- Shasta County, California
-
County of Shasta — County — 
SealLocation in the state of California
California's location in the United States
Country 
United StatesState 
CaliforniaRegion Sacramento Valley/Cascade Range Incorporated 1850 Named for Mount Shasta[1] County seat Redding Area – Total 9,964.8 km2 (3,847.44 sq mi) – Land 9,803.6 km2 (3,785.19 sq mi) – Water 161.2 km2 (62.24 sq mi) Population (2010) – Total 177,223 – Density 17.8/km2 (46.1/sq mi) Time zone Pacific Standard Time (UTC-8) – Summer (DST) Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-7) Website www.co.shasta.ca.us Shasta County is a county located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The county occupies the northern reaches of the Sacramento Valley, with portions extending into the southern reaches of the Cascade Range. As of the 2010 census, the population was 177,223, up from 163,256 at the 2000 census. The county seat is Redding.
Among the tourist attractions in Shasta County are Shasta Lake, Lassen Peak, and the Sundial Bridge.
Contents
History
Shasta County was one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood. Parts of the county's territory were given to Siskiyou County in 1852, and to Tehama County in 1856.
The county was named after Mount Shasta; the name "Shasta" is derived from the English equivalent for the name of an Indian tribe that once lived in the area. The name of the tribe was spelled in various ways until the present version was used when the county was established. Originally Mt. Shasta was within the county, but it is now part of Siskiyou County, to the north. Its 14,179-foot (4,322 m) peak is visible throughout most of Shasta County.
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 3,847.44 square miles (9,964.8 km2), of which 3,785.19 square miles (9,803.6 km2) (or 98.38%) is land and 62.24 square miles (161.2 km2) (or 1.62%) is water.[2] Mountains line the county on the east, north and west. The Sacramento River flows out of the mountains to the north, through the center of the county, and toward the Sacramento Valley to the south.
Cities and towns
Cities
Unincorporated Communities
Census-designated places
- Bella Vista
- Big Bend
- Burney
- Cassel
- Cottonwood
- Fall River Mills
- French Gulch
- Hat Creek
- Keswick
- Lakehead
- McArthur
- Millville
- Montgomery Creek
- Mountain Gate
- Old Station
- Palo Cedro
- Round Mountain
- Shasta
- Shingletown
Other unincorporated communities
Adjacent counties
- Tehama County, California - south
- Trinity County, California - west
- Siskiyou County, California - north
- Modoc County, California - northeast
- Lassen County, California - east
- Plumas County, California - southeast
National protected areas
- Lassen National Forest (part)
- Lassen Volcanic National Park (part)
- Shasta-Trinity National Forest (part)
- Whiskeytown National Recreation Area (part: Shasta and Whiskeytown units only)
Transport
Major highways
Interstate 5
State Route 36
State Route 44
State Route 89
State Route 151
State Route 273
State Route 299
Public transport
Redding Area Bus Authority (RABA) provides service in and around Redding. One route operates to Burney via State Route 299.
Greyhound buses and Amtrak trains both serve Redding.
Airports
Redding Municipal Airport has scheduled passenger flights. Other (general aviation) airports within the county include Benton Field (near Redding), Fall River Mills Airport, and Shingletown Airport.
Politics
Shasta County vote
by party in presidential electionsYear GOP DEM Others 2008 61.7% 49,588 36.0% 28,867 2.2% 1,734 2004 67.2% 52,249 31.3% 24,339 1.5% 1,143 2000 65.0% 43,278 30.3% 20,127 4.7% 3,139 1996 55.2% 34,736 33.1% 20,848 11.7% 7,377 1992 41.2% 28,190 31.6% 21,605 27.2% 18,564 1988 59.4% 32,402 38.8% 21,171 1.9% 1,012 1984 62.2% 33,041 36.3% 19,298 1.5% 788 1980 58.1% 27,547 32.4% 15,364 9.5% 4,507 1976 45.6% 17,273 50.7% 19,200 3.7% 1,381 1972 46.7% 16,618 48.4% 17,214 5.0% 1,771 1968 40.4% 11,821 49.6% 14,510 9.9% 2,899 1964 32.4% 9,178 67.5% 19,142 0.1% 30 1960 38.9% 9,462 60.5% 14,691 0.6% 148 1956 43.8% 8,833 55.8% 11,239 0.4% 77 1952 56.4% 10,073 42.9% 7,656 0.7% 122 1948 39.7% 5,010 56.9% 7,177 3.5% 436 1944 40.9% 4,023 58.9% 5,798 0.2% 22 1940 30.7% 3,909 68.0% 8,662 1.3% 162 1936 28.8% 2,159 69.7% 5,236 1.5% 115 1932 23.9% 1,382 72.1% 4,170 4.0% 230 1928 52.2% 2,301 45.9% 2,025 1.9% 82 1924 42.0% 1,951 12.9% 598 45.2% 2,102 1920 62.1% 2,108 30.3% 1,028 7.7% 260 Shasta at one time favored the Democratic party in Presidential elections and was one of the few counties in the state to be won by George McGovern. In more recent times it is a strongly Republican county in Presidential and congressional elections. The last Democrat to win a majority in the county was Jimmy Carter in 1976.
