Cameron Park, California
Encyclopedia
Cameron Park is a census-designated place
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 El Dorado County
El Dorado County, California
El Dorado County is a county located in the historic Gold Country in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and foothills of the U.S. state of California. The 2010 population was 181,058. The El Dorado county seat is in Placerville....

, 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...

 and is part of the Sacramento metropolitan area
Sacramento metropolitan area
The Greater Sacramento area, or officially Sacramento–Arden Arcade–Yuba City, CA-NV Combined Statistical Area, is a combined statistical area consisting of several metropolitan statistical areas and seven counties in Northern California and one in Western Nevada. These are Sacramento, Yolo, El...

. The population was 18,228 at the 2010 census, up from 14,549 at the 2000 census. Cameron Park is a community located in the Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...

 Gold Country
Gold Country
Gold Country is a region in the central and northeastern part of California, United States. It is famed for the mineral deposits and gold mines that attracted waves of immigrants, known as the 49ers, during the 1849 California Gold Rush.-Geography:State Route 49 was built through the Gold Country,...

 of the Sierra Nevada foothills, approximately 30 miles (50 km) east of Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...

 and 70 miles (110 km) west of South Lake Tahoe
South Lake Tahoe, California
South Lake Tahoe is the most populous city in El Dorado County, California, in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The population was 21,403 at the 2010 census, down from 23,609 at the 2000 census...

.

History

The original native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

 inhabitants of the area surrounding Cameron Park were Nisenan
Nisenan
The Nisenan, also known as the Southern Maidu and Valley Maidu, are one of many native groups of the Central Valley. The name Nisenan, derives from the ablative plural pronoun nisena·n, "from among us"...

, or Southern Maidu Indians
Maidu
The Maidu are a group of Native Americans who live in Northern California. They reside in the central Sierra Nevada, in the drainage area of the Feather and American Rivers...

. Grinding rocks and burial mounds serve as glimpses of the past and are still visible in various locations in and near Cameron Park.

Modern development accelerated in the area when Larry Cameron purchased 5000 acres (20.2 km²) of foothill land in the 1950s for ranching purposes. In the years since then, the land has slowly been divided into lots of varying sizes, including ranch-sized properties and medium and high density residential neighborhoods. Today, Cameron Park contains a mix of large ranches, single family homes, apartments and businesses.

Geography and climate

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 has a total area of 11.2 square miles (29 km²), of which, 11.1 square miles (28.7 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.62%) is water.

Thick shrubbery and trees cover the hills in and around Cameron Park. Typical vegetation includes an abundance of redbud trees, manzanita
Manzanita
Manzanita is a common name for many species of the genus Arctostaphylos. They are evergreen shrubs or small trees present in the chaparral biome of western North America, where they occur from southern British Columbia, Washington to California, Arizona and New Mexico in the United States, and...

 bushes, gray pine
Gray Pine
Pinus sabiniana , with the common names gray pine, California foothill pine, and the more historically and internationally used digger pine, is a pine endemic to California in the United States...

s, and oak trees
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...

. The elevation of Cameron Park varies between approximately 1200 and 1450 feet above sea level, typically just slightly above the fog line and below the snow line.

Summers are generally hot and dry, with average daytime temperatures in the 90°F to 100°F range, but sometimes reaching 110°F, or more. Nights, however, tend to cool off more so than in the Sacramento Valley
Sacramento Valley
The Sacramento Valley is the portion of the California Central Valley that lies to the north of the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta in the U.S. state of California. It encompasses all or parts of ten counties.-Geography:...

 below. Autumns tend to be an "extended summer" throughout California and Cameron Park is no exception. Winters are generally cold and rainy, with highs averaging 40°F to 60°F and nights occasionally dropping below freezing. Cameron Park typically receives snow every few years.

The soil in Cameron Park is reddish and clay-like and must be amended in order for many ornamental plants to survive.

2010 Census Data

The 2010 United States Census reported that Cameron Park had a population of 18,228. 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 1,631.0 people per square mile (629.7/km²). The racial makeup of Cameron Park was 16,242 (89.1%) White, 143 (0.8%) African American, 194 (1.1%) Native American, 425 (2.3%) Asian, 36 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 461 (2.5%) 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 727 (4.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2,056 persons (11.3%).

The Census reported that 18,222 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 6 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 6,993 households, out of which 2,512 (35.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,975 (56.8%) 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, 790 (11.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 356 (5.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 390 (5.6%) 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 41 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,465 households (20.9%) were made up of individuals and 622 (8.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61. There were 5,121 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...

 (73.2% of all households); the average family size was 3.00.

The population was spread out with 4,576 people (25.1%) under the age of 18, 1,502 people (8.2%) aged 18 to 24, 4,162 people (22.8%) aged 25 to 44, 5,358 people (29.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,630 people (14.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.6 years. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.

