Humboldt County

It is located on the far North Coast of California, about 270. Mi north of San Francisco. It has among the most diverse climates of United States counties, with very mild coastal summers and hot interior days. Similar to the greater region, summers are extremely dry and winters bring substantial rainfall. Its primary population centers—Eureka, site of College of the Redwoods' main campus, and the smaller town of Arcata, site of California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt—are both adjacent to northern Humboldt Bay, California's second largest natural bay. Area cities and towns are known for hundreds of ornate examples of Victorian architecture. A rugged, densely forested, mostly rural region situated within the California Coast and Klamath mountain ranges. It features about 110. Miles of coastline along the Pacific Ocean, more than any other county in the state. The county contains over forty percent of all remaining old growth Coast Redwood forests, the vast majority of which are protected or strictly conserved within dozens of national, state, and local forests and parks, totaling approximately 680000 acres.

• Name — Humboldt County • Type — County • Motto — "The Home of the Redwoods" • Named For — Humboldt Bay, which was named after Alexander von Humboldt • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Name — United States • Subdivision Type1 — State • Subdivision Name1 — California • Subdivision Type2 — Region • Subdivision Name2 — North Coast • Established Title — Incorporated • Established Date — May 12, 1853 • Seat Type — County seat • Seat — Eureka • Parts Type — Largest city • Parts — Eureka • Government Type — Council–CAO • Leader Title — Chair • Leader Name — Mike Wilson • Leader Title1 — Vice Chair • Leader Name1 — Natalie Arroyo • Leader Title2 — Board of Supervisors • Leader Title4 — County Administrative Officer • Leader Name4 — Elishia Hayes • Unit Pref — US • Area Total Sq Mi — 4052 • Area Land Sq Mi — 3568 • Area Water Sq Mi — 484 • Elevation Max Ft — 6956 • Population As Of — 2020 • Population Total — 136,463 • Pop Est As Of — 2025 • Population Est — 131,647 • Population Density Sq Mi — auto • Demographics Type2 — GDP • Demographics2 Title1 — Total • Demographics2 Info1 — $6.843 billion (2022) • Time Zone — Pacific Time Zone • Utc Offset — −8 • Time Zone Dst — Pacific Daylight Time • Utc Offset Dst — −7 • Area Codes — 707, 530 • Custom Label Sec1 — Congressional district • Custom Data Sec1 — 2nd • Website — humboldtgov.org

The original inhabitants of the area now known as Humboldt County include the Algic-speaking Wiyot and Yurok; Athabaskan peoples including the Hupa, Chilula, Whilkut, Tsnungwe, Mattole, Wailaki and Nongatl; and the Karuk, who speak an isolated language. Spanish traders made unintended visits to California with the Manila Galleons on their return trips from the Philippines beginning in 1565. The first recorded entry by people of European origin was a landing by the Spanish in 1775 in Trinidad. The first recorded entry of Humboldt Bay by non-natives was an 1806 visit from a sea otter hunting party from Sitka employed by the Russian-American Company. The party included New England captain Jonathan Winship, Russian supervisors, and Aleut hunters. The bay was not visited again by people of European origin until 1849 when Josiah Gregg's party arrived. The following year Douglas Ottinger and Hans Buhne sailed the schooner Laura Virginia into the bay. One of the pioneering passengers, Steven W. Shaw, proposed that the Laura Virginia Association name the bay Humboldt in honor of the naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt. The name was later applied to the county as a whole. The area around Humboldt Bay was once solely inhabited by the Wiyot Native American tribe. One of the largest Wiyot villages, Tolowot, was located on Tuluwat Island (formerly Indian Island). Founded around 900 BC, it contains a shell shell midden 6 acre in size and 14 ft deep. It was the site of the February 26, 1860, massacre of the Wiyot people that was recorded by Bret Harte, then living in Union, now called Arcata. Between 60 and 200 Wiyot men, women, and children were murdered that night in the midst of a religious ceremony. Tolowot is now a restricted site and a National Historic Landmark. In 2019, the Eureka City Council restored ownership of the island to the Wiyot tribe. • Illustration — Humboldt, from a drawing made before 1854 Humboldt County was formed in 1853 from a portion of neighboring Trinity County. State historic landmarks in Humboldt County include Arcata and Mad River Railroad, California's First Drilled Oil Wells in Petrolia, Camp Curtis, Centerville Beach Cross, the city of Eureka, the Victorian town of Ferndale, Fort Humboldt, Humboldt Harbor Historical District, the Jacoby Building, The Old Arrow Tree, Old Indian Village of Tsurai, the Town of Trinidad, and Trinidad Head. On February 5 and 6, 1885, Eureka's entire Chinese population of 300 men and 20 women were expelled after a gunfight between rival Chinese gangs (tongs) resulted in the wounding of a 12-year-old boy and the death of 56-year-old David Kendall, a Eureka City Councilman. After the shooting, an angry mob of 600 Eureka residents met and informed the Chinese that they were no longer wanted in Eureka and would be hanged if they were to stay in town past 3 p.m. the next day. They were put on two steamships and shipped to San Francisco. No one was killed in the expulsion. Another Chinese expulsion occurred during 1906 in a cannery on the Eel River, in which 23 Chinese cannery workers were expelled after objections to their presence. However, some Chinese remained in the Orleans area, where some white landowners sheltered and purchased food for the Chinese mineworkers until after racial tension passed. Chinese people did not return to the coastal cities until the 1950s.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Humboldt County encompasses 4,052 mi2, of which 3,568 mi2 is land and 484 mi2 is water. Cape Mendocino is the westernmost point in California (longitude 124 degrees, 24 minutes, 30 seconds). Humboldt Bay, the only deepwater port between San Francisco and Coos Bay, Oregon, is located on the coast at the midpoint of the county. Humboldt County contains a diversity of plant and animal species, with significant forest and coastal habitats. In coastal areas there are extensive redwood forests. A prominent understory shrub is the toyon, whose northern range limit is in Humboldt County.

