El Dorado County, California

For the California wine region, see El Dorado AVA.

El Dorado County
County
Images, from top down, left to right: A barn in El Dorado County, the shore of Lake Tahoe in Ed Z'berg Sugar Pine Point State Park, the South Fork American River running through the El Dorado hills, Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park
Flag Seal
Interactive map of El Dorado County
Location in the state of California
Country	United States
State	California
Regions	Northern California, Sierra Nevada, Gold Country
Metropolitan area	Greater Sacramento
Incorporated	February 18, 1850[1]
Named for	Spanish for "the golden" and El Dorado
County seat	Placerville
Largest community	El Dorado Hills
Government
• Type	Council–CAO
• Body	Board of Supervisors[2] John Hidahl George Turnboo Wendy Thomas Lori Parlin Brooke Laine
• Chair	Lori Parlin
• Vice Chair	Wendy Thomas
• Chief Administrative Office[3]	Tiffany Schmid
Area
• Total	1,786 sq mi (4,630 km^2)
• Land	1,708 sq mi (4,420 km^2)
• Water	78 sq mi (200 km^2)
Highest elevation [4]	10,886 ft (3,318 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	191,185
• Estimate  (2023)	192,215
• Density	110/sq mi (41/km^2)
GDP [5]
• Total	$9.877 billion (2022)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific Time Zone)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
ZIP code	95762
Area code	530, 916, 279
FIPS code	06-017
GNIS feature ID	277273
Congressional districts	3rd, 5th
Website	www.edcgov.us

El Dorado County (/ˌɛl dəˈrɑːdoʊ/ ^ⓘ; El Dorado, Spanish for "The Golden [one]"), officially the County of El Dorado, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 191,185.^[6] The county seat is Placerville.^[7] The county is part of the Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is located entirely in the Sierra Nevada, from the historic Gold Country in the western foothills to the High Sierra in the east. El Dorado County's population has grown as Greater Sacramento has expanded into the region. Where the county line crosses US 50 at Clarksville, the distance to Sacramento is 15 miles (24 km). In the county's high altitude eastern end at Lake Tahoe, environmental awareness and environmental protection initiatives have grown along with the population since the 1960 Winter Olympics, hosted at the former Squaw Valley Ski Resort in neighboring Placer County.

History

Main articles: Sutter's Mill and California Gold Rush

What is now known as El Dorado County has been home to the Maidu, Nisenan, Washoe, and Miwok Indigenous American nations for centuries. The region became famous for being the site of the 1848 discovery that sparked the California Gold Rush. As a result, the name "El Dorado" was derived from the Spanish word for, "The Gilded One".^[8][9] The County of El Dorado was one of California's original 27 counties created effective February 18, 1850 (the number has risen to 58 today).

The final segments of the Pony Express mail route ran through El Dorado County until its replacement with the telegraph service in 1861; U.S. Route 50 follows the Pony Express route today.

The Placerville Mountain Democrat, California's oldest surviving newspaper, serves El Dorado County.

The Caldor Fire started on August 14, 2021, near Little Mountain, south of Pollock Pines in El Dorado County,^[10] about two miles (3.2 km) east of Omo Ranch and four miles (6.4 km) south of Grizzly Flats.^[11][12] It initially burned slowly, but exploded in size on August 16 due to high winds. By the night of August 16, it was 6,500 acres (2,600 ha).^[13] On August 17, the fire grew to 30,000 acres (12,000 ha) as it expanded rapidly north and east, crossing the North Fork Cosumnes River and approaching Sly Park Reservoir. By August 20, the fire had burned nearly to U.S. Route 50, forcing a closure of the highway.^[14] Over the next few days, the fire crossed Highway 50 in the vicinity of Kyburz. Starting on August 27, winds drove the fire rapidly east towards the Lake Tahoe Basin. By August 30, it had reached Echo Summit, less than five miles (8.0 km) from South Lake Tahoe.

