Crescent City (

Tolowa The Tolowa people or Taa-laa-wa Dee-ni’ are a Native American people of the Athabaskan-speaking ethno-linguistic group. Two rancherías (Smith River and Elk Valley) still reside in their traditional territory in northwestern California. Tho ...

: ''Taa-’at-dvn'';

Yurok The Yurok people are an Algic-speaking Indigenous people of California that has existed along the or "Health-kick-wer-roy" (now known as the Klamath River) and on the Pacific coast, from Trinidad south of the Klamath’s mouth almost to Cresc ...

: ''Kohpey'';

Wiyot The Wiyot ( Wiyot: Wíyot, Chetco-Tolowa: Wee-'at xee-she or Wee-yan' Xee-she', Euchre Creek Tututni: Wii-yat-dv-ne – "Mad River People", Yurok: Weyet) are an indigenous people of California living near Humboldt Bay, California and a small ...

: ''Daluwagh'') is the only incorporated city in

Del Norte County, California Del Norte County ( Spanish for "Of The North") is a county located at the far northwest corner of the U.S. state of California, along the Pacific Ocean adjacent to the Oregon border. Its population was 27,743 as of the 2020 census, down from ...

, of which it is also the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

. The city is on the

North Coast North Coast or Northcoast may refer to : Antigua and Barbuda * Major Division of North Coast, an urban area and major division in the parish of Saint John * North Coast, Barbuda, an administrative district of Barbuda Australia * New South Wa ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

and had a total population of 6,673 in the 2020 census, down from 7,643 in the 2010 census. The city is the site of the

Redwood National Park The Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP) are a complex of one List of national parks of the United States, United States national park and three List of California state parks, California state parks located along the coast of northern Cali ...

headquarters, as well as the historic

Battery Point Light Battery Point Light is a lighthouse in Crescent City, California, United States. It is registered as a California Historical Landmark, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as "Crescent City Lighthouse". History Battery P ...

. Due to the richness of the local

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

waters and the related catch, and ease of access, Crescent City Harbor serves as home port for numerous commercial

fishing vessel A fishing vessel is a boat or ship used to fishing, catch fish and other valuable nektonic aquatic animals (e.g. shrimps/prawns, krills, coleoids, etc.) in the sea, lake or river. Humans have used different kinds of surface vessels in commercial ...

s. The population includes inmates at

Pelican Bay State Prison Pelican Bay State Prison (PBSP) is a supermax prison in Crescent City, California. The prison takes its name from a shallow bay on the Pacific coast, about to the west. Facilities The prison is located in a detached section of Crescent Cit ...

, also within the city limits, and the former

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

Crescent City North annexed to the city. Crescent City's offshore geography makes it unusually susceptible to

tsunami A tsunami ( ; from , ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and underwater explosions (including detonations, ...

s. In 1964 much of the city was destroyed by four tsunami waves generated by the Great Alaskan earthquake off

Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage, officially the Municipality of Anchorage, is the List of cities in Alaska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it contains nearly 40 percent of ...

. In 2011 the city's harbor suffered extensive damage and destruction from tsunamis generated by the March 11, 2011, earthquake off

Sendai, Japan is the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture and the largest city in the Tōhoku region. , the city had a population of 1,098,335 in 539,698 households, making it the twelfth most populated city in Japan. The modern city was founded in 1600 by th ...

. Several dozen vessels and many of the docks they were moored to were destroyed as wave cycles related to the tsunamis exceeded .

History

Crescent City was founded on the site of Tolowa Indian Settlements at

Battery Point Battery Point (; ) is a suburb of the city of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. It is immediately south of the central business district. It is in the Local Government Areas of Tasmania, local government area of City of Hobart. Battery Point is name ...

and Pebble Beach south of Point St. George, and north of Point St. George. In

: ''Taa-’at-dvn''. In the

it is ''Kohpey'', and in

: ''Daluwagh''). In 1855, the

U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a bicameral legislature, including a lower body, the U.S. House of Representatives, and an upper body, the U.S. Senate. They both ...

