King City, California
Encyclopedia
King City is a city in Monterey County
, California
, United States
. King City is located on the Salinas River
51 miles (82 km) southeast of Salinas
, at an elevation of 335 feet (102 m). It lies along U.S. Route 101
in the Salinas Valley
of the Central Coast of California
. King City is a member of the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments
. The population was 12,874 at the 2010 census.
, and began growing 6000 acres (24.3 km²) of wheat. The town began as a train stop in 1886 for the Southern Pacific Railroad
to service the farms and ranches in the south Salinas Valley and to transport the goods to San Francisco and Los Angeles. It was originally called "Hog Town" since swine were one of the major agricultural products of the area in the 1880s. The King City post office first opened in 1887. King City incorporated under the name "City of King" in 1911.
J. Ernst Steinbeck, father of the novelist John Steinbeck
, claimed to have been the first permanent resident of King City. Steinbeck was certainly among the first settlers. He was the first agent for the S.P. Milling Company, which built an early warehouse and flour mill alongside the railroad tracks running through town. The mill was built by R. M. Shackelford, an early California settler and businessman who owned sheep pasturage next to that of Charles King.
to the northwest and San Lucas
to the southeast, both also on U.S. Route 101
. The amount of land area in King City is 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²). The Salinas River
flows on the west side of the city; due to its sandy bed, portions of the river sometimes flow underground, especially during the summer months.
Average annual precipitation is 11.24 inches (285.5 mm). There are an average of 40 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1983 with 26.41 inches (670.8 mm) and the driest year was 1953 with 3.14 inches (79.8 mm). The most precipitation in one month was 10.5 inches (266.7 mm) in February 1998. The most precipitation in 24 hours was 3.72 inches (94.5 mm) on January 18, 1914. Although snow often falls in the winter in the Santa Lucia mountains west of the city, it is quite rare in the Salinas Valley; however, 5.3 inches (134.6 mm) fell in January 1957 and 3 inches (76.2 mm) fell in December 1954.
was 3,231.8 people per square mile (1,247.8/km²). The racial makeup of King City was 6,173 (47.9%) White, 150 (1.2%) African American, 347 (2.7%) Native American, 172 (1.3%) Asian, 8 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 5,451 (42.3%) from other races
, and 573 (4.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11,266 persons (87.5%).
The Census reported that 12,815 people (99.5% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 59 (0.5%) were institutionalized.
There were 3,008 households, out of which 1,852 (61.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,823 (60.6%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 386 (12.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 272 (9.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 188 (6.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 21 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 412 households (13.7%) were made up of individuals and 186 (6.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.26. There were 2,481 families
(82.5% of all households); the average family size was 4.47.
The population was spread out with 4,374 people (34.0%) under the age of 18, 1,819 people (14.1%) aged 18 to 24, 3,937 people (30.6%) aged 25 to 44, 1,984 people (15.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 760 people (5.9%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25.9 years. For every 100 females there were 115.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 119.3 males.
There were 3,218 housing units at an average density of 807.8 per square mile (311.9/km²), of which 1,394 (46.3%) were owner-occupied, and 1,614 (53.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.4%. 5,586 people (43.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 7,229 people (56.2%) lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there were 11,094 people, 2,736 households, and 2,251 families residing in the city. The population density
was 3,030.0 people per square mile (1,170.3/km²). There were 2,822 housing units at an average density of 770.8 per square mile (297.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 42.09% White
, 0.59% Black
or African American
, 1.05% Native American
, 1.23% Asian
, 0.14% Pacific Islander
, 50.46% from other races
, and 4.46% from two or more races. 80.42% of the population were Hispanic or Latino
of any race.
There were 2,736 households out of which 54.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.2% were married couples
living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.7% were non-families. 13.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.03 and the average family size was 4.28.
In the city the population was spread out with 35.7% under the age of 18, 13.7% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 13.3% from 45 to 64, and 6.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 115.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 119.6 males.
