Humboldt County, California

Humboldt County, California
County
County of Humboldt
Aerial view of Humboldt Bay
Seal
Motto:  "The Home of the Redwoods"
Interactive map of Humboldt County
Location in the state of California
Country	United States
State	California
Region	California North Coast
Incorporated	May 12, 1853[1]
Named for	Humboldt Bay, which was named after Alexander von Humboldt
County seat	Eureka
Largest city	Eureka
Government
• Type	Council–CAO
• Chair[2]	Rex Bohn
• Vice Chair[3]	Michelle Bushnell
• Board of Supervisors[4]	Supervisors Rex Bohn Michelle Bushnell Mike Wilson Natalie Arroyo Steve Madrone
• County Administrative Officer	Elishia Hayes
Area
• Total	4,052 sq mi (10,490 km2)
• Land	3,568 sq mi (9,240 km2)
• Water	484 sq mi (1,250 km2)
Highest elevation [5]	6,956 ft (2,120 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	136,463
• Density	38/sq mi (15/km2)
GDP [6]
• Total	$6.843 billion (2022)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific Time Zone)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Area codes	707, 530
Congressional district	2nd
Website	humboldtgov.org

Humboldt County (/ˈhʌmboʊlt/ ^ⓘ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 136,463.^[7] The county seat is Eureka.^[8]

Humboldt County comprises the Eureka–Arcata–Fortuna, California, Micropolitan Statistical Area. It is located on the far North Coast of California, about 270 miles (435 km) north of San Francisco. It has among the most diverse climates of United States counties, with very mild coastal summers and hot interior days. Similar to the greater region, summers are extremely dry and winters have substantial rainfall.

Its primary population centers of Eureka, the site of College of the Redwoods main campus, and the smaller college town of Arcata, site of California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, are located adjacent to Humboldt Bay, California's second largest natural bay.^[9] Area cities and towns are known for hundreds of ornate examples of Victorian architecture.

Humboldt County is a densely forested mountainous and rural county with about 110 miles (177 km) of coastline (more than any other county in the state),^[10] situated along the Pacific coast in Northern California's rugged Coast (Mountain) Ranges. With nearly 1,500,000 acres (6,100 km²) of combined public and private forest in production, Humboldt County alone produces twenty percent of the total volume and thirty percent of the total value of all forest products produced in California.^[11] The county contains over forty percent of all remaining old growth Coast Redwood forests,^[12] the vast majority of which are protected or strictly conserved within dozens of national, state, and local forests and parks, totaling approximately 680,000 acres (1,060 sq mi).^[13]

The original inhabitants of the area now known as Humboldt County include the Algic Wiyot, Yurok; the Hokan Karuk; and the Athapaskan Hupa, Chilula, Whilkut, Tsnungwe as well as the Eel River Athapaskan peoples, including the Wailaki, Mattole and Nongatl.^[14]

Spanish traders made unintended visits to California with the Manila Galleons on their return trips from the Philippines beginning in 1565. The first recorded entry by people of European origin was a landing by the Spanish in 1775 in Trinidad.^[14]

The first recorded entry of Humboldt Bay by non-natives was an 1806 visit from a sea otter hunting party from Sitka employed by the Russian American Company.^[14] The hunting party included Captain Jonathan Winship, an American, and some Aleut hunters.^[14][15] The bay was not visited again by people of European origin until 1849 when Josiah Gregg's party visited.^[15] In 1850, Douglas Ottinger and Hans Buhne entered the bay, naming it Humboldt in honor of the great naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt, and the name was later applied to the county as a whole.^[16]

The area around Humboldt Bay was once solely inhabited by the Wiyot Indian tribe. One of the largest Wiyot villages, Tolowot, was located on Indian Island in Humboldt Bay. Founded around 900 BC, it contains a shell midden 6 acres (2.4 ha) in size and 14 feet (4.3 m) deep. It was the site of the February 26, 1860, massacre of the Wiyot people that was recorded by Bret Harte, then living in Union, now called Arcata. Between 60 and 200 Wiyot men, women, and children were murdered that night in the midst of a religious ceremony. Tolowot is now a restricted site and a National Historic Landmark.^[15] In 2019, the island was restored to the Wiyot tribe, and is now known as Tuluwat or Duluwat island.

Humboldt County was formed in 1853 from parts of Trinity County.

State historic landmarks in Humboldt County include Arcata and Mad River Railroad, California's First Drilled Oil Wells in Petrolia, Camp Curtis, Centerville Beach Cross, the city of Eureka, the Victorian town of Ferndale, Fort Humboldt, Humboldt Harbor Historical District, the Jacoby Building, The Old Arrow Tree, Old Indian Village of Tsurai, the Town of Trinidad, and Trinidad Head.^[15]

On February 5 and 6, 1885, Eureka's entire Chinese population of 300 men and 20 women were expelled after a gunfight between rival Chinese gangs (tongs) resulted in the wounding of a 12-year-old boy and the death of 56-year-old David Kendall, a Eureka City Councilman. After the shooting, an angry mob of 600 Eureka residents met and informed the Chinese that they were no longer wanted in Eureka and would be hanged if they were to stay in town longer than 3 p.m. the next day. They were put on two steamships and shipped to San Francisco. No one was killed in the expulsion. Another Chinese expulsion occurred during 1906 in a cannery on the Eel River, in which 23 Chinese cannery workers were expelled after objections to their presence. However, some Chinese remained in the Orleans area, where some white landowners sheltered and purchased food for the Chinese mineworkers until after racial tension passed. Chinese did not return to the coastal cities until the 1950s.^[17]

According to the United States Census Bureau, Humboldt County encompasses 4,052 square miles (10,490 km²), of which 3,568 square miles (9,240 km²) is land and 484 square miles (1,250 km²) is water.^[18]

Cape Mendocino is the westernmost point in California (longitude 124 degrees, 24 minutes, 30 seconds). Humboldt Bay, the only deep water port between San Francisco and Coos Bay, Oregon, is located on the coast at the midpoint of the county.

Humboldt County contains a diversity of plant and animal species, with significant forest and coastal habitats. In coastal areas there are extensive redwood forests.^[19] A prominent understory shrub is the toyon, whose northern range limit is in Humboldt County.^[20]

Humboldt County's major rivers include (in order of flow – cubic meters per second – from largest to smallest):

• Klamath River
• Eel River
• Trinity River
• Mad River

The smaller rivers include Redwood Creek, significant due to amount of its flow; the Van Duzen; the Eel River syncline group composed of the South Fork, the North Fork, and the Salt River; the Mattole, Salmon, Elk, Bear, and Little rivers.

