The Cities and communities of Mariposa County, California *

Bear Valley, Bootjack, Buck Meadows
Cathey's Valley, Coulterville
Don Pedro
El Portal
Foresta
Greeley Hill
Hornitos
Jerseydale
Lush Meadows
Mariposa, Midpines, Mt. Bullion
Ponderosa Basin
Wawona
Yosemite Valley

*This list of cities may not be complete. The list may contain towns, cities, villages, boroughs, neighborhoods, townships, ghost towns and other populated places.

If you have information about any of these unlinked communities, please send it to us and we will add a page for that community. Some of these places above may only be neighborhoods or local area names and are not listed with the census at all or just included in a larger surrounding designated census area..

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Information & Facts about Mariposa County, California

Attractions & other Information - Climate - Economy - Genealogy - Geography -
Government - History - Libraries - Location - Organizations & Groups -
Other Facts & Figures - Population - Schools

Government

Mariposa County Official Website

County Seat: Mariposa
The county has no incorporated cities but many small towns and communities

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Population:

2000 - 17,130
2004 - 18,003
2005 - 18,069

Population Density:
2000 - 12 persons per square mile

Median age:
2000 - 42.9 years

Housing Units:
2000 - 8,826

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Location:

Central Yosemite National Park takes up the eastern half of the county

in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, north of Fresno, east of Merced and southeast of Stockton.

Neighboring Counties:

North - Tuolumne County
East and South - Madera County
West - Merced County

1895 map of Mariposa County

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Climate:

Annual Average Rainfall: 29.9 inches

The county enjoys a moderate climate with snow in some areas during the winter. Abundant rainfall is the norm which also brings beautiful wildflowers and green hills. Summers tend to be warm and dry.

Current Weather in Yosemite National Park

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Other Facts and Figures:

Median Household Income:
2000 - $34,626
2005 - $39,100

Per capita Income:
2000 - $18,190

Median house value:
2005 - $340,803

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History:

Founded 1850

Of the 27 original counties in the state, Mariposa County is the largest. It has been called the Mother of California Counties due to the fact that 12 other counties, either in part or all, have been carved from its borders. Among them are: Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Madera, Merced, Momo, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo and Tulare.

The name came from Mariposa Creek which was named by Spanish explorers when they found large groups of butterlifes in the foothills in 1806. Butterflies in Spanish is Mariposas. A Butterfly Days parade was held for many years to celebrate the annual arrival of the migrating Monarch butterflies.

The Gold Rush
Though removed from the main areas, the county is located at the southern end of the Mother Lode region. During this era, much gold was found and brought out from county streams and mines. A number of museums depict the county's role in the Gold Fever era.

Mother of Counties
Gold Mining history for Mariposa County
Mariposa History and Genealogy
History links for the county

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Geography:

Land area: 1,451 square miles
Water area: 12 square miles
Total area: 1,463 square miles

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Genealogy:

Mariposa County GenWeb Project page
Linkpendium Genealogy page for Mariposa County
Kindred Trails genealogy page for the County
The Political Graveyard for Mariposa County
Cemeteries of Mariposa County

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Libraries:

Mariposa County Library
Part of the San Joaquin Valley Library System

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Schools:

Mariposa County Unified School District
P.O. Box 8
Mariposa, CA 95338

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Economy:

SocioEconomic Profile for Mariposa County
Economic Development Corporation for Mariposa County

Business Data for Mariposa County

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Organizations & Groups

Mariposa County Chamber of Commerce
5158 Highway 140
P.O. Box 425
Mariposa, CA 95338
Phone: 209-966-2456

Gold Country Visitors Association
P.O. Box 637
Angels Camp, CA 95222
Phone: 800-225-3764

Mariposa County Arts Council

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Attractions & Other Information

Yosemite National Park
Yosemite Links

Mariposa County Visitor Information

Mariposa Story Telling Festival

Sierra Sun Times - local Newspaper

Ghost Towns of Mariposa County

Mariposa Museum and History Center
5119 Jessie St
Mariposa, CA 95338
Phone: (209) 966-2924

Northern Mariposa County History Center
P.O. Box 149
Coulterville CA 95311
Phone: (209) 878-3015

Mariposa Fairgrounds
5007 Fairgrounds Road
Mariposa, California 95338
Phone: 209-966-2432

Mariposa County has the largest canyon oak tree in the United States, the Jordan Oak. Its trunk has a diameter of 32.5 feet and then splits into 6 trunks that reach 109 feet into the air. It is estimated to be 300 to 500 years old.

The three tallest waterfalls in North America are found in the county:
Yosemite Falls -2,425 feet
Sentinel Fall - 2,000 feet
Ribbon Fall - 1,612 feet
There are 9 other waterfalls in the county area

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This page was created on 27 January 2008 and last updated on 19 April 2010 at 3:30 pm