Del Norte County, California

Del Norte County /dɛl ˈnɔːrt/ (Spanish for "Of The North") is a county at the far northwest corner of the U.S. state of California, along the Pacific Ocean adjacent to the Oregon border. Its population is 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.[5] Del Norte was pioneered and populated by Azorean Portuguese settlers and dairy farmers, which may account for the local pronunciation of the county name.[6] Locals pronounce the county name as Del Nort, not Del Nor-teh as would be expected in Spanish.[7]

Del Norte County
County
County of Del Norte
Images, from top down, left to right: Crescent City Harbor, Redwood National Park, Castle Rock, the mouth of the Smith River
Official seal of Del Norte County
Seal
Interactive map of Del Norte County
Location in the state of California
Location in the state of California
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
RegionNorth Coast
IncorporatedMarch 2, 1857[1]
Named forIts location, "Of the North" (Spanish: Del norte), in California
County seatCrescent City
Largest cityCrescent City
Government
 • TypeCouncil–CAO
 • ChairDarrin Short
 • Vice ChairValerie Starkey
 • Board of Supervisors[2]
Supervisors
  • Darrin Short
  • Valerie Starkey
  • Chris Howard
  • Joey Borges
  • Dean Wilson
 • County Administrative OfficerNeal Lopez
Area
 • Total1,230 sq mi (3,200 km2)
 • Land1,006 sq mi (2,610 km2)
 • Water223 sq mi (580 km2)
Highest elevation
[3]
6,415 ft (1,955 m)
Population
 (April 1, 2020)[4]
 • Total27,743
 • Density28/sq mi (11/km2)
Time zoneUTC−8 (Pacific Time Zone)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Area codes707
FIPS code06-015
GNIS feature ID1682074
Congressional district2nd
Websitewww.co.del-norte.ca.us

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 350 feet (110 m). 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 (Klamath River Indians) 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 1,230 square miles (3,200 km2), of which 1,006 square miles (2,610 km2) is land and 223 square miles (580 km2) (18%) is water.[8]

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 Klamath Mountains as its easterly boundary. Rising abruptly from the coastal plain, the Klamath Mountains extend north into Oregon and are situated between the Cascade Range to the east and the Coast Range to the north.[9]

Further information: Peak Eight

Adjacent counties

Beach

Recreation area

Rivers

Wildlife refuge

Parks
Marshall Pond near the Klamath River, Redwood National, and State parks.

Ecology
See also: Klamath Mountains (ecoregion) and Northern California coastal forests

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.[10] The Black Oak and Douglas-fir are also found in Del Norte County.

Demographics

2011

Places by population, race, and income

2010
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18601,993—
18702,0221.5%
18802,58427.8%
18902,5920.3%
19002,408−7.1%
19102,4170.4%
19202,75914.1%
19304,73971.8%
19404,7450.1%
19508,07870.2%
196017,771120.0%
197014,580−18.0%
198018,21724.9%
199023,46028.8%
200027,50717.3%
201028,6104.0%
202027,743−3.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[18]
1790–1960[19] 1900–1990[20]
1990–2000[21] 2010–2015[22]

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%).[23]

2000

As of the census[24] of 2000, there were 27,507 people, 9,170 households, and 6,290 families residing in the county. The population density was 27 people per square mile (10 people/km2). There were 10,434 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (3.9/km2). 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,[25] 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

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 2020, it is now the only county on California's coast that votes Republican for President.

United States presidential election results for Del Norte County, California[26]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 6,461 56.41% 4,677 40.84% 315 2.75%
2016 5,134 53.71% 3,485 36.46% 939 9.82%
2012 4,614 52.61% 3,791 43.23% 365 4.16%
2008 4,967 52.11% 4,323 45.36% 241 2.53%
2004 5,356 56.85% 3,892 41.31% 173 1.84%
2000 4,526 54.57% 3,117 37.58% 651 7.85%
1996 3,670 41.29% 3,652 41.08% 1,567 17.63%
1992 3,083 32.96% 3,639 38.91% 2,631 28.13%
1988 3,714 49.73% 3,587 48.03% 167 2.24%
1984 3,996 58.41% 2,696 39.41% 149 2.18%
1980 4,016 57.48% 2,338 33.46% 633 9.06%
1976 2,481 45.29% 2,789 50.91% 208 3.80%
1972 2,927 51.82% 2,156 38.17% 565 10.00%
1968 2,387 46.19% 2,236 43.27% 545 10.55%
1964 2,075 36.23% 3,652 63.77% 0 0.00%
1960 3,024 48.05% 3,225 51.24% 45 0.71%
1956 2,918 53.18% 2,552 46.51% 17 0.31%
1952 2,938 63.44% 1,640 35.41% 53 1.14%
1948 1,541 54.26% 1,172 41.27% 127 4.47%
1944 1,011 55.25% 818 44.70% 1 0.05%
1940 1,233 53.56% 1,034 44.92% 35 1.52%
1936 853 39.24% 1,292 59.43% 29 1.33%
1932 637 30.94% 1,319 64.06% 103 5.00%
1928 771 55.87% 599 43.41% 10 0.72%
1924 530 52.63% 122 12.12% 355 35.25%
1920 596 62.61% 279 29.31% 77 8.09%
1916 499 43.81% 471 41.35% 169 14.84%
1912 0 0.00% 323 38.32% 520 61.68%
1908 450 59.29% 202 26.61% 107 14.10%
1904 429 60.17% 187 26.23% 97 13.60%
1900 334 51.78% 291 45.12% 20 3.10%
1896 345 49.50% 334 47.92% 18 2.58%
1892 235 36.55% 339 52.72% 69 10.73%
Del Norte County vote
by party in gubernatorial elections
Year GOP DEM
2022 61.0% 5,111 39.0% 3,264
2021 59.9% 5,243 40.1% 3,505
2018 58.7% 4,887 41.3% 3,441
2014 50.4% 3,539 49.6% 3,488
2010 41.2% 3,373 50.0% 4,093
2006 54.9% 3,639 38.2% 2,531
2003 55.0% 3,522 25.6% 1,634
2002 45.8% 3,093 43.3% 2,922
1998 41.5% 3,087 51.3% 3,820
1994 61.8% 4,626 31.7% 2,372
1990 53.2% 3,615 40.0% 2,717
1986 65.8% 4,213 31.6% 2,026
1982 51.3% 3,355 44.9% 2,934
1978 49.9% 2,933 41.7% 2,451
1974 46.1% 1,921 51.6% 2,149
1970 57.1% 2,755 41.0% 1,977
1966 64.0% 3,409 36.0% 1,918
1962 45.9% 2,418 52.0% 2,741

