VACAVILLE, CA

Vacaville is a city located in Solano County in Northern California. Sitting approximately from Sacramento and from San Francisco, it is within the Sacramento Valley but is also considered to be part of the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2020 census, Vacaville had a population of 102,386, making it the third largest city in Solano County.

History

Prior to European contact, the indigenous Patwin tribe lived in the area with the Ululato tribelet establishing a chiefdom around the Ululato village in what is now downtown Vacaville along the Ulatis Creek.

The early settler pioneers of the land were Juan Manuel Cabeza Vaca and Juan Felipe Peña who were awarded a Mexican land grant in 1842. The same year in 1842, Vaca and Peña's families settled in the area of Lagoon Valley. Peña's Adobe home is the oldest standing building, built in 1842.

Discussions for the sale of a portion of land to William McDaniel began in August 1850. A written agreement was signed on December 13, 1851, forming a township, nine square miles of land were deeded to William McDaniel for $3,000, and the original city plans were laid out from that. In the agreement, McDaniel's would name the new town after Juan Manuel Cabeza Vaca.

In 1880, Leonard Buck created the California Fruit Shipping Association, as well as the L.W. and F.H. Buck Company, an early company selling auctioned fruit in the state, and Vacaville was soon home to many large produce companies and local farms which flourished due to the Vaca Valley's rich soil.

It officially became a city in 1892.

In 1885, the first grade school built was Ulatis School. In 1898, the town's first high school was built, Vacaville Union High School.

In 1968, the Vacaville Heritage Council was established.

In August 2020, parts of Vacaville were evacuated due to the Hennessey Fire, which resulted in the burning of over in five counties, including in Vacaville where farms and homes were destroyed.

Geography

There are a number of rare and endangered species in the Vacaville area. Endangered plants which have historically occurred in the vernal pool areas in and around Vacaville include Legenre limosa, Plagiobothrys hystriculus, Downingia humilis, Contra Costa Goldfields (Lasthenia conjugens), and Showy Indian clover (Trifolium amoenum). To this day Trifolium amoenum can still be found in Lagoon Valley Regional Park.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of . 99.26% of the area is land and 0.74% is water. Excluding the Putah South Canal and minor local creeks, the only significant body of water within the city is the Lagoon Valley Lake.

The unincorporated communities of Allendale and Elmira are generally considered to be part of "greater" Vacaville.

Climate

Vacaville has a typical Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Characteristic of inland California, summers can get quite hot. Autumns are warm in the early part but quickly cool down as the wet season approaches. Winters can be cool, and often foggy, but are mild compared to other regions. Spring is a rather pleasant season with fairly mild temperatures and not so much rain. The greater majority of precipitation falls in the autumn, winter, and spring months with little to none in summer.

According to National Weather Service records, average January temperatures in Vacaville are a maximum of and a minimum of . Average July temperatures are a maximum of and a minimum of . There are an average of 87.7 days with highs of or higher. There are an average of 30.7 days with lows of or lower. The record high temperature was on July 23, 2006. The record low temperature was on December 26, 1924.

Average annual precipitation is . There are an average of 57 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1983 with and the driest year was 2012 with 5 inches. The most precipitation in one month was in January 1916. The most precipitation in 24 hours was on February 27, 1940. Snowfall is rare in Vacaville, but light measurable amounts have occurred, including in January 1907 and in December 1988.

Demographics

2020

According to the 2020 United States Census, Vacaville had a population of 102,386. During the period 2015-2019 there were an average of 2.81 people per household. The American Community Survey (ACS) estimated the population identified as 50.5% non-hispanic white, 24.8% hispanic or latino, 10.1% black or African-American, 8.1% of two or more races, 7.8% Asian, 0.9% native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and 0.7% American Indian or Alaska Native. The same survey estimated that 22.7% of the population was under 18 years old and 14% was over 65 years old.

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Vacaville had a population of 92,428. The population density was 3,233.5 people per square mile (1,248.5/km²). The racial makeup of Vacaville was 61,301 (66.3%) White, 9,510 (10.3%) African American, 846 (0.9%) Native American, 5,606 (6.1%) Asian (3.3% Filipino, 0.7% Chinese, 0.6% Indian, 0.5% Japanese, 0.3% Vietnamese, 0.3% Korean), 532 (0.6%) Pacific Islander, 8,136 (8.8%) from other races, and 6,497 (7.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21,121 persons (22.9%); 17.0% of Vacaville is Mexican, 0.9% Puerto Rican, 0.5% Salvadoran, 0.3% Nicaraguan, 0.2% Guatemalan, and 0.2% Peruvian.

The Census reported that 91.3% of the population lived in households and 8.6% were institutionalized.