The median annual income for a household in the city was $34,398 and the median annual income for a family was $33,750. Males had a median annual income of $27,377 versus $25,286 for females. The per capita annual income for the city was $11,685. About 16.9% of families and 20.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.5% of those under age 18 and 17.1% of those age 65 or over.
, KRKC-AM - 1490
, 102 KRKC-FM
, and KDON-FM 102.5. Television service for the community comes from the Monterey-Salinas-Santa Cruz designated market area (DMA).
The Rustler was founded in 1901 by Fred Vivian, who reportedly went into a local barber shop, sold subcriptions to all the customers and then passed around a hat for them to suggest names for the newspaper. "The Rustler" was the one he drew out.
Vivian was later succeeded as publisher by his grandson Harry Casey, who was called home to King City in 1952 to take over management of the newspaper by his aunt Ruth Steglich after the death of her husband, then-publisher Bill Steglich. He served as co-publisher until Ruth Steglich's death and publisher until declining health forced him to sell The Rustler and three other regional weeklies to News Media, Inc. in 1995.
Casey, whose sons Rich and Bill still operate Casey Printing in King City, died in 1998. Both he and Vivian are members of the California Newspaper Hall of Fame.
Monterey County, California
Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, its northwestern section forming the southern half of Monterey Bay. The northern half of the bay is in Santa Cruz County. As of 2010, the population was 415,057. The county seat and largest city is Salinas...
, 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...
. King City is located on the Salinas River
Salinas River (California)
The Salinas River is the largest river of the central coast of California, running and draining 4,160 square miles. It flows north-northwest and drains the Salinas Valley that slices through the Coast Range south from Monterey Bay...
51 miles (82 km) southeast of Salinas
Salinas, California
Salinas is the county seat and the largest municipality of Monterey County, California. Salinas is located east-southeast of the mouth of the Salinas River, at an elevation of about 52 feet above sea level. The population was 150,441 at the 2010 census...
, at an elevation of 335 feet (102 m). It lies along U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101, is an important north–south U.S. highway that runs through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States...
in the Salinas Valley
Salinas Valley
The Salinas Valley lies south of San Francisco, California.The word "salina" is spanish for salt marsh, salt lake or salt pan.-Geography:The Salinas Valley runs approximately south-east from Salinas towards King City. The valley lends its name to the geologic province in which it's located, the...
of the Central Coast of California
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...
. King City is a member of the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments
Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments
The Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments, or AMBAG, is a regional governmental organization which consists of representation of a large number of public agencies within Monterey County, Santa Cruz County and San Benito County, California...
. The population was 12,874 at the 2010 census.
History
King City was originally known as King's City for the founder, Charles King. In 1884 Charles King acquired 13000 acres (52.6 km²) of the Mexican land grant Rancho San LorenzoRancho San Lorenzo (Soberanes)
Rancho San Lorenzo was a Mexican land grant in the southern Salinas Valley, in present day Monterey County, California given in 1841 by Governor Juan Alvarado to Feliciano Soberanes...
, and began growing 6000 acres (24.3 km²) of wheat. The town began as a train stop in 1886 for the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
to service the farms and ranches in the south Salinas Valley and to transport the goods to San Francisco and Los Angeles. It was originally called "Hog Town" since swine were one of the major agricultural products of the area in the 1880s. The King City post office first opened in 1887. King City incorporated under the name "City of King" in 1911.
J. Ernst Steinbeck, father of the novelist John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck
John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was an American writer. He is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden and the novella Of Mice and Men...
, claimed to have been the first permanent resident of King City. Steinbeck was certainly among the first settlers. He was the first agent for the S.P. Milling Company, which built an early warehouse and flour mill alongside the railroad tracks running through town. The mill was built by R. M. Shackelford, an early California settler and businessman who owned sheep pasturage next to that of Charles King.