authorized the building of a lighthouse at "the battery point" (a high tide island on the coast of Crescent City) which is still functioning as a historical landmark. Europeans began moving to the area in the 1850s. Crescent City was incorporated as a city in 1854. The population includes inmates at

, also within the city limits, and the former

Crescent City North annexed to the city. The city is also the site of the

headquarters, as well as the historic

. Due to the richness of the local

waters and the related catch, and ease of access, Crescent City Harbor serves as home port for numerous commercial

Namesake ships

''Crescent City'' was a

schooner A schooner ( ) is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel defined by its Rig (sailing), rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more Mast (sailing), masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than t ...

built in 1848 by Joshua T. Foster of

Medford, Massachusetts Medford is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. At the time of the 2020 United States census, Medford's population was 59,659. It is home to Tufts University, which has its campus on both sides of the Medford and Somervill ...

. A 1906 ship named ''Crescent City'' was the former ''Jim Butler'', a steam schooner built by Lindstrom Shipbuilding Company in

Aberdeen, Washington Aberdeen ( ) is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington, United States. The population was 17,013 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city is the most populous in Grays Harbor County and the region's economic center, bordering t ...

, that wrecked in the

Channel Islands The Channel Islands are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They are divided into two Crown Dependencies: the Jersey, Bailiwick of Jersey, which is the largest of the islands; and the Bailiwick of Guernsey, ...

, off

Santa Cruz Island Santa Cruz Island (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Isla Santa Cruz'', Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''Limuw'') is located off the southwestern coast of Ventura, California, United States. It is the largest island in California and largest of the ei ...

, in 1927.

Shipwrecks

Two notable shipwrecks happened off the coast, in 1865 and then at the start of World War II in December 1941, when a Japanese submarine hit a US oil tanker. The ''

Brother Jonathan Brother Jonathan is the personification of New England. He was also used as an emblem of the United States in general, and can be an allegory of capitalism. His too-short pants, too-tight waistcoat and old-fashioned style reflect his taste for ...

'', a paddle steamer, crashed on an uncharted rock near Point St. George, off the coast of Crescent City, California, on July 30, 1865. The SS ''Emidio'', a tanker of the General Petroleum Corporation (later Mobil Oil), was the first casualty of the Imperial Japanese Navy's submarine force action on California's Pacific Coast on December 20, 1941. The damaged tanker broke up on the rocks off Crescent City. The remaining pieces of the ship are now California Historical Landmark #497.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which (81.3%) is land and (18.7%) is water.

Fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

and

crabbing Crab fisheries are fisheries which capture or farm crabs. True crabs make up 20% of all crustaceans caught and farmed worldwide, with about 1.4 million tonnes being consumed annually. The horse crab, '' Portunus trituberculatus'', accounts for on ...

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

, and

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

are the major sources of income in Del Norte County. Elk Creek flows into the

at Crescent City. Its nearest Californian place of any size to its interior is Happy Camp separated by roughly by air, but, due to the unsuitable terrain, it is much farther by road. The nearest city is fellow coastal city

Brookings Brookings may refer to: Organizations * Brookings Institution, a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy organization based in Washington, D.C. Places * Brookings, Oregon, USA * Brookings, South Dakota, USA * Brookings County, South Dakota, USA ...

, Oregon, around to its north. The

Humboldt Bay Humboldt Bay (Wiyot language, Wiyot: ''Wigi'') is a natural bay and a multi-basin, bar-built coastal lagoon located on the rugged North Coast (California), North Coast of California, entirely within Humboldt County, California, Humboldt County, ...

area encompassing

Eureka Eureka often refers to: * Eureka (word), a famous exclamation attributed to Archimedes * Eureka effect, the sudden, unexpected realization of the solution to a problem Eureka or Ureka may also refer to: History * Eureka Rebellion, an 1854 g ...

and

Arcata Arcata (; ; ) is a city adjacent to the Arcata Bay (northern) portion of Humboldt Bay in Humboldt County, California, United States. At the 2020 census, Arcata's population was 18,857. Arcata was first founded in 1850 as Union, was officially ...

is more than to its south. Crescent City is as far north in latitude as

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, Middle Island in

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, as well as

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

on the Atlantic side. It is as much as nine degrees latitude north of

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

at the southern tip of the state. Crescent City is closer to

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

, Canada () than to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

().

