El Dorado County
County
Images, from top down, left to right: A barn in El Dorado County, the shore of Lake Tahoe in Ed Z'berg Sugar Pine Point State Park, the South Fork American River running through the El Dorado hills, Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park
Flag of El Dorado County
Flag
Official seal of El Dorado County
Seal
Map
Interactive map of El Dorado County
Location in the state of California
Location in the state of California
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
RegionsNorthern California, Sierra Nevada, Gold Country
Metropolitan areaGreater Sacramento
IncorporatedFebruary 18, 1850[1]
Named forSpanish for "the golden" and El Dorado
County seatPlacerville
Largest communityEl Dorado Hills
Government
 • TypeCouncil–CAO
 • Body
Board of Supervisors[2]
  • John Hidahl
  • George Turnboo
  • Wendy Thomas
  • Lori Parlin
  • Brooke Laine
 • ChairLori Parlin
 • Vice ChairWendy Thomas
 • Chief Administrative Office[3]Don Ashton
Area
 • Total1,786 sq mi (4,630 km2)
 • Land1,708 sq mi (4,420 km2)
 • Water78 sq mi (200 km2)
Highest elevation
[4]
10,886 ft (3,318 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total191,185
 • Density110/sq mi (41/km2)
Time zoneUTC−8 (Pacific Time Zone)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
ZIP code
95762
Area code530, 916, 279
FIPS code06-017
GNIS feature ID277273
Congressional districts3rd, 5th
Websitewww.edcgov.us

El Dorado County (/ˌɛl dəˈrɑːdoʊ/ ⓘ), officially the County of El Dorado, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 191,185.[5] The county seat is Placerville.[6] The county is part of the Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is located entirely in the Sierra Nevada, from the historic Gold Country in the western foothills to the High Sierra in the east. El Dorado County's population has grown as Greater Sacramento has expanded into the region. Where the county line crosses US 50 at Clarksville, the distance to Sacramento is 15 miles. In the county's high altitude eastern end at Lake Tahoe, environmental awareness and environmental protection initiatives have grown along with the population since the 1960 Winter Olympics, hosted at the former Squaw Valley Ski Resort in neighboring Placer County.

History

Main articles: Sutter's Mill and California Gold Rush

What is now known as El Dorado County has been home to the Maidu, Nisenan, Washoe, and Miwok Indigenous American nations for centuries. The region became famous for being the site of the 1848 gold discovery that sparked the California Gold Rush.[7] The County of El Dorado was one of California's original 27 counties created effective February 18, 1850 (the number has risen to 58 today). Its name is derived from the Spanish meaning "the gilded/golden".[8]

The final segments of the Pony Express mail route ran through El Dorado County until its replacement with the telegraph service in 1861; U.S. Highway 50 follows the Pony Express route today.

Local landmarks:

The Placerville Mountain Democrat, California's oldest surviving newspaper, serves El Dorado County.

The Caldor Fire started on August 14, 2021, near Little Mountain, south of Pollock Pines in El Dorado County,[9] about two miles East of Omo Ranch and four miles south of Grizzly Flats.[10][11] It initially burned slowly, but exploded in size on August 16 due to high winds. By the night of August 16 it was 6,500 acres (2,600 ha).[12] On August 17 the fire grew to 30,000 acres (12,000 ha) as it expanded rapidly north and east, crossing the North Fork Cosumnes River and approaching Sly Park Reservoir. By August 20 the fire had burned nearly to Highway 50, forcing a closure of the highway.[13] Over the next few days, the fire crossed Highway 50 in the vicinity of Kyburz. Starting on August 27 winds drove the fire rapidly east towards the Lake Tahoe Basin. By August 30, it had reached Echo Summit, less than 5 miles (8.0 km) from South Lake Tahoe.

There are only two municipalities in El Dorado County: Placerville and South Lake Tahoe.[14]

Government and policing

Policing

The El Dorado County Sheriff provides court protection, county jail administration, and coroner service for all of the county and provides patrol and detective services for the unincorporated areas of the county. Incorporated towns Placerville, population 11,000, has a municipal police department, as does South Lake Tahoe, population 22,000.

Sheriffs

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,786 square miles (4,630 km2), of which 1,708 square miles (4,420 km2) is land and 78 square miles (200 km2) (4.4%) is water.[15]

The county, owing to its location in the Sierra Nevada, consists of rolling hills and mountainous terrain. The northeast corner is in the Lake Tahoe Basin (part of the Great Basin), including a portion of the lake itself. Across the Sierra crest to the west lies the majority of the county, referred to as the "western slope." A portion of Folsom Lake is in the northwest corner of the county.