• Illustration — Mouth of Humboldt County's Little River on the Pacific Coast • Illustration — Rockefeller Forest, the largest remaining old-growth Redwood forest on earth, is located within Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Humboldt County's major rivers include (in order of flow – in cubic meters per second – from largest to smallest): • Klamath River • Eel River • Trinity River • Mad River The smaller rivers include Redwood Creek, significant due to amount of its flow; the Van Duzen; the Eel River syncline group composed of the South Fork, the North Fork, and the Salt River; the Mattole, Salmon, Elk, Bear, and Little rivers.

Historically, Humboldt County and the entire far north coast of California have had many earthquakes over 6.0 magnitude. The Mendocino fracture zone is in the area. The 1992 Cape Mendocino earthquakes were a series of three major earthquakes that occurred off the coast of Cape Mendocino, California on April 25 and 26, 1992, the largest being a 7.2. Ninety-five people were injured and property in the county sustained considerable damage. In 2010, a 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck offshore, 33 mi west of Eureka, resulting in only minor injuries and some structural damage to houses and utilities, and no fatalities reported. On December 20, 2021, a 6.2 earthquake centered off the coast of Cape Mendocino caused minor damage around the county. Exactly one year later on December 20, 2022, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake centered approximately 10 mi from Ferndale caused greater damage, especially in Rio Dell, as well as two fatalities. The 2024 Cape Mendocino earthquake was a M ww 7.0 earthquake with an epicenter off the coast of Humboldt County. The town of Arcata is built on top of an accretionary wedge. This was formed by the subduction of the Gorda plate under the North American plate.

The coastal zone of the county experiences very wet, cool winters and dry, mild foggy summers. In the winter, temperatures range from highs of 40 - to lows of 32 -. Coastal summers are cool to mild, with average highs of 60 - and frequent fog. Coastal summer temperatures range from highs of 64 - to lows of 46 -. In the populated areas and cities near the coast, the highest temperatures tend to occur at locations just a few miles inland from Eureka and Arcata, in towns like Fortuna, Rio Dell, and smaller unincorporated communities located somewhat further away from Humboldt Bay. In these locations summer highs are 70 -. The coastal zone experiences a number of frosty nights in winter and early spring, though snowfall and hard freezes are rare. Coastal winters are cool and wet. Winter rainstorms are frequent, with averages from 30 to a year, depending upon elevation. Inland areas of the county also experience wet, cool winters. Snowfall is common at elevations over 3000 ft throughout the winter months, and is deep enough at higher elevations to have inspired the opening of a small ski lift operation (now defunct) on Horse Mountain, near Willow Creek, for several decades in the late 20th century. Summer displays the sharpest difference between the coastal and inland climates. Inland regions of Humboldt County experience highs of 80 - depending on the elevation and distance from the ocean. Occasional summer highs of 100 F are common in eastern and southern parts of the county including Orleans, Hoopa, Willow Creek, Garberville, Honeydew, and inland river valleys. Average daily maximum and minimum temperatures for warmest and coldest months in selected settlements of Humboldt County • Location — Month — Temp (°F) — Temp (°C) — Month — Temp (°F) — Temp (°C) • Eureka — August — 64/52 — 18/11 — December — 55/40 — 12/4 • Arcata — September — 62/51 — 17/11 — December — 54/38 — 12/3 • Ferndale — August — 71/52 — 22/11 — December — 56/39 — 13/4 • Willow Creek — July — 94/52 — 34/11 — December — 50/35 — 10/1 • Garberville — August — 87/53 — 31/12 — December — 49/37 — 9/3 • Shelter Cove — August — 69/53 — 21/11 — January — 57/45 — 14/7 • Orick — August — 69/49 — 21/9 — January — 52/37 — 11/2

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 136,463. The median age was 39.1 years. 19.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.1 males age 18 and over. The racial makeup of the county was 71.9% White, 1.4% Black or African American, 6.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.6% Asian, 0.3% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 5.7% from some other race, and 11.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 13.6% of the population. 68.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 31.5% lived in rural areas. There were 56,422 households in the county, of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 28.9% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 62,120 housing units, of which 9.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 55.3% were owner-occupied and 44.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.7%.

