Modoc County, California

Coordinates: 41°36′N 120°43′W / 41.60°N 120.72°W

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Modoc County, California
County
County of Modoc
From top down, left to right: Pit River Valley, Eagle Peak, Fandango Pass overlooking Surprise Valley
Seal
Interactive map of Modoc County
Location in the U.S. state of California
Country	United States
State	California
Region	Shasta Cascade
Incorporated	February 17, 1874
Named for	the Modoc people
County seat	Alturas
Largest city	Alturas
Government
• Type	Council–CEO
• Chair	Kathie Rhoads
• Vice Chair	Shane Starr
• Board of Supervisors^[1]	Supervisors Ned Coe Shane Starr Kathie Rhoads Elizabeth Cavasso Geri Byrne
• County Administrative Officer	Chester Robertson
Area
• Total	4,203 sq mi (10,890 km²)
• Land	3,918 sq mi (10,150 km²)
• Water	286 sq mi (740 km²)
Highest elevation	9,892 ft (3,015 m)
Population (April 1, 2020)^[2]
• Total	8,700
• Density	2.1/sq mi (0.80/km²)
GDP ^[3]
• Total	$0.580 billion (2022)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific Time Zone)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Congressional district	1st
Website	www.co.modoc.ca.us

Modoc County (/ˈmoʊdɒk/ ^ⓘ) is a county located in the far northeast corner of the U.S. state of California. Its population is 8,700 as of the 2020 census, down from 9,686 from the 2010 census. This makes it California's third-least-populous county. The county seat and only incorporated city is Alturas.^[4] Previous County seats include Lake City and Centerville. The county borders Nevada and Oregon. Much of Modoc County is federal land. Several federal agencies, including the United States Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, have employees assigned to the area, and their operations are a significant part of its economy and services. The county's official slogans include "The last best place" and "Where the West still lives".^[5]

History

Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the region, varying cultures of Native Americans inhabited the county for thousands of years. At the time of European encounter, the Modoc people lived in what is now northern California, near Lost River and Tule Lake. The county was named after them.^[6]^: 216 The Achomawi (or Pit River Indians, for which the Pit River is named), and the Paiute also lived in the area.^[6]^: 216 To the north were the Klamath in present-day Oregon.

The first European explorers to visit Modoc County were the American John C. Frémont and his traveling party (including Kit Carson) in 1846, who had departed from Sutter's Fort near the confluence of the American and Sacramento Rivers (where Sacramento stands today).^[6]^: 216

The northern boundary of California, and eventually Modoc County, had been established as the 42nd parallel since the time of Mexican possession. In the absence of a reliable survey of the 120th meridian, the eastern boundary of northern California was a subject of contention before Modoc County formed. The Territory of Utah requested jurisdiction to the summit of the Sierra Nevada. At the time, the Warner Mountains were believed to be a part of the Sierra Nevada, so this would have included Surprise Valley, but California denied the request.^[7]^: 76–77

In 1856, the residents of Honey Lake Valley reckoned the 120th meridian to be west of their valley, placing them in Utah territory, and attempted to secede and form a territory they called Nataqua. Nataqua would have included Modoc County.^[8] In 1858, the Territory of Nevada, with its capital now in Carson City, seceded from Utah, and assumed jurisdiction to the summit of the Sierra Nevada until the 120th meridian was surveyed in 1863.^[7]^: 76–77 After Nevada was granted statehood in 1864, the region of current Modoc County was placed within jurisdiction of Shasta County, California, and Siskiyou County was, in turn, generated from Shasta County in 1852.^[9]

Increasing traffic on the emigrant trail, unprovoked militia raids on innocent Modoc, and a cycle of retaliatory raids increased a cycle of violence between settlers and the tribes in the area.^[6]^: 217 In 1864, the Klamath, Modoc and Yahooskin band of the Shoshone signed a treaty ceding lands in both Oregon and California, and the tribes were colocated on the Klamath Reservation. Harassed by the Klamath, traditional competitors, a band of Modoc led by Captain Jack returned to California and the Tule Lake area.

