El Dorado, California

For the town formerly named El Dorado in Calaveras County, California, see Mountain Ranch, California.

Coordinates: 38°40′58″N 120°50′52″W / 38.68278°N 120.84778°W / 38.68278; -120.84778

El Dorado
—  Unincorporated community  —
El Dorado Location in California
Coordinates: 38°40′58″N 120°50′52″W / 38.68278°N 120.84778°W / 38.68278; -120.84778
Country	United States
State	California
County	El Dorado County
Elevation[1]	1,608 ft (490 m)

El Dorado map

El Dorado (Spanish for The golden; formerly Eldorado, Mud Spring, and Mud Springs^[2]), not to be confused with the nearby El Dorado Hills, is an unincorporated community in El Dorado County, California. It is located 4 miles (6.4 km) southwest of Placerville,^[2] at an elevation of 1608 feet (490 m).^[1] The population was 4,096 at the 2000 census. The town is registered as California Historical Landmark #486. The ZIP code is 95623. The community is inside area code 530.

History

El Dorado, "The Gilded One", was first known as Mud Springs from the boggy quagmire the cattle and horses made of a nearby watering place. Originally an important camp on the old Carson Trail, by 1849-50 it had become the center of a mining district and the crossroads for freight and stagecoach lines. At the height of the rush its large gold production supported a population of several thousand. It was incorporated as the town of El Dorado in 1856.

The first post office in Mud Spring was opened in 1851, the name was changed to El Dorado in 1855.^[2] The town incorporated in 1855 and disincorporated in 1857.^[2]

Politics

In the state legislature El Dorado is located in the 1st Senate District, represented by Republican Dave Cox, and in the 4th Assembly District, represented by Republican Ted Gaines. Federally, El Dorado is located in California's 4th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of R +11^[3] and is represented by Republican Tom McClintock.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: El Dorado, California
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Quill Driver Books. p. 481. ISBN 9781884995149. 
3. ^ "Will Gerrymandered Districts Stem the Wave of Voter Unrest?". Campaign Legal Center Blog. http://www.clcblog.org/blog_item-85.html. Retrieved 2007-10-20. 

External links

• El Dorado County Weather