County of Inyo
County
Wildflowers blooming in Death Valley after a wet winter
Wildflowers blooming in Death Valley after a wet winter
Official seal of County of Inyo
Seal
Map
Interactive map of Inyo County
Location in the state of California
Location in the state of California
Coordinates: 36°35′N 117°25′W / 36.583°N 117.417°W / 36.583; -117.417
Country United States
State California
RegionEastern California
EstablishedMarch 22, 1866[1]
Named forɨnnɨyun 'it's dangerous' in Timbisha[2]
County seatIndependence
Largest cityBishop
Government
 • TypeCouncil–CAO
 • BodyBoard of Supervisors
 • Chair[4]Jennifer Roeser
 • Vice Chair[5]Scott Marcellin
 • Board of Supervisors
Supervisors[3]
  • Trina Orrill
  • Jeff Griffiths
  • Scott Marcellin
  • Jennifer Roeser
  • Matt Kingsley
 • County Administrator[6]Leslie Chapman
Area
 • Total10,227 sq mi (26,490 km2)
 • Land10,181 sq mi (26,370 km2)
 • Water46 sq mi (120 km2)
Highest elevation
[7]
14,505 ft (4,421 m)
Lowest elevation
[8]
−282 ft (−86 m)
Population
 (2020)[9]
 • Total19,016 Increase
 • Density1.9/sq mi (0.7/km2)
Time zoneUTC−8 (Pacific Time Zone)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Area codes442/760
FIPS code06-027
GNIS feature ID1804637
Congressional district3rd
Websitewww.inyocounty.us

Inyo County (/ˈɪnjoʊ/ ⓘ) is a county in the eastern central part of the U.S. state of California, located between the Sierra Nevada and the state of Nevada. In the 2020 census, the population was 19,016.[9] The county seat is Independence.[10] Inyo County is on the east side of the Sierra Nevada and southeast of Yosemite National Park in Central California. It contains the Owens River Valley; it is flanked to the west by the Sierra Nevada and to the east by the White Mountains and the Inyo Mountains. With an area of 10,192 square miles (26,400 km2), Inyo is the second-largest county by area in California, after San Bernardino County. Almost one-half of that area is within Death Valley National Park. However, with a population density of 1.8 people per square mile, it also has the second-lowest population density in California, after Alpine County.

History

See also: Category:Native American history of California
Mount Whitney (top) is less than 90 miles (140 km) away from Badwater Basin in Death Valley (bottom).

Present-day Inyo county has been the historic homeland for thousands of years of the Mono, Timbisha, Kawaiisu, and Northern Paiute Native Americans. The descendants of these ancestors continue to live in their traditional homelands in the Owens River Valley and in Death Valley National Park. Worse, the portion north of the 37th parallel had been claimed by Nevada Territory (later the state of Nevada) as part of its westernmost border from 1861 to 1866.

Further information: History of California through 1899

Inyo County was formed in 1866 out of the territory of the unorganized Coso County, which had been created on April 4, 1864, from parts of Mono County and Tulare County.[11] It acquired more territory from Mono County in 1870 and Kern County and San Bernardino County in 1872.

For many years it has been commonly believed that the county derived its name from the Mono tribe's name for the mountains in its former homeland. Actually the name came to be thought of, mistakenly, as the name of the mountains to the east of the Owens Valley when the first whites there asked the local Owens Valley Paiutes for the name of the mountains to the east. They responded that that was the land of Inyo. They meant by this that those lands belonged to the Timbisha tribe headed by a man whose name was Inyo.[citation needed] Inyo was the name of the headman of one of the Timbisha bands at the time of contact when the first whites, the Bennett-Arcane Party of 1849, wandered, lost, into Death Valley on their expedition to the gold fields of western California. The Owens Valley whites misunderstood the reference and thought that Inyo was the name of the mountains when actually it was the name of the chief, or headman, of the tribe that had those mountains as part of their homeland.[citation needed] In Timbisha, ɨnnɨyun means "it's (or he's) dangerous".[2]

To supply the growing City of Los Angeles, water was diverted from the Owens River into the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913. The Owens River Valley cultures and environments changed substantially. From the 1910s to 1930s the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power purchased much of the valley for water rights and control. In 1941 the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power extended the Los Angeles Aqueduct system farther upriver into the Mono Basin.

