Rohnert Park is a city in Sonoma County, California, United States, located approximately north of San Francisco. The population at the 2020 United States census was 44,390. It is an early planned city and is the sister city of Hashimoto in Japan. Sonoma State University, part of the California State University system, is located nearby.

History

left|thumb|250px|Rohnert Park Expressway

Originally home of the Coast Miwok native people, the Mexican government granted Rancho Cotate to Captain Juan Castaneda in July 1844 for his military services in the region. The grant encompassed present-day Penngrove, Cotati and Rohnert Park. "Cotate Rancho is a part of the Vallejo Township which is the plain between Sonoma Mountain and Petaluma Creek San Pablo Bay, and an east and west line dividing the tract from Santa Rosa Township." In 1849, Dr. Thomas S. Page, of Cotati, bought Rancho Cotate. Over time, the property was broken up and sold off piecemeal to incoming settlers.

The Graton Resort & Casino opened on November 5, 2013.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, Rohnert Park has a total area of , 99.93% of it land and 0.07% of it water. K Section is also referred to as the "University District" and is the residential development of the city's University Specific Plan Area; W Section is also referred to as "Willowglen" and is the residential development of the city's Southeast Specific Plan Area.

There is a small reservoir called Roberts Lake at the north end of the city and a number of creeks. Important creeks include the Laguna de Santa Rosa (which forms part of the border with the City of Cotati), Copeland Creek, Hinebaugh Creek, Crane Creek and Five Creek. All creeks within the city limits have been channelized. Spivock Creek, Coleman Creek, Wilfred Channel, and Labath Channel are artificial channels designed to convey runoff.

thumb|[[Five Creek]]

Riparian communities within the city are limited by channelization of creekbeds. Vegetation alongside the city's streams primarily consists of grass and sedge species. The Laguna de Santa Rosa contains bands of thick native riparian vegetation, including willow (Salix spp.) and alder (Alnus spp.) trees.

Sudden oak death fungus risks are present in the Rohnert Park area. Research is ongoing at the nearby Fairfield Osborn Preserve.

Geology

The Rodgers Creek Fault is an active fault influencing earthquake activity in the Rohnert Park area. The city also experiences earthquakes from the San Andreas Fault.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Rohnert Park had a population of 44,390 and a population density of . The median age was 36.3 years. The census reported that 100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

{| class="wikitable"

|+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 26,296 || 59.2%

|-

| Black or African American || 977 || 2.2%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 712 || 1.6%

|-

| Asian || 2,833 || 6.4%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 175 || 0.4%

|-

| Some other race || 6,903 || 15.6%

|-

| Two or more races || 6,494 || 14.6%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 13,131 || 29.6%

|}

The census reported that 99.2% of the population lived in households, 0.8% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.0% were institutionalized. There were 16,827 households, of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 43.1% were married-couple households, 9.1% were cohabiting-couple households, 18.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 29.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.0% of households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62, and there were 10,537 families (62.6% of all households).

The median household income in 2023 was $96,635, and the per capita income was $45,603. About 6.4% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line.

2010 census

At the 2010 census Rohnert Park had a population of 40,971. The population density was . The racial makeup of Rohnert Park was 31,178 (76.1%) White, 759 (1.9%) African American, 407 (1.0%) Native American, 2,144 (5.2%) Asian, 179 (0.4%) Pacific Islander, 3,967 (9.7%) from other races, and 2,337 (5.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9,068 persons (22.1%).

The census reported that 99.0% of the population lived in households and 1.0% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters.

There were 15,808 households, 4,842 (30.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 6,546 (41.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,883 (11.9%) had a female householder with no husband present, 907 (5.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,201 (7.6%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 144 (0.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 4,177 households (26.4%) were one person and 1,374 (8.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.57. There were 9,336 families (59.1% of households); the average family size was 3.13.

The age distribution was 8,571 people (20.9%) under the age of 18, 6,853 people (16.7%) aged 18 to 24, 11,035 people (26.9%) aged 25 to 44, 10,710 people (26.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 3,802 people (9.3%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 33.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.

There were 16,551 housing units at an average density of , of which 54.0% were owner-occupied and 46.0% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.8%. 55.8% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 43.3% lived in rental housing units.

