This article is about a community in the Los Angeles County. For the Chilean footballer, see Sandrino Castec.
For other uses, see Castac (disambiguation).
Castaic, California
Unincorporated community
Census designated place
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountyLos Angeles
Unit prefImperial
Area total7.28 sq mi
Area land7.26 sq mi
Area water0.02 sq mi
Area total18.85 km²
Area land18.81 km²
Area water0.04 km²
Area water percent0.24
Population as of2020
Population total18937
Population density1006.87 km²
Time zonePacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Time zone (DST)PDT (UTC-7)
Elevation1280 ft
Coordinates34.49°N 118.62°W
ZIP Codes91310, 91384
Area code661
FIPS code06-11796
GNIS feature ID2582966
Websitehttps://www.castaicca.com/
Population density2607.68 sq mi

Castaic (/kəˈsteɪ.ɪk/) (Chumash: Kaštiq;[1] Spanish: Castéc)[2] is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in northwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 18,937.[3]

Tens of thousands of motorists pass through Castaic daily as they drive to or from Los Angeles on Interstate 5 (the Golden State Freeway). Castaic Lake is part of the California Water Project and is the site of a hydro-electric power plant. Castaic is 38 miles (61 km) northwest of Los Angeles Union Station and northwest of the city of Santa Clarita.

The Castaic Range War went on for decades in the late 19th and early 20th centuries resulting in dozens of deaths before hostilities ceased in 1916.

Name

The name Castaic is derived from the Chumash word Kaštiq, meaning "the eye".[4] The Spanish and Mexicans later spelt the name in Spanish as Castéc. Castec is first mentioned on old boundary maps of Rancho San Francisco, as a canyon at the trailhead leading to the old Chumash camp at Castac Lake (Tejon Ranch), which is intermittently wet and briny.[4] Early publications in English spelled it Casteque before the current spelling became standardized.[5]

History

The Córdova family of California were the first settlers in the area. Modern Castaic began in 1887 when Southern Pacific set up a railroad siding on the line between Piru and Saugus Station, naming it "Castaic Junction".[6][7] Between January and April 1890, the Castec School District adopted the new spelling, "Castaic".[8][9]

Range War

Main article: Castaic Range War

Between 1890 and 1916, the Castaic Range War was fought in Castaic country over ranch boundaries and grazing rights. It was the biggest range war in U.S. history.

A feud started over Section 23, where the Stonegate subdivision is now. William Chormicle had legally bought the property, but William "Wirt" Jenkins was already storing grain on it and said he had filed for ownership. During a heated dispute, Chormicle and a friend shot and killed two of Jenkins's cowhands. They were acquitted in court.[10][11][12][13]

Jenkins, however, was the local justice of the peace, with friends of his own, and the feud quickly grew into war. Former Los Angeles Rangers (among whom Jenkins had fought) and other notables were drawn in. The war claimed dozens of lives and foiled a negotiator, a forest ranger whom President Theodore Roosevelt had sent in to quell it.[10][11][12][13]

Cattle business

Castaic has the last traditional cattle roundup—with horses, lariats, and branding irons—in Los Angeles County. It has been held by the Cordova family since 1834, when the family first settled here. Members of the Cordova family were scouts for the U.S. Army during the Mexican War in 1846 and helped identify bodies during the St. Francis Dam disaster in San Francisquito Canyon in 1928. Operations scaled back in 1967 when the government seized around 1,000 acres (400 ha), including the ancestral ranch-house, for the planned Castaic Lake and dam.[14][15]

Geography

Seismology

Main article: San Gabriel Fault

The area is seismically active. On January 3, 2015, a pair of earthquakes of magnitude 3.1 (location: 34.610°N 118.635°W, depth: 5.6 miles (9.0 km)) and 4.2 (location: 34.620°N 118.630°W, depth: 5.5 miles (8.9 km)), respectively, were reported about 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) north of Castaic. The epicenter was 16 miles (26 km) from Santa Clarita, California.[16][17][18]

Climate

This region experiences hot and dry summers, and cool, moderately rainy winters. During the months of June though September, the average high temperature ranges from the 90s F (30s C) to above 100 °F (38 °C). According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Castaic has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csa" on climate maps.[19]

Demographics

Castaic first appeared as a census designated place in the 2010 U.S. census.[20]

Racial and ethnic composition

Castaic CDP, California – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2010[21][22]% 2010
White alone (NH)10,864style='background: #ffffe6; |9,20857.13%style='background: #ffffe6; |48.62%
Black or African American alone (NH)589style='background: #ffffe6; |6003.10%style='background: #ffffe6; |3.17%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)45style='background: #ffffe6; |510.24%style='background: #ffffe6; |0.27%
Asian alone (NH)2,123style='background: #ffffe6; |2,03611.16%style='background: #ffffe6; |10.75%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)23style='background: #ffffe6; |270.12%style='background: #ffffe6; |0.14%
Other race alone (NH)29style='background: #ffffe6; |1510.15%style='background: #ffffe6; |0.80%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)626style='background: #ffffe6; |9783.29%style='background: #ffffe6; |5.16%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)4,716style='background: #ffffe6; |5,88624.80%style='background: #ffffe6; |31.08%
Total19,015style='background: #ffffe6; |18,937100.00%style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Castaic had a population of 18,937 and a population density of 2,607.7 inhabitants per square mile (1,006.8 /km2).[23] The census reported that 99.9% of residents lived in households, 0.1% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.[23] Overall, 96.5% of residents lived in urban areas and 3.5% lived in rural areas.[24]

The median age was 39.0 years; 23.5% of residents were under the age of 18, 9.6% were between 18 and 24, 23.9% were between 25 and 44, 31.3% were between 45 and 64, and 11.6% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.4 males.[23]

