Olympic Valley, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Olympic Valley
Squaw Valley
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Monument from the 1960 Winter Olympics at the entrance to Olympic Valley in 2011
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 Olympic Valley
Location in California
Olympic Valley
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County |  Placer |
| Population
(2016)
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| • Total | 823 |
| • Density | 15/km2 (39/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-08:00 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-07:00 (Pacific) |
Olympic Valley is a small community in Placer County, California. It is located northwest of Tahoe City near Lake Tahoe. This area is famous for Palisades Tahoe (formerly Squaw Valley Ski Resort). It was also the special home of the 1960 Winter Olympics. Olympic Valley is the smallest place ever to host the Winter Olympic Games.
Contents
- Understanding the Name: Olympic Valley
- A Look Back: History of Olympic Valley
- Where is Olympic Valley? Geography
- Weather in Olympic Valley: Climate
- Who Lives Here? Demographics
- Fun and Games: Sports in Olympic Valley
- Music and Art: Arts and Culture
- Learning and Schools: Education
- Famous Faces: Notable People
Understanding the Name: Olympic Valley
The area was once known as "Squaw Valley." Early travelers called it this because they saw only Washoe women and children there. The men were away hunting. However, the word "squaw" is now seen as an offensive term for Native women. The local Washoe tribe asked for the name to be changed.
Since the 1960 Winter Olympics, the community has also been called Olympic Valley. This name came from a post office opened there. In 1958, the United States Board on Geographic Names decided that "Squaw Valley" should only refer to a different community in Fresno County. But people still used "Squaw Valley" for both places, which caused confusion.
Today, the United States Postal Service suggests "Olympic Valley" for the area's ZIP code. In 2022, the United States Board on Geographic Names officially renamed the entire valley to Olympic Valley. This was part of a plan to remove the word "squaw" from geographic names across the country.
A Look Back: History of Olympic Valley
Early Inhabitants and Gold Rush Days
The Washoe people lived around Lake Tahoe for thousands of years. They used the area that is now Olympic Valley as a summer camp. The first Europeans arrived in 1849 during the California Gold Rush. A ranch for hay was started in 1862.
The town of Claraville was once a big mining area near the valley. In 1863, gold was found there, bringing many gold seekers. But the mining boom did not last long. By 1863–64, most people had left for the Comstock lode in Virginia City, Nevada.
Building a Ski Resort
In 1942, Wayne Poulsen, a former ski champion, bought a large piece of land in the valley. In 1946, he met Alex Cushing, a lawyer. Cushing decided to invest in building a ski resort there.
In 1948, Poulsen and Cushing started the Squaw Valley Development Company. Cushing became the president. The Squaw Valley Ski Resort opened in November 1949. Cushing raised $400,000 to build the resort. This marked the start of the modern era for the valley.
Hosting the Olympic Games
In 1954, Alex Cushing worked hard to get the International Olympic Committee to choose Squaw Valley for the 1960 Winter Olympics. Innsbruck, Austria, was the main competitor. Squaw Valley won the right to host the games by a close vote.
The Olympics brought many improvements to the area. Roads were made wider, and Interstate 80 was built faster. The airport in Reno also got a new building. The 1960 Winter Olympics were the first to be shown live on TV. Millions of people watched them.
Recent Changes and Development
In 2010, KSL Capital Partners bought Squaw Valley Ski Resort. They planned many improvements for Olympic Valley. In 2011, Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows ski resorts joined together. They invested millions of dollars to upgrade chair lifts and snow-making equipment.
In 2016, a large development plan was proposed for the area. It included new hotels, condos, and an indoor waterpark. This plan caused some concerns among local groups. Sierra Watch, a conservation group, started a campaign called "Keep Squaw True" to oppose the large expansion.
In November 2016, the Placer County Board of Supervisors approved the development plan. Sierra Watch then filed a lawsuit to stop it. In 2017, the resort owners added a roller coaster to their plans.
Where is Olympic Valley? Geography
Olympic Valley is in eastern Placer County, California. It sits in a valley of the same name. The valley is about 3.7 miles long and 0.6 miles wide. Washeshu Creek flows through it into the Truckee River. The community is located along California State Route 89. It is halfway between Truckee and Tahoe City.
Weather in Olympic Valley: Climate
Olympic Valley has a dry-summer subalpine climate. This means summers are usually mild to warm with cool nights. Winters are cold and snowy.
