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| Marin County, California | |
 Location in the state of California |
|
 California's location in the U.S. |
|
| Seat | San Rafael |
|---|---|
| Largest city | San Rafael |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
828 sq mi (2,145 km²) 520 sq mi (1,346 km²) 308 sq mi (799 km²), 37.24 |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
247,289 476/sq mi (184/km²) |
| Founded | February 18, 1850 |
| Time zone | Pacific: UTC-8/-7 |
| Website | www.co.marin.ca.us |
Marin County (pronounced /məˈrɪn/) is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. As of 2007, the population was 248,096. The county seat is San Rafael and the largest employer is the county government. Marin County is renowned for its natural beauty, liberal politics, affluence and a strong New Age reputation. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Marin County has the fifth highest income per capita in the United States at $91,483.[1] It is governed by local cities and the Marin County Board of Supervisors.
San Quentin Prison is located in the county, as is Skywalker Ranch. Autodesk, the publisher of AutoCAD, is located there, as are numerous other high-tech companies. The headquarters of film and media company Lucasfilm Ltd., previously based in San Rafael, have moved to the Presidio of San Francisco.
The Marin County Civic Center was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and draws thousands of visitors a year to guided tours of its arch and atrium design.
America's oldest cross country running event, the Dipsea Race, takes place annually in Marin County, attracting thousands of athletes. Mountain biking is said to have been invented on the slopes of Mount Tamalpais in Marin.
Marin County's natural sites include Muir Woods redwood forest, the Marin Headlands, Stinson Beach, Point Reyes National Seashore, and Mount Tamalpais.
Contents |
Marin County is one of the original 27 counties of California, created February 18, 1850, following adoption of the Constitution of 1849 and just months before the state was admitted to the Union.[2]
The origin of the county's name is not clear. One version is the county was named after Chief Marin, of the Coast Miwok, Licatiut tribe of Native Americans who inhabited that section and waged fierce battle against the early Spanish military explorers. The other version is that the bay between San Pedro Point and San Quentin Point was named Bahía de Nuestra Señora del Rosario la Marinera in 1775, and it is quite possible that Marin is simply an abbreviation of this name.[3]
The Coast Miwok Indians were hunters and gatherers whose ancestors had occupied the area for thousands of years. About 600 village sites have been identified in the county. The Coast Miwok numbered in the thousands. Today there are few left, and even fewer with any knowledge of their Coast Miwok lineage. Efforts are being made so that they are not forgotten.[4]
The English explorer and privateer, Sir Francis Drake and the crew of the Golden Hind was thought to have landed on the Marin coast in 1579 claiming the land as Nova Albion. A bronze plaque inscribed with Drake's claim to the new lands, fitting the description in Drake's own account, was discovered in 1933. This so-called Drake's Plate of Brass was later declared a hoax.
In 1595 Sebastian Cermeno lost his ship, the San Agustin, while exploring the Marin Coast. The Spanish explorer Vizcaíno landed about twenty years after Drake in what is now called Drake's Bay. However the first Spanish settlement in Marin was not established until 1817 when Mission San Rafael Arcángel was founded partly in response to the Russian-built Fort Ross to the north in what is now Sonoma County.
Mission San Rafael Arcángel was founded in what is now downtown San Rafael as the 20th Spanish mission in the colonial Mexican province of Alta California by four priests, Father Narciso Duran from Mission San Jose, Father Abella from Mission San Francisco de Asís, Father Gil y Taboada and Father Mariano Payeras, the President of the Missions, on December 14, 1817, four years before Mexico gained independence from Spain.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 828 square miles (2,145 km²), of which, 520 square miles (1,346 km²) of it is land and 308 square miles (799 km²) of it (37.24%) is water. According to the records at the County Assessor-Recorder's Office, as of June 2006, Marin had 91,065 acres (369 km2) of taxable land, consisting of 79,086 parcels with a total tax basis of $39.8 billion. These parcels are divided into the following classifications:
| Parcel Type | Tax ID | Quantity | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vacant | 10 | 6,900 | $508.17 million |
| Single Family Residential | 11 | 61,264 | $30,137.02 million |
| Mobile Home | 12 | 210 | $7.62 million |
| House Boat | 13 | 379 | $61.83 million |
| Multi Family Residential | 14 | 1,316 | $3,973.51 million |
| Industrial Unimproved | 40 | 113 | $12.24 million |
| Industrial Improved | 41 | 562 | $482.83 million |
| Commercial Unimproved | 50 | 431 | $97.89 million |
| Commercial Improved | 51 | 7,911 | $4,519.64 million |
Geographically, the county forms a large, southward-facing peninsula, with the Pacific Ocean to the west, San Pablo Bay and San Francisco Bay to the east, and – across the Golden Gate – the city of San Francisco to the south. Marin County's northern border is with Sonoma County.
