County outline
Where Del Norte County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 81.8% of Del Norte County’s measured area and water for 18.2%. Its combined area converts to 3,184.9 square kilometers or approximately 786,996 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 1,006.202 | 2,606.051 | 643,969.3 |
| Water | 223.48 | 578.811 | 143,027.2 |
| Total | 1,229.682 | 3,184.862 | 786,996.5 |
How Del Norte County compares
By original Census land area, Del Norte County ranks #42 of 58 in California and #674 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.655 times the California county-equivalent median of 1,535.7 square miles. It accounts for 0.6% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete California ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Del Norte County
The Census Bureau estimates that 26,410 people lived in Del Norte County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,605 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #49 of 58 in California. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 27,749, the population has declined by 1,339 (−4.8%), compared with −0.5% for California as a whole.
With 1,006.2 square miles of land, that is 26 people per square mile (10 per km²), placing Del Norte County #2,111 nationally for density and #43 in California. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the California median is 112. Put another way, there are about 24 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 27,619 | 27,549 | 26,694 | 26,520 | 26,959 | 26,410 |
| Change | — | −70 | −855 | −174 | +439 | −549 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Del Norte County
1 incorporated place lies at least partly in Del Norte County. Together they are home to 6,002 people (22.7%); the other 20,408 (77.3%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is Crescent City city, with 6,002 residents in the county.
Metropolitan area
Del Norte County is a central county of the Crescent City, CA Micropolitan Statistical Area. Del Norte County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the micro area has the same 1,006.2 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #180 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #466 by population. It belongs to the Brookings-Crescent City, OR-CA Combined Statistical Area.
ZIP codes
5 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Del Norte County, and each lies mostly inside the county.
9553195538955439554895567
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Del Norte County
Del Norte County shares a land border with 4 county equivalents, including 2 in Oregon. Each of them has more land than Del Norte County. The largest neighbor is Siskiyou County (6,278.8 mi²) and the smallest is Curry County (1,628.4 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Del Norte County forms a block of 14,120 mi² of land, of which it holds 7.1%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Del Norte | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siskiyou County | 6,278.8 | 6.2× larger | Compare |
| Humboldt County | 3,568 | 3.5× larger | Compare |
| Josephine CountyOregon | 1,638.6 | 1.6× larger | Compare |
| Curry CountyOregon | 1,628.4 | 1.6× larger | Compare |
How big is Del Norte County compared with U.S. states?
Del Norte County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1 times as much. California’s county land could hold about 155 areas the size of Del Norte County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 31.7 miles (51 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Del Norte County?
Del Norte County has more land than 2,548 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Del Norte County at #575 nationally by total area, 99 places closer to the top than its land rank. The water assigned to this geography moves it ahead of some county equivalents with more land.
Its water share is 18.2%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 17 percentage points higher. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Del Norte County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #673 | Sully County, South Dakota | 1,006.7 | Compare |
| #674 | Del Norte County, California | 1,006.2 | This county |
| #675 | Hale County, Texas | 1,004.7 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 41.747068, -123.953171. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 2,606,049,819 m²; AWATER: 578,810,856 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Del Norte County?
Del Norte County, California has 1,006.2 square miles (2,606.1 km²) of land and 223.5 square miles of water, for a total area of 1,229.7 square miles. It ranks #674 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Del Norte County the largest county in California?
No. Del Norte County ranks #42 of 58 in California by land area. The largest is San Bernardino County, with 20,068.4 square miles of land.
What counties border Del Norte County?
Del Norte County shares a land border with Siskiyou County, Humboldt County, Curry County, Oregon, and Josephine County, Oregon.
What is the population of Del Norte County?
The Census Bureau estimates Del Norte County had 26,410 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,605 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 26 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Del Norte County?
The county seat of Del Norte County is Crescent City.
Is Del Norte County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Crescent City, CA Micropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Del Norte County?
5 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Del Norte County, and 5 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Del Norte County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Del Norte County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 643,969 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 786,996 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.