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Alturas (
Alturas occupies what was initially an Achomawi, Achumawi (Pit River) village known as Kosealekte or Kasalektawi. The city was initially known as Dorris Bridge or Dorris' Bridge, named after Pressley and James Dorris, who built a bridge across the Pit River at this location.
The Dorris Bridge post office opened in 1871. The town was renamed Dorrisville in 1874 and Alturas in 1876, the latter meaning "heights" in Spanish. The census of 1880 showed a population of 148. However, settlement continued over the next two decades, until the city was municipal corporation, incorporated on September 16, 1901. Because of its central location, Dorrisville became the county seat when Modoc County formed in 1874, even though both Adin, California, Adin and Cedarville, California, Cedarville were then larger towns.
At the 2000 United States Census, 2000 census there were 2,892 people in 1,181 households, including 753 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 1,367 housing units at an average density of . The Race and ethnicity in the United States Census#2000 census, racial makeup of the city was 85.9% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 4.4% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 4.8% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. 11.9% of the population were Hispanics in the United States, Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 1,181 households 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.6% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were non-families. 32.5% of households were one person and 14.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.00.
The age distribution was 28.7% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males.
The median household income was $24,351 and the median family income was $31,385. Males had a median income of $36,500 versus $21,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,281. About 23.0% of families and 27.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.3% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.
At the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census Alturas had a population of 2,827. The population density was . The racial makeup of Alturas was 2,430 (86.0%) White, 15 (0.5%) African American, 81 (2.9%) Native American, 45 (1.6%) Asian, 7 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 118 (4.2%) from other races, and 131 (4.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 347 people (12.3%).
The census reported that 2,814 people (99.5% of the population) lived in households, none lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 13 (0.5%) were institutionalized.
There were 1,238 households, 391 (31.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 507 (41.0%) were marriage, opposite-sex married couples living together, 181 (14.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 65 (5.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 102 (8.2%) POSSLQ, unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 9 (0.7%) same-sex partnerships, same-sex married couples or partnerships. 403 households (32.6%) were one person and 160 (12.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.27. There were 753 families (60.8% of households); the average family size was 2.85.
The age distribution was 702 people (24.8%) under the age of 18, 219 people (7.7%) aged 18 to 24, 672 people (23.8%) aged 25 to 44, 802 people (28.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 432 people (15.3%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 39.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males.
There were 1,407 housing units at an average density of 574.6 per square mile, of the occupied units 691 (55.8%) were owner-occupied and 547 (44.2%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.8%. 1,563 people (55.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,251 people (44.3%) lived in rental housing units.
Alturas is the headquarters to the Modoc National Forest, the Applegate Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management, the Modoc National Wildlife Refuge and other recreation areas, and is the trade center for the agricultural region, which produces beef, sheep, potatoes, alfalfa and lumber. Despite its abundance of wilderness, recreational opportunities, hunting and fishing resources, and natural environment, tourism is not a major sector of the local economy – largely due to the city's remote location.
Local, State, Federal, and Tribal governments are the largest employers in Alturas. A vibrant timber industry collapsed in the early 1980s due to increased production costs and low market prices for softwood lumber.
The Modoc Joint Unified School District is headquartered in Alturas.
The Alturas Rancheria, a band of Pit River Indians, operates a small casino just outside the city limits.
Alturas is served by U.S. Route 395 in California, U.S. Route 395 and California State Route 299. U.S. 395 comes in from the south from Susanville, California, Susanville and Reno, Nevada, Reno. State Route 299 comes in from the west from Redding, California, Redding. Both highways merge in Alturas and head out of the city as a concurrency (road), concurrency northeast toward Lakeview, Oregon and Cedarville, California, Cedarville, respectively.
The Modoc Subdivision track of the Union Pacific Railroad and the Lake County Railroad (of Lake County, Oregon) serve the area. Alturas Municipal Airport is a public-use, general aviation facility located one nautical mile (1.85 km) west of the city's central business district.
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
for "Heights"; Achumawi: ''Kasalektawi'') is a city and the county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
of Modoc County, California
Modoc County () is a county 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 ...
. Located in the Shasta Cascade
The Shasta Cascade region of California is located in the northeastern and north-central sections of the state bordering Oregon and Nevada, including far northern parts of the Central Valley and the Sierra Nevada mountain range.
History Ind ...
region of Northern California
Northern California (colloquially known as NorCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Spanning the state's northernmost 48 counties, its main population centers incl ...
, the city had a population of 2,715 at the 2020 census. Alturas is located at the confluence of the south and north forks of the Pit River
The Pit River is a major river draining from northeastern California into the state's Central Valley. The Pit, the Klamath and the Columbia are the only three rivers in the U.S. that cross the Cascade Range.
The longest tributary of the Sacr ...
, east of the center of Modoc County, at an elevation of . Alturas is one of the largest cities in the region and a local economic hub.
History
Alturas occupies what was initially an Achomawi, Achumawi (Pit River) village known as Kosealekte or Kasalektawi. The city was initially known as Dorris Bridge or Dorris' Bridge, named after Pressley and James Dorris, who built a bridge across the Pit River at this location.