There are only two municipalities in El Dorado County: Placerville and South Lake Tahoe.^[15]

Government and policing

Policing

The El Dorado County Sheriff provides court protection, county jail administration, and coroner service for all of the county and provides patrol and detective services for the unincorporated areas of the county. Incorporated cities Placerville, population 11,000, and South Lake Tahoe, population 22,000, have municipal police departments.

Sheriffs

• James Hume (Feb 18, 1850 - November 7, 1852)
• Steven Charles Austin (Nov 7, 1852 - November 7, 1856)
• William Tanner Henson (Nov 7, 1856 - September 15, 1859)
• Walter J. Burwell (Sep 15, 1859 - August 15, 1863)
• Henry Gooding (Aug 15, 1863 - November 7, 1867)
• Jacob Hart Neff (Nov 7, 1867 - November 7, 1871)
• Charles Benjamin Dunnam (Nov 7, 1871 - November 7, 1875)
• Jason McCormick (Nov 7, 1875 - November 7, 1881)
• George Burnham (Nov 7, 1881 - November 7, 1883)
• Thomas Augustus Galt (Nov 7, 1883 - November 7, 1887)
• George H. Hilbert (Nov 7, 1887 - November 7, 1898)
• Archie Speer Bosquit (Nov 7, 1898 - November 7, 1907)
• Gilbert Cook (Nov 7, 1907 - May 9, 1912)
• Albert George Bradshaw (May 9, 1912 - November 7, 1914)
• Charles E. Hand (Nov 7, 1914 - November 7, 1925)
• Charles F. Woods (Nov 7, 1925 - November 7, 1931)
• George Martin Smith Sr. (Nov 7, 1931 - November 7, 1941)
• Lowell Fred West (Nov 7, 1941 - November 7, 1949)
• Rowland Lee Morris (Nov 7, 1949 - November 7, 1955)
• Ernie Carlson (Nov 7, 1955 - November 7, 1965)
• Robert Mitchum (Nov 7, 1965 - November 7, 1971)
• Ernie Carlson (Nov 7, 1971 - November 7, 1975)
• Al Coombs (Nov 7, 1975 - November 7, 1977)
• Richard "Dick" Pacileo (Nov 7, 1975 - November 7, 1991)
• Don McDonald (1991 - 1997)
• Hal Barker (1997 - 2002)
• Jeff Neves (Nov 7, 2001 - November 7, 2010)
• John D'Agostini (Nov 7, 2010 - January 3, 2023)
• Jeff Leikauf (January 3, 2023 - Present)

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,786 square miles (4,630 km²), of which 1,708 square miles (4,420 km²) is land and 78 square miles (200 km²) (4.4%) is water.^[16]

The county, owing to its location in the Sierra Nevada, consists of rolling hills and mountainous terrain. The northeast corner is in the Lake Tahoe Basin (part of the Great Basin), including a portion of the lake itself. Across the Sierra crest to the west lies the majority of the county, referred to as the "western slope." A portion of Folsom Lake is in the northwest corner of the county.

Much of the county is public land. The Eldorado National Forest comprises a significant portion (approximately 43%) of the county's land area, primarily on the western slope. The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, formerly part of the Eldorado and two other National Forests, manages much of the land east of the crest. The Pacific Crest Trail runs through the eastern part of the county, along or roughly paralleling the Sierra crest. The county is home to the Desolation Wilderness, a popular destination for hiking, backpacking, and fishing.

