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Pescadero (
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 countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
for "Fishmonger") is an unincorporated town and
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 ...
(CDP) in
San Mateo County, California San Mateo County ( ), officially the County of San Mateo, is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 764,442. Redwood City, California, Redwood City is th ...
, two miles (3 km) east of State Route 1 and Pescadero State Beach. The town is south of
Half Moon Bay Half Moon Bay is a coastal city in San Mateo County, California, San Mateo County, California, United States, approximately south of San Francisco. Its population was 11,795 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Immediately north of Half Mo ...
. The ZIP Code is 94060 and the community is inside
area code 650 Area code 650 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It was split from area code 415 on August 2, 1997, and includes most of San Mateo County (except ...
. The population was 595 at the 2020 census.


About

Pescadero is a farming, tourism and ranching community near the Pescadero Marsh, a wildlife refuge.
Pescadero Creek Pescadero Creek is a major stream in Santa Cruz County, California, Santa Cruz and San Mateo County, California, San Mateo counties in California, United States. At ,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline d ...
, the longest stream in
San Mateo County San Mateo County ( ), officially the County of San Mateo, is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 764,442. Redwood City, California, Redwood City is th ...
, is an annual creek that empties into the Pacific Ocean near the town. Many of the buildings in town date from the 19th century. Pescadero is situated near the
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
, about south of
Half Moon Bay Half Moon Bay is a coastal city in San Mateo County, California, San Mateo County, California, United States, approximately south of San Francisco. Its population was 11,795 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Immediately north of Half Mo ...
and about north of Santa Cruz. Pescadero is also a weekend tourist destination during the summer months because of beaches, parks including Memorial Park and
Butano State Park Butano State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of California, showcasing the secluded redwood-filled canyon of Little Butano Creek, a tributary of Butano Creek in the Pescadero Creek watershed. Located in San Mateo County near Pescadero, ...
, Pigeon Point Lighthouse and Hostel, as well as extensive rural roads for biking and trails for hiking in the
Santa Cruz Mountains The Santa Cruz Mountains ( Mutsun Ohlone: Mak-sah-re-jah, "Sharp Ridged Mountain of the Eagle" or "People of the Eagle Mountain") are a mountain range in central and Northern California, United States, constituting a part of the Pacific Coast R ...
. Pescadero is also host to a number of successful agricultural ventures, some of which offer high-quality produce and value-added products throughout San Mateo County and much of the Bay Area. Pescadero hosts the annual Pescadero Art and Fun Fair (PAFF) on the third weekend of August. The Alto Velo Bicycle Racing Club holds the annual Pescadero Coastal Classic Road Race, which travels through the town and nearby countryside, in early- to mid-June. The town is home to
Pescadero Middle and High School Pescadero Middle and High School is a public school located in Pescadero, California, United States, the only middle and high school within the La Honda–Pescadero Unified School District. Serving 159 students in grades 6–12 as of the 2019–2 ...
, established in 1922. The Pescadero High School and Middle School teams are the Vikings and the Panthers, respectively. Pescadero Elementary School is located north of downtown. Non-profits in Pescadero play a central role in much of the town's economy and the well-being of its residents. Puente de la Costa Sur serves as the only resource community center in this region of San Mateo County, providing valuable aid to farmworkers and community members alike. Educational organizations such as Pie Ranch work with the state to generate land access opportunities for impoverished communities, and stimulate
regenerative agriculture Regenerative agriculture is a conservation and rehabilitation approach to food and farming systems. It focuses on topsoil regeneration, increasing biodiversity, improving the water cycle, enhancing ecosystem services, supporting biosequestration ...
initiatives. KPDO, at 89.3 FM, is Pescadero's community radio station.


