| Garberville | |
|---|---|
| — census-designated place — | |
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Garberville
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Humboldt County |
| Area[1] | |
| • Total | 2.762 sq mi (7.154 km2) |
| • Land | 2.705 sq mi (7.006 km2) |
| • Water | 0.057 sq mi (0.148 km2) 2.1% |
| Elevation[2] | 535 ft (163 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 913 |
| • Density | 330.5/sq mi (127.6/km2) |
| Time zone | Pacific (PST) (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| ZIP Code | 95542 |
| Area code(s) | 707 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 224036; 2611433 |
| U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Garberville, California; U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Garberville, California | |
Garberville is a census-designated place[3] in Humboldt County, California.[2] It is located on the South Fork of the Eel River 52 miles (84 km) south-southeast of Eureka,[4] at an elevation of 535 feet (163 m).[2] The population was 913 at the 2010 United States Census. It is approximately 200 miles (320 km) north of San Francisco, California, and within a fifteen-minute drive to Humboldt Redwoods State Park and a sixty-minute drive to Eureka, the county seat. The ZIP Code is 95542.[5] Garberville is the primary town in the area known as the Mateel Region, consisting of parts of the Mattole and Eel River watersheds in southern Humboldt and northern Mendocino counties.
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The first settlers arrived in 1853 to what was then named "Dogtown". Jacob C. Garber the town postmaster later named the town after himself.[6] J.E. Wood laid out the town in 1862.[4] The first post office in Garberville opened in 1874.[4]
The 2010 United States Census[7] reported that Garberville had a population of 913. The population density was 330.5 people per square mile (127.6/km²). The racial makeup of Garberville was 815 (89.3%) White, 14 (1.5%) African American, 29 (3.2%) Native American, 17 (1.9%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 7 (0.8%) from other races, and 31 (3.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 54 persons (5.9%).
The Census reported that 785 people (86.0% of the population) lived in households, 128 (14.0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 390 households, out of which 86 (22.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 102 (26.2%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 47 (12.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 33 (8.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 50 (12.8%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 5 (1.3%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 172 households (44.1%) were made up of individuals and 49 (12.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.01. There were 182 families (46.7% of all households); the average family size was 2.69.
The population was spread out with 160 people (17.5%) under the age of 18, 85 people (9.3%) aged 18 to 24, 258 people (28.3%) aged 25 to 44, 285 people (31.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 125 people (13.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.0 years. For every 100 females there were 109.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.2 males.
There were 434 housing units at an average density of 157.1 per square mile (60.7/km²), of which 175 (44.9%) were owner-occupied, and 215 (55.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 2.3%. 388 people (42.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 397 people (43.5%) lived in rental housing units.
Due to the distance of Garberville and other regional communities from their respective county seats of Eureka and Ukiah, there is a notable lack of mass transportation and other public services. A group of local residents once attempted to qualify a "Sequoia County" initiative to secede from both Humboldt and Mendocino with Garberville as the new county seat, although the campaign ended after they failed to gather enough signatures. Bioregional efforts continue with the recent formation of the Sequoia County Greens[8] as a local Green Party chapter, which meets regularly in Garberville.
There was also once an attempt to incorporate Garberville as a city,[9] which was thwarted when county supervisors declined to take the first step with the formation of a Municipal Advisory Committee due to concerns over the associated costs.
Garberville is home to both weekly newspapers in the Mateel Region, locally-owned The Independent and Redwood Times, run by Media News Group as a sister publication of the daily Times-Standard. The town also boasts the only movie house in the area, the Art-Deco-style single-screen Garberville Theatre. Garberville's town square hosts a Farmers' Market every Friday in summer and early fall. The Garberville Branch of the Humboldt County Public Library provides the only such service in the Mateel Region. Redwood Community Radio -- KMUD -- broadcasts from Garberville at 91.1 FM.
In the state legislature Garberville is located in the 2nd Senate District, represented by Democrat Noreen Evans, and in the 1st Assembly District, represented by Democrat Wesley Chesbro. Federally, Garberville is located in California's 1st congressional district.
Garberville is located at . Its climate is characterized by cold, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. The town is stretched out in a small forested valley along U.S. Route 101, at an elevation of 535 feet (163 m), although the nearby King's Peak rises to 4,087 feet (1,246 m). The ZIP Code is 95542. The community is inside area code 707.
There is a Cannabis College in Garberville,[10] and the town has been called "the marijuana heartland of the US" by BBC News.[10]