Natural history

Inyo County is host to a number of natural superlatives. Among them are:

Owens Valley and the Sierra Escarpment

Geography

Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous United States, is on Inyo County's western border (with Tulare County). The Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park, the lowest place in North America, is in eastern Inyo County. The difference between the two points is about 14,700 feet (4,500 m). They are not visible from each other, but both can be observed from the Panamint Range on the west side of Death Valley, above the Panamint Valley. Thus, Inyo County has the greatest elevation difference among all of the counties and county-equivalents in the contiguous United States.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 10,227 square miles (26,490 km2), of which 10,181 square miles (26,370 km2) is land and 46 square miles (120 km2) (0.5%) is water.[12] It is the second-largest county by area in California and the ninth-largest in the United States (excluding boroughs and census areas in Alaska).

Lakes

National protected areas

There are 22 official wilderness areas in Inyo County that are part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. This is the second-largest number of any county, exceeded only by San Bernardino County's 35 wilderness areas. Most of these are managed solely by the Bureau of Land Management, but four are integral components of Death Valley National Park or Inyo National Forest and are thus managed by either the National Park Service or the Forest Service. Some of these wilderness areas also extend into neighboring counties.

Except as noted, the wilderness areas are managed solely by the Bureau of Land Management and lie entirely within Inyo County:

Death Valley National Park

Main article: Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park is a mostly arid United States National Park east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in southern Inyo County and northern San Bernardino County in California, with a small extension into southwestern Nye County and extreme southern Esmeralda County in Nevada. In addition, there is an exclave (Devil's Hole) in southern Nye County. The park covers 5,262 square miles (13,630 km2), encompassing Saline Valley, a large part of Panamint Valley, almost all of Death Valley, and parts of several mountain ranges.[13] Death Valley National Monument was proclaimed in 1933, placing the area under federal protection. In 1994, the monument was redesignated a national park, as well as being substantially expanded to include Saline and Eureka Valleys.[13]

It is the hottest and driest of the national parks in the United States. It also features the second-lowest point in the Western Hemisphere and the lowest point in North America at the Badwater Basin, which is 282 feet (86 m) below sea level.[8] It is home to many species of plants and animals that have adapted to this harsh desert environment. Some examples include Creosote Bush, Bighorn Sheep, Coyote, and the Death Valley Pupfish, a survivor of much wetter times. Approximately 95% of the park is designated as wilderness.[14] Death Valley National Park is visited annually by more than 770,000 visitors who come to enjoy its diverse geologic features, desert wildlife, historic sites, scenery, clear night skies, and the solitude of the extreme desert environment.

Other parks

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18701,956—
18802,92849.7%
18903,54421.0%
19004,37723.5%
19106,97459.3%
19207,0310.8%
19306,555−6.8%
19407,62516.3%
195011,65852.9%
196011,6840.2%
197015,57133.3%
198017,89514.9%
199018,2812.2%
200017,945−1.8%
201018,5463.3%
202019,0162.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[15]
1790–1960[16] 1900–1990[17]
1990–2000[18] 2010[19] 2020[20]

2020 census

Inyo County, California - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010[19] Pop 2020[20] % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 12,296 11,035 66.30% 58.03%
Black or African American alone (NH) 102 85 0.55% 0.45%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 1,895 2,189 10.22% 11.51%
Asian alone (NH) 229 273 1.23% 1.44%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 15 13 0.08% 0.07%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 21 87 0.11% 0.46%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 391 935 2.11% 4.92%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3,597 4,399 19.40% 23.13%
Total 18,546 19,016 100.00% 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 Inyo County had a population of 18,546. The racial makeup of Inyo County was 13,741 (74.1%) White, 109 (0.6%) African American, 2,121 (11.4%) Native American, 243 (1.3%) Asian, 16 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 1,676 (9.0%) from other races, and 640 (3.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3,597 persons (19.4%).[29]

2000

At the 2000 census,[30] there were 17,945 people, 7,703 households and 4,937 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 per square mile (0.77/km2). There were 9,042 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile (0.39/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 80.1% White, 0.2% Black or African American, 10.0% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 4.6% from other races, and 4.2% from two or more races. 12.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 16.4% were of German, 12.2% English, 10.6% Irish and 5.0% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 89.2% spoke English and 9.3% Spanish as their first language.

There were 7,703 households, of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.88.

24.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.9 males.

The median household income was $35,006 and the median family income was $44,970. Males had a median income of $37,270 versus $25,549 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,639. About 9.3% of families and 12.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.0% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Voter registration

Cities by population and voter registration

Overview

2022 California Gubernatorial General Election in Inyo County by Consolidated Precinct

Inyo has historically been a strongly Republican county in Presidential and congressional elections. From 1944 to 2016, the only Democrat to win the county (and the last to win a majority of its vote) was Lyndon Johnson in 1964. However, the county shifted decisively leftward in 2020, narrowly supporting Joe Biden over Donald Trump. As a result, it became one of only two counties that previously voted for Trump by double digits in 2016 to flip to the Democrats, the other being Talbot County, Maryland. Inyo is still a reliably Republican county down-ballot; it most recently voted Republican in the 2022 gubernatorial election.

