Watsonville, California
Watsonville, California | ||
---|---|---|
City of Watsonville | ||
Top: Mansion House Hotel (left) and the City Plaza (right); middle: view of Downtown Watsonville; bottom: Fox Theatre (left), St. Patrick Church (center), and the Lettunich Building (right) | ||
FIPS code 06-83668 | | |
GNIS feature IDs | 1660138, 2412194 | |
Website | cityofwatsonville |
Watsonville is a city in
History

Watsonville's land was first inhabited by an
Spanish era
In 1769, the Portolá expedition, the first Europeans to explore the area, arrived from the south, where soldiers described a big bird they saw near a large river. The story survived in the river's name, Rio del Pajaro (River of the Bird).
The Portolá expedition continued north through the area, camping at one of the lakes north of town for five nights, on October 10–14, 1769. Many of the expedition's soldiers had
During the October March 10, the explorers first saw the
The area became part of the Spanish colonial province of Las Californias, and in 1804 the northern part was split off to form Alta California. The area's pasture lands were assigned to the Spanish mission to the south, in Carmel.
Mexican era
When Mexico gained independence, it took possession of Alta California. The Spanish missions were secularized in the 1830s, and the future Watsonville area became Rancho Bolsa del Pajaro, a land grant made to Sebastian Rodríguez in 1837. Under Mexico's more liberal land-ownership laws, immigration to the area from Europe and the U.S. increased.
In 1833, Governor
Post-Conquest era
Following the American Conquest of California and the ratification of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, the region began to receive large waves of migrants, mainly Americans from the East Coast and Europeans.
John H. Watson and D. S. Gregory laid out the town in 1852. The community was incorporated as the Town of Watsonville on or about March 30, 1868, named after Watson. It became the City of Watsonville about 1889. Voters adopted a charter in 1903.[12]
Modern era
From 1904 to 1913, the Watsonville Railway and Navigation Company operated an interurban railway to Port Watsonville on Monterey Bay, where it connected with an overnight produce packet boat to San Francisco.[13]
The
Maggie Sue Earthquake of 2024
The Maggie Sue Earthquake with a magnitude of 4.5, a shallow depth of 7 kilometers, and an epicenter of approximately 3 kilometers West of Moss Landing struck on September 29, 2024 at 2:47 AM local time.[18][19] The Maggie Sue Earthquake had a high intensity rating [20][21] with impacts especially strong throughout the Moss Landing, Aromas, and Watsonville areas, with intense shaking felt throughout Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties as far south as Salinas and Monterey.[22][19]
Watonsville's present
In 1985, cannery workers in Watsonville went on strike for 18 months to protest a decrease in their wages and benefits. In the end, they won a new contract. The movement was led by primarily Latina women, and was noted as a historic labor rights win for the Mexicano/Chicano community.[23]
Geography

Watsonville is in the Monterey Bay area, at the southern end of Santa Cruz County.[24]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 6.8 square miles (18 km2), of which 6.7 square miles (17 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) is water.
Watsonville has habitat areas that support the
Most of the coastal land adjacent to Watsonville is part of the
Climate

