{"id":709,"date":"2023-01-17T07:11:24","date_gmt":"2023-01-17T07:11:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/?p=709"},"modified":"2026-08-11T21:32:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T21:32:49","slug":"lake-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/lake-county\/","title":{"rendered":"Lake County, California"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Lake County is a county in California, United States, about 100 miles north of San Francisco,<br \/>\ncentred on Clear Lake. It had a population of 68,163 at the 2020 census and covers 1,256 square<br \/>\nmiles (3,250 km2) of land, centred near 39\u00b005\u2032N 122\u00b046\u2032W.<\/p>\n<p>Lakeport is the county seat; its postal code is 95453. The county holds 2 incorporated cities<br \/>\nand about a dozen unincorporated communities and census-designated places around Clear Lake and<br \/>\nin the surrounding hills, and it runs on Pacific Time. Its FIPS code is 06033.<\/p>\n<h2>Towns &amp; Villages in Lake County<\/h2>\n<p>Lake County has 13 named places with reliable 2020 census figures: 2 incorporated cities<br \/>\n(Clearlake and Lakeport) and 11 census-designated places (CDPs) with no local government of<br \/>\ntheir own. Dozens of smaller rural place names &mdash; old resort camps and mineral-springs<br \/>\ncommunities such as Bartlett Springs, Harbin Springs and Seigler Springs &mdash; appear on maps<br \/>\nand older place lists but carry no Census Bureau population count of their own; they&#8217;re noted<br \/>\nbelow rather than listed with invented numbers.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tv-table-scroll\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Place<\/th>\n<th>Type<\/th>\n<th>Pop.<\/th>\n<th>ZIP<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Clearlake<\/td>\n<td>City<\/td>\n<td>16,685<\/td>\n<td>95422<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Hidden Valley Lake<\/td>\n<td>CDP<\/td>\n<td>6,235<\/td>\n<td>95467<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Lakeport<\/td>\n<td>City &middot; seat<\/td>\n<td>5,026<\/td>\n<td>95453<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Kelseyville Riviera<\/td>\n<td>CDP<\/td>\n<td>3,410<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Kelseyville<\/td>\n<td>CDP<\/td>\n<td>3,382<\/td>\n<td>95451<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Lucerne<\/td>\n<td>CDP<\/td>\n<td>3,266<\/td>\n<td>95458<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Nice<\/td>\n<td>CDP<\/td>\n<td>2,929<\/td>\n<td>95464<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Clearlake Oaks<\/td>\n<td>CDP<\/td>\n<td>2,551<\/td>\n<td>95423<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Lower Lake<\/td>\n<td>CDP<\/td>\n<td>1,276<\/td>\n<td>95457<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Cobb<\/td>\n<td>CDP<\/td>\n<td>1,295<\/td>\n<td>95426<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Soda Bay<\/td>\n<td>CDP<\/td>\n<td>1,163<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Middletown<\/td>\n<td>CDP<\/td>\n<td>1,114<\/td>\n<td>95461<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Upper Lake<\/td>\n<td>CDP<\/td>\n<td>1,095<\/td>\n<td>95485<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Spring Valley<\/td>\n<td>CDP<\/td>\n<td>964<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Finley<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>95435<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Glenhaven<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>95443<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p>Two names cause confusion on older lists. Kelseyville Riviera was previously carried under two<br \/>\ndifferent scrape spellings, &#8220;Clear Lake Riviera&#8221; and &#8220;Clearlake Riviera&#8221;<br \/>\n&mdash; it is one CDP, renamed Kelseyville Riviera by the Census Bureau. Clearlake Park and<br \/>\nClearlake Highlands, both listed separately on the county&#8217;s old page, are historic<br \/>\nneighborhood names now inside the Clearlake city limits, not standalone places with their own<br \/>\npopulation count.<\/p>\n<h2>ZIP Codes<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>95422 &mdash; Clearlake<\/li>\n<li>95453 &mdash; Lakeport<\/li>\n<li>95467 &mdash; Hidden Valley Lake<\/li>\n<li>95451 &mdash; Kelseyville<\/li>\n<li>95458 &mdash; Lucerne<\/li>\n<li>95464 &mdash; Nice<\/li>\n<li>95423 &mdash; Clearlake Oaks<\/li>\n<li>95457 &mdash; Lower Lake<\/li>\n<li>95426 &mdash; Cobb<\/li>\n<li>95461 &mdash; Middletown<\/li>\n<li>95485 &mdash; Upper Lake<\/li>\n<li>95435 &mdash; Finley<\/li>\n<li>95443 &mdash; Glenhaven<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Kelseyville Riviera, Soda Bay and Spring Valley have no ZIP code of their own; mail there is<br \/>\ndelivered under the nearest incorporated town&#8217;s code.<\/p>\n<h2>Geography<\/h2>\n<p>Lake County sits in California&#8217;s North Coast Ranges, a belt of steep, forested hills between<br \/>\nthe Sacramento Valley and the Pacific coast. Clear Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake<br \/>\nentirely within California, dominates the county&#8217;s center and gives the county its name; Lake<br \/>\nTahoe is partly in Nevada, and the Salton Sea and Tulare Lake are artificial or drained. The<br \/>\nGeysers, the world&#8217;s largest developed geothermal field, straddles the county&#8217;s southern border<br \/>\nwith Sonoma County and supplies power across the North Coast region.<\/p>\n<p>Mendocino County lies to the west, Glenn County to the north, Colusa County to the east, Yolo<br \/>\nand Napa counties to the southeast, and Sonoma County to the south. <a\nhref=\"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/mendocino-county\/\">Mendocino County<\/a>, <a\nhref=\"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/glenn-county\/\">Glenn County<\/a>, <a\nhref=\"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/colusa-county\/\">Colusa County<\/a>, <a\nhref=\"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/yolo-county\/\">Yolo County<\/a>, <a\nhref=\"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/napa-county\/\">Napa County<\/a> and <a\nhref=\"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/sonoma-county\/\">Sonoma County<\/a> all border Lake County<br \/>\ndirectly.