Editing San Juan Bautista, California

{{Short description|City in California, United States}}
{{More citations needed|date=May 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name                     = San Juan Bautista
|settlement_type          = [[List of municipalities in California|City]]
|official_name            = City of San Juan Bautista
|motto                    = ''City of History''
| image_skyline           = {{Photomontage
| photo1a                 = San Juan Bautista, CA USA - Old Mission SJB - panoramio (62) (cropped).jpg
| photo2a                 = Jardines de San Juan 4264.jpg
| photo2b                 = Pico-Boronda Adobe 4277 (cropped).jpg
| photo3a                 = Downtown San Juan Bautista, California 4287.jpg
| photo3b                 = José Castro House 4327 (cropped).jpg
| spacing                 = 2
| position                = center
| color_border            = white
| color                   = white
| size                    = 285
| foot_montage            = Clockwise: [[Mission San Juan Bautista]]; the Pico-Boronda Adobe; [[José Castro House]]; Downtown San Juan Bautista; Jardines de San Juan.
}}
|image_seal               = San_Juan_Bautista,_California_seal.png
|image_map                = San_Benito_County_California_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_San_Juan_Bautista_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250x200px
|map_caption              = Location in [[San Benito County, California|San Benito County]] and the state of [[California]]
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             = 
| pushpin_map = USA
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in the United States
| pushpin_relief = 1
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[California]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in California|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[San Benito County, California|San Benito]]
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name              = Leslie Q. Jordan<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.san-juan-bautista.ca.us/government/city_council.php|title=Welcome to San Juan Bautista, CA|website=san-juan-bautista.ca.us|access-date=January 3, 2020}}</ref>
|leader_title1            = [[City Manager]]
|leader_name1             = Don Reynolds<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.san-juan-bautista.ca.us/government/city_manager.php|title=Welcome to San Juan Bautista, CA|website=san-juan-bautista.ca.us|access-date=January 3, 2020}}</ref>
|established_title        = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
|established_date         = May 4, 1896<ref>{{Cite web
 |url         = http://www.calafco.org/docs/Cities_by_incorp_date.doc
 |title       = California Cities by Incorporation Date
 |format      = Word
 |publisher   = California Association of [[Local Agency Formation Commission]]s
 |access-date  = August 25, 2014
|url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20141103002921/http://www.calafco.org/docs/Cities_by_incorp_date.doc
 |archive-date = November 3, 2014
}}</ref>
|named_for                = [[Saint John the Baptist]]
<!-- Area------------------>
| unit_pref               = Imperial
| area_footnotes          = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_06.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 1, 2020}}</ref>
| area_total_sq_mi        = 0.79
| area_land_sq_mi         = 0.79
| area_water_sq_mi        = 0.00
| area_total_km2          = 2.03
| area_land_km2           = 2.03
| area_water_km2          = 0.00
| area_water_percent      = 0.06
| area_note               = 
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref>{{Cite GNIS|1659581|San Juan Bautista|access-date=October 17, 2014}}</ref>
|elevation_ft             = 217
|elevation_m              = 66
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="quif">{{cite web |title=San Juan Bautista city, California |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US0668014 |website=United States Census Bureau |access-date=March 30, 2022}}</ref>
|population_total         = 2089
|population_metro         = 
|population_density_km2   = 1035.29
|population_density_sq_mi = 2680.25
|timezone                 = [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific]]
|utc_offset               = -8
|coordinates              = {{coord|36|50|39|N|121|32|14|W|region:US-CA|display=inline,title}}
|timezone_DST             = [[Pacific Daylight Time|PDT]]
|utc_offset_DST           = -7
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 95045
|area_code_type           = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
|area_code                = [[Area code 831|831]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS]] code
|blank_info               = {{FIPS|06|68014}}
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature IDs
|blank1_info              = {{GNIS 4|1659581}}, {{GNIS 4|2411792}}
|website                  = {{URL|www.san-juan-bautista.ca.us}}
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of = 2019
|pop_est_footnotes = <ref name="USCensusEst2019CenPopScriptOnlyDirtyFixDoNotUse"/>
|population_est = 2104
}}

'''San Juan Bautista''' ([[Spanish language|Spanish]] for "[[John the Baptist|Saint John the Baptist]]") is a city in [[San Benito County, California]], United States. The population was 2,089 as of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="quif"/> San Juan Bautista was founded in 1797 by the Spanish under [[Fermín de Lasuén]], with the establishment of [[Mission San Juan Bautista]]. Following the [[Mexican secularization act of 1833|Mexican secularization of 1833]], the town was briefly known as '''San Juan de Castro''' and eventually incorporated in 1896. Today, San Juan is a popular tourist destination, as the home of the [[San Juan Bautista State Historic Park]] and other important historic sites, as well as cultural institutions like [[El Teatro Campesino]].

