South Lake Tahoe, California

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.6 sqmi, of which 10.2 sqmi is land and 6.4 sqmi, or 38.74%, is water. Its elevation is about 6237 ft above sea level.

Demographics

The 2020 United States census reported that South Lake Tahoe had a population of 21,330. The population density was 2,093.6 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of South Lake Tahoe was 61.8% White, 0.7% African American, 1.2% Native American, 5.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 16.2% from other races, and 14.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 30.7% of the population.

The census reported that 99.0% of the population lived in households, 0.2% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.8% were institutionalized.

There were 9,266 households, out of which 25.0% included children under the age of 18, 33.7% were married-couple households, 11.0% were cohabiting couple households, 27.3% had a female householder with no partner present, and 28.0% had a male householder with no partner present. 33.5% of households were one person, and 11.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.28.

The age distribution was 18.5% under the age of 18, 7.8% aged 18 to 24, 32.9% aged 25 to 44, 25.8% aged 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 38.1years. For every 100 females, there were 107.8 males.

There were 15,961 housing units at an average density of 1,566.6 /mi2, of which 9,266 (58.1%) were occupied. Of these, 39.1% were owner-occupied, and 60.9% were occupied by renters.

In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $73,940, and the per capita income was $50,098. About 7.1% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line.

South Lake Tahoe education rate from 2019–2023, of all persons aged 25 or older, 89.0% were high school graduates and 34.0% had a bachelor's degree.

Education

South Lake Tahoe and the surrounding unincorporated communities are serviced by Lake Tahoe Unified School District, which is composed of four elementary schools (Bijou Community School, Sierra House Elementary School, Tahoe Valley Elementary School, and the Lake Tahoe Environmental Science Magnet School) a middle school (South Tahoe Middle School) and a high school (South Tahoe High School).

Due to budget cuts, Al Tahoe Elementary School and Meyers Elementary School closed in 2004; however, Meyers Elementary School reopened as Lake Tahoe Environmental Science Magnet School after a year's absence.

South Lake Tahoe also houses a community college, Lake Tahoe Community College.

South Lake Tahoe is the home of Tahoe Prep Hockey Academy.

Politics

The city council of South Lake Tahoe is composed of five elected members: three council members, a Mayor, and a Mayor Pro Tem. The Mayor changes every year and is elected by the City Council.

In the state legislature, South Lake Tahoe is in , and .

Federally, South Lake Tahoe is in .

History

The city was incorporated in 1965 by combining the unincorporated communities of Al Tahoe, Bijou, Bijou Park, Stateline, Tahoe Valley, and Tallac Village. A post office was established in 1967.

Gambling arrived at the Lake in 1944 when Harvey's Wagon Wheel Saloon and Gambling Hall opened in Nevada as one of the area's first gaming establishments. Competition soon sprang up and so did the need for more permanent accommodations. By the 1950s, roads began to be plowed year-round, enabling access to permanent residences. When the 1960 Winter Olympics came to what is now Olympic Valley, Lake Tahoe was put firmly on the map as the skiing center of the western United States.

On December 8, 1963, Frank Sinatra Jr. was kidnapped by Barry Keenan, Johnny Irwin, and Joe Amsler. Sinatra was released, unharmed, soon after.

The disappearance of Donna Lass on September 6, 1970, has been linked to the Zodiac Killer.

The bombing of Harvey's Lake Tahoe in 1980, took place just outside the city limits in Stateline, Nevada.

On May 18, 1987, Herbert James Coddington was arrested for the murder of two women and the kidnapping of two teenagers. He was found guilty of these crimes and sentenced to death in 1988.

In 1991, Jaycee Lee Dugard (age 11) was abducted from a bus stop in South Lake Tahoe; she was found alive in Antioch, California, in 2009.

On June 24, 2007, the Angora Fire broke out at the Seneca Pond recreation area near Meyers, 3 miles south of South Lake Tahoe. The Angora Fire, so named for its proximity to Angora Ridge, stands as the worst forest fire in recorded Lake Tahoe history.