The Modoc War or Lava Beds War of 1872-73 brought nationwide attention to the Modoc. From strong defensive positions in the lava tubes, 52 Modoc warriors held off hundreds of US Army forces, who called in artillery to help.^[6]^{: 218–219} Peace talks in 1873 stalled when the Modoc wanted their own reservation in California. Warriors urged killing the peace commissioners, thinking the Americans would then leave, and Captain Jack and others shot and killed General Edward Canby and Rev. Eleazer Thomas, as well as wounding others. More Army troops were called in to lay siege to Captain Jack's Stronghold.^[10] Dissension arose, and some Modoc surrendered. Finally, most were captured, and those responsible for the assassinations were tried and executed. More than 150 Modoc were transported to Indian Territory as prisoners of war.^[6]^: 219 The area has since been designated the Lava Beds National Monument.

Settlement of the county began in earnest in the 1870s, with the timber, gold, agriculture, and railroad industries bringing most of the settlers into the area. The county was a crossroads for the Lassen Applegate Trail, which brought settlers north from Nevada to the Oregon Trail and south to trails leading into California's central valley. Early settlers included the Dorris, Belli, Essex, Scherer, Trumbo, Flournoy, Polander, Rice and Campbell families.

Modoc County was formed when Governor Newton Booth signed an Act of the California Legislature on February 17, 1874, after residents of the Surprise Valley region lobbied for the creation of a new county from eastern Siskiyou County land.^[6]^: 216 The county residents considered naming the newly formed county after Canby, whom the Modoc had killed the previous year in an ambush at peace talks. The name Summit was also considered, but the populace eventually settled on Modoc. The war was over and 153 of Captain Jack's band had been transported to Indian Territory as prisoners.^[9]

The Dorris Bridge post office opened in 1871^[11] and was renamed Dorrisville in 1874. Due to its central location, it became the county seat when Modoc County formed that year, although both Adin and Cedarville were larger towns.^[7]^: 84 In 1876, it was renamed Alturas, Spanish for "The Heights".^[12] The 1880 census showed a population of 148. Settlement continued for the next 20 years, until the city was officially incorporated on September 16, 1901 (the county's only incorporated city).

Tule Lake Segregation Center historical marker

During World War II, the US government developed several thousand acres just south of Newell as a Japanese American internment camp. Tule Lake War Relocation Center was the site of temporary exile for thousands of Japanese-American citizens, who lost most of their businesses and properties where they had formerly lived in coastal areas. A historical marker marks the site along California State Route 139 in Newell. Tule Lake was the largest of the "segregation camps." On November 8, 2005, Senator Dianne Feinstein called for the camp to be designated a National Historic Landmark. In December 2008 President George W. Bush designated it one of nine sites to be part of the new World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, now the Tule Lake National Monument.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Modoc County spans a total area of 4,203 square miles (10,890 km²), of which 3,918 square miles (10,150 km²) is land, with 286 square miles (740 km²) (6.8%) water.^[13] There are 2.25 persons per square mile, making Modoc one of the least-populated counties in the state of California. In terms of its county lines, Modoc is one of the only nearly-rectangular counties in California; a slight deviation occurs around the Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

Geologically, Modoc County is quite unique. The area's tumultuous seismic past has set the stage for a productive, diverse regional ecology today; a rich soil composition, largely created by ancient volcanoes dispersing vast amounts of minerals, stands out from the typically bland, clay-heavy terrain common in the American west. To the northwest of the county lies Medicine Lake—the largest shield volcano on the U.S. West Coast—and Lava Beds National Monument. In west Modoc County is the massive Glass Mountain, another ancient lava flow. The southwestern quadrant of the county is a unique ecosystem of isolated hardwoods (oaks) and volcanic mountains with intermountain river valleys.

