Truckee, California
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Image:A Cabin in Truckee CA.jpg
Truckee is a town located in Nevada County, California. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 13,864. Truckee's population has the potential to surge to 40,000 people in less than ten years as a result of increased development of previously forested lands in areas such as Martis Valley and the CA-267 corridor. However, the majority would most likely be vacationers, which would keep Truckee's year-round population relatively the same. Interestingly enough, while Truckee residents generally do not like the plan due to its potential impact upon the environment, it is the Boards of Supervisors of Nevada County and nearby Placer County who are approving the build permits, since the areas involved are outside town limits.
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Geography
Truckee is located at 39°20'32" North, 120°12'13" West (39.342163, -120.203568)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 87.7 km² (33.8 mi²). 84.3 km² (32.5 mi²) of it is land and 3.4 km² (1.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 3.87% water, mostly the Truckee River, the only outlet of Lake Tahoe.
Truckee was named after the Paiute chief. The chief's real name was not Truckee, it was Winnemuca. The first people who came to cross the Sierra Nevadas encountered his tribe. The people who found them were on a hill. Chief Winnemuca rode toward them yelling "Tro-kay!"Which is Paiute for "hello." The settlers assumed he was yelling his name. [1]
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 13,864 people, 5,149 households, and 3,563 families residing in the town. The population density was 164.5/km² (426.1/mi²). There were 9,757 housing units at an average density of 115.8/km² (299.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 88.39% White, 0.25% African American, 0.59% Native American, 0.87% Asian, 0.17% Pacific Islander, 7.57% from other races, and 2.16% from two or more races. 12.79% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 5,149 households out of which 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.2% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 18.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 36.8% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 5.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 112.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $58,848, and the median income for a family was $62,746. Males had a median income of $38,631 versus $29,536 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,786. 4.6% of the population and 2.8% of families were below the poverty line. 5.3% of those under the age of 18 and 2.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Transportation
Amtrak serves the city of Truckee. The city's passenger rail station is centrally located at 10000 East River Street in the heart of the historic downtown. Amtrak Train 5, the westbound California Zephyr, departs Truckee every morning and serves the cities of Colfax, Roseville, Sacramento, Davis, Martinez, and Emeryville. Amtrak Train 6, the eastbound California Zephyr, departs Truckee every afternoon and serves the cities of Reno, Sparks, Winnemucca, Elko, Salt Lake, Provo, Helper, Green River, Grand Junction, Glenwood Springs, Denver, Omaha, Galesburg, and Chicago.
Trivia
- Truckee is where the Donner Party was snowbound and resorting to cannibalism. Many of the area's place names come from this group.
- Truckee is famous for its annual rodeo.
- Truckee is the home of Donner Lake and the Donner Memorial State Park
- Truckee grew as a railroad town, starting with the Transcontinental Railroad. The railroad goes into downtown Truckee and the Amtrak passenger lines still stop there on the services from Chicago, Illinois to San Francisco.
- The four closest large ski resorts to Truckee are Squaw Valley, Northstar-at-Tahoe, Alpine Meadows and Sugar Bowl.
- The name Truckee originated from Chief Truckee whose Northern Paiute tribe resided in the Nevada basin. He guided many pioneers to the Summit near Donner Lake.