Shasta is part of California's 2nd congressional district, which is held by Republican Wally Herger. In the state legislature Shasta is in the 2nd Assembly district, which is held by Republican Jim Nielsen, and the 4th Senate district, which is held by Republican Doug LaMalfa.
Demographics
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Shasta County had a population of 177,223. The racial makeup of Shasta County was 153,726 (86.7%) White, 1,548 (0.9%) African American, 4,950 (2.8%) Native American, 4,391 (2.5%) Asian, 271 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 4,501 (2.5%) from other races, and 7,836 (4.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14,878 persons (8.4%).[3]
Population reported at 2010 United States Census The County Total
PopulationWhite African
AmericanNative
AmericanAsian Pacific
Islanderother
racestwo or
more racesHispanic
or Latino
(of any race)Shasta County 177,223 153,726 1,548 4,950 4,391 271 4,501 7,836 14,878 Incorporated
cities and townsTotal
PopulationWhite African
AmericanNative
AmericanAsian Pacific
Islanderother
racestwo or
more racesHispanic
or Latino
(of any race)Anderson 9,932 8,273 70 426 256 17 353 537 1,070 Redding 89,861 77,117 1,092 2,034 3,034 156 2,307 4,121 7,787 Shasta Lake City 10,164 8,749 67 389 233 13 201 512 865 Census-designated
placesTotal
PopulationWhite African
AmericanNative
AmericanAsian Pacific
Islanderother
racestwo or
more racesHispanic
or Latino
(of any race)Bella Vista 2,781 2,559 16 41 30 6 43 86 179 Big Bend 102 85 0 10 0 0 1 6 2 Burney 3,154 2,685 13 233 7 2 61 153 265 Cassel 207 194 0 3 0 0 4 6 6 Cottonwood 3,316 2,844 4 99 108 2 120 139 352 Fall River Mills 573 450 0 30 3 2 56 32 105 French Gulch 346 296 3 15 3 1 8 20 17 Hat Creek 309 239 4 45 2 4 9 6 20 Keswick 451 389 0 23 6 0 4 29 14 Lakehead 461 421 0 13 2 0 3 22 11 McArthur 338 217 0 15 0 0 98 8 119 Millville 727 673 0 6 6 1 22 19 50 Montgomery Creek 163 117 2 16 0 0 9 19 18 Mountain Gate 943 850 7 27 5 0 13 41 49 Old Station 51 49 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 Palo Cedro 1,269 1,164 7 24 6 1 22 45 74 Round Mountain 155 126 1 12 3 1 1 11 12 Shasta 1,771 1,612 11 37 23 1 7 80 56 Shingletown 2,283 2,124 5 49 8 1 13 83 86 Unincorporated
communitiesTotal
PopulationWhite African
AmericanNative
AmericanAsian Pacific
Islanderother
racestwo or
more racesHispanic
or Latino
(of any race)All others not CDPs (combined) 47,866 42,493 246 1,402 656 63 1,146 1,860 3,719 2000
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 163,256 people, 63,426 households, and 44,017 families residing in the county. The population density was 43 people per square mile (17/km²). There were 68,810 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.32% White, 0.75% Black or African American, 2.77% Native American, 1.87% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 1.71% from other races, and 3.47% from two or more races. 5.51% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 15.7% were of German, 12.3% English, 11.2% Irish, 9.9% American and 5.2% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000. 94.0% spoke English and 3.3% Spanish as their first language.