Geography
King City elevation is 330 feet (100.6 m) above sea level, between GreenfieldGreenfield, California
Greenfield is a city in Monterey County, California, United States. Greenfield is located southeast of Salinas, at an elevation of 289 feet . The city was the fastest growing in the county during the 2000s, the population was 12,583 in 2000, increasing to 16,330 in the 2010 census. Its most...
to the northwest and San Lucas
San Lucas, California
San Lucas is a census-designated place in Monterey County, California, United States. San Lucas is located on the Salinas River southeast of King City, at an elevation of 410 feet...
to the southeast, both also on U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101, is an important north–south U.S. highway that runs through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States...
. The amount of land area in King City is 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²). The Salinas River
Salinas River (California)
The Salinas River is the largest river of the central coast of California, running and draining 4,160 square miles. It flows north-northwest and drains the Salinas Valley that slices through the Coast Range south from Monterey Bay...
flows on the west side of the city; due to its sandy bed, portions of the river sometimes flow underground, especially during the summer months.
Climate
King City has a semiarid climate with very warm, mostly dry summers and cool, wet winters. The average January temperatures are a maximum of 64.1 °F (17.8 °C) and a minimum of 34.9 °F (1.6 °C). The average July temperatures are a maximum of 86.9 °F (30.5 °C) and a minimum of 51 °F (10.6 °C). There are an average of 50.6 days with highs of 90 °F (32.2 °C) or higher and an average of 49.7 days with lows of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower. The record high temperature was 120 °F (48.9 °C) on June 24, 1925. The record low temperature was 10 °F (-12.2 °C) on January 6, 1904.Average annual precipitation is 11.24 inches (285.5 mm). There are an average of 40 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1983 with 26.41 inches (670.8 mm) and the driest year was 1953 with 3.14 inches (79.8 mm). The most precipitation in one month was 10.5 inches (266.7 mm) in February 1998. The most precipitation in 24 hours was 3.72 inches (94.5 mm) on January 18, 1914. Although snow often falls in the winter in the Santa Lucia mountains west of the city, it is quite rare in the Salinas Valley; however, 5.3 inches (134.6 mm) fell in January 1957 and 3 inches (76.2 mm) fell in December 1954.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that King City had a population of 12,874. 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 3,231.8 people per square mile (1,247.8/km²). The racial makeup of King City was 6,173 (47.9%) White, 150 (1.2%) African American, 347 (2.7%) Native American, 172 (1.3%) Asian, 8 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 5,451 (42.3%) 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 573 (4.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11,266 persons (87.5%).
The Census reported that 12,815 people (99.5% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 59 (0.5%) were institutionalized.
There were 3,008 households, out of which 1,852 (61.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,823 (60.6%) 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, 386 (12.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 272 (9.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 188 (6.3%) 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 21 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 412 households (13.7%) were made up of individuals and 186 (6.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.26. There were 2,481 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...
(82.5% of all households); the average family size was 4.47.
The population was spread out with 4,374 people (34.0%) under the age of 18, 1,819 people (14.1%) aged 18 to 24, 3,937 people (30.6%) aged 25 to 44, 1,984 people (15.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 760 people (5.9%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25.9 years. For every 100 females there were 115.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 119.3 males.
There were 3,218 housing units at an average density of 807.8 per square mile (311.9/km²), of which 1,394 (46.3%) were owner-occupied, and 1,614 (53.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.4%. 5,586 people (43.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 7,229 people (56.2%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
As of the censusCensus
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 11,094 people, 2,736 households, and 2,251 families residing in the city. 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 3,030.0 people per square mile (1,170.3/km²). There were 2,822 housing units at an average density of 770.8 per square mile (297.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 42.09% 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...
, 0.59% 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...
, 1.05% 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...
, 1.23% 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...
, 0.14% 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...
, 50.46% 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 4.46% from two or more races. 80.42% of the population were Hispanic 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 2,736 households out of which 54.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.2% 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, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.7% were non-families. 13.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.03 and the average family size was 4.28.
