Del Norte County, California

Del Norte County
County of Del Norte
Images, from top down, left to right: Crescent City Harbor, Redwood National Park, Castle Rock, the mouth of the Smith River
Interactive map of Del Norte County
Location in the state of California
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
RegionNorth Coast
IncorporatedMarch 2, 1857
Named afterIts location, "Of the North" (Spanish: Del norte), in California
County seatCrescent City
Largest cityCrescent City
Government
  TypeCouncil–CAO
  ChairJoey Borges
  Vice ChairDarrin Short
  Board of Supervisors
Supervisors
  • Darrin Short
  • Valerie Starkey
  • Chris Howard
  • Joey Borges
  • Dean Wilson
  County Administrative OfficerNeal Lopez
Area
  Total
1,230 sq mi (3,200 km2)
  Land1,006 sq mi (2,610 km2)
  Water223 sq mi (580 km2)
Highest elevation
6,415 ft (1,955 m)
Population
  Total
27,743
  Estimate 
(2024)
27,009
  Density23/sq mi (8.7/km2)
GDP
  Total$0.947 billion (2022)
Time zoneUTC-08:00 (PST)
  Summer (DST)UTC-07:00 (PDT)
Area codes707
FIPS code06-015
GNIS feature ID1682074
Congressional district2nd
Websitewww.co.del-norte.ca.us

Del Norte County /dɛl ˈnɔːrt/ (Spanish for "Of The North") is a county located at the far northwest corner of the U.S. state of California, along the Pacific Ocean adjacent to the Oregon border. Its population was 27,743 as of the 2020 census, down from 28,610 from the 2010 census. The county seat and only incorporated city is Crescent City. Del Norte was settled and colonized by Azorean Portuguese settlers and dairy farmers, which may account for the local pronunciation of the county name. Locals pronounce the county name as Del Nort, not Del Nor-teh as would be expected in Spanish. Del Norte County comprises the Crescent City, CA Micropolitan Statistical Area. The rural county is notable for forests containing giant Coast Redwoods, with some attaining heights over 350 feet (110 m). This northernmost county on the California coast also has scores of unique plants and flowers, dozens of species of coastal birds and fish, rocky primitive beaches and sea stacks, pristine rivers and historic lighthouses.