Madera (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

for "Wood") is a city and

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

Madera County Madera County (), officially the County of Madera, is a county at the geographic center of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 156,255. The county seat is Madera. Madera County comprises the Madera, CA Metr ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, the city's population was 66,224. Located in the

San Joaquin Valley The San Joaquin Valley ( ; es, Valle de San Joaquín) is the area of the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California that lies south of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and is drained by the San Joaquin River. It comprises seven c ...

, Madera is the principal city of th
Madera Metropolitan Statistical Area
which is part of th
Fresno-Madera-Hanford Combined Statistical Area
The city is home to the

Madera Unified School District Madera Unified School District is a public school district serving Madera, California. History The district was first incorporated in 1966 to consolidate the administration of schools in and around the City of Madera. The district has 28 schoo ...

History

The town was named after the Spanish term for lumber. The town was laid out by the California Lumber Company in 1876. From 1876 to 1931, a water flume carried lumber from the mountains to Madera where the lumber was shipped by train. The first post office at Madera opened in 1877. On May 16, 1893, Madera County officially became a county of the state of California and the town incorporated as the City of Madera on March 27, 1907. One of the city's first African Americans to hold an elected office was Rev. Naaman N. Haynes, who was voted in as a Madera Unified School District school board trustee in the 1960s. Landmarks include the historic

Madera County Courthouse The Madera County Courthouse is the former county courthouse of Madera County, California. The courthouse is located at 210 W. Yosemite Ave. in Madera. It was built in 1900 using granite quarried within the county. The courthouse was the first ...

, the notable Madera water tower, and a fully operational drive-in movie theater. Madera Flume Celebration 1900.jpg, Madera celebrates the completion of the "world's longest lumber flume" on October 27, 1900. Madera Flume Terminus 1901.jpg, The Madera flume terminus around 1901

Geography

Madera is located at . The

geographic center In geography, the centroid of the two-dimensional shape of a region of the Earth's surface (projected radially to sea level or onto a geoid surface) is known as its geographic centre or geographical centre or (less commonly) gravitational centre. I ...

of California is east of Madera. Via

California Route 99 State Route 99 (SR 99), commonly known as Highway 99 or, simply, as 99 (without any further designation), is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California, stretching almost the entire length of the Central Valley. Fr ...

, the city is northwest of

Fresno Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, maki ...

and southeast of

Modesto Modesto () is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,464 at the 2020 census, it is the 19th largest city in the state of California and forms part of the Sacramento-Stockton- ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, Madera has a total area of , all of it recorded as land. The

Fresno River The Fresno River (Spanish for "ash tree") is a river in Central California and a major tributary of the San Joaquin River. It runs approximately from the Sierra Nevada Range to the San Joaquin River if measured from the source of Rainier Creek, ...

, a tributary of the

San Joaquin River The San Joaquin River (; es, Río San Joaquín) is the longest river of Central California. The long river starts in the high Sierra Nevada, and flows through the rich agricultural region of the northern San Joaquin Valley before reaching Suis ...

, passes through the city north of downtown. Madera is the location of the Madera AVA

wine region This list of wine-producing regions catalogues significant growing regions where vineyards are planted. Wine grapes mostly grow between the 30th and the 50th degree of latitude, in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Grapes will sometimes ...

Climate

Madera has a

steppe climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-ar ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

: ''BSk''), in the central zone of this climatic subtype. Average January temperatures are a maximum of and a minimum of . Average July temperatures are a maximum of and a minimum of . Annually, there are an average of 103.9 afternoons with highs of or higher, 26.1 afternoons reaching or exceeding , and an average of 24.6 mornings with lows of or lower. The record high temperature was , recorded on July 13, 1961. The record low temperature was , recorded on January 10, 1949. The average annual rainfall is and there are an average of 59.3 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1983 with and the driest was 2013 with . The most rainfall in one month was , in March 1991. The most rainfall in 24 hours was , on November 21, 1978. Although snowfall is rare, fell in January 1962.

Demographics

2010

The

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

reported that Madera had a population of 61,416. The population density was . The racial makeup of Madera was 30,640 (49.9%)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 2,069 (3.4%)

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 1,933 (3.1%) Native American, 1,369 (2.2%)

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 72 (0.1%)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 22,603 (36.8%) from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2,730 (4.4%) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race accounted for 47,103 people (76.7% of the population). The Census reported that 60,825 people (99.0% of the population) lived in households, 418 (0.7%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 173 (0.3%) were institutionalized. There were 15,938 households, out of which 9,003 (56.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 8,521 (53.5%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 2,917 (18.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,450 (9.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,323 (8.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 97 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 2,374 households (14.9%) were made up of individuals, and 1,077 (6.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.82. There were 12,888

families Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideall ...

