Sutter Creek, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sutter Creek
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A view of Main Street (Old Highway 49) in Sutter Creek.
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| Nickname(s):
Jewel of the gold country
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Location in Amador County
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 Sutter Creek, California
Location in California
Sutter Creek, California
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | Amador |
| Settled | 1848 |
| Incorporated | February 11, 1913 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.70 sq mi (6.99 km2) |
| • Land | 2.70 sq mi (6.99 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | 1,188 ft (362 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,646 |
| • Density | 980.0/sq mi (378.5/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
95685
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| Area code(s) | 209 |
| FIPS code | 06-77392 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 277620, 2412019 |
| Reference #: | 322 |
Sutter Creek is a small city in Amador County, California, United States. It was once known as Sutter's Creek or Suttersville. In 2010, about 2,501 people lived there. You can reach Sutter Creek by using State Route 49.
Contents
History of Sutter Creek
The city of Sutter Creek is named after a nearby stream, which was named after an early California developer, John Sutter.
John Sutter found gold in January 1848 near Coloma. This discovery started the famous California Gold Rush. Many of his workers left to search for gold on their own. Sutter then moved to Mormon Island.
Soon, many miners came to Mormon Island. So, Sutter and his helpers moved again to Sutter Creek. Sutter said that gold was being taken to shops for drinking and gambling. This made his workers sick and unable to work. After a short time, Sutter left Sutter Creek and went back to his fort.
Sutter Creek became a popular place for people looking for gold. A post office opened in 1852. Sutter Creek officially became a town in 1854 and then a city in 1913.
At first, people found gold in riverbeds (called placer gold). Later, in 1851, they found gold in quartz rocks. Mining these rocks became the main way people made money for many years. This made Sutter Creek a very busy and rich town.
One important mine, the Central Eureka mine, started in 1869. By 1932, it was very deep, about 2,300 feet (700 m). By 1939, it was the best-paying mine in Sutter Creek. Most gold mines closed in 1942 because of World War II. Workers were needed for the war effort.
Today, Sutter Creek is a fun place for tourists. It has many shops and restaurants. The town itself is a special place called California Historical Landmark #322.
Geography and Climate
Sutter Creek covers about 2.6 square miles (6.6 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
Sutter Creek's Climate
Sutter Creek has a "hot-summer Mediterranean climate." This means summers are long and hot. Winters are cool but do not last very long. Most of the rain falls in the winter months. Summers are usually very dry.
| Climate data for Sutter Hill Ranger Station | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 68 (20) |
73 (23) |
81 (27) |
92 (33) |
100 (38) |
106 (41) |
110 (43) |
107 (42) |
104 (40) |
99 (37) |
89 (32) |
70 (21) |
110 (43) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 53.8 (12.1) |
56.8 (13.8) |
61.9 (16.6) |
65.7 (18.7) |
76.5 (24.7) |
86.2 (30.1) |
92.9 (33.8) |
91.6 (33.1) |
86.5 (30.3) |
74.7 (23.7) |
62.0 (16.7) |
54.2 (12.3) |
71.9 (22.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 45.9 (7.7) |
48.4 (9.1) |
51.8 (11.0) |
54.6 (12.6) |
63.6 (17.6) |
71.5 (21.9) |
78.0 (25.6) |
76.7 (24.8) |
72.6 (22.6) |
63.0 (17.2) |
53.2 (11.8) |
46.5 (8.1) |
60.5 (15.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 38.0 (3.3) |
40.0 (4.4) |
41.7 (5.4) |
43.7 (6.5) |
50.8 (10.4) |
57.0 (13.9) |
62.8 (17.1) |
61.6 (16.4) |
58.8 (14.9) |
51.3 (10.7) |
44.4 (6.9) |
38.8 (3.8) |
49.1 (9.5) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 23 (−5) |
26 (−3) |
28 (−2) |
29 (−2) |
31 (−1) |
41 (5) |
42 (6) |
47 (8) |
44 (7) |
32 (0) |
28 (−2) |
20 (−7) |
20 (−7) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 5.19 (132) |
4.41 (112) |
3.84 (98) |
2.76 (70) |
1.07 (27) |
0.32 (8.1) |
0.01 (0.25) |
0.12 (3.0) |
0.29 (7.4) |
1.72 (44) |
3.62 (92) |
5.22 (133) |
28.55 (725) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.4 (1.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.9 (2.3) |
| Average precipitation days | 10 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 63 |
| Source: Western Regional Climate Center | |||||||||||||
People of Sutter Creek
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 1,324 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,351 | 2.0% | |
| 1920 | 920 | — | |
| 1930 | 1,013 | 10.1% | |
| 1940 | 1,134 | 11.9% | |
| 1950 | 1,151 | 1.5% | |
| 1960 | 1,161 | 0.9% | |
| 1970 | 1,508 | 29.9% | |
| 1980 | 1,705 | 13.1% | |
| 1990 | 1,835 | 7.6% | |
| 2000 | 2,303 | 25.5% | |
| 2010 | 2,501 | 8.6% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 2,622 | 4.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2010, Sutter Creek had a population of 2,501 people. Most people lived in homes. About 90% of the people were White. Other groups included African American, Native American, Asian, and Pacific Islander people. About 8.8% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
There were 1,168 households in Sutter Creek. About 22% of these homes had children under 18. Many homes were families with married couples. About 26% of the people were 65 years old or older. The average age in Sutter Creek was about 49 years.
Important Places
Sutter Creek has two buildings that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are very important historical sites.
- Knight Foundry
- Sutter Creek Grammar School
Famous People from Sutter Creek
Some well-known people have connections to Sutter Creek:
- F. Carlton Ball (1911–1992), an artist and writer, was born here.
- Charles B. Hanford (1859–1926), a Shakespearean actor, was also born here.
- Leland Stanford, a very famous person in California history, lived in Sutter Creek.
- John Vukovich, a professional baseball player, grew up in Sutter Creek. He went to Amador High School.
High Schools
Sutter Creek is home to Amador High School. This school has fewer than 1,000 students. Its sports teams play in the Mother Lode League.
See also
In Spanish: Sutter Creek (California) para niños
