Orick Inn 1914, 1914
Orick’s story
139 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1914 and 3 maps from 1945 on.
- 1887Orick is settled
OrickCA
199 people live in this town, settled in 1887.
Photo: LittleT889 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
199
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$467K
Census ACS
Household income
$39K
median
Median age
60.4
years
Jobs based here
33
A commuter town
Settled
1887
139 years ago
Is Orick a good place to live?
Orick’s average trip to work is 12 minutes, against 28 minutes in California’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Only 2 of the 834 California towns we compare have a lower midpoint rent than Orick. 31% of the land in Orick is conserved, against 4.3% in California’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Redwood National Park, at 679 acres. Orick has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
199 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Orick.
Schools
The schools Orick’s kids attend
Its one school is below. The Orick Elementary school district runs its public schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orick ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 8 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Outdoors
Nearly a third of Orick is conserved land
30.6%conserved
7.6 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. In Orick, the trail density is 1.6 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves locally: 3, covering 1,456 acres.
30.6%
conserved · 946 of 3,088 acres
7.6 mi
of trails · 1.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. 'O Rew Redwoods Gateway | 0.4 mi | 98 |
| 2. Redwood National Park | 0.1 mi | 679 |
| 3. Redwood National and State Parks | — | 679 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: very high risk in Orick, mostly tsunamis
84risk score of 100
Of the losses FEMA expects in Orick, 53% come from tsunamis and 25% from earthquakes. On expected storm and flood damage, Orick sits above 84% of U.S. communities.
FEMA risk score
TsunamisEarthquakesInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Most of Orick’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.4 jobs for each of them
0%work in town
The top destinations are Arcata (14%), McKinleyville (14%) and Eureka (9%). Jobs in Orick grew by 20 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 33. Also worth knowing: in Orick, nearly a quarter of residents live below the poverty line. Half the trips to work are shorter than 31 miles.
Where working residents work
In Orick0%
Arcata14%
McKinleyville14%
Eureka9%
Trinidad8%
31 mi
median commute distance
33
jobs based in Orick
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Mild winters and pleasant summers in Orick
69°summer high
The town’s peak summer temperature comes in at 68°F.
Typical low → high °F
Winter39–54°
Spring43–59°
Summer51–67°
Fall46–63°
Nov 6
typical first frost
Apr 12
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
69°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Orick is
CDC measures, 32 in all: Orick beats California on 11 and trails on 7. For adults in the town, the share who had a checkup this year is 75%.
| Orick | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 24% | 25% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 72% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 5.1% | 9% | 8.1% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 22% | 23% |
32 measures vs. California
11 better14 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Orick | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.1% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.7% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.8% | 6.4% |
Mad River Community Hospital
27.2 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Orick
17pages on Orick
The big questions
Out and about
Nearby attractions
All 11 attractions →Redwood National Park and 8 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Orick. Close and well known come first.
in town National ParkRedwood National Park1.2M visitors a year
8 mi State parkPrairie Creek Redwoods State Park
32 mi National forestSix Rivers National Forest
34 mi State parkJedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
36 mi Ancient siteBrother Jonathan36 mi Zoo & aquariumSequoia Park ZooSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Redwood National Park: Michael Schweppe, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park: California Department of Parks and Recreation, Public domain · Six Rivers National Forest: Clinton Steeds, CC BY 2.0 · Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park: Mario Vaden (talk · contribs), Public domain · Brother Jonathan: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain
Getting set up
Moving to Orick: who provides what
Orick is unincorporated, so Humboldt County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterOrick C.s.d. water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesHumboldt CountyHumboldt County provides services here
SchoolsNorthern Humboldt Union High School DistrictOrick Elementary School District2 districts serve Orick; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 hereHumboldt County Office of ElectionsHumboldt County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2025
ZIP code9555595555 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.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Orick for work
Where Orick’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
33jobs based in Orick
0%of working residents work in town
31 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Orick; the nearest are
California State Polytechnic University-HumboldtUniversity or college · Public · Arcata28.5 mi$8,250 in-state tuitionCollege of the RedwoodsCommunity college · Public · Eureka41.4 mi$1,198 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Orick residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
About Orick
Census-designated place in California, United States
Orick (formerly, Arekw, Orekw, and Oreq, Yurok: 'O'rekw ) is a census-designated place situated on the banks of the Redwood Creek in Humboldt County, California, United States. It is located 43 miles (69 km) north of Eureka, at an elevation of 26 feet (8 m). The population was 328 at the 2020 census. Orick's most notable feature is the large herds of elk who call Orick and its surrounding parks their home. These elk can usually be seen from the road while driving through Orick. The elk in Orick appear to be relatively comfortable around people, and many are tagged. Rare minerals orickite and coyoteite were discovered at Coyote Peak near Orick.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 4.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 26 ft
- ZIP code
- 95555
Questions about Orick
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Orick, CA a good place to live?
Orick has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Orick is in here
Say something about Orick.
Ask a question, answer one, post a photo or an event. Free, and the parts only a neighbor would know are the parts worth reading.