Editing Copperopolis, California

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Copperopolis
|settlement_type          = [[census-designated place]]
|image_skyline            = 
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = 
|image_seal               = 
|image_map                = Calaveras_County_California_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Copperopolis_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250x200px
|map_caption              = Location in [[Calaveras County, California|Calaveras County]] and the state of [[California]]
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             = 
| pushpin_map = USA
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in the United States
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = {{USA}}
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = {{flag|California}}
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in California|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Calaveras County, California|Calaveras]]
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|established_date         = 
<!-- Area------------------>
|area_magnitude           = 
| unit_pref               = Imperial
| area_footnotes          = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_06.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 30, 2021}}</ref>
| area_total_sq_mi        = 15.61
| area_land_sq_mi         = 15.59
| area_water_sq_mi        = 0.02
| area_total_km2          = 40.44
| area_land_km2           = 40.38
| area_water_km2          = 0.06
| area_water_percent      = 3.09
| area_note               = 
|elevation_ft             = 997
|elevation_m              = 304
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 3400
|population_metro         = 
|population_density_km2   = 84.21
|population_density_sq_mi = 218.09
|timezone                 = [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific (PST)]]
|utc_offset               = -8
|coordinates              = {{coord|37|58|52|N|120|38|31|W|region:US-CA|display=inline,title}}
|timezone_DST             = PDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -7
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 95228
|area_code                = [[Area code 209|209]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 06-16210
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature IDs
|blank1_info              = {{GNIS4|1655921}}, {{GNIS4|2407658}}
|footnotes                = {{Designation list|embed=yes|designation1=California|designation1_number=296}}
|website                  = 
|pop_est_as_of = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|population_est = 
}}
'''Copperopolis''' is an unincorporated town and [[census-designated place]] (CDP) in [[Calaveras County, California|Calaveras County]], [[California]], United States. The population was 3,671 at the 2010 census, up from 2,363 at the 2000 census. The town is located along [[California State Route 4|State Route 4]] and is registered as [[California Historical Landmark]] #296.<ref name=CHL>{{cite ohp|296|Copperopolis|2012-10-06}}</ref>

== History ==
Unlike most of the mining towns in the Calaveras County, Copperopolis' claim to fame is not [[gold]], but [[copper]]. It was founded in 1860 by William K. Reed, Dr. Allen Blatchly, and Thomas McCarty, at the site of the second major discovery of copper ore in the region (the first was nearby [[Telegraph City]]).

William K. Reed and Thomas McCarty founded the Union Copper Mine (and later the Keystone & Empire mines). In 1862, Reed sold out his interest in the mines and built a toll road from Copperopolis through Telegraph City. It connected with a road running westerly into [[Stockton, California|Stockton]]. This road was called "Reeds Turnpike" and remained a toll road until 1865. Copperopolis was on the main stage road from [[Sonora, California|Sonora]] to [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]].

The town grew rapidly, as the need for copper during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] for material was great. The copper was sent to [[Stockton, California|Stockton]] and then to [[San Francisco]], where it was loaded onto ships and taken around [[Cape Horn]] before finally arriving in [[smelter]]s on the East Coast.

After the war ended, mining and shipping copper proved too expensive and the population dwindled as the mines closed. However, a [[Boston]] company purchased the mines in the 1880s and mining operations resumed. The town went through boom periods during the two World Wars, when demand for copper went up again. By the time the mines closed in 1946, according to the [[U.S. Bureau of Mines]], they had produced 72,598,883 pounds of copper worth over $12 million ({{inflation|US|12000000|1946|r=-6|fmt=eq}}). No copper mining has been done since.

The first post office was established in 1861.<ref>{{California's Geographic Names|761}}</ref>

Copperopolis has four buildings listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Calaveras County, California|National Register of Historic Places]]:

<gallery>
File:2009-0724-CA-052-CopperopolisArmory.jpg|[[Copperopolis Armory]]
File:2009-0724-CA-CopperopolisCongregational.jpg|[[Copperopolis Congregational Church]]
File:2009-0724-CA-052-HonigsbergerStore.jpg|[[Honigsberger Store]]
File:2009-0724-CA-052-ReedsStore.jpg|[[Reed's Store]]
</gallery>

==Geography==

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the CDP has a total area of {{convert|22.1|sqmi|km2}}, of which, {{convert|21.5|sqmi|km2}} of it is land and {{convert|0.6|sqmi|km2}} of it (2.89%) is water.