Adjacent counties

• Placer County – north
• Douglas County, Nevada – northeast
• Alpine County – southeast
• Amador County – south
• Sacramento County – southwest

Geographic features

• American River
• Carson Range
• Crystal Range
• Echo Lake
• Fallen Leaf Lake
• Folsom Lake
• Francis Lake
• Freel Peak^[17] as its highest point at 10,886 feet (3,318 m)
• Gilmore Lake
• Green Springs Ranch
• Lake Tahoe
• Loon Lake
• Lost Lake
• Mount Price
• Mount Tallac
• Pyramid Lake
• Sierra Nevada
• Silver Peak
• Talking Mountain
• Union Valley Reservoir
• Waca Lake

Recreation

Local landmarks

• Fountain-Tallman Soda Works
• John Pearson Soda Works
• Combellack-Blair House
• Rubicon Point Light

Parks

• D. L. Bliss State Park
• Desolation Wilderness
• Eagle Falls trailhead
• Eldorado National Forest
• Emerald Bay State Park
• Folsom Lake State Recreation Area
• Glen Alpine Springs trailhead
• Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park
• Pine Hill Ecological Reserve
• Tahoe National Forest

Skiing

• Heavenly Ski Resort
• Sierra-At-Tahoe Ski Resort

Racing

• Placerville Speedway

Wineries

• California Shenandoah Valley AVA
• El Dorado AVA
• Fair Play AVA
• Sierra Foothills AVA

Demographics

The vast majority of the population lives in a narrow strip along U.S. Route 50, with the majority living between El Dorado Hills and Pollock Pines. The remainder resides in the South Lake Tahoe area, and in various dispersed rural communities.

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1850	20,057		—
1860	20,562		2.5%
1870	10,309		−49.9%
1880	10,683		3.6%
1890	9,232		−13.6%
1900	8,986		−2.7%
1910	7,492		−16.6%
1920	6,426		−14.2%
1930	8,325		29.6%
1940	13,229		58.9%
1950	16,207		22.5%
1960	29,390		81.3%
1970	43,833		49.1%
1980	85,812		95.8%
1990	125,955		46.8%
2000	156,299		24.1%
2010	181,058		15.8%
2020	191,185		5.6%
2023 (est.)	192,215	[18]	0.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[19] 1790–1960[20] 1900–1990[21] 1990–2000[22] 2010[23] 2020[24]

2020 census

El Dorado 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[25]	Pop 2010[23]	Pop 2020[24]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	132,725	144,689	140,141	84.92%	79.91%	73.30%
Black or African American alone (NH)	745	1,296	1,436	0.48%	0.72%	0.75%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	1,272	1,553	1,273	0.81%	0.86%	0.67%
Asian alone (NH)	3,250	6,143	9,024	2.08%	3.39%	4.72%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	169	261	276	0.11%	0.14%	0.14%
Other Race alone (NH)	237	318	1,215	0.15%	0.18%	0.64%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH)	3,335	4,923	11,361	2.13%	2.72%	5.94%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	14,566	21,875	26,459	9.32%	12.08%	13.84%
Total	156,299	181,058	191,185	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

2011

Population, race, and income
Total population[26]	179,878
White[26]	157,853	87.8%
Black or African American[26]	1,367	0.8%
American Indian or Alaska Native[26]	1,802	1.0%
Asian[26]	6,260	3.5%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander[26]	167	0.1%
Some other race[26]	6,323	3.5%
Two or more races[26]	6,106	3.4%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)[27]	21,222	11.8%
Per capita income[28]	$34,385
Median household income[29]	$68,815
Median family income[30]	$82,930

Places by population, race, and income

Places by population and race
Place	Type[31]	Population[26]	White[26]	Other[26] [note 1]	Asian[26]	Black or African American[26]	Native American[26] [note 2]	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)[27]
Auburn Lake Trails	CDP	3,741	97.0%	1.5%	0.2%	1.0%	0.3%	2.3%
Cameron Park	CDP	16,697	90.8%	6.1%	2.2%	0.6%	0.4%	15.4%
Camino	CDP	1,933	98.7%	0.7%	0.3%	0.4%	0.0%	3.5%
Cold Springs	CDP	569	90.9%	9.1%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	3.3%
Coloma	CDP	353	82.4%	17.3%	0.3%	0.0%	0.0%	20.1%
Diamond Springs	CDP	11,367	93.6%	2.3%	1.3%	0.7%	2.1%	9.4%
El Dorado Hills	CDP	43,563	84.0%	5.4%	8.9%	1.7%	0.1%	7.3%
Georgetown	CDP	2,338	89.9%	8.2%	0.0%	0.1%	1.8%	10.7%
Grizzly Flats	CDP	923	97.4%	0.0%	0.9%	0.0%	1.7%	6.7%
Placerville	City	10,394	82.5%	12.0%	2.0%	0.7%	2.9%	19.4%
Pollock Pines	CDP	6,953	95.2%	3.6%	0.8%	0.0%	0.4%	9.8%
Shingle Springs	CDP	4,797	92.7%	2.0%	0.0%	0.7%	4.6%	16.7%
South Lake Tahoe	City	21,814	76.8%	16.8%	4.5%	0.6%	1.3%	31.3%
Tahoma ‡	CDP	563	82.8%	17.2%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	8.5%
‡ Data for El Dorado County area of this CDP