Most of the county's population resides on the eastern side, with a string of communities running along San Francisco Bay, from Sausalito to Tiburon to Corte Madera to San Rafael. The interior contains large areas of agricultural and open space; West Marin, through which State Route 1 runs alongside the California coast, contains many small unincorporated communities whose economies depend on agriculture and tourism.
Notable features of the shoreline along the San Francisco
Bay include the Sausalito shoreline, Richardson Bay,
the Tiburon
Peninsula including Ring
Mountain and Triangle Marsh at Corte
Madera. Further north lies San Quentin State Prison along
the San Rafael
shoreline.
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Sonoma County | Sonoma County | |
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| Pacific Ocean |  |
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 Marin County,
California  |
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| San Francisco County | Contra Costa County |
Interstate 580
U.S. Route 101 (Redwood
Highway)
State Route 1
State Route 37
State Route 131 (Tiburon
Boulevard)Golden Gate Transit provides service primarily along the U.S. 101 corridor, serving cities in Marin County, as well as San Francisco and Sonoma County. Service is also provided to Contra Costa County via the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. Ferries to San Francisco operate from Larkspur and Sausalito. Ferry service from Tiburon is provided by Blue and Gold Fleet and by the Angel Island Ferry.
Local bus routes within Marin County are operated by Golden Gate Transit under contract to the Marin County Transit District. MCTD also operates the West Marin Stage, serving communities in the western, rural areas of Marin County. The Marin Airporter offers scheduled bus service to and from Marin County and the San Francisco Airport. The lines run 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Greyhound Lines buses service San Rafael.
Marin County Airport or Gnoss Field (ICAO: KDVO) is a general aviation airport operated by the County Department of Public Works. The nearest airports with commercial flights are San Francisco International Airport and Oakland International Airport as well as Charles M. Schulz - Sonoma County Airport north of Marin County.
Marin County Free Library is the county library system. It is headquartered in San Rafael.[5]
Marin county is considered in the California Floristic Province, a zone of extremely high biodiversity and endemicism. There are numerous ecosystems present, including Coastal Strand, oak woodland, chaparral and riparian zones. There are also a considerable number of protected plant and animal species present: fauna include the California Red-legged Frog (Rana aurora draytonii) and California freshwater shrimp, while flora include Marin Dwarf Flax, Hesperolinon congestum; Tiburon Jewelflower, Streptanthus niger; and Tiburon Indian paintbrush, Castilleja neglecta.
A number of watersheds exist in Marin County including Walker Creek, Lagunitas Creek, Miller Creek, and Novato Creek.
The Lagunitas Creek Watershed is home to the largest-remaining wild run of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in Central California. These coho are part of the "Central California Coast Evolutionarily Significant Unit," or CCC ESU, and are listed as "endangered" at both the state and federal level.
Significant efforts to protect and restore these fish have been underway in the Watershed since the 1980s. Fifty-percent of historical salmon habitat is now behind dams. Strong efforts are also being made to protect and restore undammed, headwater reaches of this Watershed in the San Geronimo Valley, where upwards of 40% of the Lagunitas salmon spawn each year and where as much as 1/3 of the juvenile salmon (or fry) spend their entire freshwater lives. The Salmon Protection and Watershed Network ([1]) leads winter tours for the public to learn about and view these spawning salmon, and also leads year-round opportunities for the public to get involved in stream restoration, monitoring spawning and smolt outmigration, juvenile fish rescue and relocation in the summer, and advocacy and policy development.
Around 490 different species of birds have been observed in Marin County. ([2])
As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 247,289 people, 100,650 households, and 60,691 families residing in the county. The population density was 476 people per square mile (184/km²). There were 104,990 housing units at an average density of 202 per square mile (78/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 84.03% White, 2.89% Black or African American, 0.43% Native American, 4.53% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 4.50% from other races, and 3.47% from two or more races. 11.06% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 11.5% were of Irish, 11.0% English, 10.2% German and 8.4% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000. 80.8% spoke English, 9.6% Spanish, 1.4% French and 1.1% German as their first language.