The 2010 United States census reported that Humboldt County had a population of 134,623. The racial makeup of Humboldt County was 109,920 (81.7%) White, 1,505 (1.1%) African American, 7,726 (5.7%) Native American, 2,944 (2.2%) Asian, 352 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 5,003 (3.7%) from other races, and 7,173 (5.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13,211 persons (9.8%). • Population reported at 2010 United States census • The County — Total population — White — African American — Native American — Asian — Pacific Islander — Other races — Two or more races — Hispanic or Latino (of any race) • Humboldt County — 134,623 — 109,920 — 1,505 — 7,726 — 2,944 — 352 — 5,003 — 7,173 — 13,211 • Incorporated city — Total population — White — African American — Native American — Asian — Pacific Islander — Other races — Two or more races — Hispanic or Latino (of any race) • Arcata — 17,231 — 14,094 — 351 — 393 — 454 — 35 — 769 — 1,135 — 2,000 • Blue Lake — 1,253 — 1,094 — 5 — 55 — 13 — 4 — 24 — 58 — 82 • Eureka — 27,191 — 21,565 — 514 — 1,011 — 1,153 — 176 — 1,181 — 1,591 — 3,143 • Ferndale — 1,371 — 1,281 — 1 — 22 — 20 — 2 — 17 — 28 — 77 • Fortuna — 11,926 — 9,686 — 73 — 444 — 106 — 9 — 1,065 — 543 — 2,032 • Rio Dell — 3,368 — 2,894 — 13 — 125 — 25 — 3 — 140 — 168 — 384 • Trinidad — 367 — 331 — 2 — 15 — 2 — 1 — 1 — 15 — 11 • Census-designated place — Total population — White — African American — Native American — Asian — Pacific Islander — Other races — Two or more races — Hispanic or Latino (of any race) • Alderpoint — 186 — 170 — 0 — 9 — 1 — 0 — 1 — 5 — 10 • Bayview — 2,510 — 1,959 — 28 — 119 — 88 — 5 — 185 — 126 — 425 • Benbow — 321 — 294 — 0 — 2 — 1 — 0 — 13 — 11 — 25 • Big Lagoon — 93 — 73 — 0 — 11 — 0 — 0 — 1 — 8 — 11 • Cutten — 3,108 — 2,628 — 27 — 119 — 80 — 11 — 78 — 165 — 254 • Fieldbrook — 859 — 763 — 4 — 19 — 5 — 0 — 14 — 54 — 51 • Fields Landing — 276 — 210 — 6 — 13 — 21 — 1 — 6 — 19 — 18 • Garberville — 913 — 815 — 14 — 29 — 17 — 0 — 7 — 31 — 54 • Humboldt Hill — 3,414 — 2,853 — 41 — 119 — 102 — 2 — 129 — 168 — 298 • Hydesville — 1,237 — 1,108 — 4 — 33 — 6 — 0 — 30 — 56 — 71 • Indianola — 823 — 713 — 2 — 42 — 11 — 1 — 12 — 42 — 44 • Loleta — 783 — 643 — 12 — 16 — 5 — 0 — 65 — 42 — 114 • McKinleyville — 15,177 — 13,010 — 103 — 700 — 211 — 17 — 338 — 798 — 1,081 • Manila — 784 — 686 — 14 — 25 — 5 — 0 — 12 — 42 — 30 • Miranda — 520 — 439 — 4 — 13 — 4 — 1 — 31 — 28 — 75 • Myers Flat — 146 — 125 — 0 — 6 — 1 — 0 — 4 — 10 — 11 • Myrtletown — 4,675 — 3,969 — 53 — 142 — 155 — 19 — 126 — 211 — 387 • Orick — 357 — 288 — 0 — 39 — 0 — 3 — 6 — 21 — 20 • Phillipsville — 140 — 121 — 0 — 4 — 1 — 0 — 0 — 14 — 3 • Pine Hills — 3,131 — 2,648 — 22 — 86 — 116 — 4 — 72 — 183 — 220 • Redcrest — 89 — 73 — 0 — 5 — 0 — 0 — 3 — 8 — 4 • Redway — 1,225 — 1,093 — 5 — 35 — 6 — 1 — 15 — 70 — 96 • Samoa — 258 — 198 — 1 — 9 — 0 — 0 — 31 — 19 — 52 • Scotia — 850 — 674 — 3 — 35 — 3 — 9 — 90 — 36 — 150 • Shelter Cove — 693 — 630 — 3 — 5 — 7 — 1 — 13 — 34 — 47 • Weott — 288 — 252 — 0 — 13 — 1 — 0 — 3 — 19 — 20 • Westhaven-Moonstone — 1,205 — 1,083 — 9 — 39 — 18 — 0 — 10 — 46 — 53 • Willow Creek — 1,710 — 1,375 — 6 — 167 — 14 — 6 — 29 — 113 — 108 • Unincorporated communities — Total population — White — African American — Native American — Asian — Pacific Islander — Other races — Two or more races — Hispanic or Latino (of any race) • All others not CDPs (combined) — 26,145 — 20,082 — 185 — 3,807 — 292 — 41 — 482 — 1,256 — 1,750

As of the 2000 census, the population of Humboldt County was 126,518. As of that census, there were 51,238 households in Humboldt County, and the population density was 35 /mi2. By 2006, the population was projected to have increased to 131,361 by the California Department of Finance. There were 55,912 housing units at an average density of 16 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 84.7% White, 0.9% Black or African American, 5.7% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 2.5% from other races, and 4.4% from two or more races. In 2017, 11.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino according to the United States Census Bureau. 13.3% were of German, 10.7% Irish, 10.3% English, 7.4% American and 5.7% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000. 92.1% spoke English and 4.6% spoke Spanish as their first language. There were 51,238 households, out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.2% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.95. In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 12.4% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males. The median income for a household in the county was $31,226, and the median income for a family was $39,370. Males had a median income of $32,210 versus $23,942 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,203. About 12.9% of families and 19.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.5% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

Humboldt County contains redwood trees, and acres of private redwood timberland make Humboldt the top timber producer in California. The river bottoms adjacent to the ocean produce dairy products. Further inland, the warmer valleys have historically produced apples and other fruit. More recently, vineyards have been planted in the Trinity, Klamath, Mattole, and upper Eel river areas. Notable local companies include: • Cypress Grove Chevre • Humboldt Creamery • Lost Coast Brewery • C. Crane Company • Holly Yashi • Eel River Brewing Company • Six Rivers Brewery • Restoration Hardware • Pacific Lumber Company

Humboldt County is known for its family-operated dairy farms. The Humboldt Creamery, a significant producer of high-grade ice cream and other dairy products, operates from the original headquarters located at Fernbridge adjacent to the Eel River.

