California, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
California, Pennsylvania
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Borough
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Downtown California
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| Etymology: U.S. state of California | |
Location of California in Washington County, Pennsylvania.
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| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Washington |
| Established | 1849 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 11.23 sq mi (29.09 km2) |
| • Land | 11.01 sq mi (28.52 km2) |
| • Water | 0.22 sq mi (0.57 km2) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 5,362 |
| • Density | 486.97/sq mi (188.02/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-4 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
15419
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| Area code(s) | 724 |
| Website | [https://californiapa.gov/ |
California is a small town, called a borough, located on the Monongahela River in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States. In 2020, about 5,479 people lived there. It is part of the larger Pittsburgh metropolitan area.
The town was started in 1849. It was named after the territory of California because of the exciting gold rush happening at the time. California is also home to Pennsylvania Western University, California.
Contents
History of California
When California was founded in 1849, people thought about naming it Columbia or Sagamore. But they chose California to show how much they hoped the town would grow and become rich, just like the gold rush state. The first leader of the town was called a burgess, and his name was Solomon Sibbitt. Later, leaders were called mayors.
In 1953, a nearby area called East Pike Run Township joined with California Borough. California was once famous for its coal mines. The Vigilant Mine produced the largest single lump of coal ever found! Also, Vesta #4, which opened in 1893, was once the biggest soft coal mine in the world.
The land where Pennsylvania Western University (which used to be called California University of Pennsylvania) now stands was once a town called Philipsburg. The Philipsburg Cemetery is still there and has graves of soldiers from the American Civil War. The very first house built in California is next to the California Post Office on Second Street.
Several important old buildings in California are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the Molly Fleming House, Jennings-Gallagher House, Malden Inn, Old Main, California State College, and the old Pennsylvania Railroad Passenger Station. The California Boatyards were also very important. They built steamboats that helped people move west across the country.
California has had two very young mayors. Peter Daley was only 22 when he was elected in 1973. Casey Durdines was even younger, just 20, when he became mayor in 2005.
Geography of California
California is located at 40°3′55″N 79°53′50″W / 40.06528°N 79.89722°W.
The United States Census Bureau says that California covers about 11.2 square miles (29.09 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 11.0 square miles (28.52 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.2 square miles (0.57 square kilometers), is water.
Nearby Towns and Areas
California shares its land borders with several other places. To the north is Fallowfield Township. To the northeast are Long Branch and Elco. Coal Center is to the mideast, and West Brownsville is to the southeast. To the south and west, you'll find Centerville and West Pike Run Township.
Across the Monongahela River, in Fayette County, California is next to Newell and Jefferson Township.
Population Information
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 476 | — | |
| 1870 | 659 | 38.4% | |
| 1880 | 1,009 | 53.1% | |
| 1890 | 1,024 | 1.5% | |
| 1900 | 2,009 | 96.2% | |
| 1910 | 2,230 | 11.0% | |
| 1920 | 2,480 | 11.2% | |
| 1930 | 2,362 | −4.8% | |
| 1940 | 2,614 | 10.7% | |
| 1950 | 2,831 | 8.3% | |
| 1960 | 5,978 | 111.2% | |
| 1970 | 6,635 | 11.0% | |
| 1980 | 5,703 | −14.0% | |
| 1990 | 5,748 | 0.8% | |
| 2000 | 5,274 | −8.2% | |
| 2010 | 6,795 | 28.8% | |
| 2020 | 5,479 | −19.4% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 5,453 | −19.7% | |
In 2000, there were 5,274 people living in California. The town had about 478 people per square mile. Most of the people living there were White (93.93%), with smaller groups of African American (4.13%), Asian (0.74%), and Native American (0.17%) residents. About 0.49% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
The population included people of all ages. About 10.7% were under 18 years old, and a large group (42.2%) were between 18 and 24 years old, likely students. The average age in California was 24 years.
Education in California
Students in California attend schools run by the California Area School District. This includes California Area Elementary School for younger students (kindergarten to 6th grade) and California Area High School/Middle School for older students (7th to 12th grade).
California is also home to PennWest California, which is a public university. It has about 6,500 students. Before July 2022, this school was known as California University of Pennsylvania, and even earlier, it was called California State College.
Famous People from California
- Viola Liuzzo: A civil rights activist who was sadly killed during the "Bloody Sunday" events in 1965.
- Joseph Yablonski: An important labor leader for coal miners in the 1950s and 60s.
- Bruce Dal Canton: A professional baseball pitcher who played for teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates.
- Bert Humphries: Another professional baseball pitcher from the early 1900s.
- Don LeJohn: A professional baseball player and manager.
- Frank Jarvis: A famous athlete and lawyer.
See also
In Spanish: California (Pensilvania) para niños
