Dorrington, California
Dorrington | |
|---|---|
 Location in Calaveras County and the state of California | |
  Dorrington Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates: 38°18′05″N 120°16′38″W / 38.30139°N 120.27722°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Calaveras |
| Area | |
• Total | 4.10 sq mi (10.61 km2) |
| • Land | 4.09 sq mi (10.60 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2) 0.14% |
| Elevation | 4,767 ft (1,453 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 519 |
| • Density | 126.80/sq mi (48.96/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code | 95223 |
| Area code | 209 |
| FIPS code | 06-19570 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 1656306, 2408683 |
Dorrington is a census-designated place (CDP) in Calaveras County, California, United States. The population was 609 at the 2010 census, down from 727 at the 2000 census. Originally known as Cold Spring Ranch until 1902 (because of an icy spring), the town sits on State Route 4 and historically was a stopping point along the toll road between Murphys and Ebbetts Pass, often serving as a resort for visitors to what is now Calaveras Big Trees State Park. Dorrington is also home to the second largest Sugar Pine in the world, measuring 32 feet (9.7 m) in circumference and 220 feet (67 m) tall. The name Dorrington comes from the maiden name of Rebecca (Dorrington) Gardner.
Geography
[edit]According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 3.7 square miles (9.6 km2), 99.86% of it land. The elevation is 4,800 feet ASL.
History
[edit]Originally known as Cold Springs Ranch, the town's name changed upon establishment of the post office in 1902. The name Dorrington comes from the maiden name of Rebecca (Dorrington) Gardner. Famed naturalist John Muir visited a large Sugar Pine Tree here on August 22, 1900 with C. Hart Merriam and Florence Merriam Bailey on a trip between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite.[2] The post office was discontinued in 1919, but re-established in 1921 and closed for good in 1934.[3]
Demographics
[edit]| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 727 | — | |
| 2010 | 609 | −16.2% | |
| 2020 | 519 | −14.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[4] | |||
The 2020 United States census reported that Dorrington had a population of 519. The population density was 126.8 inhabitants per square mile (49.0/km2). The racial makeup of Dorrington was 435 (83.8%) White, 3 (0.6%) African American, 4 (0.8%) Native American, 16 (3.1%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 11 (2.1%) from other races, and 50 (9.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 45 persons (8.7%).[5]
The whole population lived in households. There were 276 households, out of which 43 (15.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 130 (47.1%) were married-couple households, 9 (3.3%) were cohabiting couple households, 52 (18.8%) had a female householder with no partner present, and 85 (30.8%) had a male householder with no partner present. 104 households (37.7%) were one person, and 51 (18.5%) were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 1.88.[5] There were 163 families (59.1% of all households).[6]
The age distribution was 43 people (8.3%) under the age of 18, 30 people (5.8%) aged 18 to 24, 68 people (13.1%) aged 25 to 44, 163 people (31.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 215 people (41.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 61.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 143.7 males.[5]
There were 1,746 housing units at an average density of 426.6 units per square mile (164.7 units/km2), of which 276 (15.8%) were occupied. Of these, 233 (84.4%) were owner-occupied, and 43 (15.6%) were occupied by renters.[5]
Politics
[edit]In the state legislature, Dorrington is in the 8th senatorial district, represented by Democrat Angelique Ashby,[7] and the 5th Assembly district, represented by Republican Joe Patterson.[8] Federally, Dorrington is in California's 4th congressional district, represented by Democrat Mike Thompson.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
- ^ Merriam, C. (August 22, 1900). "Muir on the instep of a huge Sugar Pine ... Gardiner's Flat Calaveras Co. Calif [aka Gardner Flat, Cold Spring Ranch, Dorrington]"". John Muir Photographs (c.1863-c.1914).
- ^ Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, California: Word Dancer Press. p. 767. ISBN 1-884995-14-4.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
- ^ a b c d "Dorrington CDP, California; DP1: Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics - 2020 Census of Population and Housing". US Census Bureau. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ "Dorrington CDP, California; P16: Household Type - 2020 Census of Population and Housing". US Census Bureau. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ "Senators". State of California. Retrieved March 21, 2013.
- ^ "Members Assembly". State of California. Retrieved March 21, 2013.
- ^ "California's 4th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
External links
[edit]Municipalities and communities of Calaveras County, California, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| City |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Former settlements | ||