• Illustration — On May 26, 2020, deputies with the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office Marijuana Enforcement Team (MET) served one search warrant to investigate illegal cannabis cultivation in the Weitchpec area. Approximately 18,690 growing cannabis plants and 818 lb of cannabis bud were destroyed. As part of the Emerald Triangle, Humboldt County is known for its cultivation of cannabis, estimated to be worth billions of dollars. Proposition 215 allows patients and caregivers who are given a doctor's recommendation to legally (State level only) grow up to 99 plants in Humboldt County. However, in the years before Prop 215 (early 1970s – late 1980s), Humboldt County saw a large migration of the Bay Area counter-culture to the region. Many came looking to purchase cheap land, and ended up growing marijuana to pay for their land. Especially around Garberville and Redway, the rural culture and hippie scene eventually collaborated to create a rural hippie community in which marijuana became the center of the economy and the culture. Many people prospered by producing marijuana for California and other states because of its reputation for quality. A Redway radio station, KMUD, in the past has issued warnings and alerts to the region with information on whereabouts of law enforcement on their way to raid marijuana gardens. The Campaign Against Marijuana Planting is the multi-agency law enforcement task force managed by the California Department of Justice, formed with the prime purpose of eradicating illegal cannabis production in California. The operations began in the late 1970s, named the Northern California Sinsemilla Strike Force in 1979, but the name CAMP became used after its official establishment in 1983. While the influence of CAMP in Humboldt County has waned with decriminalization of marijuana, there is a renewed interest at the state level regarding valid growing permits and environmental concerns. As a result, CAMP is today still used as a policing body, in accordance with the DEA. Yearly CAMP reports, published by the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement (BNE) are available online through Cal Poly Humboldt's Special Collections. Starting in 1983, the annual reports detail the organizational structure and names of individual participants, a summary of the season's activities, tactics, and mention of special successes, trends and hazards. County officials and the industry have encountered challenges in the transition from an illegal, underground economy to legal recreational cannabis sales that began in California in 2018. As of 2023, the county has the largest cannabis farming industry in the Emerald Triangle. While the largest legal pot farm in the county was 8 acres, a 2021 survey found the median pot farm site was 0.09 ha.

Humboldt County children are at greater risk of dangerously elevated blood lead levels than Flint, Michigan's – and almost double that of any other California county measured. The cases are concentrated in Eureka's Old Town and downtown areas and are largely due to old paint found in Victorian buildings.

• National Park • Redwood National and State Parks – National Park Service • Conservation area • King Range National Conservation Area and The Lost Coast – Bureau of Land Management • Recreation area • Samoa Dunes Recreation Area – Bureau of Land Management • Forests • Headwaters Forest Reserve – Bureau of Land Management • Six Rivers National Forest – U.S. Forest Service • Trinity National Forest – U.S. Forest Service • Wildlife refuge • Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge – Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

• Beaches • Little River State Beach • Trinidad State Beach • Parks • Fort Humboldt State Historic Park • Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park • Humboldt Lagoons State Park • Humboldt Redwoods State Park • Sue-meg State Park • Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park • Richardson Grove State Park • Sinkyone Wilderness State Park • Tide pools • Sue-meg State Park • Moonstone Beach • Indian Beach (also known as Old Home Beach) • Recreation areas • Benbow State Recreation Area • Harry A. Merlo State Recreation Area • Reserves • Azalea State Reserve • John B. Dewitt Redwoods State Reserve

• A. W. Way • Big Lagoon County Park • Centerville Beach • Clam Beach • Crab Park • Freshwater County Park • Hammond Trail • Luffenholtz Beach • Mad River, California • Margarite Lockwood • Moonstone Beach • Van Duzen Pamplin Grove

• The Sequoia Park Zoo is the oldest zoo in California operating on a 7 acre facility operated by the City of Eureka in 60 acre Sequoia Park. • The Clarke Historical Museum in Eureka, displays North Coast regional and cultural history in the repurposed Historic Register Bank of Eureka building. • The Ferndale Museum, in Ferndale, houses and exhibits artifacts, documents and papers from settlement during the California Gold Rush to the 1950s covering the lower Eel River Valley. • The Morris Graves Museum of Art conserves and displays the works of local artists in a restored Carnegie Library building. • The Ferndale Repertory Theatre is the county's oldest theater company; it has been in operation since 1972 at the Hart Theater building in Ferndale. • The Humboldt Crabs, founded in 1945, are the oldest continuously operated summer collegiate, wood-bat baseball team in the country. • See also the List of museums in the North Coast (California).

Humboldt County is a general law county under the California Constitution. That is, it does not have a county charter. the county is governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors. Supervisors are elected by districts for four year terms. There are no term limits in effect. The chairman and vice-chairman are elected annually by the Board of Supervisors from among its members.