Law and government

Council

Rohnert Park is governed by a City Council of five members, who serve staggered four-year terms. Municipal elections are held in November of even-numbered years. In 2019, the Rohnert Park City Council voted to transition from at-large elections to a district based system in which voters elect one councilmember to represent each district. Any registered voter who resides within Rohnert Park is eligible to run for City Council in the district in which they live.

County, state, and federal representation

Rohnert Park is split between Sonoma County's 2nd and 3rd supervisorial districts.

In the California State Legislature, Rohnert Park is in , and in the 12th Assembly District represented by Democrat Damon Connolly.

In the United States House of Representatives, Rohnert Park is part of .

According to the California Secretary of State, as of February 10, 2019, Rohnert Park has 22,583 registered voters. Of those, 11,010 (48.8%) are registered Democrats, 4,051 (17.9%) are registered Republicans, and 6,234 (27.6%) have declined to state a political party.

Department of Public Safety

Rohnert Park is patrolled by the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety, established in 1962, that operates as an integrated fire and police department. This is one of only two cities operating Departments of Public Safety in California.

Shooting of Kuanchung Kao

On April 29, 1997, Kuanchung Kao was waving a wooden stick in the street in front of his driveway. When some neighbors called 911, two officers, Jack Shields and Mike Lynch, responded. Shields shot Kao once in the chest. Shields stated that he believed Kao was waving the stick in a martial arts fashion, and that he and Lynch had to respond by using deadly force. The incident was investigated by the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office, the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office, and FBI, who all cleared Shields. Kao's family and attorney John Burris filed a lawsuit against the city of Rohnert Park, and received a settlement of $1 million in 2001.

Other Police Controversies

On July 29, 2015, Rohnert Park Public Safety Officer Dave Rodriguez drew his sidearm during an encounter with city resident, while the resident was hitching his boat trailer to his vehicle. The resident recorded the incident and posted it on YouTube. Rodriguez was placed on administrative leave while the city conducted an internal investigation into the incident. In August 2015, the city engaged an independent investigator, who found that Rodriguez's actions were within the law and followed department policy. A civil rights claim filed on behalf of the resident asserted that Rodriguez was trying to intimidate him.

On November 16, 2018, a civil rights lawsuit was filed against Rohnert Park alleging that Rohnert Park police "conspired to expand the legitimate interdiction mission to one of personal financial gain, and over the years seized thousands of pounds of cannabis and hundreds of thousands of dollars of currency without issuing receipts for the seizures, without making arrests for any crimes, and without any official report of the forfeitures being made". KQED published an investigation in June 2018, quoting complaints by other motorists saying they were "robbed" by the Rohnert Park police, including the officers named in the lawsuit. The police department has since ceased most of its seizure efforts.

Transportation

Rohnert Park is served by a station on the Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit commuter rail line since it became operational on August 25, 2017. Sonoma County Airport Express buses connect Rohnert Park with Oakland International Airport and San Francisco International Airport.

Education

thumb|300px|right|[[Sonoma State University campus]]

The Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District serves the city, which is also home to Sonoma State University.

High schools

Rancho Cotate High School is the main comprehensive high school for both Rohnert Park and Cotati.

Alternative education consists of:

  • Credo High School, a charter public high school
  • Flex Academy (on RCHS campus)
  • Technology High School, a small public high school
  • Phoenix High School (on RCHS campus)
  • Independent study

See also

  • Film locations in Sonoma County, California
  • List of cities and towns in California
  • List of cities and towns in the San Francisco Bay Area

Notes

References

  • "Access Genealogy: Indian Tribal records, Miwok Indian Tribe. Retrieved on 2006-08-06. A list of all verified Coastal Miwok villages in the area.
  • DeClercq, John H. A History of Rohnert Park "from seed to city" , 1977. Retrieved on 2006-08-06.
  • Harris, Ellen. "Penngrove: A Jigsaw Puzzle of its Past and Present." Penngrove, California: n.p.[Private Publication], 1980.
  • Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District
  • Sonoma State University
  • The Press Democrat Online: News for Rohnert Park and the Surrounding Sonoma Region
  • The Community Voice: Rohnert Park, Cotati and Penngrove