Rio Vista, California
Encyclopedia
Rio Vista is a city located in the eastern end of Solano County, California
in the San Francisco Bay Area
, on the Sacramento River
, in the Sacramento River Delta
region. The population was 7,360 at the 2010 census.
Rio Vista was visited by a lost Humpback whale
in 1985, despite being 60 miles (100 kilometers) upriver from the Pacific Ocean
. The young whale, nicknamed "Humphrey
", attracted throngs of curiosity seekers before he was eventually guided back to sea by rescuers. Again in May 2007, Humpbacks were sighted in Rio Vista. "Delta" and "Dawn," mother and calf, stopped at least twice in the river near the town.
Rio Vista is home to the annual Bass Festival
in October.
in the Sacramento River Delta
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 7.1 square miles (18.4 km²), of which, 6.7 square miles (17.4 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) of it (5.68%) is water.
Mexican land grant, in 1858. The settlement was renamed "Rio Vista" before a flood in 1862 that resulted in the town moving to its present location on higher ground. The city's name combines the Spanish words for "river" and "view," although grammatical Spanish for "river view" would be Vista del Río. Post authorities established office in 1858. The community was officially incorporated as Rio Vista on December 30, 1893.
was 1,037.4 people per square mile (400.6/km²). The racial makeup of Rio Vista was 6,003 (81.6%) White, 372 (5.1%) African American, 53 (0.7%) Native American, 359 (4.9%) Asian, 15 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 288 (3.9%) from other races
, and 270 (3.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 914 persons (12.4%).
The Census reported that 100% of the population lived in households.
There were 3,454 households, out of which 626 (18.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,846 (53.4%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 255 (7.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 139 (4.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 146 (4.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 24 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,045 households (30.3%) were made up of individuals and 605 (17.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13. There were 2,240 families
(64.9% of all households); the average family size was 2.60.
The population was spread out with 1,145 people (15.6%) under the age of 18, 349 people (4.7%) aged 18 to 24, 1,089 people (14.8%) aged 25 to 44, 2,400 people (32.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,377 people (32.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 57.2 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.
There were 3,890 housing units at an average density of 548.3 per square mile (211.7/km²), of which 77.7% were owner-occupied and 22.3% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 13.7%. 75.1% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 24.9% lived in rental housing units.
was 676.9 people per square mile (261.5/km²). There were 1,974 housing units at an average density of 292.3 per square mile (112.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.34% White, 1.18% African American, 0.92% Native American, 1.60% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 4.09% from other races
, and 3.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.42% of the population.
There were 1,881 households, out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% were married couples
living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.4 males.
The median income
for a household in the city was $44,534, and the median income for a family was $52,007. Males had a median income of $43,458 versus $28,665 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $24,627. About 6.6% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.7% of those under age 18 and 2.5% of those age 65 or over.
The Trilogy at Rio Vista development, aimed at active adults, is a mile northwest of the original city on the Rio Vista Highway (SR 12). It is built around the 18-hole Rio Vista Golf Club. There will be between 2,800 and 3,000 homes when Trilogy is complete.
became a major source of employment for the remainder of the 20th century. Although it is still being worked there has been a growth in agriculture, manufacturing and tourism. There are over 750 wind turbine
s belonging to the three renewable energy
projects (Shiloh Wind Power Plant
, FPL Energy's High Winds Energy Center and one owned by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District) on the Montezuma Hills
, close to the city. There are plans to add a further 200 wind turbines.
Rio Vista is home to the largest American producer of Belgian Endive in the USA. Craig Breedlove
, five-time world land speed record holder, lives and has an engineering facility in the city.
The city is served by Rio Vista Municipal Airport
and is situated along the Rio Vista Highway (SR 12) between Fairfield
and Lodi
. The highway crosses the Sacramento River via the Helen Madere Memorial Bridge, colloquially known as the Rio Vista Bridge.
Solano County, California
Solano County is a county located in Bay-Delta region of the U.S. state of California, about halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento and is one of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. The county's population was reported by the U.S. Census to be 413,344 in 2010...
in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
, on the Sacramento River
Sacramento River
The Sacramento River is an important watercourse of Northern and Central California in the United States. The largest river in California, it rises on the eastern slopes of the Klamath Mountains, and after a journey south of over , empties into Suisun Bay, an arm of the San Francisco Bay, and...