==History==
[[File:San Juan Bautista, CA USA - Old Mission SJB - panoramio (56).jpg|thumb|left|upright=.8|Statue of [[Fermín de Lasuén]], founder of San Juan Bautista.]]
Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the area around San Juan Bautista was populated by the [[Mutsun]], a tribe of the [[Ohlone|Ohlone Nation]] of [[Indigenous Californians]]. The Mutsuns lived in villages in the area around San Juan Bautista, in settlements composed of thatched huts made of willow and native grasses.

===Spanish period===
In 1797, the [[Spanish people|Spanish]] [[Franciscans|Franciscan]] priest fray [[Fermín de Lasuén]] founded [[Mission San Juan Bautista]] to facilitate the conversion of the native people to [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholicism]]; in the process, he claimed the land for the [[Spanish Empire]]. Lasuén chose the site because of the area's fertile cropland, steady water supply, and sizable Indian population.

Construction of the current mission church began in 1803, and it has served the community continuously since 1812. The mission was located on the [[El Camino Real (California)|Camino Real]], a "royal highway" which connected the [[Spanish Missions in California|California missions]] and which remained well-used until the 19th century.

===Mexican period===
[[File:Casa de Anza 4250 (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|[[Juan de Anza House|Casa Juan de Anza]], built in 1830, is the oldest residence in San Juan.]]
In 1821, Mexico [[Mexican War of Independence|revolted]] against Spain, winning independence for itself, and making California a province of the newly independent [[Mexico]]. By 1834, a town known as San Juan de Castro had sprouted up around the mission. It drew its name from the town's prominent ''[[alcalde]]'' José Tiburcio Castro. In 1834 the mission was [[Secularization|secularized]], and Castro appointed executor of the property. Accordingly, he divided and auctioned off the former mission properties. His son, [[José Castro]], built the Castro Adobe on the south side of the Plaza de San Juan in 1840; however, Castro's frequent involvement in government kept him from spending much time there. Castro was a key member of the overthrow of governors [[Nicolás Gutiérrez]] in 1836 and [[Manuel Micheltorena]] in 1844.
[[File:San Juan Bautista, California (c. 1856).jpg|thumb|left|View of San Juan Bautista in 1856.]]
After defeating Micheltorena and his ill-equipped army, José Antonio Castro was appointed Comandante General of California, in charge of the [[Mexican Army]]'s operations in California. From San Juan Bautista, Castro ordered the army against potential foreign incursions. He kept especially close watch over the movements of [[John C. Frémont]], an American military officer who had been let into California to conduct a survey of the interior. Though given explicit instructions to stay away from coastal settlements, Frémont soon broke the agreement by taking his team to [[Monterey, California|Monterey]], a potential military target. When Castro told Frémont he would have to leave the country, the situation came close to war when he obstinately refused to leave and instead set up a base on [[Gavilán Peak]], overlooking the town of San Juan. However, fighting was avoided and Frémont, grudgingly, withdrew.

===American period===
[[File:View of San Juan Bautista, California (c. 1905).jpg|thumb|left|View of San Juan Bautista in 1905.]]
San Juan Bautista incorporated as a city on May 4, 1896.

In June 1904, early aviation pioneer [[John J. Montgomery]] made a series of successful test flights using his tandem-wing glider in San Juan. This was a prototype to his 1905 gliders that were used to make the first successful high-altitude flights in heavier-than-air flying machines in the world.

Recently, using old photographs and eyewitness accounts, researchers were able to estimate the location of the [[hypocenter]] of the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake]] as offshore from San Francisco, or near the city of San Juan Bautista, confirming previous estimates.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://gizmodo.com/how-scientists-used-a-1906-photo-to-find-the-center-of-1832208787 |title = How Scientists Used a 1906 Photo to Find the Center of San Francisco's Most Infamous Earthquake| date=January 30, 2019 }}</ref>

In 1930, the last native speaker of [[Mutsun]], Ascención Solórzano de Cervantes, died, rendering the Mutsun language extinct.

