Moraga, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Moraga, California
Town
Town of Moraga
Top: view of Moraga; bottom: St. Mary's College
Location in Contra Costa County and the state of California
Moraga, California Location in the United States
Country	USA
State	California
County	Contra Costa
Incorporated	November 13, 1974
Area
• Total	9.45 sq mi (24.49 km2)
• Land	9.45 sq mi (24.46 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)  0.09%
Elevation	499 ft (152 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	16,870
• Density	1,785.2/sq mi (688.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP codes	94556, 94570, 94575
Area code(s)	925
FIPS code	06-49187 (formerly 06-49194)
GNIS feature IDs	1659171, 2413013

Moraga is a town in Contra Costa County, California. It is part of the San Francisco Bay Area. The town is named after Joaquín Moraga, who came from a famous Californian family. In 2020, about 16,870 people lived in Moraga. It is also home to Saint Mary's College of California.

History of Moraga

Moraga is named after Joaquín Moraga, a rancher. His family explored much of California.

The land where Moraga is now was first home to the Saklan Native Americans. They were part of the Bay Miwok language group.

Joaquín Moraga was the grandson of José Joaquín Moraga. José Joaquín helped build the Presidio of San Francisco. He also founded the city that became San Jose. Joaquín's father, Gabriel Moraga, was also an explorer. He named many rivers in California, like the Sacramento and San Joaquin.

Moraga is located on land that was once a Mexican Land Grant from 1835. This grant was given to Joaquín Moraga and his cousin, Juan Bernal. Part of this land is still known today as Moraga Ranch. The old Moraga Adobe building has been saved. It is in the nearby town of Orinda. Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School, a middle school in Moraga, is named after him.

In the early 1900s, a train line called the Sacramento Northern Railroad ran through Moraga. Today, much of that old train path is now the Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail.

Moraga got its first post office in 1886. It closed briefly but reopened in 1915. A new post office was built in 1955. Saint Mary's College of California moved to Moraga in 1928. Moraga officially became a town in 1974. This happened when the communities of Moraga Town, Rheem, and Rheem Valley joined together.

Geography and Climate

An aerial view of Moraga.

Moraga is located at 37°50'06" North and 122°07'47" West. It is about 499 feet (152 meters) above sea level. The town is next to Lafayette and Orinda. It is also near the community of Canyon. Other nearby cities include Walnut Creek, Oakland, and Berkeley.

The town covers about 9.4 square miles (24.4 square kilometers) of land. Moraga is in a valley surrounded by rolling hills. The Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail runs through many parts of the town.

Moraga's Weather Patterns

Moraga has a Mediterranean climate. This means it has warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. In summer, there is often morning fog. But it usually clears up by afternoon, leaving sunny skies. Most of the rain falls during the winter months. Snow is very rare in Moraga.

On average, Moraga has about 26 days a year where the temperature reaches 90°F (32°C) or higher. It has about 40 nights where the temperature drops to 32°F (0°C) or lower. There are also about 59 days with rain each year.

Moraga's Population and People

A panel of azulejos (painted tiles) showing the Moraga family coat of arms at St. Mary's College.

The 2010 United States Census showed that Moraga had a population of 16,016 people. Most of the people (89.2%) lived in homes. About 9.6% lived in places like college dorms.

There were 5,570 households in Moraga. About 34.9% of these households had children under 18 living there. The average household size was 2.57 people. The average family size was 2.95 people.

The population included 21.7% of people under 18 years old. About 14.6% were aged 18 to 24. People aged 45 to 64 made up 30.9% of the population. Those 65 years or older made up 19.1%. The average age in Moraga was 45.0 years.

Most homes (83.9%) were owned by the people living in them. About 16.1% of homes were rented.

Education in Moraga

Saint Mary's College of California in Moraga.

Moraga has several schools for different age groups. These include Los Perales Elementary, Donald L. Rheem School, and Camino Pablo School for younger students. Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School is for middle schoolers. For high school, there is Campolindo High School. Moraga is also home to Saint Mary's College of California, which is a private college. In 2011, Moraga was recognized as a great city for living and learning.

Local Schools for Kids

Most of Moraga is part of the Moraga School District. This district includes:

• Camino Pablo Elementary School (grades K–5)
• Los Perales Elementary School (grades K–5)
• Donald L. Rheem Elementary School (grades K–5)
• Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School (grades 6–8)

A small part of Moraga is in the Orinda Union Elementary School District.

All of Moraga is part of the Acalanes Union High School District. This district includes:

• Campolindo High School (grades 9–12)

The Saklan School is a private elementary school in Moraga. It was founded in 1954. It teaches about 155 students from preschool to 8th grade. The school is approved by important education groups. It has small class sizes, with a maximum of 16 students per class.

While Campolindo High School is Moraga's only public high school, some students from Moraga choose to go to Miramonte High School. Miramonte is just across the town border in Orinda. Both schools are part of the Acalanes Union High School District. This district covers Moraga, Lafayette, Orinda, and parts of Walnut Creek.

Orion Academy is a private high school in Moraga. It helps students with conditions like Asperger syndrome and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Colleges and Universities in Moraga

Saint Mary's College of California is located just outside downtown Moraga. It is a Catholic university. In the 2007–2008 school year, it had almost 4,000 students. The college used to be in San Francisco and then Oakland. It moved to Moraga in 1928.

Public Library Services

The Moraga Library is part of the Contra Costa County Library system. It is located on Saint Marys Road in Moraga.

Famous People from Moraga

Many notable people have lived in or are connected to Moraga. Here are a few:

• Conrad Bassett-Bouchard, a North American Scrabble champion.
• Matt Biondi, an Olympic gold medalist in swimming.
• Corbin Burnes, a Major League Baseball pitcher who went to St. Mary's College.
• Rajiv Chandrasekaran, a journalist and author who grew up in Moraga.
• Will Forte, a well-known actor, comedian, and writer.
• George Harrison, an Olympic gold medalist and world record holder in swimming from 1960.
• Erika Henningsen, a lead performer in the musical Mean Girls. She also voices Charlie Morningstar in Hazbin Hotel.
• Daniel Levitin, a best-selling author, scientist, and musician.
• Patty Mills, an NBA player for the San Antonio Spurs, who attended St. Mary's College.
• Aaron Poreda, a Major League Baseball pitcher.
• Stephen Robinson, an astronaut and professor.
• Kim Vandenberg, an Olympic silver medalist in swimming.
• Peter Varellas, an Olympic silver medalist in water polo.
• Matt Vasgersian, a sportscaster for MLB Network, who grew up in Moraga.

See also

In Spanish: Moraga (California) para niños