There were 63,426 households out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $34,335, and the median income for a family was $40,491. Males had a median income of $35,959 versus $24,773 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,738. About 11.3% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.0% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.
Flora and fauna
According to Willis Linn Jepson the biota of Shasta County were not explored in a scientific manner until just before the year 1900. Up until the 1920s the Southern Pacific Railroad Company owned vast tracts of natural grasslands; however, during the 1920s the railroad sold off much of its grassland holdings, leading to the rapid clearing of brush and large scale conversion from habitat to agricultural uses.[5] Shasta County has extensive forests, which cover over one half the land area with commercially productive forest systems.[6] Common forest alliances include mixed oak woodland and mixed conifer-oak woodland as well as douglas fir forest. Common trees found include White-bark pine,[7] California Black Oak and California Buckeye.[8]
Annual events
- Kool April Nites (April) — A Classic Car Show
- Rodeo Week Festivities (May)
- Art Fair and Fiddler’s Jamboree (May)
- Whiskeytown Regatta (May)
- Watershed Festival (May)
- Strawberry Festival (May)
- Shasta Dragonwood Celtic Faire (May)
- Redding Exchange Club Air Show (June)
- Shasta District Fair (June)
- Fall River Valley Century Bike Ride (July)
- Fourth of July Fireworks Celebration (July)
- Burney Basin Days (July)
- Fall River Valley Wild Rice Festival (Aug)
- Intermountain Fair, Fall River Valley (September) The Shasta County Fair
- Stillwater Pow Wow (September)
- Big Bike Weekend (October)
- Fall River Valley Lights of Christmas Parade (December)
Education and housing
Colleges and universities
Shasta County has four colleges and universities:
- Shasta College, Redding – 2 year, fully accredited
- Simpson University, Redding – 4 year, fully accredited
- National University, Redding – 4 year, fully accredited
- Shasta Bible College - 4 year
High schools and below
- 43 Elementary Schools
- 10 Junior High Schools
- 8 High Schools
- 35 Private Schools
Housing
- Median price for a house is about $248,000.
- Median rental rate is $700/month.
Points of interest
Bailey Cove Campground near Lake Shasta within the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
- Lassen Peak
- Lassen Volcanic National Park
- Shasta Lake
- Turtle Bay Exploration Park
- Hat Creek Radio Observatory
- Iron Mountain Mine, one of the nation's most toxic waste sites
See also
- Hiking trails in Shasta County
- List of school districts in Shasta County, California
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Shasta County, California
References
- ^ Originally, Mount Shasta was within the county, but it is now part of Siskiyou County.
- ^ "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. http://www.census.gov/tiger/tms/gazetteer/county2k.txt. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
- ^ "2010 Census P.L. 94-171 Summary File Data". United States Census Bureau. http://www2.census.gov/census_2010/01-Redistricting_File--PL_94-171/California/.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Mary C. Brinton, Victor Nee and Robert K. Merton (2001) The New Institutionalism in Sociology, Stanford University Press ISBN 0804742766, 352 pages
- ^ Forest Survey Release (1952) By California Forest and Range Experiment Station, Berkeley, California, no.13-3
- ^ George Bishop Sudworth (1908) Forest Trees of the Pacific Slope, United States Forest Service, published by the United States G.P.O., Washington DC
- ^ C. Michael Hogan. 2008. Aesculus californica, Globaltwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg [1]
External links
- County of Shasta official website
- Shasta Historical Society — A large database of historical county photographs
- Shasta Regional Travel and Resource Guide
Siskiyou County Modoc County Trinity County 
Lassen County 
Shasta County, California 
Tehama County Plumas County Municipalities and communities of Shasta County, California Cities 
CDPs Bella Vista | Big Bend | Burney | Cassel | Cottonwood | Fall River Mills | French Gulch | Hat Creek | Keswick | Lakehead | McArthur | Millville | Montgomery Creek | Mountain Gate | Old Station | Palo Cedro | Round Mountain | Shasta | Shingletown
Unincorporated
communitiesCastella | Centerville | Cloverdale | Enterprise | Gas Point | Happy Valley | Igo | Ingot | Lakehead-Lakeshore | Matheson | Minnesota | Oak Run | O'Brien | Olinda | Ono | Platina | Pollard Flat | Viola | Whitmore
Indian reservations Ghost town Categories:- California counties
- Shasta County, California
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