Inyo County, California

Inyo County is a county in the eastern central part of California, located between the Sierra Nevada mountains and the state of Nevada. As of the 2010 census, the population was 18,546.[5] The county seat is Independence.[7]

County of Inyo
County
Wildflowers blooming in Death Valley after a wet winter
Seal
Location in the state of California
California's location in the United States
Coordinates: 36°35′N 117°25′W
Country	United States
State	California
Region	Eastern California
Established	March 22, 1866[1]
Named for	"dwelling place of the great spirit" in Mono language
County seat	Independence
Largest city	Bishop
Government
• Board of Supervisors	Supervisors[2] Dan Totheroh Jeff Griffiths Rick Pucci Mark Tillemans Matt Kingsley
• Assemblymember	Devon Mathis (R)
• State senator	Andreas Borgeas (R)[3]
• U. S. rep.	Paul Cook (R)
Area
• Total	10,227 sq mi (26,490 km^2)
• Land	10,181 sq mi (26,370 km^2)
• Water	46 sq mi (120 km^2)
Highest elevation [4]	14,505 ft (4,421 m)
Lowest elevation	-279 ft (−85 m)
Population  (April 1, 2010)[5]
• Total	18,546
• Estimate  (2019)[6]	18,039
• Density	1.8/sq mi (0.70/km^2)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific Time Zone)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Area codes	442/760
FIPS code	06-027
GNIS feature ID	1804637
Website	www.inyocounty.us

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 (26,397 km²), Inyo County 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

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 tribe, Coso people, Timbisha, Kawaiisu, and Southern Paiute Native Americans. They spoke the Paiute language, Timbisha language and the Mono language with Mono traditional narratives. The descendants of these ancestors continue to live in their traditional homelands in the Owens River Valley and in Death Valley National Park.

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 and Tulare Counties.[8] 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 of Native Americans 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 Paiutes what the name of the mountains to the east was.

The local Paiutes responded that that was the land of Inyo. They meant by this that those lands belonged to the Shoshone tribe headed by a man whose name was Inyo. Inyo was the name of the headman of the Panamint band of Paiute-Shoshone people 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 local Paiute 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.

"Indian George", a fixture of many of the stories of early Death Valley days, was Inyo's son. Indian George's Shoshone name was "Bah-Vanda-Sa-Va-Nu-Kee", which means "The Boy Who Ran Away", a name he was given when he became terrified of the whites and their wheeled wagons and huge buffalo, none of which the Shoshone had ever seen before when they came wandering down Furnace Creek Wash in December 1849. In 1940, when Bah-vanda was around 100 years old, JC Boyles, a Panamint Shoshone who had become educated, came back to the Panamint Valley and interviewed Bah-Vanda at length about the early days of his life, including the events of 1849, and it is in this interview (which can be found in the February 1940 issue of The Desert Magazine) that Bah-vanda refers to his father, Inyo.

In order to provide water needs for 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 further upriver into the Mono Basin.

Natural history

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

• Mount Whitney, with an elevation of 14,505 feet (4,421 m), is the highest point in the contiguous United States, the 12th highest peak in the U.S., and the 24th highest peak in North America.
• Badwater Basin, in Death Valley, the lowest point in North America
• Methuselah, an ancient Bristlecone pine tree and one of the oldest living trees on Earth
• Owens Valley, the deepest valley on the American continents
• Two mountain ranges exceeding 14,000 feet (4,300 m) in elevation: The Sierra Nevada and the White Mountains
• Ten of California's twelve peaks which exceed 14,000 feet (a Fourteener) in elevation; the isolated Mount Shasta in northern California, and White Mountain Peak in neighboring Mono County, are the only California 14ers not (at least partly) in Inyo County
• The largest escarpment in the United States, rising from the floor of Death Valley to the top of Telescope Peak in the Panamint Range

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.[9] 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

• Camp Lake
• Cottonwood Lakes
• Diaz Lake
• Dingleberry Lake
• Granite Lake
• Inconsolable Lake
• Loch Leven
• Mills Lake
• Pee Wee Lake
• Robinson Lake
• Rock Creek Lake
• Lake Sabrina
• Weir Lake
• Wishbone Lake

National protected areas

• Death Valley National Park (part)
• Inyo National Forest (part)
• Manzanar National Historic Site

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:

