Davis, California
Davis is the most populous city in Yolo County, California, United States. Located in the Sacramento Valley region of Northern California, the city had a population of 66,850 in 2020, not including the on-campus population of the University of California, Davis, which was over 9,400 in 2016. there were 40,850 students enrolled at the university, which is known as the biking capital of America.
History
Davis sits on land that was historically inhabited by Indigenous people associated with the Clovis culture. The Patwin, a southern branch of Wintun people, eventually displaced existing Indigenous tribes. The Patwin were subsequently displaced by the American and Mexican government in the 1830s as part of the California genocide. Patwin burial grounds have been found across Davis, including on the site of the UC Davis Mondavi Center. Territory that eventually became Davis emerged from ranchos, Laguna de Santos Callé. Jerome C. Davis, a prominent farmer and one of the early claimants to land in Laguna de Santos Callé, lobbied to the United States Congress to retain the land that eventually became Davis. Davis became a depot on the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1868, when it was named Davisville after Jerome C. Davis. The post office at Davisville shortened the town name to "Davis" in 1907. The name stuck, and the city of Davis was incorporated on March 28, 1917.From its inception as a farming community, Davis is known primarily for its contributions to agricultural policy along with veterinary care and animal husbandry. Following the passage of the University Farm Bill in 1905 by the California State Legislature, Governor George Pardee selected Davis out of 50 other sites as the future home to the University of California's University Farm, officially opening to students in 1908. The farm, later renamed the Northern Branch of the College of Agriculture in 1922, was upgraded to become the seventh UC general campus, the University of California, Davis, in 1959.
Geography and environment
Location
Davis is located in Yolo County, California, west of Sacramento, northeast of San Francisco, north of Los Angeles, at the intersection of Interstate 80 and State Route 113. Neighboring towns include Dixon, Winters, Woodland, and West Sacramento.Davis lies in the Sacramento Valley, the northern portion of the Central Valley, in Northern California, at an elevation of about above sea level.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of. of it is land and of it, or 0.35%, is water.
The topography is flat, which has helped Davis to become known as a haven for bicyclists.
Climate
The Davis climate resembles that of nearby Sacramento and is typical of California's Central Valley Mediterranean climate region: warm and dry in the spring, summer and autumn, and cool and wet in the winter. It is classified as a Köppen Csa climate. Summer days are hot, ranging from, but the nights turn pleasantly cool, almost always dropping below. The Delta Breeze, a flow of cool marine air originating from the Pacific Ocean via San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, frequently provides relief in the evening. Winter temperatures generally reach between in the afternoon; nights average at about, but occasionally fall below freezing.Average temperatures range from in December and January to in July and August. Thick ground fog called tule fog settles into Davis during late fall and winter. This fog can be dense, with near zero visibility. As in other areas of Northern California, the tule fog is a leading cause of road accidents in the winter season.
Mean rainfall per annum is about. The bulk of the rainfall occurs between about mid-November to mid-March, with typically no precipitation falling from mid-June to mid-September.
Record temperatures range from a high of on July 17, 1925, to a low of on December 11, 1932.
Neighborhoods
Davis is internally divided by two freeways, a north–south railroad, an east–west mainline and several major streets. The city is unofficially divided into six main districts made up of smaller neighborhoods :Image:UC Davis arboretum - ducks.jpg|thumb|The UC Davis Arboretum
- Central Davis, north of Fifth Street and Russell Boulevard, south of Covell Blvd., east of SR 113, and west of the railroad tracks running along G Street. Within these boundaries is the officially denoted neighborhood of Old North Davis, which is sometimes also considered part of Downtown.
- Downtown Davis, roughly the numbered-and-lettered grid north of I-80, south of Fifth Street, east of A Street, and west of the railroad tracks, including the Aggie Village and Olive Drive areas.
- East Davis, north of I-80, south of Covell Blvd., and east of the railroad tracks. It includes the older, 'inner' East Davis of lettered streets and neighborhoods such as Davis Manor, Chestnut, and Rancho Yolo, as well as more distinctly identified subdivisions such as Mace Ranch, Lake Alhambra Estates, and Wildhorse.