==Climate==
Copperopolis has a hot-summer [[Mediterranean climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Csa'').

There are cool winters during which intense rainfall is broken by weeks of cool, sunny weather. It has hot, dry summers with no rainfall in July and August.

Snow is rare in Copperopolis, averaging only {{convert|0.2|in|cm|2|disp=or}} per year, entirely in winter months.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bestplaces.net/climate/city/california/copperopolis|title=Copperopolis Climate, CALIFORNIA - Climate Summary|access-date=July 17, 2020}}</ref>
{{Weather box
|location = Copperopolis, California
|single line = Y
|Jan high F = 55.3
|Feb high F = 59.9
|Mar high F = 64.3
|Apr high F = 70.1
|May high F = 79.3
|Jun high F = 88.5
|Jul high F = 95.8
|Aug high F = 94.4
|Sep high F = 88.8
|Oct high F = 78.4
|Nov high F = 64.1
|Dec high F = 55.5
|year high F = 74.5
|Jan mean F = 45.9
|Feb mean F = 49.3
|Mar mean F = 53.2
|Apr mean F = 56.1
|May mean F = 62.2
|Jun mean F = 72.5
|Jul mean F = 79.0
|Aug mean F = 77.8
|Sep mean F = 72.9
|Oct mean F = 64.3
|Nov mean F = 53.2
|Dec mean F = 46.1
|year mean F = 61.4
|Jan low F = 36.5
|Feb low F = 38.7
|Mar low F = 42.1
|Apr low F = 45.1
|May low F = 50.8
|Jun low F = 56.5
|Jul low F = 61.9
|Aug low F = 61.1
|Sep low F = 56.9
|Oct low F = 50.2
|Nov low F = 42.2
|Dec low F = 36.6
|year low F = 48.2
|Jan record low F = 21
|Feb record low F = 20
|Mar record low F = 24
|Apr record low F = 28
|May record low F = 31
|Jun record low F = 37
|Jul record low F = 35
|Aug record low F = 41
|Sep record low F = 39
|Oct record low F = 32
|Nov record low F = 28
|Dec record low F = 17
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 5.4
|Feb precipitation inch = 4.8
|Mar precipitation inch = 4.5
|Apr precipitation inch = 2.4
|May precipitation inch = 1.3
|Jun precipitation inch = 0.3
|Jul precipitation inch = 0
|Aug precipitation inch = 0
|Sep precipitation inch = 0.4
|Oct precipitation inch = 1.5
|Nov precipitation inch = 3.2
|Dec precipitation inch = 4.7
|year precipitation inch = 28.5
|Jan snow inch = 0
|Feb snow inch = 0.2
|Mar snow inch = 0
|Apr snow inch = 0
|May snow inch = 0
|Jun snow inch = 0
|Jul snow inch = 0
|Aug snow inch = 0
|Sep snow inch = 0
|Oct snow inch = 0
|Nov snow inch = 0
|Dec snow inch = 0
|year snow inch = 0.2
|source 1 = Bestplaces.net<ref name="best places.net">{{cite web
| url=https://www.bestplaces.net/climate/city/california/copperopolis |title=Copperopolis,CA |access-date=17 July 2020 |date=July 2020}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|2020= 3400
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.html|title=Decennial Census by Decade|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=}}</ref><br>1850–1870<ref name=1870CensusCA1>{{Cite web|title= 1870 Census of Population - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties - California - Almeda County to Sutter County |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1870/population/1870a-12.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref><ref name=1870CensusCA2>{{Cite web|title= 1870 Census of Population - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties - California - Tehama County to Yuba County  |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1870/population/1870a-13.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> 1880-1890<ref name=1890CensusCA>{{Cite web|title= 1890 Census of Population - Population of California by Minor Civil Divisions |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1890/bulletins/demographics/134-population-of-ca.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref><br> 1900<ref name=1900CensusCA>{{Cite web|title= 1900 Census of Population - Population of California by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1900/bulletins/demographic/10-population-ca.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> 1910<ref name=1910CensusCA>{{Cite web|title= 1910 Census of Population - Supplement for California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1910/abstract/supplement-ca.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> 1920<ref name=1920CensusCA>{{Cite web|title= 1920 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1920/bulletins/demographics/population-ca-number-of-inhabitants.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref><br> 1930<ref name=1930CensusCA>{{Cite web|title= 1930 Census of Population - Number and Distribution of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1930/population-volume-1/03815512v1ch03.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> 1940<ref name=1940CensusCA>{{Cite web|title= 1940 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1940/population-volume-1/33973538v1ch03.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> 1950<ref name=1950CensusCA>{{Cite web|title= 1950 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1950/population-volume-1/vol-01-08.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref><br> 1960<ref name=1960CensusCA>{{Cite web|title= 1960 Census of Population - General population Characteristics - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1960/population-volume-1/vol-01-06-d.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> 1970<ref name=1970CensusCA>{{Cite web|title= 1970 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1970a_ca1-01.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> 1980<ref name=1980CensusCA>{{Cite web|title= 1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_caAB-01.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref><br> 1990<ref name=1990CensusCA>{{Cite web|title= 1990 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/cen1990/cph2/cph-2-6.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
2000<ref name=2000CensusCA>{{Cite web|title= 2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2003/dec/phc-3-6.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> 2010<ref name=2010CensusCA>{{Cite web|title= 2010 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/2010/cph-2/cph-2-6.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
}}

