Alturas Modoc County, California The California state capital is Sacramento. What would you like to know about Alturas Zip Code Statistics & Facts Location Weather & Climate History & History-related items City Attractions Zip Codes 96101 Statistics & Facts The population of Alturas is approximately 4,318 (1998). The approximate number of families is 1,413 (1990). The amount of land area in Alturas is 5.697 sq. kilometers. The amount of surface water is 0 sq kilometers. The distance from Alturas to Washington DC is 2396 miles. The distance to the California state capital is 211 miles. (as the crow flies) Alturas is positioned 41.49 degrees north of the equator and 120.54 degrees west of the prime meridian. Alturas elevation is 4,446 feet above sea level. Location Alturas location: the Northeast corner of California in the South Fork Valley where the North and South Forks of the Pit River meet. The Cascade Mountain range is about 75 miles to the west. Climate & Weather The weather in Alturas is seasonal. Most forecasts originate so far away the weather men can't see what's really happening here. So this forecast and report considers local observation. It's updated twice daily. This is a national weather page for Alturas History & History Related Items Alturas history: Alturas was originally occupied by a branch of the Pit River or Achomawe Tribe of Native Americans before white men arrived. The village was known as Kosealekte. The valley is a prehistoric lake bed which formed from alternating erosion and rebuilding of the volcanic flows of the Modoc Plateau which surrounds all but the northeast side of it. The northeast edge of the valley is at the foot of the Warner Mountains, which is the most western range of the Nevada Basin, about ten miles east of town. The city’s limit is bordered on the south by the Modoc National Wildlife Refuge, where natural wetlands have been preserved. A new vista point has been built along the highway a quarter mile from town to allow viewing of deer, antelope, Sandhill Cranes, Canada Geese, and other inhabitants. Animals don’t understand much about man’s arbitrary boundaries and occasionally wander up Main Street. Until 1874, Alturas was known as Dorris Bridge (named for James Dorris, the town's first white settler). He built a simple wooden bridge across the creek at the east end of town. He later erected a house that became a stopover for travelers and the beginning of Modoc County. The city is a marketing center for local ranchers who raise livestock, potatoes and alfalfa. Attractions Alturas attractions: Modoc County Museum, 600 S. Main St., Alturas, CA 96101-4117 Phone: (916) 233-2944 or 916-233-6328 California Pines, a 20 acre mountain community of about 20 acres with recreation and housing, is less than 10 miles from Alturas.