Climate

Crescent City has a

warm-summer Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Csb''). The wettest months are from October to March; the wettest month is December with and the driest month is July with . The average high and low temperatures in December are and . The average high and low temperatures in August are and . On average, four mornings each winter fall below . The highest temperature recorded in Crescent City was on September 20, 1989, and September 21, 1939. The lowest temperature on record was on January 20, 1937, and December 21, 1990. The maximum monthly precipitation was in November 1973. The wettest "rain year" was from July 1937 to June 1938 when fell and the driest from July 2013 to June 2014 with . The maximum 24-hour precipitation was on January 9, 1995. The highest snowfall recorded for any period in 24 hours was on January 26, 1972. The 30-year average annual precipitation in Crescent City has decreased from in the 1980–2010 period to about over the 1990–2020 period. The warmest ever overnight low was in 1929 and the mean between 1991 and 2020 was at the modest . Cold winter days are also rare. The coldest daytime temperature was in 1924, which remains the last time Crescent City did not climb above the freezing point for 24 hours. Between 1991 and 2020, the coldest maximum temperature averaged .

Tsunamis

The bathymetry of the sea floor surrounding Crescent City has the effect of focusing

s. According to researchers at Humboldt State University and the University of Southern California, the city experienced tsunami conditions 31 times between the years 1933 and 2008. Although many of these incidents were barely perceptible, eleven events included wave measurements exceeding one meter, four events caused damage, and one event in particular is commonly cited as "the largest and most destructive recorded tsunami to strike the United States Pacific Coast." On March 27, 1964, the Great Alaskan earthquake in the

Prince William Sound Prince William Sound ( Sugpiaq: ''Suungaaciq'') is a sound off the Gulf of Alaska on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located on the east side of the Kenai Peninsula. Its largest port is Valdez, at the southern terminus of the ...

area, set in motion local landslide tsunamis, as well as a trans-Pacific wave. The tsunami wave travel time to Crescent City was 4.1 hours after the earthquake, but it only produced localized flooding. The second and third waves to hit Crescent City were smaller, but the fourth wave struck with a height of approximately after having drawn the harbor out nearly dry. The next morning the damage was counted: 289 buildings and businesses had been destroyed; 1,000 cars and 25 large fishing vessels had been crushed; 12 people were confirmed dead, over 100 were injured, and more were missing; and 60 blocks had been inundated, with 30 city blocks destroyed. Many victims had returned to the area before the fourth wave struck thinking that the event had passed. Although most of the missing were later accounted for, not all were tracked down. Insurance adjusters estimated that the city received more damage from the tsunami on a block-by-block basis than did Anchorage from the initial earthquake. The tsunami raced down the West Coast with more deaths and destruction, but no other location was hit as hard. Crescent City bore the brunt, due to its offshore geography, position relative to the earthquake's strike-line, underwater contours such as the

Cobb Seamount Cobb Seamount is a seamount ( underwater volcano) and guyot located west of Grays Harbor, Washington, United States. Cobb Seamount is one of the seamounts in the Cobb–Eickelberg Seamount chain, a chain of underwater volcanoes created by ...

, and the position of rivers near the city. Although houses, buildings, and infrastructure were later rebuilt, years passed before the city recovered from the devastation to lives, property, and its economy. Since the 1980s, the breakwater has been protected from normal storm waves by hundreds of

Dolos A dolos (plural: dolosse) is a wave-dissipating concrete block used in great numbers as a form of coastal management. It is a type of tetrapod. Weighing up to , dolosse are used to build revetments for protection against the erosive force of w ...

armor units, 38 ton concrete shapes. The city is deemed to be tsunami-ready today. Its preparedness was tested on June 14, 2005, when the 2005 Eureka earthquake measuring 7.2 on the moment magnitude scale hit offshore; much of the city (an estimated 6,000 people) was evacuated when a tsunami warning was issued, and a tsunami wave hit the area. On November 15, 2006, a magnitude 8.3 earthquake struck off Simushir Island in the