Historically, Humboldt County and the entire far north coast of California have had many earthquakes over 6.0 magnitude. The Mendocino Fracture Zone is in the area.^[21]

The 1992 Cape Mendocino earthquakes were a series of three major earthquakes that occurred off the coast of Cape Mendocino, California on April 25 and 26, 1992, the largest being a 7.2. Ninety-five people were injured and property in the county sustained considerable damage.^[22]

In 2010, a 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck offshore, 33 mi (53 km) west of Eureka, resulting in only minor injuries and some structural damage to houses and utilities, and no fatalities reported.^[23]

In 2022, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake centered approximately 10 miles (16 km) from Ferndale caused damage, especially in Rio Dell.^[24]

The 2024 Cape Mendocino earthquake was a M_ww  7.0 earthquake with an epicenter off the coast of Humboldt County.^[21]

The town of Arcata is built on top of an accretionary wedge. This was formed by the subduction of the Gorda plate under the North American plate.^[25]

The coastal zone of the county experiences very wet, cool winters and dry, mild foggy summers. In the winter, temperatures range from highs of 40–59 °F (4–15 °C) to lows of 32–49 °F (0–9 °C). Coastal summers are cool to mild, with average highs of 60–69 °F (16–21 °C) and frequent fogs. Coastal summer temperatures range from highs of 64–70 °F (18–21 °C) to lows of 46–55 °F (8–13 °C). In the populated areas and cities near the coast, the highest temperatures tend to occur at locations just a few miles inland from Eureka and Arcata, in towns like Fortuna, Rio Dell, and smaller unincorporated communities located somewhat further away from Humboldt Bay. In these locations summer highs are 70–75 °F (21–24 °C). The coastal zone experiences a number of frosty nights in winter and early spring, though snowfall and hard freezes are rare. Coastal winters are cool and wet. Winter rainstorms are frequent, with averages from 30 to 100 inches (760 to 2,500 mm) a year, depending upon elevation.

Inland areas of the county also experience wet, cool winters. Snowfall is common at elevations over 3,000 ft (910 m) throughout the winter months, and is deep enough at higher elevations to have inspired the opening of a small ski lift operation (now defunct) on Horse Mountain, near Willow Creek, for several decades in the late 20th century. Summer displays the sharpest difference between the coastal and inland climates. Inland regions of Humboldt County experience highs of 80–99 °F (27–37 °C) depending on the elevation and distance from the ocean. Occasional summer highs of 100 °F (38 °C) are common in eastern and southern parts of the county including Orleans, Hoopa, Willow Creek, Garberville, Honeydew, and inland river valleys.

Average daily maximum and minimum temperatures for warmest and coldest months in selected settlements of Humboldt County^[26]

Location	Month	Temp (°F)	Temp (°C)	Month	Temp (°F)	Temp (°C)
Eureka	August	64/52	18/11	December	55/40	12/4
Arcata	September	62/51	17/11	December	54/38	12/3
Ferndale	August	71/52	22/11	December	56/39	13/4
Willow Creek	July	94/52	34/11	December	50/35	10/1
Garberville	August	87/53	31/12	December	49/37	9/3
Shelter Cove	August	69/53	21/11	January	57/45	14/7
Orick	August	69/49	21/9	January	52/37	11/2

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	2,694		—
1870	6,140		127.9%
1880	15,512		152.6%
1890	23,469		51.3%
1900	27,104		15.5%
1910	33,857		24.9%
1920	37,413		10.5%
1930	43,233		15.6%
1940	45,812		6.0%
1950	69,241		51.1%
1960	104,892		51.5%
1970	99,692		−5.0%
1980	108,514		8.8%
1990	119,118		9.8%
2000	126,518		6.2%
2010	134,623		6.4%
2020	136,463		1.4%
2023 (est.)	133,985	[27]	−1.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[28] 1790–1960[29] 1900–1990[30] 1990–2000[31] 2010–2015[7]

Humboldt 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[32]	Pop 2010[33]	Pop 2020[34]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	103,230	103,958	93,316	81.59%	77.22%	68.38%
Black or African American alone (NH)	1,035	1,393	1,729	0.82%	1.03%	1.27%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	6,722	6,961	7,454	5.31%	5.17%	5.46%
Asian alone (NH)	2,022	2,854	3,495	1.60%	2.12%	2.56%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	219	332	436	0.17%	0.25%	0.32%
Other Race alone (NH)	448	368	1,091	0.35%	0.27%	0.80%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	4,632	5,546	10,407	3.66%	4.12%	7.63%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	8,210	13,211	18,535	6.49%	9.81%	13.58%
Total	126,518	134,623	136,463	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

The 2010 United States Census reported that Humboldt County had a population of 134,623. The racial makeup of Humboldt County was 109,920 (81.7%) White, 1,505 (1.1%) African American, 7,726 (5.7%) Native American, 2,944 (2.2%) Asian, 352 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 5,003 (3.7%) from other races, and 7,173 (5.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13,211 persons (9.8%).^[35]