Places by population and income
Place	Type[31]	Population[32]	Per capita income[28]	Median household income[29]	Median family income[30]
Auburn Lake Trails	CDP	3,741	$35,522	$79,573	$92,308
Cameron Park	CDP	16,697	$34,839	$72,562	$84,361
Camino	CDP	1,933	$26,015	$51,742	$63,412
Cold Springs (El Dorado County)	CDP	569	$30,925	$97,576	$99,286
Coloma	CDP	353	$22,462	$44,844	$44,844
Diamond Springs	CDP	11,367	$28,786	$52,911	$62,150
El Dorado Hills	CDP	43,563	$44,920	$115,121	$123,816
Georgetown	CDP	2,338	$24,117	$52,169	$62,614
Grizzly Flats	CDP	923	$20,902	$32,365	$56,813
Placerville	City	10,394	$26,109	$53,385	$66,890
Pollock Pines	CDP	6,953	$30,826	$54,478	$62,760
Shingle Springs	CDP	4,797	$34,055	$86,786	$89,778
South Lake Tahoe	City	21,814	$22,958	$41,685	$51,538
Tahoma ‡	CDP	563	$32,105	$54,286	$63,646
‡ Data for El Dorado County area of this CDP

2010 Census

The 2010 United States Census reported that El Dorado County had a population of 181,058. The racial makeup of El Dorado County was 156,793 (86.6%) White, 1,409 (0.8%) African American, 2,070 (1.1%) Native American, 6,297 (3.5%) Asian, 294 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 7,278 (4.0%) from other races, and 6,917 (3.8%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21,875 persons (12.1%).^[33] The largest growth in the county has come in El Dorado Hills where the population grew by 24,092 residents to a total of 42,108 since 2000.^[33]

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)
El Dorado County	181,058	156,793	1,409	2,070	6,297	294	7,278	6,917	21,875
Incorporated cities	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Placerville	10,389	8,716	80	162	98	13	867	453	1,863
South Lake Tahoe	21,403	15,733	182	232	1,186	39	3,230	801	6,665
Census-designated places	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Auburn Lake Trails	3,426	3,190	6	28	36	5	45	116	208
Cameron Park	18,228	16,242	143	194	425	36	461	727	2,056
Camino	1,750	1,604	7	14	18	4	55	48	197
Cold Springs	446	413	4	5	3	0	15	6	43
Coloma	529	462	4	3	8	0	15	37	63
Diamond Springs	11,037	9,743	39	176	110	6	518	445	1,377
El Dorado Hills	42,108	35,089	615	196	3,563	71	681	1,893	3,802
Georgetown	2,367	2,128	47	59	18	2	45	68	177
Grizzly Flats	1,066	954	6	14	7	2	19	64	96
Pollock Pines	6,871	6,195	18	128	56	3	251	220	713
Shingle Springs	4,432	3,919	14	108	50	3	132	206	469
Tahoma‡	780	736	2	7	7	0	11	17	35
Other unincorporated areas	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)	56,226	51,669	242	744	712	110	933	1,816	4,111
‡ Note: these numbers reflect only the portion of this CDP in El Dorado County

2000

As of the census^[34] of 2000, there were 156,299 people, 58,939 households, and 43,025 families residing in the county. The population density was 91 inhabitants per square mile (35/km²). There were 71,278 housing units at an average density of 42 per square mile (16/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.7% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 1.0% Native American, 2.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.6% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. 9.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 14.9% were of German, 13.4% English, 10.3% Irish, 6.6% Italian and 6.6% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 90.5% spoke English and 6.5% Spanish as their first language.

