Del Norte County, California
Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement
Del Norte County (Template:IPAc-en; Template:IPA; Template:Langnf) is a county located at the far northwest corner of the U.S. state of California, along the Pacific Ocean adjacent to the Oregon border. Its population was 27,743 as of the 2020 census, down from 28,610 from the 2010 census. The county seat and only incorporated city is Crescent City.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> Del Norte was settled and colonized by Azorean Portuguese settlers and dairy farmers, which may account for the local pronunciation of the county name.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Locals pronounce the county name as Del Nort, not Del Nor-teh as would be expected in Spanish.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Del Norte County comprises the Crescent City, CA Micropolitan Statistical Area. The rural county is notable for forests containing giant Coast Redwoods, with some attaining heights over Template:Convert. This northernmost county on the California coast also has scores of unique plants and flowers, dozens of species of coastal birds and fish, rocky primitive beaches and sea stacks, pristine rivers and historic lighthouses.
History
The area that is now known as Del Norte was (and still is) inhabited by the Yurok and Tolowa Nations of indigenous peoples. The first European American to explore this land was pioneer Jedediah Smith in the early-19th century. He was the first European American to reach the area overland on foot in a time before the European Americans knew anything about such a distant territory. For him it was literally "Land's End" — where the American continent ended at the Pacific Ocean. In 1855 Congress authorized the building of a lighthouse at "the battery point" (a high tide island on the coast of Crescent City) which is still functioning as a historical landmark.
Del Norte County was established in 1857, from part of the territory of Klamath County following the great California Gold Rush. Klamath County itself ceased to exist in 1874.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (18%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>
The mountainous terrain associated with the Coastal Range and the Klamath Mountains dominates Del Norte County's geography. Elevation ranges from sea level to over 6,400 feet. Although much of the county is made up of steep terrain, there are small patches of flat terrain along the coast and in isolated mountain valleys. There are 37 miles of coastline in the county, forming a coastal zone that covers approximately 51,000 acres (80 square miles). A broad coastal plain can be found in the northwest portion of the county with the western edge of the Coastal Range as its easterly boundary. Rising abruptly from the coastal plain, the Coastal Range extends north into Oregon and is situated next to the Klamath Mountains to the east.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Further
Adjacent counties
- Curry County, Oregon - northwest
- Josephine County, Oregon - northeast
- Siskiyou County - east
- Humboldt County - south
Beach
Recreation area
Rivers
- Klamath - one of the longest in California.
- Smith - a crown jewel of the National Wild and Scenic River program.
Wildlife refuge
Parks
- Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park
- Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
- Redwood National Park
- Tolowa Dunes State Park
- Ruby Van Deventer County Park
- Florence Keller County Park
Ecology
Template:See also There is a diversity of flora and fauna within Del Norte County. Vegetative plant associations feature several forest types including mixed oak forest. The California endemic Blue oak, Quercus douglasii is at the northernmost part of its range in Del Norte County.<ref>C. Michael Hogan. 2008. Blue Oak: Quercus douglasii, GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg Template:Webarchive</ref> The Black Oak and Douglas-fir are also found in Del Norte County.
