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Olema, California

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Unincorporated community in California, United States For other uses of the name "Olema", see Olema (disambiguation).

Unincorporated community in California, United States
Olema
Unincorporated community
View northbound on SR 1 at Sir Francis Drake Blvd.View northbound on SR 1 at Sir Francis Drake Blvd.
Olema is located in CaliforniaOlemaOlemaLocation in CaliforniaShow map of CaliforniaOlema is located in the United StatesOlemaOlemaOlema (the United States)Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 38°02′27″N 122°47′17″W / 38.04083°N 122.78806°W / 38.04083; -122.78806
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountyMarin County
Elevation69 ft (21 m)
ZIP code94950
Area codes415/628
FIPS code06-53630
GNIS feature ID1659297

Olema (Miwok: Olemaloke) is an unincorporated community in Marin County, California. It is located on Olema Creek 2.25 miles (3.6 km) south-southeast of Point Reyes Station, at an elevation of 69 feet (21 m).

Olema is along State Route 1 at its intersection with Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, on the eastern edge of the Point Reyes Peninsula in the western part of Marin County. The name Olema comes from the Coast Miwok placename meaning "coyote valley".

Olema was once thought to be the epicenter of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake due the fact that the San Andreas Fault runs in very close proximity to the town, and due to the huge rifts surrounding the fault still visible via a nearby hiking path. There are historical references to this in and around the town, including at shops and restaurants. However, more recent evidence suggests that a location offshore of Daly City is more likely the epicenter.

Olema was also the title subject of the late-1960s country-rock song "Hippie from Olema", The Youngbloods' rejoinder to Merle Haggard's "Okie from Muskogee".

The Olema post office opened in 1859, closed in 1860, and reopened in 1864.

Attractions

Olema has a few shops, two restaurants (Sir and Star and Due West), a lodge, and several bed and breakfasts. Nearby is a large campground and also a large retreat for the Vedanta Society (a branch of Hinduism). Also, the Bear Valley Visitor Center, a quarter-mile from town on Bear Valley Road, provides a standard starting point for a visit to the Point Reyes National Seashore. Inside the center are exhibits and books for sale. Outside are picnic tables, a Morgan horse ranch, and Kule Loklo, a reconstructed Miwok village.

Politics

In the state legislature, Olema is in the 3rd Senate District and in the 6th Assembly District.

Federally, Olema is in California's 2nd congressional district, represented by Democrat Jared Huffman.

Towns of rural western Marin County. Olema is in yellow.

References

  1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Olema, California
  2. ^ Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, Calif.: Word Dancer Press. p. 675. ISBN 1-884995-14-4.
  3. 1906 San Francisco earthquake
  4. History of Olema
  5. "California's 2nd Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved March 8, 2013.
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