El Dorado County, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids

El Dorado 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

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

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

John Hidahl
George Turnboo
Wendy Thomas
Lori Parlin
Brooke Laine

Area

• Total

1,786 sq mi (4,630 km²)

• Land

1,708 sq mi (4,420 km²)

• Water

78 sq mi (200 km²)

Highest elevation

10,886 ft (3,318 m)

Population

(2020)

• Total

191,185

• Estimate

(2023)

192,215

• Density

107.046/sq mi (41.331/km²)

GDP

• 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 is a county in the state of California, USA. Its name comes from a Spanish phrase meaning "The Golden One." This name was chosen because the area became famous for the discovery of gold that started the California Gold Rush.

As of 2020, about 191,185 people live here. The main town and county seat is Placerville. El Dorado County is part of the larger Greater Sacramento area. It stretches from the historic Gold Country foothills in the west to the high Sierra Nevada mountains in the east.

History of El Dorado County

For many centuries, the land that is now El Dorado County was home to several Native American groups. These included the Maidu, Nisenan, Washoe, and Miwok nations.

The county became very well known in 1848. This was when gold was discovered, leading to the famous California Gold Rush. Because of this important event, the name "El Dorado" was chosen. El Dorado County was one of the first 27 counties created in California on February 18, 1850. Today, California has 58 counties.

The last parts of the Pony Express mail route, which delivered mail by horse, went through El Dorado County. This service ended in 1861 when the telegraph was invented. Today, U.S. Route 50 follows much of that old Pony Express route.

The Placerville Mountain Democrat is California's oldest newspaper that is still being published. It serves the people of El Dorado County.

In August 2021, a large wildfire called the Caldor Fire started in the county. It grew very quickly because of strong winds. The fire caused many people to leave their homes and closed U.S. Route 50. It also came very close to the Lake Tahoe area.

El Dorado County has two main cities: Placerville and South Lake Tahoe.

Geography

El Dorado County covers a total area of about 1,786 square miles (4,626 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with about 78 square miles (202 square kilometers) being water.

Because it's in the Sierra Nevada mountains, the county has rolling hills and very mountainous areas. The northeastern part of the county is in the Lake Tahoe Basin, which includes a section of the lake itself. The western side of the county, known as the "western slope," makes up most of the area. A part of Folsom Lake is also in the county's northwest corner.

A large portion of the county is public land. The Eldorado National Forest covers about 43% of the county's land. The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit also manages land in the eastern part. The Pacific Crest Trail, a famous long-distance hiking trail, runs through the eastern side of the county. The county is also home to the Desolation Wilderness, a popular spot for hiking, backpacking, and fishing.

Neighboring Counties

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

Natural Features

American River
Carson Range
Crystal Range
Echo Lake
Fallen Leaf Lake
Folsom Lake
Francis Lake
Freel Peak (the highest point at 10,886 feet)
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

Fun Things to Do

Racing Tracks

Placerville Speedway

Wineries

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

Population and People

Most of the people in El Dorado County live in a narrow area along U.S. Route 50. The largest community is El Dorado Hills. Other people live near South Lake Tahoe and in smaller towns.

The county's population has grown a lot over the years. In 1850, there were about 20,000 people. By 2020, the population had grown to over 191,000.

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
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	6.2%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020

In 2020, most people in El Dorado County were White (about 73%). There were also growing numbers of Asian people (about 4.7%) and people of two or more races (about 5.9%). About 13.8% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average income for a household in the county in 2000 was about $51,484.

Getting Around

Main Roads

Map of El Dorado County in Northern California

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

Public Transport

El Dorado Transit offers bus services in Placerville and nearby areas. They also have buses that go to Sacramento and Folsom.
Tahoe Transportation District runs buses in the South Lake Tahoe area, with some routes going into Nevada.

Airports

Smaller airports for private planes include Placerville Airport, Georgetown Airport, Cameron Park airport, and Lake Tahoe Airport.

Natural Asbestos

Some parts of El Dorado County have natural rock formations that contain a mineral called asbestos. Scientists have studied these areas to understand if these natural asbestos particles could be a health concern. They are working to assess any possible health risks.

Sister City

Warabi, Japan, became a sister city to El Dorado County on March 26, 1975. This means they have a special friendship and cultural exchange.

Communities

El Dorado County Courthouse in Placerville

Cities

Placerville (This is the main town, called the county seat)
South Lake Tahoe

Census-Designated Places (CDPs)

These are areas that are like towns but are not officially incorporated as cities.

Other Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller communities that are not part of any city or CDP.

Population Ranking of Communities

This table shows the population of the biggest communities in El Dorado County, based on the 2020 census.

† county seat

Rank	City/town/etc.	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	AIAN	108