Sierra County, California
| Sierra County, California | |||||
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| County | |||||
| County of Sierra | |||||
Images, from top down, left to right: Downieville, Conifer forest in the Tahoe National Forest, Stampede Dam
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 Location in the state of California |
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 California's location in the United States |
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| Country |
 United States |
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| State |
 California
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| Region | Sierra Nevada | ||||
| Incorporated | 1852 | ||||
| Named for | Sierra Nevada | ||||
| County seat | Downieville | ||||
| Largest city | Loyalton | ||||
| Government | |||||
| • Board of Supervisors |
Supervisors
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| • Assemblymember | Brian Dahle (R) | ||||
| • State senator | Ted Gaines (R) | ||||
| • U. S. rep. | Doug LaMalfa (R) | ||||
| Area | |||||
| • Total | 2,490 km2 (962 sq mi) | ||||
| • Land | 2,470 km2 (953 sq mi) | ||||
| • Water | 20 km2 (9 sq mi) | ||||
| Population (April 1, 2010) | |||||
| • Total | 3,240 | ||||
| • Estimate (2015) | 2,967 | ||||
| • Density | 1.3/km2 (3.4/sq mi) | ||||
| Time zone | Pacific Standard Time (UTC-8) | ||||
| • Summer (DST) | Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-7) | ||||
| Area code(s) | 530 | ||||
| Website | www.sierracounty.ca.gov Website | ||||
Sierra County is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 3,240 making it the second-least populous county in California. The county seat is Downieville, and the only incorporated city is Loyalton. The county is located in the Sierra Nevada, northeast of Sacramento on the border with Nevada.
Sierra County was formed from parts of Yuba County in 1852. The county derives its name from the Sierra Nevada.
Prior to the California Gold Rush, the area was home to both the Maidu and the Washoe peoples. They generally summered in the higher elevations to hunt and fish, and returned to lower elevations for the winter months. After the discovery of gold in the Sierra foothills sparked the California Gold Rush, more than 16,000 miners settled in Sierra County between 1848-1860. Most mining settlements in the county sprung up along the North and Middle Forks of the Yuba River, both of which had rich deposits of gold. While some of the mining boom towns faded away once gold fever died down, other settlements such as Downieville and Sierra City have remained.
Notable gold nuggets found in the county include a 26.5 pound specimen, avoirdupois, found by a group of sailors at Sailor Ravine, two miles above Downieville. A 51-pound specimen was found in 1853 by a group of Frenchmen in French Ravine. The 106 pound Monumental Nugget was found in Sept. 1869 at Sierra City.
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