Kuril Islands The Kuril Islands or Kurile Islands are a volcanic archipelago administered as part of Sakhalin Oblast in the Russian Far East. The islands stretch approximately northeast from Hokkaido in Japan to Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia, separating the ...

in the western Pacific. A tsunami warning was issued but rescinded hours later. However, a surge from that quake did hit the harbor at Crescent City causing damage to three docks and several boats. Governor

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...

declared a county state of emergency. Upon that declaration, the area affected was eligible for federal emergency relief funding to repair the damage. Parts of the city were evacuated on March 11, 2011, after a 9.0 earthquake struck Japan. Thirty-five boats were destroyed, and the harbor suffered major damage. The reported peak surge was over by 9:50am. There were no casualties in Crescent City, though one person was killed when swept out to sea near the mouth of the

Klamath River The Klamath River (Karuk language, Karuk: ''Ishkêesh'', Klamath language, Klamath: ''Koke'', Yurok language, Yurok: ''Hehlkeek 'We-Roy'') is a long river in southern Oregon and northern California. Beginning near Klamath Falls, Oregon, Klama ...

, about 15 miles south of the city, and another five were swept out to sea in southern Oregon, but were resuced.

Demographics

2020

The 2020 United States census reported that Crescent City had a population of 6,673. The population density was . The racial makeup of Crescent City was 44.8%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 10.9%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 5.8%

Native American Native Americans or Native American usually refers to Native Americans in the United States. Related terms and peoples include: Ethnic groups * Indigenous peoples of the Americas, the pre-Columbian peoples of North, South, and Central America ...

, 4.3% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 26.3% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), ...

, and 7.7% from two or more races.

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While many use the terms interchangeably, for example, the United States Census Bureau ...

of any race were 32.7% of the population. The census reported that 57.3% of the population lived in households, 0.4% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 42.3% were institutionalized. There were 1,652 households, out of which 33.3% included children under the age of 18, 27.9% were married-couple households, 9.9% were

cohabiting Cohabitation is an arrangement where people who are not legally married live together as a couple. They are often involved in a romantic or sexually intimate relationship on a long-term or permanent basis. Such arrangements have become incr ...

couple households, 36.8% had a female householder with no partner present, and 25.4% had a male householder with no partner present. 36.7% of households were one person, and 15.3% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.32. There were 910

families Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...

(55.1% of all households). The age distribution was 15.0% under the age of 18, 8.2% aged 18 to 24, 44.8% aged 25 to 44, 21.9% aged 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 35.2years. For every 100 females, there were 224.1 males. There were 1,843 housing units at an average density of , of which 1,652 (89.6%) were occupied. Of these, 30.5% were owner-occupied, and 69.5% were occupied by renters. In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $41,131, and the

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

was $18,254. About 13.8% of families and 19.9% of the population were below the poverty line.

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Crescent City had a population of 7,643. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was 3,164.9/sqmi (1,222.0/km²). The racial makeup of Crescent City was 5,052 (66.1%)

, 910 (11.9%)

, 370 (4.8%)

, 333 (4.4%) Asian, 7 (0.1%)

, 696 (9.1%) from

, and 275 (3.6%) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 2,342 persons (30.6%). The Census reported that 4,063 people (53.2% of the population) lived in households, 28 (0.4%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 3,552 (46.5%) were institutionalized. The very high institutionalized percentage is a result of the presence of Pelican Bay State Prison, which was annexed into the city limits in the 1990s. There were 1,707 households, out of which 559 (32.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 512 (30.0%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 314 (18.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 114 (6.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 170 (10.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 7 (0.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 614 households (36.0%) were made up of individuals, and 229 (13.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38. There were 940

(55.1% of all households); the average family size was 3.13. The city population contained 1,107 people (14.5%) under the age of 18, 934 people (12.2%) aged 18 to 24, 3,292 people (43.1%) aged 25 to 44, 1,725 people (22.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 585 people (7.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 250.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 298.5 males. There were 1,906 housing units at an average density of 789.2/sqmi (304.7/km²), of which 1,707 were occupied, of which 532 (31.2%) were owner-occupied, and 1,175 (68.8%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 7.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.8%. 1,203 people (15.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 2,860 people (37.4%) lived in rental housing units.