The National Weather Service cooperative station at the Watsonville Waterworks reports cool, relatively wet winters and mild, dry summers. Fog and low overcast is common in the night and morning, especially in the summer, when warmer air from inland areas mixes with the cool, moist air near Monterey Bay. Its Köppen classification is cool-summer mediterranean climate.[29]
January, normally the coldest month, has an average maximum of 59.9 °F (15.5 °C) and an average minimum of 38.5 °F (3.6 °C). September, normally the warmest month, has an average maximum of 73.2 °F (22.9 °C) and an average minimum of 51.7 °F (10.9 °C). There are an average of 4.9 days annually with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher and an average of 13.5 days annually with lows of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower. Cool nights are common in the summer, due to the influence of chilly Monterey Bay. The record high temperature from the late 20th century onward was 106 °F (41 °C) on October 2, 1980. (An earlier June day has been recorded as 110 °F (43 °C).) The record low temperature from the late 20th century onward was 12 °F (−11 °C) on December 22, 1990, though a 2 °F (−17 °C) low was previously recorded.
Average annual rainfall is 22.42 inches (569 mm), with measurable precipitation falling on an average of 61 days each year. The wettest year on record was 1983, with 48.35 inches (1,228 mm), and the driest was 1976, with 10.66 inches (271 mm). The most rainfall in one month was 15.99 inches (406 mm) in February 1998. The most rainfall in 24 hours was 5.93 inches (151 mm) on February 14, 2000. Although significant snowfall occurs several times a year on the higher mountains nearby, measurable snowfall is a rarity along Monterey Bay.[30] On February 26, 2011, there was slight snowfall in Watsonville, but there was so little snow that it could not be measured.
Climate data for Watsonville | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 82.0 (27.8) |
84.9 (29.4) |
95.0 (35.0) |
100.9 (38.3) |
99.0 (37.2) |
109.9 (43.3) |
105.1 (40.6) |
105.1 (40.6) |
105.1 (40.6) |
106.0 (41.1) |
93.0 (33.9) |
84.0 (28.9) |
109.9 (43.3) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 60.3 (15.7) |
62.6 (17.0) |
64.4 (18.0) |
66.7 (19.3) |
68.5 (20.3) |
71.2 (21.8) |
71.2 (21.8) |
71.6 (22.0) |
73.2 (22.9) |
72.0 (22.2) |
67.1 (19.5) |
61.2 (16.2) |
67.5 (19.7) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 49.3 (9.6) |
51.6 (10.9) |
53.2 (11.8) |
55.4 (13.0) |
57.7 (14.3) |
60.4 (15.8) |
61.3 (16.3) |
61.9 (16.6) |
61.9 (16.6) |
59.2 (15.1) |
54.3 (12.4) |
49.6 (9.8) |
56.3 (13.5) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 38.1 (3.4) |
40.6 (4.8) |
42.1 (5.6) |
44.1 (6.7) |
46.9 (8.3) |
49.6 (9.8) |
51.4 (10.8) |
52.0 (11.1) |
50.5 (10.3) |
46.6 (8.1) |
41.4 (5.2) |
38.1 (3.4) |
45.1 (7.3) |
Record low °F (°C) | 1.9 (−16.7) |
23.0 (−5.0) |
24.1 (−4.4) |
21.9 (−5.6) |
26.1 (−3.3) |
30.9 (−0.6) |
32.0 (0.0) |
30.0 (−1.1) |
32.0 (0.0) |
21.9 (−5.6) |
21.9 (−5.6) |
12.0 (−11.1) |
1.9 (−16.7) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.5 (115) |
3.9 (100) |
3.0 (77) |
1.5 (38) |
0.5 (12) |
0.2 (4) |
0.0 (1) |
0.0 (1) |
0.3 (8) |
1.0 (25) |
2.4 (61) |
4.2 (107) |
21.6 (548) |
Average precipitation days | 10 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 58 |
Source: [31] |
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1860 | 398 | — | |
1870 | 1,151 | 189.2% | |
1880 | 1,799 | 56.3% | |
1890 | 2,149 | 19.5% | |
1900 | 3,528 | 64.2% | |
1910 | 4,446 | 26.0% | |
1920 | 5,013 | 12.8% | |
1930 | 8,344 | 66.4% | |
1940 | 8,937 | 7.1% | |
1950 | 11,572 | 29.5% | |
1960 | 13,293 | 14.9% | |
1970 | 14,719 | 10.7% | |
1980 | 23,662 | 60.8% | |
1990 | 31,099 | 31.4% | |
2000 | 44,265 | 42.3% | |
2010 | 51,199 | 15.7% | |
2020 | 52,590 | 2.7% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[32] |
2010
The
The Census reported that 50,671 people (99.0% of the population) lived in households, 322 (0.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 206 (0.4%) were institutionalized.
There were 13,528 households, out of which 7,130 (52.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 7,231 (53.5%) were
The population was spread out, with 16,111 people (31.5%) under the age of 18, 6,001 people (11.7%) aged 18 to 24, 14,834 people (29.0%) aged 25 to 44, 10,014 people (19.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 4,239 people (8.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males.
There were 14,089 housing units at an average density of 2,077.0 per square mile (801.9/km2), of which 5,957 (44.0%) were owner-occupied, and 7,571 (56.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 2.5%. 21,365 people (41.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 29,306 people (57.2%) lived in rental housing units.

