New Cuyama, California
Encyclopedia
New Cuyama is a census-designated place
in the Cuyama Valley
, in Santa Barbara County
, California
, in the United States
. It was named after the Chumash Indian word for "clams
", most likely due to the millions of petrified prehistoric clamshell
fossil
s that are found in the surrounding areas. The town is home to the majority of the utility infrastructure for its residents, including nearby neighbor Cuyama, California. New Cuyama is located very close to the intersection points for Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Ventura and Kern counties. The town is served by Highway 166
(connecting U.S. Route 101 and Interstate 5) and the public-use New Cuyama Airport
. The population was 517 at the 2010 census.
are also known to have frequented the area. The imprint of an old Indian trail can still be seen leading over the hills of present day Ventura County
to the headwaters of Piru Creek
.
The area's recorded history dates to 1822 when Mexico
won independence from Spain
and took over the Spanish
colony
of Alta California
. Two Mexican land grant
s, the Rancho Cuyama (Lataillade)
and Rancho Cuyama (Rojo)
, were granted in the 1840s by Governors Manuel Micheltorena
and Pío Pico
in the lower Cuyama Valley along the Cuyama River
, where current New Cuyama is, privatizing
ownership of the land.
Following the 1949 discovery of oil at the South Cuyama Oil Field
, in 1952 the Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO)
settled and developed the town of New Cuyama, building housing and associated commercial business – including the New Cuyama Airport (L88) which bears the distinction of being the only public-use paved airport within easy flying range of Los Angeles
for more than 50 miles (80.5 km). Much of the infrastructure from ARCO's settling of the town still exists today and is used by town residents. The original ARCO-built gas processing plant is still in use and easily seen due south of New Cuyama, though ARCO has since sold off interest in the facility.
The town of New Cuyama, when founded, was considered the pearl of eastern Santa Barbara County, due to the flow of oil that was coming out of the region. During this time Richfield Oil Company built the town funded schools and provided all the important utilities other than electricity. Now that oil and gas production have declined, the principal industry is once again agriculture.
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP covers an area of 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²), all of it land.
was 732.7 people per square mile (282.9/km²). The racial makeup of New Cuyama was 418 (80.9%) White, 3 (0.6%) African American, 14 (2.7%) Native American, 3 (0.6%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 53 (10.3%) from other races
, and 26 (5.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 234 persons (45.3%).
The Census reported that 517 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 177 households, out of which 69 (39.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 95 (53.7%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 15 (8.5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 12 (6.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 15 (8.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 1 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 45 households (25.4%) were made up of individuals and 20 (11.3%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92. There were 122 families
(68.9% of all households); the average family size was 3.54.
The population was spread out with 160 people (30.9%) under the age of 18, 43 people (8.3%) aged 18 to 24, 125 people (24.2%) aged 25 to 44, 126 people (24.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 63 people (12.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.1 years. For every 100 females there were 105.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.2 males.
There were 215 housing units at an average density of 304.7 per square mile (117.7/km²), of which 119 (67.2%) were owner-occupied, and 58 (32.8%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 9.2%. 313 people (60.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 204 people (39.5%) 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 the Cuyama Valley
Cuyama Valley
The Cuyama Valley is a valley along the Cuyama River in central California, in northern Santa Barbara, southern San Luis Obispo, southwestern Kern, and northwestern Ventura counties. It is a sparsely inhabited area containing two significant towns – Cuyama and New Cuyama – and is largely used for...
, in Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara County, California
Santa Barbara County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, on the Pacific coast. As of 2010 the county had a population of 423,895. The county seat is Santa Barbara and the largest city is Santa Maria.-History:...
, 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...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was named after the Chumash Indian word for "clams
CLaMS
CLaMS is a modular chemistry transport model system developed at Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany. CLaMS was first described by McKenna et al. and was expanded into three dimensions by Konopka et al....
", most likely due to the millions of petrified prehistoric clamshell
Clamshell
The flip or clamshell is an electronics form factor which is in two or more sections that fold via a hinge. If the hinge is on a long edge the device is more likely to be called clamshell than flip phone ....
fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s that are found in the surrounding areas. The town is home to the majority of the utility infrastructure for its residents, including nearby neighbor Cuyama, California. New Cuyama is located very close to the intersection points for Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Ventura and Kern counties. The town is served by Highway 166
California State Route 166
State Route 166 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. It connects the Central Coast to the southern San Joaquin Valley....
(connecting U.S. Route 101 and Interstate 5) and the public-use New Cuyama Airport
New Cuyama Airport
New Cuyama Airport is a public-use airport located in New Cuyama, Santa Barbara County, California, United States. This general aviation airport is privately owned by Curtis & Judie Goller.- Facilities :...
. The population was 517 at the 2010 census.
