La Honda (Spanish for "The Sling") is a census-designated place (CDP) in southern San Mateo County, California, United States. In addition, like much of California, the town receives most of its rain between November and April. Due to El Niño, the region sometimes receives heavy winter rains, making it vulnerable to landslides. Scenic Drive, a local road, has seen three landslides since 1998. With elevations ranging from about 300 feet where La Honda Creek meets Alpine Creek, to more than 1200 feet in the hills, the weather may vary between the town's hillsides and valleys. Sometimes the marine layer is too low to reach the hills, leaving the lower elevations foggy or overcast while the mountains enjoy clearer weather. On some winter nights, similar thermal inversions trap cold air in the valleys, leading to frost, with higher elevations remaining generally milder. These same weather patterns are at play in much of the coast-facing Santa Cruz Mountains.

Demographics

La Honda first appeared as a census designated place in the 2010 U.S. census.

There were 420 households, out of which 97 (23.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 213 (50.7%) were married-couple households, 38 (9.0%) were cohabiting couple households, 73 (17.4%) had a female householder with no partner present, and 96 (22.9%) had a male householder with no partner present. 104 households (24.8%) were one person, and 55 (13.1%) were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.33.

The age distribution was 142 people (14.5%) under the age of 18, 34 people (3.5%) aged 18 to 24, 259 people (26.5%) aged 25 to 44, 317 people (32.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 227 people (23.2%) who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 48.9years. For every 100 females, there were 120.0 males.

The creek that runs through the town is listed as Arroyo Ondo on several diseños on the Mexican land grants and as Arroyo Hondo on the 1856 Rancho Cañada de Raymundo map. Hondo is Spanish for 'deep'. The post office was listed as La Honda in 1880 and revised to Lahonda after 1895. The name was restored in 1905 owing to Z. S. Eldredge's efforts.

In 1862 John Howell Sears purchased 400 acres and settled in La Honda after his prior residence in Searsville was sold to the water company due to the decline of lumber and flooding issues. The escapades of Kesey and the Merry Pranksters are documented in Tom Wolfe's The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, which describes the wildly painted school bus, 'Furthur', driven by Neal Cassady, who had been the hyperkinetic driver in Jack Kerouac's On the Road.

right|220px|thumb|A neon sign in the Redwoods: Applejack's Saloon.

The La Honda house where Kesey's adventures became famous—one mile (1.6 km) west of Apple Jack's Inn—has been faithfully restored after years of neglect and a near-catastrophic flood in 1998.

right|220px|thumb|La Honda Playground.

Schools

The town has a single school, La Honda Elementary, located within the La Honda-Pescadero Unified School District.

Festivals

The town hosts the La Honda Fair & Music Festival every June, and holds an annual Fourth of July picnic at Play Bowl.

Notable people

  • Joe Cottonwood
  • Richard Allen Davis
  • Ken Kesey
  • Neil Young
  • Pegi Young
  • The Merry Pranksters
  • Reed Hastings

See also

  • Middleton Tract
  • Skeggs Point

References

  • Sam McDonald county park – reference includes biography of a very interesting man more details
  • Pescadero creek park
  • Memorial park
  • [ftp://ftp.consrv.ca.gov/pub/oil/maps/dist3/w3-10/Mapw3-10.pdf PDF Oil field map of La Honda area, (see Inset B).]
  • The Cottage at Where Water Falls
  • La Honda Fair & Music Festival – official Facebook page
  • La Honda Elementary School