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Oakdale is a city in Stanislaus County, California, United States. The population was 15,503 at the 2000 census. The city was founded in 1871 when the Stockton & Visalia Railroad met the Copperopolis Railroad. Oakdale goes by the nickname "The Gateway to Yosemite" and the slogan "Cowboy Capital of the World".

Contents 1 Geography 2 Demographics 3 Soil characteristics 4 Politics 5 Economy 6 Trivia 7 References 8 External links

Oakdale is located at 37°46′9″N, 120°51′25″W (37.769178, -120.856958)^GR1. The city is located in the east-central portion of the Central Valley, adjacent to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. California State Routes 108 and 120 (Tioga Pass Road) intersect in the city.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.1 km² (5.1 mi²). 13.0 km² (5.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.79%) is water.

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 15,503 people, 5,610 households, and 4,050 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,190.0/km² (3,084.6/mi²). There were 5,805 housing units at an average density of 445.6/km² (1,155.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.82% White, 0.48% African American, 1.09% Native American, 1.18% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 9.27% from other races, and 4.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 20.05% of the population.

There were 5,610 households out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.8% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the city the population was spread out with 28.9% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $39,338, and the median income for a family was $44,024. Males had a median income of $40,494 versus $24,747 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,019. About 8.6% of families and 11.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.0% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.

Historically the area has been used for orchards and other agricultural uses. Some of the common soil types found in Oakdale are Delhi sand, Oakdale sandy loam, Hanford sandy loam, and Tujunga loamy sand. Oakdale is generally on level ground at an elevation of approximately 190 feet above mean sea datum^[1]. Drainage is generally toward the northwest towards the Stanislaus River.

There have been several local releases of toxic chemicals that have resulted in soil contamination and aquifer contamination. Examples of these releases are:^[2]

Beacon Service Station, 1590 East F Street, Oakdale. This release was a fuel leak caused by an underground tank failure in 1985. Approximately 2000 gallons of product was released into the environment. The groundwater has been contaminated with reported benzene concentrations as high as 1790 parts per billion. Soil remediation began as early as 1989.

Chevron Service Station, 346 East F Street, Oakdale. An unknown quantity of gasoline was released. The release was discovered on May 25, 1987 through a site inspection. Groundwater is contaminated and cleanup work ensued.

Cruse Brothers, 663 South Yosemite Avenue, Oakdale. Diesel fuel contamination was discovered on November 11, 1988 during the removal of a 30 year old steel 500 gallon tank. The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board sent an Enforcement Action Letter on January 23, 1989.

Oakdale is currently part of the 19th Congressional District of California. The current US Representative is George Radanovich.

The current city manager is Steve Hallam. The current mayor is Farrell Jackson.

Oakdale's economy is centered around agriculture, food manufacturing, and tourism. Due to its location at the eastern edge of the California's Central Valley the city is known as "The Gateway to Yosemite", a reference to nearby Yosemite National Park and the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Oakdale features the only other Hershey's chocolate factory in the United States besides the one in Hershey, Pennsylvania. This factory was opened May 22, 1965. Many other large food manufacturing operations are nearby including a ConAgra Foods Hunt's plant which is one of the largest tomato processing plants in the world.

• College Football Hall of Fame member Eddie LeBaron attended Oakdale High School.
• Oakdale is home to the Oakdale Rodeo which is on the PRCA California Circuit.
• Several new subdivisions are in the construction stage (Bridle Ridge and the Vineyard). They will add considerably to the size and population of Oakdale. They are both located at the west end of town.

Oakdale, Ca. was the birthplace of Brett Dennen 26 years ago. He is a unique singer, songwriter, musician, guitarist, percussionist and has the sweetest voice to match his uplifting songs of personal and world peace and love. He has been touring the world and this charismatic, 6'5" red-headed angel will light up your life. He is also a gifted artist whose beautiful watercolors grace his CDs.

• Oakdale, California - official website
• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 37.769178° -120.856958°
  • Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
  • Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA

Brett is also a gifted artist and graces his CDs with beautiful watercolor scenes of great beauty.