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Mount Shasta, California

Coordinates: 41°18′52″N 122°18′41″W / 41.31444°N 122.31139°W / 41.31444; -122.31139
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This article is about the city. For the mountain, see Mount Shasta. For the community in Shasta County, California, see Shasta, California.

Mount Shasta, California
City
City of Mount Shasta
Location in Siskiyou County and the state of California
Location in Siskiyou County and the state of California
Mount Shasta, California is located in the United States
Mount Shasta, California
Mount Shasta, California
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 41°18′52″N 122°18′41″W / 41.31444°N 122.31139°W / 41.31444; -122.31139
Country United States
State California
CountySiskiyou
IncorporatedMay 31, 1905[1]
Government
 • MayorJohn Redmond[2]
Area
[3]
 • Total
3.77 sq mi (9.76 km2)
 • Land3.77 sq mi (9.75 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)  0.10%
Elevation
[4]
3,586 ft (1,093 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
3,223
 • Density850/sq mi (330/km2)
Time zoneUTC−8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP Code
96067
Area code530
FIPS code06-49852
GNIS feature IDs277559, 2411181
Websitemtshastaca.gov

Mount Shasta (also known as Mount Shasta City) is a city in Siskiyou County, California, United States, at about 3,600 feet (1,100 m) above sea level on the flanks of Mount Shasta, a prominent northern California landmark. The city is less than 9 miles (14 km) southwest of the summit of its namesake volcano. Its population is 3,223 as of the 2020 census, down from 3,394 from the 2010 census.

History

[edit]

The site of the present-day city of Mount Shasta was within the range of the Okwanuchu tribe of Native Americans.

During the 1820s, early Euro-American trappers and hunters first passed through the area, following the path of the Siskiyou Trail. The Siskiyou Trail was based on a network of ancient Native American footpaths connecting California and the Pacific Northwest. The discovery of gold at nearby Yreka, California in 1851 dramatically increased traffic along the Siskiyou Trail and through the site of present-day Mount Shasta. Pioneer Ross McCloud built one of the first lumber mills in the area, near the site of the present Sisson Museum. The completion of a stagecoach road between Yreka and Upper Soda Springs in the late 1850s led to the building of Sisson's Hotel, as a stop for weary travelers, and as a staging ground for adventuresome tourists intending to climb Mount Shasta.[citation needed]

The area where the town grew was known first as Strawberry Valley, and then as Berryvale.[5] The post office opened in 1870 as Berryvale.[6] After 1886 it was known as Sisson after a local businessman, Justin Hinckley Sisson who ran a stagecoach inn and tavern, Strawberry Valley Station, as well as donated the land for the town site and the Central Pacific Railroad station in 1886.[6] Street names honor members of Sisson's family.[6]

The 1887 completion of the Central Pacific Railroad, built along the line of the Siskiyou Trail, brought a dramatic increase in tourism, lumbering, and population into Mount Shasta. This early development continued to focus on tourism and lumbering. The early 1900s saw the influx of a large number of Italian immigrants to Mount Shasta and neighboring towns, most of whom were employed in the timber industry.[citation needed]

The city incorporated on May 31, 1905.[7] The name of the city was finalized "City of Mount Shasta" on November 10, 1925,[8][9] after a popular vote in 1922.

Geography

[edit]
Mt. Shasta is visible from the I-5 onramp in Mount Shasta City

Mount Shasta is located at 41°18'52" North, 122°18'41" West (41.314542, -122.311510),[10] along Interstate 5 south of Weed and north of Dunsmuir, California.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.8 km2), of which 3.8 square miles (9.8 km2) is land and only 0.10% of it is covered by water.

