South Lake Tahoe is a city in
El Dorado CountyEl Dorado County is a county located in the Gold Country of the U.S. state of California, in the Sierra Nevada. Its 2004 population was estimated to be 172,889, its 2000 population was 156,299. The county seat is Placerville....
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
, in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The population was 23,609 at the 2000 census. The east end of the city, on the
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
-
NevadaNevada is a state located in the western region of the United States. The capital is Carson City and the largest city is Las Vegas. The state's nickname is Silver State, due to the large number of silver deposits that were discovered and mined there...
state line, is mainly geared towards tourism, with T-shirt shops, restaurants, hotels, and Heavenly Mountain Resort with the Nevada casinos just across the state line in
Stateline, NevadaStateline is a census-designated place on the east shore of Lake Tahoe in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. The population was 1,215 at the 2000 census...
. The city extends about five miles west-southwest along U.S. Route 50, also known as Lake Tahoe Blvd. The western end of town is mainly residential, and clusters around "The Y" (new intersection October 2008), the X-shaped intersection of US 50,
State Route 89State Route 89 is a California State Highway that travels in the North-South direction, and is the major thoroughfare for many mountain communities. It starts from U.S. Route 395 near Topaz Lake, winding its way up to the . Monitor Pass, down to the Carson River, and up again over the . Luther Pass...
, and the continuation of Lake Tahoe Boulevard after it loses its federal highway designation.
According to the
United States Census BureauThe 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. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the city has a total area of 16.5
square mileThe square mile is an imperial and US unit of measure for an area equal to the area of a square of one statute mile.
s (42.7 km²), of which, 10.1 square miles (26.1 km²) of it is land and 6.4 square miles (16.7 km²) of it (39.03%) is water. Elevation is 6260 ft.
South Lake Tahoe is part of the
SacramentoSacramento is the capital of the U.S. state of California, and the county seat of Sacramento County. Located along the Sacramento River and just south of the American River's confluence in California's expansive Central Valley. With a 2007 estimated population of 460,242, it is the seventh-largest...
–
Arden-ArcadeArden-Arcade is a census-designated place in Sacramento County, California, United States. The population was 96,025 at the 2000 census. However, the population is now estimated at 83,000 due to a change in borders after the census...
–
RosevilleRoseville is a city in Placer County, California, United States, located in the metropolitan area of Sacramento. As of January 1, 2009 the population was 112,343...
Metropolitan Statistical AreaThe Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville, California Metropolitan Statistical Area, also known as the Sacramento metropolitan area or Greater Sacramento, is an area consisting of four counties in California's Central Valley, and El Dorado foothills, anchored by the city of Sacramento...
.
Demographics
As of the
censusA "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.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 23,609 people, 9,410 households, and 5,391 families residing in the city. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
was 2,347.5 people per square mile (906.1/km²). There were 14,005 housing units at an average density of 1,392.5/sq mi (537.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.73%
WhiteRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , 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...
, 0.75%
BlackRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , 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 AmericanRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , 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...
, 0.97%
Native AmericanRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , 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...
, 6.01%
AsianRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , 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...
, 0.17%
Pacific IslanderRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , 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...
, 12.48% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , 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 3.90% from two or more races. 26.66% of the population were
HispanicRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , 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
LatinoRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , 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 9,410 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.3% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 33.0% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 107.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.4 males.
The median
incomeIncome 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 $34,707, and the median income for a family was $40,572. Males had a median income of $26,352 versus $22,280 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the city was $18,452. About 9.1% of families and 12.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.7% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over. South Lake Tahoe is located at (38.929237, -119.984347). As its name suggests it is located on the southern shore of
Lake TahoeLake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada mountains of the United States. It is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City, Nevada. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America...
, right next to the
NevadaNevada is a state located in the western region of the United States. The capital is Carson City and the largest city is Las Vegas. The state's nickname is Silver State, due to the large number of silver deposits that were discovered and mined there...
border and the town of
Stateline, NevadaStateline is a census-designated place on the east shore of Lake Tahoe in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. The population was 1,215 at the 2000 census...