History
The area was considered territory of the Yokuts people, but Chumash Indians from the Pacific CoastPacific Coast
A country's Pacific coast is the part of its coast bordering the Pacific Ocean.-The Americas:Countries on the western side of the Americas have a Pacific coast as their western border.* Geography of Canada* Geography of Chile* Geography of Colombia...
are also known to have frequented the area. The imprint of an old Indian trail can still be seen leading over the hills of present day Ventura County
Ventura County, California
Ventura County is a county in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. It is located on California's Pacific coast. It is often referred to as the Gold Coast, and has a reputation of being one of the safest populated places and one of the most affluent places in the country...
to the headwaters of Piru Creek
Piru Creek
Piru Creek is a large stream in northern Los Angeles County and eastern Ventura County, California. It is a tributary of the Santa Clara River, the largest stream system in Southern California that is still relatively natural. It drains an area of about and is about long. The creek is the Santa...
.
The area's recorded history dates to 1822 when Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
won independence from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and took over the Spanish
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
of Alta California
Alta California
Alta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...
. Two Mexican land grant
Ranchos of California
The Spanish, and later the Méxican government encouraged settlement of territory now known as California by the establishment of large land grants called ranchos, from which the English ranch is derived. Devoted to raising cattle and sheep, the owners of the ranchos attempted to pattern themselves...
s, the Rancho Cuyama (Lataillade)
Rancho Cuyama (Lataillade)
Rancho Cuyama was a Mexican land grant in present day eastern Santa Barbara County, California given in 1846 by Governor Pío Pico to Cesario Lataillade. The grant extended along Cuyama River in the Cuyama Valley, near Cuyama and New Cuyama. There were two Mexican land grants made in the lower...
and Rancho Cuyama (Rojo)
Rancho Cuyama (Rojo)
Rancho Cuyama was a Mexican land grant in present day eastern Santa Barbara County, California given in 1843 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to José María Rojo. The grant extended along Cuyama River in the Cuyama Valley, near Cuyama and New Cuyama. There were two Mexican land grants made in the...
, were granted in the 1840s by Governors Manuel Micheltorena
Manuel Micheltorena
Manuel Micheltorena was a Brigadier General of the Mexican Army, Adjutant-General of the same, Governor, Commandant-General and Inspector of the Department of the California...
and Pío Pico
Pío Pico
Pío de Jesús Pico was the last Governor of Alta California under Mexican rule.-Origins:...
in the lower Cuyama Valley along the Cuyama River
Cuyama River
The Cuyama River is a river in southern San Luis Obispo County, northern Santa Barbara County, and northern Ventura County, in the U.S. state of California. It joins the Sisquoc River forming the Santa Maria River...
, where current New Cuyama is, privatizing
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
ownership of the land.
Following the 1949 discovery of oil at the South Cuyama Oil Field
South Cuyama Oil Field
The South Cuyama Oil Field is a large oil and gas field in the Cuyama Valley and the adjacent northern foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains in northeastern Santa Barbara County, California...
, in 1952 the Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO)
ARCO
Atlantic Richfield Company is an oil company with operations in the United States as well as in Indonesia, the North Sea, and the South China Sea. It has more than 1,300 gas stations in the western part of the United States. ARCO was originally formed by the merger of East Coast-based Atlantic...
settled and developed the town of New Cuyama, building housing and associated commercial business – including the New Cuyama Airport (L88) which bears the distinction of being the only public-use paved airport within easy flying range 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...
for more than 50 miles (80.5 km). Much of the infrastructure from ARCO's settling of the town still exists today and is used by town residents. The original ARCO-built gas processing plant is still in use and easily seen due south of New Cuyama, though ARCO has since sold off interest in the facility.
The town of New Cuyama, when founded, was considered the pearl of eastern Santa Barbara County, due to the flow of oil that was coming out of the region. During this time Richfield Oil Company built the town funded schools and provided all the important utilities other than electricity. Now that oil and gas production have declined, the principal industry is once again agriculture.
Geography
New Cuyama is located at 34.947933°N 119.68915°W (34.947933, -119.68915). It is situated in the Cuyama ValleyCuyama Valley
The Cuyama Valley is a valley along the Cuyama River in central California, in northern Santa Barbara, southern San Luis Obispo, southwestern Kern, and northwestern Ventura counties. It is a sparsely inhabited area containing two significant towns – Cuyama and New Cuyama – and is largely used for...
.
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 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
The 2010 United States Census reported that New Cuyama had a population of 517. 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 732.7 people per square mile (282.9/km²). The racial makeup of New Cuyama was 418 (80.9%) White, 3 (0.6%) African American, 14 (2.7%) Native American, 3 (0.6%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 53 (10.3%) 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 26 (5.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 234 persons (45.3%).
The Census reported that 517 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 177 households, out of which 69 (39.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 95 (53.7%) 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, 15 (8.5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 12 (6.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 15 (8.5%) 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 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 45 households (25.4%) were made up of individuals and 20 (11.3%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92. There were 122 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...
(68.9% of all households); the average family size was 3.54.
The population was spread out with 160 people (30.9%) under the age of 18, 43 people (8.3%) aged 18 to 24, 125 people (24.2%) aged 25 to 44, 126 people (24.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 63 people (12.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.1 years. For every 100 females there were 105.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.2 males.
There were 215 housing units at an average density of 304.7 per square mile (117.7/km²), of which 119 (67.2%) were owner-occupied, and 58 (32.8%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 9.2%. 313 people (60.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 204 people (39.5%) lived in rental housing units.