• Argus Range Wilderness
• Coso Range Wilderness
• Darwin Falls Wilderness
• Death Valley Wilderness (part)
• Funeral Mountains Wilderness
• Golden Trout Wilderness (part)
• Ibex Wilderness
• Inyo Mountains Wilderness (part)
• John Muir Wilderness (part)
• Malpais Mesa Wilderness
• Manly Peak Wilderness
• Nopah Range Wilderness
• Owens Peak Wilderness (part)
• Pahrump Valley Wilderness (part)
• Piper Mountain Wilderness
• Resting Spring Range Wilderness
• Sacatar Trail Wilderness (part)
• Saddle Peak Hills Wilderness (part)
• South Nopah Range Wilderness
• South Sierra Wilderness (part)
• Surprise Canyon Wilderness
• Sylvania Mountains Wilderness

Death Valley National Park

Main article: Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park is a mostly arid United States National Park located 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.[10] 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.[10]

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 279 feet (85 m) below sea level.[11] 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.[12] 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

• Alabama Hills Recreation Area
• Last Chance Meadow Research Natural Area
• California Bighorn Sheep Zoological Area

In popular culture

In 1993, Inyo County was filmed in Joshua Tree, starring Dolph Lundgren and George Segal.

Demographics

2011

Population, race, and income
Total population[13]	18,457
White[13]	14,339	77.7%
Black or African American[13]	204	1.1%
American Indian or Alaska Native[13]	1,846	10.0%
Asian[13]	271	1.5%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander[13]	66	0.4%
Some other race[13]	1,374	7.4%
Two or more races[13]	357	1.9%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)[14]	3,445	18.7%
Per capita income[15]	$27,532
Median household income[16]	$49,571
Median family income[17]	$68,204

Places by population, race, and income

Places by population and race
Place	Type[18]	Population[13]	White[13]	Other[13] [note 1]	Asian[13]	Black or African American[13]	Native American[13] [note 2]	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)[14]
Big Pine	CDP	1,563	77.4%	7.8%	1.5%	1.0%	12.3%	11.5%
Bishop	City	3,839	78.5%	17.6%	2.6%	0.1%	1.2%	31.2%
Cartago	CDP	84	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Darwin	CDP	32	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek	CDP	2,800	86.1%	11.3%	0.0%	0.0%	2.5%	23.0%
Furnace Creek	CDP	115	79.1%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	20.9%	8.7%
Homewood Canyon	CDP	79	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Independence	CDP	520	73.8%	7.1%	0.6%	2.1%	16.3%	7.9%
Keeler	CDP	88	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Lone Pine	CDP	2,076	79.1%	5.3%	3.0%	1.3%	11.2%	18.3%
Mesa	CDP	442	77.4%	17.0%	5.7%	0.0%	0.0%	16.1%
Olancha	CDP	245	52.2%	47.8%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	38.8%
Pearsonville	CDP	6	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Round Valley	CDP	396	87.4%	4.5%	0.5%	0.0%	7.6%	14.6%
Shoshone	CDP	36	94.4%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	5.6%	8.3%
Tecopa	CDP	98	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	5.1%
Trona	CDP	0	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Valley Wells	CDP	0	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
West Bishop	CDP	3,019	89.7%	4.1%	1.5%	4.3%	0.4%	15.8%
Wilkerson	CDP	484	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%

Places by population and income
Place	Type[18]	Population[19]	Per capita income[15]	Median household income[16]	Median family income[17]
Big Pine	CDP	1,563	$28,276	$63,269	$75,500
Bishop	City	3,839	$27,205	$34,258	$61,574
Cartago	CDP	84	$37,211	$44,293	[20]
Darwin	CDP	32	$18,525	$33,929	[20]
Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek	CDP	2,800	$26,640	$56,620	$68,385
Furnace Creek	CDP	115	$30,670	$31,000	$92,813
Homewood Canyon	CDP	79	$5,525	$15,347	[20]
Independence	CDP	520	$26,418	$43,750	$64,044
Keeler	CDP	88	$20,125	$14,821	$14,565
Lone Pine	CDP	2,076	$20,995	$35,938	$48,214
Mesa	CDP	442	$31,341	$62,014	$64,063
Olancha	CDP	245	$20,648	$37,250	$102,802
Pearsonville	CDP	6	[20]	[20]	[20]
Round Valley	CDP	396	$34,338	$75,341	$83,125
Shoshone	CDP	36	$22,358	$41,250	$41,250
Tecopa	CDP	98	$17,664	$22,188	$21,875
Trona	CDP	0	[20]	[20]	[20]
Valley Wells	CDP	0	[20]	[20]	[20]
West Bishop	CDP	3,019	$33,802	$79,219	$95,208
Wilkerson	CDP	484	$34,174	$49,167	$71,875