Demographics
2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop 1990<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 15,729 | 18,302 | 19,294 | 18,513 | 16,262 | 86.34% | 78.01% | 70.14% | 64.71% | 58.62% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 52 | 853 | 1,167 | 967 | 841 | 0.29% | 3.64% | 4.24% | 3.38% | 3.03% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 1,301 | 1,415 | 1,593 | 1,935 | 2,136 | 7.14% | 6.03% | 5.79% | 6.76% | 7.70% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 83 | 433 | 619 | 938 | 826 | 0.46% | 1.85% | 2.25% | 3.28% | 2.98% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | x <ref>included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census</ref> | x <ref>included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census</ref> | 18 | 26 | 28 | 0.07% | 0.09% | 0.07% | 0.09% | 0.10% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 34 | 43 | 39 | 172 | 122 | 0.19% | 0.18% | 0.14% | 0.60% | 0.44% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x <ref>not an option in the 1980 Census</ref> | x <ref>not an option in the 1990 Census</ref> | 948 | 966 | 2,207 | x | x | 3.45% | 3.38% | 7.96% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,018 | 2,414 | 3,829 | 5,093 | 5,321 | 5.59% | 10.29% | 13.92% | 17.80% | 19.18% |
| Total | 18,217 | 23,460 | 27,507 | 28,610 | 27,743 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2011 estimates
| Income | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per capita income<ref name="US-CB-B19301">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.</ref> | $19,247 | ||||
| Median household income<ref name="US-CB-B19013">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.</ref> | $37,588 | ||||
| Median family income<ref name="US-CB-B19113">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.</ref> | $52,076 | ||||
Places by population, race, and income (2011)
| Places by population and race | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place | Type<ref name="US-CB">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.</ref> | Population<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> | White<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> | Other<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> <ref name="other" group=note>Other = Some other race + Two or more races</ref> |
Asian<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> | Black or African American<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> |
Native American<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> <ref name="na" group=note>Native American = Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander + American Indian or Alaska Native</ref> |
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)<ref name="US-CB-B03003">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B03003. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 26, 2013.</ref> |
| Bertsch-Oceanview | CDP | 2,729 | 77.9% | 13.6% | 1.1% | 0.0% | 7.4% | 8.1% |
| Crescent City | City | 7,673 | 54.0% | 26.9% | 3.9% | 9.9% | 5.3% | 27.7% |
| Gasquet | CDP | 551 | 100.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 14.3% |
| Hiouchi | CDP | 472 | 91.9% | 6.8% | 1.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 8.3% |
| Klamath | CDP | 956 | 49.0% | 21.8% | 4.0% | 0.3% | 25.0% | 8.3% |
| Smith River | CDP | 649 | 80.4% | 18.2% | 1.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Places by population and income | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place | Type<ref name="US-CB"/> | Population<ref name="US-CB-B01003">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.</ref> | Per capita income<ref name="US-CB-B19301"/> | Median household income<ref name="US-CB-B19013"/> | Median family income<ref name="US-CB-B19113"/> |
| Bertsch-Oceanview | CDP | 2,729 | $19,434 | $48,205 | $58,727 |
| Crescent City | City | 7,673 | $10,350 | $30,058 | $37,143 |
| Gasquet | CDP | 551 | $19,286 | $43,750 | $55,227 |
| Hiouchi | CDP | 472 | $30,285 | $47,596 | $66,591 |
| Klamath | CDP | 956 | $16,332 | $26,172 | $28,864 |
| Smith River | CDP | 649 | $18,120 | $46,411 | $57,989 |
2010
The 2010 United States census reported that Del Norte County had a population of 28,610. The racial makeup of Del Norte County was 21,098 (73.7%) White, 993 (3.5%) African American, 2,244 (7.8%) Native American, 965 (3.4%) Asian, 32 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 1,980 (6.9%) from other races, and 1,298 (4.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5,093 persons (17.8%).<ref>Template:USCensus2010CA</ref>
2000
As of the census<ref name="GR8">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, there were 27,507 people, 9,170 households, and 6,290 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 10,434 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 78.9% White, 4.3% Black or African American, 6.4% Native American, 2.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.9% from other races, and 4.1% from two or more races. 13.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 16.2% were of German, 11.3% English, 9.1% Irish and 7.4% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 91.6% spoke English and 6.2% Spanish as their first language.
There were 9,170 households, out of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.08.
The age distribution was 25.1% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 123.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 130.3 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,642, and the median income for a family was $36,056. Males had a median income of $40,072 versus $22,212 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,573. About 16.4% of families and 20.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.7% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Del Norte County is home to a satellite campus of College of the Redwoods, a two-year college based in Humboldt County.
Del Norte County has one of just five combined county office of education-unified school district learning educational agencies (LEA) in the state of California, with one elected Board of Trustees that serves both agencies, and one superintendent overseeing both the County Office of Education, and the Unified School District.
