Trinity County, California

Trinity County is a county in the northwestern part of the state of California. Trinity County is rugged, mountainous, heavily forested, and lies along the Trinity River within the Salmon and Klamath Mountains. It is also one of three counties in California with no incorporated cities.[4]

Trinity County, California
County
County of Trinity
Images, from top down, left to right: Weaverville Historic District, Hayfork Creek, Trinity Lake, Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park
Seal
Location in the state of California
California's location in the United States
Country	United States
State	California
Region	North Coast
Incorporated	February 18, 1850[1]
Named for	Trinity River
County seat	Weaverville
Largest community	Weaverville
Area
• Total	8,310 km^2 (3,208 sq mi)
• Land	8,230 km^2 (3,179 sq mi)
• Water	70 km^2 (28 sq mi)
Population  (April 1, 2010)[2]
• Total	13,786
• Estimate  (2019)[3]	12,285
• Density	1.7/km^2 (4.3/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific Time Zone)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Area code	530
FIPS code	06-105
GNIS feature ID	277317
Website	www.trinitycounty.org

Weaverville has the distinction of housing some of California's oldest buildings. The courthouse, built in 1856, is the second oldest in the state, and the Weaverville Drug Store has been filling prescriptions since 1852. The Joss House is a historic Taoist temple built in 1873.

As of the 2010 census, the population was 13,786,[2] making it the fourth least-populous county in California. The county seat and largest community is Weaverville.[5]

History

The county takes its name from the Trinity River, named in 1845 by Major Pierson B. Reading, who was under the mistaken impression that the river emptied into Trinidad Bay. Trinity is the English translation of Trinidad.

Trinity County was one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood. Parts of the county were given to Klamath County in 1852 and to Humboldt County in 1853.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,208 square miles (8,310 km²), of which 3,179 square miles (8,230 km²) is land and 28 square miles (73 km²) (0.9%) is water.[6] The county contains a significant portion of Shasta-Trinity National Forest and the Trinity Alps Wilderness--the second largest wilderness in California.

The county hosts many visitors, especially during summer months, for camping, backpacking, boating on the lakes, rafting/kayaking on the rivers, hunting, and fishing. The summers tend to be clear, sunny, warm, and very dry, with little rain from June to September except for some mountain thunderstorms in the highest elevations. The winters tend to have copious precipitation, falling mostly as rain under 1000m/3300 ft in the valley bottoms, and mostly as snow over 1000m/3300 ft on the mountainsides. December, January, and February are the wettest. Kalmia Lake, at nearly 7500 feet in the Canyon Creek area of the Trinity Alps, is reputed to be the snowiest place in California, outpacing Lake Helen in Mount Lassen National Park, which receives 600-700 inches of snow each winter. Average snowfall in the populated parts of the county ranges from 0-5 inches in the lower Trinity Valley to at least 100 inches in places above 4000 feet, such as Indian Valley west of Hayfork.

There is an extensive wild river and stream system, and the terrain is quite rugged and forested, with the highest point at Mount Eddy, over 9,000 ft (2,700 m). The Klamath Mountains occupy the vast portion of the county.

Adjacent counties

• Siskiyou County - north
• Shasta County - east
• Tehama County - southeast
• Mendocino County - south
• Humboldt County - west

National protected areas

• Shasta-Trinity National Forest (part)[7]
• Six Rivers National Forest (part)[8]
• Mendocino National Forest (part)[9]
• Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area (part)[10]
• Trinity Alps Wilderness (part)[11]
• Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness (part)[12]

Politics

Trinity was a Republican-leaning county in Presidential and congressional elections until recently; now it is a tossup. No Democrat had won the county since Jimmy Carter in 1976 until Barack Obama defeated John McCain by a 4% margin (50% to 46%) in 2008. In 2012, the county again voted Republican, but narrowly. Voter registration reflects this trend, with Democratic and Republican registration in a near dead heat (D: 2,710, R: 2,716). Third-party candidates tend to do rather well in Trinity County: George Wallace got over 13% of the county's vote in 1968, and it was the only California county carried by Ross Perot in 1992. It was also Perot's best performance in the state in 1996, although he didn't carry it again. John Anderson also did very well in 1980, as did third-party candidates in 2016.