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)
Humboldt County	134,623	109,920	1,505	7,726	2,944	352	5,003	7,173	13,211
Incorporated city	Total population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	Other races	Two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Arcata	17,231	14,094	351	393	454	35	769	1,135	2,000
Blue Lake	1,253	1,094	5	55	13	4	24	58	82
Eureka	27,191	21,565	514	1,011	1,153	176	1,181	1,591	3,143
Ferndale	1,371	1,281	1	22	20	2	17	28	77
Fortuna	11,926	9,686	73	444	106	9	1,065	543	2,032
Rio Dell	3,368	2,894	13	125	25	3	140	168	384
Trinidad	367	331	2	15	2	1	1	15	11
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)
Alderpoint	186	170	0	9	1	0	1	5	10
Bayview	2,510	1,959	28	119	88	5	185	126	425
Benbow	321	294	0	2	1	0	13	11	25
Big Lagoon	93	73	0	11	0	0	1	8	11
Cutten	3,108	2,628	27	119	80	11	78	165	254
Fieldbrook	859	763	4	19	5	0	14	54	51
Fields Landing	276	210	6	13	21	1	6	19	18
Garberville	913	815	14	29	17	0	7	31	54
Humboldt Hill	3,414	2,853	41	119	102	2	129	168	298
Hydesville	1,237	1,108	4	33	6	0	30	56	71
Indianola	823	713	2	42	11	1	12	42	44
Loleta	783	643	12	16	5	0	65	42	114
McKinleyville	15,177	13,010	103	700	211	17	338	798	1,081
Manila	784	686	14	25	5	0	12	42	30
Miranda	520	439	4	13	4	1	31	28	75
Myers Flat	146	125	0	6	1	0	4	10	11
Myrtletown	4,675	3,969	53	142	155	19	126	211	387
Orick	357	288	0	39	0	3	6	21	20
Phillipsville	140	121	0	4	1	0	0	14	3
Pine Hills	3,131	2,648	22	86	116	4	72	183	220
Redcrest	89	73	0	5	0	0	3	8	4
Redway	1,225	1,093	5	35	6	1	15	70	96
Samoa	258	198	1	9	0	0	31	19	52
Scotia	850	674	3	35	3	9	90	36	150
Shelter Cove	693	630	3	5	7	1	13	34	47
Weott	288	252	0	13	1	0	3	19	20
Westhaven-Moonstone	1,205	1,083	9	39	18	0	10	46	53
Willow Creek	1,710	1,375	6	167	14	6	29	113	108
Unincorporated communities	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)	26,145	20,082	185	3,807	292	41	482	1,256	1,750

Population, race, and income
Total population[36]	133,585
White[36]	110,418	82.7%
Black or African American[36]	1,590	1.2%
American Indian or Alaska Native[36]	7,718	5.8%
Asian[36]	3,131	2.3%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander[36]	452	0.3%
Some other race[36]	3,959	3.0%
Two or more races[36]	6,317	4.7%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)[37]	12,771	9.6%
Per capita income[38]	$24,209
Median household income[39]	$40,376
Median family income[40]	$52,317

Places by population and race
Place	Type[41]	Population[36]	White[36]	Other[36] [note 1]	Asian[36]	Black or African American[36]	Native American[36] [note 2]	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)[37]
Alderpoint	CDP	113	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Arcata	City	17,118	81.4%	8.0%	3.1%	2.7%	4.8%	12.2%
Bayview	CDP	2,818	82.9%	11.9%	0.8%	0.0%	4.4%	25.2%
Benbow	CDP	415	91.8%	8.2%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	8.2%
Big Lagoon	CDP	179	48.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	52.0%	1.7%
Blue Lake	City	1,336	84.6%	3.6%	1.6%	2.2%	8.1%	5.0%
Cutten	CDP	3,166	89.5%	2.7%	4.5%	0.0%	3.3%	0.6%
Eureka	City	27,027	82.3%	6.6%	3.9%	1.8%	5.4%	9.3%
Ferndale	City	1,503	92.0%	5.6%	0.2%	0.0%	2.2%	2.5%
Fieldbrook	CDP	1,053	83.1%	11.4%	0.9%	1.4%	3.2%	4.8%
Fields Landing	CDP	195	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Fortuna	City	11,753	80.8%	13.2%	2.7%	1.1%	2.3%	12.5%
Garberville	CDP	610	97.0%	3.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	3.4%
Humboldt Hill	CDP	4,145	76.5%	7.3%	1.9%	2.6%	11.8%	12.4%
Hydesville	CDP	1,114	88.4%	3.6%	4.7%	1.3%	2.0%	7.2%
Indianola	CDP	1,167	83.7%	6.4%	1.8%	0.0%	8.1%	0.9%
Loleta	CDP	705	87.5%	9.2%	3.3%	0.0%	0.0%	3.8%
McKinleyville	CDP	16,701	87.5%	6.4%	1.2%	0.1%	4.8%	7.9%
Manila	CDP	810	91.2%	6.0%	0.0%	0.0%	2.7%	1.2%
Miranda	CDP	100	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Myers Flat	CDP	89	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Myrtletown	CDP	4,586	86.6%	9.4%	1.9%	0.2%	1.9%	9.8%
Orick	CDP	325	79.1%	15.1%	0.0%	0.0%	5.8%	8.3%
Phillipsville	CDP	130	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Pine Hills	CDP	2,483	92.6%	6.2%	0.3%	0.4%	0.4%	3.1%
Redcrest	CDP	53	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Redway	CDP	953	96.2%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	3.8%	0.0%
Rio Dell	City	3,342	83.9%	9.7%	1.5%	1.9%	3.0%	15.7%
Samoa	CDP	364	78.8%	16.2%	0.0%	0.3%	4.7%	29.1%
Scotia	CDP	863	78.6%	13.4%	0.0%	7.2%	0.8%	11.5%
Shelter Cove	CDP	508	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	1.0%
Trinidad	City	286	95.5%	2.4%	0.0%	0.0%	2.1%	1.7%
Weott	CDP	87	81.6%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	18.4%	0.0%
Westhaven-Moonstone	CDP	1,041	88.4%	6.2%	1.2%	0.0%	4.2%	0.0%
Willow Creek	CDP	1,141	86.9%	12.2%	0.0%	0.0%	1.0%	4.0%