The Del Norte County Unified School District, which covers the entire county,<ref>Template:Cite web - Text list</ref> provides public education from pre-Kindergarten through the twelfth grade. The only high school in Del Norte County is Del Norte High School, whose school mascot is the Warrior. There are also five K-5 elementary schools (Bess Maxwell, Joe Hamilton, Margaret Keating, Mary Peacock, Pine Grove), three K-8 elementary schools (Mountain, Redwood, Smith River), and one middle school (Crescent Elk).
The County Office of Education provides special education services to the county, as well as alternative learning options that includes Community Day and juvenile detention. Alternative educational facilities are Del Norte Community Day, Elk Creek detention center, and Sunset Continuation High School.
Del Norte County has several private parochial schools and charter schools.
Politics
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Del Norte is traditionally a strongly Republican county in Presidential and congressional elections. The last Democrat to win a majority in the county was Jimmy Carter in 1976; even so, Bill Clinton received a plurality in 1992. In 2016, with Orange County flipping, Del Norte County became the only county on California's coast to vote for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton. As of 2024, it is now the only county on California's coast that votes Republican for President.
| Year | Republican | Democratic |
|---|---|---|
| style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|2022 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|61.0% 5,111 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|39.0% 3,264 |
| style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|2018 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|58.7% 4,887 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|41.3% 3,441 |
| style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|2014 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|50.4% 3,539 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|49.6% 3,488 |
| style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2010 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|41.2% 3,373 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|50.0% 4,093 |
| style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|2006 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|54.9% 3,639 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|38.2% 2,531 |
| style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|2002 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|45.8% 3,093 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|43.3% 2,922 |
| style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|1998 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|41.5% 3,087 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|51.3% 3,820 |
| style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|1994 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|61.8% 4,626 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|31.7% 2,372 |
| style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|1990 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|53.2% 3,615 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|40.0% 2,717 |
| style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|1986 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|65.8% 4,213 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|31.6% 2,026 |
| style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|1982 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|51.3% 3,355 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|44.9% 2,934 |
| style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|1978 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|49.9% 2,933 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|41.7% 2,451 |
| style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|1974 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|46.1% 1,921 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|51.6% 2,149 |
| style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|1970 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|57.1% 2,755 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|41.0% 1,977 |
| style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|1966 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|64.0% 3,409 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|36.0% 1,918 |
| style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|1962 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|45.9% 2,418 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|52.0% 2,741 |
In line with its voting habits, Del Norte's registered voting population is heavily Republican. As of October 2024, approximately 83% of eligible voters are registered to vote in Del Norte County, with approximately 29% registered as Democrats and approximately 41% registered as Republicans.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Del Norte County is in Template:Representative.<ref>Template:Cite GovTrack</ref>
In the State Assembly, Del Norte County is in Template:Representative.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the State Senate, the county is in Template:Representative.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Voter registration statistics
| Population and registered voters | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total population<ref name="US-CB-B02001">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 26, 2013.</ref> | 28,561 | |
| Registered voters<ref name="CA-SS">California Secretary of State. February 10, 2013 - Report of Registration Template:Webarchive. Retrieved October 31, 2013.</ref><ref name="PCT-RV" group=note>Percentage of registered voters with respect to total population. Percentages of party members with respect to registered voters follow.</ref> | 12,239 | 42.9% |
| Democratic<ref name="CA-SS"/> | 4,252 | 34.7% |
| Republican<ref name="CA-SS"/> | 4,595 | 37.5% |
| Democratic–Republican spread<ref name="CA-SS"/> | -343 | -2.8% |
| American Independent<ref name="CA-SS"/> | 541 | 4.4% |
| Green<ref name="CA-SS"/> | 100 | 0.8% |
| Libertarian<ref name="CA-SS"/> | 90 | 0.7% |
| Peace and Freedom<ref name="CA-SS"/> | 49 | 0.4% |
| Americans Elect<ref name="CA-SS"/> | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other<ref name="CA-SS"/> | 150 | 1.2% |
| No party preference<ref name="CA-SS"/> | 2,462 | 20.1% |
Cities by population and voter registration
| Cities by population and voter registration | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City | Population<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> | Registered voters<ref name="CA-SS"/> <ref name="PCT-RV" group=note/> |
Democratic<ref name="CA-SS"/> | Republican<ref name="CA-SS"/> | D–R spread<ref name="CA-SS"/> | Other<ref name="CA-SS"/> | No party preference<ref name="CA-SS"/> |
| Crescent City | 7,673 | 22.3% | 35.5% | 29.4% | +6.1% | 15.3% | 25.5% |
Crime
The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.