Presidential elections results

Trinity County vote
by party in presidential elections[13]

Year	GOP	DEM	Others
2016	48.62% 2,812	38.28% 2,214	13.10% 758
2012	47.33% 2,716	46.59% 2,674	6.08% 349
2008	45.72% 2,940	50.28% 3,233	4.00% 257
2004	54.66% 3,560	42.71% 2,782	2.63% 171
2000	57.62% 3,340	33.33% 1,932	9.06% 525
1996	42.93% 2,530	37.38% 2,203	19.69% 1,160
1992	31.28% 1,886	32.63% 1,967	36.09% 2,176
1988	54.63% 3,267	42.11% 2,518	3.26% 195
1984	59.71% 3,544	37.37% 2,218	2.91% 173
1980	54.96% 3,048	31.27% 1,734	13.77% 764
1976	45.66% 1,989	49.86% 2,172	4.48% 195
1972	50.75% 1,868	44.04% 1,621	5.22% 192
1968	43.12% 1,426	43.33% 1,433	13.54% 448
1964	36.41% 1,252	63.25% 2,175	0.35% 12
1960	38.35% 1,418	61.17% 2,262	0.49% 18
1956	50.42% 1,447	48.99% 1,406	0.59% 17
1952	57.14% 1,697	41.82% 1,242	1.04% 31
1948	45.08% 975	48.68% 1,053	6.24% 135
1944	42.22% 567	57.33% 770	0.45% 6
1940	34.79% 780	63.83% 1,431	1.38% 31
1936	30.87% 655	67.11% 1,424	2.03% 43
1932	21.09% 318	73.01% 1,101	5.90% 89
1928	48.85% 447	47.32% 433	3.83% 35
1924	36.48% 336	16.72% 154	46.80% 431
1920	62.89% 622	28.82% 285	8.29% 82
1916	35.16% 424	54.81% 661	10.03% 121
1912	0.10% 1	46.29% 461	53.62% 534
1908	44.41% 393	37.40% 331	18.19% 161
1904	54.11% 467	35.69% 308	10.20% 88
1900	52.36% 544	46.68% 485	0.96% 10
1896	46.44% 502	50.42% 545	3.15% 34
1892	50.82% 495	46.92% 457	2.26% 22

Trinity County is in California's 2nd congressional district, represented by Democrat Jared Huffman.[14]

In the state legislature Trinity is in the 2nd Senate District, represented by Democrat Mike McGuire,[15] and the 2nd Assembly District, represented by Democrat Jim Wood.[16]

In 2010, Trinity County voted against Proposition 19, which would have taxed and regulated marijuana.

In 2016 Trinity County residents were asked again to vote on legalization of state-level recreational marijuana, facilitated by the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA), also known as California Proposition 64. The measure passed with 50.1% in favor of legalization.[17] Statewide, the measure passed with 57.1% of the vote.[18]

Voter registration statistics

Population and registered voters
Total population[19]	13,711
Registered voters[20][note 1]	7,846	57.2%
Democratic[20]	2,630	33.5%
Republican[20]	2,695	34.3%
Democratic–Republican spread[20]	-65	-0.8%
Independent[20]	376	4.8%
Green[20]	126	1.6%
Libertarian[20]	93	1.2%
Peace and Freedom[20]	33	0.4%
Americans Elect[20]	0	0.0%
Other[20]	100	1.3%
No party preference[20]	1,793	22.9%

Transportation

Major highways

• State Route 299[21]
• State Route 3[21]
• State Route 36[21]

Public transportation

Trinity Transit provides weekday intercity bus service on State Routes 3 and 299, with connecting service in Willow Creek and Redding. Service is also provided from Weaverville to Lewiston (MWF) and Hayfork (daily).

Airports

The county owns five general aviation airports: Trinity Center Airport, Weaverville Airport, Hayfork Airport, Hyampom Airport and Ruth Airport.

