Pinole, CA

Pinole (Spanish for "cornmeal") is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. Its population was 19,022 at the 2020 census.

History

The Huchiun tribe lived in the region. In 1823, Ygnacio Martínez, commandant of the Presidio of San Francisco, received a land grant of Rancho El Pinole from the Mexican government. Martinez built a ''hacienda'' in Pinole Valley; this is land encompassed by Pinole Valley Park. During the 1850s, Bernardo Fernandez, a Portuguese immigrant, started a trading facility on the shores of San Pablo Bay. He built Fernandez Mansion, a historic building that still stands today at the end of Tennent Avenue. From these early beginnings, a small but thriving community developed into the city of Pinole.

The settlement's growth was stimulated by construction of the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1878 and the establishment of the California Powder Works in nearby Hercules. During this period, the city had an active waterfront and was a regional hub of commerce and banking. The first post office opened in 1878 when the railroad reached the community. The City of Pinole was incorporated in 1903.

During the post-World War II boom, Pinole and the surrounding area grew rapidly. Construction of Interstate 80 in 1958 stimulated developers to build new housing to satisfy demand, and the town evolved as a suburban bedroom community within the San Francisco/Oakland commuter belt. Much of its original industry was displaced during this time, and the town became predominantly residential.

Today, the town is locally known for its "big-box store" shopping district along Fitzgerald Drive, and Pinole Vista Shopping Center, which is contiguous with Richmond's Hilltop area. The downtown area still retains much of its turn-of-the-century building stock. The city's development agency is working to preserve this historic area as a tourist and community destination.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which (56.6%) are covered by water. The city of Pinole has habitat areas that support the endangered species Santa Cruz tarweed on the California coastal prairie ecosystem. A colony of this rare plant was discovered during preparation of an environmental impact report for a proposed shopping center on the east side of I-80 in the late 1980s. Subsequently, a plan was developed by the city to conduct replanting of this tarweed on the slopes within the right-of-way of the interstate. Also running through the city is Pinole Creek.

Demographics

The 2020 United States census reported that Pinole had a population of 19,022. The population density was . The racial makeup of Pinole was 32.9% White, 11.0% African American, 1.1% Native American, 25.7% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 15.0% from other races, and 13.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 26.8% of the population.

The census reported that 99.2% of the population lived in households, 0.3% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.5% were institutionalized.

There were 6,860 households, out of which 29.6% included children under the age of 18, 50.2% were married-couple households, 6.2% were cohabiting couple households, 28.2% had a female householder with no partner present, and 15.4% had a male householder with no partner present. 22.0% of households were one person, and 11.8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.75. There were 4,879 families (71.1% of all households).

The age distribution was 17.9% under the age of 18, 7.5% aged 18 to 24, 26.0% aged 25 to 44, 27.3% aged 45 to 64, and 21.4% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 43.8years. For every 100 females, there were 91.0 males.

There were 7,106 housing units at an average density of , of which 6,860 (96.5%) were occupied. Of these, 71.0% were owner-occupied, and 29.0% were occupied by renters.

In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 29.8% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 63.4% spoke only English at home, 14.8% spoke Spanish, 4.0% spoke other Indo-European languages, 16.2% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 1.6% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 89.8% were high school graduates and 38.7% had a bachelor's degree.

The median household income was $120,833, and the per capita income was $52,589. About 4.0% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line.

Arts and culture

The Pinole Community Players have been performing in Pinole since 1986.

Government

On February 10, 2019, Pinole has 11,347 registered voters. Of those, 56.1% are registered Democrats, 13.4% are registered Republicans, and 26.4% have declined to state a political party.

Notable people

* Billie Joe Armstrong (b. 1972) and Mike Dirnt of Green Day attended Pinole Valley High School
* Travis Feeney (b. 1992), professional football player, went to Pinole Valley High School
* Bernardo Fernandez (1828 – 1912), was an early leader in the town's cattle industry
* Gary Holt (b. 1964), member of the thrash metal band Exodus, lives in Pinole.
* Ray Kremer (1893–1965), former professional baseball player, was born in Oakland, California, and retired in Pinole.
* Brad Lackey (b. 1953) was the 1982 Motocross World Champion.
* Gino Torretta (b. 1970), the 1992 Heisman Trophy winner, attended Pinole Valley High School.

See also

* Amtrak California

References

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External links

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Cities in Contra Costa County, California
San Pablo Bay
Incorporated cities and towns in California
Populated places established in 1903
1903 establishments in California
Cities in the San Francisco Bay Area
Populated coastal places in California