San Juan Bautista, California facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids

San Juan Bautista

City

City of San Juan Bautista

Clockwise: Mission San Juan Bautista; the Pico-Boronda Adobe; José Castro House; Downtown San Juan Bautista; Jardines de San Juan.

Seal

Motto(s):

City Of History

Location in San Benito County and the state of California

San Juan Bautista

Location in the United States

United States

May 4, 1896

Saint John the Baptist

Area

• Total

0.79 sq mi (2.03 km²)

• Land

0.79 sq mi (2.03 km²)

• Water

0.00 sq mi (0.00 km²) 0.06%

Elevation

217 ft (66 m)

Population

(2020)

• Total

2,089

• Estimate

(2019)

2,104

• Density

2,680.25/sq mi (1,035.29/km²)

Time zone

UTC-8 (Pacific)

• Summer (DST)

UTC-7 (PDT)

ZIP code

95045

Area code

831

FIPS code

06-68014

GNIS feature IDs

1659581, 2411792

San Juan Bautista (Spanish for "Saint John the Baptist") is a city in San Benito County, in the U.S. state of California. The population was 2,089 as of the 2020 census. San Juan Bautista was founded in 1797 by the Spanish under Fermín de Lasuén, with the establishment of Mission San Juan Bautista. Following the Mexican secularization of 1833, the town was briefly known as San Juan de Castro and eventually incorporated in 1896. Today, San Juan is a popular tourist destination, as the home of the San Juan Bautista State Historic Park and other important historic sites, as well as cultural institutions like El Teatro Campesino.

Geography
- Climate
History
Demographics
- 2010
- 2000
Economy
Notable people
Images for kids
See also

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²), 99.94% of it land and 0.06% of it water.

Climate

This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, San Juan Bautista has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.

History

Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the area around San Juan Bautista was populated by the Mutsunes, a branch of the Ohlone Indians. The Mutsunes lived in villages composed of thatched huts made of willow and grass, and as they lived the simple hunter-gatherer lifestyle common to California Indians, left little mark on the land. Today, the Mutsunes are extinct, with the last full-blooded native, Ascención Solórzano, dying in 1930.

In 1797, the Spanish Franciscan priest fray Fermín de Lasuén founded Mission San Juan Bautista to facilitate the conversion of the native people to Catholicism; in the process, he claimed the land for the Spanish Empire. Lasuén chose the site because of the area's fertile cropland, steady water supply, and sizable Indian population. At its height, the Mission had over 1200 neophytes living within its walls. The mission churchyard holds the remains of about 4500 Indians. Construction of the current mission church began in 1803, and has served the community continuously since 1812. The mission was located on the Camino Real, a "royal highway" which connected the California missions and which remained well-used until the 19th century.

In 1821, Mexico revolted against Spain, winning independence for itself, and making California a province of the newly independent Mexico. By 1834, a town known as San Juan de Castro has sprouted up around the mission. It drew its name from the town's prominent alcalde José Tiburcio Castro. In 1834 the mission was secularized, and Castro appointed executor of the property. Accordingly, he divided and auctioned off the former mission properties. His son, José Antonio Castro, built the Castro Adobe on the south side of the Plaza Mayor in 1840; however, Castro's frequent involvement in government kept him from spending much time there. Castro was a key member of the overthrow of governors Nicolás Gutiérrez in 1836 and Manuel Micheltorena in 1844.

After defeating Micheltorena and his ill-equipped "Cholo" army, José Antonio Castro was appointed Comandante General of California, in charge of the Mexican Army's operations in California. From San Juan Bautista, Castro ordered the army against potential foreign incursions. He kept especially close watch over the movements of John C. Frémont, an American military officer who had been let into California to conduct a survey of the interior. Though given explicit instructions to stay away from coastal settlements, Frémont soon broke the agreement by taking his team to Monterey, a potential military target. When Castro told Frémont he would have to leave the country, the situation came close to war when he obstinately refused to leave and instead set up a base on Gavilán Peak, overlooking the town of San Juan. However, fighting was avoided and Frémont, grudgingly, withdrew.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	484	—
1890	463	−4.3%
1900	449	−3.0%
1910	326	−27.4%
1920	501	53.7%
1930	772	54.1%
1940	678	−12.2%
1950	1,031	52.1%
1960	1,046	1.5%
1970	1,164	11.3%
1980	1,276	9.6%
1990	1,570	23.0%
2000	1,549	−1.3%
2010	1,862	20.2%
2019 (est.)	2,104	13.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010

The Vache Adobe, built in 1856, now hosts the Santana Gallery.

The former padre's residence at Mission San Juan Bautista.

At the 2010 census San Juan Bautista had a population of 1,862. The population density was 2,616.4 people per square mile (1,010.2/km²). The racial makeup of San Juan Bautista was 1,125 (60.4%) White, 12 (0.6%) African American, 58 (3.1%) Native American, 52 (2.8%) Asian, 2 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 494 (26.5%) from other races, and 119 (6.4%) from two or more races. There were 907 Hispanic or Latino residents, of any race (48.7%).

The mission had 1,248 Mutsun Native Americans. The census reported that 1,857 people (99.7% of the population) lived in households, 5 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.

There were 681 households, 229 (33.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 345 (50.7%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 86 (12.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 48 (7.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 42 (6.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 8 (1.2%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 157 households (23.1%) were one person and 48 (7.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.73. There were 479 families (70.3% of households); the average family size was 3.21.

The age distribution was 431 people (23.1%) under the age of 18, 178 people (9.6%) aged 18 to 24, 476 people (25.6%) aged 25 to 44, 556 people (29.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 221 people (11.9%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 38.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.

There were 745 housing units at an average density of 1,046.9 per square mile, of the occupied units 345 (50.7%) were owner-occupied and 336 (49.3%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.1%. 898 people (48.2%) residing in the city. The population density was 2,187.0 people per square mile (842.4/km²). There were 615 housing units at an average density of 0.0 per square mile (334.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city in 2010 was 43.9% non-Hispanic White, 0.6% non-Hispanic African American, 1.6% Native American, 2.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 48.7% of the population.

2000

Interior of the Roman Catholic church of Mission San Juan Bautista.

La Calavera Theatre.

Of the 567 households 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.1% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 23.6% of households were one person and 9.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.24.

The age distribution was 27.9% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $43,355, and the median family income was $47,656. Males had a median income of $40,089 versus $27,063 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,882. About 12.7% of families and 15.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.2% of those under age 18 and 12.2% of those age 65 or over.