California

Lake

68,163
2020 population
1870
first census record
16
census records

About Lake

Lake, California, first appears in the United States federal census in 1870, when it recorded a population of 2,969. At the most recent census, in 2020, its population stood at 68,163.

The county's recorded population has risen across the decades to its highest level in 2020.

On the ground today, 9 documented military engagements have been recorded within the county, among them Clear Lake Pre-Columbian Violence Site, Pomo Inter-Village Warfare – Clear Lake, Pomo Resistance — Tule Lake Engagements (1850), and 7 places are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Population by decade

Census YearPopulationChart
202068,163
201064,665
200058,309
199050,631
198036,366
197019,548
196013,786
195011,481
19408,069
19307,166
19205,402
19105,526
19006,017
18907,101
18806,596
18702,969
Source

Population data from the United States decennial census, U.S. Census Bureau (public domain).

Battles & engagements in Lake

Military engagements that took place in Lake, California.

Clear Lake Pre-Columbian Violence Site
1100
Pomo Inter-Village Warfare – Clear Lake
1300
Pomo Resistance — Tule Lake Engagements (1850)
1850
Clear Lake — Bloody Island Supplemental Engagement
1850
Bloody Island Massacre — Lake County (May 15, 1850)
1850
Bloody Island Massacre
1850
Battle of Bloody Island (Clear Lake Massacre)
1850
Bloody Island Massacre Lake County
1850
Nome Cult Farm Death March — Wailaki (1856)
1856

Historic places in Lake

National Register of Historic Places listings in Lake, California.

Borax Lake-Hodges Archeological Site
Clearlake
Lake County Courthouse
Lakeport
Lakeport Carnegie Library
Lakeport
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Other counties in California

Explore census history and historic records for more California counties.

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Everything a full report reveals about Lake County, California

This page charts the census history of Lake County, California. A full Aubrey report for an address here pulls together everything the historical record holds about the ground, from the earliest settlement to the twentieth century:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Frequently asked about Lake

When does Lake first appear in the US census?
Lake, California first appears in the federal census in 1870, with a recorded population of 2,969.
What is the population of Lake?
At the most recent federal census (2020), Lake had a recorded population of 68,163.
Were any battles fought in Lake?
9 documented military engagements took place in Lake, including Clear Lake Pre-Columbian Violence Site, Pomo Inter-Village Warfare – Clear Lake, Pomo Resistance — Tule Lake Engagements (1850).
How many historic places are in Lake?
7 sites are listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Lake, California.
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