There were 58,939 households, out of which 34.2% had youngsters under the age of 18 living with them, 60.1% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were non-families. 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males.

The 2000 census also states that the median income for a household in the county was $51,484, and the median income for a family was $60,250. Males had a median income of $46,373 versus $31,537 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,560. About 5.0% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.6% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Voter registration statistics

Population and registered voters
Total population[26]	179,878
Registered voters[35][note 3]	110,206	61.3%
Democratic[35]	32,176	29.2%
Republican[35]	48,362	43.9%
Democratic–Republican spread[35]	-16,186	-14.7%
American Independent[35]	4,214	3.8%
Green[35]	887	0.8%
Libertarian[35]	1,010	0.9%
Peace and Freedom[35]	293	0.3%
Americans Elect[35]	5	0.0%
Other[35]	883	0.8%
No party preference[35]	22,376	20.3%

Cities by population and voter registration

Cities by population and voter registration
City	Population[26]	Registered voters[35] [note 3]	Democratic[35]	Republican[35]	D–R spread[35]	Other[35]	No party preference[35]
Placerville	10,394	52.9%	34.0%	37.4%	-3.4%	11.5%	21.3%
South Lake Tahoe	21,814	42.4%	38.6%	22.8%	+15.8%	14.0%	29.0%

Overview

El Dorado is a predominantly Republican county in presidential and congressional elections. However, from 1880 until 1952, the county was a Democratic stronghold, with Theodore Roosevelt and Warren Harding being the only two Republicans to carry the county. Since 1952, however, El Dorado has gone Democratic only three times: in 1960 narrowly for John F. Kennedy, in 1964 in a landslide for Lyndon Johnson, and in 1976 narrowly for Jimmy Carter.

United States presidential election results for El Dorado County, California^[36]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	61,109	54.61%	47,703	42.63%	3,096	2.77%
2020	61,838	53.24%	51,621	44.44%	2,700	2.32%
2016	49,247	51.76%	36,404	38.26%	9,498	9.98%
2012	50,973	57.27%	35,166	39.51%	2,859	3.21%
2008	50,314	53.92%	40,529	43.44%	2,466	2.64%
2004	52,878	61.23%	32,242	37.33%	1,244	1.44%
2000	42,045	58.29%	26,220	36.35%	3,871	5.37%
1996	32,759	51.84%	22,957	36.33%	7,480	11.84%
1992	25,906	39.92%	21,012	32.38%	17,969	27.69%
1988	30,021	59.33%	19,801	39.13%	781	1.54%
1984	27,583	64.93%	14,312	33.69%	583	1.37%
1980	21,238	58.27%	10,765	29.53%	4,446	12.20%
1976	12,472	47.69%	12,763	48.80%	919	3.51%
1972	11,330	54.20%	8,654	41.40%	921	4.41%
1968	7,468	49.00%	6,054	39.72%	1,719	11.28%
1964	5,775	39.53%	8,810	60.30%	25	0.17%
1960	6,065	49.16%	6,175	50.05%	97	0.79%
1956	4,613	53.60%	3,957	45.97%	37	0.43%
1952	5,203	60.51%	3,297	38.35%	98	1.14%
1948	2,894	43.04%	3,493	51.95%	337	5.01%
1944	1,990	39.55%	3,016	59.95%	25	0.50%
1940	2,019	32.37%	4,144	66.44%	74	1.19%
1936	1,228	23.12%	4,019	75.66%	65	1.22%
1932	956	23.12%	3,034	73.37%	145	3.51%
1928	1,228	44.25%	1,516	54.63%	31	1.12%
1924	852	28.49%	361	12.07%	1,778	59.45%
1920	1,636	64.36%	726	28.56%	180	7.08%
1916	1,068	35.10%	1,755	57.67%	220	7.23%
1912	16	0.59%	1,613	59.04%	1,103	40.37%
1908	986	44.74%	1,019	46.23%	199	9.03%
1904	1,248	54.10%	865	37.49%	194	8.41%
1900	1,193	45.14%	1,406	53.20%	44	1.66%
1896	1,130	39.54%	1,674	58.57%	54	1.89%
1892	1,159	43.80%	1,270	48.00%	217	8.20%
1888	1,350	47.02%	1,456	50.71%	65	2.26%
1884	1,289	45.47%	1,469	51.82%	77	2.72%
1880	1,419	47.89%	1,520	51.30%	24	0.81%

