| 109th | Top U.S. place names of Spanish origin |
| 40th | Top Sierra Nevada topics |
| Amador County, California | |
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|
 Location in the state of California |
|
 California's location in the U.S. |
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| Seat | Jackson |
|---|---|
| Largest city | Ione |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
605 sq mi (1,567 km²) 12 sq mi (31 km²), 1.94% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
38,471 60/sq mi (23/km²) |
| Founded | 1854 |
| Website | www.co.amador.ca.us |
Amador County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U.S. state of California. As of 2005, the population was 38,471. The county seat is Jackson.
Amador County bills itself as "The Heart of the Mother Lode" and lies within the Gold Country. There is a substantial wine-growing industry in the county.
Contents |
Amador County was created in 1854 from parts of Calaveras and El Dorado Counties. In 1864, part of the county's territory was given to Alpine County.
The county is named for Jose Maria Amador, soldier, rancher and miner, who was born in San Francisco in 1794, the son of Sergeant Pedro Amador (a Spanish soldier who settled in California in 1771) and younger brother to Sinforosa Amador.
In 1848, Jose Maria Amador, with several Native Americans, established a successful gold mining camp near the present town of Amador City. In Spanish, the word amador means "one who loves."
Amador County is located approximately 45 miles (72 km) southeast of Sacramento in a part of California known as the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 605 square miles (1,566 km²), of which, 593 square miles (1,536 km²) of it is land and 12 square miles (30 km²) of it (1.94%) is water. Water bodies in the county include Lake Amador, Lake Camanche, Pardee Reservoir, Bear River Reservoir, Silver Lake, Sutter Creek, Cosumnes River, Mokelumne River, and Jackson Creek.
Amador County ranges in elevation from approximately 250 feet (76 m) in the western portion of the county to over 9,000 feet (2,700 m) in the eastern portion of the county. The county is bordered on the north by the Cosumnes River and on the south by the Mokelumne River.
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El Dorado County | |
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| Sacramento County |  |
Alpine County | ||
 Amador County,
California  |
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| San Joaquin County | Calaveras County |
Though not as well known as the Napa Valley AVA or Sonoma Valley AVA wine growing regions of California, the Shenandoah Valley was once the princicpal wine growing region of California. With the discovery of gold, the area quickly became a mecca for those trying to make their fortune. In the process numerous wineries sprouted up many of whose vineyards are still in use by wineries today. The decline of the California Gold Rush coupled with the onset of Prohibition devastated the wine making region of Amador County. Today this area has been resurrected and is now home to over 40 different wineries. Amador County is renowned for its Zinfandel, but many other varietals are produced as well. Amador County has a high percentage of old Zinfandel vines. Some of the Zinfandel vineyards in this county are more than 125 years old; including the original Grandpère vineyard, planted with Zinfandel before 1869, making the vineyard the believed to be oldest Zinfandel vineyard in America.. This 10-acre vineyard is home to the oldest Zinfandel vines on Earth, with proof of existence dating to 1869 when the vineyard was listed as a descriptor on a deed from the U.S. Geological Survey. Also grant deed in Amador County records proves its existence in 1869. These old vines produce intense flavors allowing winemakers to make the outstanding Zinfandels for which this area is famous.
There are numerous gold mines in Amador County including the Argonaut Mine, the Kennedy Mine, and the Sutter Mine.
Amador County is home of the Gold Rush era in California. Many century-old gold-mining places in the county are now popular tourist destinations. Amador County offers several tourists destinations and things to do:
Amador Regional Transit System (ARTS) provides service in Jackson and the nearby communities. Connections are available to Sacramento and to Calaveras County.
Amador County Airport is a general aviation airport located near Jackson.
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 35,100 people, 12,759 households, and 9,071 families residing in the county. The population density was 59 people per square mile (23/km²). There were 15,035 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 85.79% White, 3.87% Black or African American, 1.78% Native American, 1.00% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 5.04% from other races, and 2.41% from two or more races. 8.91% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 14.9% were of German, 12.6% English, 11.7% Irish, 8.8% Italian and 7.3% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 93.1% spoke English and 5.1% Spanish as their first language.