Humboldt County is in. In the state legislature, Humboldt is part of, and. Election audits in the county since 2008 have used a distinctive system which has spread elsewhere. They scan all ballots and release a file of the images with a digital signature, so candidates and the public can recount to find if the official totals are correct. They also release software to let the public tally the images electronically. The first time they did this they found the official software omitted 200 ballots.

• Population and registered voters • Total population — 133,585 • Registered voters — 79,708 — 59.7% • Democratic — 33,155 — 41.6% • Republican — 20,238 — 25.4% • Democratic–Republican spread — +12,917 — +16.2% • American Independent — 2,557 — 3.2% • Green — 3,036 — 3.8% • Libertarian — 801 — 1.0% • Peace and Freedom — 342 — 0.4% • Other — 222 — 0.3% • No party preference — 19,357 — 24.3%

• Cities by population and voter registration • City — data-sort-type="number" | Population — data-sort-type="number" | Registered voters — data-sort-type="number" | Democratic — data-sort-type="number" | Republican — data-sort-type="number" | D–R spread — data-sort-type="number" | Other — data-sort-type="number" | No party preference • Arcata — 17,118 — 71.9% — 45.1% — 10.2% — +34.9% — 15.5% — 32.2% • Blue Lake — 1,336 — 61.4% — 43.0% — 20.4% — +22.6% — 13.7% — 26.1% • Eureka — 27,027 — 53.6% — 42.5% — 25.3% — +17.2% — 11.3% — 24.1% • Ferndale — 1,503 — 63.7% — 39.4% — 38.2% — +1.2% — 7.5% — 17.4% • Fortuna — 11,753 — 54.6% — 33.7% — 38.1% — -4.4% — 10.0% — 22.0% • Rio Dell — 3,342 — 50.9% — 33.5% — 35.3% — -1.8% — 13.3% — 23.1% • Trinidad — 286 — 94.8% — 52.8% — 18.1% — +34.7% — 9.2% — 22.5%

In 2018, Humboldt County was featured in the Netflix documentary Murder Mountain which highlighted the county's marijuana industry, violent crime and missing person cases. As of 2022, Humboldt County ranked fourth out of California's 58 counties in missing adults per capita. (See table below) Missing Adults By California County (2022) • County — Population — Total Missing — Voluntarily Missing — Percent of Total Voluntarily Missing — Total Missing per 1000 • Trinity — 15,889 — 37 — 20 — 54.1% — 2.33 • Modoc — 8,651 — 18 — 15 — 83.3% — 2.08 • San Francisco — 851,036 — 1653 — 1608 — 97.3% — 1.94 • Humboldt — 136,132 — 239 — 132 — 55.2% — 1.76 • Sacramento — 1,579,211 — 2629 — 2350 — 89.4% — 1.66 • Siskiyou — 44,049 — 71 — 43 — 60.6% — 1.61 • Kern — 906,883 — 1458 — 1370 — 94.0% — 1.61 • Del Norte — 27,462 — 44 — 40 — 90.9% — 1.60 • Shasta — 181,852 — 282 — 243 — 86.2% — 1.55 • Tehama — 65,484 — 101 — 82 — 81.2% — 1.54 • San Luis Obispo — 281,712 — 420 — 408 — 97.1% — 1.49 • Santa Cruz — 268,571 — 393 — 344 — 87.5% — 1.46 • Yolo — 217,141 — 315 — 240 — 76.2% — 1.45 • Stanislaus — 552,063 — 793 — 663 — 83.6% — 1.44 • San Bernardino — 2,180,563 — 2942 — 2537 — 86.2% — 1.35 • Fresno — 1,008,280 — 1333 — 1101 — 82.6% — 1.32 • Imperial — 179,578 — 235 — 164 — 69.8% — 1.31 • Sutter — 99,101 — 129 — 82 — 63.6% — 1.30 • Lake — 68,024 — 86 — 67 — 77.9% — 1.26 • San Joaquin — 779,445 — 963 — 920 — 95.5% — 1.24 • Tuolumne — 54,993 — 65 — 55 — 84.6% — 1.18 • Alameda — 1,663,823 — 1867 — 1409 — 75.5% — 1.12 • Mariposa — 17,130 — 19 — 9 — 47.4% — 1.11 • Merced — 282,290 — 308 — 206 — 66.9% — 1.09 • Butte — 213,605 — 231 — 142 — 61.5% — 1.08 • Madera — 157,243 — 170 — 114 — 67.1% — 1.08 • Plumas — 19,650 — 21 — 9 — 42.9% — 1.07 • Yuba — 81,705 — 86 — 68 — 79.1% — 1.05 • Solano — 450,995 — 470 — 395 — 84.0% — 1.04 • Sierra — 2,916 — 3 — 2 — 66.7% — 1.03 • Los Angeles — 9,936,690 — 10132 — 9109 — 89.9% — 1.02 • Nevada — 102,322 — 99 — 88 — 88.9% — 0.97 • San Diego — 3,289,701 — 3154 — 2991 — 94.8% — 0.96 • Santa Barbara — 445,213 — 426 — 375 — 88.0% — 0.96 • Inyo — 18,829 — 18 — 5 — 27.8% — 0.96 • Riverside — 2,429,487 — 2280 — 2172 — 95.3% — 0.94 • Marin — 260,485 — 244 — 208 — 85.2% — 0.94 • Calaveras — 45,674 — 42 — 38 — 90.5% — 0.92 • Tulare — 473,446 — 434 — 379 — 87.3% — 0.92 • Sonoma — 488,436 — 417 — 325 — 77.9% — 0.85 • Monterey — 437,609 — 369 — 319 — 86.4% — 0.84 • Mono — 13,219 — 11 — 5 — 45.5% — 0.83 • Santa Clara — 1,916,831 — 1584 — 1239 — 78.2% — 0.83 • Contra Costa — 1,162,648 — 956 — 851 — 89.0% — 0.82 • Ventura — 842,009 — 677 — 600 — 88.6% — 0.80 • Placer — 406,608 — 322 — 210 — 65.2% — 0.79 • Orange — 3,175,227 — 2457 — 2272 — 92.5% — 0.77 • San Mateo — 754,250 — 580 — 518 — 89.3% — 0.77 • Lassen — 31,873 — 23 — 15 — 65.2% — 0.72 • El Dorado — 191,713 — 134 — 109 — 81.3% — 0.70 • Glenn — 28,657 — 19 — 5 — 26.3% — 0.66 • Kings — 152,515 — 93 — 84 — 90.3% — 0.61 • San Benito — 64,753 — 35 — 24 — 68.6% — 0.54 • Amador — 40,577 — 21 — 17 — 81.0% — 0.52 • Napa — 137,384 — 68 — 51 — 75.0% — 0.49 • Mendocino — 91,145 — 30 — 17 — 56.7% — 0.33 • Colusa — 21,811 — 7 — 5 — 71.4% — 0.32 • Alpine — 1,515 — 0 — 0 — 0.00 The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense. Population and crime rates • Population — 133,585 • Violent crime — 541 — 4.05 • Homicide — 8 — 0.06 • Forcible rape — 33 — 0.25 • Robbery — 117 — 0.88 • Aggravated assault — 383 — 2.87 • Property crime — 2,270 — 16.99 • Burglary — 1,057 — 7.91 • Larceny-theft — 2,513 — 18.81 • Motor vehicle theft — 475 — 3.56 • Arson — 51 — 0.38

