Tracy, California

Tracy is a city in San Joaquin County, California, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,929, but a July 1, 2005 Census estimate showed the fast-growing city's population rose to 75,800. The January 3, 2030 California Department of Finance estimate of Tracy's population shows a further increase to 101,321.

Tracy is located east of the San Francisco Bay Area, just past Livermore, California and the Altamont Pass. It is considered by some to be an exurb of San Jose and San Francisco, because many residents commute over the congested Interstate 580 to job centers in the Bay Area.

History

Yes, indeed, I said to myself, look out now, and I hung on. You never saw a driving fool like that. He made Tracy in no time. Tracy is a railroad town; brakemen eat surly meals in diners by the tracks. Trains howl away across the valley. The sun goes down long and red. --Jack Kerouac, On the Road

The poet summed up best the birth of Tracy, California. The town sprung from the new line of the Central Pacific Railroad on September 8, 1878 out of the San Francisco Bay, and kept growing since. The area, once home and hunting grounds of the Ohlone and Miwok Indians, largely became a railroad and agricultural town named after a local railroad official. Incorporated in 1910 and flushed with new irrigation ditches, it remained rural until the late 20th century when housing and commercial development turned the dusty, farming town into a sleepy, suburban enclave. Affordable housing and relatively safe neighborhoods and schools brought an influx of commuters from the San Francisco and Sacramento/Stockton area, fleeing the skyrocketing costs of living in these cities.

The Deuel Vocational Institution, a state prison, opened on Kasson Road east of Tracy in 1953. It covers 783 acres (3.2 km²). DVI is in the process of being repurposed from a vocational institution to a processing center for prisoners bound elsewhere in the state prison system.

Today, though still surrounded by farmlands, orchards, and ranches, the city of Tracy boasts modern facilities and wide, tree-lined arterials and caters to demographics outside of its old railroad and agricultural past. Current and expected future growth in the Tracy area has even resulted in effort, led by Congressman and local landowner Richard Pombo, to construct a freeway over the nearby Diablo Range to San Jose, the road paralleling the existing, congested Interstate 580 over the Altamont Pass. Following a trend among similarly-sized California communities, however, an increasingly vocal group of residents (most organized under the banner of the "Tracy Regional Alliance for a Quality Community") has successfully called for slowed residential growth.

The city bills itself as the "Dry Bean Capital of the World," and the Tracy Dry Bean Festival is held downtown every year on the second weekend of September.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 56,929 people, 17,620 households, and 14,307 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,046.7/km² (2,711.3/mi²). There were 18,087 housing units at an average density of 332.5/km² (861.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 65.22% White, 5.48% African American, 0.91% Native American, 8.14% Asian, 0.55% Pacific Islander, 13.08% from other races, and 6.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 27.69% of the population.

There were 17,620 households out of which 51.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.0% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.8% were non-families. 14.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.21 and the average family size was 3.56.

In the city the population was spread out with 34.4% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 35.0% from 25 to 44, 16.7% from 45 to 64, and 6.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 100.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $62,794, and the median income for a family was $67,464. Males had a median income of $50,095 versus $35,143 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,397. About 5.2% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.

Sister City

Tracy's sister city is Memuro, Japan.

Famous Tracyites

MC Hammer - Musician
Keena Turner - Football Star
Richard Pombo - Legislator/Rancher
Troy Dayak - Soccer Player/Coach
Rev. Rafael Palma - Local Minister/Community Leader
Ruth Rogers - Actress 1918 - 1953
Darrell Larson - Actor b.1950

External link

Official City Website

External links

Cities in California | San Joaquin County, California