, in the Sacramento River Delta
Sacramento River Delta
The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, or California Delta, is an expansive inland river delta and estuary in northern California in the United States. The Delta is formed at the western edge of the Central Valley by the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and lies just east of...
region. The population was 7,360 at the 2010 census.
Rio Vista was visited by a lost Humpback whale
Humpback Whale
The humpback whale is a species of baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from and weigh approximately . The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. It is an acrobatic animal, often breaching and slapping the...
in 1985, despite being 60 miles (100 kilometers) upriver from the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. The young whale, nicknamed "Humphrey
Humphrey the Whale
Humphrey the Whale is arguably the most widely publicized humpback whale in history, having errantly entered San Francisco Bay twice, departing from his Mexico to Alaska migration. This behavior is not normal for any Humpback whale, and Humphrey became well known on national television and press...
", attracted throngs of curiosity seekers before he was eventually guided back to sea by rescuers. Again in May 2007, Humpbacks were sighted in Rio Vista. "Delta" and "Dawn," mother and calf, stopped at least twice in the river near the town.
Rio Vista is home to the annual Bass Festival
Bass Festival
The Bass Festival, also known as Bass Derby, is held during the second weekend of October in Rio Vista, California. It is the celebration of bass coming into the Sacramento River. It features a carnival, a street fair, live bands and a bass fishing competition. It is the largest annual event in Rio...
in October.
Geography
Rio Vista is approximately 60 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of San Francisco, on the Sacramento RiverSacramento River
The Sacramento River is an important watercourse of Northern and Central California in the United States. The largest river in California, it rises on the eastern slopes of the Klamath Mountains, and after a journey south of over , empties into Suisun Bay, an arm of the San Francisco Bay, and...
in the Sacramento River Delta
Sacramento River Delta
The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, or California Delta, is an expansive inland river delta and estuary in northern California in the United States. The Delta is formed at the western edge of the Central Valley by the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and lies just east of...
.
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 city has a total area of 7.1 square miles (18.4 km²), of which, 6.7 square miles (17.4 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) of it (5.68%) is water.
History
The present location of Rio Vista is several miles south of the original settlement. Colonel Nathan H. Davis founded "Brazos del Rio" near the entrance of Cache Slough at the Sacramento River, on the Rancho Los UlpinosRancho Los Ulpinos
Rancho Los Ulpinos was a Mexican land grant in present day Solano County, California given in 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to John Bidwell...
Mexican land grant, in 1858. The settlement was renamed "Rio Vista" before a flood in 1862 that resulted in the town moving to its present location on higher ground. The city's name combines the Spanish words for "river" and "view," although grammatical Spanish for "river view" would be Vista del Río. Post authorities established office in 1858. The community was officially incorporated as Rio Vista on December 30, 1893.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Rio Vista had a population of 7,360. 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 1,037.4 people per square mile (400.6/km²). The racial makeup of Rio Vista was 6,003 (81.6%) White, 372 (5.1%) African American, 53 (0.7%) Native American, 359 (4.9%) Asian, 15 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 288 (3.9%) 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 270 (3.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 914 persons (12.4%).
The Census reported that 100% of the population lived in households.
There were 3,454 households, out of which 626 (18.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,846 (53.4%) 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, 255 (7.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 139 (4.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 146 (4.2%) 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 24 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,045 households (30.3%) were made up of individuals and 605 (17.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13. There were 2,240 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...
(64.9% of all households); the average family size was 2.60.
The population was spread out with 1,145 people (15.6%) under the age of 18, 349 people (4.7%) aged 18 to 24, 1,089 people (14.8%) aged 25 to 44, 2,400 people (32.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,377 people (32.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 57.2 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.
There were 3,890 housing units at an average density of 548.3 per square mile (211.7/km²), of which 77.7% were owner-occupied and 22.3% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 13.7%. 75.1% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 24.9% lived in rental housing units.
2007
As of 2007, there were 7,876 people, 1,881 households, and 1,286 families residing in the city. The population is predicted to be 22,000 by 2020. 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 676.9 people per square mile (261.5/km²). There were 1,974 housing units at an average density of 292.3 per square mile (112.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.34% White, 1.18% African American, 0.92% Native American, 1.60% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 4.09% 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 3.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.42% of the population.
