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Home - California - Crescent City
About Crescent City, CaliforniaInformation provided by WikipediaThis article is about the city in Northern California. For other cities with the same name, see Crescent City (disambiguation).
Crescent City (Chetco-Tolowa: Taa-’at-dvn,[8] Yurok: Kohpey,[9] Wiyot: Daluwagh [10]) is the county seat and only incorporated city in Del Norte County, California. Named for the crescent-shaped stretch of sandy beach south of the city, Crescent City had a total population of 7,643 in the 2010 census, up from 4,006 in the 2000 census. 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 located on the Pacific coast in the upper northwestern part of California, about 20 miles (32 km) from the Oregon border. Crescent City's offshore geography makes it unusually susceptible to tsunamis.[11] For example, much of the city was destroyed by one generated by the Good Friday Earthquake off Anchorage, Alaska in 1964. More recently, the city's harbor suffered extensive damage and destruction due to tsunamis generated by the March 11, 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 feet.[12][13]
[edit] History and geographyThe area that is now known as Del Norte County[14] was and still is inhabited by the Yurok (Klamath River Indians) and Tolowa Nations of indigenous peoples. The first European American to explore this land was pioneer Jedediah Smith in the mid-19th century. He was the first European American to reach the area overland on foot in a time before the European Americans knew anything about such a distant territory. For him it was literally "Land's End" — where the American continent ended at the Pacific Ocean. In 1855 Congress authorized the building of a lighthouse at "the battery point" (a high tide island on the coast of Crescent City) which is still functioning as a historical landmark.[15] European explorers first visited the area now known as Crescent City by ship in the late-1820s.[16] Europeans began moving to the area in the 1850s. Crescent City was incorporated as a city in 1854.[17] Fishing and crabbing, tourism, and timber are the major sources of income in the city, as well as the County of Del Norte. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km2), of which 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2) (81.3%) is land and 18.7% is water. Crescent City is about 20 miles from the border of California and Oregon. The mouth of Elk Creek, where it flows into the Pacific Ocean, is in Crescent City. 
[edit] ClimateCrescent City has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb) that is sometimes classified owing to its high rainfall as an oceanic climate. It is one of the wettest places in California: the annual rainfall is 67 in (1,700 mm). The wettest months are from October to March; the wettest month is December with 11 inches (280 mm) and the driest month is July with less than 0.5 in (13 mm). The average high and low temperatures in January are 54 °F (12 °C) and 41 °F (5 °C). The average high and low temperatures in August are 66 °F (19 °C) and 51 °F (11 °C). Average number of days below 32 °F (0 °C) is 15 days.[18] The highest temperature recorded in Crescent City was 93 °F (34 °C), observed on 24 September 1964, 1 June 1970, and 10 October 1991. The lowest temperature on record was 19 °F (−7 °C) on 21 December 1990. The maximum monthly precipitation was 31.25 inches (794 mm) in November 1973. The maximum 24-hour precipitation was 7.73 inches (196 mm) on 9 January 1995. The highest snowfall recorded for any period in 24 hours was 6.0 inches (15 cm) occurring on 6 January 1972.[19]
[edit] Tsunamis
The topography of the sea floor surrounding Crescent City has the effect of focusing tsunamis. According to researchers at Humboldt State University and the University of Southern California, the city experienced tsunami conditions 31 times between the years 1933 and 2008.[21] Although many of these incidents were barely perceptible, eleven events included wave measurements exceeding one meter, four events caused damage, and one event in particular is commonly cited as "the largest and most destructive recorded tsunami to ever strike the United States Pacific Coast."[5] On 27 March 1964, the Good Friday Earthquake off Anchorage, Alaska, set in motion local landslide tsunamis, as well as a trans-Pacific wave. The tsunami wave travel time to Crescent City was 4.1 hours after the earthquake, but it only produced localized flooding.[22] The second and third waves to hit Crescent City were both smaller than the first wave, but the fourth wave struck with a height of approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) after having drawn the harbor out nearly dry.[22] The next morning the damage was counted: 289 buildings and businesses had been destroyed; 1000 cars and 25 large fishing vessels crushed; 12 people were confirmed dead, over 100 were injured, and more were missing; 60 blocks had been inundated with 30 city blocks destroyed in total. Although most of the missing were later accounted for, not all were tracked down. Insurance adjusters estimated that the city received more damage from the tsunami on a block-by-block basis than did Anchorage from the initial earthquake.[23] The tsunami raced down the U.S. West Coast with more deaths and destruction, but no location was hit as hard as this small town was. Crescent City bore the brunt, due to its offshore geography, position relative to the earthquake’s strike-line, underwater contours such as the Cobb Seamount, and the position of rivers near the city.[24] Although houses, buildings, and infrastructure were later rebuilt, years passed before the city recovered from the devastation to lives, property, and its economy. The city is deemed to be tsunami-ready today. Its preparedness was tested on 14 June 2005 when an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale hit 90 miles (140 km) offshore. Reportedly, much of the city was evacuated in a matter of 20 minutes when a tsunami warning was issued, but no waves were reported. On 15 November 2006, a magnitude 8.3 earthquake struck off Simushir Island in the Kuril Islands in the western Pacific. A tsunami warning was issued but rescinded hours later. However, a surge from that quake did hit the harbor at Crescent City causing damage to three docks and several boats. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a county state of emergency. Upon that declaration, the area affected was eligible for federal emergency relief funding to repair the damage.[25]
