 census.
Orinda is a well-known community in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is home to many wealthy professionals who commute to downtown Oakland, San Francisco and Walnut Creek.
Originally a rural area mainly known for ranching and summer cabins, the land which became the town was named by Alice Marsh Cameron in honor of the poet Katherine Philips ("Matchless Orinda" being a nickname for Phillips).[1] Orinda's popularity as a year-round place to live increased after the Caldecott Tunnel was completed in 1937 which provides quicker access to points west, including San Francisco. Bisected by Highway 24, and framed by its rolling, oak covered hills, the city of Orinda was incorportated on July 1, 1985.
It is home to four elementary schools, one middle school and one high school.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 32.7 km² (12.6 mi²). 32.6 km² (12.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.32%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 17,599 people, 6,596 households, and 5,243 families residing in the city. The population density was 539.7/km² (1,398.2/mi²). There were 6,744 housing units at an average density of 206.8/km² (535.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.6% White, 0.5% Black, 0.15% Native American, 9.24% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races, and 2.84% from two or more races. 3.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 6,596 households out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.3% were married couples living together, 5.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.5% were non-families. 16.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 3.2% from 18 to 24, 20.5% from 25 to 44, 32.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $117,637, and the median income for a family was $132,531. The per capita income for the city was $65,428. About 1.3% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.3% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.
Schools
The Orinda school system is noted for its excellence in all levels by California standards. The town's only high school, Miramonte, is a part of the Acalanes Union High School District. Miramonte averages approximately 1400 students per year. Athletics are a big part of the school, with not just swimming being a popular sport. The varsity football team has been successful for a number of years and has won league championships on numerous occasions. The school has produced such NFL players as Ken Dorsey, Drew Bennett, and Bryan Barker. Water polo is also a popular sport, with notables including Kirk Everist '86 (US Olympic Team '92 and '96), Heather Petri '96 (Silver: 2000 Olympics ; Bronze: 2004 Olympics), and Michael Sharf (NCAA All-American, 2007 US National Team Member). The school's track, cross country, swimming, baseball, tennis, and golf teams all have had remarkable success as well. The only middle school is Orinda Intermediate School (a.k.a. OIS). O.I.S. has some great athletes, and overall is one of the smartest schools in California. The four public elementary schools are Sleepy Hollow Elementary, Wagner Ranch Elementary, Glorietta Elementary and Del Rey Elementary. The middle and elementary schools comprise the Orinda Union School District, the highest ranked K-8 school district in California[2].
Sports, Recreation and the Arts
The Orinda Film Festival
Since 2002, Orinda has hosted the Orinda Film Festival, a regional film festival taking place at the historic Orinda Theater. In 2005, actor William Hurt attended the festival to promote the film A History of Violence in which he played a leading role.
The California Shakespeare Theater
The internationally known California Shakespeare Theater performs from June to October at the Bruns Memorial Amphitheater (located in the Orinda Hills north of State Route 24 (California)). The Theater's conservatory operates throughout the year, featuring programs for children, teenagers, young actors, teachers and adults.
Swimming and waterpolo
Orinda has several summer league swim teams that compete for a championship cup in mid-August every year, the OMPA (Orinda Moraga Pool Association) Championship Meet. Over two thousand individual swimmers typically participate in the meet. Orinda is also home to the popular year-round swim team, Orinda Aquatics, which practices at Campolindo High School in Moraga, California. Numerous competitive swimmers (and waterpolo players) from Orinda have gone on to compete for major colleges and in the Olympics.
Famous Current or Former Residents
- Kelly McGonigle A.K.A. Major Molestor, Mass Molester of '94
- Daniel Wu, a Hong Kong actor who was raised in Orinda, California
- Dana Sparks, actress/spokesperson "Falcon Crest", "Passions" "L.A. Law", "L'Oreal", "Mercedes Benz", etc.
- Gary Radnich, news broadcaster
- Claudell Washington, former Major League baseball player
- Ken Dorsey, former quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers and currently a quarterback for the Cleveland Browns
- Will Wright, computer game designer of games such as SimCity and The Sims
- Drew Bennett, NFL wide receiver of the St. Louis Rams
- Members of Green Day, a punk rock band
- Bob Freeman, talk show host
- Adonal Foyle, Former star, Golden State Warriors center and now a member of the Orlando Magic
- Owsley Stanley, audio engineer and legendary psychedelic chemist. A raid on his Orinda ranch house in December 1967 reportedly found a lab with 250,000 hits of LSD.
- Susan Polk, Orinda housewife sentenced to 16 to life for the murder of husband, Felix Polk. Depicted in Carol Pogash's book, "Seduced By Madness: The True Story of The Susan Polk Murder Case." * Pogash's Seduced By Madness
- Jim Barnett, former Golden State Warriors player, and current Warriors TV color commentator on Fox Sports Net.
Neighboring Cities
Moraga, California
Lafayette, California
The cities of Orinda and Lafayette, along with the town of Moraga, are collectively known as "Lamorinda."
Gallery
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The hills of Orinda (Alice Dr., circa 1987)
References
- ^ A Brief History of Orinda, Kay Norman, Orinda Historical Society
- ^ http://www.orinda.k12.ca.us/?Page=NewsRead&NewsId=106