===2010===
At the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]] Copperopolis had a population of 3,671. The population density was {{convert|171.3|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of Copperopolis was 3,318 (90.4%) White, 31 (0.8%) African American, 43 (1.2%) Native American, 36 (1.0%) Asian, 12 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 83 (2.3%) from other races, and 148 (4.0%) from two or more races.  Hispanic or Latino of any race were 454 people (12.4%).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=06:0616210|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140715024233/http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=06:0616210|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 15, 2014|title=2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Copperopolis CDP|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=July 12, 2014}}</ref>

The whole population lived in households, no one lived in non-institutionalized group quarters and no one was institutionalized.

There were 1,466 households, 413 (28.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 898 (61.3%) were [[marriage|opposite-sex married couples]] living together, 114 (7.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 58 (4.0%) had a male householder with no wife present.  There were 92 (6.3%) [[POSSLQ|unmarried opposite-sex partnerships]], and 12 (0.8%) [[same-sex partnerships|same-sex married couples or partnerships]]. 291 households (19.8%) were one person and 115 (7.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.50.  There were 1,070 families (73.0% of households); the average family size was 2.86.

The age distribution was 783 people (21.3%) under the age of 18, 253 people (6.9%) aged 18 to 24, 710 people (19.3%) aged 25 to 44, 1,270 people (34.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 655 people (17.8%) who were 65 or older.  The median age was 46.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.4 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.0 males.

There were 2,336 housing units at an average density of {{convert|109.0|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}},of which 1,466 were occupied, 1,089 (74.3%) by the owners and 377 (25.7%) by renters.  The homeowner vacancy rate was 6.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.7%.  2,549 people (69.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,122 people (30.6%) lived in rental housing units.

== Politics ==
In the [[California State Legislature|state legislature]], Copperopolis is in {{Representative|casd|8|fmt=sdistrict}},<ref>{{Cite web
 |url=http://senate.ca.gov/senators 
 |title=Senators 
 |access-date=March 21, 2013
 |publisher=State of California}}</ref> and {{Representative|caad|5|fmt=adistrict}}.<ref>{{Cite web
 |url=http://assembly.ca.gov/assemblymembers
 |title=Members Assembly
 |access-date=March 21, 2013
 |publisher=State of California}}</ref> Federally, Copperopolis is in {{Representative|cacd|5|fmt=district}}.<ref>{{Cite GovTrack|CA|5|accessdate=June 17, 2024}}</ref>

==Literature==
Copperopolis is near [[Tuttletown, California|Tuttletown]], which has a shack on Jack Ass Hill, where [[Mark Twain]] is supposed to have written one of his most famous works, "[[The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County]]".  Author K. Martin Gardner expounds on this literary history, and Twain's friendship with renowned scientist of the time, [[Nikola Tesla]], in his novel ''Copperopolis.''

==See also==
{{commons category|Copperopolis, California|<br/>Copperopolis, California}}
{{clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{Cite gnis|1655921|Copperopolis}}

{{California Historical Landmarks in Calaveras County, California}}
{{Calaveras County, California}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Census-designated places in Calaveras County, California]]
[[Category:California Historical Landmarks]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1860]]
[[Category:1860 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in California]]