The northern half of the county is primarily the Modoc Plateau, a 1-mile-high (1.6 km) expanse of lava flows, cinder cones, Juniper flats, pine forests and seasonal lakes, including the alkaline waters of Goose Lake. Nearly 1 million acres (4,000 km²) of the Modoc National Forest lie on the plateau between Medicine Lake, to the west, and the Warner Mountains, to the east.

A great diversity of plants are found in Modoc County. As it is situated within the biodiverse California Floristic Province, many native trees are found in the county, including Garry oak (Quercus garryana) and Washoe pine (Pinus washoensis).^[14] Pinus jeffreyi and P. ponderosa (the Jeffrey and ponderosa pines, respectively) are also found in substantial groves.^[15] The rich plant life supports substantial populations of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus canadensis) and pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), as well as several herds of wild horses (Equus ferus). Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Long Bell State Game Refuge are located on the plateau, as well. The Lost River, which later drains into the Klamath River basin, drains the northern part of the plateau; southern watersheds either collect in basin reservoirs or flow into the Big Sage Reservoir, in the center of the county (which later flows into the Pit River).

Below the rim of the plateau, in the extreme southwest corner of the county, are Big Valley and Warm Springs Valley, which form the bottom of the Pit River watershed that flows through the county. The Pit River's northern and southern forks come together just south of Alturas; the river collects hundreds of other small creeks on its trajectory south towards Shasta Lake, where it joins the Sacramento River and ultimately drains into San Francisco Bay. The eastern edge of the county is dominated by the Warner Mountains. The Pit River originates in this mountain range. Hundreds of alpine lakes dot the range, all of which are fed by snowmelt and natural springs. East of the Warner Range is Surprise Valley and the western edge of the Great Basin.

Hot springs and lava caves are unique to Modoc County. There is potential for some geothermal energy resources in the county, though the viability is highly variable.

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Lava Beds National Monument (part)
Modoc National Forest (part)
Shasta National Forest (part)
Modoc National Wildlife Refuge (part)
Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge (part)
Tule Lake Unit, World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument (part)

Demographics

2020

**Modoc County, California – Racial and ethnic composition**
*Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.*
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000^[16]	Pop 2010^[17]	Pop 2020^[18]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	7,663	7,649	6,446	81.10%	78.97%	74.09%
Black or African American alone (NH)	59	77	66	0.62%	0.79%	0.76%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	340	293	387	3.60%	3.02%	4.45%
Asian alone (NH)	58	70	61	0.61%	0.72%	0.70%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	7	21	13	0.07%	0.22%	0.15%
Other Race alone (NH)	26	14	56	0.28%	0.14%	0.64%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	208	220	412	2.20%	2.27%	4.74%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	1,088	1,342	1,259	11.51%	13.86%	14.47%
Total	9,449	9,686	8,700	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

2011

Population, race, and income
Total population^[19]	9,587
White^[19]	8,392	87.5%
Black or African American^[19]	108	1.1%
American Indian or Alaska Native^[19]	327	3.4%
Asian^[19]	73	0.8%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander^[19]	8	0.1%
Some other race^[19]	389	4.1%
Two or more races^[19]	290	3.0%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)^[20]	1,290	13.5%
Per capita income^[21]	$20,769
Median household income^[22]	$35,402
Median family income^[23]	$46,047

