Avila Beach, California
Encyclopedia
Avila Beach , pronounced AH-vuh-luh, is a census-designated place
in San Luis Obispo County
, California
, USA
and located about 160 miles (257 km) northwest of Los Angeles
, and about 200 miles south of San Francisco. The ZIP Code is 93424. The community is inside area code 805
. The population was 1,627 at the 2010 census.
in 1842. The town was established in the latter half of the 19th century, when it served as the main shipping port for San Luis Obispo. Although Avila Beach still has a working commercial fishing pier and the inland areas have extensive apple orchards, tourism is now the main industry. There are few historical structures remaining; among the oldest is the Point San Luis Lighthouse, built in 1890 after a series of shipping accidents.
es on the Central Coast
. Most of Avila Beach is undeveloped, except for a few blocks adjacent to the beach with homes, hotels, and small businesses, and a few recently built upscale housing developments inland, near a golf course. Avila Beach is also known for its hot spring
s, which are used for resort spas
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP covers an area of 6.0 square miles (15.6 km²), 99.71% of it land, and 0.29% of it water.
" thus indicating that the first syllable, not the second, is stressed.
was 269.9 people per square mile (104.2/km²). The racial makeup of Avilla Beach was 1,507 (92.6%) White, 13 (0.8%) African American, 7 (0.4%) Native American, 33 (2.0%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 34 (2.1%) from other races
, and 33 (2.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 111 persons (6.8%).
The Census reported that 1,627 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 842 households, out of which 115 (13.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 416 (49.4%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 39 (4.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 16 (1.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 36 (4.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 14 (1.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 296 households (35.2%) were made up of individuals and 108 (12.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.93. There were 471 families
(55.9% of all households); the average family size was 2.45.
The population was spread out with 183 people (11.2%) under the age of 18, 74 people (4.5%) aged 18 to 24, 263 people (16.2%) aged 25 to 44, 597 people (36.7%) aged 45 to 64, and 510 people (31.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 56.9 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males.
There were 1,093 housing units at an average density of 181.3 per square mile (70.0/km²), of which 529 (62.8%) were owner-occupied, and 313 (37.2%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.4%. 1,074 people (66.0% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 553 people (34.0%) lived in rental housing units.
, Harford Pier, for commercial fishing boats to offload their wares, and the California Polytechnic State University
(Cal Poly SLO) Pier, part of the university's marine research program and not publicly accessible.
Diablo Canyon Power Plant
, one of the two nuclear power
plants in California is located in a remote part of the Avila Beach unincorporated area, about 6 miles northwest of the beach itself.
In the late 1990s, Unocal began the cleanup of decades old oil seepage discovered years earlier from corroding pipes under the township, and which had caused a massive and toxic oil spill
under the town. Over 6,750 truckloads of contaminated material was sent to a Bakersfield Landfill, and replaced with clean Guadalupe Dunes sand. Many of the town's homes and businesses , including entire Front Street and Front Street Buildings, were razed as a result of the half mile wide excavation. After years of negotiation, Unocal agreed to a thirty million dollar settlement, which has been used to rebuild the town. Today, new buildings, homes, businesses, modern walkways and sea motif walls and benches take their place. A Sea Life Center welcomes visitors to explore the local ocean inhabitants up close.
Avila Beach was the primary shooting location for the 1979 film California Dreaming, which starred Dennis Christopher
, Glynnis O'Connor
, and Seymour Cassel
.
The Avila Beach Pier was featured in a Super Bowl
advertisement on February 7, 2010.
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...
in San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo County, California
San Luis Obispo County is a county located along the Pacific Ocean in the Central Coast of the U.S. state of California, between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2010 census its population was 269,637, up from 246,681 at the 2000 census...
, 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...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and located about 160 miles (257 km) northwest of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, and about 200 miles south of San Francisco. The ZIP Code is 93424. The community is inside area code 805
Area code 805
North American area code 805 is a California telephone area code. Area code 805 includes most or all of the California counties of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura, plus southernmost portions of Monterey County....
. The population was 1,627 at the 2010 census.
History
The name Avila commemorates Miguel Ávila, who was granted Rancho San MiguelitoRancho San Miguelito
Rancho San Miguelito was a Mexican land grant in present day San Luis Obispo County, California given in 1842 by Governor Juan Alvarado to Miguel Ávila, and an addition granted in 1846 by Governor Pio Pico...
in 1842. The town was established in the latter half of the 19th century, when it served as the main shipping port for San Luis Obispo. Although Avila Beach still has a working commercial fishing pier and the inland areas have extensive apple orchards, tourism is now the main industry. There are few historical structures remaining; among the oldest is the Point San Luis Lighthouse, built in 1890 after a series of shipping accidents.
Geography
The beach itself is less than 0.5 miles (0.8 km) long and sheltered in San Luis Bay, which is formed by Point San Luis on the west and Fossil Point on the east. Avila Beach faces south and the 600 foot elevation of Point San Luis breaks the prevailing northwesterly winds. It is therefore usually warmer than the other beachBeach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
es on the Central Coast
Central Coast of California
The Central Coast is an area of California, United States, roughly spanning the area between the Monterey Bay and Point Conception. It extends through Santa Cruz County, San Benito County, Monterey County, San Luis Obispo County, and Santa Barbara County...
