Del Norte County, California

Del Norte 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
Map
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 elevation6,415 ft (1,955 m)
Population
 • Total27,743
 • Estimate 
(2023)
26,589 Decrease
 • Density23/sq mi (8.7/km2)
GDP
 • Total$0.947 billion (2022)
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 /dɛl ˈnɔːrt/ (Spanish for "Of The North") 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.[6] Del Norte was pioneered and populated by Azorean Portuguese settlers and dairy farmers, which may account for the local pronunciation of the county name.[7] Locals pronounce the county name as Del Nort, not Del Nor-teh as would be expected in Spanish.[8] 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.

  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. ^ "Gross Domestic Product: All Industries in Del Norte County, CA". Federal Reserve Economic Data. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
  6. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  7. ^ Genzoli, Andrew (November 1971). "When the Portuguese Pioneered". Humboldt Historian. 19 (6): 8.
  8. ^ 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.