Places by population, race, and income

Places by population and race
Place	Type^[24]	Population^[19]	White^[19]	Other^[19] ^{[note 1]}	Asian^[19]	Black or African American^[19]	Native American^[19] ^{[note 2]}	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)^[20]
Adin	CDP	418	96.7%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	3.3%	2.2%
Alturas	City	2,813	86.8%	5.4%	1.6%	1.3%	4.8%	6.9%
California Pines	CDP	105	81.0%	19.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	3.8%
Canby	CDP	480	62.3%	19.4%	0.0%	10.4%	7.9%	20.8%
Cedarville	CDP	545	85.3%	12.8%	0.4%	0.0%	1.5%	20.2%
Daphnedale Park	CDP	35	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Eagleville	CDP	53	86.8%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	13.2%	0.0%
Fort Bidwell	CDP	151	39.1%	1.3%	2.0%	0.0%	57.6%	1.3%
Lake City	CDP	66	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Likely	CDP	100	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Lookout	CDP	5	0.0%	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Newell	CDP	473	88.6%	5.5%	4.2%	0.0%	1.7%	50.3%
New Pine Creek	CDP	104	93.3%	6.7%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%

Places by population and income
Place	Type^[24]	Population^[25]	Per capita income^[21]	Median household income^[22]	Median family income^[23]
Adin	CDP	418	$21,457	$45,625	$57,550
Alturas	City	2,813	$20,842	$32,237	$47,260
California Pines	CDP	105	$26,595	$55,938	$118,194
Canby	CDP	480	$11,298	$21,744	$21,744
Cedarville	CDP	545	$22,710	$43,500	$46,058
Daphnedale Park	CDP	35	^[26]	$12,083	^[26]
Eagleville	CDP	53	$46,826	$27,083	$113,750
Fort Bidwell	CDP	151	$16,332	$21,875	$28,250
Lake City	CDP	66	$24,061	$35,284	$9,688
Likely	CDP	100	$17,659	$35,143	^[26]
Lookout	CDP	5	^[26]	^[26]	^[26]
Newell	CDP	473	$8,765	$28,875	$23,864
New Pine Creek	CDP	104	$31,602	$28,472	^[26]

2000

Historical population
Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	4,399		—
1890	4,986		13.3%
1900	5,076		1.8%
1910	6,191		22.0%
1920	5,425		−12.4%
1930	8,038		48.2%
1940	8,713		8.4%
1950	9,678		11.1%
1960	8,308		−14.2%
1970	7,469		−10.1%
1980	8,610		15.3%
1990	9,678		12.4%
2000	9,449		−2.4%
2010	9,686		2.5%
2020	8,700		−10.2%
2023 (est.)	8,500	^[27]	−2.3%
U.S. Decennial Census^[28] 1790–1960^[29] 1900–1990^[30] 1990–2000^[31] 2010–2015^[2]

As of the census^[32] of 2000, there were 9,449 people, 3,784 households, and 2,550 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile (0.77 people/km²). There were 4,807 housing units at an average density of 1 units per square mile (0.39 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 85.9% White, 0.7% Black or African American, 4.2% American Indian, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 5.7% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. 11.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The largest ethnicity/ancestry groups in Modoc county include: 15% English, 14% Irish and 13% German of whom 90.4% spoke English and 8.8% Spanish as their first language.

There were 3,784 households, out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% 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 2.91. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.6% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 23.3% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.7 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $27,522, and the median income for a family was $35,978. Males had a median income of $30,538 versus $23,438 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,285. About 16.4% of families and 21.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.7% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over. Modoc County has the lowest median household income of any county in California. In 2005, the median home price reached $100,000 for the first time ever, over a 40% increase since 2000.^[5] Much of this can be traced to an influx of residents from other parts of the state, who find the housing bargains attractive. Some of these are retirees who have sold their houses for large profits in other parts of the state, using the proceeds to live on, while others are remote workers. This sudden rise in housing prices become unaffordable for locals, who find themselves unable to purchase homes given their limited incomes.^[5]

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Modoc County had a population of 9,686. The racial makeup of Modoc County was 8,084 (83.5%) White, 82 (0.8%) African American, 370 (3.8%) Native American, 78 (0.8%) Asian, 21 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 680 (7.0%) from other races, and 371 (3.8%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,342 persons (13.9%).^[33]

