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Temecula is a city located in Riverside County, California. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 57,716. The currect population as of December 2004 has skyrocketed to appx. 77,400. It was incorporated on December 1, 1989.
Temecula is bordered by Murrieta on the northwest and the Pechanga Indian Reservation on the east, with unincorporated areas of Riverside County on all of its other borders. It is served by the Temecula Valley Freeway.
With neighboring Murrieta, Temecula forms the southern anchor of the Inland Empire region. However, it is much closer to San Diego than to Los Angeles, and many consider it a suburb (or at least an exurb) of the former. It has become fairly wealthy in recent years, with many high-end housing tracts arising on the ranches that once dominated it.
History
The area was inhabited by the Temecula native people for many hundreds of years before their first meeting with the Spanish missionaries (the people are now generally known as the "Luiseņo", after the Mission San Luis Rey), but they lost an estimated 40% of their population due to introduced epidemics in the last few years of the 18th century. [1] (http://www.fourdir.com/luiseno.htm)
The name Temecula comes from the Luiseņo word Temecunga - roughly, "place of the sun". It was the Spanish who transcribed the word as "Temecula". According to the city website, "Temecula is the only city in California to still retain its original Indian name".
The first recorded Spanish visit, in October of 1797, was that of Franciscan padre, Father Juan Norberto de Santiago, who was searching for a new mission site. He visited what is now Lake Elsinore, and eventually visited much of the rest of the Temecula Valley.
In the 1820s, the Pala Mission was built, and a serious attempt to Christianize the local natives was begun.
In 1845, during the disintegration of Mexico's hold on California, the Temecula Ranch was granted to Felix Valdez. The Luiseņo and Cahuilla tribes were involved, rather bloodily, in the local battles of the Mexican-American War during the following years.
As white American settlers began to move into California in the aftermath of the war, friction with the native tribes increased. At last a "Treaty with the San Louis Rey, Etc., 1852.", negotiated in good faith by both sides, was signed in the Magee Store in Temecula in 1852. Unfortunately, it was never ratified by the American Congress. [2] (http://digital.library.okstate.edu/kappler/Vol4/html_files/v4p1124.html)
more to come
Wineries Temecula is the site of one of the oldest wineries in California, and the Temecula Valley continues to be a small but significant wine production center, supporting nineteen wineries as of 2004. Its wines are generally less known than those from better-known California wine districts such as Santa Ynez and the Napa Valley. - Baily Vineyard & Winery
- Bella Vista Cilurzo Vineyard & Winery
- Callaway Vineyard & Winery
- Churon Winery
- Falkner Winery
- Filsinger Vineyards & Winery
- Hart Winery
- Keyways Vineyard & Winery
- Leonesse Cellars
- Maurice Car'rie Winery
- Miramonte Winery
- Mount Palomar Winery
- Palumbo Family Vineyards & Winery
- Ponte Family Winery
- South Coast Winery
- Stuart Cellars
- Thornton Winery
- Van Roekel Vineyards & Winery
- Wilson Creek Winery & Vineyard
Tourism Although the area is not as well known as Palm Springs, the warm desert climate attracts tourists year-round, especially golfers who can use one of the nine local golf courses.
Temecula is well known for its hot air balloon rides and tours, floating over wineries and desert terrain. The image of colorful hot air balloons is used throughout the Temecula Valley as a quickly recognizable symbol of the city.
Old Town Temecula is a collection of historic 1890s buildings, antique stores, shopping and restaurants.
Both the Pechanga and Pala Reservations nearby have casinos and night life.
Geography Temecula is located at 33°30'12" North, 117°7'25" West (33.503295, -117.123687)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 68.1 km˛ (26.3 mi˛). 68.0 km˛ (26.3 mi˛) of it is land and 0.1 km˛ (0.04 mi˛) of it is water. The total area is 0.11% water.
Demographics As of the census2 of 2000, there are 57,716 people, 18,293 households, and 15,164 families residing in the city. The population density is 848.6/km˛ (2,198.3/mi˛). There are 19,099 housing units at an average density of 280.8/km˛ (727.4/mi˛). The racial makeup of the city is 78.93% White, 3.42% African American, 0.86% Native American, 4.73% Asian, 0.30% Pacific Islander, 7.41% from other races, and 4.35% from two or more races. 19.01% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 18,293 households out of which 52.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.8% are married couples living together, 10.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 17.1% are non-families. 12.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 3.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.15 and the average family size is 3.45.
In the city the population is spread out with 34.7% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 33.3% from 25 to 44, 17.2% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every 100 females there are 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $59,516, and the median income for a family is $62,270. Males have a median income of $47,113 versus $31,608 for females. The per capita income for the city is $21,557. 6.7% of the population and 5.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 7.1% of those under the age of 18 and 3.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External links - Temecula city government (http://www.cityoftemecula.org).
- Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association (http://www.temeculawines.org/)
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Mapquest (http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?latlongtype=decimal&latitude=33.503295&longitude=-117.123687&zoom=6)
- Topographic map from Topozone (http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=33.503295&lon=-117.123687&s=200&size=m&layer=DRG100)
- Aerial photograph from Microsoft Terraserver (http://terraserver.microsoft.com/map.aspx?t=1&s=14&lon=-117.123687&lat=33.503295&w=750&h=500)
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