French Gulch, California
| French Gulch | |
|---|---|
| census-designated place | |
 |
|
 Location in Shasta County and the state of California |
|
| Coordinates: 40°42′19″N 122°38′7″W / 40.70528°N 122.63528°WCoordinates: 40°42′19″N 122°38′7″W / 40.70528°N 122.63528°W | |
| Country |
 United States
|
| State |
 California
|
| County | Shasta |
| Area | |
| • Total | 12.369 sq mi (32.035 km2) |
| • Land | 12.332 sq mi (31.940 km2) |
| • Water | 0.037 sq mi (0.095 km2) 0.30% |
| Elevation | 1,355 ft (425 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 346 |
| • Density | 28/sq mi (11/km2) |
| Time zone | Pacific (PST) (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| ZIP code | 96033 |
| Area code(s) | 530 |
| FIPS code | 06-26056 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0223907 |
| Reference no. | 166 |
French Gulch is a census-designated place (CDP) in Shasta County, California, United States. The population was 346 at the 2010 census, up from 254 at the 2000 census.
French Gulch was founded by French miners in 1849 and became one of California's major gold producing areas. The town became a major supply place when it became the terminus of the western branch of the California Trail. French Gulch was registered as a California Historical Landmark in 1935.
On August 14, 2004, the entire town of French Gulch was evacuated due to a forest fire which roared out of control through much of Shasta County. The fire burned 13,005 acres and destroyed 26 residences, 1 commercial building, and 76 outbuildings. The evacuation lasted 3 days, allowing residents to return home on August 17, 2004. A total of 1,345 fire personnel helped get the blaze under the control. The cause was never determined.
French Gulch is located at 40°42′19″N 122°38′7″W / 40.70528°N 122.63528°W (40.705313, -122.635174). Lying a few miles northwest of Whiskeytown Lake, the hamlet lies along Trinity Mountain Road going north from California State Route 299 with the town center about 3 miles north of 299, and about 19 highway-miles from downtown Redding.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 12.4 square miles (32 km2), 99.70% of it land and 0.30% of it water.
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