Manteca, California

Manteca is a city in the Central Valley of California, located 76 miles (122 kilometers) east of San Francisco. It was founded in 1861 by Joshua Cowell. Cowell claimed around 1,000 acres (400 hectares) and built houses on what is now the corner of Main and Yosemite, where Bank of America now stands. In 1873, the Central Pacific Railroad laid track directly through the area.[6] The residents wanted to refer to their new train station as "Cowell Station", but there was already a Cowell Station near Tracy. The residents agreed to change the name of the community, choosing "Monteca" as the new name.[7] This was misprinted as "Manteca" (Spanish for lard) by the railroad,[7] and the misspelled version was eventually accepted as the name of the town.[8] In 1918, Manteca was incorporated as a city, and Joshua Cowell became its first mayor.

In 1935, photojournalist Dorothea Lange took photos of William & Mary Dimotakis (immigrants from the Greek island of Crete), and their youngest child, son George, on the family farm in Manteca for the Farm Security Administration. The farm, near the industrial park area, is still owned by the Dimotakis family. The images can be found in the Library of Congress.

Manteca fashions itself the "Family City", and it lies at a crossroads of major highways and railroads. As recently as the 1970s, Manteca existed primarily on agriculture and was still barely a stop between two freeways, Interstate 5 and State Route 99. The continuing rise in Bay Area housing prices caused Bay Area families to look further eastward for more affordable places to live. Since the construction of the 120 bypass portion of State Route 120, Manteca has become a popular choice for these commuters. The 1990s saw an increase in the city's population and the construction of its third high school (Sierra High School), joining Manteca High School and East Union High School. The population of Manteca continues to increase, with some housing being constructed on what was once farmland to the north and southeast. Manteca has more than tripled in population since 1980.[9]

Manteca is the home base for the "Not Forgotten Memorial Day Event", the largest commemoration for veterans on the West Coast. The event is held annually on the Sunday before Memorial Day. The event draws over 20,000 attendees.[10]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 17.8 square miles (46 km²), 99.87% of it land and 0.13% of it water.

Neighboring towns include Lathrop, Ripon, Escalon, and Tracy. Manteca is located in between the larger cities of Modesto and Stockton.

The 2010 United States Census[12] reported that Manteca had a population of 67,096. The population density was 3,778.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,458.9/km²). The racial makeup of Manteca was 49.6% White, 9.8% African American, 1.1% Native American, 12.1% Asian,0.6% Pacific Islander, 11.4% from other races, and 7.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 43.7%.

The Census reported that 66,601 people (99.3% of the population) lived in households, 150 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 345 (0.5%) were institutionalized.

There were 21,618 households, of which 9,681 (44.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 11,973 (55.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 3,009 (13.9%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,590 (7.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,629 (7.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships and 130 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 3,902 households (18.0%) were made up of individuals, and 1,542 (7.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.08. There were 16,572 families (76.7% of all households); the average family size was 3.48.

19,432 people (29.0% of the population) were under the age of 18, 6,569 people (9.8%) aged 18 to 24, 18,075 people (26.9%) aged 25 to 44, 16,367 people (24.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 6,653 people (9.9%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.6 males.

There were 23,132 housing units at an average density of 1,302.7 per square mile (503.0/km²), of which 13,521 (62.5%) were owner-occupied, and 8,097 (37.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.5%. 41,225 people (61.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 25,376 people (37.8%) lived in rental housing units.

According to the California Secretary of State, as of February 10, 2023, Manteca has 47,331 registered voters. Of those, 19,755 (41.7%) are registered Democrats, 13,794 (29.1%) are registered Republicans, and 9,911 (20.9%) have declined to state a political party.[14]

In presidential elections, Manteca has historically been a Republican stronghold. However, it has shifted toward the Democratic Party in recent years. In 2008, Barack Obama became the first Democrat to carry Manteca in a presidential election since Bill Clinton in 1992. Manteca has continued to vote Democratic at the presidential level since 2008. In 2020, Joe Biden won Manteca by 7.49%, the largest victory margin for a Democrat in the city since 1976.[15]

Manteca Transit Center is the hub of public transit in the city. Local bus service is provided by Manteca Transit.

A commuter rail service is provided by the Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) at the Lathrop/Manteca station – it operates in peak travel directions with trips to San Jose in the morning and to Stockton in the evening. It is expected to be routed directly to the Transit Center by 2023.

Public schools in Manteca are part of the Manteca Unified School District. The school district encompasses the towns of Manteca, Lathrop, the community of French Camp, and the Weston Ranch community in Stockton. There are no middle schools; elementary school continues through the 8th grade, with a mix of both year-round and traditional schools. Manteca Unified School District has 19 elementary schools, 5 high schools, and 2 continuation schools. Not all of the schools listed below are in Manteca itself.

• Gilbert Luján (1940 – 2011) – sculptor, painter
• Joshua Patton (b. 1997) - basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
• Justin Roiland (b. 1980) – animator, director, producer and voice-actor
• Kiwi Gardner (b. 1993) – current NBA G League basketball player; attended Manteca High School
• Scott Brooks (b. 1965) – former NBA basketball player and current assistant coach; attended East Union High School
• Sammy L. Davis (b. 1946) – Medal of Honor recipient
• Marliece Andrada (b. 1972) – actress and Playboy's Playmate of the Month in March 1998
• Ernie Barber (b. 1914 – d. 1989) – former NFL player for the Washington Redskins
• April Bowlby (b. 1980) – actress
• Milo Candini (b. 1917 – d. 1998)[32] – Major League Baseball player 1943–51
• Karen Jankowski — rally driver
• Congressman John J. McFall (1918 - 2006), served in the US House of Representatives 1957–79. Majority Whip and Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee Chairman. Mayor of Manteca and Member of California State Assembly. Son of Hope McFall who was killed in action in World War I.
• Doug Mikolas (b. 1961) – football player
• Ted Nuce (b. 1961) – former World Champion bull rider, Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame; attended Manteca High School
• Scott Speed (b. 1983) – race car driver
• Dev (b. 1989) – singer songwriter
• Paul Wiggin (b. 1934) – former American football player and coach; attended Manteca High School
• Kenny Wooten (b. 1998) – NBA basketball player; attended Manteca High School

• Media related to Manteca, California at Wikimedia Commons
• Manteca, California travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Official website
• Manteca Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Manteca Chamber of Commerce