Places by population and income
Place	Type[41]	Population[42]	Per capita income[38]	Median household income[39]	Median family income[40]
Alderpoint	CDP	113	$13,062	$31,000	$31,000
Arcata	City	17,118	$19,996	$31,815	$46,702
Bayview (Humboldt County)	CDP	2,818	$21,146	$31,828	$37,604
Benbow	CDP	415	$34,072	$54,250	$58,393
Big Lagoon	CDP	179	$23,938	$46,354	$87,946
Blue Lake	City	1,336	$25,588	$55,568	$57,045
Cutten	CDP	3,166	$29,545	$63,542	$68,426
Eureka	City	27,027	$22,972	$36,081	$51,808
Ferndale	City	1,503	$37,348	$60,147	$77,083
Fieldbrook	CDP	1,053	$28,113	$54,886	$76,000
Fields Landing	CDP	195	$25,856	$50,298	$50,238
Fortuna	City	11,753	$23,208	$37,532	$48,467
Garberville	CDP	610	$20,880	$20,529	$52,431
Humboldt Hill	CDP	4,145	$17,905	$38,171	$42,917
Hydesville	CDP	1,114	$29,409	$53,229	$66,250
Indianola	CDP	1,167	$23,634	$49,962	$80,667
Loleta	CDP	705	$21,498	$35,833	$47,596
McKinleyville	CDP	16,701	$23,902	$46,696	$54,899
Manila	CDP	810	$18,036	$30,833	$38,382
Miranda	CDP	100	$17,055	$26,328	[43]
Myers Flat	CDP	89	[43]	[43]	[43]
Myrtletown	CDP	4,586	$38,064	$51,402	$66,654
Orick	CDP	325	$23,690	$24,519	$44,500
Phillipsville	CDP	130	$9,557	$18,542	$2,499
Pine Hills	CDP	2,483	$34,202	$60,137	$84,120
Redcrest	CDP	53	$21,913	$31,845	$39,583
Redway	CDP	953	$25,122	$29,429	$63,893
Rio Dell	City	3,342	$23,446	$39,240	$39,932
Samoa	CDP	364	$22,010	$58,036	$58,393
Scotia	CDP	863	$32,809	$53,063	$52,083
Shelter Cove	CDP	508	$26,915	$44,500	$44,500
Trinidad	City	286	$34,480	$63,438	$75,000
Weott	CDP	87	$27,921	$13,824	[43]
Westhaven-Moonstone	CDP	1,041	$24,398	$36,335	$37,049
Willow Creek	CDP	1,141	$18,803	$27,500	$29,000

As of the 2000 census, the population of Humboldt County was 126,518. As of that census, there were 51,238 households in Humboldt County, and the population density was 35 people per square mile (14 people/km²). By 2006, the population was projected to have increased to 131,361 by the California Department of Finance.^[44] There were 55,912 housing units at an average density of 16 units per square mile (6.2 units/km²).^{[citation needed]} The racial makeup of the county was 84.7% White, 0.9% Black or African American, 5.7% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 2.5% from other races, and 4.4% from two or more races. In 2017, 11.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino according to the United States Census Bureau. 13.3% were of German, 10.7% Irish, 10.3% English, 7.4% American and 5.7% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000. 92.1% spoke English and 4.6% spoke Spanish as their first language.

There were 51,238 households, out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.2% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% 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 2.95.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 12.4% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,226, and the median income for a family was $39,370. Males had a median income of $32,210 versus $23,942 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,203. About 12.9% of families and 19.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.5% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

Humboldt County is known for its impressive redwood trees,^[45] and many acres of private redwood timberland make Humboldt the top timber producer in California. The lush river bottoms adjacent to the ocean produce rich, high-quality dairy products. Somewhat further inland, the warmer valleys have historically produced abundant apples and other fruit. More recently vineyards have been planted in the Trinity, Klamath, Mattole and upper Eel river areas.

Company	Location	Years Operated	Industry	Highlights	Current Status
Kokatat	Arcata	since 1971	watersports	outfits the US Coast Guard, US watersports teams for 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics and The Bodyguard	locally owned
Cypress Grove Chevre	Arcata	since 1983	cheese		bought by Emmi AG; still in Arcata
Humboldt Creamery	Fortuna	since 1929	dairy cooperative		bought by Foster Farms Dairy; still in Fortuna
Lost Coast Brewery	Eureka	since 1989	brewery		locally owned
Wing Inflatables	Arcata	since 1991	watercraft	used by the Navy SEALs and the Coast Guard	locally owned
C. Crane Company	Fortuna	since 1976	electronics retailer		locally owned
Sun Frost	Arcata	since 1986	refrigerators		locally owned
Wildwood Manufacturing	Arcata	since 1970s	guitars		locally owned
Wallace & Hinz	Blue Lake	since 1976	bars	The Great American Bar Company	locally owned
Wildwood Banjos	Arcata	1973–2008	banjos		moved to Bend, Oregon, and closed in 2018
Moonstone Guitars	Eureka	since 1974	guitars		locally owned
Coast Seafood	Eureka	since 1941	seafood		bought by Pacific Seafood; still in Eureka
Holly Yashi	Arcata	since 1981	jewelry		locally owned
Eel River Brewing Company	Fortuna	since 1994	brewery		locally owned
Six Rivers Brewery	McKinleyville	since 1996	brewery		locally owned
Mad River Brewing	Blue Lake	since 1989	brewery		locally owned
Humboldt Brewing Company	Arcata	1987–2005, 2021-	brewery		locally owned, bought and moved, then returned in 2021
The Sun Valley Group	Arcata	since 1969	flowers		locally owned
Yakima Racks	Arcata	1979–2005	roof racks	outfitted race vehicles for the 1984 and 1992 Summer Olympics	bought out and moved to Lake Oswego, Oregon
Restoration Hardware	Eureka	1979–1995	home furnishings		moved to Corte Madera, California, original Old Town Eureka store closed in 2009
Moonstone Mountaineering	Arcata	1977–2006	custom outdoor gear		bought out and closed by Columbia Sportswear in 2006
Fire and Light Originals	Arcata	1995–2019	glassware		closed in 2019
Loleta Cheese Factory	Loleta	1982–2019	cheese		closed in 2019
Pacific Lumber Company	Scotia	1863–2007	logging		declared bankruptcy and bought by Mendocino Redwood Company
Arcata Transit Authority	Arcata	1971–early 1980s?	bikes and outdoor gear		closed and succeeded by Kokatat
Blue Puma	Arcata	1971–1986	outdoor gear	early user of Gore-Tex	sued by Puma and reorganized to become Kokatat
Downhome	Arcata	1978–1980	custom sleeping bags		moved to Deadwood, Oregon, and closed c. 1993

Humboldt County is known for its family-operated dairy farms. The Humboldt Creamery, a significant producer of high-grade ice cream and other dairy products, operates from the original headquarters located at Fernbridge adjacent to the Eel River.^[46]

As part of the Emerald Triangle, Humboldt County is known for its cultivation of cannabis, estimated to be worth billions of dollars.^[48][49] Proposition 215 allows patients and caregivers who are given a doctor's recommendation to legally (State level only) grow up to 99 plants in Humboldt County.^[50][51] However, in the years before Prop 215 (early 1970s – late 1980s), Humboldt County saw a large migration of the Bay Area counter-culture to the region. Many came looking to purchase cheap land, and ended up growing marijuana to pay for their land. Especially around Garberville and Redway, the rural culture and hippie scene eventually collaborated to create a rural hippie community in which marijuana became the center of the economy and the culture. Many people prospered by producing marijuana for California and other states because of its reputation for quality.^[52] A Redway radio station, KMUD, in the past has issued warnings and alerts to the region with information on whereabouts of law enforcement on their way to raid marijuana gardens.^[53][52]

