Los Banos, California Los Baños
City
City of Los Banos
The Falasco Arts Center, housed in the historic St. Joseph's Church, Los Banos
Location in Merced County and the state of California
Los Banos Show map of California Los Banos Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 37°03′30″N 120°51′00″W / 37.05833°N 120.85000°W / 37.05833; -120.85000
Country	United States
State	California
County	Merced
Incorporated	May 8, 1907[1]
Government
• Mayor	Paul Llanez[2]
Area [3]
• Total	10.12 sq mi (26.2 km2)
• Land	10.00 sq mi (25.9 km2)
• Water	0.12 sq mi (0.3 km2)  1.22%
Elevation [4]	118 ft (35 m)
Population  (2020)[5]
• Total	45,532
• Density	4,500/sq mi (1,700/km2)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP Code	93635
Area code	209
FIPS code	06-44028
GNIS feature IDs	277547, 2410878
Website	www.losbanos.org

Los Banos (/loʊs ˈbænoʊs/ lohss BAN-ohss), alternatively Los Baños (/loʊs ˈbænjoʊs/ lohss BAN-yohss), is a city in Merced County, California, United States. It is located in the San Joaquin Valley in central California, near the junction of State Route 152 and Interstate 5. Its population was 45,532 at the 2020 census,^[5] up from 35,972 at the 2010 census. The city is served by Los Banos Municipal Airport for air transport access.

Etymology

The town's Spanish name Los Baños means "the baths";^[6] it is named after a spring that feeds natural wetlands in the western San Joaquín Valley.^[7] Its official spelling, reflected in the name of its post office, omits the tilde of the ñ,^[8] though some signs in town show its name as Los Baños.

Geography

Los Banos is located on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, 26 miles (42 km) southwest of Merced,^[9] at about 118 ft (36 m) elevation.^[4] Its coordinates are 37°03′30″N 120°51′00″W / 37.05833°N 120.85000°W / 37.05833; -120.85000.^[4] The city is at the intersection of California State Route 152 and California State Route 165. 7 miles (11 km) to the west is Interstate 5, which extends north–south between Canada and Mexico. The San Luis Reservoir and the Diablo Range are farther to the west.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.1 square miles (26 km²), of which 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²) (1.22%) is covered by water.

North levee, San Luis Refuge (March 2007)

Los Banos sits on the southwestern edge of extensive national and state game refuges; these wetlands support waterfowl and other wildlife habitat along a stretch of the San Joaquin River that still carries water and the Grassland Ecological Area, home to rare California grasslands habitat. The San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex includes San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, which includes the Kesterson Unit, East Bear Creek, West Bear Creek, and Blue Goose Unit. Nearby are the Merced National Wildlife Refuge and the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge. Fishers, hunters, birdwatchers, and other recreational users come to Los Banos year round.

Demographics

The Opera House in Los Banos following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake

2000

Switching in Los Banos, 1991

At the 2000 census there were 25,869 people in 7,721 households, including 6,223 families, in the city. The population density was 3,218.7 inhabitants per square mile (1,242.7/km²). There were 8,049 housing units at an average density of 1,001.5 per square mile (386.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 58.61% White, 4.25% African American, 1.35% Native American, 2.34% Asian, 0.33% Pacific Islander, 26.90% from other races, and 6.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 50.44%.^[16]

Of the 7,721 households, 48.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.5% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.4% were non-families. Of all households, 15.8% were one person and 7.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.33 and the average family size was 3.69.

The age distribution was 35.1% under 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% 65 or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males.

The median household income was $43,690 and the median family income was $45,304. Males had a median income of $38,294 versus $27,994 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,582. About 9.8% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.9% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government

In the California State Legislature, Los Banos is in the 14th Senate District, represented by Democrat Anna Caballero, and in the 27th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Esmeralda Soria.^[17]

In the United States House of Representatives, Los Banos is in California's 13th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +4^[18] and is represented by Republican John Duarte.^[19]

As of 2022, Paul Llanez is the mayor.^[2]

History and culture

The Los Banos area was initially settled, according to Mexican land-grant records, in the 1840s. The first white settler in the area was Uriah Wood, who built his two-room cabin in 1859.^[20] The original site of Los Banos was located several miles from the current town center, about a mile and half west of the railroad near present-day Volta. The town was essentially a trading post and received its name when the post office was established and the Post Office Department designated the office "Los Banos" after the nearby creek. When the railroad arrived, Los Banos relocated to its present-day site.^[21] The first post office opened in 1873.^[9]

Land and water rights were important to early Los Banos residents, but those rights were recognized only when the land and deed were registered. Sometimes, those rights depended on fleet footedness, as it did in the "race" between Los Banos residents Uriah Wood and Henry Miller. Wood, whose homestead was located off of Badger Flat Road, raced Miller to the land office in Stockton to insure his claim to the land would be recognized. After crossing the San Joaquin River, Wood paid the ferryman $5 to hold the boat on the east side of the river to insure he would gain sufficient distance from Miller to ensure he would reach the land office first. Wood succeeded and the seven sections that he registered cost him only 45¢ an acre.^[21]

The centerpiece of downtown Los Banos is Henry Miller Plaza, honoring early California rancher Henry Miller. The 10-acre (4.0 ha) half-oval public plaza features a monumental scale bronze arrangement of Miller with cattle. At one time in the late 19th century, Miller was the largest land owner in the United States. The success of his business monopolized the California agricultural industry, funneling resources and supplies to create his prosperous company. Centered around cattle farming, the Miller and Lux Corporation ultimately transformed the San Joaquin Valley into what can be considered as a precursor to corporate farming and turning independent farmers into wageworkers.^[22] His company, the Miller & Lux Corporation, was headquartered in Los Banos on a site currently housing the Mexican restaurant España's and the Canal Farm Inn.

Los Banos has a long history of Portuguese and Spanish immigrants, as do many of the nearby towns on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. This is reflected both in local restaurants and in several festivals and parades that take place during the year. There is also a significant community of Basques. Los Banos is locally known for its annual May Day Fair during the first week of May.

Los Banos is home to The Randall Fawcett House, a Frank Lloyd Wright designed Usonian home.^[23]

A member of the Manson family, Susan Atkins attended Los Banos High School, before joining the family.

Since the 1980s, the city's population has changed with a continuing influx of people who work in the San Jose/Silicon Valley area but seek more affordable housing and slower pace of semi-rural life, a pattern seen in many other small towns within commuting distance of Silicon Valley.

Canal Farm Inn, a California Historical Landmark

• California Historical Landmark Canal Farm Inn is located at 1460 E Pacheco Blvd, Los Banos. Canal Farm Inn is a California Historical Landmarks, number 548.

The California Historical Landmark reads:

NO. 548 CANAL FARM INN - This original San Joaquin Valley ranch headquarters of California pioneer and cattle baron Henry Miller (1827-1916) was established in 1873. His farsighted planning and development in the 1870s of a vast gravity irrigation system, and the founding of Los Banos in 1889, provided the basis for this area's present stability and wealth. ^[24]

Notable people

• Mack Wheat, (1893–1979), was a Major League Baseball catcher from 1915 to 1921 for Brooklyn and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Education

K–12 education is provided by the Los Banos Unified School District. In addition, the Los Banos Campus of Merced College has served community college students since 2007.

Economy

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Los Banos, California.

• Official website