The county has almost an even split in Democratic and Republican voter registration. As of May 2008, approximately 67% of eligible voters are registered to vote in Del Norte County, with approximately 38% registered as Democrats and approximately 38% registered as Republicans, with the State of California reporting 32 more Republicans than Democrats on April 7, 2010. Third party affiliation accounts for approximately 6% of all registered voters in the county.[27]

Del Norte County is in California's 2nd congressional district, represented by Democrat Jared Huffman.[28]

In the State Assembly, Del Norte County is in the 2nd Assembly District, represented by Democrat Jim Wood.[29] In the State Senate, the county is in the 2nd Senate District, represented by Democrat Mike McGuire.[30]

Voter registration statistics

Cities by population and voter registration

Crime

The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.

Cities by population and crime rates

Transportation

Major highways

Public transportation

Local public transit is provided by Redwood Coast Transit, which provides access to Amtrak passenger train (via Amtrak bus) service.

Airports

Contour Airlines conducts passenger flights to and from Jack McNamara Field Airport, operating one daily round trip flight to Oakland International Airport.[35] 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.[36]

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. 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 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[37] (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[38] AIAN 160
10 Elk Valley Rancheria[39] AIAN 100
11 Resighini Rancheria[40] AIAN 33

See also
U.S. Route 199 in California, the Redwood Highway, at Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park in Del Norte County, near Crescent City, California.

Notes
  1. Other = Some other race + Two or more races
  2. Native American = Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander + American Indian or Alaska Native
  3. Percentage of registered voters with respect to total population. Percentages of party members with respect to registered voters follow.

References
  1. "Del Norte County". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  2. "County of Del Norte, California - Board of Supervisors". www.co.del-norte.ca.us.
  3. "Bear Mountain". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  4. "Del Norte County, California 2020 Census". Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  5. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  6. Genzoli, Andrew (November 1971). "When the Portuguese Pioneered". Humboldt Historian. 19 (6): 8.
  7. Roberts, Rich (April 10, 1991). "A California Time Capsule : Pristine Version of State Awaits in Smith River Recreation Area". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  8. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  9. "Del Norte Fire Safe Plan" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 25, 2012. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
  10. C. Michael Hogan. 2008. Blue Oak: Quercus douglasii, GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg Archived February 28, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  11. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  12. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B03003. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  13. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  14. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  15. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  16. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  17. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  18. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  19. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  20. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  21. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  22. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on October 13, 2015. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  23. "2010 Census P.L. 94-171 Summary File Data". United States Census Bureau.
  24. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  25. "2020 census - school district reference map: Del Norte County, CA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 25, 2022. - Text list
  26. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  27. "Voter Registration Statistics By County" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 3, 2008. Retrieved September 4, 2008.
  28. "California's 2nd Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  29. "Members Assembly". State of California. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  30. "Senators". State of California. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
  31. California Secretary of State. February 10, 2013 - Report of Registration Archived November 3, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  32. Office of the Attorney General, Department of Justice, State of California. Table 11: Crimes – 2009 Archived December 2, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  33. Only larceny-theft cases involving property over $400 in value are reported as property crimes.
  34. United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime in the United States, 2012, Table 8 (California). Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  35. "Airline and Flight Info". flycrescentcity.
  36. "Regulations.gov". www.regulations.gov.
  37. "U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Census". Census.gov. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  38. "U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Census". Census.gov. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  39. "U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Census". Census.gov. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  40. "U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Census". Census.gov. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
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