The Campaign Against Marijuana Planting is the multi-agency law enforcement task force managed by the California Department of Justice, formed with the prime purpose of eradicating illegal cannabis production in California. The operations began in the late 1970s, named the Northern California Sinsemilla Strike Force in 1979, but the name CAMP became used after its official establishment in 1983. While the influence of CAMP in Humboldt County has waned with decriminalization of marijuana, there is a renewed interest at the state level regarding valid growing permits and environmental concerns. As a result, CAMP is today still used as a policing body, in accordance with the DEA.^[54] Yearly CAMP reports, published by the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement (BNE) are available online through Cal Poly Humboldt's Special Collections. Starting in 1983, the annual reports detail the organizational structure and names of individual participants, a summary of the season's activities, tactics, and mention of special successes, trends and hazards.^[54]

County officials and the industry have encountered challenges in the transition from an illegal, underground economy to legal recreational cannabis sales that began in California in 2018.^[55]

As of 2023, the county has the largest cannabis farming industry in the Emerald Triangle. While the largest legal pot farm in the county was 8 acres (3.2 ha), a 2021 survey found the median pot farm sito be as 0.22 acres (0.09 ha).^[56]

Humboldt County children are at greater risk of dangerously elevated blood lead levels than Flint, Michigan's – and almost double that of any other California county measured. The cases are concentrated in Eureka's Old Town and downtown areas.^[57][58][59]

National Park

• Redwood National and State Parks – National Park Service

Conservation area

• King Range National Conservation Area and The Lost Coast – Bureau of Land Management

Recreation area

• Samoa Dunes Recreation Area – Bureau of Land Management

Forests

• Headwaters Forest Reserve – Bureau of Land Management
• Six Rivers National Forest – U.S. Forest Service
• Trinity National Forest – U.S. Forest Service

Wildlife refuge

• Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge – Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Beaches

• Little River State Beach
• Trinidad State Beach

Parks

• Fort Humboldt State Historic Park
• Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park
• Humboldt Lagoons State Park
• Humboldt Redwoods State Park
• Sue-meg State Park
• Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
• Richardson Grove State Park
• Sinkyone Wilderness State Park

Tide pools

• Sue-meg State Park
• Moonstone Beach
• Indian Beach (also known as Old Home Beach)

Recreation areas

• Benbow State Recreation Area
• Harry A. Merlo State Recreation Area

Reserves

• Azalea State Reserve
• John B. Dewitt Redwoods State Reserve

• The Sequoia Park Zoo is the oldest zoo in California operating on a 7 acres (2.8 ha) facility operated by the City of Eureka in 60 acres (24 ha) Sequoia Park.^[72]
• The Clarke Historical Museum in Eureka, displays North Coast regional and cultural history in the repurposed Historic Register Bank of Eureka building.
• The Ferndale Museum, in Ferndale, houses and exhibits artifacts, documents and papers from settlement during the California Gold Rush to the 1950s covering the lower Eel River Valley.^[73]
• The Morris Graves Museum of Art conserves and displays the works of local artists in a restored Carnegie Library building.
• The Ferndale Repertory Theatre is the county's oldest theater company; it has been in operation since 1972 at the Hart Theater building in Ferndale.^[74]
• The Humboldt Crabs, founded in 1945, are the oldest continuously operated summer collegiate, wood-bat baseball team in the country.^[75]
• See also the List of museums in the North Coast (California).

Humboldt County is in California's 2nd congressional district, represented by Democrat Jared Huffman.^[76]

In the state legislature, Humboldt is part of the 2nd Senate District, represented by Democrat Mike McGuire,^[77] and the 2nd Assembly District, represented by Democrat Chris Rogers.^[78]

Election audits in the county since 2008 have used a distinctive system which has spread elsewhere. They scan all ballots and release a file of the images with a digital signature, so candidates and the public can recount to find if the official totals are correct. They also release software to let the public tally the images electronically.^[79] The first time they did this they found the official software omitted 200 ballots.^{[80][81][82][83]}

Population and registered voters
Total population[36]	133,585
Registered voters[84][note 3]	79,708	59.7%
Democratic[84]	33,155	41.6%
Republican[84]	20,238	25.4%
Democratic–Republican spread[84]	+12,917	+16.2%
American Independent[84]	2,557	3.2%
Green[84]	3,036	3.8%
Libertarian[84]	801	1.0%
Peace and Freedom[84]	342	0.4%
Other[84]	222	0.3%
No party preference[84]	19,357	24.3%

Cities by population and voter registration
City	Population[36]	Registered voters[84] [note 3]	Democratic[84]	Republican[84]	D–R spread[84]	Other[84]	No party preference[84]
Arcata	17,118	71.9%	45.1%	10.2%	+34.9%	15.5%	32.2%
Blue Lake	1,336	61.4%	43.0%	20.4%	+22.6%	13.7%	26.1%
Eureka	27,027	53.6%	42.5%	25.3%	+17.2%	11.3%	24.1%
Ferndale	1,503	63.7%	39.4%	38.2%	+1.2%	7.5%	17.4%
Fortuna	11,753	54.6%	33.7%	38.1%	-4.4%	10.0%	22.0%
Rio Dell	3,342	50.9%	33.5%	35.3%	-1.8%	13.3%	23.1%
Trinidad	286	94.8%	52.8%	18.1%	+34.7%	9.2%	22.5%

From 1920 to 1984, the county was a noted bellwether area, voting for the national winner of every Presidential election. Since 1988, Humboldt has swung heavily to the Democratic Party at the Presidential and congressional levels, and is now one of the most Democratic areas in the state outside the Bay Area and Southern California. The last Republican presidential candidate to win a majority in the county was Ronald Reagan, a Californian, in 1984.^[85]

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Humboldt also had a substantial number of people affiliated with the Green Party, but that number has declined in recent years; however, the Green Party has had its best performance by presidential and gubernatorial candidates of any county in the United States in Humboldt County, with Jill Stein gaining her largest county-level number of votes in Humboldt in 2016.^{[citation needed]}