There were 12,759 households out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.9% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the county the population was spread out with 20.6% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 122.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 123.4 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $42,280, and the median income for a family was $51,226. Males had a median income of $39,697 versus $28,850 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,412. About 6.10% of families and 9.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.10% of those under age 18 and 5.40% of those age 65 or over.
| Year | GOP | DEM | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 56.3% 10,561 | 41.7% 7,813 | 2.0% 395 |
| 2004 | 62.1% 11,107 | 36.6% 6,541 | 1.3% 243 |
| 2000 | 56.7% 8,766 | 38.2% 5,906 | 5.1% 792 |
| 1996 | 47.5% 6,870 | 40.6% 5,868 | 11.9% 1,714 |
| 1992 | 35.5% 5,477 | 34.3% 5,286 | 30.3% 4,671 |
| 1988 | 55.9% 6,893 | 42.1% 5,197 | 2.0% 148 |
| 1984 | 61.5% 6,986 | 36.9% 4,188 | 1.7% 189 |
| 1980 | 55.9% 5,401 | 33.0% 3,191 | 11.1% 1,078 |
| 1976 | 46.1% 3,699 | 50.4% 4,037 | 3.5% 282 |
| 1972 | 53.4% 3,533 | 40.9% 2,705 | 5.7% 378 |
| 1968 | 42.1% 2,269 | 45.3% 2,440 | 12.6% 681 |
| 1964 | 33.0% 1,682 | 66.9% 3,410 | 0.1% 6 |
| 1960 | 44.5% 2,175 | 55.0% 2,690 | 0.5% 22 |
Amador is a strongly Republican county in Presidential and congressional elections. The last Democrat to win a majority in the county was Jimmy Carter in 1976.
Amador is part of California's 3rd congressional district, which is held by Republican Dan Lungren. In the State Assembly, Amador is part of the 10th district, which is held by Democrat Alyson Huber. In the State Senate, Amador is part of the 1st district, which is held by Republican Dave Cox.
On Nov. 4, 2008 Amador County voted 64.0 % for Proposition 8 which amended the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages.
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Coordinates: 38°26′N 120°40′W / 38.44°N 120.66°W
| Amador County, California view Community messages | |
|---|---|
| Articles, images | Archeology • Farms • Landmarks • Migrations and settlements • Photo gallery • Prehistory • Timeline |
| People | Births • Deaths • Families • Marriages • Residents |
| Daily life | Before 1700 • 1700-1749 • 1750-1799 • 1800-1819 • 1820-1839 • 1840-1859 • 1860-1879 • 1880-1899 • 1900-1919 • 1920-1939 • 1940-1959 • 1960-1979 • 1980-1999 • 2000-present |
| Research, including queries |
Amador County, California links • Birth records • Businesses • Cemeteries • Census data • Church records • Court records • Death records • Directories • Landowner records • Marriage records • Maps • Military records • Obituaries • Probate records • Queries |
| Amador County, California | |
| Map | |
| File:Map of California highlighting Amador County.png Location in the state of California |
|
 California's location in the USA |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1854 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Jackson |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
sq mi ( km²) sq mi ( km²) sq mi ( km²), 1.94% |
| wikipedia:Population - (2000) - Density |
38471 |
| Website: www.co.amador.ca.us | |
Amador County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U.S. state of California. As of 2005, the population was 38,471. The county seat is Jackson.
Amador County bills itself as "The Heart of the Mother Lode" and lies within the Gold Country. There is a substantial wine-growing industry in the county.
Contents |
Amador County was created in 1854 from parts of Calaveras and El Dorado Counties. In 1864, part of the county's territory was given to Alpine County.
The county is named for Jose Maria Amador, soldier, rancher and miner, who was born in San Francisco in 1794, the son of Sergeant Pedro Amador, a Spanish soldier who settled in California in 1771. In 1848, Jose Maria Amador, with several Native Americans, established a successful gold mining camp near the present town of Amador City. In Spanish, the word amador means "one who loves."
Amador County is located approximately 45 miles southeast of Sacramento in a part of California known as the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,566 km² (605 sq mi). 1,536 km² (593 sq mi) of it is land and 30 km² (12 sq mi) of it (1.94%) is water. Water bodies in the county include Lake Amador, Lake Camanche, Pardee Reservoir, Bear River Reservoir, Silver Lake, Sutter Creek, Cosumnes River, Mokelumne River, and Jackson Creek.
Amador County ranges in elevation from approximately 250 feet in the western portion of the county to over 9,000 feet in the eastern portion of the county. The county is bordered on the north by the Consumnes River and on the south by the Mokelumne River.