.
Politics
In the
state legislatureThe California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
South Lake Tahoe is located in the 1st
SenateThe California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 State Senators. The state legislature meets in the state capital, Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
District, represented by
RepublicanThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP, despite being the younger of the two major parties. In the U.S...
Dave CoxDavid E. Cox is an American politician from Fair Oaks, California. A Republican, he is a member of the California State Senate, representing the 1st district since December 2004....
, and in the 4th
AssemblyThe California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
District, represented by Republican
Ted GainesTed Gaines is a Californian politician, representing the 4th District in the California State Assembly. The 4th district is centered on the suburbs of Placer County which are located east of Sacramento...
. Federally, South Lake Tahoe is located in
California's 4th congressional districtCalifornia's 4th congressional district covers the northeastern corner of California along Route 395, covering El Dorado, Placer, Nevada, Sierra, Plumas, Lassen, and Modoc counties, as well as parts of Butte County including Oroville and a small portion of Sacramento County including Orangevale...
, which has a
Cook PVIThe Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...
of R +11 and is represented by Republican
Tom McClintockThomas Miller McClintock II is a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 4th congressional district...
.
History
The city incorporated in 1965 by combing the previously unincorporated communities of
Al TahoeAl Tahoe is a former unincorporated community now incorporated in South Lake Tahoe in El Dorado County, California. It lies at an elevation of 6253 feet ....
,
BijouBijou is a former unincorporated community now incorproated in South Lake Tahoe in El Dorado County, California. It lies at an elevation of 6243 feet ....
,
Bijou ParkBijou Park is a former unincorporated community now incorporated in South Lake Tahoe in El Dorado County, California. It is located east of Bijou, at an elevation of 6237 feet ....
,
StatelineStateline is a former unincorporated community in El Dorado County, California, now incorporated into South Lake Tahoe, California. It lies at an elevation of 6279 feet . As its name suggests, it is at the border with Nevada.A post office operated at Stateline from 1901. The name Laphams...
,
Tahoe ValleyTahoe Valley is a former unincorporated community in El Dorado County, California, now incorporated into South Lake Tahoe. It lies at an elevation of 6270 feet . Tahoe Valley is about the junction of U.S. Route 50 and California State Route 89....
, and
Tallac VillageTallac Village is an unincorporated community in El Dorado County, California. It lies at an elevation of 6263 feet ....
. A post office was established in 1967.. In 1991, Jaycee Lee Dugard was abducted from a bus-stop in South Lake Tahoe, aged 11. She was found in 2009.
Landscape
Angora Fire
On Sunday, June 24th 2007, a
wildfireA wildfire is any uncontrolled fire that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Reflecting the type of vegetation or fuel, other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, grass fire, hill fire, peat fire, vegetation fire, and wildland fire may be used to describe the same phenomenon...
broke out at the Seneca Pond recreation area. Known as the Angora Fire, the situation was the worst of its kind in Lake Tahoe history.
The fire spread through out the region destroying homes and forests. Highway closures followed by evacuations put the city in the direct line of the fire. Hotels in the area responded by opening their doors to the hundreds of evacuees that needed shelter.
On June 25, a state of emergency was announced by Lt. Gov.
John GaramendiJohn Raymond Garamendi is a U.S. politician and a member of the Democratic Party. He became the 46th Lieutenant Governor of California on January 8, 2007. He had previously been the California State Insurance Commissioner from 2003 to 2007, having previously been the first occupant of that office...
acting on behalf of the absent Governor
Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian American bodybuilder, actor, businessman, and politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of the state of California....
who was traveling in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
. No lives were lost. Over three thousand acres (12.5 square kilometers) were burned with more than 275 structures, including 254 homes and 26 buildings damaged. On June 27, Governor
Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian American bodybuilder, actor, businessman, and politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of the state of California....
, toured the area after he returned to California.
Full containment of the fire was announced on July 2, 2007, two days before the 4th of July holiday.
External links