Crescent City, California
Crescent City (Tolowa: Taa-’at-dvn; Yurok: Kohpey; Wiyot: Daluwagh) is the only incorporated city in Del Norte County, California; it is also the county seat. Named for the crescent-shaped stretch of sandy beach south of the city, Crescent City had a total population of 6,673 in the 2020 census, down from 7,643 in the 2010 census.
Crescent City, California | |
|---|---|
City | |
Crescent City harbor | |
| Nickname: The Redwood Gate to the Golden State | |
Location of Crescent City in Del Norte County | |
Crescent City, California Location in the state of California | |
| Coordinates: 41°45′22″N 124°12′06″W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Del Norte |
| Incorporated | April 13, 1854 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor/Council |
| • Mayor | Jason Greenough |
| • State senator | Mike McGuire (D) |
| • Assemblymember | Jim Wood (D) |
| • U. S. rep. | Jared Huffman (D) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.42 sq mi (6.25 km2) |
| • Land | 1.96 sq mi (5.09 km2) |
| • Water | 0.45 sq mi (1.17 km2) 18.7% |
| Elevation | 43 ft (13 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 6,673 |
| • Density | 3,399.39/sq mi (1,312.26/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP codes | 95531, 95532, 95538 |
| Area code | 707 |
| FIPS code | 06-17022 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 277494, 2410262 |
| Website | crescentcity.org |
The population includes inmates at Pelican Bay State Prison, also within the city limits, and the former census-designated place Crescent City North annexed to the city.
The city is also the site of the Redwood National Park headquarters, as well as the historic Battery Point Light. Due to the richness of the local Pacific Ocean waters and the related catch, and ease of access, Crescent City Harbor serves as home port for numerous commercial fishing vessels.
The city is on the Pacific coast in the upper northwestern part of California, about 20 mi (32 km) south of the Oregon border.
Crescent City's offshore geography makes it unusually susceptible to tsunamis. In 1964 much of the city was destroyed by four tsunami waves generated by the Great Alaskan earthquake off Anchorage, Alaska. In 2011 the city's harbor suffered extensive damage and destruction from tsunamis generated by the 11 March 2011 earthquake off Sendai, Japan. Several dozen vessels and many of the docks they were moored to were destroyed as wave cycles related to the tsunamis exceeded 8 ft (2.4 m).
The climate of Crescent City is moderate, with cool summers for its latitude as a result of intense maritime moderation. Nearby inland areas behind the mountains have substantially warmer summer temperatures.