United States presidential election results for Inyo County, California[32]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 4,620 48.71% 4,634 48.86% 230 2.43%
2016 4,248 51.94% 3,155 38.57% 776 9.49%
2012 4,340 54.01% 3,422 42.58% 274 3.41%
2008 4,523 52.88% 3,743 43.76% 288 3.37%
2004 5,091 59.09% 3,350 38.88% 175 2.03%
2000 4,713 60.31% 2,652 33.93% 450 5.76%
1996 3,924 51.84% 2,601 34.36% 1,044 13.79%
1992 3,689 43.58% 2,695 31.84% 2,080 24.57%
1988 5,042 64.34% 2,653 33.85% 142 1.81%
1984 5,863 70.32% 2,360 28.30% 115 1.38%
1980 5,201 64.79% 2,080 25.91% 746 9.29%
1976 3,905 58.23% 2,635 39.29% 166 2.48%
1972 4,873 68.07% 2,006 28.02% 280 3.91%
1968 3,641 54.45% 2,314 34.60% 732 10.95%
1964 2,751 46.51% 3,161 53.44% 3 0.05%
1960 2,962 54.65% 2,443 45.07% 15 0.28%
1956 3,524 66.19% 1,782 33.47% 18 0.34%
1952 3,819 68.87% 1,698 30.62% 28 0.50%
1948 2,135 55.79% 1,539 40.21% 153 4.00%
1944 1,699 50.64% 1,647 49.09% 9 0.27%
1940 1,483 44.53% 1,820 54.65% 27 0.81%
1936 912 36.47% 1,560 62.38% 29 1.16%
1932 698 30.91% 1,459 64.61% 101 4.47%
1928 1,206 57.37% 861 40.96% 35 1.67%
1924 950 47.52% 256 12.81% 793 39.67%
1920 1,195 57.20% 682 32.65% 212 10.15%
1916 846 41.96% 966 47.92% 204 10.12%
1912 8 0.49% 806 49.54% 813 49.97%
1908 583 40.94% 618 43.40% 223 15.66%
1904 452 55.73% 231 28.48% 128 15.78%
1900 396 42.35% 505 54.01% 34 3.64%
1896 286 34.01% 532 63.26% 23 2.73%
1892 409 51.13% 266 33.25% 125 15.63%
1888 437 58.66% 273 36.64% 35 4.70%
1884 345 53.41% 283 43.81% 18 2.79%
1880 321 53.95% 274 46.05% 0 0.00%

In the California State Legislature, Inyo County is in the 4th Senate District, represented by Democrat Marie Alvarado-Gil,[33] and the 8th Assembly District, represented by Republican Jim Patterson.[34]

The county is in California's 3rd congressional district, represented by Republican Kevin Kiley.[35]

On November 4, 2008, Inyo County voted 60.6% for Proposition 8 which amended the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages.[36]

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

County Sheriffs

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Stephanie J. Rennie (3 Jan 2023 - Current)

Education

School districts in Inyo County are:

Deep Springs College is a two-year alternative education college in Deep Springs Valley.

Higher education in Inyo County is provided by the Kern Community College District.

Notable locations

Transportation

"Welcome to Inyo County" sign along U.S. Route 395

In the 1920s, automobile clubs and nearby towns started to lobby for trans-Sierra highways over Piute Pass[39] and other locations. However, by end of the 1920s, the Forest Service and the Sierra Club decided that roadless wilderness in the Sierra was valuable, and fought the proposal. The Piute Pass proposal faded out by the early 1930s, with the Forest Service proposing a route over Minaret Summit in 1933.[39] The Minaret Summit route was lobbied against by California's Governor Ronald Reagan in 1972. The expansion of the John Muir and Ansel Adams Wildernesses in the 1980s sealed off the Minaret Summit route.[39]

A trans-Sierra route between Porterville and Lone Pine was proposed by local businessmen in 1923.[40] Eventually, a circuitous route across the Sierra was built across the only trans-Sierra route south of Yosemite: Sherman Pass by 1976.[41] That route is Forest Route 22S05 to the west, and Kennedy Meadow Road (County Route J41) and 9-Mile Canyon Road to the east.

Major highways

Public transportation

Eastern Sierra Transit Authority operates intercity bus service along US 395, as well as local services in Bishop. Service extends south to Lancaster (Los Angeles County) and north to Reno, Nevada.[42]

Airports

Bishop Airport, Independence Airport, Lone Pine Airport and Shoshone Airport are general aviation airports located near their respective cities. Stovepipe Wells Airport and Furnace Creek Airport are located in Death Valley National Park.