Election results from statewide races
Year	Office	Results
2010	Governor	Whitman 56.2 - 38.6%
	Lieutenant Governor	Maldonado 55.6 - 32.8%
	Secretary of State	Dunn 53.5 - 37.4%
	Controller	Chiang 46.1 - 45.7%
	Treasurer	Walters 51.3 - 41.0%
	Attorney General	Cooley 60.4 - 29.4%
	Insurance Commissioner	Villines 53.6 - 33.8%

The county is noted as a center of political concern with the United Nations non-binding sustainable development plan Agenda 21, which was on the County Board of Supervisors meeting Agenda on May 15, 2012. Concerns included the threat of U.S. Forest Service road closures and traffic roundabouts.^[37] On February 19, 2013, 14 members of the El Dorado County Grand Jury resigned, forcing Supervising Judge Steven Bailey to dissolve it.^[38]

El Dorado County has a secessionist movement, calling for the county of less than 200,000 residents to become a new state of the union. Wyoming, the least populous current state, has approximately three times the number of residents. Sharon Durst, one of the leaders of the movement, was previously a supporter of the State of Jefferson movement, that advocates for Northern California counties and Southern Oregon counties to form a new state. El Dorado County's seat, Placerville, is located 45 miles from Sacramento, the state's capital. The leadership of the movement acknowledges that it is unlikely that the California legislature would approve their separation from the state, as required by the United States Constitution. They promote an unproven theory that the county "is technically not a legitimate piece of California and is instead 'other property' of Congress".^[39]

El Dorado County is split between two Congressional districts, with the western third of the County in the 5th Congressional District, represented by Tom McClintock, and the eastern two-thirds in the 3rd Congressional District, represented by Kevin Kiley. In the State Assembly, the county is split between the 5th Assembly District, represented by Republican Joe Patterson and the 6th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Maggy Krell.^[40] In the State Senate, it is in the 1st Senate District, represented by Republican Megan Dahle.^[41]

Crime

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[26]	179,878
Violent crime[42]	520	2.89
Homicide[42]	3	0.02
Forcible rape[42]	50	0.28
Robbery[42]	71	0.39
Aggravated assault[42]	396	2.20
Property crime[42]	1,736	9.65
Burglary[42]	932	5.18
Larceny-theft[42][43]	1,540	8.56
Motor vehicle theft[42]	178	0.99
Arson[42]	17	0.09

Cities by population and crime rates

Cities by population and crime rates

City	Population[44]	Violent crimes[44]	Violent crime rate per 1,000 persons	Property crimes[44]	Property crime rate per 1,000 persons
Placerville	10,479	55	5.25	194	18.51
South Lake Tahoe	21,586	148	6.86	544	25.20

Transportation

See also: Transportation in the Sacramento metropolitan area

Major highways

Map of El Dorado County in Northern California

• U.S. Route 50
• State Route 49
• State Route 89
• State Route 193
• Luther Pass

Public transportation

• El Dorado Transit^[45] runs local service in Placerville and surrounding areas (as far east as Pollock Pines). Commuter service into Sacramento and Folsom is also provided.
• Tahoe Transportation District^[46] is the transit operator for the South Lake Tahoe area. Service also runs into the state of Nevada.

