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48-862: They are east of the Diablo Range , on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley . They define the eastern side of the Panoche Valley . The US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) maintains the Panoche Hills Recreation Area, a recreation area within the hills. The entrance to the BLM area is across Little Panoche Road from the Mercey Hot Springs resort. This BLM land is under Fire Season Vehicle Restrictions from mid-April to mid-October. No motorized access

96-610: A decade there is seriously deep and long lasting snowfall. Mercury contamination near the southern end of the range is an ongoing problem, due to the New Idria quicksilver mines, which stopped production in the 1970s. Heavy mercury contamination has been documented in the San Carlos and Silver Creeks, which flow into Panoche Creek , and thence into the San Joaquin River . This has resulted in mercury contamination all

144-862: A part of that region. Frequently, the county is associated with the Monterey Bay Area through governmental organizations such as the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments as well as the Pajaro River , which flows from northern San Benito County into the Monterey Bay . The United States Census Bureau includes the county in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA and the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland CSA , which

192-468: A population of 55,269. The racial makeup of San Benito County was 35,181 (63.7%) White , 483 (0.9%) African American , 895 (1.6%) Native American , 1,443 (2.6%) Asian , 94 (0.2%) Pacific Islander , 14,471 (26.2%) from other races , and 2,702 (4.9%) from two or more races. There were 31,186 people of Hispanic or Latino origin, of any race (56.4%). As of the census of 2000, there were 53,234 people, 15,885 households, and 12,898 families residing in

240-853: A whole, as it straddles the major political fault lines of the state. Before 1904, however, it was a solidly Democratic county whilst the state leaned Republican, voting Democratic in every election from its creation in 1876 up to and including 1900, although California only voted Democratic in 1880 and 1892 . As of May 2010, the California Secretary of State reports that San Benito County has 34,562 eligible voters. Of those 24,736 (71.57%) are registered voters. Of those, 11,959 (48.35%) are registered Democratic, 7,477 (30.23%) are registered Republican, 565 (2.28%)are registered American Independent, and 116 (0.47%) are Green Party. The two incorporated municipalities of Hollister and San Juan Bautista have Democratic majorities on their voter rolls, whereas

288-705: Is a mountain range in the California Coast Ranges subdivision of the Pacific Coast Ranges in northern California , United States. It stretches from the eastern San Francisco Bay Area at its northern end to the Salinas Valley area at its southern end. The Diablo Range extends from the Carquinez Strait in the north to Orchard Peak and Polonio Pass in the south, near the point where State Route 46 crosses over

336-503: Is allowed during this time period. The California Department of Fish and Game also maintains the Panoche Hills Ecological Reserve, an ecological reserve within the hills. The Hills contain examples of fossilized remains of Mesozoic era cold seeps . This Fresno County, California -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Diablo Range The Diablo Range

384-402: Is also considered a bellwether county for California in presidential elections; since 1904 the only candidates to carry the state without winning this county have been Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944 and Harry S. Truman in 1948 . The county's bellwether status goes beyond presidential politics to ballot initiatives and statewide candidates, as its election results mirror those of the state as

432-718: Is considered high, mainly because the range is mostly rolling grassland and plateaus, punctuated by isolated peaks. Plateaus are usually at about 2,000–3,000 feet (610–910 m). Hills rise to about 1,000 feet (300 m), while foothills such those in the Santa Clara Valley, Livermore Valley and San Joaquin Valley are typically 400–1,000 feet (120–300 m). Canyons are usually 300–400 feet (91–122 m) deep; valleys are often deeper but less steep-sided. Peaks often have high topographic prominence, as they are surrounded by valleys or lower hills or plateaus. Streams draining

480-639: Is dominated with nonnative invasives. Blooming in spring are such plants as Viola pedunculata , Dodecatheon pulchellum , Fritillaria liliacea , and Ribes malvaceum , which can be viewed in the Blue Oak Ranch Reserve . The range's riparian zones have such trees as bigleaf maple ( Acer macrophyllum ), white alder ( Alnus rhombifolia ), California bay ( Umbellularia californica ), and California sycamore ( Platanus racemosa ). The most common trees are coast live oak ( Quercus agrifolia ) and blue oak ( Quercus douglasii ), with

528-618: Is held in conservation easements by the California Rangeland Trust . Since the range lies around 10–50 miles (16–80 kilometers) inland from the ocean, and other coastal ranges like the Santa Lucia Range and the Santa Cruz Mountains block incoming moisture, the range gets little precipitation. In addition, the average elevation of 3,000 feet (910 m) is not high enough to catch most of

