Little River, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Little River
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Road sign, 5 July 2008
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Location in Mendocino County, California
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 Little River
Location in California
Little River
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | Mendocino |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.672 sq mi (4.33 km2) |
| • Land | 1.672 sq mi (4.33 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | 66 ft (20 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 94 |
| • Density | 56.22/sq mi (21.71/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP Code |
95456
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| Area code(s) | 707 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1658981; 2628752 |
Little River is a small community in Mendocino County, California, United States. It used to be known by other names like Littleriver, Bell's Harbor, and Kent's Landing.
This town is located right on the Pacific Ocean coast. It's about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of the town of Mendocino. Little River gets its name from the nearby Little River.
The main part of town sits on a beautiful bluff overlooking where the Little River meets the ocean. Here, you'll find a grocery store, gas pumps, a post office, and a restaurant, all in one building. In 2020, about 94 people lived here.
Contents
What Little River is Known For
Little River is a popular spot for tourists visiting the Pacific Coast. It has several small hotels and bed & breakfasts.
Fun Things to Do
The area around Little River offers many outdoor activities. You can go ocean kayaking, hiking, and canoeing. There are also two state parks nearby.
Little River Airport
Just 2 miles (3.2 km) east of town is the Little River Airport. It has a long runway, about a mile (1.6 km) long.
Postal Information
The ZIP Code for Little River is 95456. The phone area code for the community is 707.
History of Little River
Little River was first settled by three men named Beall. They likely arrived between 1852 and 1856. Later, in 1856, W.H. Kent bought land from the Bealls. Because of these early settlers, the place was first called "Beall's Harbor" and then "Kent's Landing."
How the Town Grew
In 1864, the name was changed to "Littleriver Bay." A group of men built a mill here, which helped the town grow. With the mill's success, Little River soon had a school, a post office, a shipyard, hotels, stores, and blacksmith shops.
Changes Over Time
Like many towns on the Mendocino Coast, Little River thrived because of its timber (wood) industry. However, when the nearby forests ran out of trees, the mill closed in 1893. This caused the town to shrink.
Since then, Little River has mostly become a place for tourists. People visit for its beautiful beaches and Van Damme State Park, which the Little River flows through. The first road in this area was the Anderson Valley and Big River Wagon Road. This road was later improved and became part of the State Highway System.
The Post Office
The Little River post office first opened in 1865. It changed its name to Littleriver in 1894, closed in 1929, and then reopened as Little River in 1930.
Geography
Little River is located on the western coast of Mendocino County. It's along California State Route 1. The town is about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Mendocino and 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Albion.
The Little River flows through the northern part of the community. It empties into the Pacific Ocean at Van Damme Beach. This beach is part of Van Damme State Park, which stretches east from the beach into the Little River valley, also known as Fern Canyon.
The United States Census Bureau says that Little River covers an area of about 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²). All of this area is land.
Population Information
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2010 | 117 | — | |
| 2020 | 94 | −19.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2010, the population of Little River was 117 people. By 2020, it had decreased to 94 people.
Most of the people living in Little River are White. A small number of residents identify as Native American or from two or more races. A very small percentage of the population is Hispanic or Latino.
The population is spread out in terms of age. In 2010, about 9% of the people were under 18 years old. About 25% were 65 years or older. The average age in Little River was about 54.7 years.
Education
Students in Little River attend schools within the Mendocino Unified School District.
Little River in Movies
The Heritage House Inn, a bed and breakfast located between Little River and Albion, was used as a filming location for the movie Same Time, Next Year (1978). This movie starred Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn. The town of Little River itself also appears in several scenes of the 1970 film The Dunwich Horror.
See also
In Spanish: Little River (California) para niños
