San Rafael, California San Rafael City of San Rafael Mission San Rafael Arcangel, one of the city's most recognizable landmarks Mission San Rafael Arcangel, one of the city's most recognizable landmarks Location of San Rafael, California Location of San Rafael, California San Rafael is positioned in the US San Rafael - San Rafael San Rafael (/ s n r f l/ san r -fell; Spanish pronunciation: [san rafa el] "Saint Raphael") is a town/city and the governmental center of county of Marin County, California, United States.

The town/city is positioned in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area.

What is now San Rafael was once the site of a several Coast Miwok villages; Awani-wi, near downtown San Rafael, Ewu, near Terra Linda, and Shotomko-cha, in Marinwood. Mission San Rafael Arcangel was established in what is now downtown San Rafael as the 20th Spanish mission in the colonial Mexican province of Alta California by three priests Father Narciso Duran from Mission San Jose, Father Abella from Mission San Francisco de Asis, Father Luis Gil y Taboada from La Iglesia de Nuestra Senora Reina de los Angeles on Dec.

Mission San Rafael Arcangel was positioned a donkey's day walk to the mission below it.

The mission was originally prepared as a hospital site for Central Valley American Indians who had turn into ill at the cold San Francisco Mission Dolores.

In part because of its ideal weather, San Rafael was later upgraded to full mission status in 1822.

The Mexican government took over the California missions in 1834, and Mission San Rafael was abandoned in 1844, eventually falling into ruin.

The San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad reached San Rafael in 1879 and was linked to the nationwide rail network in 1888.

The United States Navy directed a San Pablo Bay degaussing range from San Rafael through World War II. South of the county is San Francisco.

Mission San Rafael Arcangel, around which the town/city developed the Rafael Film Center The San Rafael shoreline has been historically filled to a considerable extent to accommodate territory development, with underlying bay mud (saturated clayed silt) of up to 90 feet (27 m) in thickness.

San Rafael has a wide range of natural surroundings from forests at the higher elevations to marshland and estuarine settings.

There are also riparian areas including the San Rafael Creek and Miller Creek corridors.

San Rafael has a Mediterranean climate (Koppen climate classification Csb), with mild winter lows seldom reaching the freezing mark.

Climate data for San Rafael, California (1981 2010 normals) The 2010 United States Enumeration reported that the town/city of San Rafael had a populace of 57,713.

This figure does not, however, include portions of the Santa Venetia and Lucas Valley-Marinwood CDPs, nor various other unincorporated areas, all of which have San Rafael postal addresses; in total, as stated to the 2010 Census, there are 70,197 inhabitants of San Rafael postal addresses (ZIP codes 94901 and 94903).

The following statistics refer to the incorporated limits of San Rafael only.

The ethnic makeup of San Rafael was 40,734 (70.6%) White, 1,154 (2.0%) African American, 709 (1.2%) Native American, 3,513 (6.1%) Asian, 126 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 8,513 (14.8%) from other competitions, and 2,964 (5.1%) from two or more competitions.

The populace was spread out with 11,132 citizens (19.3%) under the age of 18, 4,956 citizens (8.6%) aged 18 to 24, 16,915 citizens (29.3%) aged 25 to 44, 15,574 citizens (27.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 9,136 citizens (15.8%) who were 65 years of age or older.

San Rafael is a stronghold of the Democratic Party.

As of October 22, 2012, there were 29,638 registered voters in San Rafael, of which 16,357 (55.2%) were Democrats, 5,332 (18.0%) were Republicans, and 6,676 (22.5%) declined to state a political party. San Rafael is governed by a town/city council with a five members, propel at-large for four-year terms.

In the United States House of Representatives, San Rafael is in California's 2nd congressional district, represented by Democrat Jared Huffman. From 2008 to 2012, Huffman represented Marin County in the California State Assembly.

In the California State Legislature, San Rafael is in: Autodesk, In Defense of Animals, Westamerica Bank, and GIS Data Resources are among the companies headquartered in San Rafael.

The Rafael Theater, seen in American Graffiti After the arrival of George Lucas in San Rafael in 1970 to film the movie THX 1138, the town/city became a center for the entertainment industry, especially the high-tech elements of the business.

Some of the company's operations were moved to San Francisco in 2005.

Portions of the Universal movie manufacturing American Graffiti were filmed in downtown San Rafael under George Lucas's direction, and portions of THX 1138 were shot at the Marin County Civic Center in San Rafael.

The new-age music program Hearts of Space has been headquartered in San Rafael since 2004.

Largely because of the existence of Lucas - Film, San Rafael started to attract video game developers, with a several major studios positioned in the city.

However, in recent years most of the companies, including Lucas Arts, have left San Rafael: After a several subsequent acquisitions by various companies, in 2001 the remaining Broderbund offices were moved to San Francisco.

Lucas - Arts Founded by George Lucas in (1984) as Lucas - Film Games; relocated to San Francisco in 2005.

Stormfront Studios Founded by San Rafael native Don Daglow in 1988.

