Modoc County, California

Modoc County, California
County
County of Modoc
From top down, left to right: Pit River Valley, Eagle Peak, Fandango Pass overlooking Surprise Valley
Seal
Interactive map of Modoc County
Location in the U.S. state of California
Country	United States
State	California
Region	Shasta Cascade
Incorporated	February 17, 1874
Named for	the Modoc people
County seat	Alturas
Largest city	Alturas
Government
• Type	Council–CEO
• Chair	Kathie Rhoads
• Vice Chair	Shane Starr
• Board of Supervisors[1]	Supervisors Ned Coe Shane Starr Kathie Rhoads Elizabeth Cavasso Geri Byrne
• County Administrative Officer	Chester Robertson
Area
• Total	4,203 sq mi (10,890 km2)
• Land	3,918 sq mi (10,150 km2)
• Water	286 sq mi (740 km2)
Highest elevation	9,892 ft (3,015 m)
Population  (April 1, 2020)[2]
• Total	8,700
• Density	2.1/sq mi (0.80/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific Time Zone)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Congressional district	1st
Website	www.co.modoc.ca.us

Modoc County (/ˈmoʊdɒk/ ^ⓘ) is a county in the far northeast corner of the U.S. state of California. Its population is 8,700 as of the 2020 census, down from 9,686 from the 2010 census. This makes it California's third-least populous county. The county seat and only incorporated city is Alturas.^[3] Previous county seats include Lake City and Centerville. The county borders Nevada and Oregon.

Much of Modoc County is federal land. Several federal agencies, including the United States Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, have employees assigned to the area, and their operations are a significant part of its economy and services.

The county's official slogans include "The last best place" and "Where the West still lives".^[4]