Lake County is a county in the north central part of California. According to the 2020 census, the population was 68,163. The county seat is Lakeport. The county is named after Clear Lake, the main natural feature in the county and the largest non-extinct natural lake entirely within California. Other lakes, like Lake Tahoe, are partly in Nevada. The Salton Sea was created by flooding, and Tulare Lake was drained for farming.

Lake County is part of the Clearlake, California micropolitan statistical area. It is directly north of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Lake County is part of California's Wine Country, which includes Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino counties. It has nine regions known for wine production and about 20 wineries that make and sell wine.

History

Lake County has been home to Pomo Native Americans for more than 10,000 years. The Pomo people were known for fishing, hunting, and making detailed baskets from plants like lakeshore tules and feathers. Many Pomo people still live in Lake County today.

European settlers arrived in the area by the 1840s. Lake County was formed in 1861 from parts of Napa and Mendocino counties. The eastern boundary of Lake County was not clearly defined in the 1861 law. This was later fixed by laws passed in 1864 and 1868. One important result of the 1868 law was to add the entire area of North Fork Cache Creek’s watershed to Lake County. This area had previously been claimed by Colusa County.

In 1911, the California Blue Book listed Bartlett pears and beans as the main crops grown in the region. Other crops included grain, alfalfa, hay, prunes, peaches, apples, grapes, and walnuts. Livestock farming included raising goats, hogs, turkeys, and dairy cattle.

Some vineyards were planted in the 1870s by European settlers. However, the first vineyards in the state were established in the 18th century by Spanish missionaries. By the early 1900s, the area was known for producing some of the world’s finest wines. In 1920, national prohibition stopped wine production in Lake County. Because only small amounts of grapes could be grown for religious use, most vineyards were removed and replaced with walnut and pear orchards.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,329 square miles (3,440 km²), of which 1,256 square miles (3,250 km²) is land and 73 square miles (190 km²), or 5.5%, is water. Two main watercourses drain the county: Cache Creek, which is the outlet of Clear Lake; and Putah Creek. Both of these flow to the Sacramento River. The main streams that flow into Clear Lake are Forbes Creek, Scotts Creek, Middle Creek, and Kelsey Creek. At the extreme north of the county, Lake Pillsbury and the Van Arsdale Reservoir dam the Eel River, providing water and power to Ukiah in Mendocino County.

Clear Lake is believed to be the oldest warmwater lake in North America, due to a natural event. The lake sits on a large block of stone that slowly tilts in the northern direction at the same rate as the lake fills in with sediment, keeping the water at roughly the same depth. The geology of the county is complex, based on Franciscan Assemblage hills. Numerous small faults are present in the south end of the lake, as well as many old volcanoes, the largest being Cobb Mountain. The geologic history of the county shows events of great violence, such as the eruption of Mount Konocti and Mount St. Helena and the collapse of Cow Mountain, which created the hills around the county seat of Lakeport. Blue Lakes, Lake Pillsbury, and Indian Valley Reservoir are the county’s other major bodies of water.

Lake County has habitats for a variety of species of concern, including the uncommon herb Legenere limosa, the rare Eryngium constancei, and the tule elk. Waterfowl, bear, and other wildlife abound in the Clear Lake basin.

Due to its surrounding hilly terrain, Lake County is the only one of California’s 58 counties never to have been served by a railroad line.

• Glenn County – northeast
• Colusa County – east
• Yolo County – southeast
• Napa County – southeast
• Sonoma County – southwest
• Mendocino County – west

• Mendocino National Forest (part)
• Cow Mountain Recreation Area
• Cache Creek Wilderness and Cache Creek Wildlife Area

In 2015, President Barack Obama created the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, incorporating these and other areas.

• Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest
• Anderson Marsh State Historic Park
• Loch Lomond Vernal Pool Ecological Reserve
• Boggs Lake Ecological Reserve
• Clear Lake State Park
• Rodman Slough Preserve

In the late 19th century, the worldwide popularity of mineral water for the relief of many physical ailments led to the development of mineral resorts around Clear Lake.