Cities by population and crime rates • City — data-sort-type="number" | Population — data-sort-type="number" | Violent crimes — data-sort-type="number" | Violent crime rate per 1,000 persons — data-sort-type="number" | Property crimes — data-sort-type="number" | Property crime rate per 1,000 persons • Arcata — 18,332 — 72 — 3.92 — 605 — 33.00 • Eureka — 26,973 — 195 — 7.23 — 1,350 — 50.05 • Ferndale — 1,363 — 4 — 2.93 — 24 — 17.61 • Fortuna — 12,317 — 28 — 2.27 — 317 — 25.74 • Rio Dell — 3,392 — 11 — 3.24 — 61 — 17.98

• Illustration — Salmon Creek Community School, Humboldt County, California The List of schools in Humboldt County, California shows the many school districts, including charter and private schools, at the elementary and high school level. Post-secondary education is offered locally at the College of the Redwoods and California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt (Cal Poly Humboldt). Blue Lake's Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre offers accredited three-year Masters of Fine Arts degrees in Ensemble Based Physical Theatre. Humboldt County has the lowest starting teacher pay scale in the whole state of California.

Humboldt County's locally produced television stations, NBC station KIEM and PBS member station KEET, are based in Eureka. KIEM produces the only local TV newscast and KEET is the only PBS station in the region. Since 2017, CBS affiliate KVIQ has been a low-powered station operated as part of a duopoly with KIEM, sharing the same studios. Other television stations in the area are semi-satellites of stations based outside of Eureka. Roar owned-and-operated station KBVU, a semi-satellite of KCVU, is based in Chico and ABC/Fox affiliate KAEF, a semi-satellite of KRCR-TV, is based in Redding. In previous decades all major networks had production capacity in Eureka.

• KATA • KEKA, • KFMI • KEJB • KHUM • KINS-FM • KISS • KKHB • KLGE • KRED • KSLG-FM • KWPT • KWSW

• KIDE • KHSU • KKDS-LP • KMUD • KMUE • KNHM • KNHT • KRFH-LP

Community broadband networks and public, educational, and government access (PEG) cable TV channels provide air time for local voices on Access Humboldt. Cable TV channels are carried by Suddenlink Communications and local programs are provided online through the Community Media Archive. The Digital Redwoods initiative of Access Humboldt is developing local networks to meet comprehensive community needs, including public, education and government purposes.

• Illustration — Historic Fernbridge (1911) on the road to Ferndale – California State Route 211

• U.S. Route 101 • State Route 36 • State Route 96 • State Route 169 • State Route 200 • State Route 211 • State Route 254 – Avenue of the Giants • State Route 255 • State Route 271 • State Route 283 • State Route 299