Factor 5 Founded in Germany in 1987 by Julian Eggebrecht, moved to San Rafael in 1996 to be close to publisher Lucas - Arts.

In May 2009, the company's San Rafael studio closed. According to San Rafael's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the town/city are: 4 City of San Rafael 592 San Rafael contains a number of parks: One County maintained park next to China Camp State Park this park is Mc - Near's Beach Park and it is run by Marin County Parks.

Community parks are Albert Park, Boyd Park, Gerstle Park, Pickleweed Park and the Terra Linda Recreational Center.

Albert Park is the home of the San Rafael Pacifics Baseball Club, established in 2012.

In its five-year span, the San Rafael Pacifics have brought home 3 Championships in 2012, 2014 and 2015, being thwarted by Maui's Ace Jesse Smith of Lincoln, Nebraska in a one-game Championship game in 2013, even though The Pacifics were 7 games up on Maui dominant up to the single Championship game that year.

There are a number of neighborhood parks and mini-parks such as Bret Harte Park, Boyd Park, Sun Valley Park, Oleander Park, Victor Jones Park, Peacock Gap Park and Gerstle Park.

San Rafael has one university, Dominican University of California.

The Ali Akbar College of Music, was established in San Rafael by Indian musician Ali Akbar Khan to teach Indian classical music.

San Rafael is also the home to one of the two campuses of Guide Dogs for the Blind, a guide dog training school.

Most enhance schools in San Rafael are directed by the San Rafael City Schools district.

Dixie School District operates some enhance elementary and middle schools north of San Rafael proper.

All elected public high schools are governed by San Rafael City Schools.

The precinct operates two elected public high schools: San Rafael High School, Terra Linda High School and one alternative high school, Madrone.

Marin Academy, previously the San Rafael Military Academy, is a private high school in San Rafael.

Saint Raphael School is a K-8 school with a history linked to the Mission San Raphael.

3 - R School, an early example of the nonconventional school movement, featured in Time Magazine and using Mc - Guffey's Third Eclectic Reader among other teaching materials, directed in San Rafael from 1955 to 1983.

Brandeis Hillel Day School, a K-8 Jewish day school, opened a Marin ground in 1978.

The Marin School is an autonomous, college-preparatory high school on North San Pedro Road, between the Civic Center and the Osher Marin JCC.

TMS was established in 1981 and moved to San Rafael in 2013.

San Rafael Transit Center The primary north-south freeway through San Rafael is U.S.

Route 101, connecting the North Coast (California) and the Redwood Empire to the north, and San Francisco to the south.

Interstate 580 heads athwart the Richmond San Rafael Bridge to the East Bay.

The San Rafael Transit Center, positioned at the corner of 3rd and Hetherton Streets, is served by a number of bus agencies, including Golden Gate Transit, Marin Transit, Sonoma County Transit, and Greyhound.

San Rafael High School is believed to be the origin of the term "420".

The term "420" when used in reference to cannabis consumption is believed to have originated in San Rafael, specifically, at San Rafael High School.

The Oakland, California hardcore punk band Short Changed's EP & song entitled "Burn Down Wagon Town" is about San Rafael, the guitarist Shipwrex's home town, and the old practice spot of the band as well.

Shel Silverstein's poem The Great Smoke-Off, is about a girl titled Pearly Sweetcakes who came from the town of San Rafael.

Michael Johnson, sprinter, 1996 Atlanta Olympics gold medalist, resides in the hills above San Rafael Although not every locale in San Rafael is part of a neighborhood that has a widely accepted and widely recognized name, there are some neighborhoods that have names that are accepted and recognized by most locals.

The City of San Rafael 2020 General Plan recognizes 30 distinct neighborhoods in San Rafael: Central San Rafael Mont Marin/San Rafael Park North San Rafael Commercial Center San Francisco Bay Area portal "California Cities by Incorporation Date" (Word).

City of San Rafael.

City of San Rafael.

"San Rafael".

"San Rafael (city) Quick - Facts".

"2010 Enumeration Interactive Population Search: CA - San Rafael city".

(2009-05-14) San Rafael Factor 5 Studio Officially Shut Down: News from.

City of San Rafael CAFR "Commuter train rolls into San Rafael for the first time in 50 years".

San Rafael - Marin Magazine - November 2009 - Marin County, California.

"San Francisco Chronicle Obituary for Elizabeth Charleston".

San Rafael Recreation Element of the General Plan, June, 1984 Geological Survey, Topographical Map, San Quentin 7.5 Minute Quadrangle, revised 1980 Wikimedia Commons has media related to San Rafael, California.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for San Rafael.

San Rafael Chamber of Commerce San Rafael Public Library San Rafael High School webpage Snopes story of 4:20 origin at San Rafael High Municipalities and communities of Marin County, California, United States San Francisco Bay Area

Categories:
1874 establishments in California - Cities in Marin County, California - Cities in the San Francisco Bay Area - County seats in California - Incorporated metros/cities and suburbs in California - Populated places established in 1874 - San Rafael, California - Spanish mission settlements in North America - Populated coastal places in California