Lake County, California

Lake County is a located in the north central portion of the  of, north of the. It takes its name from, the dominant geographic feature in the. As of 2000 the population was 58,309. The is. The central geographical feature of Lake County being, the largest natural lake wholly within California (unlike which is partially in ). Lake County is colloquially referred to as "The LC" or "The County" by some local residents.

History
Lake County was formed in from parts of  and  counties. Lake County has long been known as a community. Vineyards were planted in the 1870s; by the early 1900’s the area was earning a reputation for producing some of the world's greatest wines. However, in 1920 Prohibition forced an end to Lake County wine production. Most of the were ripped out and replanted with walnut and pear farms. Re-emergence of the wine industry began in the 1960s when a few growers rediscovered the area's grape growing potential and began planting vineyards. The area went from less than 100 acre of grapevines in 1965 to over 8800 acre of vineyards today, and has seen the recent establishment of several such as High Valley and Red Hills. Many of the vineyards in Lake County today support sustainable farming practices.

Geography and environment
According to the, the county has a total area of 3,443 (1,329 ). 3,258 km² (1,258 sq mi) of it is land and 185 km² (72 sq mi) of it (5.38%) is water. A number of watercourses drain the county including, and.

Clear Lake is believed to be the oldest lake in, due to a geological fluke. The lake sits on a huge block of stone which slowly tilts in the northern direction at the same rate as the lake fills in with, thus keeping the water at roughly the same depth. The of the county is chaotic, being based on  hills. Numerous small are present in the south end of the lake as well as many old es, the largest being. The geologic history of the county shows events of great violence, such as the eruption of and Mount St. Helena, and the collapse of Cow Mountain, which created the hills around the county seat of. Blue Lakes, Lake Pillsbury, and Indian Valley Reservoir are the county's other major bodies of water.

Lake County has s for a variety of of concern including the uncommon,  and the. Waterfowl, fish and other wildlife abound in the basin.

Cities and towns
spring valley

Adjacent Counties

 * - south
 * - southwest
 * - west, northwest
 * - northeast
 * - east
 * - southeast

Major Highways

 * [[Image:California 20.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:California 29.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:California 53.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:California 175.svg|20px]]

Public Transportation
serves all areas around Clear Lake, with most service focused on the city of Clearlake. Connections are also provided to St. Helena (Napa County) and Ukiah (Mendocino County).

Airports
is the county's public airport. There are also several private airstrips located throughout the county.

Demographics
UNITED STATES CENSUS INFORMATION Thursday, November 09, 2006 Housing Report for Lake County, California

In Lake County, there were a total of 34,031 homes in the year 2005. This county has gone through a growth in housing units, adding a sum of 1,414 residential structures since 2001, a change of 4.3 percent.

The residential home values in Lake County, California have increased very sharply from the real estate values reported in 2000. The valuations have increased by $132,700, or 8.2%, from their 2000 value of $122,600.

When compared to other counties in California, Lake County is positioned 34 of 58 in terms of percentage growth in new housing structures. The county ranks 978 of 3,141, compared to change in residential structure growth in counties throughout the Unities States.

Lake County had a median home value in the year 2005 of $255,300, according to the American Community Survey. This median is less than the overall California 2005 home median value of $477,700 and greater than median home value of $167,500 for the rest of the nation in that year.

Lake County may be described as having a relatively high proportion of residential real estate that is high priced. In 2005, the American Community Survey reported that 14.4 percent owner-occupied dwelling are valued over a half a million dollars.

In the county the population was spread out with 24.10% under the age of 18, 6.00% from 18 to 24, 23.60% from 25 to 44, 26.80% from 45 to 64, and 19.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 97.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $49,627, and the median income for a family was $55,818. Males had a median income of $45,771 versus $44,026 for females. The for the county was $43,825. About 6.90% of families and 4.60% of the population were below the, including 22.80% of those under age 18 and 7.30% of those age 65 or over. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau)

The recent sharp increase in per capita income can be directly linked to those people who have recently relocated to Lake County and telecommute to their jobs in the Bay Area. In addition, real estate values have risen due to a boom from 2003 to 2006, caused by Bay Area residents' discovery that Lake County residential real estate was lower in cost than that in adjacent Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino counties.

Within Lake County are two incorporated cities, the county seat of and, the largest city, and the communities of , Blue Lakes, , Clearlake Park, , Finley, Glenhaven, , Clearlake Riviera, Loch Lomond, , , , , , , Whispering Pines, and Witter Springs.

The income of residents of the county varies widely. The county is the largest employer thus far, followed by large retailers such as, , and. Several franchised retailers have recently entered the county (up 28% since 2003) and have created a diverse employment environment. Many wealthy people and retirees maintain residences near the lake, with the Clearlake Riviera's, Buckingham and Paradise Cove having the largest concentration. Employment statistics continue to improve, again supported by the influx of Bay Area relocations and the benefit of telecommuting. Lake County is mostly agricultural, with tourist facilities and some light industry. Major crops include s, s and, increasingly, wine s.

Politics
Lake is a -leaning county in and  elections. The last Republican to win a majority in the county was in.

Lake is part of California's, which is held by Democrat. In the, Lake is part of the 1st Assembly district, which is held by Democrat , and the 2nd Senate district, which is held by Democrat.