Parts of the city were evacuated on 11 March 2011, after a 9.0 earthquake struck Japan.[26][27] Thirty-five boats were destroyed, and the harbor suffered major damage.[12][28] Peak surge reported exceeded over 8 feet by 9:50am.[29] Five were swept out to sea, and one person killed.[30] [edit] PoliticsIn the state legislature Crescent City is in the 2nd Senate District, represented by Democrat Noreen Evans,[3] and the 2nd Assembly District, represented by Democrat Wesley Chesbro.[4] Federally, Crescent City is in California's 2nd congressional district, represented by Democrat Jared Huffman.[5] [edit] Demographics
[edit] 2010The 2010 United States Census[34] reported that Crescent City had a population of 7,643. The population density was 3,164.9 people per square mile (1,222.0/km²). The racial makeup of Crescent City was 5,052 (66.1%) White, 910 (11.9%) African American, 370 (4.8%) Native American, 333 (4.4%) Asian, 7 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 696 (9.1%) from other races, and 275 (3.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2,342 persons (30.6%). The Census reported that 4,063 people (53.2% of the population) lived in households, 28 (0.4%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 3,552 (46.5%) were institutionalized. There were 1,707 households, out of which 559 (32.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 512 (30.0%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 314 (18.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 114 (6.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 170 (10.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 7 (0.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 614 households (36.0%) were made up of individuals and 229 (13.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38. There were 940 families (55.1% of all households); the average family size was 3.13. The population was spread out with 1,107 people (14.5%) under the age of 18, 934 people (12.2%) aged 18 to 24, 3,292 people (43.1%) aged 25 to 44, 1,725 people (22.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 585 people (7.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.9 years. For every 100 females there were 250.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 298.5 males. There were 1,906 housing units at an average density of 789.2 per square mile (304.7/km²), of which 532 (31.2%) were owner-occupied, and 1,175 (68.8%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 7.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.8%. 1,203 people (15.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 2,860 people (37.4%) lived in rental housing units. [edit] 2003As of the 2003 Population Estimate from the Census Bureau, there are 7,319 people residing in the city. Census data from the year 2000 indicate that the population density is 2,252.2 people per square mile (868.9/km²). There are 1,754 housing units at an average density of 986.1 per square mile (380.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 78.3% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 6.1% Native American, 4.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 4.3% from other races, and 6.0% from two or more races. 11.0% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 1,578 households out of which 35.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.4% are married couples living together, 20.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 41.7% are non-families. 35.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.40 and the average family size is 3.12. In the city the population is spread out with 30.1% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. For every 100 females there are 85.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 82.4 males. The median income for a household in the city is $20,133, and the median income for a family is $22,058. Males have a median income of $36,667 versus $19,922 for females. The per capita income for the city is $12,833. 34.6% of the population and 33.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 46.6% of those under the age of 18 and 4.8% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. [edit] TransportationHighway access is provided by U.S. Route 101 that runs directly through the city, connecting the Oregon Coast to the north and Eureka to the south. U.S. Route 199 begins just north of Crescent City and heads northeast to Grants Pass, Oregon. The junction of U.S. Routes 101 and 199 is one of only two junctions of two U.S. Routes in California, the other being the junction of U.S. Routes 6 and 395 in Bishop. SkyWest Airlines conducts passenger flights to and from Jack McNamara Field Airport as United Express. The majority of flights connect to San Francisco International Airport. The airport also features one daily flight to Sacramento International Airport through Arcata-Eureka Airport. Local public transit is provided by Redwood Coast Transit and by various taxi companies, which provides access to Amtrak passenger train (via Amtrak bus) service. The Crescent City Harbor serves as a commercial fishing port for salmon, shrimp, tuna, cod, and dungeness crab commercial fishing vessels. The Harbor is also home to multiple fishing and non-fishing related businesses and harbor governmental offices. The Crescent City Harbor also has several pleasure boat docks. [edit] Historic ships
[edit] Attractions[edit] Crescent City proper
[edit] Events
[edit] Nearby
[edit] SchoolsThe public schools of Crescent City are part of the Del Norte County Unified School District (website), which encompasses all of the public schools in Del Norte County. The following are schools within Crescent City or its immediate vicinity.
[edit] Notable people
[edit] See also[edit] Notes
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[edit] External links
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Crescent City, CA CruiseIns and Events Calendar
