Interactive map of Mendocino County with markers for each of its four incorporated cities: Ukiah (red), Fort Bragg (purple), Point Arena (blue), and Willits (yellow)
Mendocino County was one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood. Due to an initially minor settler American population, it did not have a separate government until 1859 and was under the administration ofSonoma County prior to that.[11] Some of the county's land was given to Sonoma County between 1850 and 1860.[12]
Neither Spanish nor Mexican influence extended into Mendocino County beyond the establishment of two Mexican land grants in southern Mendocino County:Rancho Sanel in Hopland, in 1844 andRancho Yokaya that forms the majority of the Ukiah Valley, in 1845.[11][13]
In the 19th century, despite the establishment of theMendocino Indian Reservation andNome Cult Farm in 1856, the county witnessed many of the most serious atrocities in the extermination of the CalifornianNative American tribes who originally lived in the area, like theYuki, thePomo, theCahto, and theWintun. The systematic occupation of their lands, the reduction of many of their members into slavery and the raids against their settlements led to theMendocino War in 1859, where hundreds of Indians were killed. Establishment of theRound Valley Indian Reservation on March 30, 1870, did not prevent the segregation that continued well into the 20th century. Other tribes from the Sierra Nevada mountains were also relocated to the Round Valley Indian Reservation during the "California Trail Of Tears", where the Natives were forced to march in bad conditions to their new home in Round Valley.[14] Many of these tribes thrown together were not on good terms with the other tribes they were forced to live with on the reservation, resulting in tensions still evident today.
In the first half of the 1850's theCalifornia State Legislature established that the boundaries of Mendocino andTrinity counties was the40th parallel north. Both county boards of supervisors hired thesurveyor W.H. Fauntleroy to survey the parallel, which he completed on October 30, 1872. The accuracy of the boundary was doubtful, and by 1891 the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors requested the California surveyor-general to survey the line and establish the boundary between the two counties. The new line, as surveyed by Sam H. Rice and approved by theCalifornia Attorney General on December 18, 1891, was found to be two miles north of the common boundary surveyed by Fauntleroy, thereby resulting in Trinity County exercising jurisdiction two miles south of the 40th parallel north. Between 1891 and 1907, both counties claimed that the two-mile-wide strip of land belonged to themselves and not the other, with both counties attempting to levy and collectproperty taxes on land in the strip. In 1907, Trinity County sued Mendocino County in aTehama County court to settle the dispute. Thetrial court in Tehama County ruled in favor of Trinity County, even though the land was situated south of the 40th parallel and state law stated that lands south of that parallel belonged to Mendocino County. Theappellate court upheld the ruling of the trial court since Section 10 of the special act of March 30, 1872 (Stats. 1871-2, p. 766), which concerned this boundary and was the act under which Fauntleroy acted under, authorized the survey of the theretofore unknown location of the 40th parallel north, stated that "the lines run out, marked and defined as required by this act are hereby declared to be the true boundary lines of the counties named herein", thereby making the law in the political code which defined the boundary as the 40th parallel north only a suggestion and not a fact.[15] The legislature subsequently affirmed this decision, with the modern statute defining the borders of the two counties referencing the survey of Fauntleroy as being the boundary between the two counties instead of the 40th parallel north.[16]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,878 square miles (10,040 km2), of which 3,506 square miles (9,080 km2) is land and 372 square miles (960 km2) (9.6%) is water.[17]
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 91,601. The median age was 43.2 years. 20.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 23.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.2 males age 18 and over.[25]
51.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 48.5% lived in rural areas.[27]
There were 36,280 households in the county, of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 28.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[25]
There were 41,370 housing units, of which 12.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 59.3% were owner-occupied and 40.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 3.8%.[25]
Mendocino 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.
As of thecensus[36] of 2000, there were 86,265 people, 33,266 households, and 21,855 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 25 people per square mile (9.7 people/km2). There were 36,937 housing units at an average density of 10 units per square mile (3.9 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 80.8%White, 0.6%Black orAfrican American, 4.8%Native American, 1.2%Asian, 0.2%Pacific Islander, 8.6% fromother races, and 3.9% from two or more races. 16.5% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 12.2% were ofGerman, 10.8%English, 8.6%Irish, 6.1%Italian and 5.6%American ancestry according toCensus 2000. 84.4% spokeEnglish and 13.2%Spanish as their first language.
There were 33,266 households, out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% weremarried couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,996, and the median income for a family was $42,168. Males had a median income of $33,128 versus $23,774 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $19,443. About 10.9% of families and 15.9% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 21.5% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2026, theDistrict Attorney of Mendocino County is C. David Eyster,[37] the electedSheriff-Coroner is Matthew C. Kendall[38] and the chief executive officer is Darcie Antle.[39]
Mendocino County is legislatively governed by a board of five supervisors, each with a separate district.[40] The first district is represented by Madeline Cline,[41] and serves the central-eastern region of the county, includingPotter Valley,Redwood Valley,Calpella,Talmage, and Hopland. The second district, represented by Maureen Mulheren[41], who previously served on the Ukiah City Council, servesUkiah. The third district, in the northeastern quadrant of the county fromWillits north toLaytonville andCovelo, is represented by John Haschak.[42] The fourth district covers the northwestern quadrant of the county, including the coast fromCaspar northwards throughFort Bragg and over toLeggett; its supervisor is Bernie Norvell,[41] who previously served as the Mayor of Fort Bragg. The supervisor for the fifth district is Ted Williams;[42] his district covers the southern portion of the county, including the coast fromMendocino toGualala, theAnderson Valley, and the western outskirts ofUkiah.