Much of the county is public land. The Eldorado National Forest comprises a significant portion (approximately 43%) of the county's land area, primarily on the western slope. The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, formerly part of the Eldorado and two other National Forests, manages much of the land east of the crest. The Pacific Crest Trail runs through the eastern part of the county, along or roughly paralleling the Sierra crest. The county is home to the Desolation Wilderness, a popular destination for hiking, backpacking, and fishing.

Adjacent counties

Geographic features

Recreation

Parks

Skiing

Racing

Wineries

Demographics

The vast majority of the population lives in a narrow strip along U.S. Route 50, with the majority living between El Dorado Hills and Pollock Pines. The remainder resides in the South Lake Tahoe area, and in various dispersed rural communities.

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
185020,057—
186020,5622.5%
187010,309−49.9%
188010,6833.6%
18909,232−13.6%
19008,986−2.7%
19107,492−16.6%
19206,426−14.2%
19308,32529.6%
194013,22958.9%
195016,20722.5%
196029,39081.3%
197043,83349.1%
198085,81295.8%
1990125,95546.8%
2000156,29924.1%
2010181,05815.8%
2020191,1855.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[17]
1790–1960[18] 1900–1990[19]
1990–2000[20] 2010[21] 2020[22]

2020 census

El Dorado County, California - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010[21] Pop 2020[22] % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 144,689 140,141 79.91% 73.30%
Black or African American alone (NH) 1,296 1,436 0.72% 0.75%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 1,553 1,273 0.86% 0.67%
Asian alone (NH) 6,143 9,024 3.39% 4.72%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 261 276 0.14% 0.14%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 318 1,215 0.18% 0.64%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 4,923 11,361 2.72% 5.94%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 21,875 26,459 12.08% 13.84%
Total 181,058 191,185 100.00% 100.00%

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

2011

Places by population, race, and income

2010 Census

The 2010 United States Census reported that El Dorado County had a population of 181,058. The racial makeup of El Dorado County was 156,793 (86.6%) White, 1,409 (0.8%) African American, 2,070 (1.1%) Native American, 6,297 (3.5%) Asian, 294 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 7,278 (4.0%) from other races, and 6,917 (3.8%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21,875 persons (12.1%).[30] The largest growth in the county has come in El Dorado Hills where the population grew by 24,092 residents to a total of 42,108 since 2000.[30]

2000

As of the census[31] of 2000, there were 156,299 people, 58,939 households, and 43,025 families residing in the county. The population density was 91 inhabitants per square mile (35/km2). There were 71,278 housing units at an average density of 42 per square mile (16/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 89.7% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 1.0% Native American, 2.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.6% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. 9.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 14.9% were of German, 13.4% English, 10.3% Irish, 6.6% Italian and 6.6% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 90.5% spoke English and 6.5% Spanish as their first language.

There were 58,939 households, out of which 34.2% had youngsters under the age of 18 living with them, 60.1% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were non-families. 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males.

The 2000 census also states that the median income for a household in the county was $51,484, and the median income for a family was $60,250. Males had a median income of $46,373 versus $31,537 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,560. About 5.0% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.6% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Voter registration statistics

Cities by population and voter registration

Overview

El Dorado is a predominantly Republican county in presidential and congressional elections. However, from 1880 until 1952, the county was a Democratic stronghold, with Theodore Roosevelt and Warren Harding being the only two Republicans to carry the county. Since 1952, however, El Dorado has gone Democratic only three times: in 1960 narrowly for John F. Kennedy, in 1964 in a landslide for Lyndon Johnson, and in 1976 narrowly for Jimmy Carter.