As reported by the 2007-2011 American Community Survey, the median income for a household in the city was $46,073, and the median income for a family was $49,550. Male full-time year-round workers had a median income of $31,758 versus $31,155 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,407. About 18.6% of families and 20.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.6% of those under age 18 and 15.6% of those age 65 or over. Therefore, although the median household income did rise significantly between 2000 and 2010 (unadjusted for inflation), the percentage of city residents experiencing poverty rose at a faster rate.
2000

As of the
Watsonville also has an
There were 11,381 households, out of which 49.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 16.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.1% were non-families. 17.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.84 and the average family size was 4.26.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 34.0% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 15.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.4 males.
The median
Economy
Watsonville's main industries are construction, agriculture and manufacturing. Some of the largest companies headquartered in Watsonville are Monterey Mushrooms, Driscoll's, Martinelli's, Nordic Naturals, Graniterock, Granite Construction, West Marine, California Giant, A&I Transport Inc. and Orion Telescopes & Binoculars.[35]
Watsonville is known for producing crops and goods in the agricultural business along the Northern Pacific Coast. Its economy depends on its agro-business market and on distributing crops to different parts of the world. Crops fundamental to the economy include strawberries, cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, natural plants, and raspberries. Companies such as Driscoll's and California Giant spend around $280 million every year to processing and transport fresh food to cities in the area, such as San Jose, Castroville, and Santa Cruz, where the numbers of these fruits and vegetables do not meet the demand. The city ranks among the most important U.S. farming cities for its agro-business market.[36]

Watsonville is the nation's 21st-largest city in which Latino workers are 75% of the total population.[37]
Top employers

According to the City of Watsonville's 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[38] the city's top employers are:
# | Employer | # of Employees |
---|---|---|
1 | Pajaro Valley Unified School District | 4,108 |
2 | Monterey Mushrooms Inc. | 870 |
3 | Watsonville Community Hospital | 591 |
4 | Granite Construction | 557 |
5 | Lakeside Organic Gardens LLC | 450 |
6 | City of Watsonville | 427 |
7 | Salud Para La Gente | 422 |
8 | S Martinelli & Co. | 290 |
9 | Fox Factory | 265 |
10 | West Marine Products | 247 |
Parks and recreation
Watsonville maintains 28 parks, including a skate park, indoor soccer field, lake with boat rentals and RV camping, BBQ areas, handball courts, an art gallery, tennis courts, and volleyball courts.[39] It also provides a wide variety of recreational opportunities, including hiking, boating, sports, bird-watching, and beach access.
Watsonville Wetlands
There are hiking trails throughout the city, and a nature center provides an intimate view of The Watsonville Wetlands.[40][41]
Pajaro River
There are several trailheads in the city that provide access to the Pajaro River and its tributaries via The Pajaro River Levee Trail Park. The levee trails are a popular spot for walking, running, and biking. In 2010, the City of Watsonville received a $424,000 grant to create a public access point to the Pajaro River for canoes and kayaks, including a parking lot, trail and public restroom.[42][43]
Pinto Lake
The city operates one of two parks at Pinto Lake, which includes a small watercraft launch ramp, group picnic areas, an RV park, a baseball field, volleyball, children's playground, boat rentals, fishing, and bird watching. Because Pinto Lake often turns a thick green due to different types of algae, the city prohibits the eating of fish caught in Pinto Lake.[44] The second park at Pinto Lake is operated by the County of Santa Cruz and includes nature trails, disc golf, sports fields, and the UC Master Gardeners of Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties's Demonstration Garden.[45]
Pajaro Dunes
The Pajaro Dunes area of Watsonville attracts tourists to its high-end beachfront condos and timeshares.
Culture