2010

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1870	1,956		—
1880	2,928		49.7%
1890	3,544		21.0%
1900	4,377		23.5%
1910	6,974		59.3%
1920	7,031		0.8%
1930	6,555		−6.8%
1940	7,625		16.3%
1950	11,658		52.9%
1960	11,684		0.2%
1970	15,571		33.3%
1980	17,895		14.9%
1990	18,281		2.2%
2000	17,945		−1.8%
2010	18,546		3.3%
Est. 2019	18,039	[6]	−2.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[21] 1790–1960[22] 1900–1990[23] 1990–2000[24] 2010–2015[5]

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%).[25]

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)
Inyo County	18,546	13,741	109	2,121	243	16	1,676	640	3,597
Incorporated city	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Bishop	3,879	2,867	22	91	61	1	723	114	1,200
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)
Big Pine	1,756	1,192	3	438	13	1	52	57	182
Cartago	92	63	0	7	0	0	11	11	16
Darwin	43	38	0	2	1	1	0	1	2
Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek	2,645	2,287	6	32	47	3	215	55	493
Furnace Creek	24	6	0	16	0	0	0	2	0
Homewood Canyon	44	37	0	0	0	0	5	2	6
Independence	669	493	6	98	8	1	28	35	93
Keeler	66	63	0	0	2	0	0	1	6
Lone Pine	2,035	1,334	6	205	17	1	376	96	694
Mesa	251	220	0	10	3	0	14	4	26
Olancha	192	133	0	4	8	0	38	9	47
Pearsonville	17	16	0	0	0	0	1	0	1
Round Valley	435	333	38	21	3	0	27	13	69
Shoshone	31	28	1	1	0	0	0	1	0
Tecopa	150	119	1	8	2	0	1	19	8
Trona	18	18	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Valley Wells	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
West Bishop	2,607	2,373	10	28	45	1	72	78	261
Wilkerson	563	524	0	13	5	1	5	15	53
Other unincorporated areas	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)	3,029	1,597	16	1,147	28	6	108	127	440

2000

At the 2000 census,[26] there were 17,945 people, 7,703 households and 4,937 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 per square mile (1/km²). There were 9,042 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile (0/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

Population and registered voters
Total population[13]	18,457
Registered voters[27][note 3]	9,922	53.8%
Democratic[27]	3,066	30.9%
Republican[27]	4,271	43.0%
Democratic–Republican spread[27]	-1,205	-12.1%
American Independent[27]	414	4.2%
Green[27]	88	0.9%
Libertarian[27]	79	0.8%
Peace and Freedom[27]	29	0.3%
Americans Elect[27]	0	0.0%
Other[27]	46	0.5%
No party preference[27]	1,929	19.4%

Cities by population and voter registration

Cities by population and voter registration
City	Population[13]	Registered voters[27] [note 3]	Democratic[27]	Republican[27]	D–R spread[27]	Other[27]	No party preference[27]
Bishop	3,839	42.9%	31.4%	40.3%	-8.9%	10.4%	21.7%

Overview

Inyo is a strongly Republican county in Presidential and congressional elections. The last Democrat to win a majority in the county was Lyndon Johnson in 1964.

Presidential elections results

Inyo County vote
by party in presidential elections[28]