Government

In the

California State Legislature The California State Legislature is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of California, consisting of the California State Assembly (lower house with 80 members) and the California State Senate (upper house with 40 members). ...

, Crescent City is in , and . In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

, Crescent City is in .

Education

The public schools of Crescent City are part of the

Del Norte County Unified School District Del Norte Unified School District is a public school district serving Del Norte County, California, United States. It has an enrollment of 3,679 students across eleven schools: eight elementary schools, a middle school, and two high schools. Th ...

, which encompasses all of the public schools in

Del Norte County Del Norte County (Spanish for "Of The North") is a county located at the far northwest corner of the U.S. state of California, along the Pacific Ocean adjacent to the Oregon border. Its population was 27,743 as of the 2020 census, down from 28 ...

. The following are schools within Crescent City or its immediate vicinity. * Del Norte High School is the only public high school in Crescent City, located on the northern edge of town. It replaced the earlier high school that was more centrally located, and which remains today as a public-access gymnasium and county offices * The Bess Maxwell Elementary School is the older of two elementary schools in the northern part of town that are located near the high school. Bess Maxwell serves grades 1–5. In its earlier years, it was a K–6 school * The Castle Rock Charter School is a K–12

charter school A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autono ...

that provides personalized education to students, and is the liaison school for parents who

home school Homeschooling or home schooling (American English), also known as home education or elective home education (EHE) (British English), is the education of school-aged children at home or a variety of places other than a school. Usually conducted ...

their children. It operates the Tah-Ah-Dun American Indian

Magnet School In the U.S. education system, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. Normally, a student will attend an elementary school, and this also determines the middle school and high school they attend unless they mo ...

to provide for the unique requirements of American Indian students who might be at risk. (Tah-Ah-Dun is the

name for Crescent City, honoring the Tolowa village that stood on present-day Crescent City.) The school is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges * Crescent Elk Middle School is the oldest operating school site in town, centrally located in Crescent City. The site was originally a K–8 school, but slowly shed grade levels to other schools as it became a 4–6 school with a separate 7–8 program, then the 6–8 program that it is today * Mary Peacock Elementary School is the newer of two elementary schools that are located near the high school. The creation of

caused an increase in housing demand in the Crescent City area, and an increased school district population. This school was built to address that demand, but is not directly associated with the prison * Joe Hamilton Elementary School is a K–5 school located near Crescent Elk Middle School. It was founded as a K–3 school * Pine Grove Elementary School has been a K–5 school for many years. It serves the eastern part of Crescent City * Sunset High School is another Crescent City high school with its own child care center

Transportation

Highway access is provided by

U.S. Route 101 U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101 (US 101), is a major north–south highway that traverses the states of California, Oregon, and Washington on the West Coast of the United States. It is part of the United States Numbered Highway Syst ...

, which runs directly through the city, connecting the

Oregon Coast The Oregon Coast is a coastal region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to its west and the Oregon Coast Range to the east, and stretches approximately from the California state border in the south to the Columbia ...

to the north and

to the south.

U.S. Route 199 U.S. Route 199 (US 199) is a U.S. Highway in the states of California and Oregon. The highway was established in 1926 as a spur of US 99, which has since been replaced by Interstate 5 (I-5). US 199 stretches from US 101 near ...

begins north of Crescent City and runs northeast to

Grants Pass, Oregon Grants Pass is a city in and the county seat of Josephine County, Oregon, United States. The city is located on Interstate 5 in Oregon, Interstate 5, northwest of Medford, Oregon, Medford, along the Rogue River (Oregon), Rogue River. The populatio ...

. The junction of U.S. Routes 101 and 199 is one of only two junctions of two U.S. Routes in California, the other being the junction of U.S. Routes 6 and 395 in

Bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

SkyWest Airlines SkyWest Airlines is an American regional airline headquartered in St. George, Utah. SkyWest operates and maintains aircraft used on flights that are scheduled, marketed and sold by four partner Mainline (air travel), mainline airlines. The comp ...

formerly served

Del Norte County Airport Del Norte County Regional Airport (Jack McNamara Field) is a public airport northwest of Crescent City, in Del Norte County, California, United States. It has one airline flight per day to/from Oakland and Los Angeles/Hawthorne under the Esse ...