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)
Modoc County	9,686	8,084	82	370	78	21	680	371	1,342
Incorporated city	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Alturas	2,827	2,430	15	81	45	7	118	131	347
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)
Adin	272	240	2	8	0	0	9	13	32
California Pines	520	416	11	16	6	2	33	36	83
Canby	315	292	2	7	1	0	9	4	24
Cedarville	514	422	1	15	0	0	59	17	86
Daphnedale Park	184	166	2	6	0	4	2	4	18
Eagleville	59	58	0	0	0	0	1	0	2
Fort Bidwell	173	75	2	76	0	0	10	10	23
Lake City	61	58	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
Likely	63	57	0	5	0	0	0	1	6
Lookout	84	76	0	2	0	0	5	1	14
New Pine Creek	98	89	0	0	0	1	0	8	4
Newell	449	199	2	23	1	5	193	26	271
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)	4,067	3,506	45	131	25	2	241	117	432

Politics

Federally, Modoc County is in California's 1st congressional district, represented by Republican Doug LaMalfa.^[34] In the state legislature Modoc is in the 1st Senate District, represented by Republican Megan Dahle,^[35] and the 1st Assembly District, represented by Republican Heather Hadwick.^[36] For much of the 20th century, Modoc County was a bellwether county for statewide elections in California, voting for the statewide winner in every election between 1912 and 1990 with the exception of Jerry Brown's 2 statewide victories (the county's dislike of Brown attributable to his environmental policies negatively affecting the county's logging industry).^[37]

Recently, though, Modoc County has trended Republican, becoming one of the most conservative counties in the state. On November 4, 2008, Modoc County delivered the most lopsided vote in favor of John McCain of any county in California, with 67.4% of voters opting for the Republican. The county also voted 74.2% in favor of Proposition 8 which amended the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages; only Kern and Tulare counties voted in higher proportion, both opting for the Proposition with 75.4% of the vote.^[38] In the 2021 California gubernatorial recall election, Modoc and neighboring Lassen County voted the most strongly in favor of recalling Newsom of any counties in the state. On September 24, 2013, the Modoc County Board of Supervisors voted 4–0 in favor of secession from California to form a proposed state named Jefferson.^[39]

Voter registration

Population and registered voters
Total population^[19]	9,587
Registered voters^[40]^{[note 3]}	5,273	55.0%
Democratic^[40]	1,364	25.9%
Republican^[40]	2,634	50.0%
Democratic–Republican spread^[40]	-1,270	-24.1%
Independent^[40]	262	5.0%
Green^[40]	21	0.4%
Libertarian^[40]	45	0.9%
Peace and Freedom^[40]	6	0.1%
Americans Elect^[40]	0	0.0%
Other^[40]	10	0.2%
No party preference^[40]	931	17.7%

Cities by population and voter registration

Cities by population and voter registration
City	Population^[19]	Registered voters^[40] ^{[note 3]}	Democratic^[40]	Republican^[40]	D–R spread^[40]	Other^[40]	No party preference^[40]
Alturas	2,813	54.7%	31.0%	42.4%	-11.4%	12.9%	19.5%