There were 6,054 households; 39.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 64.7% were married-couple households, 5.5% were cohabiting couple households, 17.3% had a female householder with no partner present, and 12.5% had a male householder with no partner present. About 14.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older; the average household size was 3.13.[23] There were 4,859 families (80.3% of all households).[25]

There were 6,130 housing units at an average density of 844.1 /mi2, of which 6,054 (98.8%) were occupied and 1.2% were vacant. Of the occupied units, 82.5% were owner-occupied and 17.5% were occupied by renters; the homeowner vacancy rate was 0.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 1.9%.[23]

Racial composition as of the 2020 census[26]
RaceNumberPercent
White10,45255.2%
Black or African American6333.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native2071.1%
Asian2,12711.2%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander330.2%
Some other race2,33012.3%
Two or more races3,15516.7%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)5,88631.1%

Income

In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $132,153, and the per capita income was $50,338. About 3.8% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line.[27]

Education

Elementary and middle school students attend schools in the Castaic Union School District. The high school district is William S. Hart Union High School District.[28] High school students attend Castaic High School in the William S. Hart District. Castaic High School first opened in 2019.[29]

Government and infrastructure

In the California State Legislature, Castaic is in ,[30] and in .[31]

In the United States House of Representatives, Castaic is in .[32]

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) operates the Santa Clarita Valley Station in Santa Clarita, serving Castaic.[33] Station 149 of the Los Angeles County Fire Department serves the community. The Castaic Area Town Council meets monthly.[34]

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ^ Chumash Place Names
  2. ^ "Castec" is written on diseños (boundary maps) of Rancho San Francisco in the 19th century; it is the Chumash name in Spanish, since Spanish has no 'sh'.
  3. ^ "QuickFacts: Castaic CDP, California". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved Jun 10, 2025.
  4. ^ John R. Johnson, "The Trail to Kashtiq," The Journal of California Anthropology, vol 5, no 2, pp 188–198. SCVHistory.com
  5. ^ The earliest English spelling was Casteque, an anglicization of Castéc, which in turn is the Spanish spelling of Chumash Kashtiq. UC Riverside, California Digital Newspaper Database.
  6. ^ Railroad stop history at Castaic
  7. ^ "Castaic area history". Archived from the original on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
  8. ^ Los Angeles Herald, Volume 34, Number 5, 18 April 1890
  9. ^ Los Angeles Herald, Volume 33, Number 92, 11 January 1890
  10. ^ "SCVHistory.com, Excerpts from court transcript". Archived from the original on 2015-12-08. Retrieved 2015-12-06.
  11. ^ "Westsidereader.com "America's Forgotten and Deadliest Range War"". Archived from the original on 2015-12-08. Retrieved 2015-12-06.
  12. ^ Rasmussen, Cecilia (April 15, 2001). "Castaic Range War Left Up to 21 Dead". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
  13. ^ SCV History, "The Great Range War"
  14. ^ Kaplan, Tracey (1992-06-15). "The Last Roundup : Castaic: The cattle business is a labor of love for the Cordova family, who have gotten together to tally and brand their herd since 1784.". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
  15. ^ "The Signal, "When everybody was a cowboy."". Archived from the original on November 26, 2015. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  16. ^ Hamilton, Matt (January 3, 2015). "Earthquake: 4.2 and 3.0 temblors recorded near Castaic". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2015-01-04.
  17. ^ "M3.1 - 13km N of Castaic, California 2014-12-31 06:27:41 UTC". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2015-01-04.
  18. ^ "M4.2 - 14km N of Castaic, California 2015-01-04 03:18:09 UTC". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2015-01-04.
  19. ^ Climate Summary for Castaic, California
  20. ^ "2010 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - California". United States Census Bureau. Archived March 28, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. – via Wayback Machine
  21. ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Castaic CDP, California". United States Census Bureau
  22. ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Castaic CDP, California". United States Census Bureau
  23. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  24. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  25. ^ "Castaic CDP, California; P16: Household Type - 2020 Census of Population and Housing". US Census Bureau. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
  26. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  27. ^ "Castaic CDP, California; DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics - 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates Comparison Profiles". US Census Bureau. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
  28. ^ Geography Division (December 18, 2020). 2020 Census - School District Reference Map: Los Angeles County, CA. U.S. Census Bureau. pp. 2, 5 (PDF pp. 3, 6). Retrieved 2025-12-13. - Text list
  29. ^ Smith, Wyatt (August 13, 2018). "Castaic High School Opens Its Doors To Inaugural Class Of Freshmen". KHTS. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  30. ^ "California State Senate". Ballotpedia. Retrieved August 2, 2025.
  31. ^ "California State Assembly". Ballotpedia. Retrieved August 2, 2025.
  32. ^
  33. ^ "Santa Clarita Valley Station". Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Retrieved on 2010-01-21 from "Los Angeles County Sheriff's Dept. - Santa Clarita Station". Archived from the original on 2010-01-23. Retrieved 2010-01-22..
  34. ^ Castaic Town Council. Retrieved from http://www.castaicareatowncouncil.org.
  35. ^ "The L.A. Riots: 15 Years After Rodney King - TIME". Time. April 27, 2007.
  36. ^ "LAPD Officer Stacey Koon Interview". YouTube. December 21, 2019.
  37. ^ Baseball Reference.com
  38. ^ "Adaptable, affable Trevor Plouffe finds new home with A’s". SFGate. March 18, 2017.
  39. ^ "Castaic – The Bench (19) – Huell Howser Archives at Chapman University". March 11, 1996.