(80.9% of all households); the average family size was 4.09. The population was spread out, with 21,338 people (34.7%) under the age of 18, 7,732 people (12.6%) aged 18 to 24, 17,287 people (28.1%) aged 25 to 44, 10,407 people (16.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 4,652 people (7.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.3 males. There were 17,049 housing units at an average density of , of which 8,096 (50.8%) were owner-occupied, and 7,842 (49.2%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.1%. 28,785 people (46.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 32,040 people (52.2%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 43,207 people, 11,978 households, and 9,438 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 12,521 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 48.2%

, 3.9%

, 2.8% Native American, 1.4%

, 0.1%

, 38.0% from

, and 5.7% from two or more races.

of any race were 67.8% of the population. There were 11,978 households, out of which 48.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 17.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.2% were non-families. 16.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.57 and the average family size was 3.90. In the city, the population was spread out, with 35.4% under the age of 18, 12.5% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 14.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.1 males. The median

income Income is the consumption and saving opportunity gained by an entity within a specified timeframe, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. Income is difficult to define conceptually and the definition may be different across fields. For ...

for a household in the city was $31,033, and the median income for a family was $31,927. Males had a median income of $29,776 versus $23,210 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $11,674. About 25.6% of families and 32.5% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 40.0% of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.

Current estimates

According to estimates by the US Census Bureau from July 1, 2019, the total population for the City of Madera was 65,860, and the median household income was $42,581.

Government

Madera, is governed by a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

elected at large, and six city council members elected by the people in their districts. Madera is the County seat of the

County of Madera Madera County (), officially the County of Madera, is a county at the geographic center of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 156,255. The county seat is Madera. Madera County comprises the Madera, CA Metr ...

. In the

California State Legislature The California State Legislature is a bicameral state legislature consisting of a lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members; and an upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members. Both houses of the Legisla ...

, Madera is in , and in . In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

, Madera is in .

Education

* School districts **

(K-12) * High schools **

Madera High School Madera High School is the first school and original high school in the central San Joaquin Valley city of Madera, California, serving students since 1894. The school colors are royal blue & white and its mascot is the coyote. History Madera Hi ...

Madera South High School Madera South High School (also known as Madera South, Madera South High or MSHS) is a high school located in Madera, California and is part of the Madera Unified School District. Previously functioning as the second campus of the town's other hi ...

Matilda Torres High School Matilda or Mathilda may refer to: Animals * Matilda (chicken) (1990–2006), World's Oldest Living Chicken record holder * Matilda (horse) (1824–1846), British Thoroughbred racehorse * Matilda, a dog of the professional wrestling tag-team The ...

*Private schools ** Saint Joachim School (preK-8) ** Crossroads Christian School (preK-8) * Higher education **

Madera Community College Madera Community College, established in 2020, is a community college located in Madera, California. It originally opened in 1996 as Madera Community College Center, a campus of the State Center Community College District State Center Community C ...

** San Joaquin Valley College Madera (for-profit) * Public libraries ** Madera County Public Library

Transportation

Within the city, State Route 99 carries traffic in a generally northwest / southeast orientation. East of the city,

State Route 41 The following highways are numbered 41: International * AH41, Asian Highway 41 * European route E41 Australia * Olympic Highway * Mid-Western Highway Canada * Alberta Highway 41 * British Columbia Highway 41 * Manitoba Highway 41 * Newfoundlan ...

can be accessed via either eastbound county roads or via State Route 145, the latter of which turns from a northeast–southwest bearing to a directly south orientation within the city. The eastern terminus of State Route 152 is located to the north of the city, on State Route 99. Just north of Madera is the Madera Amtrak station. A

California High-Speed Rail California High-Speed Rail (also known as CAHSR or CHSR) is a publicly funded high-speed rail system currently under construction in California in the United States. Planning for the project began in 1996, when the California Legislature and Gover ...

stop is also planned. There is a Greyhound bus station located downtown. The City of Madera provides local intracity public transportation services under the

Madera Metro Madera Metro, formerly Madera Area Express (MAX) is the primary bus agency providing intracity services within Madera, California. It is operated by the City of Madera and offers three fixed routes and dial-a-ride point-to-point services. Riders m ...

branding. Madera residents can travel conveniently from neighborhoods to shopping centers, local schools, medical offices and work sites on the Madera Metro fixed-route transit services. Madera County Connection, a county agency, provides intercity bus services to other communities in Madera County. Madera Municipal Airport is a general aviation airport owned and operated by the City of Madera. It is situated on approximately 524 acres on the northwest edge of the city and is supervised by th
Madera Public Works Department
Madera residents also have access to the nearby Yosemite International Airport, located in

Notable people

Noteworthy persons from Madera include: *

Frank Bergon Frank Bergon (born 1943) is an American writer whose novels, essays, anthologies, and literary criticism focus primarily on the American West. Biography Frank Bergon was born in Ely, Nevada, and grew up on a ranch in Madera County in California ...

