Alturas, California

Alturas ( Spanish for "Heights"; Achumawi: ''Kasalektawi'') is the only incorporated city in Modoc County, California of which it is also the county seat. Located in the Shasta Cascade region of Northern California, 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, 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 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 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 and Cedarville were then larger towns.

Geography

Alturas straddles the North Fork of the Pit River, 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 0.63% of it is covered by water.

Climate

The climate in Alturas is cold semi-arid (Köppen: ''BSk''), bordering humid continental (''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 39.8 days with highs of or higher and an average of 195.5 days with lows of or lower. The record high was on July 19, 1960, and July 10–11, 2002, 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 90.8 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1952 with and the driest year was 2013 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

The 2020 United States census reported that Alturas had a population of 2,715. The population density was . The racial makeup of Alturas was 78.0% White, 1.1% African American, 4.1% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 6.0% from other races, and 9.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.3% of the population.

The census reported that 99.2% of the population lived in households, 0.3% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.6% were institutionalized.

There were 1,199 households, out of which 31.6% included children under the age of 18, 35.2% were married-couple households, 7.9% were cohabiting couple households, 35.0% had a female householder with no partner present, and 21.9% had a male householder with no partner present. 35.6% of households were one person, and 17.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.25. There were 702 families (58.5% of all households).

The age distribution was 24.8% under the age of 18, 6.4% aged 18 to 24, 24.5% aged 25 to 44, 24.6% aged 45 to 64, and 19.8% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 38.9years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males.

There were 1,393 housing units at an average density of , of which 1,199 (86.1%) were occupied. Of these, 55.6% were owner-occupied, and 44.4% were occupied by renters.

In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $54,634, and the per capita income was $31,725.

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 and California State Route 299. U.S. 395 comes in from the south from Susanville and Reno. State Route 299 comes in from the west from Redding. Both highways merge in Alturas and head out of the city as a concurrency northeast toward Lakeview, Oregon; and 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 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 (1863–1926), Congressman from California (served 1911–1926) and author of the Raker Act
* Robert "Top Gun" Hight, NHRA drag racer John Force Racing

See also

* Modoc County Historical Museum
* California Historical Landmarks in Modoc County

References

External links

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Cities in Modoc County, California
County seats in California
Incorporated cities and towns in California