Orinda, California

History

Orinda is located within four Mexican land grants: Rancho Laguna de los Palos Colorados, Rancho Acalanes, Rancho El Sobrante and Rancho Boca de la Cañada del Pinole. The area was originally rural, mainly known for ranching and summer cabins. The Moraga Adobe was built in 1841, and is the oldest building in the East Bay. In the late 19th century, the land was named by Alice Marsh Cameron, probably in honor of the poet Katherine Philips, who was also known as the "Matchless Orinda".

In the 1880s, United States Surveyor General for California Theodore Wagner built an estate he named Orinda Park. The Orinda Park post office opened in 1888. The post office's name was changed to Orinda in 1895. Orinda was also the site of Bryant Station, a stop on the failed California and Nevada Railroad around the turn of the 20th century. Later, the area around Bryant Station was known as Orinda Crossroads.

Orinda's popularity as a year-round residence grew after the 1937 completion of the Caldecott Tunnel, which provided easier access to the west. Bisected by California State Route 24 and framed by its rolling oak-covered hills, the city of Orinda was incorporated on July 1, 1985. Its first mayor was Richard G. Heggie. The city is served by Orinda station on the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and Route 6 of the County Connection.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.9 sqmi, of which 12.9 sqmi of it is land and 0.016 sqmi of it (0.12%) is water.

Climate

The area is characterized by a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csb) with cool, rainy winters and warm, dry summers. Because Orinda is located in a hilly area, microclimates often dominate temperature differences in short distances. The Oakland Hills often block the cool foggy conditions that can be seen in Oakland and the inner Bay. In the summer, fog can spill over the Oakland hills, cooling off the area. Heatwaves from the inland areas can be felt much more in Orinda than in Oakland and the inner Bay during the summer. In the winter, Orinda often sees more precipitation than surrounding areas because of its higher elevation. Snowfall is rare but not unheard of. A dusting of snow may occur in any given year because of the elevation. During stable conditions in the winter, mornings can be cold and frosty in downtown and lower-lying areas, while the higher hills surrounding the area may be several degrees warmer.

| Orinda, California |34.3|53.8|5.99 |36.5|58.6|4.86 |38.4|61.4|4.31 |41.6|67.5|2.16 |45.6|70.9|1.22 |49.4|77.2|0.18 |51.6|81.8|0.02 |51.3|81.2|0.05 |50.0|82.5|0.41 |44.3|74.6|1.85 |38.3|64.5|3.24 |35.8|56.2|6.24 |Jan record high F = 69 |Feb record high F = 76 |Mar record high F = 84 |Apr record high F = 88 |May record high F = 100 |Jun record high F = 103 |Jul record high F = 107 |Aug record high F = 109 |Sep record high F = 110 |Oct record high F = 101 |Nov record high F = 87 |Dec record high F = 77 |Jan record low F = 15 |Feb record low F = 18 |Mar record low F = 23 |Apr record low F = 28 |May record low F = 32 |Jun record low F = 35 |Jul record low F = 42 |Aug record low F = 40 |Sep record low F = 32 |Oct record low F = 26 |Nov record low F = 22 |Dec record low F = 19 |access-date = 31 May 2024

Demographics

The 2020 United States census reported that Orinda had a population of 19,514. The population density was 1,518.4 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Orinda was 68.8% White, 1.0% African American, 0.2% Native American, 17.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.4% from other races, and 11.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.6% of the population.

The census reported that 99.8% of the population lived in households, 0.0% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.2% were institutionalized.

There were 6,957 households, out of which 38.2% included children under the age of 18, 72.6% were married-couple households, 2.8% were cohabiting couple households, 16.0% had a female householder with no partner present, and 8.6% had a male householder with no partner present. 16.0% of households were one person, and 11.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.8.

The age distribution was 24.9% under the age of 18, 5.8% aged 18 to 24, 16.9% aged 25 to 44, 29.1% aged 45 to 64, and 23.4% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 46.6years. For every 100 females, there were 96.6 males.

There were 7,232 housing units at an average density of 562.7 /mi2, of which 6,957 (96.2%) were occupied. Of these, 88.1% were owner-occupied, and 11.9% were occupied by renters.

In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 19.9% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 80.5% spoke only English at home, 3.1% spoke Spanish, 6.7% spoke other Indo-European languages, 9.2% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 0.5% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 98.1% were high school graduates and 85.4% had a bachelor's degree.