(also known as Jack McNamara Field) as

United Express United Express is a regional airline network that supports United Airlines operations, primarily by serving smaller cities and connecting traffic to United's main hubs. Representing six percent of United's total capacity for 2024, United Express ...

until April 7, 2015. Most flights connected to

San Francisco International Airport San Francisco International Airport is the primary international airport for the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. Owned and operated by the City and County of San Francisco, the airport has a San Francisco mailing ...

PenAir Peninsula Airways, operated as PenAir, was a U.S.-based regional airline headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska. It was Alaska's second-largest commuter airline operating scheduled passenger service, as well as charter and medevac services througho ...

contracted to begin serving the airport with

Saab 340 The Saab 340 is a Swedish twin-engine turboprop aircraft designed and initially produced by Saab AB and Fairchild Aircraft. It is designed to seat 30–36 passengers and, as of July 2018, there were 240 operational aircraft used by 34 differen ...

turboprop aircraft beginning September 15, 2015.

Advanced Air Advanced Air is an American scheduled commuter and private charter airline based in Hawthorne, California, at the Hawthorne Municipal Airport, where it also owns a fixed base operator, Jet Center Los Angeles. History Advanced Air was founded ...

currently operates flights from Crescent City (CEC) to

Oakland International Airport Oakland International Airport is an international airport in Oakland, California, United States. The airport is located south of downtown Oakland and east of San Francisco, serving the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. The airport is ...

(OAK) and Los Angeles-Hawthorne Airport (HHR). Local public transit is provided by Redwood Coast Transit and by various taxi companies. Crescent City is also served by

Curry Curry is a dish with a sauce or gravy seasoned with spices, mainly derived from the interchange of Indian cuisine with European taste in food, starting with the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch and British, and then thoroughly internatio ...

Public Transit, and POINT. The Crescent City Harbor serves as a commercial fishing port for

salmon Salmon (; : salmon) are any of several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the genera ''Salmo'' and ''Oncorhynchus'' of the family (biology), family Salmonidae, native ...

shrimp A shrimp (: shrimp (American English, US) or shrimps (British English, UK)) is a crustacean with an elongated body and a primarily Aquatic locomotion, swimming mode of locomotion – typically Decapods belonging to the Caridea or Dendrobranchi ...

tuna A tuna (: tunas or tuna) is a saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae ( mackerel) family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bul ...

cod Cod (: cod) is the common name for the demersal fish genus ''Gadus'', belonging to the family (biology), family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gad ...

, and

dungeness crab The Dungeness crab (''Metacarcinus magister'') makes up one of the most important seafood industries along the west coast of North America. Its typical range extends from Alaska's Aleutian Islands to Point Conception, near Santa Barbara, Califo ...

commercial fishing vessels. The Harbor is also home to multiple fishing- and non-fishing-related businesses and harbor governmental offices. The Crescent City Harbor also has several pleasure boat docks.

Arts and culture

Attractions

* In town ** Battery Point Lighthouse ** Crescent City Harbor ** Del Norte County Historical Society Main Museum **

SS Emidio ''Hammac'' was a steam tank ship built in 1920–1921 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation of Alameda for the United States Shipping Board as part of the wartime shipbuilding program of the Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC) to restore the nati ...

Memorial * Nearby **

Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park is a state park of California, United States, and a component of the Redwood National and State Parks. The property is about half old-growth forest of coast redwoods and includes of wild Pacific coastline. ...

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park is a state park of California, United States, preserving old-growth Sequoia sempervirens, redwoods along the Smith River (California), Smith River. It is located along U.S. Route 199 approximately east of Cre ...

** Lost Monarch (tree)—Largest known Coastal Redwood by volume. **

Redwood National and State Parks The Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP) are a complex of one United States national park and three California state parks located along the coast of northern California. The combined RNSP contain Redwood National Park, Del Norte Coast Red ...

