Porterville, CA

Porterville, California

Introduction to Porterville, California

Porterville, California, in Tulare county, is 23 miles SE of Visalia, California (center to center) and 63 miles SE of Fresno, California. The city is situated in the beautiful Sierra Nevada foothills. It includes a large Hispanic population. A large number of the county's jobs are based in agriculture. Dairy, citrus, grapes, nuts, olives and stone fruits are some of the area's significant products. National Vitamin, Standard Registers, Beckman Instruments and Sierra Pacific Apparel have facilities in Porterville. It's home to the Sequoia National Forest Headquarters.

Porterville History

Gold seekers passed through Porterville after the discovery of gold in California in 1848. Some pioneers decided to stay in Porterville and establish farms due to the rich soil. The town featured a prominent store which sold goods to the region's gold miners and the Indians. In 1860 Royal Porter Putnam arrived to manage the Tule River Station. The city is named in tribute to him. In 1888 the Southern Pacific Railway reached Porterville. The town was incorporated in 1902 after miners arrived to extract the region's magnetite ore.

Porterville Attractions

• Barn Theater.
• Historic Main Street includes a wide variety of shops, restaurants and galleries.
• Porterville Fair.
• Porterville Multicultural Art Center.
• Zalud House Museum is included in the National Register of Historic Places.
• Porterville Historical Museum features Yokuts Indian relics and artifacts from the early pioneers.
• Cinco de Mayo Celebration.
• Community Festival.

Porterville Activities

Lake Success is a popular destination for fishing, boating, water skiing, camping and picnicking. Murray Park is a scenic location. The River Island Country Club, Porterville Municipal Golf Course and the nearby Sierra View Golf Course are popular with golf enthusiasts. The Eagle Mountain Casino is nearby.

The region includes numerous scenic hiking trails including the Atwell Hockett, Black Mountain, Deer Creek, High Sierra and the Sheep Creek trails. The Kaweah River and Kings River provide opportunities for whitewater paddling. Bravo, Kaweah and Heron lakes are close by. The Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park is a popular destination for residents and tourists.

High Points

Porterville strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in California):

Category	Trophy
Affordability of Property Taxes (vs. Peers)	Top 12%
Affordability of Rents (vs. State)	Top 13%
Short Commute Times (vs. State)	Top 17%

Comparative Profile of Porterville, CA

Comparing Porterville to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in California (State):

Ratings range from (lowest) to (highest).

The People

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Children Under 5 Years Old
Racial Diversity
Male Share of the Population
Female Share of the Population
Senior Citizens
Age of the Population
Well-Paid Single Men

Families

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Average Household Size
Portion of People Married

Wealth

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Median Family Income
College Educated Adults
People Above Poverty
People in Middle Class or Better

Commute & Sprawl

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Walking and Biking to Work
Short Commute Times
Working at Home
Public Transportation Use

Housing

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Affordability of Property Taxes
Affordability of Rents
Housing Recently Built
Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals
Seasonal and Vacation Housing
People Living Alone

Crime

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Low Property Crime
Low Violent Crime

Porterville Almanac

Porterville Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

• Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
• Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

Porterville Population (2000)

(From 2000 Census, as reported by individuals)

Nearby Cities and Towns

Porterville Public Libraries

More Information for Librarians

Porterville Hospitals

SIERRA VIEW DISTRICT HOSPITAL
(Government - Hospital District or Authority)
465 W PUTNAM AVE
(559) 784-1110
Emergency Service: Yes

Starbucks in Porterville

Wal-Mart in Porterville

Porterville High Schools (2004)

MONACHE HIGH
960 N. NEWCOMB
559-782-7150
A Title I school.
Serves 1,915 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 24.1

PORTERVILLE HIGH
465 W. OLIVE AVE.
559-782-7210
A Title I school.
Serves 1,886 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 23.3

GRANITE HILLS HIGH
1701 E. PUTNAM AVE.
559-782-7075
A Title I school.
Serves 1,349 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 23.1

CITRUS HIGH (CONT.)
261 E. MULBERRY
559-782-7130
A Non-traditional School
Title I eligible, not participating.
Serves 211 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 21.5

PROSPECT EDUCATION CENTER
645 NORTH PROSPECT ST
559-792-7095
A Non-traditional School
A magnet school.
Title I eligible, not participating.
Serves 121 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 14.6

VINE STREET COMMUNITY DAY
140 SOUTH C ST.
559-782-6650
A Non-traditional School
Title I eligible, not participating.
Serves 20 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 10

Porterville Colleges

Click school name for a detailed profile.

Porterville College

(List of All California Colleges)

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