El Dorado County, California

County in California, United States From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

El Dorado County (/ˌɛl dəˈrɑːdoʊ/ ⓘ; El Dorado, Spanish for "The Golden one"), officially the County of El Dorado, is a county located in the U.S. state of California, named after the mythical city of El Dorado.[6] As of the 2020 census, the population was 191,185.[7] The county seat is Placerville.[8] 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 (24 km). 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.

‹ The template Infobox settlement is being considered for merging. ›
CountryUnited States
IncorporatedFebruary 18, 1850[1]
County seatPlacerville
Highestelevation
[4](Freel Peak)
10,886 ft (3,318 m)
Quick facts Country, State ...
El Dorado County
County
Freel Peak seen from Lake Tahoe
Placerville
El Dorado AVA
Emerald Bay
El Dorado Hills
Desolation Wilderness in Eldorado Forest
Flag of El Dorado County
Flag
Official seal of El Dorado County
Seal
Location in the state of California
Location in the state of California
Interactive map of El Dorado County
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
RegionsSierra Nevada & Gold Country
Metropolitan areaGreater Sacramento
IncorporatedFebruary 18, 1850[1]
Named afterSpanish for "the golden" and El Dorado
County seatPlacerville
Largest communityEl Dorado Hills
Government
 • TypeCouncil–CAO
 • Body
Board of Supervisors[2]
  • Greg Ferrero
  • George Turnboo
  • Brian Veerkamp
  • Lori Parlin
  • Brooke Laine
 • ChairBrooke Laine
 • Vice ChairBrian Veerkamp
 • Chief Administrative Officer[3]Tiffany Schmid
Area
 • Total
1,786 sq mi (4,630 km2)
 • Land1,708 sq mi (4,420 km2)
 • Water78 sq mi (200 km2)
Highest elevation
[4] (Freel Peak)
10,886 ft (3,318 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
191,185
 • Estimate 
(2025)
192,323 Increase
 • Density111.9/sq mi (43.22/km2)
GDP
[5]
 • Total$9.877 billion (2022)
Time zoneUTC−8 (Pacific Time Zone)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
ZIP code
95762
Area code530, 837, 916, 279
FIPS code06-017
GNIS feature ID277273
Congressional districts3rd, 5th
Websitewww.eldoradocounty.ca.gov
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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 discovery that sparked the California Gold Rush. As a result, the name "El Dorado" was derived from the Spanish word for, "The Gilded One".[9][10] 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).

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. Route 50 follows the Pony Express route today.

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,[11] about two miles (3.2 km) east of Omo Ranch and four miles (6.4 km) south of Grizzly Flats.[12][13] 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).[14] 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 U.S. Route 50, forcing a closure of the highway.[15] 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 five miles (8.0 km) from South Lake Tahoe.

There are only two municipalities in El Dorado County: Placerville and South Lake Tahoe.[16]

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 cities Placerville, population 11,000, and South Lake Tahoe, population 22,000, have municipal police departments.

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.[17]

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

Local landmarks

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.

More information Census, Pop. ...
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%
2025 (est.)192,323[19] Increase0.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[20]
1790–1960[21] 1900–1990[22]
1990–2000[23] 2010[24] 2020[25]
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2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 191,185. The median age was 46.3 years. 20.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.7 males age 18 and over.[26]

The racial makeup of the county was 76.7% White, 0.8% Black or African American, 1.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 4.8% Asian, 0.2% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 5.0% from some other race, and 11.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 13.8% of the population.[27]

63.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 36.7% lived in rural areas.[28]

There were 75,320 households in the county, of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 21.7% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[26]

There were 93,467 housing units, of which 19.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 74.9% were owner-occupied and 25.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.9%.[26]

Racial and ethnic composition

More information Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic), Pop 1980 ...
El Dorado County, California – Racial and ethnic composition
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 may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 1980[29] Pop 1990[30] Pop 2000[31] Pop 2010[24] Pop 2020[25] % 1980 % 1990 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 79,692 113,053 132,725 144,689 140,141 92.87% 89.73% 84.92% 79.91% 73.30%
Black or African American alone (NH) 289 579 745 1,296 1,436 0.34% 0.46% 0.48% 0.72% 0.75%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 739 1,204 1,272 1,553 1,273 0.86% 0.96% 0.81% 0.86% 0.67%
Asian alone (NH) 1,011 2,318 3,250 6,143 9,024 1.18% 1.84% 2.08% 3.39% 4.72%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) x [32] x [33] 169 261 276 0.11% 0.14% 0.11% 0.14% 0.14%
Other race alone (NH) 110 64 237 318 1,215 0.13% 0.05% 0.15% 0.18% 0.64%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) x [34] x [35] 3,335 4,923 11,361 x x 2.13% 2.72% 5.94%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3,971 8,777 14,566 21,875 26,459 4.63% 6.97% 9.32% 12.08% 13.84%
Total 85,812 125,995 156,299 181,058 191,185 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
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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%).[36] 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.[36]

More information Population reported at 2010 United States census, ‡ Note: these numbers reflect only the portion of this CDP in El Dorado County ...
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2000 census

As of the census[37] 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

More information Population and registered voters, Total population ...
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Cities by population and voter registration

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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.

