Mariposa County, California facts for kids

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Mariposa County

County

The Mariposa County Courthouse (top) and Yosemite Valley from Tunnel View (bottom)

Flag

Seal

Location in the state of California

Country

United States

Region

February 18, 1850

Spanish word for "butterfly" and Mariposa Creek

County seat

Mariposa

Largest community

Mariposa (population)
Greeley Hill (area)

Government

• Type

Council–CAO

• Body

Board of Supervisors

Area

• Total

1,463 sq mi (3,790 km²)

• Land

1,449 sq mi (3,750 km²)

• Water

14 sq mi (40 km²)

Highest elevation

12,040 ft (3,670 m)

Population

(2020)

• Total

17,131

• Density

11.710/sq mi (4.5211/km²)

Time zone

UTC-8 (Pacific Standard Time)

• Summer (DST)

UTC-7 (Pacific Daylight Time)

Congressional district

5th

Mariposa County (ⁱ/ˌmærɪˈpoʊzə, -sə/) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 17,131. The county seat is Mariposa. It is located in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, north of Fresno, east of Merced, and southeast of Stockton.

The county's eastern section is the central portion of Yosemite National Park.

Mariposa County is one of only three counties in California that do not contain any incorporated cities (with Alpine and Trinity counties being the other two). The county does contain, however, 17 communities that are recognized as census-designated places for statistical purposes. It also has the distinction of having no permanent traffic signals anywhere in the county.

History

Mariposa County was one of the original 27 counties of California, created at the time of statehood in 1850. While it began as the state's largest county, territory that was once part of Mariposa was ceded over time to form all or part of twelve other counties, including all of Merced, Madera, Fresno, Tulare, Kings, and Kern; and parts of San Benito, Mono, Inyo, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles. Thus, Mariposa County is known as the "Mother of Counties".

Mariposa County's original seat was a now-nonexistent hamlet known as Agua Fria (Spanish for "cold water"), about 3 miles directly west of Mariposa proper on Agua Fria Road, which runs from Highway 140 to the south, to the community of Mt. Bullion to the northwest. Charles Fremont moved the county seat to Mariposa in 1854, resulting in the construction of the Mariposa County Courthouse, whose grounds occupies an entire block. The historic structure is fronted by Bullion Street; Jones Street is to the rear, with 9th and 10th Streets on either side. The courthouse's likeness is on the Mariposa County Seal.

The county took its name from Mariposa Creek, which was so named by Spanish explorers in 1806, when they discovered a great cluster of butterflies ("mariposas" in Spanish and Portuguese) in the foothills of the Sierra. Each year, the first weekend in May, residents mark the annual arrival of migrating monarch butterflies with a "Butterfly Days" festival and parade.

Gold Rush

Specimen gold from the Mockingbird mine

Mariposa County is located at the southern end of California's Mother Lode region. During the California Gold Rush, great quantities of the prized mineral were found and extracted, first in local stream-beds and later in hard rock mines. One of the most notable beneficiaries of this wealth was the famed explorer and 1856 Republican presidential candidate, John Charles Frémont, for whom the local hospital and Charles Street (more commonly known as "Highway 140") are named. Jessie Street, in the town of Mariposa, is named for Fremont's wife, Jessie Benton Frémont, who came to Mariposa with her husband on many extended visits although they never took up permanent residence within the county.

Many aspects of the area's mining history are depicted in exhibits at two local museums: the Mariposa History Museum, located in the town of Mariposa; and the California Mining and Mineral Museum, located at the Mariposa Fairgrounds (2 miles southeast of Mariposa on Highway 49).

Two small gold mines in Mariposa County, the Mockingbird mine and the Colorado Quartz mine, intermittently produce world-class (and very expensive) specimens of crystalline gold for mineral collectors. "Specimens from these occurrences commonly have bright luster and rich color, with well-developed crystals in unusual and attractive arrangements." The best-known example is "The Dragon", now on display at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,463 square miles (3,790 km²), of which 1,449 square miles (3,750 km²) is land and 14 square miles (36 km²) (1.0%) is water. The county extends:

West from the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada range to the edge of the Central Valley.
East into the Sierra including Yosemite Valley and a portion of the Cathedral Range.