Airports

General aviation airports include Placerville Airport, Georgetown Airport, Cameron Park airport and Lake Tahoe Airport.

Asbestos

Portions of El Dorado County are known to contain natural asbestos formations near the surface.^[47] The USGS studied amphiboles in rock and soil in the area in response to an EPA sampling study and subsequent criticism of the EPA study. The study found that many amphibole particles in the area meet the counting rule criteria used by the EPA for chemical and morphological limits, but do not meet morphological requirements for commercial-grade-asbestos. The executive summary pointed out that even particles that do not meet requirements for commercial-grade-asbestos may be a health threat and suggested a collaborative research effort to assess health risks associated with naturally occurring asbestos.^[48]

In 2003, after construction of the Oak Ridge High School (El Dorado Hills) soccer field, the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry found that some student athletes, coaches and school workers had received substantial exposures. The inside of the school needed to be cleaned of dust.^[47]

Sister city

• Warabi, Saitama Prefecture, Japan is a sister city to El Dorado County, California on March 26, 1975.^[49]

Communities

El Dorado County Courthouse in Placerville

Cities

• Placerville (county seat)
• South Lake Tahoe

Census-designated places

• Auburn Lake Trails
• Cameron Park
• Camino
• Cold Springs
• Coloma
• Diamond Springs
• El Dorado Hills
• Georgetown
• Grizzly Flats
• Meyers
• Pollock Pines
• Shingle Springs
• Tahoma

Other unincorporated communities

• Camp Richardson
• Camp Sacramento
• Cool
• Echo Lake
• El Dorado
• Fair Play
• Garden Valley
• Greenwood
• Happy Valley
• Kyburz
• Omo Ranch
• Outingdale
• Phillips
• Pilot Hill
• Rescue
• Somerset
• Strawberry
• Twin Bridges

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of El Dorado County.^[50]

† county seat

Rank	City/town/etc.	Municipal type	Population (2020 Census)
1	El Dorado Hills	CDP	50,547
2	South Lake Tahoe	City	21,330
3	Cameron Park	CDP	18,881
4	Diamond Springs	CDP	11,345
5	† Placerville	City	10,747
6	Pollock Pines	CDP	7,112
7	Shingle Springs	CDP	4,660
8	Auburn Lake Trails	CDP	3,388
9	Georgetown	CDP	2,255
10	Camino	CDP	1,871
11	Grizzly Flats	CDP	1,093
12	Tahoma (partially in Placer County)	CDP	1,034
13	Cold Springs	CDP	556
14	Coloma	CDP	521
15	Shingle Springs Rancheria[51]	AIAN	108

Education

School districts include:

K-12:^[52]

• Black Oak Mine Unified School District
• Lake Tahoe Unified School District
• Tahoe-Truckee Unified School District

Secondary:^[52]

• El Dorado Union High School District

Elementary:^[52]

• Buckeye Union Elementary School District
• Camino Union Elementary School District
• Gold Oak Union Elementary School District
• Gold Trail Union Elementary School District
• Indian Diggings Elementary School District
• Latrobe Elementary School District
• Mother Lode Union Elementary School District
• Pioneer Union Elementary School District
• Placerville Union Elementary School District
• Pollock Pines Elementary School District
• Rescue Union Elementary School District
• Silver Fork Elementary School District

See also

• Community Observatory
• James W. Marshall
• National Register of Historic Places listings in El Dorado County, California

Notes

1. Other = Some other race + Two or more races
2. Native American = Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander + American Indian or Alaska Native
3. Percentage of registered voters with respect to total population. Percentages of party members with respect to registered voters follow.

