Dogtown, Marin County, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dogtown
Woodville
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A "Dogtown Fine Arts" sign outside a studio in Dogtown
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 Dogtown
Location in California
Dogtown
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Marin County |
| Elevation | 187 ft (57 m) |
| Population
(2007)
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| • Total | 30 |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
94924
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| Area codes | 415/628 |
Dogtown (originally named Woodville) is a small, quiet community in California. It's an unincorporated community, which means it's not officially a city or town with its own local government. It's located in the beautiful coastal Marin County, California.
About 30 people live in Dogtown. It sits at an elevation of 187 feet (57 meters). The community is nestled in the Olema Valley, right next to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Point Reyes National Seashore. It's a great spot for nature lovers!
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A Look Back: Dogtown's Story
Dogtown has a rich history, starting as a village for miners and lumberjacks. It was once called Woodville because of the many trees and sawmills. But the sawmills closed down around the 1870s.
The village was an important stop for stagecoaches traveling north and south. Imagine horse-drawn carriages stopping here! It was also connected by the old North Pacific Coast Railroad to nearby towns. This railway helped people travel between Mendocino County and a ferry service to San Francisco.
The Nelson Hotel and School
A historic building in Dogtown is the Nelson Hotel. It was a popular place for travelers. Later, during World War I and II, the U.S. Army used the hotel and nearby guest houses as barracks for soldiers.
Dogtown also had a school for kids from kindergarten to 8th grade. About 50 students attended this school. It was located south of the village, closer to the town of Bolinas. In the early 1900s, a fun pastime was to visit and picnic at the Copper Mine Gulch, which runs through the town.
How Dogtown Got Its Name
The town was first known as Woodville because of its timber industry. However, locals started calling it "The Dogtown." This nickname came from the residents of Bolinas, who noticed that people in Dogtown kept many hunting dogs. Eventually, the nickname stuck, and the name was officially changed to Dogtown. Even today, some maps still show it as "Woodville."
Today, the economy in Dogtown is mostly based on farming and tourism.
Learning in Dogtown
Students in Dogtown attend schools in the Bolinas-Stinson Union School District for kindergarten through 8th grade. After 8th grade, they go to high school in the Tamalpais Union High School District. Many students attend Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley.
Getting Around Dogtown
Dogtown is easy to reach by car using California State Route 1. This road is known locally as "Shoreline Highway Road." It runs right through the community. You can take it north to Point Reyes Station or south to Stinson Beach.
There is also a bus service called the Marin Transit West Marin Stagecoach (route 61e). This bus connects Dogtown with Point Reyes Station, Bolinas, and Mill Valley. It runs four times a day on Wednesdays and Fridays. Some students use this bus to get to Tamalpais High School on those days.
Because Dogtown is a bit isolated, residents sometimes need to be taken to hospitals by helicopter during emergencies instead of by ambulance. This helps them get help quickly.