The median household income was over $250,000, and the per capita income was $139,503. About 0.4% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line.

Government

As of February 10, 2019, Orinda has 14,020 registered voters, with 6,692 (47.7%) registered as Democrats, 3,176 (22.7%) registered as Republicans, and 3,662 (26.1%) decline to state voters.

Once a Republican stronghold, Orinda has trended Democratic since 1992.

Education

Orinda has four public elementary schools: Sleepy Hollow Elementary, Wagner Ranch Elementary, Glorietta Elementary and Del Rey Elementary. Orinda Intermediate School is the only middle school. Together, these five schools make up the Orinda Union School District. Orinda's high school, Miramonte High School, is a part of the Acalanes Union High School District.

Orinda is home to three private educational establishments: Orinda Academy, Holden High School, and Fountainhead Montessori School. Of these, two (OA & Holden) are private high schools, while Fountainhead Montessori School services kindergarten through fifth grade.

The Contra Costa County Library has a branch in Orinda.

Notable people

• Poul Anderson, science fiction author
• Troy Auzenne, football star
• Bryan Barker, NFL football punter
• Jim Barnett, Golden State Warriors player and TV color commentator
• Chris Bauer, actor who was raised in Orinda
• Theodore Temple (Ted) Beckett, football star
• Drew Bennett, former NFL wide receiver; graduated from Miramonte High School in 1996
• Nicole Branagh, Olympic beach volleyball player
• Matt Cain, pitcher for San Francisco Giants
• Kirsten Costas, high school student murdered by her classmate, Bernadette Protti, in 1984
• Steph Curry, NBA player Golden State Warriors lived in Orinda 2013-2016
• Paul Dini, writer, cartoonist; lived in Orinda from 1963 to 1988
• Ken Dorsey, former quarterback for San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns
• Patricia C. Dunn, former Chairwoman of the Board of Hewlett-Packard
• Sheila Escovedo, drummer and percussionist
• Adonal Foyle, NBA center for Golden State Warriors and Orlando Magic
• John Hammergren, CEO of McKesson; highest-paid CEO in US (2011–2013)
• John Hampton, co-founder of Toys for Tots
• Sabrina Ionescu, WNBA star with the New York Liberty
• Brett Jackson, MLB player
• Robert Karplus, physicist and educator
• Hans Kelsen, one of preeminent jurists of 20th Century
• Harry Arthur "Cookie" Lavagetto (1912–1990), MLB third baseman, manager and coach, and pinch-hitter
• Daniel Levitin, best-selling author, cognitive neuroscientist, musician
• David Marchick, Washington, D.C. lobbyist
• Vegas Matt, gambler and Internet personality
• Megan Reid, soccer player
• Wayne F. Miller, photographer
• Karen Moe, Olympic swimming gold medalist
• William Penn Mott Jr., director of National Park Service from 1985 to 1989
• Hans Niemann, chess grandmaster
• Heather Petri, Olympic water polo player
• Susan Polk, Orinda housewife sentenced to 16-to-life for murder of husband, Felix Polk
• Gary Radnich, news broadcaster
• Julie Rubio, filmmaker
• Sam Shankland, chess grandmaster and 2018 US Chess Champion
• Dana Sparks, actress and spokesperson, Falcon Crest, Passions, L.A. Law, L'Oréal, Mercedes-Benz
• Owsley Stanley, audio engineer and legendary psychedelic chemist
• Jeremy Stoppelman, Founder of Yelp.com
• Rawson Marshall Thurber, filmmaker and actor
• Nicolle Wallace, political commentator, former White House Communications Director and senior adviser to John McCain's presidential campaign
• Claudell Washington, former Major League Baseball player
• Will Wright, designer of computer games such as SimCity and The Sims

References

References

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11. "Report of Registration as of February 10, 2019 - Registration by Political Subdivision by County".
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13. "Statewide Election Results :: California Secretary of State".
14. Martin, Douglas. (August 3, 2001). "Poul Anderson, Science Fiction Novelist, Dies at 74". The New York Times.
15. Lefkow, Mike. (February 23, 2017). "Orinda: Miramonte High to induct spectacular Hall of Fame class".
16. Richards, Sam. (July 8, 2010). "John Hampton, co-founder of Toys for Tots, dies at 103". [[Contra Costa Times]].
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20. "Nicolle Wallace » About Nicolle".