The area hydrology consists of an unnamed stream in the south part of town which joins Big Springs Creek, which then flows south as Cold Creek to join the headwaters of the South Fork of the Sacramento River.[11] The typical depth to groundwater is quite shallow in the predominant alluvium.[12]

The settlement is on the distal gently sloping southwest flanks of Mount Shasta, with the chief surficial soils being Quaternary alluvium. This alluvium is adjacent to and probably underlain by volcanic clastic rock deposited by Mount Shasta in the course of its development. Groundwater elevation is approximately at the elevation of the underlying native black peat soil. Where it occurs this peat, of approximately two feet thickness, is underlain by stream deposit sands and gravels.

Climate

[edit]

Mount Shasta to the east forces moisture out of the air as it rises and cools, and the dip in the Klamath Mountains allows more moisture to reach inland, so the city receives more precipitation than the semiarid region to the north. This means that in the winter, the city gets nearly 103 inches or 2.62 metres of snowfall despite its low 3,600 feet (1,100 m) elevation.[13] Other towns in the region get much less snow,[14] for example Yreka averages only 11.8 inches or 0.30 metres, and much cooler Klamath Falls only 35.9 inches or 0.91 metres. The Köppen climate classification is Csb, or warm-summer Mediterranean climate. It can be very warm and cold according to the Californian summer anex. The USDA hardiness zone is 7b.

The record high temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on July 29, 2022, and the record low temperature was −13 °F (−25 °C) on December 22, 1990.[15] The wettest “rain year” was from July 1997 to June 1998 with 76.24 inches (1,936.5 mm) and the driest from July 1976 to June 1977 with 13.06 inches (331.7 mm). The most rainfall in one month was 27.48 inches (698.0 mm) in January 1995, including 5.97 inches (151.6 mm) on January 9. The most snowfall in one year was 349.6 inches (8.88 m) in 1952, including 137.7 inches (3.50 m) in January 1952.[16] The most snow on the ground was 52 inches or 1.32 metres on December 31, 1992.

Climate data for Mount Shasta, California, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1948–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 68
(20) 		71
(22) 		80
(27) 		87
(31) 		96
(36) 		103
(39) 		106
(41) 		105
(41) 		103
(39) 		93
(34) 		80
(27) 		72
(22) 		106
(41)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 58.5
(14.7) 		62.3
(16.8) 		69.5
(20.8) 		77.2
(25.1) 		86.0
(30.0) 		91.7
(33.2) 		96.3
(35.7) 		95.3
(35.2) 		91.5
(33.1) 		81.5
(27.5) 		67.6
(19.8) 		55.9
(13.3) 		97.5
(36.4)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 44.4
(6.9) 		47.6
(8.7) 		52.7
(11.5) 		59.0
(15.0) 		68.1
(20.1) 		76.0
(24.4) 		85.2
(29.6) 		84.3
(29.1) 		77.9
(25.5) 		64.3
(17.9) 		50.1
(10.1) 		42.7
(5.9) 		62.7
(17.1)
Daily mean °F (°C) 35.8
(2.1) 		37.9
(3.3) 		41.9
(5.5) 		46.5
(8.1) 		54.2
(12.3) 		61.1
(16.2) 		68.1
(20.1) 		66.8
(19.3) 		61.0
(16.1) 		50.9
(10.5) 		40.5
(4.7) 		34.8
(1.6) 		50.0
(10.0)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 27.2
(−2.7) 		28.1
(−2.2) 		31.0
(−0.6) 		34.1
(1.2) 		40.4
(4.7) 		46.2
(7.9) 		51.0
(10.6) 		49.4
(9.7) 		44.2
(6.8) 		37.5
(3.1) 		30.9
(−0.6) 		26.9
(−2.8) 		37.2
(2.9)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 15.1
(−9.4) 		17.1
(−8.3) 		20.7
(−6.3) 		24.6
(−4.1) 		30.1
(−1.1) 		36.5
(2.5) 		42.5
(5.8) 		41.5
(5.3) 		34.4
(1.3) 		26.3
(−3.2) 		18.1
(−7.7) 		13.7
(−10.2) 		9.9
(−12.3)
Record low °F (°C) −2
(−19) 		−3
(−19) 		11
(−12) 		14
(−10) 		21
(−6) 		25
(−4) 		32
(0) 		34
(1) 		25
(−4) 		15
(−9) 		6
(−14) 		−13
(−25) 		−13
(−25)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 7.11
(181) 		7.44
(189) 		6.18
(157) 		3.23
(82) 		2.23
(57) 		1.23
(31) 		0.23
(5.8) 		0.21
(5.3) 		0.53
(13) 		2.18
(55) 		4.28
(109) 		7.78
(198) 		42.63
(1,083.1)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 18.2
(46) 		17.5
(44) 		14.3
(36) 		5.4
(14) 		0.3
(0.76) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.2
(0.51) 		7.8
(20) 		23.1
(59) 		86.8
(220.27)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 13.2 12.8 13.2 11.2 9.0 4.9 1.8 1.5 2.7 6.1 10.8 13.9 101.1
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 6.3 5.4 4.3 2.9 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 2.9 6.9 29.2
Source 1: NOAA[17]
Source 2: National Weather Service[18]