United States presidential election results for Humboldt County, California^[86]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	21,559	33.35%	39,800	61.57%	3,284	5.08%
2020	21,770	31.36%	44,768	64.48%	2,886	4.16%
2016	18,373	30.61%	33,200	55.32%	8,441	14.07%
2012	18,825	32.63%	34,457	59.73%	4,404	7.63%
2008	21,713	33.94%	39,692	62.05%	2,563	4.01%
2004	25,714	39.03%	37,988	57.66%	2,184	3.31%
2000	23,219	41.48%	24,851	44.40%	7,902	14.12%
1996	19,803	35.52%	24,628	44.17%	11,326	20.31%
1992	18,299	30.49%	28,854	48.07%	12,868	21.44%
1988	21,460	41.15%	29,781	57.11%	905	1.74%
1984	27,832	51.64%	25,217	46.79%	842	1.56%
1980	24,047	49.39%	17,113	35.15%	7,532	15.47%
1976	18,034	41.58%	23,500	54.18%	1,838	4.24%
1972	22,345	48.83%	21,132	46.18%	2,286	5.00%
1968	16,719	46.17%	16,476	45.50%	3,019	8.34%
1964	12,909	33.53%	25,515	66.27%	75	0.19%
1960	18,074	46.71%	20,391	52.70%	226	0.58%
1956	19,019	52.57%	17,025	47.06%	133	0.37%
1952	19,949	60.10%	12,949	39.01%	293	0.88%
1948	10,979	47.19%	11,268	48.43%	1,019	4.38%
1944	9,127	42.93%	12,083	56.83%	50	0.24%
1940	9,470	43.00%	12,329	55.98%	225	1.02%
1936	6,808	35.97%	11,909	62.93%	208	1.10%
1932	6,795	42.22%	8,723	54.20%	577	3.58%
1928	9,162	69.75%	3,726	28.37%	247	1.88%
1924	6,767	56.82%	845	7.09%	4,298	36.09%
1920	6,528	69.89%	1,778	19.04%	1,034	11.07%
1916	5,786	51.14%	4,103	36.27%	1,424	12.59%
1912	93	1.09%	2,887	33.76%	5,572	65.15%
1908	4,221	65.02%	1,206	18.58%	1,065	16.40%
1904	4,930	73.22%	1,249	18.55%	554	8.23%
1900	3,902	66.32%	1,698	28.86%	284	4.83%
1896	3,142	55.37%	2,465	43.44%	68	1.20%
1892	2,416	44.53%	1,844	33.98%	1,166	21.49%
1888	2,773	55.94%	2,014	40.63%	170	3.43%
1884	2,184	53.89%	1,450	35.78%	419	10.34%
1880	1,490	50.49%	735	24.91%	726	24.60%

In 2018, Humboldt County was featured in the Netflix documentary Murder Mountain which highlighted the county's marijuana industry, violent crime and missing person cases.^[87]

As of 2022, Humboldt County ranked fourth out of California's 58 counties in missing adults per capita.^[88] (See table below)

Missing Adults By California County (2022)

County	Population [89]	Total Missing [88]	Voluntarily Missing [88]	Percent of Total Voluntarily Missing	Total Missing per 1000
Trinity	15,889	37	20	54.1%	2.33
Modoc	8,651	18	15	83.3%	2.08
San Francisco	851,036	1653	1608	97.3%	1.94
Humboldt	136,132	239	132	55.2%	1.76
Sacramento	1,579,211	2629	2350	89.4%	1.66
Siskiyou	44,049	71	43	60.6%	1.61
Kern	906,883	1458	1370	94.0%	1.61
Del Norte	27,462	44	40	90.9%	1.60
Shasta	181,852	282	243	86.2%	1.55
Tehama	65,484	101	82	81.2%	1.54
San Luis Obispo	281,712	420	408	97.1%	1.49
Santa Cruz	268,571	393	344	87.5%	1.46
Yolo	217,141	315	240	76.2%	1.45
Stanislaus	552,063	793	663	83.6%	1.44
San Bernardino	2,180,563	2942	2537	86.2%	1.35
Fresno	1,008,280	1333	1101	82.6%	1.32
Imperial	179,578	235	164	69.8%	1.31
Sutter	99,101	129	82	63.6%	1.30
Lake	68,024	86	67	77.9%	1.26
San Joaquin	779,445	963	920	95.5%	1.24
Tuolumne	54,993	65	55	84.6%	1.18
Alameda	1,663,823	1867	1409	75.5%	1.12
Mariposa	17,130	19	9	47.4%	1.11
Merced	282,290	308	206	66.9%	1.09
Butte	213,605	231	142	61.5%	1.08
Madera	157,243	170	114	67.1%	1.08
Plumas	19,650	21	9	42.9%	1.07
Yuba	81,705	86	68	79.1%	1.05
Solano	450,995	470	395	84.0%	1.04
Sierra	2,916	3	2	66.7%	1.03
Los Angeles	9,936,690	10132	9109	89.9%	1.02
Nevada	102,322	99	88	88.9%	0.97
San Diego	3,289,701	3154	2991	94.8%	0.96
Santa Barbara	445,213	426	375	88.0%	0.96
Inyo	18,829	18	5	27.8%	0.96
Riverside	2,429,487	2280	2172	95.3%	0.94
Marin	260,485	244	208	85.2%	0.94
Calaveras	45,674	42	38	90.5%	0.92
Tulare	473,446	434	379	87.3%	0.92
Sonoma	488,436	417	325	77.9%	0.85
Monterey	437,609	369	319	86.4%	0.84
Mono	13,219	11	5	45.5%	0.83
Santa Clara	1,916,831	1584	1239	78.2%	0.83
Contra Costa	1,162,648	956	851	89.0%	0.82
Ventura	842,009	677	600	88.6%	0.80
Placer	406,608	322	210	65.2%	0.79
Orange	3,175,227	2457	2272	92.5%	0.77
San Mateo	754,250	580	518	89.3%	0.77
Lassen	31,873	23	15	65.2%	0.72
El Dorado	191,713	134	109	81.3%	0.70
Glenn	28,657	19	5	26.3%	0.66
Kings	152,515	93	84	90.3%	0.61
San Benito	64,753	35	24	68.6%	0.54
Amador	40,577	21	17	81.0%	0.52
Napa	137,384	68	51	75.0%	0.49
Mendocino	91,145	30	17	56.7%	0.33
Colusa	21,811	7	5	71.4%	0.32
Alpine	1,515	0	0		0.00

