Shasta County was one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood. The county was named afterMount Shasta; the name is derived from theEnglish equivalent for theShasta people. Their population declined in the 1850s due to disease, low birth rates, starvation, killings, and massacres, as White settlers moved in.[7] The name of the tribe was spelled in various ways until the present version was used when the county was established. The 14,179-foot (4,322 m) peak of Mt. Shasta is visible throughout most of Shasta County. Originally within the county, it is now part ofSiskiyou County, to the north. Parts of the county's territory were transferred to Siskiyou County in 1852, and toTehama County in 1856.
In 1992, theFountain Fire burned more than 63,000 acres (25,000 ha) and destroyed hundreds of homes and other structures, including large parts of Round Mountain and Montgomery Creek. More than 7,000 people were forced to evacuate.[8] Estimated losses totaled $105.6 million (equivalent to about $205.9 million in 2023).[9]
Shasta has served as the epicenter of the revivedJefferson State proposal since 2016 which wants to have Northern California and Southern Oregon form a new State.[10] The movement is associated with theRepublican Party as its supporters argue that theDemocratic controlled legislatures of both states have ignored the needs of the rural parts of their states.[11]
The Fountain Wind project, proposed by energy firm ConnectGEN LLC, includes up to 71 wind turbines, 679 feet (207 m) tall, with the capacity to generate 216 megawatts of electricity.[12][13] In 2021, the Shasta County Planning Commission voted unanimously to reject the project's use permit, followed by an appeal to the Shasta County Board of Supervisors that similarly resulted in a 4–1 vote to deny the appeal. Wildfire risks and firefighting challenges, among other issues, were given as a primary reason for the rejection of the project.[14] In early 2023, ConnectGen resubmitted its application to the California Energy Commission under Assembly Bill 205 which established a new certification program for non-fossil-fuel powered plants of 50 megawatts or more and related facilities.[15]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,847 square miles (9,960 km2), of which 72 square miles (190 km2) (1.9%) are covered by water.[16] Mountains line the county on the east, north, and west. TheSacramento River flows out of the mountains to the north, through the center of the county, and toward the Sacramento Valley to the south.
According toWillis Linn Jepson, the biota of Shasta County was not explored in a scientific manner until just before 1900. Until the 1920s, theSouthern Pacific Railroad Company owned vast tracts of natural grasslands, but during the 1920s, the railroad sold off much of its grassland holdings, leading to the rapid clearing of brush and large-scale conversion from habitat to agricultural uses.[17] Shasta County has extensive forests, which cover over one half the land area with commercially productive forest systems.[18] Common forest alliances include mixed-oak woodland and mixed conifer-oak woodland, as well as Douglas fir forest. Common trees found include white-bark pine,[19]California black oak, andCalifornia buckeye.[20]
Shasta County, California – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
The2010 United States census reported that Shasta County had a population of 177,223. The racial makeup of Shasta County was 153,726 (86.7%) White, 1,548 (0.9%) African American, 4,950 (2.8%) Native American, 4,391 (2.5%) Asian, 271 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 4,501 (2.5%) fromother races, and 7,836 (4.4%) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 14,878 persons (8.4%).[38]
As of thecensus[39] of 2000, 163,256 people, 63,426 households, and 44,017 families were residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 43 people per square mile (17 people/km2). The 68,810 housing units had an average density of 18 units per square mile (6.9 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 89.3% White, 0.8% African American, 2.8% Native American, 1.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.7% from other races, and 3.5% from two or more races. About 5.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. About 15.7% were ofGerman, 12.3%English, 11.2%Irish, 9.9%American, and 5.2%Italian ancestry according toCensus 2000; 94.0% spokeEnglish and 3.3%Spanish as their first language.
Of the 63,426 households, 31.7% had children under 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were not families. About 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.52, and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county, theage distribution was 26.1% under 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 91.2 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $34,335, and for a family was $40,491. Males had a median income of $35,959 versus $24,773 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $17,738. About 11.3% of families and 15.4% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 21.0% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.
Shasta at one time favored the Democratic Party inPresidential elections elections. The economy was shaped by the construction of Shasta Dam and some 60 percent of its registered voters were pro-labor Democrats.[43] It went Democratic in all but one presidential election from 1932 to 1976, and was one of the few counties in the state to be won byGeorge McGovern. Since 1980, it has become one of the most Republican counties in the state in Presidential andcongressional elections.[44] The last Democrat to carry the county in a presidential race wasJimmy Carter in1976.
A 2022 successful recall unseated supervisor, Leonard Moty, Redding's ex-police chief who describes himself as a fiscal conservative and social moderate, after enough signatures were collected to have the election.[45] The county's Board of Supervisors shifted to a conservative supermajority in subsequent elections.[46] The board issued a declaration opposingstate vaccine mandates and fired the health officer after the change in the makeup of the all Republican board.[43] The Board cancelled its contract withDominion Voting Systems in 2023 to pursue other options including the possibility of counting votes by hand.[47][46] The county's contract with Dominion was not up for renewal until 2025.[48] County supervisor Kevin Crye met privately withMike Lindell in Minnesota before the vote.[49] According to Lindell, they discussed how to run elections without voting machines.[50] State and federal law require that voters with disabilities have access to an electronic voting system.[51] The county selectedHart InterCivic as the new provider of voting equipment.[52]
The Shasta County sheriff provides prison administration and coroner services for the entire county, and patrol, investigative, and coroner services for the unincorporated portions of the county.
Redding and Anderson have municipal police departments.
^abcdefghijklmnopqU.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001.U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
^abU.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B03003.U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
^abU.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301.U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
^abU.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013.U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
^abU.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113.U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
^abU.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
^U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003.U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
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