Chualar, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chualar, California
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View of the Gabilan Range from Chualar
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Location in Monterey County and the state of California
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 Chualar, California
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | Monterey |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.63 sq mi (1.62 km2) |
| • Land | 0.63 sq mi (1.62 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | 115 ft (35 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,185 |
| • Density | 1,892.97/sq mi (730.71/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
93925
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| Area code(s) | 831 |
| FIPS code | 06-13364 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 1655896, 2407612 |
Chualar is a small community in Monterey County, California, United States. Its name comes from a Spanish word meaning "Pigweed grove." It is located in the Salinas Valley, about 10 miles (16 km) southeast of the city of Salinas. Chualar sits at an elevation of 115 feet (35 m) above sea level. In 2020, about 1,185 people lived there.
Contents
Where is Chualar?
Chualar is in the northeastern part of Monterey County. You can find it at these coordinates: 36°34′14″N 121°31′07″W / 36.57056°N 121.51861°W. U.S. Route 101, a major highway, runs right next to the community. This highway connects Chualar to Salinas in the northwest and Soledad to the southeast.
The United States Census Bureau says that Chualar covers an area of about 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2). All of this area is land.
The name Chualar comes from an old word for a plant called pigweed or goosefoot. This plant, possibly Chenopodium californicum, used to grow a lot in the area. The name means "where the chual grows" in Mexican Spanish.
A Look at Chualar's Past
Chualar has been around for a long time. It got its first post office in 1871. It closed for a short time but reopened in 1874.
A very important event happened near Chualar in 1963. A bus carrying farm workers was involved in a serious accident with a train. This event led to big changes in how guest workers were treated in the U.S. Today, a part of Highway 101 is called the "Bracero Memorial Highway" to remember those affected.
More recently, in December 2019, a levee (a wall built to hold back water) near Chualar broke. This caused Highway 101 to close. Children at the local school had to stay there overnight with teachers. A nursing home also had to be evacuated.
Long ago, the Johnson family owned Chualar. They had a very large ranch, over 15,000 acres, where they raised cattle.
People of Chualar
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2000 | 1,444 | — | |
| 2010 | 1,190 | −17.6% | |
| 2020 | 1,185 | −0.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
The community of Chualar has a diverse population. Here's a quick look at how the population has changed and what it looked like in recent years.
Population in 2010
In 2010, Chualar had 1,190 residents. Most of the people living in Chualar were of Hispanic or Latino background, making up about 96.7% of the population. People of different backgrounds also lived there, including White, African American, Native American, and Asian residents.
The population was quite young, with many children and young adults.
- About 36.1% of residents were under 18 years old.
- About 11.5% were aged 18 to 24.
- About 27.7% were aged 25 to 44.
- The average age in Chualar was 26.6 years.
There were 245 households in Chualar. Many of these households (73.1%) had children under 18 living in them. The average household had about 4.86 people.
Population in 2000
In 2000, Chualar had a population of 1,444 people. Similar to 2010, a large part of the population (93.56%) was Hispanic or Latino.
The population was also very young in 2000:
- About 39.4% of residents were under 18 years old.
- The average age was 23 years.
There were 279 households, and most of them (71.0%) had children under 18. The average household size was 5.18 people.
See also
In Spanish: Chualar para niños
