Bodega Bay, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bodega Bay
Census-designated place
Bodega Bay in 2008, seen from across the harbor
Location in Sonoma County and the state of California
Bodega Bay, California Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	California
County	Sonoma
Area
• Total	12.52 sq mi (32.44 km2)
• Land	8.35 sq mi (21.61 km2)
• Water	4.18 sq mi (10.82 km2)  33.37%
Elevation	56 ft (17 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	912
• Density	109.29/sq mi (42.20/km2)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP Code	94923
Area code	707
FIPS code	06-07260
GNIS feature IDs	1658093, 2407872

Bodega Bay is a small village in Sonoma County, California, United States. It is also called a census-designated place (CDP). In 2020, about 912 people lived there. The village is located right on Highway 1. It sits on the eastern side of Bodega Harbor, which is an inlet of the larger Bodega Bay on the Pacific coast.

History of Bodega Bay

Bodega Bay is named after Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra, who explored the area in 1775.

Bodega Bay has an interesting past. In 1809, the first Russian buildings in California were built here. This was done by Ivan Alexandrovich Kuskov from the Russian-American Company. They were setting up Fort Ross nearby.

The Russians called their settlement at Bodega Bay Port Rumyantsev. This name honored the Russian Foreign Minister Nikolai Petrovich Rumyantsev. It was an important port for supporting Fort Ross and the bigger Russian community.

Today, the town is named after Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra. He was a Spanish naval officer who explored the west coast of North America. He traveled as far north as Alaska in the late 1700s.

Bodega Bay in Movies

Bodega Bay is famous for being a filming location. The well-known Alfred Hitchcock movie The Birds (1963) was filmed here. Scenes were shot in both Bodega Bay and the nearby town of Bodega. The movie made it seem like both places were part of one "Bodega Bay."

The town uses the film to attract visitors. It even has a Birds-themed visitors' center. However, the main places from the movie, like the church and schoolhouse, are actually in Bodega, not Bodega Bay. The town was also featured in the horror film Puppet Master (1989).

The "Hole in the Head"

In the 1960s, a company called Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) wanted to build a nuclear power plant. It was planned for Gaffney Point, across the bay from the town. But people protested a lot, which was one of the first big environmental protests. Also, a geologic fault was found while they were digging.

Because of these issues, the plans for the power plant were stopped. The hole they dug filled with water. Locals now call it "The Hole in the Head."

Education in Bodega Bay

The Shoreline Unified School District manages the Bodega Bay School. Students from Bodega Bay attend this school. For high school, students go to Tomales High School.

Geography and Climate

The village of Bodega Bay on Bodega Harbor

Bodega Bay covers about 12.5 square miles (32.4 square kilometers). About 8.3 square miles (21.6 square kilometers) is land, and 4.2 square miles (10.8 square kilometers) is water. This means about one-third of the area is water. The village sits right on the edge of Bodega Harbor.

The larger Bodega Bay extends south along the coast to Tomales Bay. North of the town, you can find many rock formations and sandy beaches. This area is known as Sonoma Coast State Beach.

Weather in Bodega Bay

Bodega Bay has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. This means it has warm, dry summers. The average monthly temperatures are not very hot, usually below 71.6°F (22°C).

Like many places on the California coast, summer afternoons are often cool and windy. Sometimes, it can even be foggy. This is because winds blow in from the ocean.

People of Bodega Bay

In 2010, the population of Bodega Bay was 1,077 people. Most residents (88.3%) were White. About 11.7% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

The average household size was 2 people. Many households (31.9%) were made up of single individuals. The median age in Bodega Bay was 57.2 years old, meaning many older adults live there.

Notable People from Bodega Bay

Memorial inspired by the death of Nicholas Green

Bodega Bay was the home of Nicholas Green. He was an American child who passed away during a robbery in Italy in 1994. Nicholas and his family became well-known because his organs were donated to help many people in need.

Erden Eruç also made history here. He completed the first journey around the Earth entirely by himself and using only human power. He started his trip in Bodega Bay on July 10, 2007. He returned a little over five years later, on July 21, 2012.

More Film Locations in Bodega Bay

Bodega Bay has been a setting for several movies and TV shows:

• The Birds (1963): Many outdoor scenes were filmed in Bodega Bay and the nearby village of Bodega.
• The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966): Some scenes were shot in Bodega Bay.
• The Pack (1977): Filmed around Bodega Bay.
• The Fog (1980)
• The Goonies (1985): The final scene was filmed at Goat Rock Beach.
• Puppet Master (1989): Bodega Bay is the main setting for the first two, fourth, and fifth movies in this series.
• Sleepwalkers (1992): The opening scene was filmed in Bodega Bay.
• Hart to Hart: Home Is Where the Hart Is (1994 TV movie): Outdoor scenes of the town.
• I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997): Scenes around a road accident.
• Road Trip with Huell Howser Episode 117 (2002)
• It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2021): Season 15 of this show used Bodega Bay as a stand-in for Ireland due to travel restrictions.

Other Places of Interest

The University of California has a marine lab in Bodega Bay. It's called the Bodega Marine Laboratory. Scientists there study the ocean and marine life.

See also

In Spanish: Bodega Bay para niños