Little River and Country Road, looking North, Mendocino County, 1905
Little River’s story
161 years in pictures
The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 1905 and 3 maps from 1943 on.
- 1865Little River is settled
Little RiverCA
Photo: Barabas · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
94
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$475K
Census ACS
Median age
30.1
years
Land area
2 sq mi
Is Little River a good place to live?
Little River’s peak summer temperature is 66°F, against 89°F in California’s towns and 85°F across U.S. towns. 30% of the land in Little River is conserved, above both California’s towns (4.3%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Van Damme State Park, at 299 acres with 3 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Little River has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Little River stand out
Where Little River beats most towns.
Small town
94 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Little River: who provides what
Little River is unincorporated, so Mendocino County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPoint Arena Rancheria water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesMendocino CountyMendocino County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereMendocino County Clerk-ElectionsMendocino County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP code9545695456 100%Census 2020
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 Little River.
Outdoors
Little River has set aside nearly a quarter of its land for conservation
Trails run 5.3 miles in 1 park or preserve. The trail network density for Little River comes to 3.1 miles per square mile.
29.6%conserved
29.6%
conserved · 315 of 1,065 acres
5.3 mi
of trails · 3.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Van Damme State Park | 3 mi | 299 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
Very high risk in Little River, with earthquakes at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 81% of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Little River after 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2023.
81risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland floodingWildfire
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Little River, expect mild winters and pleasant summers
For Little River, the January low is 42°F.
66°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter42–56°
Spring45–59°
Summer50–65°
Fall48–63°
Dec 1
typical first frost
Mar 2
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
66°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
A smaller share of adults in Little River binge drink than in the typical California or U.S. town
46% of adults have high blood pressure in Little River. Only 7 of the 848 California towns we compare have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Little River. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Little River is ahead of California on 15 and behind on 8.
| Little River | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 16% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 31% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 72% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 17% | 17% |
32 measures vs. California
15 better9 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Little River | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.1% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6% | 14.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 16.3% | 6.4% |
Adventist Health Mendocino Coast
11.3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
A home in Little River sells for about $725K at the median
The share of households in Little River who own their home: 78%.
$725Kmedian sale price
0
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 8 attractions →Glass Beach and 4 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Little River. Close and well known come first.
13 mi BeachGlass Beach
22 mi LighthousePoint Arena Light
10 mi GardenMendocino Coast Botanical Gardens
3 mi MuseumKelley House Museum
32 mi MuseumGrace Hudson MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Glass Beach: Ggerdel - Foto de: Gustavo Gerdel, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Point Arena Light: Dennis G. Jarvis, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens: Allie Caulfield, CC BY 2.0 · Kelley House Museum: Daderot, CC0 · Grace Hudson Museum: User:Binksternet, Public domain
.jpg){kind=link}
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Little River
15pages on Little River
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Little River; the nearest are
Mendocino CollegeCommunity college · Public · Ukiah30.1 mi$1,423 in-state tuitionSonoma State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Rohnert Park87.6 mi$8,624 in-state tuition
About 12 of every 100 Little River residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
About Little River
Census-designated place in California, United States
Little River (formerly known as Littleriver, Bell's Harbor, and Kent's Landing) is a small census-designated place in Mendocino County, California, United States. It lies at an elevation of 66 feet (20 m), 3 miles (5 km) south of the town of Mendocino and running along the Pacific Ocean coast on State Route 1. The town takes its name from the nearby Little River. The town center sits on a scenic bluff overlooking the mouth of the Little River and hosts a grocery store, two gas pumps, a post office, and a restaurant within a single structure. The population was 94 at the 2020 census, down from 117 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 66 ft
- ZIP code
- 95456
- Area code
- 707
Questions about Little River
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Little River, CA a good place to live?
Little River has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.