Fullerton, California
Fullerton is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 143,617.
Fullerton was founded in 1887. It secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Historically it was a center of agriculture, notably groves of Valencia oranges and other citrus crops, as well as petroleum extraction; transportation; and manufacturing. It is home to numerous higher educational institutions, particularly California State University, Fullerton and Fullerton College. From the mid-1940s through the late 1990s, Fullerton was home to a large industrial base made up of aerospace contractors, canneries, paper products manufacturers, and is considered to be the birthplace of the electric guitar, due in large part to Leo Fender. The headquarters of Vons, which is owned by Albertsons, is located in Fullerton near the Fullerton–Anaheim line.
History
Indigenous
Evidence of prehistoric animal habitation, such as saber-toothed cats and mammoths, is present in Ralph B. Clark Regional Park in the northwest of the city.The area of the city was a part of the homelands of the Tongva for thousands of years. There was a large village in the area along the Santa Ana River that has since been identified as the Hutuknga. The village was one of the largest throughout all of Tovaangar, or the Tongva world. It was connected by marriage ties to other villages in the area, including Genga. Acorns and seeds from grasses and sages were regularly cultivated. Trade connections were established with villages on the coast and those further inland.
Spanish era
Europeans first passed through the area in 1769 when Gaspar de Portolá led a Spanish expedition north to Monterey. From the description recorded in the diary of Father Juan Crespi, the party camped on July 29 near present-day Laguna Lake, in the Sunny Hills area.American era
Fullerton was founded in 1887 on land secured on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. In 1894, Charles Chapman purchased an orange orchard in eastern Fullerton. The Valencia oranges he promoted from his Santa Ysabel Ranch, well suited to the local climate, proved a boon to producers; Fullerton boasted more orange groves than any other municipality in the United States. Cultivation of walnuts and avocados also flourished, and the Western railroad town became an agricultural center. Fullerton was incorporated in 1904,Boom years
Drilling for petroleum began in 1880 with the discovery of the Brea-Olinda Oil Field and fueled the first real boom, peaking in the 1920s. Construction reflected the vogue for Spanish Colonial Revival and Italian Renaissance–inspired architecture, as in the historic Fox Fullerton Theatre ; the Muckenthaler House, designed by Frank K. Benchley ; and the city's chief landmark, the Plummer Auditorium and clock tower. Fullerton College was established at its present location at Chapman Avenue and Lemon Street in 1913. Meanwhile, the city banned all overnight street parking in 1924 – a law enforced to the present day, unless an area is specifically exempted.In 1943, the Alex Bernal residence became the site of one of the first successful lawsuits against household covenant laws in the country after Alex and Esther Bernal purchased a home in a Fullerton neighborhood that barred purchases from "Mexicans." After a home invasion that resulted in their belongings being thrown into the street and a petition signed by fifty neighborhood residents to have the Bernal's removed from the neighborhood, a lawsuit was issued against the Bernals on the basis that their presence caused "irreparable injury" to the neighborhood that could lead to "coming in contact with said other races, including Mexicans, in a social and neighborhood manner." Lawyer David C. Marcus represented the Bernals in Doss vs. Bernal and won the case, which received national attention.
In 1949, Leo Fender developed and refined the world's first commercially successful solid-body electric guitar, the Fender Telecaster.
Postwar suburbanization
Although Fullerton, like other Southern California cities, had experienced an expansion of population due to housing development, this increased by an order of magnitude during the post war years. Fullerton's population soared after World War II as American veterans migrated to the region, bought housing in developments which consumed the area's farmland, and in particular after the construction of Interstate 5 and development in neighboring Anaheim.To serve the growing population, the California State Legislature authorized Orange County State College in 1957, which began operating out of Fullerton high schools in 1959. In 1963, it moved to its present campus on State College Boulevard, and later, after several name-changes, was finally redesignated California State University, Fullerton. The Fullerton Arboretum, a 26-acre botanical garden, opened in 1979.
Manufacturing growth leveled off as ever-soaring property prices, increasing environmental regulation, traffic, and other pressures increased. By the late 20th century the city had lost much of its rural character in favor of suburban housing tracts and shopping centers.
In the 1980s, Fullerton hosted a community of Punk and LGBTQ youth in the former Black Hole Apartments.