In 1971, [[Luis Valdez]] moved [[El Teatro Campesino]], one of the most important cultural institutions of the [[Chicano Movement]], to San Juan. Initially, they only had use of La Calavera Theatre, but eventually also built out a larger theatre, simply known as El Teatro Campesino.

==Geography==
[[File:First National Bank of San Juan Bautista 4289.jpg|thumb|right|Downtown San Juan Bautista]]
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|0.7|sqmi|km2}}, 99.94% of it land and 0.06% of it water.

The [[Gabilan Range|Gabilán Range]] is to the south of San Juan Bautista. The [[San Andreas Fault]] runs through San Juan Bautista. [[Fremont Peak (California)|Fremont Peak]], overlooking the town of San Juan, is open to the public as [[Fremont Peak State Park]].

===Climate===
This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above {{convert|71.6|°F|°C|abbr=on}}. According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, San Juan Bautista has a [[Mediterranean climate#Warm-summer Mediterranean climate|warm-summer Mediterranean climate]], abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=220440&cityname=San+Juan+Bautista%2C+California%2C+United+States+of+America&units=|title=San Juan Bautista, California Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)|work=Weatherbase|access-date=January 29, 2016}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 484
|1890= 463
|1900= 449
|1910= 326
|1920= 501
|1930= 772
|1940= 678
|1950= 1031
|1960= 1046
|1970= 1164
|1980= 1276
|1990= 1570
|2000= 1549
|2010= 1862
|estyear=2019
|estimate=2104
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2019CenPopScriptOnlyDirtyFixDoNotUse">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2019.html|date=May 24, 2020|title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 27, 2020}}</ref>
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2010===
[[File:Downtown San Juan Bautista, California 4268.jpg|thumb|left|The Vache Adobe, built in 1856, now hosts the Santana Gallery.]]
[[File:San Juan Bautista, CA USA - Old Mission SJB - panoramio (55).jpg|thumb|left|The former padre's residence at [[Mission San Juan Bautista]]]]
At the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]] San Juan Bautista had a population of 1,862. The population density was {{convert|2616.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of San Juan Bautista was 1,125 (60.4%) White, 12 (0.6%) African American, 58 (3.1%) Native American, 52 (2.8%) Asian, 2 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 494 (26.5%) from other races, and 119 (6.4%) from two or more races. There were 907 Hispanic or Latino residents, of any race (48.7%).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=06:0668014|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140715032928/http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=06:0668014|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 15, 2014|title=2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA – San Juan Bautista city|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=July 12, 2014}}</ref>

The mission had 1,248 Mutsun Native Americans. The census reported that 1,857 people (99.7% of the population) lived in households, 5 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.

There were 681 households, 229 (33.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 345 (50.7%) were [[marriage|opposite-sex married couples]] living together, 86 (12.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 48 (7.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 42 (6.2%) [[POSSLQ|unmarried opposite-sex partnerships]], and 8 (1.2%) [[same-sex partnerships|same-sex married couples or partnerships]]. 157 households (23.1%) were one person and 48 (7.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.73. There were 479 families (70.3% of households); the average family size was 3.21.

The age distribution was 431 people (23.1%) under the age of 18, 178 people (9.6%) aged 18 to 24, 476 people (25.6%) aged 25 to 44, 556 people (29.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 221 people (11.9%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 38.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.

There were 745 housing units at an average density of 1,046.9 per square mile, of the occupied units 345 (50.7%) were owner-occupied and 336 (49.3%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.1%. 898 people (48.2%) residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|2187.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 615 housing units at an average density of 0.0 per square mile (334.4/km{{sup|2}}). The racial makeup of the city in 2010 was 43.9% non-Hispanic White, 0.6% non-Hispanic African American, 1.6% Native American, 2.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 48.7% of the population.

===2000===
[[File:Mission Sanctuary.jpg|thumb|left|Interior of the [[Roman Catholic]] church of [[Mission San Juan Bautista]]]]
[[File:La Calavera Theatre 4276 (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|La Calavera Theatre]]
Of the 567 households 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.1% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 23.6% of households were one person and 9.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.24.

The age distribution was 27.9% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males.

