census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
. Nicolaus is part of the
Yuba City Metropolitan Statistical Area
Yuba may refer to:
Places
* Yuba City, California
* Yuba County, California
** North Yuba AVA, California wine region in Yuba County
* Yuba River, a major river in California
* Yuba State Park, in Utah
* Yuba, Michigan
* Yuba, Wisconsin
* Yu ...
. Nicolaus sits at an elevation of . The 2010 United States census reported Nicolaus's population was 211.
It is named after Nicolaus Allgeier, local rancher. The town's former names included Nicolaus Ferry and Nicolaus' Ranche.
History
Nicolaus Allgeier established a ferry at what later became the town of Nicolaus in 1843 to cross the
Feather River
The Feather River is the principal tributary of the Sacramento River, in the Sacramento Valley of Northern California. The river's main stem is about long. Its length to its most distant headwater tributary is just over . The main stem Feather ...
on the road between
Sutter's Fort
Sutter's Fort was a 19th-century agricultural and trade colony in the Mexican ''Alta California'' province. Established in 1839, the site of the fort was originally part of a utopian colonial project called New Helvetia (''New Switzerland'') ...
and Sutter's Hock Farm. The town was established in 1850 and has had a post office since July 28, 1851 making it one of the oldest post offices in the state.
Nicolaus was an early major stopping point on the Feather River during the
California Gold Rush
The California gold rush (1848–1855) began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California from the rest of the U ...
. It was the county seat of Sutter County in 1850-1851 and again 1852-1856 except for two months in 1854 when it was located in
Yuba City
Yuba City (Maidu: ''Yubu'') is a city in Northern California and the county seat of Sutter County, California, United States. The population was 70,117 at the 2020 census. Yuba City is the principal city of the Yuba City Metropolitan Statistical ...
. The area was described by R.T.P. ,Allen, Special Agent of the United States Government for the purpose of selecting early post offices in California as "a most beautiful country... e country bordering the Feather River (near Nicolaus) is by far the most fertile and most beautiful I have seen in California."
Nicolaus was once home to a significant
Chinese American
Chinese Americans are Americans of Chinese ancestry. Chinese Americans constitute a subgroup of East Asian Americans which also constitute a subgroup of Asian Americans. Many Chinese Americans have ancestors from mainland China, Hong Kong ...
community, but it violently drove all its Chinese American residents out of town in March 1886. It was also home to a large mixed population of Maidu Indians and Hawaiians, or Kanakas, which has since relocated to El Dorado County, California. The Hawaiians or Kanakas are descendants of workers brought over by John Sutter in 1839.
The town itself has approximately 200 residents and the outlying area has a population of roughly 600. The town is located just off State Highway 99 and adjoins the Feather River. The State Highway used to go through the town but a major flood in 1955 tore out the bridge over the Feather River and the town's commercial district has declined since that time.
The community is inside
area code 530
Area codes 530 and 837 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) in northeastern and Northern California. 530 was created in 1997 in an area code split of 916 and 837 was added to the same numbering plan area as an ov ...
. The zip code is 95659 that also encompasses the communities of East Nicolaus, Trowbridge, Lee and Verona. It is served by East Nicolaus High School that is renowned for its male and female sports teams. The football team was the State of California Small Schools Champion in 2015 and has won several section titles in football and other sports. It is also served by Marcum-Illinois Elementary School.
Recreational opportunities abound in the area. Golfers have access to the River Oaks Golf Course, a public 18-hole course, which is located next to the Feather River. The area is an outdoor paradise widely known for its hunting, fishing and bird watching. It is also known for canoeing and kayaking on the Feather River and for bicycling along its roads.
The area is unique in that it has retained its rural character yet is only 20 minutes north of Sacramento, the state capital. The economy of the Nicolaus area is driven by farming and walnut orchards and rice farming predominate. The town of Nicolaus is the site of an annua Labor Day parade which attracts visitors from throughout the state.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the CDP covers an area of 3.1 square miles (8.1 km), all of it land.
Climate
According to the
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Nicolaus has a
warm-summer Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...
, abbreviated "Csa" on climate maps.
Demographics
The 2020 United States census reported that Nicolaus had a population of 176. The population density was . The racial makeup of Nicolaus was 146 (83.0%)
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 1 (0.6%)
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...
, 11 (6.3%) from other races, and 10 (5.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 26 persons (14.8%).
The whole population lived in households. There were 82 households, out of which 27 (32.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 53 (64.6%) were married-couple households, 3 (3.7%) were
cohabiting
Cohabitation is an arrangement where people who are not legally married live together as a couple. They are often involved in a romantic or sexually intimate relationship on a long-term or permanent basis. Such arrangements have become incr ...
couple households, 2 (2.4%) had a female householder with no partner present, and 24 (29.3%) had a male householder with no partner present. 22 households (26.8%) were one person, and 8 (9.8%) were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.15. There were 57
families
Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...
(69.5% of all households).
The age distribution was 33 people (18.8%) under the age of 18, 15 people (8.5%) aged 18 to 24, 33 people (18.8%) aged 25 to 44, 46 people (26.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 49 people (27.8%) who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 50.5years. There were 89 males and 87 females.
There were 93 housing units at an average density of , of which 82 (88.2%) were occupied. Of these, 69 (84.1%) were owner-occupied, and 13 (15.9%) were occupied by renters.
Politics
In the
state legislature
A state legislature is a Legislature, legislative branch or body of a State (country subdivision), political subdivision in a Federalism, federal system.
Two federations literally use the term "state legislature":
* The legislative branches of ...