<\/p>\n<h2>Demographics<\/h2>\n<p>Lake County had a population of 68,163 at the 2020 census. Clearlake and Lakeport are the two<br \/>\nlargest communities; Clearlake alone holds close to a quarter of the county&#8217;s residents. Median<br \/>\nhousehold income for California runs $95,521 (2023 ACS), well above Lake County&#8217;s own figure,<br \/>\nwhich has historically been one of the lowest among California&#8217;s 58 counties. Population density<br \/>\nworks out to roughly 54 people per square mile of land, low for a coastal California county and a<br \/>\nreflection of its rural, mountainous terrain.<\/p>\n<h2>Economy &amp; Local Life<\/h2>\n<p>Health care, Native American tribal casinos, agriculture and public-sector jobs form the<br \/>\nbackbone of the county&#8217;s economy. Wine is the leading crop: Lake County has five American<br \/>\nViticultural Areas and more than 35 wineries, and its wine grapes are the single most valuable<br \/>\nagricultural product, followed by pears and walnuts. Calpine Corporation operates most of The<br \/>\nGeysers geothermal field, one of the county&#8217;s larger private employers and a major renewable<br \/>\npower source for the North Coast. Several Pomo tribal governments &mdash; including the Robinson<br \/>\nRancheria, the Big Valley Band and the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake &mdash; run casinos and<br \/>\ntribal enterprises that employ residents countywide. The county&#8217;s biggest annual event is the<br \/>\nKelseyville Pear Festival each September, celebrating the region&#8217;s pear harvest.<\/p>\n<h2>History<\/h2>\n<p>California&#8217;s legislature formed Lake County on May 20, 1861, carving it out of Napa County.<br \/>\nThe county takes its name directly from Clear Lake, its dominant geographic feature. Lakeport was<br \/>\nestablished as the county seat.<\/p>\n<p>Wildfire has repeatedly reshaped the county in the last decade. The 2015 Valley Fire burned<br \/>\n76,067 acres and destroyed much of Cobb, Middletown and Whispering Pines, along with parts of<br \/>\nHidden Valley Lake, killing four people. The 2018 Mendocino Complex Fire&#8217;s Ranch Fire component<br \/>\nburned 410,203 acres, becoming the largest wildfire in modern California history at the time<br \/>\n(later surpassed by the 2020 August Complex), and forced evacuations across Lakeport, Kelseyville,<br \/>\nLucerne, Upper Lake and Nice.<\/p>\n<h2>Getting There<\/h2>\n<p>No interstate highway crosses Lake County. State Routes 20, 29, 53, 175 and 281 carry most<br \/>\nthrough-traffic; Route 29 connects Lakeport and Middletown to Napa County to the south.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Santa Rosa &mdash; about 45 miles southwest<\/li>\n<li>Napa &mdash; about 50 miles south<\/li>\n<li>Ukiah &mdash; about 35 miles west<\/li>\n<li>Sacramento &mdash; about 100 miles southeast<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Lampson Field (CKE), a county-owned general-aviation airport near Lakeport, is the county&#8217;s<br \/>\nown airfield; the nearest major commercial airport is Sacramento International, roughly 100 miles<br \/>\nsoutheast. Lake County has no Amtrak station; the nearest stops are on the Capitol Corridor line<br \/>\nin the Sacramento area.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Where is Lake County located?<\/strong><br \/>\nIt sits in California&#8217;s North Coast Ranges around Clear Lake, about 100 miles north of San<br \/>\nFrancisco, bordered by Mendocino, Glenn, Colusa, Yolo, Napa and Sonoma counties.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is the population of Lake County?<\/strong><br \/>\n68,163 at the 2020 census.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How big is Lake County?<\/strong><br \/>\n1,256 square miles (3,250 km2) of land.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is the county seat of Lake County?<\/strong><br \/>\nLakeport, on Clear Lake&#8217;s western shore, is the county seat.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How many towns are in Lake County?<\/strong><br \/>\nTwo incorporated cities, Clearlake and Lakeport, plus 11 census-designated places including<br \/>\nHidden Valley Lake, Kelseyville and Lucerne.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What ZIP codes does Lake County use?<\/strong><br \/>\n95422 for Clearlake, 95453 for Lakeport, and separate codes for each of the county&#8217;s larger<br \/>\nunincorporated communities, from 95423 (Clearlake Oaks) to 95485 (Upper Lake).<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is Lake County known for?<\/strong><br \/>\nClear Lake itself, California&#8217;s largest natural freshwater lake, its Wine Country vineyards, and<br \/>\nThe Geysers, the world&#8217;s largest geothermal power field.<\/p>\n<p>More counties in this state: <a href=\"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/category\/california\/\">Towns and villages in California<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lake County is a county in California, United States, about 100 miles north of San Francisco, centred on Clear Lake. It had a population of 68,163 at the 2020 census and covers 1,256 square miles (3,250 km2) of land, centred near 39\u00b005\u2032N 122\u00b046\u2032W. Lakeport is the county seat; its postal code is 95453. The county [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"Towns & Villages in Lake County, California","_seopress_titles_desc":"All 13 confirmed cities and CDPs in Lake County, California - type, population and ZIP code, plus Clear Lake geography and wildfire history.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[6],"class_list":["post-709","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-california","tag-towns-and-cities","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/709","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=709"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/709\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9655,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/709\/revisions\/9655"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=709"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=709"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=709"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}