Overview
Plumas County lies in the northern Sierra Nevada of California, a largely mountainous and forested region. It is one of the state's more sparsely populated counties: the 2010 U.S. census recorded 20,007 residents. The county seat is Quincy, while the only incorporated city is Portola. Its setting and small communities give the county a rural character and a seasonal rhythm tied to outdoor recreation and natural resources.
Geography and natural features
The county includes extensive public lands and high-elevation landscapes, with parts of the Sierra Nevada range crossing its boundaries. Major natural features are the Feather River watershed, Lake Almanor, alpine meadows, and mixed-conifer forests. These lands provide habitat for wildlife, timber resources, and corridors for rivers and streams that feed California's interior.
History and development
Plumas County's human history begins with Indigenous peoples of the region and continued through the mid-19th century as European-American miners and settlers arrived during the Gold Rush era. In the decades that followed, logging, railroad construction and small-scale mining shaped many towns. Quincy developed as an administrative and service center, while rail lines helped support timber and freight service for remote communities.
Economy, recreation, and communities
The local economy blends natural-resource industries—historically timber and ranching—with recreation and tourism. Visitors come for fishing, hiking, boating, winter sports and scenic drives. Small communities and unincorporated towns provide services and local culture; besides Quincy and Portola, there are communities such as Chester, Greenville and Beckwourth that serve as gateways to trails and lakes.
Notable facts and distinctions
Plumas County is notable for its low population density, large areas of national forest, and its role in protecting headwaters of important rivers. The landscape supports a mix of conservation and working lands, and scenic byways through river canyons and mountain passes are valued for both tourism and local identity. For maps, demographic details and local government information consult county resources and regional guides via official pages, historical summaries at archives, and recreation planners at forest or visitor resources.
- County seat: Quincy
- Only incorporated city: Portola
- Major public land: Plumas National Forest