• Greene Bartlett discovered Bartlett hot springs in 1870. The springs were developed into a resort and by 1900 included a mineral water bottling plant. The resort burned down in 1934.
• Harbin Hot Springs was developed by settlers in the 1860s and burned to the ground in the Valley Fire of 2015. The resort partially reopened in January 2019, including the main pools and sauna, and a limited cafeteria service.
• Highland Springs opened in 1891 and was destroyed by fire in 1945. During its time, Highland had an elegant dining room and a spacious hotel.
• Saratoga Springs Resort was opened by J. J. Liebert in 1873 with several cabins, and within two decades had room for 350 guests.
• Witter Springs Resort opened in 1873 with a hotel and guest cottages.

Climate

Lake County has a Mediterranean climate, which means summers in lower areas are very hot during the day. However, nighttime temperatures stay cool throughout the year, helping to keep average temperatures more moderate and reducing summer heat.

Lake County has been recognized by the American Lung Association as having the cleanest air in the United States, including in 2013, 2014, and 2015. It has also been named the cleanest in California 24 times. According to the American Lung Association's website, Lake County currently receives a "C" grade for high ozone days and an "A" grade for particle pollution.

Demographics

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 68,163. The median age was 45.0 years. Twenty point seven percent of residents were under the age of 18, and 22.7% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 102.5 males, and for every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 102.2 males aged 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 68.7% White, 1.8% Black or African American, 3.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% Asian, 0.2% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 11.3% from some other race, and 13.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race made up 22.7% of the population.

Fifty-nine point two percent of residents lived in urban areas, while 40.8% lived in rural areas.

There were 27,622 households in the county. Twenty-six point three percent of these households had children under the age of 18 living with them, and 27.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 34,220 housing units, of which 19.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 67.5% were owner-occupied, and 32.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2%, and the rental vacancy rate was 5.7%.

The 2010 United States census reported that Lake County had a population of 64,665. The racial makeup of Lake County was 52,033 (80.5%) White, 1,232 (1.9%) African American, 2,049 (3.2%) Native American, 724 (1.1%) Asian, 108 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 5,455 (8.4%) from other races, and 3,064 (4.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 11,088 persons (17.1%).

There were a total of 34,031 homes in Lake County in 2005. Since 2001, the county added 1,414 residential structures, a change of 4.3 percent. Lake County ranks 978 out of 3,141 counties in the United States compared to changes in residential structure growth.

Lake County had a median home value of $255,300 in 2005, according to the American Community Survey. This median is less than the overall California 2005 home median value of $477,700 and greater than the median home value of $167,500 for the rest of the nation in that year. In 2005, the American Community Survey reported that 14.4% of Lake County's owner-occupied dwellings were valued over $500,000.

The population was spread out as follows: 24.1% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 94.7 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $49,627, and the median income for a family was $55,818. Males had a median income of $45,771, and females had a median income of $44,026. The per capita income for the county was $43,825. About 6.9% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.8% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.

Within Lake County are two incorporated cities: Lakeport, the county seat, and Clearlake, the largest city. Other communities include Kelseyville, Blue Lakes, Clearlake Oaks, Clearlake Park, Cobb, Finley, Glenhaven, Hidden Valley Lake, Clearlake Riviera, Loch Lomond, Lower Lake, Lucerne, Middletown, Nice, Spring Valley, Upper Lake, Whispering Pines, and Witter Springs.

Lake County is mostly agricultural, with tourist facilities and some light industry. Major crops include pears, walnuts, and, increasingly, wine grapes.

According to official estimates based on the 2000 Census, 30% of housing units in Lake County were manufactured housing units. This was the highest percentage of any California county.

Politics

Lake County's voting history shows changes over time. In the past, from 1864 to 1916, the county mostly supported Democratic presidential candidates, except for Alton B. Parker in 1904. Between 1920 and 1984, the county often favored Republicans, with only four Democratic candidates winning: Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 and 1936, Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, and Jimmy Carter in 1976. In 1984, Ronald Reagan won a majority in the county, which later shifted back to supporting Democrats. In 2016, Republicans received more than 40% of the vote for the first time since 2004, and Democrats did not win over 50% of the vote for the first time since 1996. In 2020, Democrats won over 50% of the vote again, increasing their lead, though Republicans also gained more votes. In 2022, Republicans won several statewide races in the county. In 2024, Donald Trump won Lake County by 367 votes, the first time since 1984 that a Republican candidate won the presidential race in the county.

