Santa Clarita, California
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| Missing image Santa_Clarita_City_Limits.PNG Image:Santa Clarita City Limits.PNG | ||||||
| County | Los Angeles County, California | |||||
| Area - Total - Water | 123.9 km² (47.8 mi²) 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) 0.04% | |||||
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| Time zone | Pacific: UTC-8 | |||||
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Latitude
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34°24'60' N | |||||
| City of Santa Clarita Official Website (http://www.santa-clarita.com/) | ||||||
Santaclaritaintersection.jpg
Santa Clarita is the fourth largest city located in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2005 California Department of Finance estimate, the city had a total population of 167,954. It is located about 35 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, and occupies most of the Santa Clarita Valley. It is one of the greatest examples of an edge city in the United States. The FBI rates it as the sixth safest city in the United States with at least 100,000 inhabitants. (Nearby Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks, in Ventura County, traditionally alternate between the first and second spots on the list.)
Santa Clarita was incorporated in 1987 as the union of several previously existing communities, including Saugus, Valencia, Canyon Country, Newhall, and portions of Castaic. Its principal boundaries are the Golden State and Antelope Valley freeways; their merger in Newhall Pass at the city's southernmost point gives Santa Clarita its distinctive triangular appearance on the map. Unlike many other hybrid cities' districts, communities in Santa Clarita retain a considerable degree of autonomy, to the extent that some of them--Valencia, most notably--are often mistaken for completely separate cities.
Santa Clarita's most notable attractions are the Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park and the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts); both are located in Valencia.
As the city is hemmed in by mountains on all sides (the Tehachapis on the north, the San Gabriels on the east, and the Santa Susanas on the south and west) and is primarily reliant on the automobile for transportation, it suffers from chronic smog. It is also prone to wildfires, as demonstrated by the destruction of large areas of the city and the unincorporated areas around it during blazes in 2003 and 2004.
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Geography
Santa Clarita is located at 34°24'60" North, 118°30'23" West (34.416561, -118.506443)Template:GR. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 123.9 km² (47.8 mi²). 123.9 km² (47.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.04% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 151,088 people, 50,787 households, and 38,242 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,219.6/km² (3,159.1/mi²). There are 52,442 housing units at an average density of 423.3/km² (1,096.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 79.53% White, 2.07% African American, 0.59% Native American, 5.24% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 8.54% from other races, and 3.89% from two or more races. 20.50% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Even though it is still a predominantly middle-class white community, it has seen a substantial increase in residents of varying ethnicities. The growth in diversity in the city is not without problems. According to a Los Angeles Times report [1] (http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/799825561.html?did=799825561&FMT=ABS&FMTS=FT&date=Feb+28%2C+2005&author=Lance+Pugmire+and+Janet+Wilson&desc=CALIFORNIA%3B+Inland+Empire+Sees+Rise+in+Hate+Crimes%2C+Bucking+Trend+in+State%3B+The+tally+stands+out+in+regions+where+violations+have+declined.+Authorities+say+the+stimulus+is+an+influx+of+racial+minorities.:Cite_sources), racial crimes are increasing in the region. Most of the alleged attacks are carries by white-power, skin-head teenagers who live in the city.
There are 50,787 households out of which 44.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.0% are married couples living together, 9.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 24.7% are non-families. 18.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.95 and the average family size is 3.38.
In the city the population is spread out with 30.3% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 33.6% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $66,717, and the median income for a family is $73,588. Males have a median income of $53,769 versus $36,835 for females. The per capita income for the city is $26,841. 6.4% of the population and 4.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 6.7% of those under the age of 18 and 5.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Colleges and universities
- California Institute of the Arts
- The Master's College [2] (http://www.masters.edu)
- College of the Canyons [3] (http://www.canyons.edu)
School districts
- Castaic Union School District [4] (http://www.castaic.k12.ca.us/)
- Newhall School District [5] (http://www.newhall.k12.ca.us/)
- Saugus Union School District [6] (http://www.saugus.k12.ca.us/)
- Sulphur Springs Elementary School District [7] (http://www.sssd.k12.ca.us/)
- William S. Hart High School District [8] (http://www.hart.k12.ca.us/)
External links
- Santa Clarita homepage (http://www.santa-clarita.com)
Template:Cities of Los Angeles County, California
