Capitola, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Capitola, California
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| City of Capitola | ||
_(cropped).jpg) _(cropped).jpg) .JPG) _(cropped).jpg) Clockwise: Venetian Court; view towards Capitola Wharf; view of Capitola towards the Pacific Ocean; restaurants on the Soquel Creek waterfront.
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Location in Santa Cruz County, California
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 Capitola, California
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States | |
| State | California | |
| County | Santa Cruz | |
| Incorporated | January 11, 1949 | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 1.68 sq mi (4.34 km2) | |
| • Land | 1.59 sq mi (4.13 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.08 sq mi (0.21 km2) 4.92% | |
| Elevation | 13 ft (4 m) | |
| Population
(2024)
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| • Total | 9,456 | |
| • Density | 6,234.63/sq mi (2,406.54/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (PST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) | |
| ZIP codes |
95010, 95062
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| Area code(s) | 831 | |
| FIPS code | 06-11040 | |
| GNIS feature IDs | 1658216, 2409981 | |
Capitola is a small town by the sea in Santa Cruz County, California. It's located on the northern shores of Monterey Bay. This area is part of the Central Coast of California. In 2024, Capitola had about 9,456 people living there. It's a popular place for tourists because of its beautiful beaches and many restaurants.
Contents
History of Capitola
Capitola started as a place called Soquel Landing. This name came from a wharf (a pier where ships load and unload goods) at the mouth of Soquel Creek. This wharf was built in the 1850s. It helped send farm products and wood from inland areas to other places.
In 1869, a man named Frederick A. Hihn owned the land near the wharf. He decided to turn it into a seaside resort, a place where people could go for vacations. At first, he rented the area out, and it was called Camp Capitola. Most people think Hihn chose the name Capitola. One idea is that it was named after a character from a popular book called The Hidden Hand. Capitola is known as the oldest beach resort on the West Coast.
In the summer of 1961, something unusual happened. Hundreds of birds attacked the town! Most of these birds were sooty shearwaters. These birds usually don't come to shore and are not aggressive. Alfred Hitchcock, a famous movie director, heard about this event. He often visited nearby Santa Cruz. This strange incident inspired him to direct the movie The Birds, which is about birds attacking people. For over 25 years, no one knew why the birds attacked. Later, scientists found out the birds were sick from domoic acid. This is a natural poison made by red algae.
The Capitola Classic was a big skateboarding event. It took place in Capitola village in the late 1970s and early 1980s. This event was famous for its downhill race. Skaters would race head-to-head at high speeds. Many top skaters from around the world came, including local champion John Hutson. He held the world speed record for skateboarding at 53.45 miles per hour. People have tried to bring back this event since 2009.
In March 2011, a drainage pipe broke after heavy rains. This sent a lot of water through the old village area. Two days later, the area flooded again, stopping cleanup efforts.
Geography
Capitola Village is right on the beach, where Soquel Creek meets the ocean.
The city covers about 1.7 square miles (4.34 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, and a small part is water.
Capitola is on the northeast side of Monterey Bay. Cliffs line the coast, leading to popular beaches like New Brighton Beach. Capitola Village itself sits in a lower area among these cliffs. This means the main tourist and shopping area leads right to Capitola Beach. You can see colorful houses and hotels built on the slopes leading up to the clifftops.
The Venetian Court is a special group of buildings right on the beach, east of the pier. It's listed on the Register of National Historic Places. It was built in 1924 and was the first condominium beach community in the United States.
Climate
Capitola has mild weather all year round. It has a Mediterranean climate. This means it has cool, wet winters and warm, mostly dry summers. Because it's close to Monterey Bay, fog and low clouds are common at night and in the mornings, especially in the summer.
| Climate data for Capitola, CA | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 60.6 (15.9) |
62.3 (16.8) |
64.4 (18.0) |
67.5 (19.7) |
70.1 (21.2) |
72.9 (22.7) |
73.4 (23.0) |
74.3 (23.5) |
74.5 (23.6) |
71.5 (21.9) |
64.9 (18.3) |
60.0 (15.6) |
68.0 (20.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 40.8 (4.9) |
42.7 (5.9) |
44.0 (6.7) |
45.5 (7.5) |
48.6 (9.2) |
51.5 (10.8) |
53.7 (12.1) |
53.9 (12.2) |
52.6 (11.4) |
49.0 (9.4) |
44.3 (6.8) |
40.8 (4.9) |
47.3 (8.5) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 6.40 (163) |
6.24 (158) |
4.67 (119) |
1.99 (51) |
0.85 (22) |
0.19 (4.8) |
0.01 (0.25) |
0.04 (1.0) |
0.27 (6.9) |
1.44 (37) |
3.75 (95) |
5.68 (144) |
31.53 (801) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 10.6 | 10.9 | 10.0 | 5.9 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 3.5 | 7.5 | 10.7 | 66.2 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Population
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1950 | 1,848 | — | |
| 1960 | 2,021 | 9.4% | |
| 1970 | 5,080 | 151.4% | |
| 1980 | 9,095 | 79.0% | |
| 1990 | 10,171 | 11.8% | |
| 2000 | 10,033 | −1.4% | |
| 2010 | 9,918 | −1.1% | |
| 2020 | 9,938 | 0.2% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 9,572 | −3.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2010, Capitola had a population of 9,918 people. Most residents were White (80.3%). About 19.7% of the people identified as Hispanic or Latino.
By 2020, the population was 9,938. The city has grown steadily over the years.
Economy
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Capitola Village and Esplanade is a very important area for shopping and tourism. It attracts both visitors and local people with its many unique shops and restaurants. Forty-first Avenue is another main area for larger businesses and stores. The Capitola Mall, the only big indoor shopping center in Santa Cruz County, is planning to be redeveloped. This means it will be changed into a new type of area with different uses, as traditional malls are becoming less popular.
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Top Employers
Here are some of the biggest employers in Capitola, based on a 2023 report:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
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| 1 | Subaru, Toyota, Kia of Santa Cruz | 224 |
| 2 | Soquel Union Elementary School District | 172 |
| 3 | Target | 166 |
| 4 | Culinary Enterprises Inc | 158 |
| 5 | Shadowbrook Restaurant Pacific Coast Manor | 150 |
| 6 | Gayle's Bakery & Rosticceria | 141 |
| 7 | Trader Joe's | 139 |
| 8 | City of Capitola | 127 |
| 9 | Whole Foods Market | 120 |
| 10 | Oceanside Supported Living | 120 |
Infrastructure
Capitola has its own police department to keep the town safe. Fire and medical services are provided by the Central Fire District of Santa Cruz County.
Notable People
- Harry Hooper (1887–1974), a famous baseball player. After he retired, he worked as the postmaster in Capitola for 24 years.
- Ralph Peduto (1942–2014), an actor and writer for plays.
- Derek Sherinian (born 1966), a rock keyboardist. He played with famous bands like Alice Cooper, KISS, Dream Theater, and Billy Idol. He went to elementary and junior high school in Capitola.
- Skip Spence (1946–1999), a founding member of the band Moby Grape. He was also an early member of The Jefferson Airplane. He lived in Capitola during his later years.
- Robert Anton Wilson (1932–2007), an author and philosopher.
Images for kids
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Waterfront restaurants on Soquel Creek near Capitola Beach
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Shops on the Esplanade
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Riverview Historic District, located along Soquel Creek
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Mission Revival style Venetian Court, built in 1924
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Houses located on Soquel Creek
See also
In Spanish: Capitola (California) para niños