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[19]	13,711
Violent crime[22]	22	1.60
Homicide[22]	0	0.00
Forcible rape[22]	0	0.00
Robbery[22]	3	0.22
Aggravated assault[22]	19	1.39
Property crime[22]	123	8.97
Burglary[22]	60	4.38
Larceny-theft[22][note 2]	66	4.81
Motor vehicle theft[22]	26	1.90
Arson[22]	0	0.00

Demographics

2011

Population, race, and income
Total population[19]	13,711
White[19]	12,201	89.0%
Black or African American[19]	53	0.4%
American Indian or Alaska Native[19]	237	1.7%
Asian[19]	158	1.2%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander[19]	40	0.3%
Some other race[19]	130	0.9%
Two or more races[19]	892	6.5%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)[23]	924	6.7%
Per capita income[24]	$22,551
Median household income[25]	$37,672
Median family income[26]	$46,980

Places by population, race, and income

Places by population and race
Place	Type[27]	Population[19]	White[19]	Other[19] [note 3]	Asian[19]	Black or African American[19]	Native American[19] [note 4]	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)[23]
Burnt Ranch	CDP	293	92.8%	6.1%	0.0%	0.0%	1.0%	2.0%
Coffee Creek	CDP	219	96.3%	3.7%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	3.7%
Douglas City	CDP	647	87.6%	10.7%	1.4%	0.0%	0.3%	5.6%
Hayfork	CDP	2,063	83.9%	10.9%	3.6%	0.0%	1.6%	7.7%
Hyampom	CDP	190	71.1%	28.9%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Junction City	CDP	955	96.1%	3.4%	0.0%	0.0%	0.5%	5.1%
Lewiston	CDP	1,391	89.1%	6.8%	0.0%	0.0%	4.1%	5.6%
Mad River	CDP	391	90.8%	2.3%	0.0%	0.0%	6.9%	1.8%
Ruth	CDP	144	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Trinity Center	CDP	173	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Trinity Village	CDP	163	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Weaverville	CDP	3,703	92.1%	6.3%	0.0%	0.5%	1.1%	11.4%

Places by population and income
Place	Type[27]	Population[28]	Per capita income[24]	Median household income[25]	Median family income[26]
Burnt Ranch	CDP	293	$35,310	$28,929	$52,188
Coffee Creek	CDP	219	$27,940	$55,714	$36,607
Douglas City	CDP	647	$32,114	$41,042	$51,667
Hayfork	CDP	2,063	$18,017	$37,333	$52,976
Hyampom	CDP	190	$13,598	$25,729	$27,000
Junction City	CDP	955	$17,128	$36,250	$41,250
Lewiston	CDP	1,391	$23,990	$44,375	$50,250
Mad River	CDP	391	$13,773	$23,813	$52,589
Ruth	CDP	144	$24,099	$51,250	$73,000
Trinity Center	CDP	173	$24,619	$26,563	$28,125
Trinity Village	CDP	163	$15,528	$23,315	$23,438
Weaverville	CDP	3,703	$24,714	$42,337	$47,135

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Trinity County had a population of 13,786. The racial makeup of Trinity County was 12,033 (87.3%) White, 59 (0.4%) African American, 655 (4.8%) Native American, 94 (0.7%) Asian, 16 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 217 (1.6%) from other races, and 712 (5.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 959 persons (7.0%).[29]

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)
Trinity County	13,786	12,033	59	655	94	16	217	712	959
Census-designated places	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Burnt Ranch	281	241	0	15	4	0	1	20	19
Coffee Creek	217	198	0	5	5	0	3	6	16
Douglas City	713	639	0	22	8	2	13	29	47
Hayfork	2,368	1,999	4	162	8	2	38	155	189
Hyampom	241	199	0	20	0	0	7	15	19
Junction City	680	597	1	29	2	0	20	31	49
Lewiston	1,193	1,074	8	37	6	5	21	42	78
Mad River	420	383	1	11	1	0	7	17	21
Ruth	195	170	0	9	1	0	1	14	2
Trinity Center	267	249	0	7	1	3	2	5	11
Trinity Village	297	269	1	18	0	0	0	9	4
Weaverville	3,600	3,162	11	152	41	1	38	195	255
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)	3,314	2,853	33	168	17	3	66	174	249

2000

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1850	1,635		—
1860	5,125		213.5%
1870	3,213		−37.3%
1880	4,999		55.6%
1890	3,719		−25.6%
1900	4,383		17.9%
1910	3,301		−24.7%
1920	2,551		−22.7%
1930	2,809		10.1%
1940	3,970		41.3%
1950	5,087		28.1%
1960	9,706		90.8%
1970	7,615		−21.5%
1980	11,858		55.7%
1990	13,063		10.2%
2000	13,022		−0.3%
2010	13,786		5.9%
Est. 2019	12,285	[3]	−10.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[30] 1790-1960[31] 1900-1990[32] 1990-2000[33] 2010-2015[2]