Mendocino is a stronglyDemocratic county inpresidential andcongressional elections.[45] The last Republican to win a majority in the county was CalifornianRonald Reagan in1984. However, in the 2016 election, Mendocino County gave Hillary Clinton a reduced margin of victory of any Democrat since Al Gore (though support for third-party candidates more than doubled from 2012). In 2020 the county was won by Joe Biden with an increased margin of victory from the previous election.
United States presidential election results for Mendocino County, California[46][note 2]
As of February 2025, theCalifornia Secretary of State reports that Mendocino County has 53,659 registered voters. Of those, 25,192 (46.9%) are registered Democratic; 12,544 (23.4%) are registered Republican; 4,788 (8.1%) are registered with other political parties, and 11,145 (20.8%) declined to state a political party.
In 2000, Mendocino County voters approved Measure G, which calls for thedecriminalization of marijuana when used and cultivated for personal use.[50] Measure G passed with a 58% majority vote, making it the first county in the United States to declare prosecution of small-scale marijuana offenses the "lowest priority" for local law enforcement. Measure G does not protect individuals who cultivate, transport or possess marijuana for sale. However, Measure G was passed at the local government level affecting only Mendocino County, and therefore does not affect existing state or federal laws. The city ofBerkeley has had a similar law (known as the Berkeley Marijuana Initiative II) since 1979 which has generally been found to be unenforceable.[51]
In 2008, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors placed Measure B on the June 3 county-wide ballot. After three months of hard-fought campaigning and national attention, voters narrowly approved "B", which repealed the provisions of 2000's Measure G.[52][53] However, opponents of Measure B intend to continue the challenge in court, as the wording of Measure B relies heavily on S.B. 420's state limitations which were recently ruled unconstitutional by the California supreme court. On July 3, the Sheriff and District Attorneys offices announced that they would not be enforcing the new regulations for the time being, citing pending legal challenges and conflicts with existing state law.[54]
In April 2009, Sheriff Tom Allman issued his department's medical marijuana enforcement policy, which includes the provisions of Measure B and also cites the California Supreme Court Ruling narrowly defining "caregiver" in the state's medical marijuana law.[55]
In 2004,Measure H was passed in Mendocino County with a 56% majority, making it the first county in the United States to ban the production and cultivation ofgenetically modified organisms.[56]
On November 4, 2008, Mendocino County voted 63.1% against Proposition 8 which amended the California Constitution to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman.[57]
The county is also served by local and regional newspapers as well as a community radio stations. Community radio stations includeKZYX, operating out of Philo, andKLLG, operating out of the Little LakeGrange in Willits. The Humboldt County-basedKMUD is also receivable in large parts of the county. Local independent newspapers include the online news serviceThe Mendocino Voice,[62] andThe Laytonville Observer, theAnderson Valley Advertiser,[63] the Willits Weekly[64] and theIndependent Coast Observer. Four formerly independent newspapers are now owned by the national conglomerate media companyDigital First Media; they are:The Ukiah Daily Journal,TheMendocino Beacon, theWillits News, andThe Fort Bragg Advocate. These four papers have seen a precipitous decline in the size of editorial staff and in coverage over the past several years, in keeping with the nationwide tactics of DFM.[65] The Sonoma County-basedPress Democrat also covers the area.
Willits Municipal Airport is a general aviation airport serving the Willits / Little Lake Valley area. Located in the Brooktrails subdivision area west of Willits.
Round Valley Airport is a general aviation airport serving the Covelo / Round Valley area.
"Mendocino" by theSir Douglas Quintet was released in December 1968 and reached number 27 in the U.S.Billboard Hot 100 by early 1969, spending 15 weeks on the chart.
Kate McGarrigle's song "(Talk to Me of) Mendocino" is one of the songs on the McGarrigles' 1975 debut album; it has been covered byLinda Ronstadt on her 1982 albumGet Closer, by English singer-songwriter John Howard on his 2007 EP, and byBette Midler on her 2014 albumIt's the Girls.
A song written by Matt Serletic andBernie Taupin, "Mendocino County Line", which was released in 2002, is about a love that could not last and cites the Mendocino County Line in the chorus.
^abhttps://archive.org/stream/bub_gb_m8FQAQAAIAAJ/bub_gb_m8FQAQAAIAAJ_djvu.txt Cape Mendocino was named in honor of Antonio de Mendoza, the first Viceroy of New Spain. He was appointed by the emperor, and, arriving in the city of Mexico in 1535, ordered a survey of the coast of California, wherein the cape was discovered. The county was named after the cape.History of Northern California, p. 138.
^abcU.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001.U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
California Legislature, Special Joint Committee on the Mendocino War,Majority and Minority Reports of the Special Joint Committee on the Mendocino War. Sacramento, California: Charles T. Botts, State Printer, 1860.
V.K. Chesnut,Plants Used by the Indians of Mendocino County, California. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1902.
Thomas N. Layton,Western Pomo Prehistory: Excavations at Albion Head, Nightbirds' Retreat, and Three Chop Village, Mendocino County, California. Los Angeles, California: Institute of Archaeology, University of California, Los Angeles, 1990.
M.B. Levick,Mendocino County, California. San Francisco, California: Sunset Magazine Homeseekers' Bureau, n.d. [c. 1912].
Mendocino County Chamber of Commerce,Mendocino County, California. Beverly Hills, California: Windsor Publications, 1968.
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