More information Year, Republican ...
United States presidential election results for El Dorado County, California[39][40][41][42]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
1880 1,419 47.89% 1,520 51.30% 24 0.81%
1884 1,289 45.47% 1,469 51.82% 77 2.72%
1888 1,350 47.02% 1,456 50.71% 65 2.26%
1892 1,159 43.80% 1,270 48.00% 217 8.20%
1896 1,130 39.54% 1,674 58.57% 54 1.89%
1900 1,193 45.14% 1,406 53.20% 44 1.66%
1904 1,248 54.10% 865 37.49% 194 8.41%
1908 986 44.74% 1,019 46.23% 199 9.03%
1912 16 0.59% 1,613 59.04% 1,103 40.37%
1916 1,068 35.10% 1,755 57.67% 220 7.23%
1920 1,636 64.36% 726 28.56% 180 7.08%
1924 852 28.49% 361 12.07% 1,778 59.45%
1928 1,228 44.25% 1,516 54.63% 31 1.12%
1932 956 23.12% 3,034 73.37% 145 3.51%
1936 1,228 23.12% 4,019 75.66% 65 1.22%
1940 2,019 32.37% 4,144 66.44% 74 1.19%
1944 1,990 39.55% 3,016 59.95% 25 0.50%
1948 2,894 43.04% 3,493 51.95% 337 5.01%
1952 5,203 60.51% 3,297 38.35% 98 1.14%
1956 4,613 53.60% 3,957 45.97% 37 0.43%
1960 6,065 49.16% 6,175 50.05% 97 0.79%
1964 5,775 39.53% 8,810 60.30% 25 0.17%
1968 7,468 49.00% 6,054 39.72% 1,719 11.28%
1972 11,330 54.20% 8,654 41.40% 921 4.41%
1976 12,472 47.69% 12,763 48.80% 919 3.51%
1980 21,238 58.27% 10,765 29.53% 4,446 12.20%
1984 27,583 64.93% 14,312 33.69% 583 1.37%
1988 30,021 59.33% 19,801 39.13% 781 1.54%
1992 25,906 39.92% 21,012 32.38% 17,969 27.69%
1996 32,759 51.84% 22,957 36.33% 7,480 11.84%
2000 42,045 58.29% 26,220 36.35% 3,871 5.37%
2004 52,878 61.23% 32,242 37.33% 1,244 1.44%
2008 50,314 54.14% 40,529 43.61% 2,083 2.24%
2012 50,973 57.42% 35,166 39.61% 2,635 2.97%
2016 49,247 52.62% 36,404 38.90% 7,940 8.48%
2020 61,838 53.24% 51,621 44.44% 2,700 2.32%
2024 61,109 54.61% 47,703 42.63% 3,096 2.77%
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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.[43] On February 19, 2013, 14 members of the El Dorado County Grand Jury resigned, forcing Supervising Judge Steven Bailey to dissolve it.[44]

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, 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".[45]

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 1st Assembly district, represented by Republican Heather Hadwick and the 5th Assembly district, represented by Republican Joe Patterson.[46] In the State Senate, it is in the 4th senatorial district, represented by Republican Marie Alvarado-Gil.[47]

Crime

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

More information Population and crime rates, Population ...
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Cities by population and crime rates

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Transportation

See also: Transportation in the Sacramento metropolitan area

Major highways

Map of El Dorado County in Northern California

Public transportation

  • El Dorado Transit[52] runs local service in Placerville and surrounding areas (as far east as Pollock Pines). Commuter service into Sacramento and Folsom is also provided.
  • Tahoe Transportation District[53] is the transit operator for the South Lake Tahoe area. Service also runs into the state of Nevada.

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.[54] 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.[55]

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.[54]

Sister city

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 2020 census of El Dorado County.[57]

† county seat

More information Rank, City/town/etc. ...
Rank City/town/etc. Municipal type Population (2020 Census)
1 El Dorado Hills CDP 50,547
2 South Lake Tahoe City 21,330
3 Cameron Park CDP 18,881
4 Diamond Springs CDP 11,345
5 † Placerville City 10,747
6 Pollock Pines CDP 7,112
7 Shingle Springs CDP 4,660
8 Auburn Lake Trails CDP 3,388
9 Georgetown CDP 2,255
10 Camino CDP 1,871
11 Grizzly Flats CDP 1,093
12 Tahoma (partially in Placer County) CDP 1,034
13 Cold Springs CDP 556
14 Coloma CDP 521
15 Shingle Springs Rancheria[58] AIAN 108
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Education

School districts include:

K-12:[59]

Secondary:[59]

Elementary:[59]

See also

Notes

  1. [1]
    Percentage of registered voters with respect to total population. Percentages of party members with respect to registered voters follow.

References

External links

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