El Portal, California
Encyclopedia
El Portal is a census-designated place
in Mariposa County
, California
. It is located 11.5 miles (19 km) west-southwest of Yosemite Village
, at an elevation of 1939 feet (591 m). The population was 474 at the 2010 census.
El Portal lies along State Route 140
by the Merced River
located on the western boundary of Yosemite National Park
. It is partly under the administrative jurisdiction of Yosemite National Park. Community buildings include a post office, community center, and a small school. Town businesses include two hotels, a small general store, and a gas station.
El Portal plays host to a number of outdoor activities.
El Portal was the terminus of the Yosemite Valley Railroad
at the entrance to the National Park. El Portal is Spanish
for "the gateway" derived from this fact.
The first post office at El Portal opened in 1907.
The National Park Service and several park partner organizations have offices in El Portal.
, the CDP covered an area of 1.639 mi2, of which 1.592 mi2 was land and 2.89% was water.
was 289.1 people per square mile (111.6/km²). The racial makeup of El Portal was 434 (91.6%) White, 1 (0.2%) African American, 9 (1.9%) Native American, 5 (1.1%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 5 (1.1%) from other races
, and 20 (4.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 28 persons (5.9%).
The Census reported that 474 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 230 households, out of which 41 (17.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 84 (36.5%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 14 (6.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 7 (3.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 12 (5.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 1 (0.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 93 households (40.4%) were made up of individuals and 13 (5.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06. There were 105 families
(45.7% of all households); the average family size was 2.65.
The population was spread out with 73 people (15.4%) under the age of 18, 29 people (6.1%) aged 18 to 24, 181 people (38.2%) aged 25 to 44, 156 people (32.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 35 people (7.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.4 years. For every 100 females there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.8 males.
There were 276 housing units at an average density of 168.3 per square mile (65.0/km²), of which 88 (38.3%) were owner-occupied, and 142 (61.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.1%. 185 people (39.0% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 289 people (61.0%) lived in rental housing units.
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 Mariposa County
Mariposa County, California
Mariposa County is a county in the U.S. state of California, located in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It lies north of Fresno, east of Merced, and southeast of Stockton. As of the 2010 census, the population was 18,251 up from 17,130 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...
. It is located 11.5 miles (19 km) west-southwest of Yosemite Village
Yosemite Village, California
Yosemite Village is an unincorporated community in Mariposa County, California. It is located northeast of Mariposa, at an elevation of 3996 feet ....
, at an elevation of 1939 feet (591 m). The population was 474 at the 2010 census.
El Portal lies along State Route 140
California State Route 140
State Route 140 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California, 102 miles in length. It begins in the San Joaquin Valley at Interstate 5 near Gustine, and runs east into the Sierra Nevada, terminating in Yosemite National Park....
by the Merced River
Merced River
The Merced River , in the central part of the U.S. state of California, is a -long tributary of the San Joaquin River flowing from the Sierra Nevada into the Central Valley. It is most well known for its swift and steep course through the southern part of Yosemite National Park, and the...
located on the western boundary of Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
. It is partly under the administrative jurisdiction of Yosemite National Park. Community buildings include a post office, community center, and a small school. Town businesses include two hotels, a small general store, and a gas station.
El Portal plays host to a number of outdoor activities.
El Portal was the terminus of the Yosemite Valley Railroad
Yosemite Valley Railroad
The Yosemite Valley Railroad was a short-line railroad operating from 1907 to 1945 in the state of California, mostly following the Merced River from Merced to Yosemite National Park, carrying a mixture of passenger and freight traffic...
at the entrance to the National Park. El Portal is Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
for "the gateway" derived from this fact.
The first post office at El Portal opened in 1907.
The National Park Service and several park partner organizations have offices in El Portal.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 covered an area of 1.639 mi2, of which 1.592 mi2 was land and 2.89% was water.
Demographics
The 2010 United States Census reported that El Portal had a population of 474. 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 289.1 people per square mile (111.6/km²). The racial makeup of El Portal was 434 (91.6%) White, 1 (0.2%) African American, 9 (1.9%) Native American, 5 (1.1%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 5 (1.1%) 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 20 (4.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 28 persons (5.9%).
The Census reported that 474 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 230 households, out of which 41 (17.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 84 (36.5%) 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, 14 (6.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 7 (3.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 12 (5.2%) 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 1 (0.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 93 households (40.4%) were made up of individuals and 13 (5.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06. There were 105 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...
(45.7% of all households); the average family size was 2.65.
The population was spread out with 73 people (15.4%) under the age of 18, 29 people (6.1%) aged 18 to 24, 181 people (38.2%) aged 25 to 44, 156 people (32.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 35 people (7.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.4 years. For every 100 females there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.8 males.
There were 276 housing units at an average density of 168.3 per square mile (65.0/km²), of which 88 (38.3%) were owner-occupied, and 142 (61.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.1%. 185 people (39.0% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 289 people (61.0%) lived in rental housing units.