Calwa

History

In 1885, the land of what is now Calwa, was improved and cultivated by Hugh William La Rue to plant an orchard and vineyard. His first crop was ruined by a grasshopper pest in 1886 and he sought to plant elsewhere. Calwa became a railroad town when Santa Fe Railways invested one million dollars to build a switching yard and houses for railway employees. Southern Pacific Railroad also passed through Calwa. The Calwa City post office opened in 1913, and changed its name to Calwa in 1949.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the community has a total area of , of which 98.01% is land and 1.99% is water. Calwa is an almost complete county island surrounded by the city of Fresno on all sides except the southeast corner.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  5,173
• California/Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay

  Aphelocoma californica (Vigors, 1839) · Aves
  4,783
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  4,135
• Northern Mockingbird

  Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,937
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,650
• Black Phoebe

  Sayornis nigricans (Swainson, 1827) · Aves
  3,483
• Anna's Hummingbird

  Calypte anna (R.Lesson, 1829) · Aves
  3,274
• Yellow-rumped Warbler

  Setophaga coronata (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  3,237