Pacheco, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pacheco
Census-designated place
Location in Contra Costa County and the state of California
Pacheco, California Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	California
County	Contra Costa
Area
• Total	0.751 sq mi (1.945 km2)
• Land	0.751 sq mi (1.945 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	75 ft (23 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,183
• Density	5,570/sq mi (2,150.6/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	94553
Area code	925
FIPS code	06-54764
GNIS feature IDs	1659330, 2409012

Pacheco is a special type of community in Contra Costa County, California. It's called a census-designated place (CDP). This means it's an area that looks like a town but isn't officially governed by its own city council. Instead, it's managed by the county.

In 2010, about 3,685 people lived in Pacheco. It is located near other towns like Martinez, Concord, and Pleasant Hill.

History of Pacheco

Pacheco has a rich history, starting as a busy trading center. It was named after an important person in California's past.

How Pacheco Got Its Name

Pacheco is named after Salvio Pacheco, a Californio ranchero who owned Rancho Monte del Diablo.

The town of Pacheco was planned in 1857 by Dr. J. H. Carothers. It was named after Salvio Pacheco. He was a "Californio" ranchero, which means he was a Californian of Spanish or Mexican heritage who owned a large ranch. His ranch was called Rancho Monte del Diablo. Pacheco also had a post office that opened in 1859.

Pacheco as a Trading Center

For a while, Pacheco was a very successful place for business. Pacheco Slough, a waterway, was deep enough for large ships to come in from the ocean. From 1851 to about 1873, Pacheco was the main business hub for the county.

It was a shipping port for grain grown in nearby valleys. There were warehouses, a flour mill, and shops along the creek. Walnut Creek, which was then called Pacheco Creek, flowed freely into Suisun Bay. For over 20 years, Pacheco was a major port for central Contra Costa County.

Why Pacheco Declined

Over time, the shipping channel in Pacheco's Walnut Creek became less useful. This happened for several reasons. Human activities damaged the environment, and there were also many fires, floods, and even an earthquake in the 1860s. These events ruined the town's growth and filled the Slough with dirt.

Because of these problems, many people moved away from Pacheco. They were drawn to a nearby town called Todos Santos, which later became known as Concord.

Annexation Efforts

Sometimes, a city tries to take over, or "annex," parts of a nearby unincorporated area. This happened with Pacheco.

Martinez Tries to Annex Pacheco

In January 2011, the city council of Martinez voted to annex parts of Pacheco. These were the areas north of California State Route 4. In September 2011, Martinez made a deal about sharing taxes to help the annexation happen.

However, in March 2012, enough people protested the idea. This forced an election so residents could vote on it. In August 2012, the Martinez Police even tried to convince voters to agree. Martinez wanted to manage a new transit hub in Pacheco if the annexation happened.

Pacheco Residents Vote No

In August 2012, the people living in North Pacheco voted against joining Martinez. Residents and property owners voted 40 to 39 against it. This meant the 111-acre area stayed unincorporated. It is still governed by the County Board of Supervisors.

People who were against the annexation said it was a "bad deal for all." They created a website to explain their reasons. They argued that annexing Pacheco would be too expensive for Martinez, which already had money problems. They also said that property taxes would go up for people and businesses in Pacheco.

Even though the annexation was rejected, city leaders in Martinez still believed that the North Pacheco area could be profitable for development. The Martinez city council planned another vote on the issue, possibly for a larger area.

Geography and Climate

Pacheco is a small area, covering about 0.7 square miles (1.9 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

Pacheco's Climate

Pacheco has a type of weather called a "warm-summer Mediterranean climate." This means it has warm, dry summers. The average monthly temperatures in summer are not extremely hot, staying below 71.6 °F (22 °C).

Population and People

Understanding the population helps us learn about the people who live in Pacheco.

Pacheco's Population in 2010

The 2010 United States Census showed that Pacheco had 3,685 people. Most people, about 99.4%, lived in homes.

• Racial Makeup:
  • 76.4% White
  • 2.1% African American
  • 0.7% Native American
  • 9.9% Asian
  • 0.3% Pacific Islander
  • 5.5% from other races
  • 5.1% from two or more races
• Hispanic or Latino: 16.8% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Households and Families in 2010

There were 1,558 households in Pacheco.

• 25.9% of households had children under 18.
• 39.0% were married couples.
• 15.9% had a female head of household with no husband.
• 5.4% had a male head of household with no wife.
• About 32.0% of households were made up of single individuals.
• The average household had 2.35 people.
• There were 938 families, with an average of 2.97 people per family.

Age Groups in 2010

The population was spread out across different age groups:

• 19.2% were under 18 years old.
• 7.2% were 18 to 24 years old.
• 24.4% were 25 to 44 years old.
• 33.4% were 45 to 64 years old.
• 15.9% were 65 years or older.

The average age in Pacheco was 44.4 years.

Housing in 2010

There were 1,642 housing units in Pacheco.

• 81.3% of homes were owned by the people living in them.
• 18.7% of homes were rented.

Most people (79.2%) lived in homes they owned, while 20.2% lived in rented homes.

Pacheco's Population in 2000

In the year 2000, Pacheco had 3,562 people.

• Racial Makeup:
  • 82.85% White
  • 2.22% Black or African American
  • 0.79% Native American
  • 7.41% Asian
  • 0.22% Pacific Islander
  • 2.95% from other races
  • 3.57% from two or more races
• Hispanic or Latino: 11.82% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Households and Families in 2000

There were 1,563 households.

• 23.6% had children under 18.
• 40.1% were married couples.
• 13.8% had a female head of household with no husband.
• 40.9% were not families.
• 32.8% of households were single individuals.

The average household size was 2.28 people, and the average family size was 2.87 people.

Age Groups in 2000

• 20.5% were under 18.
• 6.5% were 18 to 24.
• 30.2% were 25 to 44.
• 26.7% were 45 to 64.
• 16.1% were 65 or older.

The average age was 40 years.

Education in Pacheco

Pacheco is part of the Mount Diablo Unified School District. This district manages the public schools in the area.

News and Media

The main newspaper for Pacheco is the Contra Costa Times. This newspaper is published daily by a company called Bay Area News Group-East Bay. Another local news source is Claycord.com, which is an independent news and talk blog.

See also

In Spanish: Pacheco (California) para niños