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<p><b>Arcata</b>, originally <b>Union Town</b> or <b>Union</b>, is a city adjacent to the Arcata Bay portion of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humboldt_Bay_" class="wikipedia">Humboldt Bay</a> in <a href="/pages/w/133075806723900">Humboldt County</a>, <a href="/pages/w/108131585873862">California</a>, <a href="/pages/w/112463092102121">United States</a>. At the <a href="/pages/w/104097652960274">2010 census</a>, Arcata's population was 17,231. Arcata, located 280mi north of <a href="/pages/w/112154592130435">San Francisco</a>, is home to <a href="/pages/w/108648359159208">Humboldt State University</a>. Arcata is also the location of the Arcata Field Office of the Federal <a href="/pages/w/111691602180082">Bureau of Land Management</a>, which is responsible for the administration of natural resources, lands and mineral programs, including the <a href="/pages/w/111435865540858">Headwaters Forest</a>, on approximately 200,000 acres of public land in Northwestern California.</p><h2>Government</h2><p>Arcata has been notably <a href="/pages/w/114425608574604">progressive</a> in its political makeup, and was the first city in the <a href="/pages/w/112463092102121">United States</a> to elect a majority of its city council members from the <a href="/pages/w/106093126087936">Green Party</a>. 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 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_Modified_Organism" class="wikipedia">Genetically Modified Organism</a> within city limits, with exceptions for research and educational purposes.</p><h2>Geography</h2><p>According to the <a href="/pages/w/111959425488007">United States Census Bureau</a>, the city has a total area of 11.0sqmi, of which 9.1sqmi is land and 1.9sqmi (17.25%) is water.</p>