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576-457: Is the 16th elected Sheriff-Coroner-Marshal of San Benito County. He was appointed on June 25, 2021, and was elected in June 2022. His term began on January 2, 2023. The San Benito County Sheriff provides law enforcement services, search and rescue, court security, marshal services, correctional facility operations and coroner service for the entire county. It provides patrol and detective services for

624-514: The Cienega Valley , Lime Kiln Valley , and Paicines AVAs. Due to the varied topography, diverse geology, and varied climate from near-coastal to inland, San Benito County contains a high diversity of vegetation types. Common vegetation types include annual grasslands, coastal scrub , chaparral , and oak woodland . In the extreme southeastern portion of San Benito County at Panoche Valley, Panoche Hills , Tumey Hills , and Vallecitos,

672-739: The County of San Benito , is a county located in the Central Coast region of California . Situated in the California Coast Ranges , the county had a population of 64,209, as of the 2020 census . The county seat is the city of Hollister . San Benito County is included in the San Jose - Sunnyvale - Santa Clara , CA Metropolitan Statistical Area , which is also included in the San Jose- San Francisco - Oakland , CA Combined Statistical Area . El Camino Real passes through

720-638: The 1800s. There still are numerous coyotes and some of the more vital mountain lion populations in the state. There are excellent populations of bobcats and gray foxes , which depend on the chaparral habitat. A species of millipede, Illacme plenipes , is endemic to the southern Diablo Range. First described in 1926, then not seen again until 2005, the species has more legs than any other species of millipede, with one specimen having 750. San Benito County, California San Benito County ( / ˌ s æ n b ə ˈ n iː t oʊ / ; San Benito , Spanish for " St. Benedict "), officially

768-529: The Calaveras Fault to the east and the Hayward Fault to the west. The range passes through Contra Costa , Alameda , San Joaquin , Santa Clara , Stanislaus , Merced , San Benito , Fresno , Monterey , and Kings Counties, and ends in the northwesternmost extremity of Kern County . Though the average elevation is about 3,000 feet (910 meters), a summit of over 2,300 feet (700 m)

816-600: The Census uses as a statistical definition of the San Francisco Bay Area. The county also borders Merced County and Fresno County on the east, which extend into California's San Joaquin Valley . It borders Santa Cruz County on the west and Monterey County on the southwest border. The county is also the location of the Mount Harlan and San Benito American Viticultural Areas . The latter contains

864-478: The Central Valley city of Tracy . South of Pacheco Pass, the only major nearby communities (those with a population over 15,000) are Los Banos , and Hollister . The small town of Coalinga may also be notable for its location on State Route 198 , one of the few routes through the mountains. Also the town of Kettleman City is also on State Route 41, another route that crosses the mountains. Towns west of

912-743: The Coast Ranges at Cholame , as described by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). It is bordered on the northeast by the San Joaquin River , on the southeast by the San Joaquin Valley , on the southwest by the Salinas River , and on the northwest by the Santa Clara Valley and San Francisco Bay . On USGS maps, the "Diablo Range" is shown as the ridgeline which runs between its namesake Mount Diablo southeastward past Mount Hamilton . However,

960-611: The Diablo Range corresponds to the California Coast Ranges east of the Calaveras Fault in its northern section. For much of its length, it is paralleled by other sections of the California Coast Ranges to the west, the Santa Cruz Mountains across the southern San Francisco Bay and Santa Clara Valley, and the Santa Lucia Range across the Salinas Valley . The East Bay Hills are bounded geologically by

1008-448: The Diablo Range include knobcone pine ( Pinus attenuata ), Jeffrey pine ( Pinus jeffreyi ) and ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa ). The Diablo Range attracts far more raptors than coastal forests, such as red-tailed hawks . Golden eagle nesting sites are found in the Diablo Range, reaching their highest density in southern Alameda County. The Bay checkerspot butterfly , a federally listed threatened species , has habitat in

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1056-644: The New Idria serpentine mass support many rare local endemic plant species including San Benito evening primrose ( Camissonia benitensis ), rayless layia ( Layia discoidea ), Guirado's goldenrod ( Solidago guiradonis ), and San Benito fritillary ( Fritillaria viridea ). The plant species Benitoa occidentalis was named for San Benito County. Camissonia benitensis , Monardella antonina subsp. benitensis , and Arctostaphylos benitoensis were named in recognition of their being endemic or near-endemic to San Benito County. The species Hollisteria lanata

1104-814: The Range, especially at Mount Diablo. The California tiger salamander ( Ambystoma californiense ), also a federally threatened species and a vulnerable species of amphibian native to Northern California , lives in ponds in the range. The northern Pacific rattlesnake is thriving, as are many ground squirrels , hares , and various species of native and nonnative rodents. Tule elk ( Cervus canadensis ssp. nannodes ) were restored to Mount Hamilton between 1978-1981 and are slowly recovering in several small herds in Santa Clara and Alameda Counties. See Mount Hamilton elk recovery . Black-tailed deer are abundant. Pronghorn , grizzly bears , and wolves were extirpated in