Pescadero Marsh

Located at the confluence of Pescadero Creek and Butano Creek, the area known as Pescadero Marsh has for decades been a thriving habitat for both migratory and native wildlife. Besides being a refuge and nesting ground for wintering waterfowl, the Marsh is a critical spawning area and nursery for
coho salmon The coho salmon (''Oncorhynchus kisutch;'' Karuk: achvuun) is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family (biology), family and one of the five Pacific salmon species. Coho salmon are also known as silver salmon (or "silvers") and is often ...
,
steelhead trout Steelhead, or occasionally steelhead trout, is the anadromous form of the coastal rainbow trout or Columbia River redband trout (''O. m. gairdneri'', also called redband steelhead). Steelhead are native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacif ...
,
tidewater goby ''Eucyclogobius newberryi'', the northern tidewater goby, is a species of goby native to lagoons of streams, marshes, and creeks along the coast of California, United States. The northern tidewater goby is one of six native goby species of Califo ...
, and many other threatened or endangered fish, amphibian, crustacean and reptile species. Due to many causes, both natural and man-made, the health of Pescadero Marsh is deteriorating rapidly. Anoxic water conditions result in annual "die-offs" of hundreds of juvenile fish, crabs, and other species. As water levels fluctuate, many species are cut off from supportive habitat, and the entire eco-system degrades. Since 1998 concerned citizens and other wildlife agencies have repeatedly asked California State Parks to take immediate corrective action. The Parks department has moved to request further studies. Meanwhile, native species populations in the marsh have reached critically low levels. According to a study by San Jose State University professor Jerry Smith, estimates in 1985 showed that 10,000 steelhead were rearing in the lagoon. As of 2008, 750 steelhead were counted in the same area.


Attractions


Nature


Farms and dairies


Buildings

* Dickerman Barn, a surviving dairy barn built for the Steele Brothers Dairy Ranches, located in the
Año Nuevo State Park Año Nuevo State Park is a state park of California, United States, encompassing Año Nuevo Island and Año Nuevo Point, which are known for their pinniped rookeries. Located in San Mateo County, the low, rocky, windswept point juts out into ...
, and one of the National Register of Historic Places. * First Congregational Church of Pescadero, a
California Historical Landmark A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in the U.S. state of California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance. Criteria Historical significance is determined by meetin ...
that is also on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
. *
Pigeon Point Lighthouse Pigeon Point Light Station or Pigeon Point Lighthouse is a lighthouse built in 1871 to guide ships on the Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast of California. It is the List of lighthouses in the United States by height, tallest lighthouse (tied with Po ...
, located near Pescadero.


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 , 99.79% of it land and 0.21% of it water.


Demographics

The 2020 United States census reported that Pescadero had a population of 595. The population density was . The racial makeup of Pescadero was 345 (58.0%)
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 (0.2%)
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 ...
, 5 (0.8%) Native American, 9 (1.5%) Asian, 1 (0.2%)
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 ...
, 160 (26.9%) from other races, and 74 (12.4%) from two or more races.
Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While many use the terms interchangeably, for example, the United States Census Bureau ...
of any race were 356 persons (59.8%). The census reported that 560 people (94.1% of the population) lived in households, 35 (5.9%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized. There were 189 households, out of which 69 (36.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 86 (45.5%) were married-couple households, 14 (7.4%) 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, 43 (22.8%) had a female householder with no partner present, and 46 (24.3%) had a male householder with no partner present. 53 households (28.0%) were one person, and 15 (7.9%) were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.96. There were 124
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 ...
(65.6% of all households). The age distribution was 126 people (21.2%) under the age of 18, 65 people (10.9%) aged 18 to 24, 172 people (28.9%) aged 25 to 44, 165 people (27.7%) aged 45 to 64, and 67 people (11.3%) who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 35.8years. For every 100 females, there were 109.5 males. There were 205 housing units at an average density of , of which 189 (92.2%) were occupied. Of these, 77 (40.7%) were owner-occupied, and 112 (59.3%) were occupied by renters.


Weather

Pescadero has cool, wet winters and mild, mostly dry summers. Fog and low overcast are common throughout the year, particularly during the summer months. Strong winds sometimes blow off the nearby Pacific Ocean. December is the coolest month, with an average maximum of and an average minimum of . August is the warmest month, with an average maximum of and an average minimum of . Winter temperatures seldom drop below freezing, and summer temperatures rarely exceed . Due to its coastal location, temperatures in Pescadero are mild and fairly consistent throughout the year. Average annual precipitation is , mostly falling as rain since snow is extremely rare on the coast. The nearest
National Weather Service The National Weather Service (NWS) is an Government agency, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weathe ...
cooperative weather station is in the nearby village of San Gregorio, north of Pescadero on Stage Road.