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1890556—
1910636—
1920542−14.8%
19301,00986.2%
19401,61860.4%
19501,90918.0%
19601,9361.4%
19702,25616.5%
19802,83725.8%
19903,46022.0%
20003,6214.7%
20103,394−6.3%
20203,223−5.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[19]

2010

[edit]

The 2010 United States Census[20] reported that Mount Shasta had a population of 3,394. The population density was 900.3 inhabitants per square mile (347.6/km2). The racial makeup of Mount Shasta was 3,041 (89.6%) White, 61 (1.8%) African American, 19 (0.6%) Native American, 56 (1.6%) Asian, 2 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 51 (1.5%) from other races, and 164 (4.8%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 277 persons (8.2%).

The Census reported that 3,358 people (98.9% of the population) lived in households, 6 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 30 (0.9%) were institutionalized.

There were 1,664 households, out of which 401 (24.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 537 (32.3%) were married couples, 190 (11.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 84 (5.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 113 (6.8%) unmarried couples, and only 9 (0.5%) same-sex couples. 719 households (43.2%) were made up of individuals, and 285 (17.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.02. There were 811 families (48.7% of all households); the average family size was 2.79.

The population was spread out, with 692 people (20.4%) under the age of 18, 242 people (7.1%) aged 18 to 24, 732 people (21.6%) aged 25 to 44, 1,109 people (32.7%) aged 45 to 64, and 619 people (18.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.6 males.

There were 1,895 housing units at an average density of 502.7 units per square mile (194.1 units/km2), of which 781 (46.9%) were owner-occupied, and 883 (53.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.8%. 1,699 people (50.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,659 people (48.9%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

[edit]

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,621 people, 1,669 households, and 926 families residing in the city. The population density was 967.5 inhabitants per square mile (373.6/km2). There were 1,798 housing units at an average density of 480.4 units per square mile (185.5 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 91.77% White, 1.52% Black or African American, 0.44% Native American, 1.63% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 2.13% from other races, and 2.38% from two or more races. 5.83% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,669 households, out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.1% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.5% were non-families. 38.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,500, and the median income for a family was $37,313. Males had a median income of $37,697 versus $18,708 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,629. 19.4% of the population and 14.9% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 31.5% of those under the age of 18 and 11.2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Politics

[edit]
photo of the police department and city hall in Mount Shasta, California
Mount Shasta Police Department and City Hall

The city council of Mount Shasta is composed of seven officials: five city council members, a City Treasurer and a City Clerk who are elected at large and serve a four-year term.[21] The Mayor and Mayor Pro Tempore are elected each year from the five council members and serve a one-year term. Kathy Morter is currently serving as Mayor of Mount Shasta until November 2018, with Timothy Stearns serving as Mayor Pro Tem.[21]

In the state legislature Mount Shasta is in the 1st Senate District, represented by Republican Brian Dahle,[22] and the 1st Assembly District, represented by Republican Megan Dahle.[23]

Federally, Mount Shasta is in California's 1st congressional district, represented by Republican Doug LaMalfa.[24]

Commerce and tourism

[edit]
Downtown Mount Shasta, California with the eponymous mountain visible in the background.