United States presidential election results for El Dorado County, California[33]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 61,838 53.24% 51,621 44.44% 2,700 2.32%
2016 49,247 51.76% 36,404 38.26% 9,498 9.98%
2012 50,973 57.27% 35,166 39.51% 2,859 3.21%
2008 50,314 53.92% 40,529 43.44% 2,466 2.64%
2004 52,878 61.23% 32,242 37.33% 1,244 1.44%
2000 42,045 58.29% 26,220 36.35% 3,871 5.37%
1996 32,759 51.84% 22,957 36.33% 7,480 11.84%
1992 25,906 39.92% 21,012 32.38% 17,969 27.69%
1988 30,021 59.33% 19,801 39.13% 781 1.54%
1984 27,583 64.93% 14,312 33.69% 583 1.37%
1980 21,238 58.27% 10,765 29.53% 4,446 12.20%
1976 12,472 47.69% 12,763 48.80% 919 3.51%
1972 11,330 54.20% 8,654 41.40% 921 4.41%
1968 7,468 49.00% 6,054 39.72% 1,719 11.28%
1964 5,775 39.53% 8,810 60.30% 25 0.17%
1960 6,065 49.16% 6,175 50.05% 97 0.79%
1956 4,613 53.60% 3,957 45.97% 37 0.43%
1952 5,203 60.51% 3,297 38.35% 98 1.14%
1948 2,894 43.04% 3,493 51.95% 337 5.01%
1944 1,990 39.55% 3,016 59.95% 25 0.50%
1940 2,019 32.37% 4,144 66.44% 74 1.19%
1936 1,228 23.12% 4,019 75.66% 65 1.22%
1932 956 23.12% 3,034 73.37% 145 3.51%
1928 1,228 44.25% 1,516 54.63% 31 1.12%
1924 852 28.49% 361 12.07% 1,778 59.45%
1920 1,636 64.36% 726 28.56% 180 7.08%
1916 1,068 35.10% 1,755 57.67% 220 7.23%
1912 16 0.59% 1,613 59.04% 1,103 40.37%
1908 986 44.74% 1,019 46.23% 199 9.03%
1904 1,248 54.10% 865 37.49% 194 8.41%
1900 1,193 45.14% 1,406 53.20% 44 1.66%
1896 1,130 39.54% 1,674 58.57% 54 1.89%
1892 1,159 43.80% 1,270 48.00% 217 8.20%
1888 1,350 47.02% 1,456 50.71% 65 2.26%
1884 1,289 45.47% 1,469 51.82% 77 2.72%
1880 1,419 47.89% 1,520 51.30% 24 0.81%
Election results from statewide races
Year Office Results
2010 Governor Whitman 56.2 - 38.6%
Lieutenant Governor Maldonado 55.6 - 32.8%
Secretary of State Dunn 53.5 - 37.4%
Controller Chiang 46.1 - 45.7%
Treasurer Walters 51.3 - 41.0%
Attorney General Cooley 60.4 - 29.4%
Insurance Commissioner Villines 53.6 - 33.8%

The county is noted as a center of political concern with the United Nations non-binding sustainable development plan Agenda 21, which was on the County Board of Supervisors meeting Agenda on May 15, 2012. Concerns included the threat of U.S. Forest Service road closures and traffic roundabouts.[34] On February 19, 2013, 14 members of the El Dorado County Grand Jury resigned, forcing Supervising Judge Steven Bailey to dissolve it.[35]

El Dorado County has a secessionist movement, calling for the county of less than 200,000 residents to become a new state of the union. Wyoming, the least populous current state, has approximately three times the number of residents. Sharon Durst, one of the leaders of the movement, was previously a supporter of the State of Jefferson movement, that advocates for Northern California counties and Southern Oregon counties to form a new state. El Dorado County's seat, Placerville, California, is located 45 miles from Sacramento, the state's capital. The leadership of the movement acknowledges that it is unlikely that the California legislature would approve their separation from the state, as required by the United States Constitution. They promote an unproven theory that the county "is technically not a legitimate piece of California and is instead 'other property' of Congress".[36]

El Dorado County is split between two Congressional districts, with the western third of the County in the 5th Congressional District, represented by Tom McClintock, and the eastern two-thirds in the 3rd Congressional District, represented by Kevin Kiley. In the State Assembly, the county is split between the 5th Assembly District, represented by Republican Joe Patterson and the 6th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Kevin McCarty.[37] In the State Senate, it is in the 1st Senate District, represented by Republican Brian Dahle.[38]

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

See also: Transportation in the Sacramento metropolitan area

Major highways

Map of El Dorado County in Northern California

Public transportation

Airports

General aviation airports include Placerville Airport, Georgetown Airport, Cameron Park airport and Lake Tahoe Airport.

Asbestos

Portions of El Dorado County are known to contain natural asbestos formations near the surface.[43] The USGS studied amphiboles in rock and soil in the area in response to an EPA sampling study and subsequent criticism of the EPA study. The study found that many amphibole particles in the area meet the counting rule criteria used by the EPA for chemical and morphological limits, but do not meet morphological requirements for commercial-grade-asbestos. The executive summary pointed out that even particles that do not meet requirements for commercial-grade-asbestos may be a health threat and suggested a collaborative research effort to assess health risks associated with naturally occurring asbestos.[44]

In 2003 after construction of the Oak Ridge High School (El Dorado Hills) soccer field, the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry found that some student athletes, coaches and school workers had received substantial exposures. The inside of the school needed to be cleaned of dust.[43]

Sister relationships

[45]

Communities

El Dorado County Courthouse in Placerville

Cities

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of El Dorado County.[46]