The median [[income]] for a household in the city was $43,355, and the median family income was $47,656. Males had a median income of $40,089 versus $27,063 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,882. About 12.7% of families and 15.5% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 23.2% of those under age 18 and 12.2% of those age 65 or over.

==Economy==
San Juan is largely an agricultural community, though the town has a strong tourist industry, owing to its historic and cultural sites.

[[Earthbound Farm]], based in San Juan, is the largest producer of organic salads in the United States.<ref name=NYT>Amanda Hesser, ''[https://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/14/us/salad-in-sealed-bags-isn-t-so-simple-it-seems.html Salad in Sealed Bags Isn't So Simple, It Seems]'', ''[[The New York Times]]'', January 14, 2003.</ref>

The [[Fremont Peak Observatory]], located atop [[Fremont Peak (California)|Fremont Peak]] in the [[Gabilan Range|Gabilán Range]], is a non-profit astronomical institution serving the local community.

==Government==
[[File:San Juan Bautista Community Hall 4331 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|San Juan Community Hall, built in the 1920s in a [[Mission Revival]] style]]
In the [[California State Legislature]], San Juan Bautista is in {{Representative|casd|14
|fmt=sdistrict}}, and in {{Representative|caad|29|fmt=adistrict}}.<ref>{{Cite web
 | url = http://statewidedatabase.org/gis/gis2011/index_2011.html
 | title = Statewide Database
 | publisher = UC Regents
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150201113744/http://statewidedatabase.org/gis/gis2011/index_2011.html
 | archive-date = February 1, 2015
| url-status = dead
 }}</ref>

In the [[United States House of Representatives]], San Juan Bautista is in {{Representative|cacd|18|fmt=district}}.<ref>{{Cite GovTrack|CA|20}}</ref>

==Media==
CMAP TV – Community Media Access Partnership operates Channels 17, 18, 19 & 20 on Charter/Spectrum Cable as well as streaming online, offering public access and educational programming to Gilroy and San Benito County as well as covering live civic meetings, including the City of San Juan Bautista.

==Popular culture==
The location was used for scenes in the [[Alfred Hitchcock]] film [[Vertigo (film)|Vertigo]], though the church tower, which had been demolished years earlier by fire, was added by special effects.

==Notable people==
*[[Amalia Mesa-Bains]], [[Chicana feminism|Chicana feminist]] author and artist
*[[Ed Walker (American veteran)|Ed Walker]], last surviving member of the [[Castner's Cutthroats|Alaskan Scouts]]<ref name=matsu>{{cite news |title=Last 'Cutthroat' dies at age 94  |work=[[Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman]] |date=October 31, 2011 |url=http://www.frontiersman.com/articles/2011/10/31/opinion/editorials/doc4eaf752eeb63c305319893.txt |access-date=November 19, 2011}}</ref>
*[[George H. Moore]], member of [[Los Angeles City Council]]
*[[Jaime Cortez]], artist and [[LGBT rights activist]]
*[[Luis Valdez]], father of [[Chicano films|Chicano film]] and founder of [[El Teatro Campesino]]
*[[Robert J. Mazzuca]], 11th CEO of the [[Boy Scouts of America]]
*[[Rowena Meeks Abdy]], modernist painter
*[[Salomón Pico]], a [[Californio]] "Robin Hood"
*[[Xochiquetzal Candelaria]], poet

==Historical Landmarks==
*[[San Juan Bautista State Historic Park]] 
*[[Mission San Juan Bautista]] 1797
*[[Plaza Hotel (San Juan Bautista, California)|Plaza Hotel]] 1813
*[[José Castro House]] 1838
*[[Juan de Anza House]] 1830
*[[Marentis House]] 1873
*[[Rozas House]] 1856
*[[Benjamin Wilcox House]] 1858
*[[San Juan Jail]] 1870
*[[Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail]]

== See also ==
{{Portal|California}}
*[[California Historical Landmarks in San Benito County]]
*[[National Register of Historic Places listings in San Benito County, California]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|San Juan Bautista, California}}
* {{Official website}}

{{Monterey Bay Area}}
{{San Benito County, California}}
{{California Central Coast}}
{{California}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:San Juan Bautista, California| ]]
[[Category:Cities in San Benito County, California]]
[[Category:Incorporated cities and towns in California]]
[[Category:Spanish mission settlements in North America]]