Huron, California

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City of Huron
City
Location in Fresno County and the state of California
Location in Fresno County and the state of California
City of Huron is located in USA
City of Huron
City of Huron
Location in the United States
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Country  United States
State  California
County Fresno
Incorporated May 3, 1951[1]
Government
 • Mayor Ramon R. Dominguez[2]
 • State Senate Anthony Cannella (R)[3]
 • State Assembly Joaquin Arambula (D)[4]
 • U. S. Congress David Valadao (R)[5]
Area[6]
 • Total 1.591 sq mi (4.121 km2)
 • Land 1.591 sq mi (4.121 km2)
 • Water 0 sq mi (0 km2)  0%
Elevation[7] 374 ft (114 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 6,754
 • Density 4,200/sq mi (1,600/km2)
Time zone PST (UTC-8)
 • Summer (DST) PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP code 93234
Area code(s) 559
FIPS code 06-36084
GNIS feature IDs 1652725, 2410081

Huron is a small city in Fresno County, California, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 6,754, up from 6,306 at the 2000 census. During the harvest season, the population swells to over 15,000 people due to the influx of migrant farm workers. Huron is located 15 miles (24 km) east-northeast of Coalinga,[8] at an elevation of 374 feet (114 m).[7] Huron was the city with the highest proportion of Hispanic or Latino people in the United States, according to the 2000 United States Census.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2), all of it land.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Huron has a semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.[9]

History

The community of Huron was founded in 1888 as a water stop along the Southern Pacific Railroad's western route, approximately 15 miles northeast of Coalinga. One of the first structures in the community was the Huron Post Office, which operated from 1877 to 1883 and then from 1886 to the present. Huron became a boomtown in the early 20th century and has grown steadily ever since.

Historical significance

File:Huron Central Hotel Circa 1898.jpg
Huron Central Hotel in 1898
File:Olde Huron Hotel 2001.jpg
Huron Central Hotel in 2001

Joseph Mouren and his family were largely responsible for the expansion of the community of Huron in the late 19th century and fueled the city's growth into the 20th century by investment. Mouren Drive was named after Joseph Mouren, who is considered by many to be one of the city's founding fathers. In the early 20th century, Huron became one of the largest producers of wool in the nation.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1960 1,269
1970 1,525 20.2%
1980 2,768 81.5%
1990 4,766 72.2%
2000 6,306 32.3%
2010 6,754 7.1%
Est. 2014 6,806 [10] 0.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]

2010

The 2010 United States Census[12] reported that Huron had a population of 6,754. The population density was 4,245.0 people per square mile (1,639.0/km²). The racial makeup of Huron was 2,300 (34.1%) White, 66 (1.0%) African American, 77 (1.1%) Native American, 39 (0.6%) Asian, 6 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 3,964 (58.7%) from other races, and 302 (4.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6,527 persons (96.6%).

The Census reported that 6,754 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 1,532 households, out of which 1,025 (66.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 813 (53.1%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 367 (24.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 155 (10.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 156 (10.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 14 (0.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 110 households (7.2%) were made up of individuals and 40 (2.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.41. There were 1,335 families (87.1% of all households); the average family size was 4.47.

The population was spread out with 2,506 people (37.1%) under the age of 18, 903 people (13.4%) aged 18 to 24, 1,924 people (28.5%) aged 25 to 44, 1,089 people (16.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 332 people (4.9%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24.7 years. For every 100 females there were 111.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 114.7 males.

There were 1,602 housing units at an average density of 1,006.9 per square mile (388.8/km²), of which 493 (32.2%) were owner-occupied, and 1,039 (67.8%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.9%. 2,380 people (35.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 4,374 people (64.8%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the census[13] of 2000, there were 7,836 people, 1,378 households, and 1,208 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,704.4 people per square mile (1,817.0/km²). There were 1,414 housing units at an average density of 1,054.9 per square mile (407.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 20.36% White, 0.32% Black or African American, 0.98% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 74.77% from other races, and 3.04% from two or more races. 98.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The greatest percentage of farmland surrounding Huron is devoted to the production of lettuce, onions and tomatoes. During the harvest season, it is not uncommon for the population of the city to swell to over 15,000 people.

There were 1,378 households out of which 64.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.9% were married couples living together, 18.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 12.3% were non-families. 7.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.45 and the average family size was 4.44.

In the city the population was spread out with 39.1% under the age of 18, 13.8% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 12.7% from 45 to 64, and 4.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females there were 125.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 131.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $24,609, and the median income for a family was $23,939. Males had a median income of $21,656 versus $16,442 for females. The per capita income for the city was $9,425. About 38.3% of families and 39.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 48.4% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.

Schools

File:Huron Middle School CA.JPG
Huron Middle School, shown circa 2007

The city of Huron is within the Coalinga-Huron Unified School District. The schools in Huron are:

  • Huron Elementary School (Grades K-5)
  • Huron Middle School (Grades 6-8)
  • Chestnut High School
  • Fresno EOC Headstart Program
  • Fresno-Madera Migrant Headstart Program

Huron Police Department

The City of Huron currently funds its own police department.

File:Huron Police Department.jpg
Huron Police Department, shown circa 2008

Water issues

In July 2009, action by the Federal Bureau of Reclamation to protect threatened fish reduced irrigation pumping to parts of the California Central Valley causing canals leading into Huron and the surrounding areas and the farms that rely on them to dry up.[14][15] Unemployment has reached over 40% as farms dried up. Governor Schwarzenegger stated the federal action is putting the fish "above the needs of millions of Californians."[15] The issue received coverage on the Hannity program from Fox News broadcasting from Huron.[16] Comedian Paul Rodriguez acted as a celebrity spokesperson criticizing the action, as his mother owns a farm in the area.[16] Fox's coverage of the issue has been criticized, and the California Progress Report argued that Huron's problems are more the result of poor water management decisions by the local water district than by federal government. Environmental and fishing groups have argued that the action to protect fish will ultimately save more jobs in the fishing and tourism industries than will be lost in agriculture.[17]

References

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  9. Climate Summary for Huron, California
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  17. http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/site/?q=node/159