On November 4, 2008, Lake County voted 52.6% in favor of Proposition 8, which changed the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages. In November 2024, Proposition 3, titled "Constitutional Right to Marry," which overturned Proposition 8, received 57.04% "Yes" votes in the county.

Lake County is part of California's 4th congressional district, represented by Mike Thompson (D – St. Helena). In the state legislature, Lake County is in the 4th Assembly district, represented by Democrat Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, and the 2nd senatorial district, represented by Democrat Mike McGuire.

Crime

The table below shows the number of real crimes (including attempts) reported by the Lake County Sheriff's Office, along with the number of crimes per 1,000 people for each type of crime. Data for the cities of Lakeport and Clearlake is not included here and is shown in a separate table below.

CAL FIRE found that 8 wildfires in Lake County were caused by arson in 2023.

Economy

Lake County's largest employers include the healthcare industry, Native American casinos, grocery stores, school districts, and the electricity company Calpine, which operates the Geysers geothermal field in the Mayacamas Mountains.

The only major manufacturing places in Lake County are Stokes Ladders in Kelseyville, which makes orchard and industrial ladders, and Reynolds Systems in Middletown, which makes detonators, igniters, precision initiating couplers, leads, and boosters for the aerospace industry.

Lake County's economy is mainly supported by farming. The main crops in 2022 were:

The first vineyards in Lake County were planted in the late 1800s, but Prohibition and the county's remote location hurt the grape-growing industry. The wine industry began to grow again in the 1970s, though most grapes are still sent to nearby Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino counties for processing. Vineyard land increased from less than 100 acres (40 hectares) in 1965 to more than 11,000 acres (4,500 hectares) in 2023.

The region has nine American Viticultural Areas, including Guenoc Valley, High Valley, and the Red Hills, and about 20 winery operations.

Transportation

• State Route 20
• State Route 29
• State Route 53
• State Route 175
• State Route 281

Lake County also has several numbered county roads.

Lake Transit provides transportation to areas near Clear Lake. Local bus routes travel to Lakeport, Clearlake, and Lower Lake. These buses also connect to St. Helena in Napa County and Ukiah in Mendocino County. Some bus routes only run on weekdays, and there is no service on Sundays or official holidays.

Lampson Field (IATA: CKE, ICAO: LID, FAA LID: 1O2) is the public airport in the county. A 4,000-foot (1,200-meter) airstrip is located in Gravelly Valley, north of Lake Pillsbury. There are also several private airstrips in different parts of the county. The county once had the Paul Hoberg Airport in the Cobb area, but it was abandoned by the early 1980s.

In 1888, the Vaca Valley and Clear Lake Railroad reached Rumsey, but the planned track to Clear Lake was never built. The Clear Lake Railroad began work on a line from Hopland to Lakeport. In November 1911, construction started on the Hopland-Clear Lake railroad. Mrs. Harriet Lee Hammond, wife of the railroad president, began the project. Six miles of track were built from Hopland, but the project was also abandoned later.

Culture

The Lake County Arts Council is the official arts organization for Lake County, California. It was established in 1981 and operates under the California Arts Council. The council manages the Main Street Gallery, a small space in Lakeport, California, that displays visual art and offers classes for artists. This location also hosts the council’s literary program, which includes the Poetry Out Loud competition, regular Writer’s Circles, and other activities. Additional programs and events organized by the council include Art in Public Places, the Spring Dance Festival, and the Summer Youth Art Camp. The council also owns and operates the Soper Reese Theatre, which is Lake County’s only theatre with permanent seating in Lakeport, California. The Soper Reese Theatre is a venue for live performances, such as plays, dance shows, and music concerts, and it screens classic films twice each month.

Communities

• Clearlake
• Lakeport (county seat)

★ As of 2022, the U.S. Census still uses the community's old name, Clear Lake Riviera.

• Finley
• Glenhaven
• Loch Lomond
• Parramore Springs
• Riviera Heights
• Riviera West
• Whispering Pines

The population rankings in the table below are based on the 2010 census data for Lake County.

Notable people

• Michael Berryman, an American actor
• Benjamin Dewell, an early settler and rancher
• Andrew Kelsey, who was killed in 1849 because he treated local Wappo and Pomo Indians unfairly
• Ellis O. Knox, the first African American to earn a Ph.D. on the West Coast of the United States
• Lillie Langtry, a British actress and mistress to a member of royalty