There were 31,092 households, out of which 11,747 (37.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 16,347 (52.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 4,068 (13.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,686 (5.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,892 (6.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 208 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 7,053 households (22.7%) were made up of individuals, and 2,689 (8.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71. There were 22,101 families (71.1% of all households); the average family size was 3.19.

The population was spread out, with 21,511 people (23.3%) under the age of 18, 8,963 people (9.7%) aged 18 to 24, 26,269 people (28.4%) aged 25 to 44, 26,016 people (28.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 9,669 people (10.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 112.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.1 males.

There were 32,814 housing units at an average density of 1,148.0 per square mile (443.2/km²), of which 63.4% were owner-occupied and 36.6% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.8%. 59.0% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 32.3% lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the 2000 census there were 88,625 people living in the city. The population density was 1,263.6/km² (3,272.3/mi²). There were 28,696 housing units at an average density of 409.1/km² (1,059.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 72.11% White, 10.02% African American, 0.97% Native American, 4.18% Asian, 0.45% Pacific Islander, 6.74% from other races, and 5.53% from two or more races. 17.88% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 28,105 households, 20,966 were families: 41.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.0% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4% were "non-families." 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.24.

The median age was 34 years, and the age distribution of the population was rather spread out: 27.0% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 35.4% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. However, the sex ratio was higher than the national average. For every 100 females, there were 118.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 124.7 males.

Economy

Personal income

According to the city of Vacaville, in 2019/2020, median household income was $82,513, which was 39 percent above the national average and

19 percent higher than the state average.

In 2007, the median income for a family was $63,950. Also in 2007, males had a median income of $43,527 versus $31,748 for females and per capita income for the city was $21,557. 6.1% of the population and 4.3% of families lived below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 7.4% of those under the age of 18 and 4.8% of those 65 and older lived below the poverty line.

Industry

There are biotechnology/pharmaceutical facilities operated by Genentech, ALZA Corporation, Kaiser Permanente, and Novartis International AG. On May 14, 2014, ICON Aircraft announced they would consolidate all company functions in a new 140,000-square-foot facility in Vacaville. Two state prisons are located in Vacaville: California State Prison, Solano and California Medical Facility.

The latter prison houses inmates undergoing medical treatments.

Top employers

According to the city's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Arts and culture

Between 1992 and 1995, local artist Guillermo Wagner Granizo installed twenty outdoor ceramic tile murals, set into three freestanding walls near City Hall entitled, "Vacaville Centennial". The murals depict various aspects of the history of the city of Vacaville, including the early pioneers Juan Manuel Vaca, Juan Felipe Peña and William McDaniel, the early fruit industry, the first schools, Peña Adobe Park, the Nut Tree (a 1920s roadside fruit and nut stand), various parades, the annual tree lighting ceremony, "Hamburger Hill", and the factory outlet stores, among others.

The city includes several historic buildings and places, including Peña Adobe, Will H. Buck House, Pleasants Ranch, and Vacaville Town Hall.

Tourism

The city holds annual Vacaville Fiesta Days, that happens downtown, which includes a parade that features the public school marching bands, gymnasts, and even an electric car showcase, among other things. Other sites for tourists include the Vacaville Premium Outlets and the Nut Tree, which is home to a train for children, a carousel, and even a life-size checkerboard, as well as numerous stores and dining establishments. Every Friday during the summer the city holds the Creek Walk in Down Town Vacaville. Every December, the city holds a Festival of Trees in the ice skating rink and the Tree Lighting Ceremony, in which residents of Vacaville gather downtown to see a tree illuminate and enjoy festive music played by the Jepson Band, hot chocolate, and horse-drawn carriage rides. The Jimmy Doolittle Center at the Nut Tree Airport displays aircraft from as early as 1912 and is home to the Jimmy Doolittle Shell Lockheed Vega. Displays also include personal items of General Doolittle and items related to the Doolittle Raid of 1942.

Education

The city has two unified public school districts, a community college district, private schools and colleges.

Public elementary and secondary schools

The Vacaville Unified School District includes the following campuses:

Elementary schools

Middle schools

High schools

Travis Unified School District

The Travis Unified School District campuses include:

Its campuses serving Vacaville secondary students are:

Private schools

Private institutions with campuses in Vacaville are:

Colleges and universities

The town has a District supporting the Solano Community College. Among others, it offers an associate degree in biotechnology, which could lead to employment with local industries.

Other colleges and universities include:

Infrastructure

The city includes two hospitals, NorthBay VacaValley Hospital, a 50-bed facility whose campus also includes the NorthBay Cancer Center and HealthSpring Fitness Center, and the Kaiser Permanente Vacaville Medical Center, a hospital and trauma center.

Notable people

(B) denotes that the person was born in Vacaville.