There were 1,881 households, out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% 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, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.4 males.
The median income
Income
Income is the consumption and savings opportunity gained by an entity within a specified time frame, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. However, for households and individuals, "income is the sum of all the wages, salaries, profits, interests payments, rents and other forms of earnings...
for a household in the city was $44,534, and the median income for a family was $52,007. Males had a median income of $43,458 versus $28,665 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 city was $24,627. About 6.6% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.7% of those under age 18 and 2.5% of those age 65 or over.
The Trilogy at Rio Vista development, aimed at active adults, is a mile northwest of the original city on the Rio Vista Highway (SR 12). It is built around the 18-hole Rio Vista Golf Club. There will be between 2,800 and 3,000 homes when Trilogy is complete.
Industry
Natural gas was discovered in the Rio Vista area in 1936 and the Rio Vista FieldRio Vista Gas Field
The Rio Vista Gas Field is a large natural gas field in the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in northern California. Discovered in 1936, and in continuous operation since, it has produced over of gas in its lifetime, and retains an estimated reserve of approximately . p. 62. In 2008 alone,...
became a major source of employment for the remainder of the 20th century. Although it is still being worked there has been a growth in agriculture, manufacturing and tourism. There are over 750 wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
s belonging to the three renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
projects (Shiloh Wind Power Plant
Shiloh Wind Power Plant
The Shiloh Wind Power Plant is a wind farm located in the Montezuma Hills of Solano County, California, USA, very near to Bird's Landing. It has a nameplate capacity of 300 megawatts of power and was built in two stages.- Shiloh I :...
, FPL Energy's High Winds Energy Center and one owned by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District) on the Montezuma Hills
Montezuma Hills
The Montezuma Hills comprise a small range of low-elevation hills at the northern banks of the Sacramento River Delta in Solano County, California. The Montezuma Hills are bounded by the Sacramento River on the south and east; the Montezuma Slough on the west and roughly by California State Route...
, close to the city. There are plans to add a further 200 wind turbines.
Rio Vista is home to the largest American producer of Belgian Endive in the USA. Craig Breedlove
Craig Breedlove
Craig Breedlove is a five-time world land speed record holder. He was the first to reach , , and , using several turbojet-powered vehicles, all named Spirit of America.-Land vehicle speed records :...
, five-time world land speed record holder, lives and has an engineering facility in the city.
Rio Vista Municipal Airport
Rio Vista Municipal Airport was a public airport located three miles northwest of Rio Vista, serving Solano County, California, USA. This general aviation airport covers and has two runways and one helipad. The airport is the current base of operations for the...
and is situated along the Rio Vista Highway (SR 12) between Fairfield
Fairfield, California
Fairfield is a city located in Solano County in Northern California, USA. It is generally considered the midpoint between the cities of San Francisco and Sacramento, approximately from the city center of both cities, approximately from the city center of Oakland, less than from Napa Valley, 18...
and Lodi
Lodi, California
Lodi is a city located in , in the northern portion of California's Central Valley. The population was 62,134 at the 2010 census. The California Department of Finance's population estimate as of January 1, 2011 is 62,473....
. The highway crosses the Sacramento River via the Helen Madere Memorial Bridge, colloquially known as the Rio Vista Bridge.
Local attractions
- Dutra Museum of Dredging
- Locke, CaliforniaLocke, CaliforniaLocke , also known as Locke Historic District, is an unincorporated community in California's Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta built by Chinese immigrants during the early 20th century. It was originally named Lockeport after George Locke, who owned the land that the town was built upon at a...
– the oldest surviving California town founded by Chinese immigrants. - Rio Vista Golf Club
- Rio Vista Museum
- Western Railway MuseumWestern Railway MuseumThe Western Railway Museum, in Solano County, California is located on Highway 12 between Rio Vista and Suisun. The museum is built along the former mainline of theSacramento Northern Railway...
– west of Rio Vista on CA-12 in Suisun CitySuisun City, CaliforniaSuisun City is a city in Solano County, California, United States. The population was 28,111 at the 2010 census. The city takes its name from the adjacent Suisun Bay, which in turn is named for the Suisunes, a Native American tribe of the area.-Geography:...
.