As of the census[34] of 2000, there were 13,022 people, 5,587 households, and 3,625 families residing in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile (2/km²). There were 7,980 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 88.9% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 4.9% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.9% from other races, and 4.4% from two or more races. 4.0% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 16.1% were of German, 13.4% English, 12.1% Irish and 9.5% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 97.3% spoke English and 1.8% Spanish as their first language.

There were 5,587 households, out of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.80.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.8% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 32.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 104.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.6 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $27,711, and the median income for a family was $34,343. Males had a median income of $31,131 versus $24,271 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,868. About 14.1% of families and 18.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.2% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Census-designated places

• Burnt Ranch
• Coffee Creek
• Douglas City
• Hayfork
• Hyampom
• Junction City
• Lewiston
• Mad River
• Ruth
• Trinity Center
• Trinity Village
• Weaverville

Unincorporated communities

• Big Bar
• Peanut
• Salyer
• Zenia

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Trinity County.[35]

† county seat

Rank	City/Town/etc.	Municipal type	Population (2010 Census)
1	† Weaverville	CDP	3,600
2	Hayfork	CDP	2,368
3	Lewiston	CDP	1,193
4	Douglas City	CDP	713
5	Junction City	CDP	680
6	Mad River	CDP	420
7	Round Valley Reservation[36] (partially in Mendocino County)	AIAN	401
8	Trinity Village	CDP	297
9	Burnt Ranch	CDP	281
10	Trinity Center	CDP	267
11	Hyampom	CDP	241
12	Coffee Creek	CDP	217
13	Ruth	CDP	195

See also

• Hiking trails in Trinity County
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Trinity County, California
• Trinity Lakes American Viticultural Area
• Willow Creek American Viticultural Area

Notes

1. Percentage of registered voters with respect to total population. Percentages of party members with respect to registered voters follow.
2. Only larceny-theft cases involving property over $400 in value are reported as property crimes.
3. Other = Some other race + Two or more races
4. Native American = Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander + American Indian or Alaska Native

References

1. "Chronology". California State Association of Counties. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
2. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
3. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved July 31, 2019.
4. California State Association of Counties. "Cities Within Each County", ""California State Association of Counties"", Retrieved on 4 June 2018.
5. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
6. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
7. "Shasta-Trinity National Forest - Home". Fs.usda.gov. August 22, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
8. "Six Rivers National Forest - Home". Fs.usda.gov. August 24, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
9. "Mendocino National Forest - Home". Fs.usda.gov. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
10. "Shasta-Trinity National Forest - About the Forest". Fs.usda.gov. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
11. "Shasta-Trinity National Forest - Trinity Alps Wilderness". Fs.usda.gov. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
12. "Mendocino National Forest - Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness". Fs.usda.gov. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
13. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org.
14. "California's 2nd Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
15. "Senators". State of California. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
16. "Members Assembly". State of California. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
17. "CA Prop 64 state and county votes". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
18. "Ballotpedia California Prop 64 (2016)". Ballotpedia. Ballotpedia.com. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
19. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001. U.S. Census website. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
20. California Secretary of State. February 10, 2013 - Report of Registration Archived July 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2013-10-31.
21. Caltrans, State of California. "QuickMap". quickmap.dot.ca.gov.
22. 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.
23. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B03003. U.S. Census website. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
24. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301. U.S. Census website. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
25. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013. U.S. Census website. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
26. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113. U.S. Census website. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
27. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. U.S. Census website. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
28. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003. U.S. Census website. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
29. "2010 Census P.L. 94-171 Summary File Data". United States Census Bureau.
30. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
31. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
32. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
33. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
34. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
35. CNMP, US Census Bureau. "This site has been redesigned and relocated. - U.S. Census Bureau". www.census.gov.
36. Staff, Website Services & Coordination. "2010 Census Interactive Population Map (Text Version) - U.S. Census Bureau". www.census.gov.

External links

• Official website
• VisitTrinity: Visitors Bureau
• Trinity County Chamber Of Commerce