• Humboldt Transit Authority operates two fixed route transit bus systems: • Redwood Transit System provides intercity service to and within communities between Trinidad and Garberville, including Manila, King Salmon, Field's Landing, Loleta, Fernbridge and Fortuna. HTA also offers service between McKinleyville or Arcata and Willow Creek and an express bus between Arcata and College of the Redwoods when classes are in session. • Eureka Transit Service, operated in the City of Eureka, provides local service on four scheduled routes (one hour headway) in Eureka and its adjacent unincorporated communities. Connections can be made to the Redwood Transit System at several places in Eureka. • Arcata and Mad River Transit System, operated by the City of Arcata with funding from Cal Poly Humboldt. A&MRTS provides fixed route local bus service on two scheduled routes (one hour headway) in Arcata and an additional route between the Valley West Neighborhood and the university when classes are in session. • The city of Blue Lake and the Blue Lake Rancheria operates the Blue Lake Rancheria Transit Authority. This provides fixed route intercity transit bus service (one hour headway) between Arcata and the Blue Lake Rancheria Indian Reservation and casino and local service within the city of Blue Lake. • Del Norte County's Redwood Coast Transit operates fixed route intercity transit bus service between Arcata and Crescent City or Smith River. • Amtrak Thruway provides bus service to many towns in the region, including Eureka, Arcata, and Fortuna, connecting to train service at the Martinez station, in the Bay Area. • The North State Express (NSE) is a proposed express bus service connecting the four corners of the US101, I-5, SR299, and SR20 corridors with each other and with Sacramento and the Bay Area.

Arcata-Eureka Airport is located in McKinleyville (north of Arcata). Commercial flights are available. Other general aviation airports are located at Dinsmore, Garberville, Kneeland, Murray Field (Eureka), Samoa Field and Rohnerville (Fortuna).

The Port of Humboldt Bay is on Humboldt Bay, California's second largest natural bay.

• Name — Month — Location — Citation • Apple Harvest Festival — October — Fortuna • Arcata Oyster Festival — June — Arcata Plaza • Azalea Festival — June — McKinleyville • Avenue of the Giants Marathon — May — Humboldt Redwood State Park • Blackberry Festival — July — Westhaven • Blues by the Bay — July — Eureka • Brew at the Zoo — May — Eureka • Chicken Wingfest — September — Eureka • Craftsman's Days — November — Eureka • College of the Redwoods Wood Fair — June — Eureka • Ferndale Concours on Main Car Show — September — Ferndale • Ferndale Pet Parade — June — Ferndale • Foggy Bottom Milk Run — March — Ferndale • Fortuna Rodeo — July — Fortuna • Fourth of July Festival — July 4 — Old Town Eureka • Humboldt Pride — September — Arcata • Godwit Days (Birding festival) — April — Arcata • Humboldt Arts Festival — May — Arcata/Blue Lake • Humboldt County Cup — November — Eureka • Humboldt County Fair — August — Ferndale • Humboldt Film Festival — March & April — Arcata • Humboldt Juggling Festival — April/May — Arcata (HSU) • Humboldt Redwoods Marathon — October — Southern Humboldt • Kinetic Grand Championship — May — Arcata to Ferndale • Lighted Tractor Parade — December — Ferndale • Lighting of America's Tallest Living Christmas Tree — December — Ferndale • Lost Coast Kennel Club's Annual All Breed Show, Obedience, Rally, Agility Trails, Barn Hunt, FCATs — July — Ferndale • Mushroom Fair — November — Arcata • North Country Fair — September — Arcata • Organic Planet Festival — September — Eureka • Reggae on the River — August — French's Camp • Redwood Acres Fair — June — Eureka • Redwood AutoXpo — July — Fortuna • Redwood Coast Jazz Festival — March — Eureka • Redwood Region Logging Conference — March — Eureka, every other year • Redwood Run — June — Southern Humboldt • Rhododendron Festival and Parade — April — Eureka • Roll on the Mattole — Summer — Mattole Grange • Summer Arts and Music Festival — June — Benbow • Swauger's Station Day — July — Loleta • Tour of Loleta (by Bicycle) — July — Loleta • Tour of the Unknown Coast (by Bicycle) — May — Southern Humboldt • Trinidad Fish Festival — June — Trinidad • Trinidad to Clam Beach Run — February — Trinidad • Truckers Christmas Parade — December — Eureka • Two Rivers Harvest Festival — October — Willow Creek • Zootini — August — Eureka • Redwood Coast Up in Smoke BBQ Competition — June — Blue Lake

Ferndale, in southern Humboldt county, has been featured in such movies as The Majestic and Outbreak. It has appeared in made-for-television movies including Salem's Lot, A Death in Canaan, and Joe Dirt. It was also the location of the iconic "I'm a Pepper" commercial for Dr. Pepper. Additionally the following films were shot in Ferndale: the science fiction horror cult film She Demons (1958), the award-winning short film Nonnie & Alex (1995), and the comedy-drama Kingdom Come (2001).

Much of The WB's Hyperion Bay and the CBS show Blue Skies as well as an episode of Moonlighting were filmed in Humboldt County. The infamous Patterson-Gimlin film was filmed on Bluff Creek near Orleans, California. Humboldt County has also been the subject of multiple documentary miniseries including Discovery Channel's Pot Cops and Netflix's Murder Mountain. Humboldt County has also been featured in episodes of On the Case with Paula Zahn, The Profit, Hamilton's Pharmacopeia, Top Gear, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Survivorman, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, Finding Bigfoot, Treehouse Masters, Rescue 911, Walking With Dinosaurs, Somebody's Gotta Do It, Monsters Resurrected, Weediquette, Dan Rather Reports, Monster Fish, Beachfront Bargain Hunt, and many more. Ferndale was featured by Huell Howser in Road Trip Episode 149. Humboldt County has also been the filming location for countless national television advertisements, including many major car commercials. The Netflix series Virgin River is set in Humboldt County.