Water

A significant portion of the Merced River's course is within the county including its white water runs through Yosemite and the Merced River Canyon. Its run through the Merced River Canyon contains the sole habitat for the limestone salamander, a rare species endemic to Mariposa County.

There are a number of lakes within the county including: Lake McClure, Lake McSwain, Merced Lake, and Tenaya Lake.

Adjacent counties

Tuolumne County - north
Madera County - southeast
Merced County - southwest
Stanislaus County - west
Mono County - east

National protected areas

Sierra National Forest (part)
Stanislaus National Forest (part)
Yosemite National Park (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	4,379	—
1860	6,243	42.6%
1870	4,572	−26.8%
1880	4,339	−5.1%
1890	3,787	−12.7%
1900	4,720	24.6%
1910	3,956	−16.2%
1920	2,775	−29.9%
1930	3,233	16.5%
1940	5,605	73.4%
1950	5,145	−8.2%
1960	5,064	−1.6%
1970	6,015	18.8%
1980	11,108	84.7%
1990	14,302	28.8%
2000	17,130	19.8%
2010	18,251	6.5%
2020	17,131	−6.1%
2023 (est.)	16,919	−7.3%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 census

**Mariposa County, California – Racial and ethnic composition**
*Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.*
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	14,539	15,192	12,838	87.87%	83.24%	74.94%
Black or African American alone (NH)	111	129	105	0.65%	0.71%	0.61%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	530	459	410	3.09%	2.51%	2.39%
Asian alone (NH)	120	201	287	0.70%	1.10%	1.68%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	17	26	15	0.10%	0.14%	0.09%
Other Race alone (NH)	21	22	114	0.12%	0.12%	0.67%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH)	463	546	1,222	2.70%	2.99%	7.13%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	1,329	1,676	2,140	7.76%	9.18%	12.49%
Total	17,130	18,251	17,131	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

2014

The largest self-reported ancestry groups in Mariposa County were English (14.5%), German (13.7%), Irish (13.1%), Italian (4.1%), "American" (3.8%), Scottish (3.2%) and Portuguese (3.0%).

2011

Population, race, and income
Total population	18,290
White	16,357	89.4%
Black or African American	180	1.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native	335	1.8%
Asian	200	1.1%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander	50	0.3%
Some other race	458	2.5%
Two or more races	710	3.9%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	1,727	9.4%
Per capita income	$27,209
Median household income	$49,174
Median family income	$58,237

Places by population, race, and income

Places by population and race
Place	Type	Population	White	Other	Asian	Black or African American	Native American	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Bear Valley	CDP	255	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Bootjack	CDP	951	85.0%	13.6%	1.5%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Buck Meadows	CDP	12	0.0%	0.0%	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Catheys Valley	CDP	811	83.5%	16.5%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	11.6%
Coulterville	CDP	190	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	7.4%
El Portal	CDP	509	72.5%	7.1%	6.1%	7.3%	7.1%	19.4%
Fish Camp	CDP	53	41.5%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	58.5%	0.0%
Greeley Hill	CDP	805	97.8%	0.6%	0.0%	0.1%	1.5%	6.3%
Hornitos	CDP	67	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Lake Don Pedro	CDP	1,088	88.4%	7.1%	3.4%	1.1%	0.0%	14.8%
Mariposa	CDP	2,479	74.4%	18.3%	0.0%	0.4%	7.0%	27.4%
Midpines	CDP	661	91.8%	5.6%	1.7%	0.9%	0.0%	7.1%
Wawona	CDP	80	56.2%	0.0%	43.8%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Yosemite Valley	CDP	779	90.9%	2.1%	1.0%	6.0%	0.0%	6.0%

Places by population and income
Place	Type	Population	Per capita income	Median household income	Median family income
Bear Valley	CDP	255	$17,787	$15,417	$12,050
Bootjack	CDP	951	$26,801	$45,875	$46,333
Buck Meadows	CDP	12
Catheys Valley	CDP	811	$18,940	$26,759	$26,759
Coulterville	CDP	190	$9,579	$12,351	$43,000
El Portal	CDP	509	$27,412	$70,870	$45,862
Fish Camp	CDP	53	$15,630
Greeley Hill	CDP	805	$19,854	$29,333	$28,625
Hornitos	CDP	67
Lake Don Pedro	CDP	1,088	$44,112	$83,372	$86,771
Mariposa	CDP	2,479	$19,614	$43,418	$39,830
Midpines	CDP	661	$39,161	$36,803	$36,947
Wawona	CDP	80	$19,068	$22,353	$85,156
Yosemite Valley	CDP	779	$28,524	$62,321	$147,717

