Windsor, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Windsor
Town in California
Town Green Fountain
Windsor, California Location in California Show map of California Windsor, California Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	California
County	Sonoma
Incorporated	July 1, 1992
Government
• Type	Council–manager
Area
• Total	7.30 sq mi (18.91 km2)
• Land	7.28 sq mi (18.85 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.06 km2)
Elevation	118 ft (36 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	26,801
• Estimate  (2019)	27,128
• Density	3,726.89/sq mi (1,438.98/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	95492
Area code(s)	707
FIPS code	06-85922
GNIS feature ID	1667892

Windsor is an incorporated town in Sonoma County, California, United States. The town is 9 miles north of Santa Rosa and 63 miles north of San Francisco. The population was 26,801 as of the 2010 census. Windsor was once home to a waterslide park known as Windsor Waterworks, or as the Doom Flume, from 1980 to 2006. Windsor also has a bowling center which sits right next to the site where the former Windsor Waterworks waterslide park sat until its 2006 closure.

History

Northwestern Pacific Railroad depot and surrounding street in Windsor, 1900

Founding

Windsor's first European settlers arrived in 1851. In 1855, Hiram Lewis, a Pony Express rider, became the town's first postmaster. He named the town Windsor because it reminded him of the grounds around Windsor Castle, a medieval castle from his home country of England. In 1855, a post office was established in Windsor. The following year, a business enterprise was built in eastern Windsor, which included a goods store, a shoe shop, a grocery and meat market, a saloon, a hotel, a boarding house, and two confectionery shops. The Northwestern Pacific Railroad was completed through the town in 1872, providing a faster and cheaper link to the Bay Area.

On May 21, 1905, a fire destroyed the center of Windsor. Fanned by heavy winds, the fire destroyed several businesses, including a hotel and a barber shop. The damage was at an estimated $30,000 worth of property.

In 1915, the Old Redwood Highway through Windsor was paved. Up until then, all roads in the area had been dirt.

During World War II, a United States Army Air Forces training air base (currently the Charles M. Schulz – Sonoma County Airport) was built in southern Windsor, and it was common to hear fighter aircraft and bombers flying over the town.

In 1943, a camp for German prisoners of war was built west of downtown Windsor, on the site of a former migrant labor camp. The camp was a branch camp of the much larger Camp Beale POW camp. Those assigned to the camp worked (for $0.80 per day) at farms in the county, picking apples, prunes, hops, and other crops, packing apples, and similar work.

Incorporation and modern history

On July 1, 1992, Windsor was incorporated as a town. Prior to that, it had been part of unincorporated Sonoma County. Windsor's economic growth and population boomed in the 1980s, when housing development rapidly grew during this decade. Prior to that, Windsor's economy was predominately based from agricultural work, mainly involving wine grapes.

In 1996, Windsor adopted its current General Plan. Since that time the Town has grown and changed. When the last General Plan was adopted, the internet was not widely used and the youngest members of today’s workforce had not been born yet. New laws have passed that affect general plans and new planning strategies have been developed. These changes require a reevaluation of the existing General Plan and confirmation of the vision for Windsor. The 2040 General Plan project is currently underway and the General Plan will look ahead to the year 2040, so the update will not only bring policies and programs up to date, but also position Windsor for the next 25 years.

In January 1998, Windsor voters approved a twenty-year urban growth boundary, with 72% in favor.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Town has a total area of 7.3 square miles (19 km2), 99.66% of it land and 0.34% of its water. Windsor is 2 miles (3.2 km) from the Russian River.

Windsor is located on U.S. Highway Route 101 in the Russian River valley. Neighboring cities include Healdsburg, Santa Rosa, and Forestville.

Demographics

2015

Highlights of the 2016 Windsor Local Economic Profile include:

• Windsor's seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate was 4% in July 2015, lower than Sonoma County (4.6%), California (6.5%) and the nation (5.6%) for the same month.
• Between 2000 and 2015, the median household income in Windsor grew by 23% to $77,205. Looking into 2020, this growth is expected to continue with median income rising to $86,914, an increase of about 12.6% from 2015.
• The median home price in Windsor increased 12.7% from 2013 to $470,000 in 2014. This continued the increase in median home price since 2011. Although the median home price has been steadily increasing, it has not yet reached the 2005 prerecession peak.
• Both residential and non-residential construction has increased from July 2014 to July 2015, with the value of non-residential housing permits increasing much faster than the value of residential housing permits.
• Windsor taxable sales have been displaying a trend of increasing over the last four years with a gain of 10.4% from 2012 to 2013.