There were 7,610 housing units at an average density of 680.9 per square mile (262.9/km²), of which 4,768 (68.2%) were owner-occupied, and 2,225 (31.8%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 14.6%. 12,566 people (68.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 5,656 people (31.0%) lived in rental housing units.

2000 Census Data

As of the census
Census
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 14,549 people, 5,537 households, and 4,147 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 1,975.8 people per square mile (763.2/km²). There were 5,703 housing units at an average density of 774.5 per square mile (299.2/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.25% 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...

, 0.63% 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...

 or African 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...

, 0.89% 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...

, 1.44% 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...

, 0.12% Pacific Islander
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...

, 1.88% 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 2.80% from two or more races. 6.70% 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 5,537 households out of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.9% 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, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.1% were non-families. 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $59,678, and the median income for a family was $66,279. Males had a median income of $51,002 versus $34,897 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 $26,677. About 3.7% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.5% of those under age 18 and 1.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

In the state legislature
California State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...

 Cameron Park is part of the 1st Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...

 District, represented by Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 Dave Cox
Dave Cox
David E. Cox was an American politician from Holdenville, Oklahoma. A Republican, he served as a California State Senator, representing the 1st district from December 2004 until his death in July 2010, and also served as an California State Assemblyman for the six years immediately before his...

, and the 4th Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...

 District, represented by Republican Ted Gaines
Ted Gaines
Edward M. Gaines is a California State Senator, representing the 1st Senate district. He won a January 4, 2011, special election to replace the late Dave Cox and took office two days later...

. Federally, Cameron Park is part of California's 4th congressional district
California's 4th congressional district
California's 4th congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of California. It covers the northeastern corner of California along Route 395, encompassing El Dorado, Placer, Nevada, Sierra, Plumas, Lassen, and Modoc counties, as well as parts of Butte County...

, which has a Cook PVI
Cook Partisan Voting Index
The Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...

 of R +11 and is represented by Republican Tom McClintock
Tom McClintock
Thomas Miller McClintock II is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. He is a former Assemblyman and state Senator...

.

Locally, a Community Services District (CSD), supported by an elected Board of Directors, provides many programs and services such as fire and emergency services, local administration, CC&R enforcement, recreational programs and parks and facilities management and upkeep.

Sites of interest

Cameron Park has several shopping areas, a championship golf course and country club, a community center and pool complex, a recreational lake, and the unique Cameron Airpark Estates
Cameron Airpark Estates, California
Cameron Airpark Estates is an unincorporated community in El Dorado County, California. It is a fly-in community adjacent to Cameron Park, at an elevation of 1237 ft ....

.

Cameron Airpark Estate's wide streets double as taxiways leading from the residences to the adjacent airport. Many homes have aircraft hangars (oversized garages) which house personal aircraft, allowing residents to commute from home to work entirely by air. The adjoining airport (Cameron Airpark
Cameron Airpark
Cameron Airpark is a public airport located in the city of Cameron Park, serving El Dorado County, California, USA. The airport is used for general aviation. The area to the West of the runway is an airpark where home owners can taxi their planes up to their homes...

, O61) is a public airport and vital to the surrounding region.

Adjacent to the Airpark Estates sits man-made Cameron Park Lake. Covering approximately ten acres, the area contains the lake itself, a park, a nature trail encircling the lake, picnic areas, boat rentals, tennis courts, playgrounds, as well as a sandy beach and swimming area separated from the main lake by an earthen dam. Turtles and aquatic fowl can be seen at the lake, and the Community Services District regularly stocks the lake with fish including bluegill, black bass, and black crappiefish. Cameron Park Lake is also the site of the annual "Summer Spectacular." Since 1999 this event has provided entertainment, food, and a fireworks show to attendees. Cameron Park Lake is also the home of "Ribstock," a one-day BBQ festival that features a Kansas City Barbeque Society sanctioned BBQ competition.

Cameron Park was once known as the home of "Sam's Town", where many travelers stopped on their way to and from Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...

. This restaurant and amusement complex alongside Highway 50 was torn down in 2002 and is now a Food 4 Less shopping center.

Parts of the Skinner Vineyard and Winery from the early 1860s can be seen at the intersection of Green Valley Road and Cameron Park Drive. All that is left of Skinner's ranch is a portion of the cellar (integrated into the Cameron Park Nursery on the northeast corner of the intersection), a tiny remnant of the distillery wall (behind mobile homes in the mobile home park near the southeast corner of the intersection), and the Skinner cemetery (near the south-west corner of the intersection). The cemetery contains the graves of James and Jessie Skinner (née Bernard) and three of their sons. The cemetery is located on a small hill just west of the intersection behind a pizza restaurant. Only remnants of a few headstones and fence remain due to the effects of time and vandalism.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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