Alpine County, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alpine County, California
County
Alpine County Spanish: Condado Alpino
Images, from top down, left to right: an Alpine County line road sign during a snow storm, Alpine County Courthouse, a view eastward from Carson Pass overlooking Red Lake
Flag Seal
Location in the state of California
Country	United States
State	California
Region	Sierra Nevada
Incorporated	March 16, 1864
Named for	Its location in the Sierra Nevada resembling the (Swiss) Alps
County seat	Markleeville
Largest community	Markleeville
Area
• Total	743 sq mi (1,920 km2)
• Land	738 sq mi (1,910 km2)
• Water	4.8 sq mi (12 km2)
Highest elevation	11,464 ft (3,494 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,204
• Density	1.6205/sq mi (0.6257/km2)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific Standard Time)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Area codes	209, 530
FIPS code	06-003
GNIS feature ID	1675840

Alpine County (Spanish: Condado Alpino) is a county in Eastern California located within the Sierra Nevada on the state border with Nevada. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 1,204, making it California's least populous county. The county seat and largest community is Markleeville.

History

County Courthouse (1928) in Markleeville
Architect: Frederic J. DeLongchamp

Alpine County was created on March 16, 1864, during a silver boom in the wake of the nearby Comstock Lode discovery. It was named because of its resemblance to the Swiss Alps. The County was formed from parts of Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Mono and Tuolumne Counties. At its formation, the County had a population of about 11,000 with its County Seat at Silver Mountain City. By 1868, however, the local silver mines had proven unfruitful; and the population fell to about 1,200. The County Seat was moved to Markleeville in 1875.

After the silver rush, Alpine County's economy consisted almost entirely of farming, ranching, and logging. By the 1920s, the population had fallen to just 200 people. With the construction of the Bear Valley and Kirkwood ski resorts in the late 1960s, the population increased to the present level.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 743 square miles (1,920 km²), of which 738 square miles (1,910 km²) is land and 4.8 square miles (12 km²) (0.7%) is water. The federal government owns about 96% of Alpine County, the highest percentage in California.

National protected areas

• Eldorado National Forest (part)
• Stanislaus National Forest (part)
• Toiyabe National Forest (part)

Demographics

2020 census

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 can be of any race.

2019 American Community Survey estimates

2010 Census

The 2010 United States Census reported that Alpine County had a population of 1,175. The racial makeup of Alpine County was 881 (75.0%) White, 0 (0.0%) African American, 240 (20.4%) Native American, 7 (0.6%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 19 (1.6%) from other races, and 28 (2.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 84 persons (7.1%).

2000

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,208 people, 483 households, and 295 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile (1/km²). There were 1,514 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 73.7% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 18.9% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.4% from other races, and 5.1% from two or more races. 7.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 12.1% were of German, 12.1% Irish, 9.3% English, 6.5% American and 5.7% Italian ancestry. 95.0% spoke English, 3.1% Spanish and 2.0% Washo as their first language.

There were 483 households, out of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.9% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.8% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 29.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 110.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 117.2 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $41,875, and the median income for a family was $50,250. Males had a median income of $36,544 versus $25,800 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,431. About 12.0% of families and 19.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.4% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Major highways

• State Route 4
• State Route 88
• State Route 89

Airport

Alpine County Airport is a general aviation airport in the Eastern Sierra about 4 miles (6.4 km) from the town of Markleeville. The airport consists of a simple airstrip with an apron for small light aircraft to park. The airport has no buildings, no lights, and is rarely used. The airport is popular with astronomers due to the clear, dark skies.

Communities

Census-designated places

• Alpine Village
• Bear Valley
• Kirkwood
• Markleeville (county seat)
• Mesa Vista

Unincorporated communities

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Alpine County.

† county seat

Images for kids

• 

  Woods Lake, situated in Alpine County

• 

  Locator map of communities in Alpine County

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Alpine para niños