Humboldt County Area
Description
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Geography |
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Humboldt
County,
located in
Northwest
California,
is the
southern
gateway to
the Pacific
Northwest.
The County
is bound on
the north by
Del Norte
County;
on the east
by
Siskiyou
and Trinity
counties; on
the south by
Mendocino
County and
on the west
by the
Pacific
Ocean. The
County
encompasses
2.3 million
acres, 80
percent of
which is
forestlands,
protected
redwoods and
recreation
areas.
The
southern
part of the
County
includes
Alton,
Carlotta,
Hydesville,
Rio Dell and
Scotia; the
Avenue of
the Giants
communities;
Garberville
and Redway;
the Eel,
Mattole and
Van Duzen
River
communities;
Humboldt
Redwoods,
Richardson
Grove and
Grizzly
Creek State
Parks;
and the
King Range
National
Conservation
Area. |
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The northern
part of the
County
includes the
City of
Trinidad,
Orick;
Redwood
National
Park;
Prairie
Creek and
Humboldt
Lagoons
State Parks;
and several
State
Beaches.
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The eastern part of
the County includes
Willow Creek,
Hoopa Valley Indian
Reservation,
Orleans, and a great
deal of Six Rivers
National Forest
land. Six Rivers
refers to the Smith,
Klamath, Trinity,
Mad, Eel and the Van
Duzen rivers, all
excellent fishing,
swimming and camping
rivers
 
The
southern border of
the County is
located 225 miles
north of San
Francisco, the
closest major
metropolitan city.
The County is linked
by Coastal Highway
101 to the rest of
California to the
South and the Oregon
Coast to the North.
Highway 299 links
the County to
Interstate 5 to the
east. The County
airport in
McKinleyville
has daily flights to
San Francisco,
Sacramento, Portland
and Seattle.
Climate
Humboldt
County is an
area of
moderate
temperatures
and
considerable
precipitation.
Temperatures
along the
coast vary
only 10
degrees from
summer to
winter,
although a
greater
range is
found over
inland
areas.
Temperatures
of 32
degrees or
lower are
experienced
nearly every
winter
throughout
the area,
and colder
temperatures
are common
in the
interior.
Maximum
readings for
the year
often do not
exceed 80 on
the coast,
while
100 degree
plus
readings
occur
frequently
in the
mountain
valleys.
In most
years,
rainfall is
experienced
each month
of the year,
although
amounts are
negligible
from June
through
August.
Seasonal
totals
average more
than 40
inches in
the driest
area, and
exceed 100
inches in
the zones of
heavy
precipitation.
Because of
the moisture
and moderate
temperature
the average
relative
humidity is
high.
Largely as a
result of
the
proximity of
the cool
Pacific
Ocean, the
adjoining
coastal area
has one of
the coolest,
most stable
temperature
regimes to
be found
anywhere.
With
increasing
distance
from the
ocean, the
marine
influence is
less
pronounced,
and inland
areas
experience
wider
variations
of
temperature
and lower
humidity's.
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July mean
maximum
readings are
in the cool
60’s
throughout a
bearing
ranging from
15 to 30
miles in
width along
the coast.
About 90
percent of
the seasonal
total
rainfall
falls in the
seven months
from October
through
April. Most
of this is
associated
with storm
fronts that
move in from
the Pacific
Ocean. There
are few
thunder
showers in
the
mountains
during the
summer, but
they are not
frequent.
The
climate has
several
impacts on
local
economic
development.
In the
winter
months when
the rain is
its
heaviest,
employment
is at its
lowest. Fog
is also
present
along the
coastline
for much of
the year.
This often
delays
passenger
flights at
the
Arcata-Eureka
Airport.
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Population
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The January
1999
population
of Humboldt
County was
128,100,
according to
the State
Department
of Finance.
The County
has seven
incorporated
cities
ranging in
size from
approximately
400 to
35,000
persons.
Approximately
half of the
County’s
residents
live in
incorporated
communities,
while 59
percent of
the County
lives in the
area
surrounding
Humboldt
Bay. This
area
includes the
cities of
Arcata,
Ferndale,
Fortuna,
Eureka and
the
unincorporated
community of
McKinleyville.
According to
the State
Department
of Finance,
the cities
of Eureka
and Arcata
together
contain
about 35
percent of
the County’s
population,
while 13
percent of
the
population
is scattered
among five
other
incorporated
cities (Blue
Lake, 1,250;
Ferndale,
1,300;
Fortuna,
10,250; Rio
Dell 2,960;
and
Trinidad,
360).
Approximately
67,700 of
County
residents
reside in
unincorporated
communities.
In terms
of regional
population
trends, the
chief growth
areas of the
County are
around the
communities
of
McKinleyville
and
Garberville,
and the
cities of
Arcata
and
Fortuna.
Most of
these
regions have
an adequate
supply of
land and
necessary
public
facilities
for urban
use and can,
therefore,
be expected
to remain as
principal
growth
areas,
respectively.
The
following
chart
details
County
population
projections
over the
next two
decades,
including
estimates
for several
of the
incorporated
areas.
| Location |
1998 Population |
2010 Population |
2020 Population |
| Eureka |
27,750 |
28,870 |
29,830 |
| Arcata |
16,330 |
18,180 |
20,000 |
| Fortuna |
10,140 |
12,560 |
15,000 |
| Humboldt County |
124,000 |
131,600 |
140,000 |
| Unincorporated |
67,400 |
67,800 |
68,140 |
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5055 Walnut Drive, Eureka, CA 95503
P.O. Box 158 Cutten, CA 95534
Tel:
(707) 443-4550
▪ Fax:
(707) 443-0818
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