Capitola, California

The original settlement now known as Capitola grew out of what was then called Soquel Landing. Soquel Landing got its name from a wharf located at the mouth of Soquel Creek. This wharf, which dates back to the 1850s, served as an outlet for the produce and lumber grown in the interior. In 1865, Captain John Pope Davenport, a whaleman at Monterey, moved his operations to be near the wharf. Unable to capture any whales, he moved his operations the following year to Point Año Nuevo. In 1869, Frederick A. Hihn, who owned the property in the vicinity of the wharf, decided to develop it as a seaside resort. At first he leased the area to Samuel A. Hall and the area became known as Camp Capitola. Most authorities believe that it was Hihn who chose the name of Capitola, but they are unsure as to why he did so. Several possibilities have been asserted, one being that it was named for the heroine of The Hidden Hand, a novel by the popular author E. D. E. N. Southworth, favored by Hall's daughter Lulu. Capitola is known as the oldest beach resort on the West Coast. In the summer of 1961 hundreds of birds attacked the town. Most of the birds were sooty shearwaters, a normally non-aggressive species that rarely comes to shore. Alfred Hitchcock was a regular visitor to nearby Santa Cruz and read about this episode. He went on to direct a film—The Birds—based on the idea of hundreds of birds attacking humans. The reason for this attack remained unknown for over 25 years until it was discovered that the birds had been affected by domoic acid, a toxin produced by red algae. The Capitola Classic was a skateboarding event held in Capitola village in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Capitola Classic was known in skating circles for its annual downhill race, which was a head-to-head speed competition that drew top names in the sport, many local as well as international, including Santa Cruz, California local John Hutson, who held the world speed record for skateboarding at 53.45 mph and dominated the event each year. On March 24, 2011, a drainage pipe burst following heavy rains, sending a surge of water through the historic village area. Two days later cleanup operations were interrupted when the area was flooded again. ==Geography==

Capitola Village is located at the beach by the mouth of Soquel Creek. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (4.92%) is water. Capitola sits on the northeast shore of Monterey Bay. Cliffs mark access to several popular beaches, including New Brighton Beach, or drop directly to the rocky shoreline of the bay. Capitola Village sits in a depression among the cliffs so that the popular tourist and shopping area leads directly to Capitola Beach. Colorful houses and hotels line the slopes of the town leading back up to the clifftops. The Venetian Court sits on the beach just east of the pier and is on the Register of National Historic Places as "The first Condominium Beach Community in the United States, built in 1924". Climate Capitola has mild weather throughout the year, enjoying a Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb) characterized by cool, wet winters and warm, mostly dry summers. Due to its proximity to Monterey Bay, fog and low overcast are common during the night and morning hours, especially in the summer. {{Weather box|location = Capitola, CA ==Demographics==

2020 census As of the 2020 census, Capitola had a population of 9,938. The population density was . The median age was 46.8 years, and the age distribution was 14.5% under 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 23.9% age 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were 87.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 84.6 males age 18 and over. The census reported that 98.1% of the population lived in households, 1.0% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.9% were institutionalized. Capitola was 100.0% urban and 0.0% rural. 2010 census 2010 United States census reported that Capitola had a population of 9,918. The population density was . The racial makeup of Capitola was 7,963 (80.3%) White, 123 (1.2%) African American, 59 (0.6%) Native American, 424 (4.3%) Asian, 10 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 869 (8.8%) from other races, and 470 (4.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,957 persons (19.7%). The Census reported that 9,770 people (98.5% of the population) lived in households, 25 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 123 (1.2%) were institutionalized. There were 4,626 households, out of which 1,011 (21.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,515 (32.7%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 539 (11.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 232 (5.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 339 (7.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 55 (1.2%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. Of the households, 1,735 (37.5%) were made up of individuals, and 608 (13.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11. There were 2,286 families (49.4% of all households); the average family size was 2.78. The population was spread out, with 1,643 people (16.6%) under the age of 18, 930 people (9.4%) aged 18 to 24, 2,801 people (28.2%) aged 25 to 44, 3,005 people (30.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,539 people (15.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males. There were 5,534 housing units at an average density of , of which 2,152 (46.5%) were owner-occupied, and 2,474 (53.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.8%. 4,430 people (44.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 5,340 people (53.8%) lived in rental housing units. ==Economy==

Capitola Village and Esplanade is the heart of the Capitola Retail and Tourism Hub, being a draw for tourist and locals alike, with a variety of boutiques and restaurants. Forty-first Avenue is the retail and business corridor for a majority of larger national and regional business serving the community as a whole. The Capitola Mall, the only enclosed regional shopping center, in Santa Cruz County is slated for redevelopment into a mixed use project with increasing pressure due to the failure of the traditional mall concept. File:Capitola, CA 2012-10-07 - panoramio (5) (cropped).jpg|Waterfront restaurants on Soquel Creek near Capitola Beach File:Capitola, California (12996757753) (cropped).jpg|Shops on the Esplanade File:Capitola (15771264102).jpg|Riverview Historic District, located along Soquel Creek File:Capitola, CA 2012-10-07 - panoramio (4).jpg|Mission Revival style Venetian Court, built in 1924 File:Soquel Creek, Capitola (9657430179) (cropped).jpg|Houses located on Soquel Creek Top employers According to Capitola's 2023 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the principal employers in the city are: ==Government==

Capitola is administered by a City Council which is made up of a Mayor, Vice-Mayor and three Councilmembers. The seats are rotated by the council annually, the current Mayor is Joe Clarke since January 30, 2025. In the California State Legislature, Capitola is in , and in . In the United States House of Representatives, Capitola is in the . ==Infrastructure==

The city has its own police department and receives fire and medical services from the Central Fire District of Santa Cruz County. ==Notable people==

• Harry Hooper (18871974), major-league baseball player, was the postmaster in Capitola for 24 years after he retired from baseball • Ralph Peduto (1942–2014), actor and playwright • Derek Sherinian (born 1966), rock keyboardist (Alice Cooper, Kiss, Dream Theater, Billy Idol), went to Capitola Elementary and Capitola Junior High School. His mother and sister still reside and own a dress store in Capitola Village. • Skip Spence (1946–1999), the founding member of Moby Grape and former member of The Jefferson Airplane, resided in Capitola during the latter years of his life • Robert Anton Wilson (1932–2007), author and philosopher ==See also==