• Illustration — The Carson Mansion in Eureka (private)

• Arcata • Blue Lake • Eureka (county seat) • Ferndale • Fortuna • Rio Dell • Trinidad

• Alderpoint • Bayview • Benbow • Big Lagoon • Cutten • Fairhaven • Fieldbrook • Fields Landing • Garberville • Hoopa • Humboldt Hill • Hydesville • Indianola • Kep'el • Loleta • McKinleyville • Manila • Miranda • Myers Flat • Myrtletown • Orick • Phillipsville • Pine Hills • Redcrest • Redway • Samoa • Scotia • Shelter Cove • Wautec • Weitchpec • Weott • Westhaven-Moonstone • Willow Creek

• Alton • Bayside • Blocksburg • Briceland • Bridgeville • Carlotta • Cooks Valley • Dinsmore • Dyerville • Elk River • Englewood • Fernbridge • Fort Seward • Freshwater • Freshwater Corners • Fruitland • Glendale • Holmes • Honeydew • Johnsons • King Salmon • Kneeland • Korbel • Maple Creek • Moonstone • Orleans • Patricks Point • Pepperwood • Petrolia • Pine Hill • Port Kenyon • Ridgewood Heights • Riverside Park • Rohnerville • Rosewood • Shively • Stafford • Sunny Brae • Westhaven • Whitethorn

Humboldt County has eight Indian reservations lying within its borders. Only four other counties in the United States have more: San Diego County, California; Sandoval County, New Mexico; Riverside County, California; and Mendocino County, California. The Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation is the largest in the state of California, a state that generally has small reservations (although numerous) relative to those in other states. • Big Lagoon Rancheria • Blue Lake Rancheria • Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation • Karuk Indian Reservation (partly in Siskiyou County) • Rohnerville Rancheria • Table Bluff Rancheria • Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria • Yurok Indian Reservation (partly in Del Norte County)

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Humboldt County. † county seat • Rank — City/town/etc. — Municipal type — Population (2020 Census) • 1 — † Eureka — City — 26,512 • 2 — Arcata — City — 18,857 • 3 — McKinleyville — CDP — 16,262 • 4 — Fortuna — City — 12,516 • 5 — Myrtletown — CDP — 4,882 • 6 — Humboldt Hill — CDP — 3,498 • 7 — Rio Dell — City — 3,379 • 8 — Cutten — CDP — 3,223 • 9 — Pine Hills — CDP — 3,186 • 10 — Hoopa Valley Reservation — AIAN — 3,173 • 11 — Bayview — CDP — 2,619 • 12 — Willow Creek — CDP — 1,720 • 13 — Ferndale — City — 1,398 • 14 — Redway — CDP — 1,247 • 15 — Hydesville — CDP — 1,244 • 16 — Yurok Reservation (partially in Del Norte County) — AIAN — 1,236 • 17 — Blue Lake — City — 1,208 • 18 — Westhaven-Moonstone — CDP — 1,187 • 19 — Loleta — CDP — 828 • 20 — Fieldbrook — CDP — 827 • 21 — Garberville — CDP — 818 • 22 — Shelter Cove — CDP — 803 • 23 — Manila — CDP — 798 • 24 — Indianola — CDP — 791 • 25 — Scotia — CDP — 681 • 26 — Karuk Reservation — AIAN — 578 • 27 — Miranda — CDP — 441 • 28 — Benbow — CDP — 422 • 29 — Orick — CDP — 328 • 30 — Trinidad — City — 307 • 31 — Fields Landing — CDP — 287 • 32 — Samoa — CDP — 229 • 33 — Weott — CDP — 219 • 34 — Rohnerville Rancheria — AIAN — 208 • 35 — Big Lagoon — CDP — 161 • 36 (tie) — Alderpoint — CDP — 137 • 36 (tie) — Trinidad Rancheria — AIAN — 137 • 38 — Phillipsville — CDP — 124 • 39 — Table Bluff Reservation — AIAN — 120 • 40 — Blue Lake Rancheria — AIAN — 112 • 41 — Myers Flat — CDP — 90 • 42 — Redcrest — CDP — 61 • 43 — Big Lagoon Rancheria — AIAN — 17

• Sara Bareilles • Lloyd Bridges • Hobart Brown • Becky Chambers • Wesley Chesbro • Betty Kwan Chinn • David Cobb • Alexander Cockburn • Trevor Dunn • Guy Fieri • Michael John Fles • Brendan Fraser • Robert A. Gearheart • James Gillett • Steven Hackett • Bret Harte • Dan Hauser • El Hefe • Julia Butterfly Hill • John Jaso • Christa Johnson • Howard B. Keck • Seth Kinman • Naomi Lang • Rey Maualuga • Pamela McGee • Mike Patton • Maurice Purify • Nate Quarry • Eric Rofes • Stephen W. Shaw • Steve Sillett • Trey Spruance • Greg Stafford • Robert M. Viale • Don Van Vliet • Stephen Girard Whipple • Ned Yost

From 1920 to 1984, the county was a noted bellwether area, voting for the national winner of every presidential election. Since 1988, Humboldt has swung heavily to the Democratic Party at the presidential and congressional levels, and is now one of the most Democratic areas in the state outside of the Bay Area and urban Southern California. The last Republican presidential candidate to win a majority in the county was Ronald Reagan, a Californian, in 1984. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Humboldt also had a substantial number of people affiliated with the Green Party, but that number has declined in recent years; however, the Green Party has had its best performance by presidential and gubernatorial candidates of any county in the United States in Humboldt County, with Jill Stein gaining her largest county-level number of votes in Humboldt in 2016.