Marina, California

Marina is a city in Monterey County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,359, up from 19,718 in 2010. The city is located along the central coast of California, west of Salinas and northeast of Monterey. It is on California State Route 1 between Monterey and Santa Cruz and sits at an elevation of .

Marina was incorporated in 1975 and is the newest city in the Monterey area. It includes part of the California State University, Monterey Bay campus, the UC Santa Cruz UC MBEST center, and the Veterans Transition Center (VTC). In 2012, Marina was named one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People by America's Promise Alliance. The Fort Ord Station Veterinary Hospital, built in 1941 to provide healthcare for U.S. Army horses and mules, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.

History

William Locke-Paddon founded the town on of land he bought for the purpose. The Marina post office opened in 1916. Marina incorporated in 1975. The city's history is intertwined with that of Fort Ord. Fort Ord lands were used as an infantry training center since the Mexican–American War. Major growth took place in 1938 with the first joint Army and Navy maneuvers held in 1940.

Fort Ord was selected in 1991 for decommissioning, and the post formally closed after troop reassignment in 1994. In July 1994, the California State University, Monterey Bay, began its first academic year, and barracks were soon transformed into dorms.

As a result of base closure, some of the last undeveloped natural wildlands on the Monterey Peninsula are now overseen by the Bureau of Land Management, including of trails for the public to explore on foot, bike or horseback. In 2012, President Barack Obama designated of the closed base as a national monument managed by the BLM.

Cemex had a sand mining operation in the city along the Monterey Bay coastline that concerned environmentalists and scientists. The California Coastal Commission in March 2016 issued a Cease and Desist order asking for "administration civil penalties", stating that "the operation is narrowing beaches and impacting environmentally sensitive habitat." Cemex denied the allegations and continued to operate. A settlement was reached in 2017, and CEMEX ended mining in December 2020.

Geography

Unlike most other coastal cities in California, Marina's coastline remains undeveloped and protects rare species of butterflies, buckwheat, and sea lettuce. The city plans to adapt to climate change and sea level rise, based on managed retreat, and has been described as an example for other coastal cities.

Demographics

2020

The 2020 United States census reported that Marina had a population of 22,359. The population density was . The racial makeup of Marina was 37.8% White, 6.1% African American, 1.4% Native American, 18.9% Asian, 2.3% Pacific Islander, 17.0% from other races, and 16.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 32.2% of the population.

The census reported that 92.6% of the population lived in households, 7.2% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.2% were institutionalized.

There were 7,608 households, out of which 33.6% included children under the age of 18, 44.2% were married-couple households, 8.4% were cohabiting couple households, 29.6% had a female householder with no partner present, and 17.8% had a male householder with no partner present. 23.6% of households were one person, and 9.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.72. There were 5,108 families (67.1% of all households).

The age distribution was 23.7% under the age of 18, 10.8% aged 18 to 24, 27.1% aged 25 to 44, 23.8% aged 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 35.6years. For every 100 females, there were 90.4 males.

There were 8,022 housing units at an average density of , of which 7,608 (94.8%) were occupied. Of these, 43.8% were owner-occupied, and 56.2% were occupied by renters.

In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 21.7% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 62.3% spoke only English at home, 20.7% spoke Spanish, 3.8% spoke other Indo-European languages, 12.0% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 1.3% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 89.2% were high school graduates and 36.1% had a bachelor's degree.

The median household income in 2023 was $88,518, and the per capita income was $39,382. About 10.5% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line.

2010

At the 2010 census Marina had a population of 19,718. The population density was . The racial makeup of Marina was 8,904 (45.1%) White, 1,487 (7.5%) African American, 140 (0.7%) Native American, 2,931 (9.9%) Asian, 544 (2.8%) Pacific Islander, 2,738 (13.9%) from other races, and 1,974 (10.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5,372 persons (27.2%).

The census reported that 18,827 people (95.5% of the population) lived in households, 891 (4.5%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.

There were 6,845 households, 2,517 (36.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,126 (45.7%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,128 (16.5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 417 (6.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 517 (7.6%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships. 1,587 households (23.2%) were one person and 553 (8.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.75. There were 4,671 families (68.2% of households); the average family size was 3.26.

The age distribution was 4,773 people (24.2%) under the age of 18, 2,543 people (12.9%) aged 18 to 24, 5,188 people (26.3%) aged 25 to 44, 4,970 people (25.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,244 people (11.4%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 34.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.

There were 7,200 housing units at an average density of 737.5 per square mile, of the occupied units 2,963 (43.3%) were owner-occupied and 3,882 (56.7%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.6%. 7,857 people (39.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 10,970 people (55.6%) lived in rental housing units.

The military has been a significant part of life in Marina, which is located adjacent to the former Fort Ord, a US Army installation which closed in 1994 during the country's base closure initiative. Many former and retired military personnel reside in the city. The American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars are active organizations. The Veterans Transition Center is instrumental in placing numerous US and state flags along Del Monte Blvd. and Reservation Road during the various holidays and special events, creating an "avenue of flags."

Parks and recreation

The Labor Day Parade & Family Festival held the Saturday before the official holiday pays homage to the significant military history of the town.

The annual Otter Fest in August welcomes back students, staff, and faculty to CSU, Monterey Bay. It began in 2010 with a Key to the City presentation to the campus president. It is named after the university's otter mascot.

Earth Day is celebrated in April as a community work party to maintain and improve Locke-Paddon Park. Citizens for Sustainable Marina is the lead planning group for the event.

Marina State Beach

Marina State Beach is a windswept beach area between State Route 1 and Monterey Bay where water recreation, hang gliding and paragliding are popular. There is a boardwalk through the Marina Dunes Natural Preserves.

Fort Ord Dunes State Park

Fort Ord Dunes State Park opened in March 2009 and was formerly an Army practice firing range. Much of the park is located in the neighboring town of Seaside, California. Access for the park is located in Marina. Fort Ord Dunes State Park is a popular place for horseback riding, hiking, fishing and cycling. Fort Ord Dunes State Park abuts Marina State Beach.

Air Sports

Marina is a popular destination for air sports enthusiasts. The tall sand dunes at Marina beaches provide optimal conditions for paragliding and hang gliding. A Marina based skydiving center has become a popular attraction because of its high altitude skydives and proximity to the beach.

Infrastructure

Marina Municipal Airport is a general aviation airport that is owned by the City of Marina., effective July 5, 2007 Skydive Monterey Bay conducts skydiving and parachuting activities on the south east side of the airport. In 2021, a manufacturing facility for Joby Aviation was approved at the airport.
Joby Aviation is a California-based venture-backed aerospace company, developing an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that it intends to operate as an air taxi service.

Education

Most areas of Marina are served by the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District.

Notable people

* Retired Buffalo Bills linebacker Ty Powell is from Marina.
* Ron Rivera, NFL head coach of the Washington Commanders and former head coach of the Carolina Panthers, lived in Marina during his high school years.

See also

*Coastal California
*List of school districts in Monterey County, California
* List of tourist attractions in Monterey County, California

References

External links

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1975 establishments in California
Cities in Monterey County, California
Incorporated cities and towns in California
Populated coastal places in California
Populated places established in 1975