St. George Reef Lighthouse The St. George Reef Light is an inactive lighthouse built on North West Seal Rock, six miles (10 km) off the coast of northern California near Crescent City, California, Crescent City. Location The St. George Reef Light is a wave-washed ...

Smith River National Recreation Area Smith River National Recreation Area is a protected area located in northwestern California, United States. The national recreation area is in Six Rivers National Forest and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Departme ...

** Tolowa Dunes State Park **

Trees of Mystery Trees of Mystery is a park and tourist attraction along U.S. Route 101 (US 101) near the coastal town of Klamath, California. It features interpretive trails through Giant Redwoods and a number of unusual tree formations, many of which can be se ...

Annual events

Fourth of July Independence Day, known colloquially as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States which commemorates the ratification of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing th ...

fireworks display – July *Sea Cruise Car Show Weekend – Columbus Day Weekend – October *Forest Moon Festival - A Star Wars themed community festival - First Weekend of May

Notable people

Eunice Bommelyn Eunice Xash-wee-tes-na Henry Bommelyn (February 6, 1927 – April 23, 2012) was an American Tolowa cultural advocate, Tolowa language proponent, and tribal historian. Bommelyn was the last living person to speak Tolowa as a native first language; Bo ...

– tribal historian and the last person to speak Tolowa as a native first language *

Loren Bommelyn Loren Me’-lash-ne Bommelyn (born 1956) is a tradition bearer for the Tolowa tribe. He has dedicated himself to preserving the traditional songs, language, and basketry. He is the foremost ceremonial leader of the tribe, and its most prolific ...

– tradition bearer for the Tolowa tribe *

Donald H. Clausen Donald Holst Clausen (April 27, 1923 – February 7, 2015) was an American businessman, World War II veteran, and politician who served ten terms as a United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative from California from 1963 to 1983. ...

– American politician *

James F. Curtis James Freeman Curtis II (December 19, 1825 – March 1, 1914), participant in the 1849 California Gold Rush, Chief of Police of San Francisco, officer in the California state militia and volunteer in the American Civil War. Biography James Free ...

– commander of Camp Lincoln * Louis DeMartin – Del Norte County pioneer * David Owen Dryden – builder-architect in the craftsman style * Cody Hoffman – football wide receiver, and multi-record holder, for the football team of Brigham Young University * *

Rick Keene Richard J. "Rick" Keene (born November 16, 1957) is a former Republican member of the California State Assembly representing the 3rd district from 2002 to 2008. Keene previously served on the Chico, California City Council from 1994 to 2002, in ...

- California politician * Lee Kohse - artist * Clinton McKinnon - musician (

Mr. Bungle Mr. Bungle is an American experimental rock band formed in Eureka, California, in 1985. The band is known for its eclecticism, cycling through several musical genres, often within the course of a single song, including heavy metal, avant-garde ...

) * Justin Miller – lawyer and a federal appellate judge *

George Peacock George Peacock FRS (9 April 1791 – 8 November 1858) was an English mathematician and Anglican cleric. He founded what has been called the British algebra of logic. Early life Peacock was born on 9 April 1791 at Thornton Hall, Denton, nea ...

, luthier * Buck Pierce – professional football player, Canadian Football League *Jacksen Pierce – author * Fred Rinne – visual and performance artist *

Max Steineke Max Steineke was a prominent American petroleum geologist. He was chief geologist at California-Arabian Standard Oil Co. (CASOC) from 1936 until 1950 (by which time CASOC had become Aramco). His efforts, and persistence through repeated setback ...

– petroleum geologist *

Audrey Wagner Genevieve "Audrey" Wagner (December 27, 1927 – August 31, 1984) was an outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 145 lb., she batted and threw right-handed. Brief profile Audre ...

– outfielder in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League * Wendell Wood – conservationist and environmentalist

International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

Crescent City is twinned with: * Rikuzentakata, Japan (January 7, 2019)

References

External links

*
Visit Crescent City Visitor Information

The Story of Kamome
{{authority control Cities in Del Norte County, California County seats in California Incorporated cities and towns in California Populated coastal places in California Ports and harbors of California Redwood National and State Parks Settlements formerly in Klamath County, California 1854 establishments in California Populated places established in 1854