Prior to 1850, a Pomo settlement named Buldam was located near Mendocino on the north bank of the Big River. The town was founded in 1850 as a logging community, and was originally named Meiggsville after Henry Meiggs. The first post office opened in 1858. Many of the town's early settlers were New Englanders, as was true with many older Northern California logging towns. Portuguese fishermen from the Azores also settled in the area, as did immigrants from Canton Province in China, who built a Taoist temple in the town.
Mendocino's economy declined after 1940, and it became a somewhat isolated village with a declining population. The revitalization of the town began in the late 1950s with the founding of the Mendocino Art Center by artist Bill Zacha. Most of the town was added to the National Register of Historic Places listings in Mendocino County, California in 1971 as the Mendocino and Headlands Historic District. Mendocino Presbyterian Church on Main Street, dedicated on July 5, 1868, is one of the oldest continuously-used Protestant churches in California, and is designated as California Historical Landmark #714. In addition, the Temple of Kwan Tai on Albion Street, California Historical Landmark #927, may be as old as 1854 and is one of the oldest Chinese houses of worship in California. Since 1987, Mendocino has been the site of the Mendocino Music Festival, a classically-based but musically diverse series of concerts that is held annually in a huge circus type performance tent on the town's Main Street in the Mendocino Headlands State Park.
Mendocino is located at 39°18′28″N 123°47′58″W.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 7.4 square miles (19 km 2), of which, 2.3 square miles (6.0 km 2) of it is land and 5.2 square miles (13 km 2) of it (69.58%) is water.
Mendocino experiences a cool summer Maritime Mediterranean climate. Summers are characterized by frequent fog and highs mostly in the upper sixties and lows in the fifties. Winters rarely, if ever, see frost or snow, due to close proximity to the Pacific Ocean. Mendocino averages about 43 inches of rain per year concentrated mainly in fall, winter, spring, and early summer.
The 2010 United States Census reported that Mendocino had a population of 894. The population density was 120.5 people per square mile (46.5/km²). The racial makeup of Mendocino was 834 (93.3%) White, 5 (0.6%) African American, 8 (0.9%) Native American, 13 (1.5%) Asian, 1 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 6 (0.7%) from other races, and 27 (3.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 42 persons (4.7%).
The Census reported that 830 people (92.8% of the population) lived in households, 64 (7.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized. There were 447 households, out of which 62 (13.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 177 (39.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 22 (4.9%) had a female householder with no husband present, 15 (3.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 29 (6.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 6 (1.3%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 178 households (39.8%) were made up of individuals and 83 (18.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.86. There were 214 families (47.9% of all households); the average family size was 2.41. The population was spread out with 93 people (10.4%) under the age of 18, 58 people (6.5%) aged 18 to 24, 166 people (18.6%) aged 25 to 44, 333 people (37.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 244 people (27.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 56.1 years. For every 100 females there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.7 males. There were 617 housing units at an average density of 83.1 per square mile (32.1/km²), of which 271 (60.6%) were owner-occupied, and 176 (39.4%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 9.2%. 520 people (58.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 310 people (34.7%) lived in rental housing units.
Mendocino's economy declined after 1940, and it became a somewhat isolated village with a declining population. The revitalization of the town began in the late 1950s with the founding of the Mendocino Art Center by artist Bill Zacha. Most of the town was added to the National Register of Historic Places listings in Mendocino County, California in 1971 as the Mendocino and Headlands Historic District. Mendocino Presbyterian Church on Main Street, dedicated on July 5, 1868, is one of the oldest continuously-used Protestant churches in California, and is designated as California Historical Landmark #714. In addition, the Temple of Kwan Tai on Albion Street, California Historical Landmark #927, may be as old as 1854 and is one of the oldest Chinese houses of worship in California. Since 1987, Mendocino has been the site of the Mendocino Music Festival, a classically-based but musically diverse series of concerts that is held annually in a huge circus type performance tent on the town's Main Street in the Mendocino Headlands State Park.
Mendocino is located at 39°18′28″N 123°47′58″W.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 7.4 square miles (19 km 2), of which, 2.3 square miles (6.0 km 2) of it is land and 5.2 square miles (13 km 2) of it (69.58%) is water.
Mendocino experiences a cool summer Maritime Mediterranean climate. Summers are characterized by frequent fog and highs mostly in the upper sixties and lows in the fifties. Winters rarely, if ever, see frost or snow, due to close proximity to the Pacific Ocean. Mendocino averages about 43 inches of rain per year concentrated mainly in fall, winter, spring, and early summer.
The 2010 United States Census reported that Mendocino had a population of 894. The population density was 120.5 people per square mile (46.5/km²). The racial makeup of Mendocino was 834 (93.3%) White, 5 (0.6%) African American, 8 (0.9%) Native American, 13 (1.5%) Asian, 1 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 6 (0.7%) from other races, and 27 (3.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 42 persons (4.7%).
The Census reported that 830 people (92.8% of the population) lived in households, 64 (7.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized. There were 447 households, out of which 62 (13.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 177 (39.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 22 (4.9%) had a female householder with no husband present, 15 (3.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 29 (6.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 6 (1.3%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 178 households (39.8%) were made up of individuals and 83 (18.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.86. There were 214 families (47.9% of all households); the average family size was 2.41. The population was spread out with 93 people (10.4%) under the age of 18, 58 people (6.5%) aged 18 to 24, 166 people (18.6%) aged 25 to 44, 333 people (37.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 244 people (27.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 56.1 years. For every 100 females there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.7 males. There were 617 housing units at an average density of 83.1 per square mile (32.1/km²), of which 271 (60.6%) were owner-occupied, and 176 (39.4%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 9.2%. 520 people (58.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 310 people (34.7%) lived in rental housing units.
