DorringtonCA
A town of 406, settled in 1902.
Is Dorrington a good place to live?
72% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Dorrington, above both the California town median (29%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). No town among the 848 in California we compare has a higher share of households owning their home than Dorrington. Dorrington has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
406 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Dorrington: who provides what
Dorrington is unincorporated, so Calaveras County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Dorrington.
Dorrington faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by wildfire
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 93% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Compared with most of California and the rest of the country, fewer of Dorrington’s working residents work locally
0.7% of Dorrington working residents work locally, below both California’s towns (6.6%) and U.S. towns (8%). The median household income in Dorrington is $209,000. The top destinations are San Francisco (4%), Sacramento (4%) and Stockton (4%).
| Dorrington | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $209,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.7% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.1% | 10% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In Dorrington, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Dorrington has mild, snowy winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Dorrington’s July high is 85°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
A smaller share of adults in Dorrington feel lonely than in the typical California or U.S. town
27% of adults feel lonely in Dorrington. Dorrington beats the California average on 15 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 12% of adults report frequent mental distress in Dorrington.
| Dorrington | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 36% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 17% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 31% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 80% | 72% | 79% |
| What stands out | Dorrington | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6.3% | 14.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.6% | 10.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13.7% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Dorrington | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.0 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.6% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Yosemite National Park and 9 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Dorrington. Close and well known come first.
Big draw27 mi National ParkYosemite National Park4.3M visitors a year
3 mi State parkCalaveras Big Trees State Park
36 mi LakeHetch Hetchy
15 mi National forestStanislaus National Forest
28 mi Ski areaKirkwood Mountain Resort58 runs · 1,650 ft vertical
19 mi Ski areaDodge Ridge Ski Area61 runs · 1,576 ft verticalPhoto credits
Yosemite National Park: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Calaveras Big Trees State Park: John J. O'Brien (talk · contribs), Public domain · Hetch Hetchy: Vulpinus2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Stanislaus National Forest: U.S. National Park Service, Public domain · Kirkwood Mountain Resort: Gabeguss, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Dodge Ridge Ski Area: IanGad, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Everything we know about Dorrington
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Dorrington; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Dorrington residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
99% of working residents leave Dorrington for work
Where Dorrington’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Dorrington
Place in California, United States
Dorrington is a census-designated place (CDP) in Calaveras County, California, United States. The population was 519 at the 2020 census, down from 609 at the 2010 census. Originally known as Cold Spring Ranch until 1902 (because of an icy spring), the town sits on State Route 4 and historically was a stopping point along the toll road between Murphys and Ebbetts Pass, often serving as a resort for visitors to what is now Calaveras Big Trees State Park. Dorrington is also home to the second largest Sugar Pine in the world, measuring 32 feet (9.7 m) in circumference and 220 feet (67 m) tall. The name Dorrington comes from the maiden name of Rebecca (Dorrington) Gardner.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 4,767 ft
- Area code
- 209
Questions about Dorrington
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Dorrington, CA a good place to live?
Dorrington has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.