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Windsor had a population of 26,801. The population density was 3,675.0 people per square mile (1,418.9/km²).

• Racial make-up

• Households

The Census reported that 99.8% of the population lived in households and 0.2% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters.

The average household size was 2.98. There were 6,708 families (74.8% of all households); the average family size was 3.40. There were 8,970 households, out of which :

• Age

The median age was 37.0 years.

• Gender

For every 100 females, there were 96.6 males.

For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.

• Housing

There were 9,549 housing units at an average density of 1,309.4 per square mile (505.5/km²)

Arts and culture

Since 2001, the Town of Windsor and local sponsors put on a weekly Summer Nights on the Green free concert series full of healthy fun, quality family entertainment and great food, collectively with the Windsor Farmer’s Market.

Windsor is home to several other community events in coordination with local non-profits and standing citizen advisory groups.

Special events

Events include the annual Earth Day and Wellness Festival, Windsor Days Parade, Cinco de Mayo Festival, and the Community Art and Flower Show, live entertainment, recreation class demonstrations, event information booths, and food vendors and spring produce sales from the Windsor Farmer’s Market.

Other events included the Windsor Half Marathon and Expo, the annual Sonoma County Hot Air Balloon Classic, and Ironman Vineman triathlon, the oldest iron-distance event in the continental United States (dating back to 1990).

During summer at the Windsor Town Green there are free outdoor concerts known as the "Summer Nights on the Green". There is also a Kids Movie Series.

On Independence Day, Windsor celebrates every July 3. The event features live entertainment, local food vendors, food trucks and a kid’s zone.

Windsor Hometown Heroes Military Banner Program was created to recognize and honor Windsor residents and their immediate family members who are serving our country in the United States Armed Forces. Every November, friends and family join together with the public to honor home-grown, active-duty service men and women during a Military Banner Red Carpet Ceremony. A banner for each honoree joins the banners already hung in Windsor Civic Center since the program's inception in 2013.

Holiday Celebration and Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Grove Display. Every December, Windsor celebrates the opening of the holiday season under the glow of old lamp lights with live entertainment, children’s activities, and graceful horse-drawn carriages carrying guests around beautiful Windsor Town Green. The Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Grove is an annual holiday event located on Windsor’s Town Green, the premier central gathering place for Windsor residents and visitors. The event highlights 200 lighted individually decorated holiday trees lining the walkways of the Green. Businesses, individuals, students and groups showcase their talents in design and decorating with their themed trees which draw thousands of visitors to the Grove during the month of December. The event runs from Decorating Day, the Sunday after Thanksgiving, until the first Saturday after New Year’s Day. It is a highlight of the annual Town of Windsor’s Holiday Celebration on the Green evening event on the first Thursday in December.

Museum

The Windsor Historical Society was founded and is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and disseminating the history of Windsor and Russian River township through museum exhibits, historic sites, educational programs and printed materials.

The Windsor Historical Society’s Museum, opened in February 2009 and features exhibits on the people and events that shaped the history of Windsor. It is located in the historic Hembree House adjacent to the Town’s recreational senior center facility.

Parks and recreation

Several community and neighborhood parks are settled within the Town of Windsor. Most park amenities include a variety of sports fields, play structures, restrooms and picnic areas. Local regional parks offer hundreds of acres with varied terrain and scenic views. Some trails are open to hikers only, while others are available to equestrians and cyclists as well. Trails range from uneven single-track to wide ranch roads.

The Town of Windsor offers many recreational programs year-round and seasonal. Programs include: early childhood education and interactive classes, youth sports, activities for Seniors, arts and music programs, camps and much more.

From 1990 to 1995, the Windsor Golf Club, a public golf course, hosted an event on the PGA's Hogan Tour (later called the Nike Tour, currently called the Web.com tour); in April 2017 it will host the 54-hole women’s POCMED Golf Classic, part of the Symetra Tour, the qualifying tour for the Ladies Professional Golf Association.

