Marin City, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marin City
Census-designated place
Marin Transit New Flyer 35-foot low-floor hybrid bus operating in Marin City
Marin City Location in California Show map of California Marin City Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	California
County	Marin County
Area
• Total	0.537 sq mi (1.39 km2)
• Land	0.537 sq mi (1.39 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)  0%
Elevation	23 ft (7 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,993
• Density	5,574/sq mi (2,152.0/km2)
Time zone	UTC−8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP code	94965 (Sausalito)
Area codes	415/628
FIPS Code	06-45820

Marin City is a small community in Marin County, California, United States. It is called an "unincorporated community" because it doesn't have its own city government. Instead, it's managed by the county. It's also a "census-designated place" (CDP), which means the U.S. Census Bureau defines it for counting people.

In 2020, about 2,993 people lived there. Marin City is located about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) northwest of Sausalito. It's also about 5 miles (8 km) north of San Francisco, right near the Golden Gate Bridge. The area is only about 23 feet (7 meters) above sea level.

Marin City was first built in 1942 to house workers during World War II. Many people moved to California for defense jobs, including African Americans from the South. After the war, Marin City became a mostly African-American community. This was because many white residents moved to other parts of Marin County. Since the 1980s, new buildings have changed the population and created more jobs.

How Marin City Started

Before World War II, Marin City was mostly a dairy farm with only a few families. But after the war began in December 1941, everything changed quickly. Marin City was built fast in 1942. It was made to house about 6,000 workers. These workers came from all over the United States. They were attracted by the many jobs at Marinship, a shipyard in Sausalito.

At Marinship, workers built 93 "Liberty ships" and tankers. These ships were very important for the war effort. They were built and launched in less than three years.

The Great Migration and Marin City

Many African-American workers moved to the Bay Area from the Southern United States. This was part of a big movement called the Great Migration. After the war, many of these workers stayed in Marin City. For some, it was their choice. For others, it was hard to find homes elsewhere. Many Black families faced rules that made it difficult to buy homes in other towns nearby.

These families became the heart of the community after the war ended. During the war, about 10% of Marin City's population was African American. By the 1970s, this number grew to over 75%. Most of these residents were descendants of the Marinship workers.

Recent Changes in Marin City

In the 1980s and 1990s, Marin City saw a lot of new buildings. Many new homes, apartments, and condos were built. The shopping area also grew. The Gateway Shopping Center was built in 1996. This new center replaced a popular flea market that many people loved.

By 2010, the community's population had changed. About 38.9% of residents were white, and 38.1% were African American. Nearly 14% were Hispanic. In recent years, people in Marin City have even started thinking about becoming an official city.

Where is Marin City Located?

Marin City is in the southern part of Marin County. It is about 5 miles (8 km) north of San Francisco. To the southeast, it borders the city of Sausalito. To the west, it is next to Tamalpais Valley.

The U.S. Route 101 freeway runs along the northeast side of Marin City. Beyond the freeway is Richardson Bay, which is part of San Francisco Bay. The community is also bordered by the hills of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area to the southwest. The entire area of Marin City is land, covering about 0.54 square miles (1.4 km²).

Who Lives in Marin City?

The 2010 United States Census counted 2,666 people living in Marin City. The population density was about 4,967 people per square mile.

Population Makeup

Here's a look at the different groups of people living in Marin City:

• In 2010, about 38.9% of residents were White.
• About 38.1% were African American.
• About 10.8% were Asian.
• About 0.6% were Native American.
• About 0.8% were Pacific Islander.
• About 4.5% were from other races.
• About 6.3% were from two or more races.
• About 13.7% of the total population was Hispanic or Latino.

Among Asian residents, the largest groups were Vietnamese, Indian, Filipino, and Chinese. For Hispanic and Latino residents, the largest groups were Mexican, Central American, and South American.

Households and Families

In 2010, there were 1,197 households in Marin City.

• About 31.7% of households had children under 18.
• About 24.9% were married couples.
• About 25.1% had a female head of household with no husband present.
• The average household had 2.23 people.
• There were 655 families, with an average of 2.91 people per family.

The population included:

• 23.7% under 18 years old.
• 9.8% aged 18 to 24.
• 30.8% aged 25 to 44.
• 26.4% aged 45 to 64.
• 9.3% who were 65 or older.

The average age was 35.6 years.

Most people in Marin City (72.8%) live in rented homes. About 27.2% own their homes.

Famous People from Marin City

Marin City has been home to some well-known people:

• George Duke (1946–2013): A famous keyboard player, composer, and singer. He grew up in Marin City.
• Jack Kerouac (1922–1969): A famous writer who stayed in Marin City in the 1940s and 1950s. He even combined Marin City and nearby Mill Valley into "Mill City" in his book On the Road.
• Anne Lamott: A well-known novelist and teacher who used to live here.
• Tupac Shakur (1971–1996): A very famous rapper and actor. He moved to Marin City with his family in 1988 and went to Tamalpais High School nearby. He later moved to Oakland to start his music career.
• William Del Monte (1905–2016): He was the last person alive who survived the big San Francisco earthquake of 1906.

Schools in Marin City

Marin City has schools for younger students and high school students.

• For kindergarten through 8th grade, students attend schools in the Sausalito Marin City School District.
• For high school (grades 9-12), students go to schools in the Tamalpais Union High School District.

Local Schools

The main K-8 school in Marin City is Martin Luther King, Jr. Academy. It used to be called Bayside-Martin Luther King Jr. Academy. This school has preschool, elementary, and middle school grades.

There was also a public charter school called Willow Creek Academy in Sausalito. In 2016, about 150 students from Marin City went to Willow Creek. In 2021, Willow Creek joined with the Martin Luther King School in Marin City.

High school students from Marin City usually go to Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley or Redwood High School.

Marin City also has its own library, the Marin City Library. It's a branch of the Marin County Free Library and is located inside the Gateway Shopping Center.

Homes in Marin City

When homes are sold in Marin City, they are often listed as being in Sausalito. This is because Marin City shares the same ZIP code (94965) and phone area codes (415 and 628) with Sausalito. They also share the same school district.

Most of the homes you see in Marin City today were built in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. Many of the temporary homes built for shipyard workers in 1942 were taken down to make way for these newer buildings.

Business and Shopping

Marin City was once famous for its Marin City Flea Market. However, this market was closed in the mid-1990s. It was replaced by the Gateway Shopping Center, even though many people in the community protested. In 2006, there were plans to start a smaller event called the Marin City Market Fest on some Saturdays during the summer.

See also

In Spanish: Marin City para niños