Year	GOP	DEM	Others
2016	51.94% 4,248	38.57% 3,155	9.48% 776
2012	54.01% 4,340	42.58% 3,422	3.41% 274
2008	52.88% 4,523	43.76% 3,743	3.37% 288
2004	59.09% 5,091	38.88% 3,350	2.03% 175
2000	60.31% 4,713	33.93% 2,652	5.76% 450
1996	51.84% 3,924	34.36% 2,601	13.79% 1,044
1992	43.58% 3,689	31.84% 2,695	24.58% 2,080
1988	64.34% 5,042	33.85% 2,653	1.81% 142
1984	70.32% 5,863	28.30% 2,360	1.38% 115
1980	64.79% 5,201	25.91% 2,080	9.30% 746
1976	58.23% 3,905	39.29% 2,635	2.48% 166
1972	68.07% 4,873	28.02% 2,006	3.91% 280
1968	54.45% 3,641	34.60% 2,314	10.95% 732
1964	46.51% 2,751	53.44% 3,161	0.05% 3
1960	54.65% 2,962	45.07% 2,443	0.28% 15
1956	66.19% 3,524	33.47% 1,782	0.34% 18
1952	68.87% 3,819	30.62% 1,698	0.50% 28
1948	55.79% 2,135	40.21% 1,539	4.00% 153
1944	50.64% 1,699	49.09% 1,647	0.27% 9
1940	44.53% 1,483	54.65% 1,820	0.81% 27
1936	36.47% 912	62.38% 1,560	1.16% 29
1932	30.91% 698	64.61% 1,459	4.47% 101
1928	57.37% 1,206	40.96% 861	1.67% 35
1924	47.52% 950	12.81% 256	39.67% 793
1920	57.20% 1,195	32.65% 682	10.15% 212
1916	41.96% 846	47.92% 966	10.12% 204
1912	0.49% 8	49.54% 806	49.97% 813
1908	40.94% 583	43.40% 618	15.66% 223
1904	55.73% 452	28.48% 231	15.78% 128
1900	42.35% 396	54.01% 505	3.64% 34
1896	34.01% 286	63.26% 532	2.73% 23
1892	51.13% 409	33.25% 266	15.63% 125

In the California State Legislature, Inyo County is in the 8th Senate District, represented by Republican Andreas Borgeas,[3] and the 26th Assembly District, represented by Republican Devon Mathis.[29]

The county is in California's 8th congressional district, represented by Republican Paul Cook.[30]

On November 4, 2008, Inyo County voted 60.4% for Proposition 8 which amended the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages.

Crime

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[13]	18,457
Violent crime[31]	80	4.33
Homicide[31]	2	0.11
Forcible rape[31]	11	0.60
Robbery[31]	7	0.38
Aggravated assault[31]	60	3.25
Property crime[31]	154	8.34
Burglary[31]	75	4.06
Larceny-theft[31][note 4]	177	9.59
Motor vehicle theft[31]	18	0.98
Arson[31]	1	0.05

Cities by population and crime rates

Cities by population and crime rates
City	Population[32]	Violent crimes[32]	Violent crime rate per 1,000 persons	Property crimes[32]	Property crime rate per 1,000 persons
Bishop	3,900	16	4.10	137	35.13

County Sheriffs

• W. A. Greenly (22 Mar 1866- 7 Nov 1867)
• William A. Moore (7 Nov 1867- 7 Nov 1875)
• Thomas Passmore (7 Nov 1875- 10 Feb 1878)- Killed On Duty
• William A. Moore (10 Feb 1878- 4 Jul 1879) - Killed On Duty
• Samuel S. Gregg (4 Jul 1879- 7 Nov 1888)
• Fred Charles Scott (7 Nov 1888- 7 Nov 1896)
• Charles Albert Collins ( 7 Nov 1896- 7 Nov 1916)
• Boone Newett (7 Nov 1916- 7 Nov 1918)
• Frank Logan (7 Nov 1918- 7 Nov 1924)
• Charles Albert Collins (7 Nov 1924-7 Nov 1926)
• Tom Hutchinson (7 Nov 1926- 7 Nov 1934)
• Emmett L. Shay (7 Nov 1934- 7 Nov 1942)
• Charles P. Cline (7 Nov 1942- 7 Nov 1954)
• Merrill Howard (7 Nov 1954- 7 Nov 1960)
• Merrill Franklin Culbertson (7 Nov 1960- 7 Nov 1962)
• Merrill L. Curtis (7 Nov 1962- 7 Nov 1970)
• Floyd Barton (7 Nov 1970- 7 Nov 1982)
• Floyd Tidwell (7 Nov 1982- 7 Nov 1984)
• Don Dorsey (7 Nov 1984- 7 Nov 1996)
• Dan Lucas ( 7 Nov 1996- 7 Nov 2006)
• William R. "Bill " Lutze (7 Nov 2006- )

Education

School districts in Inyo County are:

• Big Pine Unified School District
• Bishop Unified School District
• Bishop Union High School District
• Bishop Union Elementary School District
• Death Valley Unified School District
• Lone Pine Unified School District
• Owens Valley Unified School District
• Round Valley School District

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

Notable locations

• Mushroom Rock
• Five Bridges
• Mount Whitney
• Death Valley National Park
• Badwater Basin
• Lake Manly (Sometimes)
• Furnace Creek, California (Hottest air temperature ever recorded here in 1913 at 134.6 °F (57.0 °C). In July 1972, a ground temperature of 201 °F (94 °C) was measured in Furnace Creek. This may be the highest natural ground surface temperature ever recorded.)