History

The town of Pescadero is located on the Rancho Pescadero Mexican land grant; former
Mission Santa Cruz Mission Santa Cruz (Spanish: ''La Misión de la Exaltación de la Santa Cruz'', lit. The Mission of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross) is a replica Spanish Californian mission in Santa Cruz, California. Located on the San Lorenzo River floodp ...
pasture given to Juan José Gonzalez in 1833. Alexander Moore (1823–1902), an American pioneer, built his home in Pescadero Valley in 1853. The rich, fertile soil of the valley had attracted other settlers, and in the 1860s Pescadero was a prosperous town surrounded by farms and lumber mills. According to a guidebook published by the
California Coastal Commission The California Coastal Commission (CCC) is a state agency within the California Natural Resources Agency with quasi-judicial control of land and public access along the state's of coastline. Its mission as defined in the California Coastal Ac ...
, the residents of Pescadero recovered a large quantity of white paint from the 1853 wreck of the clipper ship ''
Carrier Pigeon The homing pigeon is a variety of domestic pigeon (''Columba livia domestica''), selectively bred for its ability to find its way home over extremely long distances. Because of this skill, homing pigeons were used to carry messages, a practic ...
'' at Pigeon Point. The paint was "used liberally on all the town's buildings", and residents have since maintained the tradition of painting their houses white. However, other sources credit the 1896 wreck of the steamer ''Columbia'' as the source of the white paint. An article in the ''Wells Fargo Messenger'' states that a
stagecoach A stagecoach (also: stage coach, stage, road coach, ) is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by ...
salvaged from the ''Carrier Pigeon'' was laboriously hoisted up the cliffs onto the road, and put into service within a week. The coach, built in
Concord, New Hampshire Concord () is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Hampshire and the county seat, seat of Merrimack County, New Hampshire, Merrimack County. As of the 2020 United States census the population was 43,976, making it the List of municipalities ...
, carried passengers and freight on the Pescadero road for the Wells Fargo Company for forty years, and, in 1914, was listed among the company's prized possessions. Another tale relates that an Irishman named John Daly, who was employed driving pigs from Santa Cruz to Alexander Moore's Pescadero ranch, discovered some lumps of coal from the steamer ''Sea Birds cargo on the beach at Ano Nuevo. Mr. Daly endeavored to parley his discovery into money which he might spend on whiskey. Since coal deposits had been rumored to exist in the area, Mr. Daly proceeded with his lumps of coal to Santa Cruz, announcing to Captain Brannan and three others that he had discovered a coal mine at Gazos Creek. After collecting his monetary reward, he led the four men up Gazos Creek in search of the alleged coal outcropping, with the intention of escaping and leaving his benefactors behind empty-handed. However, Captain Brannan, who was armed, managed to capture Daly and extracted a confession. Daly was administered a whipping on the spot and later fled the area.


Notable people

*
Steve Blank Steve Blank (born 1953) is an American entrepreneur, educator, author and speaker. He created the customer development method that launched the lean startup movement. His work has influenced modern entrepreneurship through the creation of tools a ...
(born 1953), entrepreneur and academician *
Jessica Dubroff Jessica Whitney Dubroff (May 5, 1988 – April 11, 1996) was a seven-year-old American trainee pilot who died while attempting to become the youngest person to fly a light aircraft across the United States. On day two of her quest, the Cessna 1 ...
(1988–1996), 7-year-old pilot trainee who was killed in a plane crash *
Dee Hock Dee Ward Hock (March 21, 1929 – July 16, 2022) was the founder and CEO of the Visa credit card association. Early life and education Hock was born in North Ogden, Utah, in 1929 to a Mormon family. His father, Alma, was a utility lineman, a ...
(1929–2022), founder and CEO of the Visa credit card association. *
Gordon Moore Gordon Earle Moore (January 3, 1929 – March 24, 2023) was an American businessman, engineer, and the co-founder and emeritus chairman of Intel Corporation. He proposed Moore's law which makes the observation that the number of transistors i ...
(1929–2023), cofounder and chairman emeritus of
Intel Corporation Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and incorporated in Delaware. Intel designs, manufactures, and sells computer components such as central processing ...
, and the author of Moore's law, grew up in Pescadero and resided there until he was about 10 years of age. His childhood home still stands as does the barn he played in (Pescadero Creekside Barn). *
Heinz von Foerster Heinz von Foerster (; November 13, 1911 – October 2, 2002) was an Austrian-American scientist combining physics and philosophy, and widely attributed as the originator of second-order cybernetics. He was twice a Guggenheim fellow (1956–57 and ...
(1911–2002), scientist and cybernetician lived on an estate in the Pescadero hills called "Rattlesnake Hill" until his death in 2002.


See also

*''
Carrier Pigeon The homing pigeon is a variety of domestic pigeon (''Columba livia domestica''), selectively bred for its ability to find its way home over extremely long distances. Because of this skill, homing pigeons were used to carry messages, a practic ...
'', clipper ship that wrecked near the town in 1853


References


External links


Pescadero State Beach
{{authority control Populated coastal places in California Census-designated places in San Mateo County, California Census-designated places in California