Parkfield, California
| Parkfield | |
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| Unincorporated community | |
Parkfield Cafe
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 Parkfield
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| Coordinates: 35°53′59″N 120°25′58″W / 35.89972°N 120.43278°WCoordinates: 35°53′59″N 120°25′58″W / 35.89972°N 120.43278°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Monterey County |
| Elevation | 1,529 ft (466 m) |
Parkfield (formerly, Russelsville) is an unincorporated community in Monterey County, California. It is located on Little Cholame Creek 21 miles (34 km) east of Bradley, at an elevation of 1529 feet (466 m). As of 2007 road signs announce the population as 18.
Parkfield is located at 35°53′59″N 120°25′58″W / 35.89972°N 120.43278°W in the Temblor Range between the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Coast, at an elevation of 1,529 feet above sea level. Mining and Homesteading used to be a prosperous activity in this community, but the mines were exhausted below economic recovery levels and the industry moved elsewhere. Today, it is a small town of about 18 people, most of whom are ranchers and farmers. There is a small tourism industry in the town based on equine-related events, hunting, a bluegrass music festival, and Parkfield's unique earthquake history (see the geology section below). The Parkfield motto is, "Be here when it happens."
A post office operated at Parkfield from 1884 to 1954. The town's original name of Russelsville was rejected by the post office and Parkfield was chosen from the town's park-like setting among oak trees.
The ZIP Code is 93451, and the community is inside area code 805.
Parkfield lies along the San Andreas Fault, one of the longest and most active faults in the United States, which appears in the town as a seasonally dry creek bed. The fault marks the divide between the North American Plate and the Pacific Plate (see plate tectonics). There is a bridge across the creek with piers on either side that have shifted more than five feet relative to one another due to aseismic creep since the bridge was constructed in 1936. Google satellite images show that the bridge, which Winchester described as "bent" and having cracked and patched pavement, has been replaced since Winchester's book was published, and a sliding joint installed; however, the west piers of the bridge remain displaced to the north. The bridge sports signage announcing to drivers that they are crossing the plate boundary.
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