Mariposa (formerly Logtown) is a census-designated place (CDP) in and the county seat of Mariposa County, California, United States. The population was 2,173 at the 2010 census, up from 1,373 at the 2000 census. Its name is Spanish for "butterfly", after the flocks of Monarchs seen overwintering there by early explorers.

Mariposa is located at 37°29′06″N 119°57′59″W / 37.485°N 119.96639°W / 37.485; -119.96639, at 1,949 feet (594 m) in elevation. It lies in the rugged foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Mariposa Creek flows through the town.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 12.9 square miles (33 km²), all but 0.23% of it land.

Mariposa County includes much of Yosemite National Park, and a good deal of the local economy is related to the Park and to tourism. The county courthouse, constructed in 1854, is the oldest in continuous use west of the Rockies. Tours are available.

The county lies at the southern end of the Mother Lode, and Europeans were attracted to Mariposa by gold. During the 19th century California Gold Rush, its streams were panned and deep mines worked the underground veins. At one time John C. Frémont lived here and owned claims to much of the mineral wealth of Mariposa. He later was the first United States Senator from the state, and the first Republican candidate for President.

California (pronounced ⁱ/kælɨˈfɔrnjə/) is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third most extensive (after Alaska and Texas). It is home to the nation's second- and sixth-largest census statistical areas (Los Angeles Metropolitan Area and San Francisco Bay Area), and eight of the nation's fifty most populated cities (Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno, Sacramento, Long Beach and Oakland). The capital city is Sacramento.

California's diverse geography ranges from the Pacific Coast in the west, to the Sierra Nevada mountains in the east – from the Redwood–Douglas-fir forests of the northwest, to the Mojave Desert areas in the southeast. The center of the state is dominated by Central Valley, a major agricultural area. California contains both the highest and lowest points in the contiguous United States (Mount Whitney and Death Valley), and has the third-longest coastline of all states (after Alaska and Florida). Earthquakes are a common occurrence due to the state's location along the Pacific Ring of Fire: about 37,000 are recorded annually.

Thomas Miller McClintock II (born July 10, 1956) is the U.S. Representative for California's 4th congressional district, serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. He is a former Assemblyman and state Senator. McClintock unsuccessfully ran for Governor of California in the 2003 California recall election and for Lieutenant Governor of California in the 2006 California lieutenant gubernatorial election.

McClintock was born on July 10, 1956 in White Plains, New York, McClintock graduated in 1978 from UCLA. He was elected Chairman of the Ventura County Republican Party at the age of 23 and served until 1981. He was chief of staff to State Senator Ed Davis from 1980 to 1982. From 1992 to 1994, he served as director of the Center for the California Taxpayer. He was director of the Claremont Institute's Golden State Center for Policy Studies from 1995 to 1996.

McClintock was elected to the California State Assembly in 1982 at the age of 26. He was reelected in 1984, 1986, 1988, and 1990.