2010 Census

The 2010 United States Census reported that Mariposa County had a population of 18,251. The racial makeup of Mariposa County was 16,103 (88.2%) White, 138 (0.8%) African American, 527 (2.9%) Native American, 204 (1.1%) Asian, 26 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 508 (2.8%) from other races, and 745 (4.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,676 persons (9.2%).

Population reported at 2010 United States Census
The County	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Mariposa County	18,251	16,103	138	527	204	26	508	745	1,676
Census-designated place	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Bear Valley	125	117	0	1	2	0	1	4	8
Bootjack	960	811	2	34	11	0	31	71	76
Buck Meadows	31	23	0	0	0	0	5	3	7
Catheys Valley	825	730	6	12	12	1	33	31	80
Coulterville	201	181	0	5	1	0	0	14	20
El Portal	474	434	1	9	5	0	5	20	28
Fish Camp	59	57	0	0	1	0	0	1	3
Greeley Hill	915	847	7	14	1	6	11	29	53
Hornitos	75	66	0	2	1	0	0	6	5
Lake Don Pedro	1,077	979	7	18	12	2	18	41	109
Mariposa	2,173	1,895	10	105	30	0	59	74	215
Midpines	1,204	990	4	63	7	0	97	43	208
Wawona	169	138	2	3	4	0	8	14	12
Yosemite Valley	1,035	831	28	31	31	7	70	37	123
Other unincorporated areas	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
All others not CDPs (combined)	8,928	8,004	71	230	86	10	170	357	729

2000

As of the census of 2000, there were 17,130 people, 6,613 households, and 4,490 families residing in the county. The population density was 12 people per square mile (4.6 people/km²). There were 8,826 housing units at an average density of 6 units per square mile (2.3 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 88.9% White, 0.7% Black or African American, 3.5% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.7% from other races, and 3.4% from two or more races. 7.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 17.8% were of German, 13.4% English, 12.7% Irish and 6.7% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 96.0% spoke English and 3.5% Spanish as their first language.

There were 6,613 households, out of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.6% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 29.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 104.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.4 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,626, and the median income for a family was $42,655. Males had a median income of $31,194 versus $25,440 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,190. About 10.5% of families and 14.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.5% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.

Healthcare

Mariposa County has one hospital, John C. Fremont Hospital.

Media

Mariposa County primarily receives the major Fresno TV and radio stations.

The county also has media outlets that serve the local community. These include:

Mariposa Gazette
Sierra Sun Times

Transportation

Major highways

State Route 41
State Route 49
State Route 120
State Route 140

Public transportation

Mariposa County Transit provides dial-a-ride and some fixed route service
Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) provides service along State Routes 120 and 140 to Yosemite National Park.
Amtrak Thruway: 15A connects Mariposa with Merced station and Yosemite with five trips daily.

Airports

Mariposa-Yosemite Airport is a general aviation airport. The nearest airports with scheduled flights are Fresno and Merced.

Communities

The historic Wawona Hotel, built in 1876

Census-designated places

★ Formerly known as the Crane Creek CDP; renamed in 2022

Unincorporated communities

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Mariposa County.

† county seat

Rank	City/Town/etc.	Municipal type	Population (2010 Census)
1	† Mariposa	CDP	2,173
2	Midpines	CDP	1,204
3	Lake Don Pedro	CDP	1,077
4	Yosemite Valley	CDP	1,035
5	Bootjack	CDP	960
6	Greeley Hill	CDP	915
7	Catheys Valley	CDP	825
8	El Portal	CDP	474
9	Coulterville	CDP	201
10	Wawona	CDP	169
11	Bear Valley	CDP	125
12	Hornitos	CDP	75
13	Fish Camp	CDP	59
14	Buck Meadows	CDP	31