The Dorris Bridge post office opened in 1871. The town was renamed Dorrisville in 1874 and Alturas in 1876, the latter meaning "heights" in Spanish. The census of 1880 showed a population of 148. However, settlement continued over the next two decades, until the city was municipal corporation, incorporated on September 16, 1901. Because of its central location, Dorrisville became the county seat when Modoc County formed in 1874, even though both Adin, California, Adin and Cedarville, California, Cedarville were then larger towns.
Geography
Alturas straddles the North Fork of thePit River
The Pit River is a major river draining from northeastern California into the state's Central Valley. The Pit, the Klamath and the Columbia are the only three rivers in the U.S. that cross the Cascade Range.
The longest tributary of the Sacr ...
, near its confluence with the South Fork in the north end of South Fork Valley, in the extreme northeastern corner of California at . The tall Warner Mountains lie to the east, the wetlands and wild rice fields of South Fork Valley to the south, and the extensive Modoc Plateau to the north.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of and 0.57% of it is covered by water.
Climate
The climate in Alturas has a dry-summer continental climate (Köppen climate classification, Köppen: ''Dsb''). The average January temperatures are a high of and a low of . The average July temperatures are a high of and a low of . There are an average of 36.2 days with highs of or higher and an average of 203.8 days with lows of or lower. The record high was on July 8, 2007, and the record low was on December 9, 1972. Freezing temperatures have occurred in every month of the year; cool nights are common even on the hottest summer days. Precipitation averages annually. There are an average of 78 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1998 with and the driest year was 1976 with . The most precipitation in one month was in October 1962, and the most in 24 hours was on December 11, 1937. Snowfall averages per season. The most snowfall in a season was in 1952.Demographics
2000
At the 2000 United States Census, 2000 census there were 2,892 people in 1,181 households, including 753 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 1,367 housing units at an average density of . The Race and ethnicity in the United States Census#2000 census, racial makeup of the city was 85.9% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 4.4% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 4.8% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. 11.9% of the population were Hispanics in the United States, Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 1,181 households 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.6% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were non-families. 32.5% of households were one person and 14.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.00.
The age distribution was 28.7% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males.
The median household income was $24,351 and the median family income was $31,385. Males had a median income of $36,500 versus $21,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,281. About 23.0% of families and 27.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.3% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.
2010
At the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census Alturas had a population of 2,827. The population density was . The racial makeup of Alturas was 2,430 (86.0%) White, 15 (0.5%) African American, 81 (2.9%) Native American, 45 (1.6%) Asian, 7 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 118 (4.2%) from other races, and 131 (4.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 347 people (12.3%).
The census reported that 2,814 people (99.5% of the population) lived in households, none lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 13 (0.5%) were institutionalized.
There were 1,238 households, 391 (31.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 507 (41.0%) were marriage, opposite-sex married couples living together, 181 (14.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 65 (5.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 102 (8.2%) POSSLQ, unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 9 (0.7%) same-sex partnerships, same-sex married couples or partnerships. 403 households (32.6%) were one person and 160 (12.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.27. There were 753 families (60.8% of households); the average family size was 2.85.
The age distribution was 702 people (24.8%) under the age of 18, 219 people (7.7%) aged 18 to 24, 672 people (23.8%) aged 25 to 44, 802 people (28.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 432 people (15.3%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 39.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males.
There were 1,407 housing units at an average density of 574.6 per square mile, of the occupied units 691 (55.8%) were owner-occupied and 547 (44.2%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.8%. 1,563 people (55.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,251 people (44.3%) lived in rental housing units.
Economy
Alturas is the headquarters to the Modoc National Forest, the Applegate Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management, the Modoc National Wildlife Refuge and other recreation areas, and is the trade center for the agricultural region, which produces beef, sheep, potatoes, alfalfa and lumber. Despite its abundance of wilderness, recreational opportunities, hunting and fishing resources, and natural environment, tourism is not a major sector of the local economy – largely due to the city's remote location.
Local, State, Federal, and Tribal governments are the largest employers in Alturas. A vibrant timber industry collapsed in the early 1980s due to increased production costs and low market prices for softwood lumber.
The Modoc Joint Unified School District is headquartered in Alturas.
The Alturas Rancheria, a band of Pit River Indians, operates a small casino just outside the city limits.
Government
In the California State Legislature, Alturas is in , and . In the United States House of Representatives, Alturas is in .Transportation
Alturas is served by U.S. Route 395 in California, U.S. Route 395 and California State Route 299. U.S. 395 comes in from the south from Susanville, California, Susanville and Reno, Nevada, Reno. State Route 299 comes in from the west from Redding, California, Redding. Both highways merge in Alturas and head out of the city as a concurrency (road), concurrency northeast toward Lakeview, Oregon and Cedarville, California, Cedarville, respectively.
The Modoc Subdivision track of the Union Pacific Railroad and the Lake County Railroad (of Lake County, Oregon) serve the area. Alturas Municipal Airport is a public-use, general aviation facility located one nautical mile (1.85 km) west of the city's central business district.
Notable people
* Kayte Christensen, WNBA basketball player * Ernest S. Brown, former United States Senator from Nevada * John E. Raker, Congressman from California (1911-1926) and author of the Raker Act * Robert Hight, Robert "Top Gun" Hight, NHRA drag racer John Force Racing HSee also
*Modoc County Historical Museum *California Historical Landmarks in Modoc CountyReferences
External links
* * {{authority control Alturas, California, Cities in Modoc County, California County seats in California Incorporated cities and towns in California