Mount Shasta, California
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| Mount Shasta, California | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Siskiyou |
| Area | |
| - Total | 3.7 sq mi (9.7 km²) |
| - Land | 3.7 sq mi (9.7 km²) |
| - Water | 0 sq mi (0 km²) |
| Elevation | 3,606 ft (1,099 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 3,621 |
| - Density | 978.6/sq mi (373.3/km²) |
| Time zone | Pacific (PST) (UTC-8) |
| - Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| ZIP code | 96067 |
| Area code(s) | 530 |
| FIPS code | 06-49852 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0277559 |
Mount Shasta is a city in Siskiyou County, California, located at around 3,600 ft (1,100 m) 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. As of the 2000 Census the city had a total population of 3,621.
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[edit] Commerce and tourism
Located in the Shasta Cascade area of Northern California, Mount Shasta is a popular destination for tourists.[1][2][3] Visitors use Mount Shasta as a base to engage in trout fishing in the nearby Sacramento,[4][5][6] McCloud[4][5] and Klamath[4] Rivers, or come to see and climb Mount Shasta, Castle Crags or the Trinity Alps.[1][2][3][7] Visitors also engage in nearby skiing[8] (both alpine and cross-country), or bike or hike to the waterfalls, streams and lakes in the area, including nearby Mossbrae Falls, Lake Siskiyou, Castle Lake and Shasta Lake.[1][2][3][7]
[edit] History
The site of present-day Mount Shasta City 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.
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 area where the town later grew up was known first as Strawberry Valley, and then as Berryvale. With the arrival of the railroad, the town was given the name Sisson, California, after prominent land owner Justin Sisson. The name was changed to Mount Shasta City in 1924.
[edit] Geography
Mount Shasta is located at 41°18'52" North, 122°18'41" West (41.314542, -122.311510)[9]. It is located 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 3.7 square miles (9.7 km²), of which, 3.7 square miles (9.7 km²) of it is land and none 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.[10] The typical depth to groundwater is quite shallow in the predominant alluvium.[11]
The town is placed 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 volcaniclastic 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.
[edit] Climate
With Mount Shasta to the east forcing moisture out of the air as it ascends and cools, and the dip in the Klamath Mountains allowing more moisture to reach inland, Mount Shasta gets more precipitation than the semiarid region to the north. This means that in the winter, Mount Shasta gets 104" (264 cm) of snowfall despite its low 3,600 ft. (1,097 m) elevation ([1]). In comparison, points in the region around this elevation get much less snow than Mount Shasta, like Weed, which gets only 20" (52.8 cm) ([2]).
| Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures | ||||||||||||
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec High °F | 65 | 71 | 80 | 86 | 94 | 98 | 100 | 105 | 103 | 93 | 80 | 72 |
| Norm High °F | 44.2 | 47.6 | 52.1 | 59.2 | 67.3 | 75.5 | 83.2 | 82.6 | 76 | 64.4 | 49.9 | 43.8 |
| Norm Low °F | 26.4 | 28.7 | 30.3 | 33.3 | 39 | 44.9 | 48.9 | 47.5 | 42.9 | 36.6 | 29.9 | 25.8 |
| Rec Low °F | -2 | 1 | 11 | 14 | 21 | 25 | 31 | 34 | 25 | 19 | 9 | -5 |
| Precip (in) | 7.06 | 6.45 | 5.81 | 2.65 | 1.87 | 0.99 | 0.39 | 0.43 | 0.87 | 2.21 | 5.08 | 5.35 |
| Source: USTravelWeather.com [3] | ||||||||||||
[edit] Demographics
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 people per square mile (373.8/km²). There were 1,798 housing units at an average density of 480.4/sq mi (185.6/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 are 1,669 households out of which 27.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.1% are married couples living together, 12.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 44.5% are non-families. 38.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 16.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.14 and the average family size is 2.83.
In the city the population is 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 are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 42 years. For every 100 females there are 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 84.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $26,500, and the median income for a family is $37,313. Males have a median income of $37,697 versus $18,708 for females. The per capita income for the city is $20,629. 19.4% of the population and 14.9% of families are 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 are living below the poverty line.
[edit] Politics
In the state legislature Mount Shasta is located in the 4th Senate District, represented by Republican Sam Aanestad, and in the 2nd Assembly District, represented by Republican Doug LaMalfa. Federally, Mount Shasta is located in California's 2nd congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of R +13[12] and is represented by Republican Wally Herger.
[edit] Notable Residents
- Former NFL defensive star Jason Sehorn is a 1989 graduate of Mount Shasta High School.
- Writer Anita Loos, author of the screenplay Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, was born in Sisson (now Mount Shasta) in 1888.
- Sherrie Russell Meline, the artist whose painting of a Ross's Goose was selected for the 2006-2007 Federal Duck Stamp, lives in Mount Shasta.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Tourism information accessed 2008-03-05.
- ^ a b c Visitor activities access 2008-03-05.
- ^ a b c Activities accessed 2008-03-05.
- ^ a b c Siskiyou County information site accessed 2008-02-21.
- ^ a b Ross, John (2005). Trout Unlimited's Guide to America's 100 Best Trout Streams, Updated and Revised. Guilford, CT: The Lyons Press. ISBN 1592285856.
- ^ Brooks, Wade (2006). Fly fishing and the meaning of life. St. Paul, MN: Voyageur Press. ISBN 0760325758., p. 92. Excerpts of the text of this book are available here courtesy of Google Books.
- ^ a b Outdoor recreational activities in area accessed 2008-02-24.
- ^ ski information accessed 2008-03-05.
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey, Weed 15 Minute Quadrangle, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC (1954)
- ^ Phase I Environmental Site Assessment,301 West Lake Street, Mount Shasta, California, Earth Metrics Incorporated, San Mateo, Ca., rpt. no. 10363, December 18, 1989
- ^ Will Gerrymandered Districts Stem the Wave of Voter Unrest?. Campaign Legal Center Blog. Retrieved on 2007-10-20.
[edit] External links
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- Official homepage for the City of Mount Shasta
- Museum of the Siskiyou Trail
- Mount Shasta Collection at College of the Siskiyous
- Mount Shasta, California is at coordinates Coordinates:
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![[2]](http://skimountaineer.com/CascadeSki/CascadeSnow/SnowdepthComparison.gif){kind=link}