SearchRedwood Coast Facts
Humboldt County boasts a scenic 110-mile coastline, more than 160,000 acres of majestic redwoods and an unspoiled terrain of valleys and rolling hills. Visitors of all ages can enjoy some of the nation's finest hiking and boating as well as rafting, kayaking, fishing, horseback riding, golfing and other sports for outdoor enthusiasts. In addition, Humboldt County turns back the clock with its rich Victorian architecture, history and antique shops. Truly a treasure, Humboldt County is a land of visual splendor.
LOCATION
Bordered on one side by the Pacific Ocean, Humboldt County is 200 miles north of San Francisco. Eureka, the county seat, is 284 miles north of San Francisco and 466 miles south of Portland, Oregon.
POPULATION
132,000. 57,000 people live in seven incorporated cities, the remaining reside in the counties' rural communities and countryside.
LAND MASS
2.3 million acres or 3.572 square miles - 80% of which is timberland and recreation areas. The county is mostly mountainous except the area which surrounds Humboldt Bay.
CLIMATE
Average temperature along the coast in January is 47 degrees; in July it is 56 degrees. Inland temperatures average 85 degrees. Rainfall in Eureka averages 38 inches a year, while on the Lost Coast the rainfall often exceeds 100 inches.
FOUNDED
Humboldt Bay's re-discovery and the County's founding is attributed to Dr. Josiah Gregg and his companions, who traveled west on foot from the Trinity Gold Fields in 1849. The re-discovery of the Humboldt Bay entrance is credited to H.H. Buhne, who piloted a small boat through the Bay entrance and landed on the shores in 1850.
The heart of California's magnificent coastal redwoods beats right here in Humboldt County. Whether you ramble among ancient groves in Redwood National Park, or thread your car through towering trunks on Avenue of the Giants, prepare to be inspired. For the California redwood forest is just the beginning of an undiscovered paradise for nature lovers and adventurers. Here you can watch abundant wildlife, soak up spectacular scenery, or hike, bike, boat and beachcomb to your heart's delight. After you own the outdoors, make your retreat to charming small towns where history blends perfectly with the present. Lovingly preserved Victorians are ideal settings for your art, food and wine discoveries. Through it all you'll be seduced by a relaxed rural lifestyle, where your day is measured by the pounding of the surf and the stillness of the forest.