KirkwoodCA
A town of 218 in California.
Is Kirkwood a good place to live?
78% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Kirkwood, where California’s towns sit at 29% and U.S. towns at 29%. Among 847 California towns, just 6 have a lower January low than Kirkwood. 79% of the land in Kirkwood is conserved, above both the California town median (4.3%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest place to walk is Mokelumne Wilderness, 801 acres with 3.7 miles of trail. Kirkwood has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Kirkwood stand out
Where Kirkwood beats most towns.
218 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Kirkwood: who provides what
Kirkwood is unincorporated, so Alpine 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 Kirkwood.
nearly a third of the land in Kirkwood is protected from building
Walkers can cover 19 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Kirkwood’s trail network density stands at 3.5 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mokelumne Wilderness | 3.7 mi | 801 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Kirkwood stands out in California and nationally, with fewer of its working residents who work locally
The top destinations are Sacramento (5%), Stockton (5%) and Fresno (3%). Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Kirkwood rose by 306, to 450. Half of commuters travel less than 78 miles.
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Kirkwood faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by avalanches
Of the losses FEMA expects in Kirkwood, 38% come from avalanches and 29% from inland flooding. Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in 88% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in Kirkwood
Kirkwood’s midsummer high comes in at 72°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Homes in Kirkwood are worth about $609K, by Zillow’s estimate
For households in Kirkwood, the share who are owner-occupiers is 73%.
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
A larger share of adults binge drink in Kirkwood than in most of California or the rest of the country
The share of adults in Kirkwood who have been diagnosed with depression: 24%. The town does better than the California average on 10 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 3. Among adults in the town, 70% had a checkup this year and 20% get no exercise outside work.
| Kirkwood | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 72% | 79% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 24% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.6% | 12% | 12% |
| What stands out | Kirkwood | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.3% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.7% | 17.9% |
| More binge drinkers | 20.6% | 15.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Lake Tahoe and 16 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Kirkwood. Close and well known come first.
Big draw27 mi LakeLake Tahoe
in town Ski areaKirkwood Mountain Resort58 runs · 1,650 ft vertical
36 mi Ski areaPalisades Tahoe Olympic Valley122 runs · 2,542 ft vertical
17 mi Park & preserveDesolation Wilderness
18 mi State parkEmerald Bay State Park
32 mi State parkCalaveras Big Trees State ParkPhoto credits
Lake Tahoe: Lara Farhadi, CC BY 2.0 · Kirkwood Mountain Resort: Gabeguss, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Palisades Tahoe Olympic Valley: Jonnyboyca at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Desolation Wilderness: Phreakdigital at English Wikipedia, GFDL · Emerald Bay State Park: Michael, CC BY 2.0 · Calaveras Big Trees State Park: John J. O'Brien (talk · contribs), Public domain
Everything we know about Kirkwood
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Kirkwood; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 Kirkwood residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Every workday, about 449 people come to Kirkwood for work
Where Kirkwood’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Kirkwood
Place in California, United States
Kirkwood (formerly Kirk, Kirkwood's, and Roundtop) is an unincorporated community in Alpine and Amador counties, California, United States. Kirkwood's main attraction is the Kirkwood Mountain Resort. The town is accessible by State Route 88. Kirkwood is within the Eldorado National Forest. The population was 190 at the 2020 census. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Kirkwood as a census-designated place (CDP).
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 7,690 ft
- ZIP code
- 95646
- Area code
- 209
Questions about Kirkwood
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kirkwood, CA a good place to live?
Kirkwood has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.