Alpine County is a county in the eastern part of the U.S. state of California located within the Sierra Nevada on the state border with Nevada. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 1,204,^[4] making it California's least populous county. The county seat and largest community is Markleeville.^[5]

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Alpine County, California
County
Alpine County
Images, from top down, left to right: an Alpine County line road sign during a snow storm, Alpine County Courthouse, a view eastward from Carson Pass overlooking Red Lake
Flag Seal
Interactive map of Alpine County
Location in the state of California
Country	United States
State	California
Region	Sierra Nevada
Incorporated	March 16, 1864[1]
Named for	Its location in the Sierra Nevada resembling the (Swiss) Alps
County seat	Markleeville
Largest community	Alpine Village
Government
• Type	Council–CAO
• Body	Board of Supervisors[2] Charles Dobson Ron Hames Irvin Jim Terry Woodrow David Griffith
• Chair	Irvin Jim
• Vice Chair	Terry Woodrow
• County Administrative Officer	Nichole Williamson
Area
• Total	743 sq mi (1,920 km2)
• Land	738 sq mi (1,910 km2)
• Water	4.8 sq mi (12 km2)
Highest elevation [3]	11,464 ft (3,494 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,204
• Density	1.6/sq mi (0.63/km2)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific Standard Time)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Area codes	209, 530
Congressional district	3rd
GNIS feature ID	1675840
Website	www.alpinecountyca.gov

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The Washoe people, a Great Basin tribe, inhabited the Sierra Nevada on the California–Nevada boundary, with the Hung A Lel Ti band populating the Diamond Valley including what would become Alpine County.

Kit Carson and John C. Frémont were among the first explorers to bring nationwide attention to the Sierra Nevada region in their winter 1844 expedition, though the first known westerners to actually explore the area were Jedediah Smith and Joseph R. Walker. Though gold spurred the infrastructural development of Alpine County, the Comstock Lode found near Virginia City, Nevada and the subsequent silver boom was what triggered Alpine County's growth, even attracting gold miners from neighboring Nevada.^[6] This prompted the formation on March 16, 1864, from parts of Amador County, Calaveras County, El Dorado County, Mono County and Tuolumne County.^[1] It was named Alpine County due to its resemblance to the Swiss Alps.^[7] At its formation, it had a population numbering around 11,000. By 1868, however, the local silver mines had proven unfruitful of replicating the Nevada silver boom and the population fell to about 685 in the 1870 Census, a decline that would steadily continue through the 1950s.^[8][9] Silver Mountain (established as Köngsberg)^[10] was designated the county seat following the discovery of silver nearby by Norwegian miners.^[11] Markleeville, established by Jacob Markley in 1861 as a 160-acre claim encompassing a bridge and toll station, became the new county seat in 1875.^[1] The collapse of the silver industry and closing of mines was finalized with the demonetization of silver in 1873, and Silver Mountain was abandoned by 1886, with most businesses moving to Markleeville.^[6][11]

Following the devastating collapse of the silver industry, the population began quickly declining until the 1950s, falling to an all-time low of 241 in 1930.^[9] During this time, its small economy limited the county to serving primarily as a trading center for the local farming and lumber industries, as well as fishing and hunting during the 1930s. Several lots in the county were left vacant.^[6]

Alpine County finally managed an economic rebound with the construction of the Bear Valley and Kirkwood ski resorts in the late 1960s, the latter of which is split with Amador County. The population shot up from 484 in 1970 to 1,097 in 1980, a 126.65% increase, and has remained around that level.^[9] The three national forests (Eldorado, Humboldt–Toiyabe and Stanislaus) means 96% of the county is owned by the federal government,^[12] providing opportunities for economic development and tourism to the skiing resorts as well as historical tourism and outdoor recreation.^[13]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has an area of 743 square miles (1,920 km²), of which 738 square miles (1,910 km²) is land and 4.8 square miles (12 km²) (0.7%) is water.^[14] The federal government owns about 96% of Alpine County, the highest percentage in California,^[12] including three national forests: Eldorado (54,318 acres, or 7.81% of the 695,098-acre total), Stanislaus (119,805 acres, or 13.32% of the 899,427 acre-total) and Humboldt–Toiyabe (233,962 acres, or 3.72% of the 6,290,945 acre-total).^[15][16]

Throughout the 20th century, Alpine County was a Republican stronghold in presidential and congressional elections. From 1892 until 2004, the only Democrat to carry Alpine County in a presidential election was Franklin Roosevelt in 1932 and 1936. In 1964, Alpine was one of only five counties in the state to back Barry Goldwater. It was among the five most Republican counties in the entire nation in 1892,^[29] 1908,^[30] 1920,^[31] and 1928.^[32] Warren Harding and Herbert Hoover gained over ninety percent of the county's vote. However, Alpine has become more of a Democratic county in recent elections. It was carried by John Kerry in 2004 and has stayed in the Democratic column since. No Republican has won a majority in the county since 1988.

In November 2008, Alpine was one of just three counties in California's interior in which voters rejected Proposition 8, the ballot initiative to amend the California Constitution to reject the legal extension of the title of marriage to same-sex couples. Alpine voters rejected Proposition 8 by 56.4 percent to 43.6 percent. The other interior counties in which Proposition 8 failed to receive a majority of votes were neighboring Mono and Yolo counties.^[33]

Alpine County is in California's 3rd congressional district, represented by Republican Kevin Kiley.^[34] In the State Assembly, the county is in the 5th Assembly District, represented by Republican Joe Patterson.^[35] In the State Senate, the county is in the 1st Senate District, represented by Republican Brian Dahle.^[36]

Due to its low population density, Alpine County votes entirely by mail, one of two counties in California which do so.^[37] In the June 2014 primary elections, about 22% of registered voters statewide went to the polls; in Alpine County, the number was almost 70%, the highest of any county in the state.^[38]

All communities in Alpine County are unincorporated:

The only other counties in California with no incorporated cities are Mariposa and Trinity.

• Alpine County Unified School District
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Alpine County, California
• Stonewall Nation, a proposal by gay activists to colonize Alpine County in the 1970s
• List of counties in California