Mendocino County, California

Mendocino County, California
County
County of Mendocino
Images, from top down, left to right: The community of Mendocino, the historic Grace Hudson Sun House, Point Arena Lighthouse, the Chandelier Tree, the "Skunk Train", a beach in MacKerricher State Park
Seal
Nickname:  "Mendo"
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's location within California
Coordinates (Geographic center of Mendocino County): 39°28′09″N 123°23′39″W / 39.4692°N 123.3942°W / 39.4692; -123.3942
Country	United States
State	California
Region	California North Coast
Incorporated	February 18, 1850; 174 years ago (1850-02-18)[1]
Named for	Antonio de Mendoza, Viceroy of New Spain, 1535–42
County seat	Ukiah
Largest city	Ukiah
Government
• Type	Council–CEO
• Body	Mendocino County Board of Supervisors
• Chair	Glenn McGourty
• Vice Chair	Maureen Mulheren
• Board of Supervisors[2]	Supervisors Glenn McGourty Maureen Mulheren John Haschak Dan Gjerde Ted Williams
• Chief executive officer	Darcie Antle
Area
• Total	3,878 sq mi (10,040 km2)
• Land	3,506 sq mi (9,080 km2)
• Water	372 sq mi (960 km2)
Highest elevation [3]	6,958 ft (2,121 m)
Population  (2020)[4]
• Total	91,601
• Density	26/sq mi (10/km2)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific Time Zone)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Area code	707
Congressional district	2nd
Website	www.mendocinocounty.org

Mendocino County (/ˌmɛndəˈsiːnoʊ/ ^ⓘ; Mendocino, Spanish for "of Mendoza")^[5] is a county located on the North Coast of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 91,601.^[6] The county seat is Ukiah.^[7]

Mendocino County consists wholly of the Ukiah, CA Micropolitan Statistical Area (μSA) for the purposes of the U.S. Census Bureau. It is located approximately equidistant from the San Francisco Bay Area and California/Oregon border, separated from the Sacramento Valley to the east by the California Coast Ranges. While smaller areas of redwood forest are found further south, it is the southernmost California county to be included in the World Wildlife Fund's Pacific temperate rainforests ecoregion, the largest temperate rainforest ecoregion on the planet.^[8]

The county is noted for its distinctive Pacific Ocean coastline, its location along California's "Lost Coast", Redwood forests, wine production, microbrews, and liberal views about the use of cannabis and support for its legalization. In 2009, it was estimated that roughly one-third of the economy was based on the cultivation of marijuana.^[9]

The notable historic and recreational attraction of the "Skunk Train" connects Fort Bragg with Willits in Mendocino County via a steam-locomotive engine, along with other vehicles.

Mendocino is one of three Northern California counties to make up the "Emerald Triangle", along with Humboldt and Trinity counties.