Watsonville is home to the annual Strawberry Festival, which includes a wide variety of strawberry-based foods, live music, vendors, and rides.[46]
Near the end of every summer, the Santa Cruz County Fair draws visitors from across and outside the county to its attractions, including rides, food, art exhibits, flower exhibits, pony rides, petting zoos, dog shows, and live music performances.[47]
The Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds host a number of other events, including car races at the
Government

Watsonville uses the council–manager government model. The city is divided into seven districts, each of which elects a representative to the city council.[51] The mayor is not elected; the office rotates annually in December.[51] As of 2023[update], the mayor is Vanessa Quiroz-Carter.[52]

Watsonville became a sanctuary city on April 11, 2017.[53]
Watsonville's overall crime index is 24.1% lower than Santa Cruz's, 15.4% lower than Salinas's, and 38.4% higher than Gilroy's.[4][54][55]
State and federal representation
In the
In the United States House of Representatives, Watsonville is in California's 19th congressional district, represented by Democrat Jimmy Panetta.[57]
Education

Watsonville's
Cabrillo College operates a branch campus in Watsonville.
Most charter schools in Watsonville are under the jurisdiction of the Pajaro Valley Unified School District. They include Diamond Technology Institute, Alianza Charter School, Linscott Charter School, Pacific Coast Charter School, Watsonville Charter School of the Arts, and Ceiba College Preparatory Academy, with the exception of Watsonville Prep School, a proposed TK-8 charter school operated which is operated by Navigator Schools.
Private schools in the city include Green Valley Christian School, Moreland Notre Dame, Monte Vista Christian, Mount Madonna School, Potter's House Community Christian School, St. Francis Central Coast Catholic High School, and Salesian Elementary and Junior High Schools.
Media
Watsonville and the surrounding area is served by the local newspaper,
Radio stations based in Watsonville include
Notable people
- Donald Barnhouse, Christian preacher, pastor, theologian, radio pioneer, and writer
- Tony Carey, musician, composer
- Jaime Cortez, Chicano novelist and LGBT activist
- Glen Gondo, businessman and founder of the Japan Festival of Houston[59]
- conchologist[60]
- Laurie R. King, author
- Marv Marinovich, football player and coach
- Charlene Pryer, baseball player
- Ty Sambrailo, football player
- Ken Sears, professional basketball player
- Todd Souza, racing driver
- Cody Webb, motorcycle racer
- Adrián Zamora, basketball player
Sister cities
Watsonville's
- Velas, Sáo Jorge Island, Azore Islands, Portugal
- Cavtat, Croatia
- Jocotepec, Mexico
- Kawakami, Japan
- Pinghu, China
- San Pedro Masahuat, El Salvador
- Tangancícuaro, Mexico
See also
References
- ^ "California Cities by Incorporation Date". California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions. Archived from the original (Word) on November 3, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
- ^ a b c "Charter of the City of Watsonville". Code Publishing Company. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Watsonville City Data". Website. City Data. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
- ^ a b "Quick Facts: Watsonville city, California". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
- ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
- ^ "ZIP Code(tm) Lookup". United States Postal Service. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
- ^ "Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL Holds Candlelight Vigil in Observance of Feb. 19," Pacific Citizen, March 10–23, 2017, p. 9.
- ^ Bolton, Herbert E. (1927). Fray Juan Crespi: Missionary Explorer on the Pacific Coast, 1769-1774. HathiTrust Digital Library. pp. 208–209. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
- ISBN 9780913548165.
- ^ Good Times - The Rebirth of Rancho San Andrés Castro Adobe
- ^ Overmeyer, Kurt. "Watsonville Growing Opportunities". growinwatsonville.com. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
- ^ Fabing, H.W. (1966). "Watsonville Transportation Company". The Western Railroader. 29 (322): 1–15.
- ^ JSTOR 41170831. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
- ISBN 9781503629929– via Salinas Public Library.
- JSTOR 41171455. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
- ^ Copitch, Josh (May 10, 2023). "Anti-Filipino riots broke out in a California town nearly a century ago. Now, county leaders are apologizing". WDSU. New Orleans. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
- ^ Yablonski (September 29, 2024). "Magnitude 4.2 earthquake rattles California south of San Francisco". Fox Weather. Fox Weather. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
