Siskiyou

Formed March 22, 1852 (32^nd county)

Siskiyou County (44,075), Yreka (7,810)                

A Federalist style facility, it was erected in 1857 with major remodeling later in 1855, 1896, and 1953.  The architects were R. L. Westbrook and H. T. Shepherd.  The original courthouse is the only one in Yreka, the only county seat.  On March 22, 1852, Siskiyou became a county from parts of Shasta County and Klamath County (which no longer exists) as the 32^nd county.  Siskiyou is a Native American phase meaning “bobtailed horse.”  Yreka is a Native American name for Mount Shasta.  The structure is located on 4^th Street and Lane Street.  Interstate Highway 5 is three blocks to the east of the location. 

Siskiyou County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, controller, and treasurer (executive).  It has 5 Supervisors (legislative.)  Three Superior Court Judges, clerk, and counsel serve Siskiyou County (judicial.)  The county is located in the far north part of the state east on the Oregon border.  The county center is 14.4 miles Southeast of Yreka nearer Grenada.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Oregon and Modoc, Shasta, Trinity, Humboldt, and Del Norte counties.  The county starts like a rectangle in the east but extends outward into a cotton candy shape toward the west.  The city of Yreka is north and west of the county center.  Yreka is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 17.7% of the county population.  The county is pronounced SIS-KI-YUE.  The county seat is pronounced Y-REE-KA.

The area of the county is 6287 square miles.  It is 5 out of 58 in the state.  It ranks 45 out of 58 in population in the state.  It has a density of 7.0 persons per square mile making it 52 out of 58 in the state.  Siskiyou County has 45.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 5 crosses from the north, Oregon, to the south, Shasta County.  United States Highway 97 enters from Oregon on the north and terminates in the county.  The Sacramento River has its origin in the county.