Historical election results

United States presidential election results for Modoc County, California^[41]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	2,875	71.86%	1,002	25.04%	124	3.10%
2020	3,109	71.19%	1,150	26.33%	108	2.47%
2016	2,696	70.15%	877	22.82%	270	7.03%
2012	2,777	69.10%	1,111	27.64%	131	3.26%
2008	2,981	67.44%	1,313	29.71%	126	2.85%
2004	3,235	72.42%	1,149	25.72%	83	1.86%
2000	2,969	72.29%	945	23.01%	193	4.70%
1996	2,285	53.10%	1,368	31.79%	650	15.11%
1992	1,803	38.98%	1,489	32.19%	1,333	28.82%
1988	2,518	62.68%	1,416	35.25%	83	2.07%
1984	2,995	69.49%	1,219	28.28%	96	2.23%
1980	2,579	64.47%	1,046	26.15%	375	9.38%
1976	1,917	51.20%	1,733	46.29%	94	2.51%
1972	2,085	58.49%	1,271	35.65%	209	5.86%
1968	1,713	52.43%	1,264	38.69%	290	8.88%
1964	1,386	41.27%	1,972	58.73%	0	0.00%
1960	1,839	51.80%	1,691	47.63%	20	0.56%
1956	1,981	53.21%	1,729	46.44%	13	0.35%
1952	2,634	61.36%	1,633	38.04%	26	0.61%
1948	1,480	46.54%	1,607	50.53%	93	2.92%
1944	1,288	45.40%	1,540	54.28%	9	0.32%
1940	1,371	37.77%	2,232	61.49%	27	0.74%
1936	968	34.19%	1,828	64.57%	35	1.24%
1932	655	27.45%	1,643	68.86%	88	3.69%
1928	942	56.75%	711	42.83%	7	0.42%
1924	731	43.72%	374	22.37%	567	33.91%
1920	992	62.59%	535	33.75%	58	3.66%
1916	768	36.61%	1,222	58.25%	108	5.15%
1912	1	0.06%	941	54.90%	772	45.04%
1908	620	49.92%	574	46.22%	48	3.86%
1904	559	53.91%	444	42.82%	34	3.28%
1900	446	44.78%	532	53.41%	18	1.81%
1896	300	33.00%	588	64.69%	21	2.31%
1892	406	35.46%	596	52.05%	143	12.49%

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]	9,587
Violent crime^[42]	10	1.04
Homicide^[42]	0	0.00
Forcible rape^[42]	1	0.10
Robbery^[42]	0	0.00
Aggravated assault^[42]	9	0.94
Property crime^[42]	76	7.93
Burglary^[42]	44	4.59
Larceny-theft^[42]^[43]	69	7.20
Motor vehicle theft^[42]	7	0.73
Arson^[42]	1	0.10

Cities by population and crime rates

Cities by population and crime rates
City	Population^[44]	Violent crimes^[44]	Violent crime rate per 1,000 persons	Property crimes^[44]	Property crime rate per 1,000 persons
Alturas	2,802	36	12.85	62	22.13

Transportation

Major highways

Additionally, the eastern Modoc County communities of Eagleville, Cedarville, Lake City, and Fort Bidwell are connected via Surprise Valley Road, which runs from the southern county line to the Oregon border.

Public transportation

The Sage Stage is a dial-a-ride service providing trips within Modoc County. It also provides service to Klamath Falls, Oregon and Reno, Nevada, as well as connections to and from Reno International Airport, outside of Door D.^[45]

Airports

There are general aviation airports near Alturas (Alturas Municipal Airport and California Pines Airport). Other airports include Cedarville Airport, Eagleville Airport, Fort Bidwell Airport, and Tulelake Municipal Airport. The closest major airport is in Reno.

Communities

City

Alturas (county seat)

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated places

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Modoc County.

† county seat

Rank	City/Town/etc.	Municipal type	Population (2020 Census)
1	† Alturas	City	2,715
2	California Pines	CDP	473
3	Cedarville	CDP	437
4	Newell	CDP	301
5	Adin	CDP	205
6	Canby	CDP	183
7	Fort Bidwell	CDP	180
8	Daphnedale Park	CDP	129
9	XL Ranch Rancheria^[46]	AIAN	117
10	Fort Bidwell Reservation^[47]	AIAN	97
11	New Pine Creek	CDP	87
12	Lake City	CDP	71
13	Lookout	CDP	68
14	Likely	CDP	53
15	Eagleville	CDP	45
16	Cedarville Rancheria^[48]	AIAN	19
17	Lookout Rancheria^[49]	AIAN	11
18	Alturas Indian Rancheria^[50]	AIAN	3
19	Likely Rancheria^[51]	AIAN	0

Notes

^ Other = Some other race + Two or more races
^ Native American = Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander + American Indian or Alaska Native
^ ^a ^b Percentage of registered voters with respect to total population. Percentages of party members with respect to registered voters follow.

