Wrightwood, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wrightwood
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Downtown Wrightwood is dotted with many old resort cabins from the 1930s
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Location in San Bernardino County and the state of California
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 Wrightwood, California
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | San Bernardino |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5.929 sq mi (15.357 km2) |
| • Land | 5.926 sq mi (15.348 km2) |
| • Water | 0.003 sq mi (0.009 km2) 0.06% |
| Elevation | 5,900 ft (1,798 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 4,525 |
| • Density | 763.20/sq mi (294.65/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
92397
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| Area codes | 442/760 |
| FIPS code | 06-86594 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 1652816, 2409630 |
Wrightwood is a census-designated place in San Bernardino County, California. It sits at an elevation of 5,935 feet (1,809 m). The population was 4,525 at the 2010 census, up from the population of 3,837 at the 2000 census. Wrightwood is located 77 miles northeast of Los Angeles.
History
Located in a pine covered valley in the San Gabriel Mountains, the area was first developed as cattle ranches in the 19th century by Nathan and Truman Swarthout, then later the main ranch, owned by Sumner Wright was broken up into residential and commercial lots and by the 1920s a community took roots. Early ski enthusiasts discovered the north facing slopes of the San Gabriels above the Swarthout Valley. Until 1937 the ski area, originally known as Big Pines were part of a Los Angeles County Park. As highways were developed coming out of the major routes in the Cajon Pass, Wrightwood became an easy destination, with no serious mountain driving required for city dwellers. Through the last 60 years, Wrightwood has evolved from a vacation community to home to over 4000 full-time residents. Thirty-five years ago, parents realized they wanted their students closer to home and the result was Serrano High School, that serves not only Wrightwood but neighboring communities of Phelan and Pinon Hills. At nearly 6000 feet in elevation, its valley is protected by the Blue Ridge to the South.
In August 2016, a portion of population of Wrightwood was evacuated as part of mandatory evacuations of over 82,000 people in San Bernardino County due to the Blue Cut Fire.
Geography
Wrightwood is located at 34°21′21″N 117°37′45″W / 34.35583°N 117.62917°W (34.355921, -117.629233).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 5.9 square miles (15 km2), 99.94% of it land and 0.06% of it water.
Demographics
2010
The 2010 US Census reported that Wrightwood had a population of 4,525. The population density was 763.2 people per square mile (294.7/km2). The racial makeup of Wrightwood was 4,126 (91.2%) White (83.4% Non-Hispanic White), 38 (0.8%) African American, 28 (0.6%) Native American, 51 (1.1%) Asian, 7 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 112 (2.5%) from other races, and 163 (3.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 538 persons (11.9%).
The Census reported that 4,525 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 1,857 households, out of which 553 (29.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,012 (54.5%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 161 (8.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 95 (5.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 113 (6.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 13 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 476 households (25.6%) were made up of individuals, and 161 (8.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44. There were 1,268 families (68.3% of all households); the average family size was 2.91.
The population was spread out, with 1,046 people (23.1%) under the age of 18, 301 people (6.7%) aged 18 to 24, 957 people (21.1%) aged 25 to 44, 1,610 people (35.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 611 people (13.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.8 males.
There were 2,686 housing units at an average density of 453.0 per square mile (174.9/km2), of which 1,390 (74.9%) were owner-occupied, and 467 (25.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 10.6%. 3,346 people (73.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,179 people (26.1%) lived in rental housing units.
According to the 2010 United States Census, Wrightwood had a median household income of $72,231, with 4.6% of the population living below the federal poverty line.
2000
In the 2000 census, there were 3,837 inhabitants, 1,486 households, and 1,056 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,742.4 inhabitants per square mile (673.4/km2). There were 2,319 housing units at an average density of 1,053.1 per square mile (407.0/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 90.9% White, 0.3% African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 2.7% from other races, and 4.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.8% of the population.
There were 1,486 households, out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.2% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.6 and the average family size was 3.1.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 28.6% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.4 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $50,338, and the median income for a family was $57,197. Males had a median income of $51,424 versus $40,045 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $22,902. About 5.8% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.9% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.
Mountain High
Just west from Wrightwood sits Big Pines, CA, which hosts the Mountain High Resort, a popular ski/snowboard resort consisting of Three Mountains.
Education
Public education in Wrightwood falls under Snowline Joint Unified School District. Students in Wrightwood attend the following schools:
TK-5 Wrightwood Elementary School
6-8 Pinon Mesa Middle School
9-12 Serrano High School
TK-12 Snowline Academy Homeschool
TK-8 The Heritage School (Parent School of Choice)
Snowline Adult School
Notable people
- Earl W. Bascom (1906-1995), rodeo champion, actor, inventor, artist; was a school teacher in Wrightwood
- Frank Bogert (1910-2009), rodeo professional, actor, mayor of Palm Springs; raised in Wrightwood
- Aldous Huxley (1894-1963), author, lived in Wrightwood for several years;
- Geoffrey Lewis (1935-2015), actor, spent much of his youth in Wrightwood
- Maddie Mastro (2000–present), American professional snowboarder specializing in halfpipe; competed in the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics; born and resides in Wrightwood
See also
In Spanish: Wrightwood para niños