References

1. "Chronology". California State Association of Counties. Archived from the original on January 29, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
2. "Board of Supervisors - El Dorado County".
3. "Chief Administrative Office - El Dorado County".
4. "Freel Peak". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
5. "Gross Domestic Product: All Industries in El Dorado County, CA". Federal Reserve Economic Data. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
6. "El Dorado County, California". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
7. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
8. "Brief History of El Dorado County". El Dorado County GenWeb. August 1, 2008. Archived from the original on April 1, 2013. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
9. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Printing Office. p. 116.
10. "Caldor Fire Incident Update". Cal Fire. State of California. August 16, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2021. Situation Summary: The Caldor Fire started August 14, 2021 near Little Mountain, south of Pollock Pines in El Dorado County.
11. "CALDOR FIRE: 219,000+ acres, 68 percent contained".
12. "How did the Caldor Fire in California start?". AS.com. August 23, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
13. Stanton, Sam; McGough, Michael; Kasler, Dale; Ahumada, Rosalio (August 18, 2021). "Caldor Fire levels homes in Grizzly Flats, destroys school, church in El Dorado County". The Modesto Bee. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
14. "Caldor Fire Containment Remains at 71%". September 19, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
15. "About Us". www.edcgov.us.
16. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
17. "Freel Peak : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost". www.summitpost.org. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
18. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
19. "Census of Population and Housing from 1790-2000". US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
20. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
21. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
22. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
23. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – El Dorado County, California". United States Census Bureau.
24. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – El Dorado County, California". United States Census Bureau.
25. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – El Dorado County, California". United States Census Bureau.
26. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 26, 2013.
27. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B03003. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 26, 2013.
28. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.
29. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.
30. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.
31. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.
32. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.
33. "2010 Census P.L. 94-171 Summary File Data". United States Census Bureau.
34. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
35. California Secretary of State. February 10, 2013 - Report of Registration Archived November 3, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
36. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
37. Carlos Alcalá (May 24, 2012). "El Dorado County folks riled by U.N. agenda for sustainable growth". Sacramento Bee. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
38. Cathy Locke (March 10, 2013). "The Public Eye: El Dorado County grand jury disbands after mass resignation". Sacramento Bee. Archived from the original on March 12, 2013. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
39. Ting, Eric (July 17, 2023). "'This state is under tyranny': Scenes from California's latest secession movement". SFGate. San Francisco. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
40. "Members Assembly". State of California. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
41. "Senators". State of California. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
42. Office of the Attorney General, Department of Justice, State of California. Table 11: Crimes – 2009 Archived December 2, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
43. Only larceny-theft cases involving property over $400 in value are reported as property crimes.
44. United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime in the United States, 2012, Table 8 (California). Retrieved November 14, 2013.
45. "El Dorado Transit - El Dorado Transit: Public Transportation for El Dorado County, California". www.eldoradotransit.com. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
46. Tahoe Transportation District
47. Raloff, Janet (July 8, 2006), "Dirty Little Secret", Science News, archived from the original on July 13, 2007
48. Meeker, G.P.; Lowers, H.A.; Swayze, G.A.; Van Gosen, B.S.; Stutley, S.J.; Brownfield, I.K. (December 2006), Mineralogy and Morphology of Amphiboles Observed in Soils and Rocks in El Dorado Hills, California, United States Geological Survey
49. "Northern and Central California Sister Cities in Japan".
50. "2020 U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
51. Staff, Website Services & Coordination. "US Census Bureau 2010 Census Interactive Population Map". www.census.gov. Retrieved March 15, 2018.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
52. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: El Dorado County, CA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved October 4, 2024. - Text list

External links

• Official website
• El Dorado County Deeds, 1873-1930.
• official El Dorado County Historical Museum website
• El Dorado Environmental air quality management - naturally occurring asbestos information
• El Dorado County Weather
• El Dorado County Visitors Authority
• Sierra Community Access Television
• El Dorado Western Railway Foundation blog - The railway is restoring the Diamond & Caldor No. 4 Shay locomotive at the El Dorado County Historical Museum.

38.78°N 120.53°W / 38.78; -120.53