- ^ a b USGS https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/at00skkj77/executive. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ USGS ShakeMap. USGS https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/nc75068161/shakemap/intensity. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ "Moderate mag. 4.1 earthquake - 16 mi north of Salinas, Monterey County, California, United States, on Sunday, Sep 29, 2024, at 02:47 am (Los Angeles time)". Volcano Discovery. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
- ^ United States Geological Survey https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/nc75068161/executive.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - JSTOR 25795722.
- ^ "City of Watsonville". Ci.watsonville.ca.us.
- ^ "The Watsonville Sloughs". Watsonville Wetlands Watch. Archived from the original on June 22, 2010. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
- ^ "Wildlife". Wetlands of Watsonville. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
- ^ Santa Cruz Sentinel: "Conservation victory for Watsonville sloughs", September 22, 2009
- ISBN 0-9679463-0-1
- ^ "Watsonville, California Climate Summary". Weatherbase. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ^ "Central California". Wrcc.dri.edu.
- ^ "Watsonville, California Temperature Averages". Weaterbase. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Watsonville city". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Watsonville Economic Development". cityofwatsonville.org. Archived from the original on February 13, 2015. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
- ^ Overmeyer, Kurt. "Economic Profile". Grow in Watsonville. Archived from the original on February 11, 2015. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
- ^ "Watsonville Economical Growth". cityofwatsonville.org. City of Watsonville California. 2015. Archived from the original on February 6, 2015. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
- ^ "City of Watsonville Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2019". City of Watsonville, California. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
- ^ "Parks". Parks and Rec Website. City of Watsonville. Archived from the original on March 22, 2012. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
- ^ "Wetland Trails". Wetlands of Watsonville. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
- ^ "Wetlands". Wetlands of Watsonville. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
- ^ Public Works, Watsonville. "River Access". City Website. Archived from the original on August 13, 2011. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
- ^ J. Chown. "City awarded grant to improve river access". Register Pajaronian. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
- ^ "Pinto Lake". Pinto Lake Website. City of Watsonville. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
- ^ "Demonstration Garden". UC Master Gardeners of Monterey & Santa Cruz Counties. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
- ^ "Strawberry Festival - City of Watsonville, CA". Mbsf.com.
- ^ "Official Site of the Santa Cruz County Fair". Archived from the original on July 30, 2010. Retrieved June 7, 2010.
- ^ "Scottish Renaissance Festival". Scottish Renaissance Festival of Santa Cruz. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
- ^ "Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds Event Center - Facility Rentals in Santa Cruz County". Santacruzeventcenter.com. Retrieved November 17, 2013.
- ^ "Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds | Watsonville | Gigography of concerts at Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds". Songkick. Retrieved November 17, 2013.
- ^ a b "Watsonville City Government - City Council". cityofwatsonville.org. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
- ^ "Quiroz-Carter, Orozco second female duo to hold mayor, vice-mayor positions in Watsonville". The Pajaronian. December 14, 2023.
- ^ "Watsonville City Council passes sanctuary city ordinance". Santacruzsentinel.com. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
- ^ "Gilroy City Data". Website. City Data. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
- ^ "Santa Cruz City Data". Website. City Data.
- ^ "Statewide Database". UC Regents. Archived from the original on February 1, 2015. Retrieved October 22, 2014.
- ^ "California's 19th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC.
- ^ "Pajaro Valley Unified School District". Pvusd.net. Archived from the original on March 31, 2008. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- ^ "Houston's Asian American Journeys: Glen Gondo". Texas Asia Society. Archived from the original on July 3, 2024. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ "Annie E. Law". The Nautilus: 132–133.
- ^ "Sister Cities". cityofwatsonville.org. City of Watsonville. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
Notes
- ^ Some sources spell the judge's last name Rohrback, others spell it Rohrbach.
External links
- Official website
- Santa Cruz County Conference & Visitors Council — Watsonville Visitor Information Archived February 23, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- Watsonville Public Library
- City of Watsonville at the Wayback Machine (archived January 10, 1998)