| Climate data for Squaw Valley, California, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1990–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 62 (17) |
65 (18) |
67 (19) |
68 (20) |
71 (22) |
79 (26) |
84 (29) |
83 (28) |
81 (27) |
78 (26) |
66 (19) |
61 (16) |
84 (29) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 52 (11) |
53 (12) |
56 (13) |
60 (16) |
64 (18) |
72 (22) |
76 (24) |
75 (24) |
71 (22) |
63 (17) |
60 (16) |
51 (11) |
77 (25) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 38.0 (3.3) |
37.5 (3.1) |
40.4 (4.7) |
43.8 (6.6) |
50.8 (10.4) |
59.2 (15.1) |
67.6 (19.8) |
67.0 (19.4) |
62.0 (16.7) |
52.3 (11.3) |
42.7 (5.9) |
37.0 (2.8) |
49.9 (9.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 26.8 (−2.9) |
27.2 (−2.7) |
30.6 (−0.8) |
34.0 (1.1) |
41.4 (5.2) |
49.3 (9.6) |
56.0 (13.3) |
55.4 (13.0) |
49.6 (9.8) |
40.6 (4.8) |
33.1 (0.6) |
26.6 (−3.0) |
39.2 (4.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 15.6 (−9.1) |
16.9 (−8.4) |
20.7 (−6.3) |
24.2 (−4.3) |
31.9 (−0.1) |
39.1 (3.9) |
44.3 (6.8) |
43.8 (6.6) |
37.2 (2.9) |
28.8 (−1.8) |
23.5 (−4.7) |
16.2 (−8.8) |
28.5 (−1.9) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −6 (−21) |
−3 (−19) |
3 (−16) |
11 (−12) |
19 (−7) |
27 (−3) |
32 (0) |
31 (−1) |
26 (−3) |
16 (−9) |
6 (−14) |
−4 (−20) |
−12 (−24) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −25 (−32) |
−20 (−29) |
−8 (−22) |
6 (−14) |
19 (−7) |
25 (−4) |
30 (−1) |
24 (−4) |
19 (−7) |
5 (−15) |
−1 (−18) |
−12 (−24) |
−25 (−32) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 10.58 (269) |
9.31 (236) |
8.80 (224) |
5.04 (128) |
3.51 (89) |
1.26 (32) |
0.33 (8.4) |
0.40 (10) |
0.86 (22) |
4.07 (103) |
6.81 (173) |
11.53 (293) |
62.5 (1,587.4) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 86 (220) |
85 (220) |
89 (230) |
32 (81) |
11 (28) |
1 (2.5) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
6 (15) |
33 (84) |
81 (210) |
424 (1,090.5) |
| Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) | 74.1 (188) |
86.6 (220) |
105.2 (267) |
95.3 (242) |
67.6 (172) |
25.5 (65) |
1.5 (3.8) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.8 (2.0) |
5.5 (14) |
22.3 (57) |
53.7 (136) |
111.2 (282) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 12.8 | 12.8 | 13.6 | 11.6 | 9.8 | 3.8 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 3.2 | 6.5 | 10.6 | 13.8 | 101.7 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.01 in) | 11 | 10 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 63 |
| Source 1: XMACIS2 (snow depth 2006–2020) | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: WRCC | |||||||||||||
Who Lives Here? Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1990 | 2,501 | — | |
| 2000 | 926 | −63.0% | |
| 2010 | 1,366 | 47.5% | |
| 2016 (est.) | 823 | −39.8% | |
As of 2021, about 924 people live in Olympic Valley all year. But the population can grow to over 6,500 when visitors arrive. There are about 663 homes and 1,180 condos in the area.
Fun and Games: Sports in Olympic Valley
Skiing and racing are very important to Olympic Valley. This was true even before it hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics. The valley has hosted many big ski events. These include the 1969 FIS World Cup alpine skiing races. It also hosted the US Alpine Championships several times.
Olympic Valley is home to other sports events too. The Western States Endurance Run, a long-distance running race, starts here. The Ironman Lake Tahoe triathlon also began and ended in Olympic Valley in 2013 and 2014.
Music and Art: Arts and Culture
Olympic Valley hosts the Wanderlust Festival every year since 2009. This festival combines music and yoga. Many famous musicians have performed here. These include the Jerry Garcia Band, Jurassic 5, and Matisyahu.
The Community of Writers conference is also held in Olympic Valley. A local sports store, Alpenglow Sports, hosts a Winter Film Series. Athletes and explorers share their amazing adventure stories there.
Learning and Schools: Education
The Tahoe Truckee Unified School District serves Olympic Valley. Lake Tahoe Preparatory School is a private boarding school located in the community. It helps students get ready for college.
Famous Faces: Notable People
Olympic Valley is known for its many talented skiers. An athlete from Olympic Valley has competed in every Winter Olympics since 1964. Because of this, the community is sometimes called the "Official Supplier of Skiers to the US Ski Team." Many US Ski Team members started skiing here as young children. They were part of Olympic Valley's "Mighty Mites" racing team.
Here are some famous winter athletes from Olympic Valley:
- Shannon Bahrke – Olympic skier
- Travis Ganong – Olympic skier
- Jimmie Heuga – Olympic Bronze medal-winning skier
- Nate Holland – X Games Gold medal-winning snowboarder
- Julia Mancuso – Olympic Gold, Silver, and Bronze medal-winning skier
- Jonny Moseley – Olympic Gold medal-winning skier
- Daron Rahlves – Olympic skier
- Marco Sullivan – Olympic skier
Other notable athletes:
- Emily Harrington – professional rock climber and mountaineer