In 2005 76.9% of Marin County's population was non-Hispanic whites. 12.6% of the population was Latino. 5.3% of the population was Asian and 3.1% was African-American.
In 2000 there were 100,650 households out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the county the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 29.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $71,306, and the median income for a family was $88,934. These figures had risen to $83,732 and $104,750 respectively as of 2007.[7] Males had a median income of $61,282 versus $45,448 for females. The per capita income for the county was $44,962. About 4.7% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.9% of those under age 18 and 2.5% of those age 65 or over. Marin County has the second highest median household income in California behind Santa Clara County.
Marin County has the highest per capita income of any county in the United States. This is driven in particular by expensive enclaves in Sausalito, Belvedere, Tiburon, Mill Valley, Larkspur, Corte Madera, Kentfield, Ross, San Anselmo, and portions of San Rafael and Novato where displays of conspicuous consumption, especially luxury cars, are common. The county has the highest density of BMW cars (locally known as 'Basic Marin Wheels') in the United States, according to the local BMW dealership. [8]
The traditionally middle class towns of Fairfax, Novato and San Rafael (where per capita incomes typically paralleled the California state average as late as 1985) also have experienced especially sharp rises in real estate values, due in part to their proximity to the "prestige" address areas. The county's resistance to urban sprawl and its preservation of open space have also had an upward impact on housing prices by reducing the number of new subdivisions built in the area since 1970. The precedent for this was set after a huge development project that would have put a suburb atop the Marin Headlands called Marincello was defeated in court.
The trend of increased affluence has not held true for two neighborhoods in particular, populated almost exclusively by low-income disadvantaged groups: Marin City and the Canal area in San Rafael. Government policies have both forbidden property owners from raising rents and have also subsidized housing prices in these neighborhoods for tenants who do not report incomes higher than 200% of the poverty level on their IRS tax return. Marin City has a population of 3,000 and is ethnically diverse with large East Asian, Mexican, and Black populations. Many families live in public housing apartment buildings. The population in the Canal area is largely Hispanic, with many households residing in apartment units. San Rafael has asserted to the Federal Government that this population is significantly undercounted by the U.S. Census due to the high percentage of illegal immigrants. They assert that the 6.6% of the county-wide population listed as below the poverty line is both under-reported and heavily concentrated in the Canal area.
In 2002, former U.S. President George H.W. Bush denounced convicted American terrorist John Walker Lindh as "some misguided Marin County hot-tubber," as a reference to the county's liberal, "hippie" political culture. Outraged by the label, some local residents wrote scathing letters to the Marin Independent Journal, complaining of Bush's remarks. In response, Bush wrote a letter to readers in the same newspaper, admitting regret and promising to not use the phrases Marin County and hot tub "in the same sentence again."[9]
| Year | DEM | GOP | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 78.0% 109,320 | 20.2% 28,384 | 1.8% 2,493 |
| 2004 | 73.2% 99,070 | 25.4% 34,378 | 1.4% 1,877 |
| 2000 | 64.2% 79,135 | 28.3% 34,872 | 7.4% 9,148 |
| 1996 | 58.0% 67,406 | 28.2% 32,714 | 13.8% 16,020 |
| 1992 | 58.3% 76,158 | 23.3% 30,479 | 18.4% 24,070 |
| 1988 | 58.9% 69,394 | 39.7% 46,855 | 1.4% 1,671 |
| 1984 | 49.6% 57,533 | 49.0% 56,887 | 1.4% 1,630 |
| 1980 | 36.2% 39,231 | 45.8% 49,678 | 18.1% 19,598 |
| 1976 | 42.9% 43,590 | 52.5% 53,425 | 4.6% 4,700 |
| 1972 | 45.6% 47,414 | 52.1% 54,123 | 2.3% 2,346 |
| 1968 | 43.8% 36,278 | 50.1% 41,422 | 6.1% 5,055 |
| 1964 | 61.6% 46,462 | 38.1% 28,682 | 0.3% 220 |
| 1960 | 42.5% 27,888 | 57.3% 37,620 | 0.2% 157 |
Marin is part of California's 6th congressional district, held by ninth-term Democrat Lynn Woolsey.
In the state legislature, Marin is in the 6th Assembly district, held by second-term Democrat Jared Huffman, and the 3rd Senate district, held by first-term Democrat Mark Leno.
The county has become a stronghold of the Democratic Party in recent decades. Out of California counties, only San Francisco County and Alameda County voted more Democratic in the 2008 Presidential election, all three counties voted more heavily for Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama than Cook County, Ill., Obama's home county.
On Nov. 4, 2008, the citizens of Marin county voted strongly against Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment which eliminated the right of same-sex couples to marry, by a 75.1 percent to 24.9 percent margin. The official tally was 103,341 against and 34,324 in favor.[10] Only San Francisco County voted against the measure by a wider margin (75.2% against).[11]
According to the California Secretary of State, as of March 20, 2009, Marin County has 150,679 registered voters, out of 181,918 eligible (82.8%). Of those, 82,549 (54.8%) are registered Democrats, 29,980 (19.9%) are registered Republicans, 6,384 (4.0%) are registered with other political parties, and 32,094 (21.3%) have declined to state a political party.[12] Democrats hold wide voter-registration majorities in all political subdivisions in Marin County, except for the town of Belvedere, in which Democrats only hold a 46-vote (2.9%) registration advantage. Democrats' largest registration advantage in Marin is in the town of Fairfax, wherein there are only 426 Republicans (8.1%) out of 5,261 total voters compared to 3,413 Democrats (64.9%) and 1,092 voters who have declined to state a political party (19.7%) voters.
As of 2008, the largest private-sector employers in Marin County were:[13]
Marin county has several media outlets that serve the local community.
Marin County has been used as the venue for numerous films and books; in some cases these works have also incorporated scenes set in neighboring San Francisco or Sonoma County. The following are representative works produced in whole or in part in Marin County:
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Coordinates: 38°02′N 122°44′W / 38.04°N 122.74°W
| Marin County, California view Community messages | |
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| Marin County, California | |
 |
|
| Map | |
| File:Map of California highlighting Marin County.png Location in the state of California |
|
 California's location in the USA |
|
| Statistics | |
| Founded | February 18, 1850 |
|---|---|
| Seat | San Rafael |
| Largest City | San Rafael |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
sq mi ( km²) sq mi ( km²) sq mi ( km²), 37.24 |
| wikipedia:Population - (2000) - Density |
247289 |
| Time zone | Pacific : UTC-8/-7 |
| Website: www.co.marin.ca.us | |
Marin County (IPA: /məˈrɪn/) is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. As of 2000, the population was 247,289. The county seat is San Rafael. Marin County is renowned for its natural beauty, liberal politics and affluence. According to the 2000 Census, Marin County has the highest per capita income in the country at $44,962.
San Quentin Prison is located in the county, as is Skywalker Ranch. The largest employer in Marin is Fireman's Fund Insurance Company, headquartered in Novato. Autodesk, the publisher of AutoCAD, is located there, as are numerous other high-tech companies. The headquarters of film and media company Lucasfilm Ltd., previously based in San Rafael, have moved to the Presidio of San Francisco. United States Senator Barbara Boxer is from Marin.
The Marin County Civic Center was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and draws thousands of visitors a year to guided tours of its arch and atrium design.
America's oldest cross country race, the Dipsea Race takes place annually in Marin County, attracting thousands of athletes. The progressive organic dairy Straus Family Creameries, based in Marin, was the first certified organic dairy west of the Mississippi.
Marin County's many beautiful natural sites include the famous Muir Woods redwood forest, the Marin Headlands, Stinson Beach, Point Reyes National Seashore, and Mount Tamalpais, the birthplace of mountain biking.
Contents
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Marin County is one of the original 27 counties of California, created February 18, 1850, following adoption of the Constitution of 1849 and just months before the state was admitted to the Union.[1]
The origin of the county's name is not clear. One version is the county was named for Chief Marin, of the Coast Miwok, Licatiut tribe of Native Americans who inhabited that section and waged fierce battle against the early Spanish military explorers. The other version is that the bay between San Pedro Point and San Quentin Point was named Bahía de Nuestra Señora del Rosario la Marinera in 1775, and it is quite possible that Marin is simply an abbreviation of this name.
The Coast Miwok Indians were hunters and gatherers whose ancestors had occupied the area for thousands of years. About 600 village sites have been identified in the county.
The English explorer and privateer, Sir Francis Drake and the crew of the Golden Hind was thought to have landed on the Marin coast in 1579 claiming the land as Nova Albion. A bronze plaque inscribed with Drake's claim to the new lands, fitting the description in Drake's own account, was discovered in 1933. This so-called Drake's Plate of Brass was later declared a hoax.
In 1595 Sebastian Cermeno lost his ship, the San Agustin, while exploring the Marin Coast. The Spanish explorer Vizcaíno landed about twenty years after Drake in what is now called Drake's Bay. However the first Spanish settlement in Marin was not established until 1817 when Mission San Rafael Arcángel was founded partly in response to the Russian-built Fort Ross to the north in what is now Sonoma county.
Mission San Rafael Arcángel was founded in what is now downtown San Rafael as the 20th Spanish mission in the colonial Mexican province of Alta California by four priests, Father Narciso Duran from Mission San Jose, Father Abella from Mission San Francisco de Asís, Father Gil y Taboada and Father Mariano Payeras, the President of the Missions, on Dec. 14, 1817, four years before Mexico gained independence from Spain.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,145 km² (828 sq mi). 1,346 km² (520 sq mi) of it is land and 799 km² (308 sq mi) of it (37.24%) is water. According to the records at the County Assessor-Recoder's Office, as of June 2006, Marin had 91,065 acres (369 km2) of taxable land, comprised of 79,086 parcels with a total tax basis of $39.8 billion. These parcels are divided into the following classifications:
| Parcel Type | Tax ID | Quantity | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vacant | 10 | 6,900 | $508.17 million |
| Single Family Residential | 11 | 61,264 | $30,137.02 million |
| Mobile Home | 12 | 210 | $7.62 million |
| House Boat | 13 | 379 | $61.83 million |
| Multi Family Residential | 14 | 1,316 | $3,973.51 million |
| Industrial Unimproved | 40 | 113 | $12.24 million |
| Industrial Improved | 41 | 562 | $482.83 million |
| Commercial Unimproved | 50 | 431 | $97.89 million |
| Commercial Improved | 51 | 7,911 | $4,519.64 million |
Most of the county's population resides on the eastern side, with a string of communities running along San Francisco Bay, from Sausalito to Tiburon to Corte Madera to San Rafael. The interior contains large areas of agricultural and open space; West Marin, through which California State Route 1 runs alongside the California coast, contains many small unincorporated communities dependent on agriculture and tourism for their economies.
Golden Gate Transit provides service primarily along the U.S. 101 corridor, serving cities in Marin County, as well as San Francisco and Sonoma County. Service is also provided to Contra Costa County via the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. Ferries to San Francisco operate from Larkspur and Sausalito. Ferry service from Tiburon is provided by Blue and Gold Fleet and by the Angel Island Ferry.
Local bus routes within Marin County are operated by Golden Gate Transit under contract to the Marin County Transit District. MCTD also operates the West Marin Stage, serving communities in the western, rural areas of Marin County.
Greyhound Lines buses service San Rafael.
Marin County Airport or Gnoss Field (ICAO: KDVO) is a general aviation airport operated by the County Department of Public Works. San Rafael Airport is a private airstrip. The nearest airports with commercial flights are San Francisco International Airport and Oakland International Airport as well as Charles M. Schulz - Sonoma County Airport north of Marin County.
Kentfield/Larkspur:
Mill Valley:
Novato:
Ross:
San Anselmo:
San Rafael:
Sausalito:
Tomales:
Marin county is considered in the California Floristic Province, a zone of extremely high biodiversity and endemicism. There are numerous ecosystems present, including coastal strand, oak woodland, chaparral and riparian zones. There are also a considerable number of protected plant and animal species present: fauna include the Northern Red-legged Frog and California freshwater shrimp, while flora include Marin Dwarf Flax, Hesperolinon congestum; Tiburon Jewelflower, Streptanthus niger; and Tiburon Indian paintbrush, Castilleja neglecta.
A number of watersheds exist in Marin County including Arroyo Corte Madera del Presidio, San Rafael Creek, Pickleweed Creek and Americano Creek.
As of the census² of 2000, there were 247,289 people, 100,650 households, and 60,691 families residing in the county. The population density was 184/km² (476/sq mi). There were 104,990 housing units at an average density of 78/km² (202/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 84.03% White, 2.89% Black or African American, 0.43% Native American, 4.53% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 4.50% from other races, and 3.47% from two or more races. 11.06% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 80.8% spoke English, 9.6% Spanish, 1.4% French and 1.1% German as their first language.
In 2005 76.9% of Marin County's population was non-Hispanic whites. 12.6% of the population was Latino (mostly concentrated in the Canal Area of San Rafael). 5.3% of the population was Asian and 3.1% was African-American.
In 2000 there were 100,650 households out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the county the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 29.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $71,306, and the median income for a family was $88,934. Males had a median income of $61,282 versus $45,448 for females. The per capita income for the county was $44,962. About 4.7% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.9% of those under age 18 and 2.5% of those age 65 or over. Marin County has the second highest median household income in California behind Santa Clara County.
Marin County has the highest per capita income of any county in the United States. This is driven in particular by expensive enclaves in Belvedere, Kentfield, Larkspur, Ross, Tiburon, Mill Valley, Sausalito, San Anselmo and portions of San Rafael and Novato where displays of conspicuous consumption, especially luxury cars, are common. The county has the highest density of BMW cars (locally known as 'Basic Marin Wheels') in the United States, according to dealers in the county [1].
The traditionally middle class towns of Corte Madera, Fairfax, Novato and San Rafael (where per capita incomes typically paralleled the California state average as late as 1985) also have experienced especially sharp rises in real estate values, due in part to their proximity to the "prestige" address areas. The county's resistance to urban sprawl and its preservation of open space have also had an upward impact on housing prices by reducing the number of new subdivisions built in the area since 1970. The precedent for this was set after a huge development project that would have put a suburb atop the Marin Headlands called Marincello was defeated in court.
The trend of increased affluence has not held true for two neighborhoods in particular, populated almost exclusively by low-income minority groups (not including the successful Asian "minority" group): Marin City (which shares a zip code with Sausalito) and the Canal Neighborhood in San Rafael. Government policies have both forbidden property owners from raising rents and have also subsidized housing prices in these neighborhoods for tenants who do not report incomes higher than 200% of the poverty level on their IRS tax return. Marin City has a population of 3,000 and is ethnically diverse with large East Asian, Hispanic, and African American populations. Many families live in public housing apartment buildings. The population in The Canal is largely Hispanic, with many households residing in over-crowded apartment units. San Rafael has asserted to the Federal Government that this population is significantly undercounted by the U.S. Census due to the high percentage of illegal immigrants, depriving the city of tax funds for improved social services. They assert that the 6.6% of the county-wide population listed as below the poverty line is both under-reported, and heavily concentrated in The Canal. Nevertheless, if it weren't for these two neighborhoods, the service industry of Marin County would not function because the only other working-class neighborhoods are across the San Francisco Bay.
| Year | DEM | GOP | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 73.2% 99,070 | 25.4% 34,378 | 1.4% 1,877 |
| 2000 | 64.2% 79,135 | 28.3% 34,872 | 7.4% 9,148 |
| 1996 | 58.0% 67,406 | 28.2% 32,714 | 13.8% 16,020 |
| 1992 | 58.3% 76,158 | 23.3% 30,479 | 18.4% 24,070 |
| 1988 | 58.9% 69,394 | 39.7% 46,855 | 1.4% 1,671 |
| 1984 | 49.6% 57,533 | 49.0% 56,887 | 1.4% 1,630 |
| 1980 | 36.2% 39,231 | 45.8% 49,678 | 18.1% 19,598 |
| 1976 | 42.9% 43,590 | 52.5% 53,425 | 4.6% 4,700 |
| 1972 | 45.6% 47,414 | 52.1% 54,123 | 2.3% 2,346 |
| 1968 | 43.8% 36,278 | 50.1% 41,422 | 6.1% 5,055 |
| 1964 | 61.6% 46,462 | 38.1% 28,682 | 0.3% 220 |
| 1960 | 42.5% 27,888 | 57.3% 37,620 | 0.2% 157 |
Marin is a strongly Democratic county in Presidential and congressional elections; John Kerry won almost three quarters, 73%, of the vote in the 2004 Presidential Election.[2]. The last Republican to win a majority in the county was Gerald Ford in 1976.
Marin is part of California's 6th congressional district, which is held by Democrat Lynn Woolsey. In the state legislature Marin is in the 6th Assembly district, which is held by Democrat Jared Huffman, and the 3rd Senate district, which is held by Democrat Carole Migden.