Though not as well known as the Napa Valley or Sonoma Valley wine growing regions of California, the Shenandoah Valley was once the wine growing region of California. With the discovery of gold, the area quickly became a mecca for those trying to make their fortune. In the process numerous wineries sprouted up many of whose vineyards are still in use by wineries today. The decline of the California Gold Rush coupled with the onset of Prohibition devastated the wine making region of Amador County. Today this area has been resurrected and is now home to over 40 different wineries. Amador County is renowned for its Zinfandel, but many other varietals are produced as well. Amador County has a high percentage of old Zinfandel vines. Some of the Zinfandel vineyards in this county are more than 125 years old. These old vines produce intense flavors allowing winemakers to make the outstanding Zinfandels for which this area is famous.
There are numerous gold mines in Amador County including the Argonaut Mine, the Kennedy Gold Mine, and the Sutter Gold Mine.
Amador County is home of the Gold Rush era in California. Many century-old gold-mining places in the county are now popular tourist destinations. Amador County offers several tourists destinations and things to do:
Amador Regional Transit System (ARTS) provides service in Jackson and the nearby communities. Connections are available to Sacramento and to Calaveras County.
Amador County Airport is a general aviation airport located near Jackson.
As of the census² of 2000, there were 35,100 people, 12,759 households, and 9,071 families residing in the county. The population density was 23/km² (59/sq mi). There were 15,035 housing units at an average density of 10/km² (25/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 85.79% White, 3.87% Black or African American, 1.78% Native American, 1.00% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 5.04% from other races, and 2.41% from two or more races. 8.91% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 93.1% spoke English and 5.1% Spanish as their first language.
There were 12,759 households out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.9% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the county the population was spread out with 20.6% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 122.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 123.4 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $42,280, and the median income for a family was $51,226. Males had a median income of $39,697 versus $28,850 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,412. About 6.10% of families and 9.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.10% of those under age 18 and 5.40% of those age 65 or over.
| Year | GOP | DEM | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 62.1% 11,107 | 36.6% 6,541 | 1.3% 243 |
| 2000 | 56.7% 8,766 | 38.2% 5,906 | 5.1% 792 |
| 1996 | 47.5% 6,870 | 40.6% 5,868 | 11.9% 1,714 |
| 1992 | 35.5% 5,477 | 34.3% 5,286 | 30.3% 4,671 |
| 1988 | 55.9% 6,893 | 42.1% 5,197 | 2.0% 148 |
| 1984 | 61.5% 6,986 | 36.9% 4,188 | 1.7% 189 |
| 1980 | 55.9% 5,401 | 33.0% 3,191 | 11.1% 1,078 |
| 1976 | 46.1% 3,699 | 50.4% 4,037 | 3.5% 282 |
| 1972 | 53.4% 3,533 | 40.9% 2,705 | 5.7% 378 |
| 1968 | 42.1% 2,269 | 45.3% 2,440 | 12.6% 681 |
| 1964 | 33.0% 1,682 | 66.9% 3,410 | 0.1% 6 |
| 1960 | 44.5% 2,175 | 55.0% 2,690 | 0.5% 22 |
Amador is a Republican-leaning county in Presidential and congressional elections. The last Democrat to win a majority in the county was Jimmy Carter in 1976.
Amador is part of California's 3rd congressional district, which is held by Republican Dan Lungren. In the State Assembly, Amador is part of the 10th district, which is held by Republican Alan Nakanishi. In the State Senate, Amador is part of the 1st district, which is held by Republican Dave Cox.
| Municipalities and communities of Amador County, California  , California |
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|---|---|---|
| County seat: Jackson, California |
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| Cities |
Amador City | Ione | Jackson | Plymouth | Sutter Creek |
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| Unincorporated communities |
Buckhorn | Buena Vista | Drytown | Fiddletown | Ham's Station | Martell | Pine Grove | Pioneer | Volcano |
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| State of California Sacramento (capital) |
| Climate |
Culture | Districts | Economy | Elections | Geography | Government | Early History | Modern History | Politics | Californians |
| This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Amador County, California. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License. |
| County names | Amador County, California + |
| County of country | United States + |
| County of subdivision1 | California + |
| Short name | Amador County + |
   | Amador County website - Amador County, California Home page |
| | AmadorCountyINFO.com - Amador County Northern CA California Information Resources Directory Directories Guides USA |
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