Awards

In recent years, the Town of Windsor has received awards or recognition for:

• the quality of its Old Redwood Highway Improvements Project,
• being a healthy company,
• the quality of its Windsor Station Area Plan,
• being a bicycle-friendly community.

Economy

Business and retail centers

Shopping centers include Bell Village, Bonaventure Plaza, Brooks Village, Copperstone Building, Lakewood Shopping Center, Lakewood Village, Old Downtown Windsor, Shiloh Shopping Center, Starr Station, The Plaza on Lakewood, Windsor Creek Plaza, Windsor Palms Plaza, and Windsor Village.

Chamber of Commerce

The Windsor Chamber of Commerce is an organization representing some 300 businesses. Service clubs, healthcare professionals, non-profits and faith-based organizations are all represented, as are retailers and manufacturers. Young adults are part of the Junior Chamber of Commerce and apply for the Educational Scholarship Program. Seniors, veterans, the disabled and those in need are served by the member organizations, as are the youth of the community. Children and families benefit from continued support of toy drives, Easter egg hunts, and holiday activities.

Tourism

In 2009, the Town joined the Sonoma County Business Improvement Area to take advantage of the marketing opportunities provided by Sonoma County Tourism. Through the Town's partnership with this regional organization, the Town benefits from a robust destination marketing effort, promotion of local events and tourist attraction programs.

Education

In 2009, the Windsor Middle School received award recognition as a California Distinguished School.

High schools

• Windsor High School
• Windsor Oaks Academy] (located on the grounds of Windsor High School)

Elementary schools

• Brooks Elementary School
• Mattie Washburn Elementary School
• Cali Calmecac Language Academy (charter school) (K-8)
• Windsor Middle School
• Windsor Christian Academy (private school) (K-8)
• New North County Consortium (special education needs)

Higher education

Local higher education facilities are located near Windsor and within Sonoma County.

• Empire College
• Santa Rosa Junior College
• Sonoma State University

Infrastructure

Transportation

Roads and highways

Windsor is served by U.S. Highway Route 101, which and extends through California, Oregon, and Washington.

Windsor has implemented neighborhood traffic management and calming program. The Town of Windsor is a very bicycle friendly community and won an award in 2015 from The League of American Bicyclists.

SMART service

Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) line is a voter-approved passenger rail and bicycle-pedestrian pathway project located in Marin and Sonoma counties. The initial operating segment between San Rafael and Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport opened in 2017, three miles short of Windsor. By April 2016, SMART made known it was seeking up to $38 million in state cap-and-trade funds to extend passenger service north. Service is expected to commence to Windsor station by 2022.

Nearby airport

The Charles M. Schulz - Sonoma County Airport (STS) is located just south of Windsor. The airport offers direct flights to Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, and Phoenix.

The Sonoma County Airport has been home to the “Wings Over Wine Country Air Show” since 1997. It is the biggest air show in the North Bay, and attracts over 25,000 visitors annually.

Library

The Sonoma County Library system consists of several branches throughout the county. In 1996, when the Town of Windsor offices moved to a nearby building, the existing Town Hall building was renovated to house the Windsor Regional Library. The new full service branch library at the edge of the Town Green was dedicated on November 3, 1996.

Emergency services

Fire

The Windsor Fire Protection District is governed by a board of directors and provides services within Town of Windsor boundaries, as well as to surrounding rural and/or unincorporated areas.

EMS

The Town of Windsor has a contract with Bell's Ambulance Service to provide advanced life support (ALS) 911 emergency medical services staffed with Paramedics/EMTs 24/7/365. Bell's Ambulance has been in business since 1956 and also serves the towns of Healdsburg, Geyserville and the surrounding areas. On August 2, 2006, Pamela Bell-Simmons was presented with a proclamation acknowledging Bell's Ambulance's 50 years of service in the Windsor and Healdsburg communities. Bell's Ambulance has had a station in Windsor since 1991.

Notable people

• David Ruprecht, 1990's television game host of Supermarket Sweep
• Guy Fieri, American television personality
• Scooby Wright – linebacker for the Arizona Wildcats and the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots of the NFL

See also

In Spanish: Windsor (California) para niños