1152-875: The USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) includes the East Bay Hills in its list of various GPS coordinates for the Diablo Range. Although not formally recognized by USGS GNIS, the East Bay Hills consists of the Briones Hills furthest north, then the Berkeley Hills , the San Leandro Hills centrally, and Walpert Ridge and Pleasanton Ridge to the southwest and southeast, culminating at Alameda Creek / Highway 84 . Geologically,

1200-407: The age of 18 living with them, 65.7% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.8% were non-families. 14.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.32 and the average family size was 3.64. In the county 32.2% of the population was under

1248-456: The age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 102.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.6 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 57,469, and the median income for a family was $ 60,665. Males had a median income of $ 44,158 versus $ 29,524 for females. The per capita income for

1296-496: The area now known as San Benito county. The town of New Idria was the next town to develop in the area and was founded ca. 1857. New Idria was centered around the New Idria Mercury Mine . When the mine played out fairly recently in 1972, New Idria was abandoned, and the town is now one of California's many ghost-towns. The town of Hollister was next founded on November 19, 1868, by William Welles Hollister on

1344-407: The average annual precipitation is high enough and the average annual temperature is cool enough to support mixed conifer forest. At San Benito Mountain, the high elevation climate and extreme geology of the New Idria serpentine , supports a unique mixed-conifer forest that includes foothill pine , Coulter pine , Jeffrey pine , and incense cedar . The extreme conditions of the serpentine soils of

1392-608: The climate is arid and part of the recently recognized San Joaquin Desert biome. The flora there includes saltbush scrub, San Joaquin Desert scrub, and California juniper woodland. Panoche Hills navarretia ( Navarretia panochensis ) is nearly endemic to this small portion of the San Joaquin Desert in San Benito County. At the highest elevations of San Benito County at Fremont Peak and San Benito Mountain ,

1440-619: The county and includes one mission in San Juan Bautista . Before the arrival of the first European settlers, the San Benito County area was inhabited by the Mutsun sub-group of the Ohlone Native Americans . In 1772 Father Juan Crespí conducted a brief expedition into the area and named a small river which he found in honor of San Benito de Nursia ( Saint Benedict ), the patron saint of monasticism. The county

1488-469: The county was $ 20,932. About 6.7% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line , including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over. County government is overseen by a five-member elected Board of Supervisors, who serve four-year terms of office. Other elected county leaders include: San Benito County had the last elected Marshal in California until 2010 when

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1536-485: The county's history include Tres Pinos and Paicines . According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 1,390 square miles (3,600 km ), of which 1,388 square miles (3,595 km ) is land and 1.8 square miles (4.7 km ) is water (0.1%). Sharing a border with Santa Clara County , San Benito County lies adjacent to the San Francisco Bay Area and is sometimes considered

1584-443: The county. The population density was 38 people per square mile (15 people/km ). There were 16,499 housing units at an average density of 12 units per square mile (4.6 units/km ). The racial makeup of the county in 2010 was 38.3% non-Hispanic White , 0.6% non-Hispanic Black or African American , 0.4% Native American , 2.3% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 0.1% from other races , and 1.7% from two or more races. 56.4% of

1632-494: The eastern slopes of the Diablo Range include Hospital Creek and Ingram Creek . Stream draining the western slopes include Alameda Creek and Coyote Creek . The Diablo Range's peaks and ridges are between 2,517–5,241 feet (767–1,597 m) and are distinct landmarks. Mount Diablo (3,849 feet (1,173 m)), San Benito Mountain (5,241 feet (1,597 m)), Mount Hamilton Ridge (4,230–4,260 feet (1,290–1,300 m)), and Mount Stakes (3,804 feet (1,159 m)) are four of

1680-639: The economy and agriculture in general, the county voters approved a measure in 2014 that bans well stimulation techniques such as fracking , acidizing and steam injection, along with conventional drilling in some areas. In the 1950s, the oil drilling industry had many wells and the county is over the Monterey Shale formation but there is very little activity now. According to the San Benito County Economic Development Corporation of San Benito County,

1728-416: The grounds of the former Mexican land-grant Rancho San Justo . In 1874 the California legislature formed San Benito County from a section of Monterey County while naming Hollister as the new county seat. Sections of Merced and Fresno Counties were also later reassigned to San Benito County in 1887 as a result of the growth of the New Idria community. Other towns in the county which were founded early in

