City of Sonora

Queen of the Southern Mines

Demographics

Where is Sonora?

The City of Sonora is located in Central California on the Western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. The City of Sonora serves as the County Seat for Tuolumne County .

Sonora Demographic Map

Major State Highways

Highway 49 travels through the Historic District of the City of Sonora and is known as the “Golden Chain” because it connects the historic communities of the California “Gold Rush” and is a favorite of visitors to the area. It also serves as the link from the Sacramento Region to the City. State Highway 120 links Sonora to the San Francisco Bay Area and State Highway 108 connects the community to the Central California Valley. To access Sonora from the Southern California Region the recommended route is State Highway 99 to J59.

Air Service
Sonora is within easy driving distance to four major airports:
Sacramento International117 miles
Oakland International120 miles
San Jose International126 miles
San Francisco International133 miles
Fresno Yosemite International Airport116 miles

In addition, there are two non-commercial airports in the County of Tuolumne, Columbia Airport (209) 533-5685 (approximately 5 miles from Sonora) and Pine Mountain Lake Airport, (209) 962-8966.

Local Rental Car Agency

  • Enterprise
    14860 Mono Way, Sonora
    (209) 533-0500
  • Hertz
    13411 Mono Way, Sonora
    (209) 588-1575

Weather

The sun shines on the City of Sonora an average of 328 days per year. Average annual rainfall for the City is 33 inches, January traditionally is the wettest month. The average high for the City is 70ºF with July and August being the hottest months. The average low for the City is 42ºF with December and January being the coldest months.

View Current Local Weather
Geographic Information
Area3 Square Miles
Elevation1825 Feet
CountyTuolumne County
County SeatSonora
StateCalifornia
Population
Sonora *4,871
Tuolumne County54,707

The City’s daytime population increases to 22,000-25,000; this is due to the high number of employees and tourists who enter the City daily.

City of Sonora
Per Capita Personal Income$27,158
Median Family Household Income$34,605
Taxes
Sales Tax7.75 %
Transient Occupancy Tax10 %
Taxable Sales
Jurisdiction20142015
Sonora$237,675,000.$244,983,858.
Tuolumne County
Unincorporated Area		$239,489,000.$405,861,836.

Education

Sonora Elementary School
K through 8th Grades
830 Greenley Rd.
Sonora, CA 95370
(209) 532-5491
www.ses.k12.ca.us

Sonora Union High School
9th through 12th Grades
430 N. Washington Street
Sonora , CA 95370
(209) 532-5511
www.sonorahs.k12.ca.us

Columbia College
11600 Columbia College Dr.
Sonora, CA 95370
(209) 588-5100
www.gocolumbia.edu

Commercial and Industrial Statistics:
View website current listing of available commercial, retail and office space within the City, Commercial Space Available
Tuolumne County Profile

Utilities

Water & Sewer

Tuolumne Utilities District 18885 Nugget Blvd.
PO Box 3728
Sonora, CA 95370
(209) 532-5536
tuolumneutilities.com

Electric

Pacific Gas & Electric Company
14550 Tuolumne Rd.
Sonora, CA 95370
Customer Service – (800) 743-5000
New Construction – (209) 533-6034

For private utilities such as propane, phone, cable, etc.; there are several providers within the City, please contact the provider of your choice.