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Merced, California
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Merced [m?'s?d], is the county seat of Merced County, California in the San Joaquin Valley of Central California. As of 2007, the city had a total population of 80,608. Incorporated in 1889, Merced is a charter city that operates under a council-manager government. It is named after the Merced River, which flows nearby.
Merced, known as the "Gateway to Yosemite", is less than two hours by car from Yosemite National Park to the east and to the west is Monterey Bay, the Pacific Ocean, and miles of beaches. The community is served by the rail passenger service Amtrak, a major airline through Merced Municipal Airport, and three bus lines.
In 2005, the city became home to the tenth University of California campus, University of California, Merced (UCM), the first research university built in the U.S.
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Encyclopedia
Merced [m?'s?d], is the county seat of Merced County, California in the San Joaquin Valley of Central California. As of 2007, the city had a total population of 80,608. Incorporated in 1889, Merced is a charter city that operates under a council-manager government. It is named after the Merced River, which flows nearby.
Merced, known as the "Gateway to Yosemite", is less than two hours by car from Yosemite National Park to the east and to the west is Monterey Bay, the Pacific Ocean, and miles of beaches. The community is served by the rail passenger service Amtrak, a major airline through Merced Municipal Airport, and three bus lines.
In 2005, the city became home to the tenth University of California campus, University of California, Merced (UCM), the first research university built in the U.S. in the 21st century.
Transportation
Air
Bus
- Greyhound serves Merced.
- The BusMerced County Transit, which operates both regularly scheduled fixed route bus service and Dial-A-Ride (demand response) transportation services throughout Merced County.
- Cattracks is UCM's bus service, which connects students, staff and faculty at the university to off-campus apartments, the off-campus Castle facilities, local amenities, the Amtrak station, and the downtown area.
Rail
- Amtrak provides passenger service.
Major Roads
Geography and geology
Merced is located at (37.305977, -120.477916). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.9 square miles (51.4 kmē).
A major groundwater plume containing the contaminant PCE was discovered in Merced in the year 1987. Subsequently drilling of new water wells was severely restricted.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 63,893 people, 20,435 households, and 14,631 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,216.7 people per square mile (1,242.2/kmē). There were 21,532 housing units at an average density of 1,084.0/sq mi (418.6/kmē). The racial makeup of the city was 52.40% White, 6.33% African American, 1.28% Native American, 12.37% Asian (mostly Hmong), 0.21% Pacific Islander, 23.18% from other races, and 5.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 41.36% of the population.
There were 20,435 households out of which 42.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 18.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.06 and the average family size was 3.62.
In the city the population was spread out with 34.7% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,429, and the median income for a family was $32,470. Males had a median income of $31,725 versus $24,492 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,115. About 22.4% of families and 27.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.9% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.
Merced is home to one of the largest concentrations of Laotian Hmong immigrants in the United States, which likely make up the "Asian" and "Other" categories in the 2000 census listed above. It has been reported that by the mid-nineties, one in five residents of Merced was Hmong. Despite many struggles with integration and some local xenophobia, because of the exceptionally high concentration, the Hmong community in Merced has managed to retain a great deal of their traditional culture
In the 2007 version of the book "Cities Ranked & Rated" by authors Bert Sperling and Peter Sander, Merced has been ranked 370th of 373 cities nationwide. The factors that determined the ranking of the cities within the book include the quality of life, cost of living in the area, availability and type of jobs, education, health care, climate, crime, commute times, and leisure activities. However, the entry in the book also states that the town may not stay in this place for long, since the authors stated that "Merced is definitely on an upward path and offers potential not found in other Valley towns. This potential is clearly not shown in today's numbers."
Politics
In the state legislature Merced is located in the 12th Senate District, represented by Republican Jeff Denham, and in the 17th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Cathleen Galgiani. Federally, Merced is located in California's 18th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +3 and is represented by Democrat Dennis Cardoza.
Community
Merced can be described as a "sleepy town," though the arrival of California's tenth UC campus, UC Merced, is altering the city's image. Current recreation in the town include Applegate Park and , Bear and Black Rascal Creeks and their bike trails, a skate park located in Applegate, a live stage theater downtown, two first run movie theaters, The Mainzer Theater which is known for its historic and architectural value, County Courthouse Museum circa 1889, the and the County Library. Though still growing, Merced has several shopping areas including the , anchored by Target, Sears, JCPenney and, Best Buy mall including Barnes & Noble, Lowe's, Wal-Mart, and several restaurants, and Main Street with several restaurants, movie theaters, and bars. Two athletes from Merced appeared in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, where they received bronze and silver medals.
Also within a short distance from the city limits are the Castle Air Museum, Challenger Learning Center, Castle Science and Technology Museum, Lake Yosemite, and Merced Falls. Merced is also the headquarters of Malibu Boats, a manufacturer of inboard boats.
The city of Merced along with its surrounding cities are serviced by the Merced Sun-Star. This daily newspaper has a circulation of over 20,000 in the Merced area.
Education
Merced is served by two major public high school campuses, Merced High School and Golden Valley High School, as well as a few smaller campuses offering alternative education. Merced has one community college, , which has an enrollment of more than 10,000 full-time equivalent students (FTES). The University of California, Merced campus opened in late 2005 northeast of the city limits. UC Merced for the 2008-2009 school year currently has an enrollment of about 2,500 students. The city is also served by several private religious and technical schools.
Notable past and present residents
- Ray Allen, an NBA basketball player playing for the Boston Celtics.
- Summer Bartholomew, a former hostess on the US game show Sale of the Century.
- Bruce Bowen, an NBA basketball player playing for the San Antonio Spurs.
- Brian Fuentes, an MLB closer, playing for the Colorado Rockies
- Janet Leigh, actress
- Katie Gallagher, a Survivor: Palau finalist.
- Steven Stayner, kidnap victim.
- Cary Stayner, serial killer.
- Margaret Dingeldein, a member of the 2004 US Olympic Waterpolo team.
- Daniel Silva, novelist.
- Marvin Eastman, Professional Mixed Martial Arts fighter currently competing for the Ultimate Fighting Championship promotion
- Wendell Mathis, NFL football player playing for the Minnesota Vikings
External links
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