| Population and crime rates | ||
|---|---|---|
| Population<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> | 28,561 | |
| Violent crime<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11">Office of the Attorney General, Department of Justice, State of California. Table 11: Crimes – 2009 Template:Webarchive. Retrieved November 14, 2013.</ref> | 108 | 3.78 |
| Homicide<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/> | 1 | 0.04 |
| Forcible rape<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/> | 22 | 0.77 |
| Robbery<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/> | 11 | 0.39 |
| Aggravated assault<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/> | 74 | 2.59 |
| Property crime<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/> | 398 | 13.94 |
| Burglary<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/> | 230 | 8.05 |
| Larceny-theft<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/><ref name="LT-note group=note">Only larceny-theft cases involving property over $400 in value are reported as property crimes.</ref> | 340 | 11.90 |
| Motor vehicle theft<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/> | 73 | 2.56 |
| Arson<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/> | 5 | 0.18 |
Cities by population and crime rates
| Cities by population and crime rates | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City | Population<ref name="FBI-UCR-T8">United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime in the United States, 2012, Table 8 (California). Retrieved November 14, 2013.</ref> | Violent crimes<ref name="FBI-UCR-T8"/> | Violent crime rate per 1,000 persons |
Property crimes<ref name="FBI-UCR-T8"/> | Property crime rate per 1,000 persons | |||
| Crescent City | 7,723 | 51 | 6.60 | 215 | 27.84 | |||
Transportation
Major highways
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Public transportation
Local public transit is provided by Redwood Coast Transit, which provides access to Amtrak passenger train (via Amtrak Thruway) service.
Airports
Advanced Air conducts passenger flights to and from Jack McNamara Field Airport, operating one daily round trip flight to Oakland International Airport and Los Angeles-Hawthorne Airport.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Flights are largely subsidized by an Alternate Essential Air Service grant approved by the United States Department of Transportation and issued to the Border Coast Regional Airport Authority in 2020.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Harbor
The Crescent City Harbor serves as a commercial fishing port for salmon, shrimp, tuna, cod, and dungeness crab commercial fishing boats. Nearly 50% of all dungeness crab served in California restaurants is off-loaded in this harbor.Template:Citation needed The harbor is also home to multiple fishing and non-fishing related businesses and harbor governmental offices. The harbor also has several pleasure boat docks.
Communities
Crescent City is the county seat of and the only incorporated city in Del Norte County. Its population count includes the inmates of Pelican Bay State Prison located ten miles north of the city.
Cities
Census-designated places
Other unincorporated communities
Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Del Norte County.
† county seat
| Rank | City/Town/etc. | Municipal type | Population (2020 Census) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | † Crescent City | City | 6,673 |
| 2 | Bertsch-Oceanview | CDP | 2,520 |
| 3 | Yurok Reservation<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (partially in Humboldt County) | AIAN | 1,236 |
| 4 | Klamath | CDP | 1,088 |
| 5 | Fort Dick | CDP | 912 |
| 6 | Smith River | CDP | 906 |
| 7 | Gasquet | CDP | 657 |
| 8 | Hiouchi | CDP | 314 |
| 9 | Smith River Rancheria<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | AIAN | 160 |
| 10 | Elk Valley Rancheria<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | AIAN | 100 |
| 11 | Resighini Rancheria<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | AIAN | 33 |
See also
- Hiking trails in Del Norte County
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Del Norte County, California
- Things to Do, Outdoor Recreation & Visitor Information
Notes
References
External links
- Template:Official website
- Del Norte County & Crescent City Tourism and Travel website
- Chamber of Commerce website
- Del Norte Historical Society
Template:Geographic Location Template:Cities of Del Norte County, California Template:North Coast (California) Template:California Template:Authority control Template:Coord