In the city the population was spread out with 35.7% under the age of 18, 13.7% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 13.3% from 45 to 64, and 6.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 115.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 119.6 males.
The median annual income for a household in the city was $34,398 and the median annual income for a family was $33,750. Males had a median annual income of $27,377 versus $25,286 for females. The per capita annual income for the city was $11,685. About 16.9% of families and 20.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.5% of those under age 18 and 17.1% of those age 65 or over.
Radio and Television
Local radio stations include KEXA-FM - 93.9KEXA
KEXA is an American radio station licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to serve the community of King City, California, which is in Southern Monterey County...
, KRKC-AM - 1490
KRKC (AM)
KRKC is a radio station broadcasting a Country format. Licensed to King City, California, USA, it serves the South Monterey County area. The station is currently owned by Radio Del Rey Incorporated, and features programing provided from CBS Radio and AP Radio and local news and sports provided...
, 102 KRKC-FM
KRKC-FM
102 KRKC-FM is a 50,000-watt radio station in the Monterey, California radio market. The market includes all of Monterey County and Santa Cruz County. Long time DJs on 102 KRKC include Michael Davis and Jim Barker . The News Director is Matthew Arnett...
, and KDON-FM 102.5. Television service for the community comes from the Monterey-Salinas-Santa Cruz designated market area (DMA).
Newspapers
Local newspapers include the Gannett-owned Salinas Californian and the town's own weekly, The King City Rustler.The Rustler was founded in 1901 by Fred Vivian, who reportedly went into a local barber shop, sold subcriptions to all the customers and then passed around a hat for them to suggest names for the newspaper. "The Rustler" was the one he drew out.
Vivian was later succeeded as publisher by his grandson Harry Casey, who was called home to King City in 1952 to take over management of the newspaper by his aunt Ruth Steglich after the death of her husband, then-publisher Bill Steglich. He served as co-publisher until Ruth Steglich's death and publisher until declining health forced him to sell The Rustler and three other regional weeklies to News Media, Inc. in 1995.
Casey, whose sons Rich and Bill still operate Casey Printing in King City, died in 1998. Both he and Vivian are members of the California Newspaper Hall of Fame.
Film shot in King City
- 1972: The CandidateThe Candidate (1972 film)The Candidate is a 1972 American film starring Robert Redford. Its themes include how the political machine corrupts. There are many parallels between the then-recent 1970 California Senate election between John V. Tunney and George Murphy; however, Redford's character Bill McKay is a political...
directed by Michael RitchieMichael Ritchie (film director)Michael Brunswick Ritchie was an American film director.Ritchie was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin, the son of Patricia and Benbow Ferguson Ritchie...
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of King City include:- George Taylor MorrisGeorge Taylor MorrisGeorge Taylor Morris was a United States disk jockey and radio personality who grew up with and on the radio. Initially working on AM Radio, then switching to the FM Radio format, Morris' career evolved to where he became a "founding father of satellite radio at Sirius XM", according to the station...
(1947–2009), radio host who popularized the "Dark Side of the RainbowDark Side of the RainbowDark Side of the Rainbow – also known as Dark Side of Oz or The Wizard of Floyd – refers to the pairing of the 1973 Pink Floyd album The Dark Side of the Moon with the visual portion of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. This produces moments where the film and the album appear to...
" phenomenon.
See also
- Coastal CaliforniaCoastal CaliforniaCoastal California refers to the coastal regions of the US state of California. The term is not primarily geographical as it also describes an area distinguished by sociological, economical and political attributes...
- List of school districts in Monterey County, California
- Monterey county attractionsMonterey county attractionsMonterey County is a county on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, its northwestern section forming the southern half of Monterey Bay. As of 2000, the population was 401,762. The coastline includes Big Sur, State Route 1, and the 17 Mile Drive on the Monterey Peninsula. The city of...