. Most of Avila Beach is undeveloped, except for a few blocks adjacent to the beach with homes, hotels, and small businesses, and a few recently built upscale housing developments inland, near a golf course. Avila Beach is also known for its hot spring
Hot spring
A hot spring is a spring that is produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater from the Earth's crust. There are geothermal hot springs in many locations all over the crust of the earth.-Definitions:...
s, which are used for resort spas
Hot tub
A hot tub is a large tub or small pool full of heated water and used for soaking, relaxation, massage, or hydrotherapy. In most cases, they have jets for massage purposes. Hot tubs are usually located outdoors, and are often sheltered for protection from the elements, as well as for privacy....
.
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 CDP covers an area of 6.0 square miles (15.6 km²), 99.71% of it land, and 0.29% of it water.
Pronunciation
Many people mistakenly pronounce the town's name as ah-VEE-lah given the name's Spanish origin. However, the correct Spanish pronunciation is AH-vee-luh. Ordinarily, the penultimate syllable of Spanish words is stressed, except when indicated by an accent over a different syllable. In Spanish, Avila is actually spelled "ÁvilaÁvila
-History:In pre-Roman times , it was inhabited by the Vettones, who called it Obila and had here one of their strongest fortresses....
" thus indicating that the first syllable, not the second, is stressed.
Climate
Average temperatures vary little during the year, ranging from the upper 40s to low 70's Fahrenheit from November through April, and from the 60's to low 80's from May through October. Average annual rainfall is 15 inches. Along with much of the California coast, winter is the wet season, with more than 70% of the yearly rain falling from December through March, while summer brings drought conditions.Demographics
The 2010 United States Census reported that Avilla Beach had a population of 1,627. 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 269.9 people per square mile (104.2/km²). The racial makeup of Avilla Beach was 1,507 (92.6%) White, 13 (0.8%) African American, 7 (0.4%) Native American, 33 (2.0%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 34 (2.1%) 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 33 (2.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 111 persons (6.8%).
The Census reported that 1,627 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 842 households, out of which 115 (13.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 416 (49.4%) 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, 39 (4.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 16 (1.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 36 (4.3%) 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 14 (1.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 296 households (35.2%) were made up of individuals and 108 (12.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.93. There were 471 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...
(55.9% of all households); the average family size was 2.45.
The population was spread out with 183 people (11.2%) under the age of 18, 74 people (4.5%) aged 18 to 24, 263 people (16.2%) aged 25 to 44, 597 people (36.7%) aged 45 to 64, and 510 people (31.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 56.9 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males.
There were 1,093 housing units at an average density of 181.3 per square mile (70.0/km²), of which 529 (62.8%) were owner-occupied, and 313 (37.2%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.4%. 1,074 people (66.0% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 553 people (34.0%) lived in rental housing units.
Miscellaneous
Avila Beach has three piers: Avila Beach Pier, 1,685 feet long, intended for tourist strolling and recreational fishingFishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, Harford Pier, for commercial fishing boats to offload their wares, and the California Polytechnic State University
California Polytechnic State University
California Polytechnic State University, or Cal Poly, is a public university located in San Luis Obispo, California, United States. The university is one of two polytechnic campuses in the 23-member California State University system....
(Cal Poly SLO) Pier, part of the university's marine research program and not publicly accessible.
Diablo Canyon Power Plant
Diablo Canyon Power Plant
Diablo Canyon Power Plant is an electricity-generating nuclear power plant at Avila Beach in San Luis Obispo County, California. The plant has two Westinghouse-designed 4-loop pressurized-water nuclear reactors operated by Pacific Gas & Electric. The facility is located on about in Avila Beach,...
, one of the two nuclear power
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
plants in California is located in a remote part of the Avila Beach unincorporated area, about 6 miles northwest of the beach itself.
In the late 1990s, Unocal began the cleanup of decades old oil seepage discovered years earlier from corroding pipes under the township, and which had caused a massive and toxic oil spill
Oil spill
An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially marine areas, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is mostly used to describe marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters...
under the town. Over 6,750 truckloads of contaminated material was sent to a Bakersfield Landfill, and replaced with clean Guadalupe Dunes sand. Many of the town's homes and businesses , including entire Front Street and Front Street Buildings, were razed as a result of the half mile wide excavation. After years of negotiation, Unocal agreed to a thirty million dollar settlement, which has been used to rebuild the town. Today, new buildings, homes, businesses, modern walkways and sea motif walls and benches take their place. A Sea Life Center welcomes visitors to explore the local ocean inhabitants up close.
Avila Beach was the primary shooting location for the 1979 film California Dreaming, which starred Dennis Christopher
Dennis Christopher
Dennis Christopher is an American actor. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is known for playing Dave Stoller in Breaking Away and tragic film buff psychopath Eric Binford in Fade to Black....
, Glynnis O'Connor
Glynnis O'Connor
Glynnis O'Connor is an American actress, perhaps best known for her work in the mid-1970s, including her lead actress roles in the TV version of Our Town and the films Ode to Billy Joe and Jeremy, all of which co-starred Robby Benson.O'Connor was born in New York City, the daughter of stage, film...
, and Seymour Cassel
Seymour Cassel
Seymour Joseph Cassel is an American actor.He first came to prominence in the 1960s in the pioneering independent films of writer/directorJohn Cassavetes...
.
The Avila Beach Pier was featured in a Super Bowl
Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion New Orleans Saints to decide the National Football League champion for the 2009 season. The Saints defeated the Colts by a score of...
advertisement on February 7, 2010.
External links
- Avila Beach Website - Hotels, Dining, Shopping, Fun, and More!
- Port San Luis Harbor
- The Point San Luis Lighthouse Point San Luis Lighthouse Keepers
- Sea Life Center