Davis, California
City
Top: Davis station (left) and Downtown (right); bottom: University of California, Davis
Flag
Anthem: The Davis Song[1]
Location of Davis in Yolo County, California
Davis Location in the State of California Show map of California Davis Location in the contiguous United States Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 38°33′14″N 121°44′17″W / 38.55389°N 121.73806°W / 38.55389; -121.73806
Country	United States
State	California
County	Yolo
Rail depot	1868
Incorporated	March 28, 1917[2]
Named for	Jerome C. Davis
Government
• Mayor	Josh Chapman[3]
• State senator	Bill Dodd (D)[4]
• Assemblymember	Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D)[4]
• U.S. rep.	Mike Thompson (D)[5]
Area [6]
• Total	10.01 sq mi (25.92 km2)
• Land	9.97 sq mi (25.83 km2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.09 km2)  0.32%
Elevation [7]	52 ft (16 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	66,850
• Density	6,703.77/sq mi (2,588.44/km2)
Demonym	Davisite[8]
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP Codes[9]	95616–95618
Area code	530
FIPS code	06-18100
GNIS feature IDs	277498, 2410296
Website	cityofdavis.org
Official flower Lupinus microcarpus var. densiflorus 'Ed Gedling' (Golden lupine)[10]

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,^[11] not including the on-campus population of the University of California, Davis, which was over 9,400 (not including students' families) in 2016.^[12] As of 2019,^[update] there were 38,369 students enrolled at the university.^[13]

History

Davis sits on land that originally belonged to the Indigenous Patwin, a southern branch of Wintun people, who were killed or forced from their lands by the 1830s as part of the California Genocide through a combination of mass murders, smallpox and other diseases, and both Mexican and American systems of Indigenous slavery.^[14][15][16] Patwin burial grounds have been found across Davis, including on the site of the UC Davis Mondavi Center.^[17] After the killing and expulsion of the Patwin, territory that eventually became Davis emerged from one of California's most complicated ranchos, Laguna de Santos Callé.^[18] The 1852 Land Commission concurred with US Attorneys who argued that the grant was "fraudulent in all its parts," and in his 1860 District Court ruling Justice Ogden Hoffman observed that "It is impossible to contemplate without disgust the series of perjuries which compose the record" of the land grant.^[18] Nevertheless, Jerome C. Davis, a prominent farmer and one of the early claimants to land in Laguna de Santos Callé, lobbied all the way to the United States Congress in order to retain the land that eventually became Davis.^[18][19] Davis became a depot on the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1868, when it was named "Davisville" after Jerome C. Davis.^[20] However, 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.^[21]

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.^[22] 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, 11 mi (18 km) west of Sacramento, 70 mi (113 km) northeast of San Francisco, 385 mi (619 km) 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 52 feet (16 m) above sea level.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.5 square miles (27 km²). 10.4 square miles (27 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km²) of it (0.19%) is water.

The topography is flat, which has helped Davis to become known as a haven for bicyclists.^[23]

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 85 to 105 °F (29 to 41 °C), but the nights turn pleasantly cool, almost always dropping below 70 °F (21 °C). 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 45 and 65 °F (7 and 18 °C) in the afternoon; nights average at about 35 to 40 °F (2 to 4 °C), but occasionally fall below freezing.

Average temperatures range from 46 °F (8 °C) in December and January to 75 °F (24 °C) in July and August. Thick ground fog called tule fog settles into Davis during late fall and winter. This fog can be dense, with visibility nearly zero. 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 20 inches (510 mm). The bulk of rain occurs between about mid-November to mid-March, with typically no precipitation falling from mid-June to mid-September.^[24]

Record temperatures range from a high of 116 °F (47 °C) on July 17, 1925, to a low of 12 °F (−11 °C) on December 11, 1932.^[25]

Neighborhoods

Davis is internally divided by two freeways (Interstate 80 and State Route 113), a north–south railroad (California Northern), an east–west mainline (Union Pacific) and several major streets. The city is unofficially divided into six main districts made up of smaller neighborhoods (often originally named as housing subdivisions):

• 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.^[28]
• 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.^[29]
• 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 (in some cases walled-in) subdivisions such as Mace Ranch, Lake Alhambra Estates, and Wildhorse. ^{[citation needed]}
• 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' public schools. ^{[citation needed]}
• West Davis, north of I-80 and west of SR 113. West Davis includes Westwood, Evergreen, Aspen, Stonegate (west of Lake Boulevard and including Stonegate Lake and the Stonegate Country Club) and the eco-friendly Village Homes development, known for its solar-powered houses.

The University of California, Davis is located south of Russell Boulevard and west of A Street and then south of 1st Street. The land occupied by the university is not incorporated within the boundaries of the city of Davis and lies within both Yolo and Solano Counties.

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.^[30]

On November 14, 1984, the Davis City Council declared the city to be a nuclear-free zone.^[31] In 1998, the City passed a "Dark Skies" ordinance in an effort to reduce light pollution in the night sky.^[32]

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 (CRRC) 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.^[33]

Demographics

Davis is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area.

2020

According to the 2020 Census the population of Davis was 66,850 people.

In 2020 the racial demographics ^[36]were as follows:

53.6% White

2.3% Black

13.8% Hispanic or Latino

23.3% Asian

1.1% Native American

9.6% 2 or more races

2010

The 2010 United States Census^[37] reported that Davis had a population of 65,622. The population density was 6,615.8 inhabitants per square mile (2,554.4/km²). The racial makeup of Davis was 42,571 (64.9%) White, 1,528 (2.3%) African American, 339 (0.5%) Native American, 14,355 (21.9%) Asian, 136 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 3,121 (4.8%) from other races, and 3,572 (5.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8,172 persons (12.5%).

Davis' 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.^[38]

Davis' 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.^[38]

The Census reported that 63,522 people (96.8% of the population) lived in households, 1,823 (2.8%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 277 (0.4%) were institutionalized.

There were 24,873 households, of which 6,119 (24.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 9,343 (37.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,880 (7.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, and 702 (2.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,295 (5.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 210 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 5,952 households (23.9%) were made up of individuals, and 1,665 (6.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55. There were 11,925 families (47.9% of all households); the average family size was 2.97.

The population age and sex distribution was 10,760 people (16.4%) under the age of 18, 21,757 people (33.2%) aged 18 to 24, 14,823 people (22.6%) aged 25 to 44, 12,685 people (19.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 5,597 people (8.5%) 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 2,608.0 per square mile (1,007.0/km²), of which 10,699 (43.0%) were owner-occupied, and 14,174 (57.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.5%. 27,594 people (42.0% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 35,928 people (54.7%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the United States 2000 Census,^[41] there were 60,308 people, 22,948 households, and 11,290 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,769.2 inhabitants per square mile (2,227.5 inhabitants/km²). There were 23,617 housing units at an average density of 2,259.3 per square mile (872.3/km²). The racial composition of the city was 70.07% White, 2.35% Black or African American, 0.67% Native American, 17.5% Asian, 0.24% Pacific Islander, 4.26% from other races, and 4.87% from two or more races. 9.61% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.^[42]

There were 22,948 households, of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.3% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.8% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were composed of individuals, and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the city, the population age distribution was 18.6% under the age of 18, 30.9% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 16.7% from 45 to 64, and 6.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,454, and the median income for a family was $74,051. Males had a median income of $51,189 versus $36,082 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,937. About 5.4% of families and 24.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.

This city of approximately 62,000 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.

Economy

Top employers

According to the city's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,^[43] the top employers in the city are: