Pleasanton is a city located in Alameda County, California and was incorporated in 1894. According to the city's website, the city has a total population of 67,724. Pleasanton is home to the headquarters of Safeway Inc. and the now-defunct PeopleSoft. Kaiser Permanente has its new location in place of the PeopleSoft headquarters. It is also home to Foothill High School and Amador Valley High School. Although Oakland is the county seat of Alameda County, many county offices and the Alameda County Fairgrounds are located in Pleasanton. The Alameda County Fair is held yearly at the end of June.
The town was founded and named by John W. Kottinger, an Alameda County justice of the peace, after his friend, Union army cavalry Major General Alfred Pleasonton. A typographical error by a U.S. Postal Service employee apparently led to the current spelling. In the 1850s, the town was nicknamed "The Most Desperate Town in the West" and it was ruled by bandits and desperados. Main Street shootouts were not uncommon. Bandits, such as Joaquin Murrieta, would ambush prospectors on their way back from the gold rush fields and then seek refuge in Pleasanton. This reputation passed and in 1917, Pleasanton became the backdrop for the film Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, which starred Mary Pickford. The town is also known for the resort that the Phoebe Apperson owned there.
The eastern terminus of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) commuter train system's Dublin/Pleasanton - SFO/Millbrae Line is located in Pleasanton. Another station, West Dublin/Pleasanton, is also scheduled to break ground in spring 2006 and open in 2010. This station will include transit-oriented development in the form of 170,00 sq. ft of offices in Pleasanton and apartments, a hotel, and a restaurant in Dublin.
Pleasanton is known for its lively downtown and Stoneridge Shopping Center, a regional mall. There are three high schools in town, Amador Valley High School, Foothill High School and Village. Foothill High School and Amador Valley High School rank among the top 300 schools in the nation. There are a number of private schools in Pleasanton, such as Valley Christian School and Carden West School. Pleasanton is considered a prominent example of the edge city phenomenon. Famous football coach and commentator John Madden is a resident of the city (in a historic restored adobe) and his production company is headquartered there.
The sister of famous Bollywood actress Rekha also lives in Pleasanton.
Pleasanton is located at 37°40'21" North, 121°52'57" West (37.672530, -121.882517). It is adjacent to Livermore, California and Dublin, California.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 56.5 km2 (21.8 mi2). 56.1 km2 (21.7 mi2) of it is land and 0.4 km2 (0.2 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 0.78% water.
As of the census of 2000, there are 63,654 people, 23,311 households, and 17,390 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,134.1/km2 (2,938.1/mi2). There are 23,968 housing units at an average density of 427.0/km2 (1,106.3/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 80.44% White, 1.38% African American, 0.33% Native American, 11.69% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 2.35% from other races, and 3.68% from two or more races. 7.87% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 23,311 households out of which 40.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.7% are married couples living together, 7.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4% are non-families. 19.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 5.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.72 and the average family size is 3.15.
In the city the population is spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 7.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $90,859, and the median income for a family is $102,796. Males have a median income of $77,072 versus $44,493 for females. The per capita income for the city is $41,623. 2.6% of the population and 1.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 2.4% of those under the age of 18 and 3.8% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Source:
PleasantonCalifornia.com
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