The city of Mount Shasta is located in the Shasta Cascade area of Northern California.[25] Visitors use the city as a base for trout fishing in the nearby Sacramento, McCloud and Klamath rivers,[26][27] for climbing at Mount Shasta, Castle Crags or the Trinity Alps, or to view scenery.[25][28] Both alpine and cross-country skiing[29] runs are available nearby as well as biking or hiking to waterfalls, streams and lakes in the area, including nearby Mossbrae Falls, Lake Siskiyou, Castle Lake and Shasta Lake.[25][28]

Local media

[edit]

Notable people

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "California Cities by Incorporation Date". California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions. Archived from the original (Word) on November 3, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  2. ^ "Watch City Council Meetings Online - Mt. Shasta, California". mtshastaca.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  3. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  4. ^ "Mount Shasta". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  5. ^ Lee Apperson (1987). Sisson - Mount Shasta: The Early Years. Mount Shasta Print. Company.
  6. ^ a b c Benjamin S. Orlove; Ellen Wiegandt; Brian H. Luckman (2008). Darkening Peaks: Glacier Retreat, Science, and Society. University of California Press. pp. 56–. ISBN 978-0-520-25305-6.
  7. ^ California Roster. Secretary of State. 1971. p. 106.
  8. ^ William C. Miesse; Mount Shasta Collection (College of the Siskiyous); College of the Siskiyous. Library (1993). Mount Shasta: an annotated bibliography. College of the Siskiyous. p. 111.
  9. ^ Paul T. Hellmann (February 14, 2006). Historical Gazetteer of the United States. Routledge. pp. 100–. ISBN 978-1-135-94859-7.
  10. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  11. ^ U.S. Geological Survey, Weed 15 Minute Quadrangle, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC (1954)
  12. ^ Phase I Environmental Site Assessment,301 West Lake Street, Mount Shasta, California, Earth Metrics Incorporated, San Mateo, California, Report Number 10363, December 18, 1989
  13. ^ Information about Cascade Snowdepth Measurement Sites, Skiing the Cascade Volcanoes, April 2005, accessed April 23, 2013
  14. ^ Cascade Snow Depth Comparison, Skiing the Cascade Volcanoes, April 2005, accessed April 23, 2013
  15. ^ Mount Shasta, California Monthly - Weather Averages Summary, Weatherbase, accessed April 23, 2013
  16. ^ Mount Shasta, California (045983) Period of Record Monthly Climate Summary, Western Regional Climate Center, 2010, accessed April 23, 2013
  17. ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access - Station: Mt Shasta, CA". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  18. ^ "NOAA Online Weather Data - NWS Medford". National Weather Service. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  19. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  20. ^ "2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Mount Shasta city". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  21. ^ a b Elected Officials, City of Mount Shasta, 2014
  22. ^ "Senators". State of California. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  23. ^ "Members Assembly". State of California. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  24. ^ "California's 1st Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  25. ^ a b c Welcome to Mount Shasta, Mount Shasta Chamber of Commerce, accessed April 23, 2013
  26. ^ Ross, John (2005). Trout Unlimited's Guide to America's 100 Best Trout Streams, Updated and Revised. Guilford, CT: The Lyons Press. ISBN 978-1-59228-585-3.
  27. ^ Brooks, Wade (2006). Fly fishing and the meaning of life. St. Paul, MN: Voyageur Press. p. 92. ISBN 978-0-7603-2575-9.
  28. ^ a b Outdoor recreational activities in area accessed February 24, 2008
  29. ^ Mount Shasta 14,162 ft (4,317 m), Skiing the Cascade Volcanoes, accessed April 23, 2013
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