References

^ "Welcome To New Webgen". www.co.modoc.ca.us.
^ ^a ^b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
^ "Gross Domestic Product: All Industries in Modoc County, CA". Federal Reserve Economic Data. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c La Ganga, Maria L. (January 13, 2006). "Housing Bargains, at a Price". Los Angeles Times.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Mildred Brooke Hoover; Douglas E. Kyle (2002). Historic Spots in California. Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-7817-6. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c Pease, Robert W. (1965). Modoc County; University of California Publications in Geography, Volume 17. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. ISBN 9780608141589.
^ "Reprinted from a previous issue..." Nataqua News. Thumbs Up Publishing. 1997. Retrieved April 5, 2010.
^ ^a ^b "Modoc County History". Alturas Chamber of Commerce. Modoc County Government. 2009. Archived from the original on June 17, 2009. Retrieved July 21, 2009.
^ "Modoc Wars, 1873-74". California State Military Museum. 2009. Retrieved July 21, 2009.
^ Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, Calif.: Word Dancer Press. p. 351. ISBN 1-884995-14-4.
^ Gudde, Erwin; William Bright (2004). California Place Names (Fourth ed.). University of California Press. p. 10. ISBN 0-520-24217-3.
^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
^ C. Michael Hogan, Quercus kelloggii Archived February 13, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Globaltwitcher, 2008
^ Michael G. Barbour; William Dwight Billings (2000). North American Terrestrial Vegetation. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-55986-7. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Modoc County, California". United States Census Bureau.
^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Modoc County, California". United States Census Bureau.
^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Modoc County, California". United States Census Bureau.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
^ ^a ^b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B03003. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
^ ^a ^b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
^ ^a ^b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
^ ^a ^b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
^ ^a ^b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
^ U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Data unavailable
^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
^ "2010 Census P.L. 94-171 Summary File Data". United States Census Bureau.
^ "California's 1st Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
^ "Senators". State of California. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
^ "Members Assembly". State of California. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
^ Stall, Bill (August 19, 1991). "As Modoc County Goes, So Goes California". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
^ "California results". Los Angeles Times.
^ Butler, Kristen. "Another county votes to secede from California". UPI. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q California Secretary of State. February 10, 2013 - Report of Registration Archived July 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Office of the Attorney General, Department of Justice, State of California. Table 11: Crimes – 2009 Archived December 2, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
^ Only larceny-theft cases involving property over $400 in value are reported as property crimes.
^ ^a ^b ^c United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime in the United States, 2012, Table 8 (California). Retrieved November 14, 2013.
^ "Sage Stage". Retrieved April 30, 2017.
^ Staff, Website Services & Coordination. "U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Census". www.census.gov.
^ Staff, Website Services & Coordination. "U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Census". www.census.gov.
^ Staff, Website Services & Coordination. "U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Census". www.census.gov.
^ Staff, Website Services & Coordination. "U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Census". www.census.gov.
^ Staff, Website Services & Coordination. "U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Census". www.census.gov.
^ Staff, Website Services & Coordination. "U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Census". www.census.gov.

External links

Official website
Hiking trails in Modoc County
h2g2 Guide Entry A1065278: Modoc County, California, USA
OpenRoad.TV (Modoc County's Living West video story)

Places adjacent to Modoc County, California

Klamath & Lake counties (Oregon)

Siskiyou County

Modoc County, California

Washoe County, Nevada

Shasta County

Lassen County

v t e Municipalities and communities of Modoc County, California, United States
County seat: Alturas
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Unincorporated communities	Davis Creek Day Fairport Hackamore Tionesta White Horse
Indian reservations	Alturas Indian Rancheria Cedarville Rancheria Fort Bidwell Reservation XL Rancheria
Former settlements	Chumawi Keshlakchuis Keuchishkeni Menlo Baths
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