Tuolumne County (), officially the County of Tuolumne, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 55,620. The county seat and only incorporated city is Sonora.
Tuolumne County comprises the Sonora, CA Micropolitan Statistical Area. The county is in the Sierra Nevada region.
The northern half of Yosemite National Park is located in the eastern part of the county.
Etymology
The name Tuolumne is of Native American origin and has been given different meanings, such as Many Stone Houses, The Land of Mountain Lions, and Straight Up Steep, the latter an interpretation of William Fuller, a native Chief. Mariano Vallejo, in his report to the first California State Legislature, said that the word is "a corruption of the Native American word talmalamne which signifies 'cluster of stone wigwams.'" The name may mean "people who dwell in stone houses," i.e., in caves.
History
Tuolumne County Boundaries
One of California's original 27 counties, Tuolumne was organized in 1850.
Prior to the official naming of counties by the state, Tuolumne was sometimes referred to as Oro County.
The original lines of Tuolumne County were not long established. In 1854 and 1855 the portion of Tuolumne County that extended west into the San Joaquin Valley was reorganized as Stanislaus County. In 1864 a number of the original counties including Tuolumne contributed lands that would lead to the establishment of Alpine County to the northeast. With the State's Adoption of the Political Code in 1872 the current boundaries of Tuolumne County were largely established as shown in the maps below.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (2.4%) is water. A California Department of Forestry document reports Tuolumne County's include federal lands such as Yosemite National Park, Stanislaus National Forest, Bureau of Land Management lands, and Indian reservations. Notable landforms in the county include Table Mountain.
Special Districts
Special districts in Tuolumne County include: Belleview Elementary School District Big Oak Flat-Groveland Unified School District Chinese Camp Elementary School District Columbia Fire District Columbia Union Elementary School District Curtis Creek Elementary School District Groveland Community Services District Jamestown Elementary School District Jamestown Fire District Mi-Wuk Sugar Pine Fire Protection District Sonora Elementary School District Sonora Union High School District Soulsbyville Elementary School District Strawberry Fire District Summerville Elementary School District Summerville Union High School District Tuolumne County Air Pollution Control District Tuolumne County Water District No. 1 Tuolumne Fire District Tuolumne Regional Water District Tuolumne Utilities District Twain Harte Fire District Twain Harte-Long Barn Union Elementary School District Yosemite Community College District
Adjacent counties
Alpine County, California - north
Calaveras County, California - northwest
Stanislaus County, California - southwest
Mariposa County, California - south
Madera County, California - southeast
Mono County, California - east
Merced County, California - southwest
Geographical features
Environmental
Red Hills (Tuolumne County) (Area of Critical Environmental Concern) Stanislaus National Forest (National protected area, part) Yosemite National Park (NPA, part)
Valleys
Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne
Lone Gulch
Tiltill Valley
Transportation
Major highways
California State Route 49
California State Route 108
California State Route 120
Public transportation
Tuolumne County Transit bus routes radiate from Sonora to serve most of the county. In Columbia, a connection can be made to Calaveras County Transit. There is no public transportation into or out of Tuolumne County that connects to any of the closest metropolitan areas.
Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) makes a single daily round trip from Sonora into Yosemite Valley during the summer months.
Airports
Columbia Airport and Pine Mountain Lake Airport are both general aviation airports located in the Southwest and Northeast corners of the county respectively.
Crime
The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.