Marin county has several media outlets that serve the local community.
| Year | Republican | Democratic |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 25.4% 34,378 | 73.2% 99,070 |
| 2000 | 28.3% 34,872 | 64.3% 79,135 |
| 1996 | 28.2% 32,714 | 58.0% 67,406 |
| 1992 | 23.3% 30,479 | 58.3% 76,158 |
| 1988 | 39.7% 46,855 | 58.8% 69,394 |
| 1984 | 49.0% 56,887 | 49.6% 57,533 |
| 1980 | 45.8% 49,678 | 42.9% 39,231 |
| 1976 | 52.5% 53,425 | 42.9% 43,590 |
| 1972 | 52.1% 54,123 | 45.6% 47,414 |
| 1968 | 50.1% 41,422 | 43.8% 36,278 |
| 1964 | 38.1% 28,682 | 61.7% 46,462 |
| 1960 | 57.3% 37,620 | 42.5% 27,888 |
The county has become a stronghold of the Democratic Party in recent decades. Out of California counties, only San Francisco County and Alameda County voted more Democratic in the 2004 Presidential election.
Marin County has been used as the venue for numerous films and books; in some cases these works have also incorporated scenes set in neighboring San Francisco or Sonoma County. The following are representative works produced in whole or in part in Marin County:
| Municipalities and communities of Marin County, California  , California |
||
|---|---|---|
| County seat: San Rafael, California |
||
| Cities |
Belvedere | Larkspur | Mill Valley | Novato | San Rafael | Sausalito |
 |
| Incorporated towns |
Corte Madera | Fairfax | Ross | San Anselmo | Tiburon |
|
| CDPs |
Black Point-Green Point | Bolinas | Dillon Beach | Inverness | Kentfield | Lagunitas-Forest Knolls | Lucas Valley-Marinwood | Muir Beach | Point Reyes Station | San Geronimo | Santa Venetia | Stinson Beach | Strawberry | Tamalpais-Homestead Valley | Tomales | Woodacre |
|
| Unincorporated communities |
Bel Marin Keys | Dogtown | Greenbrae | Inverness Park | Marin City | Marshall | Nicasio | Olema | Paradise Cay | San Quentin | Sleepy Hollow |
|
| San Francisco Bay Area | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bodies of water | Bodega Bay • Carquinez Strait • Clifton Forebay • Golden Gate • Grizzly Bay • Guadalupe River • Half Moon Bay • Lake Berryessa • Napa River • Oakland Estuary • Petaluma River • Richardson Bay • Richmond Inner Harbor • Russian River • San Francisco Bay • San Leandro Bay • San Pablo Bay • Sonoma River • Suisun Bay • Tomales Bay |  |
| Counties | Alameda • Contra Costa • Marin • Napa • San Francisco • San Mateo • Santa Clara • Solano • Sonoma | |
| Major cities | San Francisco • Oakland • San Jose</font> | |
 |
| 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 Marin 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 | Marin County, California + |
| County of country | United States + |
| County of subdivision1 | California + |
| Short name | Marin County + |
   | County of Marin official website - County Of Marin |
| | Photos of Marin County - Terra Galleria - Marin County Pictures - California stock photos, fine art prints by QTL |
| | Marin Fraternal Organizations - The History of Marin Fraternities |
| | Marin County Real Estate - Marin Real Estate | Marin Modern & Mid-Century Modern Homes for Sale |
| | Marin County Arts - Marin Arts Council - Welcome |
| | Marin County Fire Department - Marin County Fire Department | Welcome |
| | "Marin Ranks No. 1 in Shopping." Marin Independent Journal. March 8, 2007. - Marin ranks No. 1 in shopping - Marin Independent Journal |
| | Marin County - Untold Stories - Marin's Untold Stories |
| | Marin County Businesses & Events - Marin County Restaurants, Events, Reviews and More | Telli Marin |
| | '''here''' - San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge |
| | Marin Independent Journal - Home - Marin Independent Journal |
| | The Pacific Sun - Pacific Sun: Home Page |
| | Marin County Registar of Voters. (24 November, 2004). Official Results: Presidential Election, Summary For Jurisdiction Wide, All Counters, All Race. - County Of Marin: Registrar of Voters - November 2, 2004 Presidential Election Results |
| | KWMR radio - KWMR | Community Radio for West Marin |
|
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