Arcata

Arcata originally Union Town or Union, is a city adjacent to the Arcata Bay portion of Humboldt Bay in Humboldt County, California, United States. At the 2010 census, Arcata's population was 17,231. Arcata, located 280mi north of San Francisco, is home to Humboldt State University. Arcata is also the location of the Arcata Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Land Management, which is responsible for the administration of natural resources, lands, and mineral programs, including the Headwaters Forest, on approximately 200,000 acres of public land in Northwestern California.GovernmentArcata has been notably progressive in its political makeup, and was the first city in the United States to elect a majority of its city council members from the Green Party. As a result of the progressive majority, Arcata capped the number of chain restaurants allowed in the city. Arcata was also the first municipality to ban the growth of any type of Genetically Modified Organism within city limits, with exceptions for research and educational purposes.GeographyAccording to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.0sqmi, of which 9.1sqmi is land and 1.9sqmi (17.25%) is water.