, author of four novels, including ''Jesse's Ghost'' (2011) which is set in Madera *

Connor Brogdon Connor Michael Brogdon (born January 29, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). Brogdon was born in Clovis, California, and attended Liberty High School in Madera. Alth ...

, pitcher for the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

Dwayne Crump Dwayne Crump is a former professional American football player who played defensive back for four seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals He finished his career playing 2 season with the Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes (French: Les Alou ...

, defensive back for the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...

* Lee Evans (1947–2021), Olympic gold medalist and former world record holder in track and field *

Zoila Frausto Gurgel Zoila Frausto (born December 10, 1983) is an American professional female mixed martial artist and kickboxer. Her nickname comes from the popular 1990s TV series Xena: Warrior Princess. She was the first Bellator Women's Champion. Background ...

, women's

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...

champion *

Lavar Johnson Lavar F. Johnson (born June 11, 1977) is an American bare-knuckle boxer and former Heavyweight mixed martial artist. A professional from 2004 until 2014, he competed for the UFC, the WEC, Strikeforce and Bellator MMA. Background Johnson is from ...

, American mixed martial artist who competed as a heavyweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) *

Jack W. Kelso Jack William Kelso (January 23, 1934 – October 2, 1952) was a United States Marine Corps, United States Marine who Posthumous recognition, posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions on the night of October 2, 1952, during the First ...

(1934–1952),

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

recipient *

Oswaldo Lopez Oswaldo Lopez is a long-distance runner, specializing in Ultramarathons. He is most well known for winning the Badwater Ultramarathon in 2011. He has also won the Iron Horse 100 Miler, the Yellowstone-Teton 100 Miler, the Tahoe Midnight Express Ult ...

, winner of the 2011

Badwater Ultramarathon The Badwater Ultramarathon describes itself as "the world's toughest foot race". It is a course starting at below sea level in the Badwater Basin, in California's Death Valley, and ending at an elevation of 8360 feet (2548 m) at Whitney Portal ...

* Frank McNally, all-pro football player *

Wally O'Connor James Wallace O'Connor (August 25, 1903 – October 11, 1950) was an American competition swimmer and water polo player who played internationally for the United States at four Olympiads: at the 1924, 1928, 1932 and 1936. In team sport at the ...

, four-time Olympian in water polo & swimming and 1924 gold medalist * Jeannine Riley, actress and star of ''

Petticoat Junction ''Petticoat Junction'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 1963 to April 1970. The series takes place at the Shady Rest Hotel, which is run by Kate Bradley; her three daughters Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo, and B ...

'' *

Martha Baird Rockefeller Martha Baird Rockefeller (March 15, 1895 – January 24, 1971) was an American pianist, philanthropist and longtime advocate for the arts.�Martha Baird Rockefeller, 1895—1971 in “The Rockefellers.” Sleepy Hollow, New York: The Rockefelle ...

, concert pianist, philanthropist, and wife of

John D. Rockefeller Jr. John Davison Rockefeller Jr. (January 29, 1874 – May 11, 1960) was an American financier and philanthropist, and the only son of Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller. He was involved in the development of the vast office complex in M ...

Kathryn Grove Shipp Kathryn Grove Shipp (1904 – October 14, 1977) was an American organic chemist, a specialist in explosives, affiliated with the Naval Ordnance Laboratory from 1957 to 1970. In 1967, she was one of the six recipients of the Federal Woman's Award. ...

(1904–1977), explosives expert; raised in Madera *

Avery Stafford Avery Stafford is an American Gospel music, gospel and Rhythm and blues, R&B singer. Personal life and career Stafford was born in Los Angeles in 1965, and grew up in Madera, California. He began singing gospel music in church during his youth ...

, gospel and R&B vocalist *

Virginia Stroud Virginia Alice Stroud (born 1951)

, painter and former

Miss Indian America Miss Indian America was a pageant from 1953 to 1989 that was part annual All-American Indian Days festival in Sheridan, Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Monta ...

La Schelle Tarver La Schelle Tarver (born January 30, 1959) is a former backup outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox during the season. Listed at 5' 11", 165 lb., he batted and threw left-handed. Early years Tarver was born in ...

, outfielder for the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

Lorin Whitney Lorin J. Whitney (September 11, 1914 – August 29, 2007) was an American organist and recording artist who played on Christian radio programs such as the '' Haven of Rest'' in the 1930s–1950s. His organ music programs were heard on the C ...

, organist and recording artist * Leroy Zimmerman, All-Pro professional football player, Hall of Fame softball pitcher, and teacher

References

External links

*
''The Madera Tribune''
a Madera city newspaper, founded on March 31, 1892
Madera Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Incorporated cities and towns in California County seats in California Populated places established in 1876 Cities in Madera County, California 1876 establishments in California