Communities

photo of Inyo County Court House
The Inyo County Court House in Independence

Cities

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Inyo County.[44]

† county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2010 Census)
1 Bishop City 3,879
2 Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek CDP 2,645
3 West Bishop CDP 2,607
4 Lone Pine CDP 2,035
5 Big Pine CDP 1,756
6 Bishop Reservation[45] AIAN 1,588
7 † Independence CDP 669
8 Wilkerson CDP 563
9 Big Pine Reservation[46] AIAN 499
10 Round Valley CDP 435
11 Mesa CDP 251
12 Lone Pine Reservation[47] AIAN 212
13 Olancha CDP 192
14 Tecopa CDP 150
15 Fort Independence Reservation[48] AIAN 93
16 Cartago CDP 92
17 Keeler CDP 66
18 Homewood Canyon CDP 44
19 Darwin CDP 43
20 Shoshone CDP 31
t-21 Furnace Creek CDP 24
t-21 Timbi-Sha Shoshone Reservation[49] AIAN 24
22 Trona CDP 18
23 Pearsonville CDP 17
24 Valley Wells CDP 0 (permanent)

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.
  4. ^ Only larceny-theft cases involving property over $400 in value are reported as property crimes.

References

  1. ^ "Inyo County". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
  2. ^ a b William Bright & John McLaughlin, "Inyo Redux", Names 48:147-150 (2000)
  3. ^ "Board of Supervisors | Inyo County California".
  4. ^ "District 4 | Inyo County California".
  5. ^ "District 3 | Inyo County California".
  6. ^ "County Administrative Officer | Inyo County California".
  7. ^ "Mount Whitney". Peakbagger.com. Archived from the original on April 10, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  8. ^ a b "Highest and Lowest Elevations". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Inyo County, California". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  10. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  11. ^ California; Hittell, Theodore Henry (1865). California, Theodore Henry Hittell, The general laws of the State of California, from 1850 to 1864, H.H. Bancroft, San Francisco, 1865. p.190. Retrieved November 5, 2011.
  12. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  13. ^ a b National Park Index (2001–2003), p. 26
  14. ^ NPS website, "Backcountry Roads"
  15. ^ "Census of Population and Housing from 1790-2000". US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  16. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on May 30, 2019. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  17. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  18. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  19. ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Inyo County, California". United States Census Bureau.
  20. ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Inyo County, California". United States Census Bureau.
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ 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.
  23. ^ 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.
  24. ^ 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.
  25. ^ 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.
  26. ^ a b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. U.S. Census website . Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  27. ^ U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003. U.S. Census website . Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  28. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Data unavailable
  29. ^ "2010 Census P.L. 94-171 Summary File Data". United States Census Bureau.
  30. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  31. ^ 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 July 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2013-10-31.
  32. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Archived from the original on July 9, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  33. ^ "Communities of Interest — County". California Citizens Redistricting Commission. Archived from the original on October 23, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
  34. ^ "Members Assembly". State of California. Archived from the original on April 24, 2013. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
  35. ^ "California's 8th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
  36. ^ "Statement of Vote, November 4, 2008, General election" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 6, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  37. ^ 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.
  38. ^ a b c United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime in the United States, 2012, Table 8 (California) Archived June 28, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  39. ^ a b c Marsh, Steve (2015). "The High Sierra Piute Highway" (PDF). US Forest Service.
  40. ^ "Trail Over Mountains Supported". Los Angeles Times. June 15, 1923. p. II10.
  41. ^ "See It All in the Sierra". The Fresno Bee. October 24, 1976.
  42. ^ "Reno".
  43. ^ "General Plan = Goals and Policy Report 2001" (PDF). Inyo county general plan. Inyo county. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  44. ^ Promotions, Center for New Media and. "US Census Bureau 2010 Census". census.gov. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
  45. ^ Staff, Website Services & Coordination. "US Census Bureau 2010 Census Interactive Population Map". census.gov. Retrieved January 18, 2017.[permanent dead link]
  46. ^ Staff, Website Services & Coordination. "US Census Bureau 2010 Census Interactive Population Map". census.gov. Retrieved January 18, 2017.[permanent dead link]
  47. ^ Staff, Website Services & Coordination. "US Census Bureau 2010 Census Interactive Population Map". census.gov. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
  48. ^ Staff, Website Services & Coordination. "US Census Bureau 2010 Census Interactive Population Map". census.gov. Retrieved January 18, 2017.[permanent dead link]
  49. ^ Staff, Website Services & Coordination. "US Census Bureau 2010 Census Interactive Population Map". census.gov. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved January 18, 2017.

External links

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Places adjacent to Inyo County, California
Municipalities and communities of Inyo County, California, United States
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