Recent history
In the 1990s, the downtown commercial district had become economically depressed, and was known mainly for being an area of sleepy antique stores and small shops. A symbol of downtown's problems was the Fox Theatre, a local landmark which had fallen into disrepair partially due to a fire. As of November 2004, a fundraising drive had accumulated sufficient funds to buy the theater, but not yet enough money to restore it. By 2006, restoration was started. As of 2024 these renovations were still ongoing.During this same period, downtown Fullerton, especially in the south of Commonwealth area, has become more of a busy entertainment district, described by the OC Weekly as "Bourbon Street West." In less than five years, some 30 businesses that sell alcohol have opened, making the downtown area much more active at night. In 2008, City Manager Chris Meyer called together department head and the finance department and reported to the city council that the Restaurant Overlay District was costing the city $935,000 over and above the sales taxes collected.
The Hughes Aircraft Company's Ground Systems Group campus in western Fullerton was redeveloped into a new residential and commercial district called Amerige Heights, in between 2001 and 2004.
Geography
Fullerton is located approximately southeast of downtown Los Angeles, and approximately north-northwest of Santa Ana, the county seat. The city lies approximately northeast of the Pacific Ocean straight-line distance.According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which is land and, comprising 0.05%, is water.
West Coyote Hills is a ridge in northern Fullerton, including owned by Pacific Coast Homes that is the largest remaining tract of undeveloped land in north Orange County.
Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Fullerton has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated Csa on climate maps.Demographics
Fullerton first appeared as a city in the 1910 U.S. census. Prior to that, the area was part of unincorporated Fullerton Township.2020
The 2020 United States census reported that Fullerton had a population of 143,617. The population density was. The racial makeup of Fullerton was 36.3% White, 2.3% African American, 1.3% Native American, 26.7% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 18.2% from other races, and 14.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 37.8% of the population.The census reported that 97.5% of the population lived in households, 2.1% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.4% were institutionalized.
There were 48,412 households, out of which 32.8% included children under the age of 18, 50.1% were married-couple households, 6.6% were cohabiting couple households, 25.7% had a female householder with no partner present, and 17.6% had a male householder with no partner present. 20.4% of households were one person, and 8.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.89. There were 33,984 families.
The age distribution was 20.5% under the age of 18, 12.3% aged 18 to 24, 27.8% aged 25 to 44, 25.1% aged 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 36.7years. For every 100 females, there were 95.6 males.
There were 50,411 housing units at an average density of, of which 48,412 were occupied. Of these, 50.1% were owner-occupied, and 49.9% were occupied by renters.
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 28.9% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 53.6% spoke only English at home, 25.2% spoke Spanish, 3.7% spoke other Indo-European languages, 16.5% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 0.9% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 88.3% were high school graduates and 43.6% had a bachelor's degree.
The median household income was $104,219, and the per capita income was $48,061. About 8.0% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line.
2010
The 2010 United States census reported that Fullerton had a population of 135,161. The population density was. The racial makeup of Fullerton was 72,845 White, 3,138 African American, 842 Native American, 30,788 Asian, 321 Pacific Islander, 21,439 from other races, and 5,788 from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 46,501 persons. Non-Hispanic Whites were 38.2% of the population, down from 79.0% in 1980.The Census reported that 132,084 people lived in households, 2,318 lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 759 were institutionalized.
There were 45,391 households, out of which 16,155 had children under the age of 18 living in them, 23,240 were opposite-sex married couples living together, 5,502 had a female householder with no husband present, 2,505 had a male householder with no wife present. There were 2,366 unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 290 same-sex married couples or partnerships. 9,771 households were made up of individuals, and 3,342 had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91. There were 31,247 families ; the average family size was 3.43.
The population was spread out, with 31,558 people under the age of 18, 17,522 people aged 18 to 24, 37,764 people aged 25 to 44, 32,465 people aged 45 to 64, and 15,852 people who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males.
There were 47,869 housing units at an average density of, of which 24,600 were owner-occupied, and 20,791 were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.0%. 73,127 people lived in owner-occupied housing units and 58,957 people lived in rental housing units.
According to the 2010 United States census, Fullerton had a median household income of $67,617, with 14.6% of the population living below the federal poverty line.