† county seat

Rank City/town/etc. Municipal type Population (2010 Census)
1 El Dorado Hills CDP 42,108
2 South Lake Tahoe City 21,403
3 Cameron Park CDP 18,228
4 Diamond Springs CDP 11,037
5 † Placerville City 10,389
6 Pollock Pines CDP 6,871
7 Shingle Springs CDP 4,432
8 Auburn Lake Trails CDP 3,426
9 Georgetown CDP 2,367
10 Camino CDP 1,750
11 Tahoma (partially in Placer County) CDP 1,191
12 Grizzly Flats CDP 1,066
13 Coloma CDP 529
14 Cold Springs CDP 446
15 Shingle Springs Rancheria[47] AIAN 102

See also

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. ^ a b Percentage of registered voters with respect to total population. Percentages of party members with respect to registered voters follow.

References

  1. ^ "Chronology". California State Association of Counties. Archived from the original on January 29, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
  2. ^ "Board of Supervisors - El Dorado County".
  3. ^ "Chief Administrative Office - El Dorado County".
  4. ^ "Freel Peak". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
  5. ^ "El Dorado County, California". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  6. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  7. ^ Irish, Marc Charles. "Brief History of El Dorado County | El Dorado County, CAGenWeb | Marc Charles Irish". www.cagenweb.com. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
  8. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 116.
  9. ^ "Caldor Fire Incident Update". Cal Fire. State of California. August 16, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2021. Situation Summary: The Caldor Fire started August 14, 2021 near Little Mountain, south of Pollock Pines in El Dorado County.
  10. ^ "CALDOR FIRE: 219,000+ acres, 68 percent contained".
  11. ^ "How did the Caldor Fire in California start?". AS.com. August 23, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  12. ^ Stanton, Sam; McGough, Michael; Kasler, Dale; Ahumada, Rosalio (August 18, 2021). "Caldor Fire levels homes in Grizzly Flats, destroys school, church in El Dorado County". The Modesto Bee. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  13. ^ "Caldor Fire Containment Remains at 71%". September 19, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  14. ^ "About Us". www.edcgov.us.
  15. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  16. ^ "Freel Peak : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost". www.summitpost.org. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  17. ^ "Census of Population and Housing from 1790-2000". US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  18. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  19. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  20. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  21. ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - El Dorado County, California". United States Census Bureau.
  22. ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - El Dorado County, California". United States Census Bureau.
  23. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001. U.S. Census website . Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  24. ^ a b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B03003. U.S. Census website . Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  25. ^ a b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301. U.S. Census website . Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  26. ^ a b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013. U.S. Census website . Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  27. ^ a b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113. U.S. Census website . Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  28. ^ a b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. U.S. Census website . Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  29. ^ U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003. U.S. Census website . Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  30. ^ a b "2010 Census P.L. 94-171 Summary File Data". United States Census Bureau.
  31. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  32. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q California Secretary of State. February 10, 2013 - Report of Registration Archived November 3, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2013-10-31.
  33. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  34. ^ Carlos Alcalá (May 24, 2012). "El Dorado County folks riled by U.N. agenda for sustainable growth". Sacramento Bee. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  35. ^ Cathy Locke (March 10, 2013). "The Public Eye: El Dorado County grand jury disbands after mass resignation". Sacramento Bee. Archived from the original on March 12, 2013. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  36. ^ Ting, Eric (July 17, 2023). "'This state is under tyranny': Scenes from California's latest secession movement". SFGate. San Francisco. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  37. ^ "Members Assembly". State of California. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
  38. ^ "Senators". State of California. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
  39. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Office of the Attorney General, Department of Justice, State of California. Table 11: Crimes – 2009 Archived December 2, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  40. ^ Only larceny-theft cases involving property over $400 in value are reported as property crimes.
  41. ^ a b c United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime in the United States, 2012, Table 8 (California). Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  42. ^ "El Dorado Transit - El Dorado Transit: Public Transportation for El Dorado County, California". www.eldoradotransit.com. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  43. ^ a b Raloff, Janet (July 8, 2006), "Dirty Little Secret", Science News, archived from the original on July 13, 2007
  44. ^ Meeker, G.P.; Lowers, H.A.; Swayze, G.A.; Van Gosen, B.S.; Stutley, S.J.; Brownfield, I.K. (December 2006), Mineralogy and Morphology of Amphiboles Observed in Soils and Rocks in El Dorado Hills, California, United States Geological Survey
  45. ^ "Northern and Central California Sister Cities in Japan".
  46. ^ "2010 U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  47. ^ Staff, Website Services & Coordination. "US Census Bureau 2010 Census Interactive Population Map". www.census.gov. Retrieved March 15, 2018.[permanent dead link]

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