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[36]	133,585
Violent crime[90]	541	4.05
Homicide[90]	8	0.06
Forcible rape[90]	33	0.25
Robbery[90]	117	0.88
Aggravated assault[90]	383	2.87
Property crime[90]	2,270	16.99
Burglary[90]	1,057	7.91
Larceny-theft[90][note 4]	2,513	18.81
Motor vehicle theft[90]	475	3.56
Arson[90]	51	0.38

Cities by population and crime rates

City	Population[91]	Violent crimes[91]	Violent crime rate per 1,000 persons	Property crimes[91]	Property crime rate per 1,000 persons
Arcata	18,332	72	3.92	605	33.00
Eureka	26,973	195	7.23	1,350	50.05
Ferndale	1,363	4	2.93	24	17.61
Fortuna	12,317	28	2.27	317	25.74
Rio Dell	3,392	11	3.24	61	17.98

The List of schools in Humboldt County, California shows the many school districts, including charter and private schools, at the elementary and high school level. Post-secondary education is offered locally at the College of the Redwoods and California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt (Cal Poly Humboldt). Blue Lake's Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre offers accredited three-year Masters of Fine Arts degrees in Ensemble Based Physical Theatre. Humboldt County has the lowest starting teacher pay scale in the whole state of California.^[92]

The Times-Standard is the only daily newspaper in the region; in continuous publication since 1854, and owned by Media News Group since 1996,^[93][94] They also print three weeklies: the Redwood Times,^[95] the Tri-City Weekly,^[96] and Northcoast 101.^[97] Other local publications include The Independent,^[98][99] the North Coast Journal,^[100] the Ferndale Enterprise,^[101] the Two Rivers Tribune,^[102] the Isis Scrolls,^[103] and The Lumberjack.^[104] The Arcata Eye ^[105] and the McKinleyville Press^[106] merged in August 2013 to form the Mad River Union.^[107]

Humboldt County's locally produced television stations, NBC station KIEM and PBS station KEET, are based in Eureka. KIEM produces the only local TV newscast and KEET is the only PBS station in the region. Since 2017, CBS affiliate KVIQ has been a low-powered station operated as part of a duopoly with KIEM, sharing the same studios.

Fox affiliate KBVU, a semi-satellite of KCVU, is based in Chico and ABC affiliate KAEF, a semi-satellite of KRCR-TV, is based in Redding. In previous decades all major networks had production capacity in Eureka.

Community broadband networks and public, educational, and government access (PEG) cable TV channels provide air time for local voices on Access Humboldt.^[128] Cable TV channels are carried by Suddenlink Communications^[129] and local programs are provided online through the Community Media Archive.^[130] The Digital Redwoods initiative of Access Humboldt is developing local networks to meet comprehensive community needs, including public, education and government purposes.^[131]

• Humboldt Transit Authority operates two fixed route transit bus systems:
  • Redwood Transit System provides intercity service to and within communities between Trinidad and Garberville, including Manila, King Salmon, Field's Landing, Loleta, Fernbridge and Fortuna. HTA also offers service between McKinleyville or Arcata and Willow Creek and an express bus between Arcata and College of the Redwoods when classes are in session.
  • Eureka Transit Service, operated in the City of Eureka, provides local service on four scheduled routes (one hour headway) in Eureka and its adjacent unincorporated communities. Connections can be made to the Redwood Transit System at several places in Eureka.
• Arcata and Mad River Transit System, operated by the City of Arcata with funding from Cal Poly Humboldt. A&MRTS provides fixed route local bus service on two scheduled routes (one hour headway) in Arcata and an additional route between the Valley West Neighborhood and the university when classes are in session.
• The city of Blue Lake and the Blue Lake Rancheria operates the Blue Lake Rancheria Transit Authority.^[132] This provides fixed route intercity transit bus service (one hour headway) between Arcata and the Blue Lake Rancheria Indian Reservation and casino and local service within the city of Blue Lake.
• Del Norte County's Redwood Coast Transit operates fixed route intercity transit bus service between Arcata and Crescent City or Smith River.
• Amtrak Thruway bus has stops in many towns in the region, including Eureka, Arcata, and Fortuna. These stops are not managed by Amtrak and therefore have no services beyond serving passengers. Full service is only provided at the train station in Martinez, near San Francisco.

Arcata-Eureka Airport is located in McKinleyville (north of Arcata). Commercial flights are available. Other general aviation airports are located at Dinsmore, Garberville, Kneeland, Murray Field (Eureka), Samoa Field and Rohnerville (Fortuna).

The Port of Humboldt Bay is on Humboldt Bay, California's second largest natural bay.

Name	Month	Location	Citation
Apple Harvest Festival	October	Fortuna	[133]
Arcata Oyster Festival	June	Arcata Plaza	[134]
Azalea Festival	June	McKinleyville	[135]
Avenue of the Giants Marathon	May	Humboldt Redwood State Park	[136]
Blackberry Festival	July	Westhaven	[137]
Blues by the Bay	July	Eureka	[138]
Brew at the Zoo	May	Eureka	[139]
Chicken Wingfest	September	Eureka	[140]
Craftsman's Days	November	Eureka	[141]
College of the Redwoods Wood Fair	June	Eureka	[142]
Ferndale Concours on Main Car Show	September	Ferndale	[143]
Ferndale Pet Parade	June	Ferndale	[143]
Foggy Bottom Milk Run	March	Ferndale	[143]
Fortuna Rodeo	July	Fortuna	[144]
Fourth of July Festival	July 4	Old Town Eureka	[145]
Humboldt Pride	September	Arcata	[146]
Godwit Days (Birding festival)	April	Arcata	[147]
Humboldt Arts Festival	May	Arcata/Blue Lake	[148]
Humboldt County Cup	November	Eureka	[149]
Humboldt County Fair	August	Ferndale	[150]
Humboldt Film Festival	March & April	Arcata	[151]
Humboldt Juggling Festival	April/May	Arcata (HSU)	[152]
Humboldt Redwoods Marathon	October	Southern Humboldt	[153]
Kinetic Grand Championship	May	Arcata to Ferndale	[154]
Lighted Tractor Parade	December	Ferndale	[143]
Lighting of America's Tallest Living Christmas Tree	December	Ferndale	[143]
Lost Coast Kennel Club's Annual All Breed Show, Obedience, Rally, Agility Trails, Barn Hunt, FCATs	July	Ferndale	[143]
Mushroom Fair	November	Arcata	[155]
North Country Fair	September	Arcata	[156]
Organic Planet Festival	September	Eureka	[157]
Reggae on the River	August	French's Camp	[158]
Redwood Acres Fair	June	Eureka	[159]
Redwood AutoXpo	July	Fortuna	[160]
Redwood Coast Jazz Festival	March	Eureka	[161]
Redwood Run	June	Southern Humboldt	[162]
Rhododendron Festival and Parade	April	Eureka	[163]
Roll on the Mattole	Summer	Mattole Grange	[164]
Summer Arts and Music Festival	June	Benbow	[165]
Swauger's Station Day	July	Loleta	[166]
Tour of Loleta (by Bicycle)	July	Loleta	[167]
Tour of the Unknown Coast (by Bicycle)	May	Southern Humboldt	[168]
Trinidad Fish Festival	June	Trinidad	[169]
Trinidad to Clam Beach Run	February	Trinidad	[170]
Truckers Christmas Parade	December	Eureka	[171]
Two Rivers Harvest Festival	October	Willow Creek	[172]
Zootini	August	Eureka	[173]
Redwood Coast Up in Smoke BBQ Competition	June	Blue Lake	[174]