Transportation

Major highways

• U.S. Route 6
• U.S. Route 395
• State Route 127
• State Route 136
• State Route 168
• State Route 178
• State Route 190

Public transportation

Eastern Sierra Transit Authority operates intercity bus service along US 395, as well as local services in Bishop. Service extends south to Ridgecrest (Kern County) and north to Reno, Nevada.

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

The Inyo County Court House in Independence

Cities

• Bishop

Census-designated places

• Big Pine
• Cartago
• Darwin
• Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek
• Furnace Creek
• Homewood Canyon
• Independence (county seat)
• Keeler
• Lone Pine
• Mesa
• Olancha
• Pearsonville
• Round Valley
• Shoshone
• Tecopa
• Trona
• Valley Wells
• West Bishop
• Wilkerson

Other unincorporated communities

• Calvada Springs
• Deep Springs
• Laws

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Inyo County.[33]

† 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[34]	AIAN	1,588
7	† Independence	CDP	669
8	Wilkerson	CDP	563
9	Big Pine Reservation[35]	AIAN	499
10	Round Valley	CDP	435
11	Mesa	CDP	251
12	Lone Pine Reservation[36]	AIAN	212
13	Olancha	CDP	192
14	Tecopa	CDP	150
15	Fort Independence Reservation[37]	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[38]	AIAN	24
22	Trona	CDP	18
23	Pearsonville	CDP	17
24	Valley Wells	CDP	0 (permanent)

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Inyo County, California

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. 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. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
2. "Inyo County Representatives". County of Inyo. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
3. "Communities of Interest — County". California Citizens Redistricting Commission. Archived from the original on October 23, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
4. "Mount Whitney". Peakbagger.com. Archived from the original on April 10, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
5. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
6. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Archived from the original on May 4, 2018. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
7. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
8. California, Theodore Henry Hittell, The general laws of the State of California, from 1850 to 1864, H.H. Bancroft, San Francisco, 1865. p.190. Books.google.com. 1865. Retrieved November 5, 2011.
9. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
10. National Park Index (2001–2003), p. 26
11. "USGS National Elevation Dataset (NED) 1 meter Downloadable Data Collection from The National Map 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) - National Geospatial Data Asset (NGDA) National Elevation Data Set (NED)". United States Geological Survey. September 21, 2015. Archived from the original on March 25, 2019. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
12. NPS website, "Backcountry Roads"
13. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001. U.S. Census website . Retrieved 2013-10-26.
14. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B03003. U.S. Census website . Retrieved 2013-10-26.
15. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301. U.S. Census website . Retrieved 2013-10-21.
16. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013. U.S. Census website . Retrieved 2013-10-21.
17. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113. U.S. Census website . Retrieved 2013-10-21.
18. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. U.S. Census website . Retrieved 2013-10-21.
19. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003. U.S. Census website . Retrieved 2013-10-21.
20. Data unavailable
21. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
22. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on May 30, 2019. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
23. 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.
24. "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.
25. "2010 Census P.L. 94-171 Summary File Data". United States Census Bureau.
26. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
27. California Secretary of State. February 10, 2013 – Report of Registration Archived July 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2013-10-31.
28. 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.
29. "Members Assembly". State of California. Archived from the original on April 24, 2013. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
30. "California's 8th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
31. 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.
32. 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.
33. Promotions, Center for New Media and. "US Census Bureau 2010 Census". census.gov. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
34. Staff, Website Services & Coordination. "US Census Bureau 2010 Census Interactive Population Map". census.gov. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
35. Staff, Website Services & Coordination. "US Census Bureau 2010 Census Interactive Population Map". census.gov. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
36. 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.
37. Staff, Website Services & Coordination. "US Census Bureau 2010 Census Interactive Population Map". census.gov. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
38. 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

• Inyo County travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Official website
• Inyo County Office of Education
• Inyo County Tourism website
• Eastern California Museum
• Fossils In Death Valley National Park
• Ammonoids At Union Wash, California A page dedicated to the 248 million year-old fossil cephalopods (ammonoids) that occur at Union Wash, along the western flanks of the Inyo Mountains near Lone Pine.
• Paleozoic Era Fossils At Mazourka Canyon, Inyo County, California Visit a productive fossil-bearing area near Independence—along the east side of the Owens Valley, with the great Sierra Nevada as a dramatic backdrop—a paleontologically fascinating place that yields a great assortment of invertebrate animal remains.