- North Davis, north of Covell Blvd. North Davis includes Covell Park, Senda Nueva, Northstar, and North Davis Farms.
- South Davis, south of I-80, and includes Willowbank. El Macero, California, although outside the city limits, is sometimes considered part of South Davis; El Macero is part of the Davis Joint Unified School District, and El Macero children who attend public schools attend Davis's public schools.
- West Davis, north of I-80 and west of SR 113. West Davis includes Westwood, Evergreen, Aspen, Stonegate and the eco-friendly Village Homes development, known for its solar-powered houses.
Environment
Local energy planning began in Davis after the energy crisis of 1973. A new building code promoted energy efficiency. Energy use in buildings decreased dramatically and in 1981 Davis citizens won a $100,000 prize from utility PG&E, for cutting electricity use during the summer peak.On November 14, 1984, the Davis City Council declared the city to be a nuclear-free zone. In 1998, the City passed a "Dark Skies" ordinance in an effort to reduce light pollution in the night sky.
In 2013, Davis became part of the state Cool Roof Initiative with the "CoolDavis" campaign, requiring all new roofing projects to meet Cool Roof Rating Council requirements, including the installation of light-colored roofs. The aim is to reflect more sunlight back into space via the albedo effect, and reduce the amount of heat absorbed in hopes of limiting climate change.
Demographics
Davis is part of the Sacramento metropolitan area.2020
The 2020 United States census reported that Davis had a population of 66,850. The population density was. The racial makeup was 54.7% White, 2.5% African American, 0.7% Native American, 22.1% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 7.3% from other races, and 12.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.0% of the population.The census reported that 96.7% of the population lived in households, 2.8% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.6% were institutionalized.
There were 25,667 households, out of which 24.5% included children under the age of 18, 38.7% were married-couple households, 6.6% were cohabiting couple households, 32.9% had a female householder with no partner present, and 21.8% had a male householder with no partner present. 25.2% of households were one person, and 9.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.52. There were 13,229 families.
The age distribution was 16.0% under the age of 18, 27.8% aged 18 to 24, 24.0% aged 25 to 44, 18.2% aged 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 28.1years. For every 100 females, there were 89.0 males.
There were 27,066 housing units at an average density of, of which 25,667 were occupied. Of these, 43.5% were owner-occupied, and 56.5% were occupied by renters.
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $87,421, and the per capita income was $50,060. About 5.3% of families and 25.1% of the population were below the poverty line.
2010
The 2010 United States census reported that Davis had a population of 65,622. The population density was. The racial makeup of Davis was 42,571 White, 1,528 African American, 339 Native American, 14,355 Asian, 136 Pacific Islander, 3,121 from other races, and 3,572 from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8,172 persons.Davis's Asian population of 14,355 was apportioned among 1,631 Indian Americans, 6,395 Chinese Americans, 1,560 Korean Americans, 1,185 Vietnamese Americans, 1,033 Filipino Americans, 953 Japanese Americans, and 1,598 other Asian Americans.
Davis's Hispanic and Latino population of 8,172 was apportioned among 5,618 Mexican American, 221 Puerto Rican American, 80 Cuban American, and 2,253 other Hispanic and Latino.
The census reported that 63,522 people lived in households, 1,823 lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 277 were institutionalized.
There were 24,873 households, of which 6,119 had children under the age of 18 living in them, 9,343 were opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,880 had a female householder with no husband present, and 702 had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,295 unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 210 same-sex married couples or partnerships. 5,952 households were made up of individuals, and 1,665 had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55. There were 11,925 families ; the average family size was 2.97.
The population age and sex distribution was 10,760 people under the age of 18, 21,757 people aged 18 to 24, 14,823 people aged 25 to 44, 12,685 people aged 45 to 64, and 5,597 people who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.
There were 25,869 housing units, with an average density of, of which 10,699 were owner-occupied, and 14,174 were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.5%. 27,594 people lived in owner-occupied housing units and 35,928 people lived in rental housing units.
This city of approximately 65,000 people abuts a university campus of 32,000 students. Although the university's land is not incorporated within the city, many students live off-campus in the city.