1776-630: The highest peaks in the range. The Diablo Range is paralleled for much of its distance by U.S. Route 101 to the west and by I-5 to the east. Major routes of travel through the range include: A sparsely used gravel road is the highest road in the range, with its highest point being on San Benito Mountain at over 5,000 feet. The Diablo Range is largely unpopulated outside of the San Francisco Bay Area . Major nearby communities include, Antioch , Pittsburg , Concord , Walnut Creek , Alamo , Danville , San Ramon , Pleasanton , Livermore , Fremont , Milpitas , San Jose , Morgan Hill , and Gilroy and

1824-454: The incoming moisture at higher altitudes. Winters are mild with moderate rainfall, but summers are very dry and hot. Areas above 2,500 feet (762 m) get light to moderate snow in the winter, especially at the highest point, the 5,241 ft (1,597 m) San Benito Mountain in the remote southeastern section of the range. However, though sites at the lower end get annual snowfall, it is typically light and melts too fast to be noticed. Once or twice

1872-512: The largest blue oak growing in Alameda County. There are also good populations of California buckeye ( Aesculus californica ), and California black oak ( Quercus kelloggii ). The gray pine ( Pinus sabiniana ) and rarer Coulter pine ( Pinus coulteri ) can be found at all elevations, especially between 800–3,000 feet (240–910 m). Coulter pine reaches its northern limit on northern of Mt. Diablo. The conifers at higher elevations in

1920-640: The office closed. Shasta and Trinity Counties still have appointed Marshals. In the United States House of Representatives , San Benito County is part of California's 18th congressional district , represented by Democrat Zoe Lofgren . In the California State Legislature , San Benito County is in the 17th Senate District , represented by Democrat John Laird , and in the 29th Assembly District , represented by Democrat Robert Rivas . Eric S. Taylor

1968-411: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 7.6% were of German , 6.3% Irish and 5.4% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000 . 62.8% spoke only English at home, while 35.3% spoke Spanish . As of the 2010 census , San Benito County was the only county in the greater San Francisco Bay Area with a Hispanic majority. There were 15,885 households, out of which 46.3% had children under

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2016-540: The range south of Gilroy include: Salinas , King City , and Paso Robles . Most of the range consists of private ranchland, limiting recreational use. However, the range does contain several areas of parkland, including Mount Diablo State Park , Alum Rock Park , Grant Ranch Park , Henry W. Coe State Park , Laguna Mountain Recreation Area , and the BLM 's Clear Creek Management Area. In addition, some private land

2064-720: The top employers in the county are: San Benito County receives media in Monterey County , including the major Monterey County TV and radio stations. The county also has several media outlets that serve the local community: CMAP TV - Community Media Access Partnership, based in Gilroy, 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 offering live civic meetings, including county government. San Benito County Express provides fixed route service in

2112-527: The unincorporated areas of San Benito County have a small Republican plurality in voter registration. The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense. The economy is statistically included in metro San Jose, though the dominant activity is agriculture. Agritourism is growing as the county has destination wineries, organic farms and quaint inns with views of cattle grazing. With concerns about how oil and gas operations could impact this sector of

2160-523: The unincorporated areas of the county. Hollister (the County Seat) has a municipal police department. The Sheriff is contracted to provide law enforcement service to the incorporated City of San Juan Bautista. San Benito is a Democratic -leaning county in Presidential and congressional elections. The last Republican to win a majority in the county was George H. W. Bush in 1988 . San Benito

2208-804: The way downstream to the San Francisco Bay. Silver and San Carlos creeks provide a wetland environment in an otherwise arid region and are important for the ecology of the region. As of 2011, New Idria has been listed as a Superfund site and scheduled for cleanup. The Diablo Range is part of the California interior chaparral and woodlands ecoregion . It is covered mostly by chaparral and California oak woodland communities, with stands of closed-cone pine forests appearing above 4,000 feet (1,219 m). The native bunch grass savanna has been predominantly replaced by annual Mediterranean grasses , except in some rare habitat fragments. The understory

2256-607: Was later named after the San Benito Valley , the valley surrounding this river. Thus it was from the Spanish version of the saint's name that the county eventually took its name. In 1797 Spanish missionaries founded the first European settlement in the county as the San Juan Bautista mission . In 1848 the United States government gained control over what would soon become the state of California , which included

2304-462: Was named after William Welles Hollister , namesake of the city of Hollister. Illacme plenipes , a millipede having more legs than any other millipede species , was discovered in the county in 1926. A California condor was found shot to death in the county on July 22, 2022, leading to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service posting a $ 5,000 reward for information on the killer. The 2010 United States Census reported that San Benito County had

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