Santa Nella, California

Etymology

The name does not refer to a saint, as there is no saint named "Nella". The name is an English language corruption of the Spanish word centinela ("sentinel"), referring to the earlier Centinela Adobe that was located in the vicinity.

History

Santa Nella began as the site of Rancho de Centinela (Sentinel Ranch) first established by pioneering stockmen from San Juan Bautista and Monterey as a place to raise horses in 1810. The former Centinela Adobe, a one-story adobe built as living quarters for the ranch, was located on El Camino Viejo a Los Ángeles about 3 mi downstream from the site of the later San Luis Adobe (now under the San Luis Reservoir), at the east end of the Pacheco Pass road, situated on the south bank of Arroyo de San Luis Gonzaga. The escape of many of the horses into the valley and subsequent Indian hostilities made the enterprise a failure.

The land and adobe of this old Spanish ranch was included in the Rancho San Luis Gonzaga in 1843. From the time of the California Gold Rush the stage road from Hill's Ferry crossed San Luis Creek at Centinella on the way to connect with the Pacheco Pass road at Rancho San Luis. The old Centinela ranch became a stopping place for stages and travelers on El Camino Viejo. Later a two-story adobe house was constructed near the old adobe by Basque sheepmen in the 1860s and a wooden barn in the 1870s. The two-story adobe was subsequently torn down in the 1890s and replaced by a frame house built by Miller and Lux. This house and barn were for a long time local landmarks. However, by 1966, the wooden house and barn had been removed and a roadside stop built on the site along State Route 33. The name of the place had been corrupted into Santa Nella.

The community was entered into the Geographic Names Information System in 1981 as "Santa Nella Village". In 2010, it became a census-designated place under the "Santa Nella" name.

Geography

Santa Nella is in western Merced County, on the western edge of California's Central Valley. Interstate 5 passes through the north side of the community, with access from Exit 407 (California State Route 33). I-5 leads north 66 mi to Stockton and southeast 160 mi to the Bakersfield area. State Route 33 leads north from Santa Nella 11 mi to Gustine and southeast 12 mi to Los Banos.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Santa Nella CDP covers an area of 4.7 sqmi, all of it land.

The San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery, including the California Korean War Veterans Memorial, is located to the west of Santa Nella, on McCabe Road. Nearby attractions also include the San Luis Reservoir and Forebay Golf Course.

Transportation

Interstate 5 intersects with State Route 33 in Santa Nella. State Route 152, a major east–west highway connecting nearby Los Banos with the Santa Clara Valley, runs south of town.

Santa Nella is served by public Dial-A-Ride from Merced County's The Bus. The service connects Santa Nella with Gustine, Los Banos, Dos Palos, and other communities on the west side of Merced County.

Economy

Santa Nella is a major stopping point along the Interstate 5 corridor for those traveling between Los Angeles and either the San Francisco Bay Area or Sacramento, with various fast food outlets, motels, and gas stations.

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1850–1870 1880-1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Santa Nella first appeared as a census designated place in the 2010 U.S. census.

The 2020 United States census reported that Santa Nella had a population of 2,211. The population density was 472.1 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Santa Nella was 646 (29.2%) White, 35 (1.6%) African American, 68 (3.1%) Native American, 113 (5.1%) Asian, 6 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 972 (44.0%) from other races, and 371 (16.8%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,649 persons (74.6%).

The census reported that 2,185 people (98.8% of the population) lived in households, 26 (1.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.

There were 607 households, out of which 287 (47.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 316 (52.1%) were married-couple households, 58 (9.6%) were cohabiting couple households, 115 (18.9%) had a female householder with no partner present, and 118 (19.4%) had a male householder with no partner present. 105 households (17.3%) were one person, and 51 (8.4%) were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.6.

The age distribution was 712 people (32.2%) under the age of 18, 204 people (9.2%) aged 18 to 24, 560 people (25.3%) aged 25 to 44, 562 people (25.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 173 people (7.8%) who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 31.2years. For every 100 females, there were 108.6 males.

There were 627 housing units at an average density of 133.9 /mi2, of which 607 (96.8%) were occupied. Of these, 380 (62.6%) were owner-occupied, and 227 (37.4%) were occupied by renters.

Government

In the California State Legislature, Santa Nella is in , and in .

In the United States House of Representatives, Santa Nella is in .

References

References

1. "2022 U.S. Gazetteer Files: California". United States Census Bureau.
2. {{gnis. 1659597
3. "P1. Race – Santa Nella CDP, California: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)". U.S. Census Bureau.
4. {{gnis. 2583129
5. Miller, Thaddeus. (April 22, 2013). "Public Meeting in Santa Nella Brings Praise". Merced Sun-Star.
6. "2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Santa Nella CDP". United States Census Bureau.
7. Bright, William. (1998). "1500 California Place Names: Their Origin and Meaning". University of California Press.
8. (1933). "Historic Spots In California: Valley and Sierra Counties". Stanford University.
9. (1966). "Historic Spots In California". Stanford University.
10. [http://www.hometownlocator.com/hotels-motels/hotelinfo/92432.cfm Super 8 Santa Nella CA Santa Nella California]
11. "The Micro Bus | Merced Transit Authority, CA - Official Website".
12. "Decennial Census by Decade".
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15. "1890 Census of Population - Population of California by Minor Civil Divisions".
16. "1900 Census of Population - Population of California by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions".
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18. "1920 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California".
19. "1930 Census of Population - Number and Distribution of Inhabitants - California".
20. "1940 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California".
21. "1950 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California".
22. "1960 Census of Population - General population Characteristics - California".
23. "1970 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California".
24. "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California".
25. "1990 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - California".
26. "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - California".
27. "2010 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - California".
28. "Santa Nella CDP, California; DP1: Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics - 2020 Census of Population and Housing".
29. "Santa Nella CDP, California; P16: Household Type - 2020 Census of Population and Housing".
30. "Final Maps {{!}} California Citizens Redistricting Commission".
31. {{Cite GovTrack. CA. 13