Ferndale, in southern Humboldt county, has been featured in such movies as The Majestic^[175] and Outbreak.^[176][177] It has appeared in made-for-television movies including Salem's Lot,^[176] A Death in Canaan,^[176] and Joe Dirt.^[178] It was also the location of the iconic "I'm a Pepper" commercial for Dr. Pepper.^[179]

Additionally the following films were shot in Ferndale: the science fiction horror cult film She Demons (1958),^[180] the award-winning short film Nonnie & Alex (1995),^[181] and the comedy-drama Kingdom Come (2001).^[182]

Much of The WB's Hyperion Bay and the CBS show Blue Skies as well as an episode of Moonlighting were filmed in Humboldt County. The infamous Patterson-Gimlin film was filmed on Bluff Creek near Orleans, California.

Humboldt County has also been the subject of multiple documentary miniseries including Discovery Channel's Pot Cops and Netflix's Murder Mountain.

Humboldt County has also been featured in episodes of On the Case with Paula Zahn, The Profit, Hamilton's Pharmacopeia, Top Gear, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Survivorman, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, Finding Bigfoot, Treehouse Masters, Rescue 911, Walking With Dinosaurs, Somebody's Gotta Do It, Monsters Resurrected, Weediquette, Dan Rather Reports, Monster Fish, Beachfront Bargain Hunt, and many more.^[183]

Ferndale was featured by Huell Howser in Road Trip Episode 149.^[184]

Humboldt County has also been the filming location for countless national television advertisements, including many major car commercials.^[183]

The Netflix series Virgin River is set in Humboldt County.

In the book Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov there is a possible pun using the county's name (Humboldt) in connection to the main character's name (Humbert Humbert). This appears on page 108: "With the help of a guidebook I located [The Enchanted Hunters inn] in the secluded town of Briceland." This 'secluded town' could very well be a reference to the unincorporated Briceland of Humboldt County, making The Enchanted Hunters in 'Humboldt Land', continuing the novel's grotesque fairy-tale veneer.^[185]

Humboldt County has eight Indian reservations lying within its borders. Only four other counties in the United States have more: San Diego County, California; Sandoval County, New Mexico; Riverside County, California; and Mendocino County, California. The Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation is the largest in the state of California, a state that generally has small reservations (although numerous) relative to those in other states.

• Big Lagoon Rancheria
• Blue Lake Rancheria
• Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation
• Karuk Indian Reservation (partly in Siskiyou County)
• Rohnerville Rancheria
• Table Bluff Rancheria
• Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria
• Yurok Indian Reservation (partly in Del Norte County)

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Humboldt County.^[186]

† county seat

Rank	City/town/etc.	Municipal type	Population (2020 Census)
1	† Eureka	City	26,512
2	Arcata	City	18,857
3	McKinleyville	CDP	16,262
4	Fortuna	City	12,516
5	Myrtletown	CDP	4,882
6	Humboldt Hill	CDP	3,498
7	Rio Dell	City	3,379
8	Cutten	CDP	3,223
9	Pine Hills	CDP	3,186
10	Hoopa Valley Reservation[187]	AIAN	3,173
11	Bayview	CDP	2,619
12	Willow Creek	CDP	1,720
13	Ferndale	City	1,398
14	Redway	CDP	1,247
15	Hydesville	CDP	1,244
16	Yurok Reservation[188] (partially in Del Norte County)	AIAN	1,236
17	Blue Lake	City	1,208
18	Westhaven-Moonstone	CDP	1,187
19	Loleta	CDP	828
20	Fieldbrook	CDP	827
21	Garberville	CDP	818
22	Shelter Cove	CDP	803
23	Manila	CDP	798
24	Indianola	CDP	791
25	Scotia	CDP	681
26	Karuk Reservation[189]	AIAN	578
27	Miranda	CDP	441
28	Benbow	CDP	422
29	Orick	CDP	328
30	Trinidad	City	307
31	Fields Landing	CDP	287
32	Samoa	CDP	229
33	Weott	CDP	219
34	Rohnerville Rancheria[190]	AIAN	208
35	Big Lagoon	CDP	161
36 (tie)	Alderpoint	CDP	137
36 (tie)	Trinidad Rancheria[191]	AIAN	137
38	Phillipsville	CDP	124
39	Table Bluff Reservation[192]	AIAN	120
40	Blue Lake Rancheria[193]	AIAN	112
41	Myers Flat	CDP	90
42	Redcrest	CDP	61
43	Big Lagoon Rancheria[194]	AIAN	17

• Arcata and Eureka Community Recycling Centers
• Arcata Jacoby Creek Community Forest
• Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary
• HSU First Street Gallery
• Humboldt Arts Council
• Humboldt County Historical Society
• Humboldt Crabs
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Humboldt County, California
• Operation Green Sweep
• California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt
• Lost Man Creek Dam
• Sequoia County, California

• Emerson, F. W. (July 1903). "Among the Redwoods of Humboldt County". Overland Monthly. XLII (1): 69–96.

• Official website
• Humboldt Economic Index
• All About Living in Humboldt County
• General Guide to Humboldt County

40°48′N 123°48′W / 40.8°N 123.8°W / 40.8; -123.8