Tehama County, California

Tehama County is a place in the northern part of the U.S. state of California. It is next to the Sacramento River, which flows through the middle of the county. In 2020, about 65,829 people lived there.

The largest city and where the county government works is Red Bluff. Red Bluff is part of a smaller group of nearby towns called the Red Bluff, California micropolitan statistical area. This group is also part of a larger group named the Redding–Red Bluff, California combined statistical area.

Tehama County is a calm rural area with natural beauty and outdoor fun for visitors and residents.

Etymology

Tehama County is named after the city of Tehama. Many people think the name comes from a Wintun word meaning "high water." Other ideas suggest it could mean "low land," "salmon," "mother nature," or "shallow." Some believe the name might also come from a Spanish word, tejamanil, meaning shingle.

History

Tehama County was created in 1856 from parts of Butte, Colusa, and Shasta Counties. The first settlers were Robert Hasty Thomes, Albert Gallatin Toomes, William George Chard, and Job Francis Dye. They each got land from Mexico in 1844.

Famous early visitors included Kit Carson, Jedediah Smith, John C. Fremont, and William B. Ide, the first president of the California Republic. The county had strong ties with its Chinese community and supported families like the Chews. Even during hard times, the people of Tehama County worked together to keep their communities safe and strong.

Geography

Tehama County is in northern California. It covers 2,962 square miles (7,670 km²). Most of this area is land, with only a small part being water. Important rivers such as the Sacramento River flow through the county. These include Dye Creek and Payne's Creek. A small part of Lassen Volcanic National Park is in the county. The highest point is Brokeoff Mountain, which stands at 9,235 feet.

The county borders several other counties. To the north is Shasta County, to the northeast is Plumas County, to the east is Butte County, to the south is Glenn County, to the southwest is Mendocino County, and to the west is Trinity County. Parts of several national protected areas are in Tehama County. These include Lassen National Forest, Mendocino National Forest, Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge, and Shasta–Trinity National Forest.

Transportation

Major highways

Tehama County has several important roads. These include Interstate 5, State Route 32, State Route 36, State Route 89, State Route 99, and State Route 172.

Public transportation

Local bus services in Red Bluff are provided by Tehama Rural Area Express (TRAX). TRAX also serves Los Molinos and Corning. Greyhound and FlixBus buses stop in Red Bluff. There are plans for a weekday commuter bus service between Red Bluff and the Sacramento Valley Station. This would be similar to the route used by the Amtrak Thruway.

Airports

The county has two airports for small planes. These are the Red Bluff Municipal Airport and the Corning Municipal Airport.

Crime

The following table shows the number of reported incidents and the rate per 1,000 people for different types of offenses.

Cities by population and crime rates

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 census said Tehama County had 65,829 people. The median age was 40.4 years. About 24.3% were younger than 18, and 20.0% were 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.5 males.

The racial makeup was 68.2% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 2.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% Asian, 0.2% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 14.6% from some other race, and 11.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents were 27.2% of the population.

43.0% of people lived in urban areas, and 57.0% lived in rural areas. There were 24,910 households. 31.5% had children under 18. About 25.7% of households were made up of one person, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 or older.

There were 27,341 housing units. 8.9% were empty. Of the ones that were lived in, 64.8% were owned by the people living there and 35.2% were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9%, and the rental vacancy rate was 4.7%.

2010 Census

The 2010 United States census said Tehama County had a population of 63,463. The racial makeup was 81.5% White, 0.6% African American, 2.6% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 9.9% from other races, and 4.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents were 21.9% of the population.

2000 Census

In 2000, 56,039 people lived in Tehama County. The population density was 19 people per square mile (7.3 people/km²). The racial makeup was 84.8% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 2.1% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 8.3% from other races, and 3.4% from two or more races. About 15.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Most people spoke English as their first language (86.0%), while 13.0% spoke Spanish.

The median income for a household was $31,206, and for a family, it was $37,277. About 13.0% of families and 17.3% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 24.0% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Tehama County usually votes for Republican candidates in big elections like presidential and congressional races. The last time a Democrat won most votes here was when Jimmy Carter was elected in 1976. In 1992, Bill Clinton got more votes than others but did not win a majority.

The county is part of California's 1st congressional district. In the California State Legislature, the county is represented by Republican Megan Dahle in the Senate and Republican James Gallagher in the Assembly.

In 2008, voters in Tehama County supported Proposition 8, which changed the California Constitution.

Communities

Tehama County has several cities and smaller places where people live. The cities are Corning, Red Bluff (the county seat), and Tehama.

There are also many smaller communities called census-designated places, such as El Camino, Bend, and Los Molinos. This list comes from the 2020 census.