The fire spread throughout the Angora region rapidly, destroying dozens of homes and large tracts of forest. Highway closures followed by evacuations put the residents in the direct line of the fire. Hotels in the area responded by opening their doors to the hundreds of evacuees who needed shelter.

On June 25, 2007, a state of emergency was announced by Lt. Gov. John Garamendi acting on behalf of the absent Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was traveling in Europe. There were no deaths, but over 3,000 acre were burned, while more than 275 structures, including 254 homes and 26 other buildings, were damaged or destroyed. On June 27, 2007, Schwarznegger toured the area after he returned to California.

Full containment of the fire was announced on July 2.

In 2012, the Lakeview Commons Park was renamed. As reported in the local media, "The Washoe Tribe has presented the name Tahnu Leweh (Pronounced Tah-New Lay-Way) which, in the native language, means 'all the people's place.' It is a name the Tribe would like to gift to El Dorado County and South Lake Tahoe as a symbol of peace, prosperity and goodness."{{Cite news | access-date = August 5, 2012

In August 2021, the entire city was forced to evacuate due to the Caldor Fire.

Transportation

South Lake Tahoe is served by a major eastwest highway, U.S. 50, which links the area with Sacramento, California, and Carson City, Nevada. Highway 50 often faces closures during winter due to bad weather conditions.

The Lake Tahoe Airport serves general aviation, while the closest scheduled passenger airline service is available via the Reno–Tahoe International Airport in Reno, Nevada.

Local bus service is operated by the Tahoe Transportation District. El Dorado Transit operates service between South Lake Tahoe, Placerville, and Sacramento.

Amtrak Thruway 20C provides a daily connection to/from Sacramento Valley Station to the west, with a few stops in between.

In 2024, The City of South Lake Tahoe began the process of starting a Joint Powers Agreement with El Dorado County, called South Tahoe Area Rapid Transit, which would complement transit services provided by Tahoe Transportation District.

The South Tahoe Airporter serves as an airport shuttle option from the Reno airport to the casinos at Stateline.

Landscape

Climate

South Lake Tahoe has a snowy highland climate featuring chilly winters with regular snowfall, and summers that feature warm to hot days and cool nights with very low humidity. The climate is either classified as a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb), using the 27 F isotherm of the original Köppen scheme, or a dry-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dsb), using the 32 F isotherm preferred by some climatologists. Summertime is also the dry season, with August averaging only 0.36 in of precipitation, in contrast to February's 3.75 in. Depending on the year, snowfall can be extremely heavy in winter, with an average of 88 in, while the wettest "rain year" has been from July 2005 to June 2006 with 31.12 in and the driest from July 2002 to June 2003 with 9.26 in. December 2005 has been the wettest month with 13.83 in of total water-equivalent precipitation.

South Lake Tahoe averages 1 day per year that reaches 90 F or higher, most commonly occurring in July and August. Every month of the year averages at least 1 night with a low temperature of 32 F or lower and overall there are 223 mornings in an average year that fall below freezing, although only 5 fall to 0 F. High temperatures below 32 F occur on average 12 days per year. The record high is 99 F, set on July 22, 1988, and the record low is -29 F, set on December 29, 1972, and subsequently tied on February 7, 1989.

| Jan record high F = 66 | Feb record high F = 65 | Mar record high F = 71 | Apr record high F = 76 | May record high F = 84 | Jun record high F = 91 | Jul record high F = 99 | Aug record high F = 96 | Sep record high F = 94 | Oct record high F = 84 | Nov record high F = 71 | Dec record high F = 64 | year record high F = | Jan avg record high F = 54.4 | Feb avg record high F = 55.7 | Mar avg record high F = 61.4 | Apr avg record high F = 69.1 | May avg record high F = 76.9 | Jun avg record high F = 84.3 | Jul avg record high F = 88.8 | Aug avg record high F = 87.8 | Sep avg record high F = 83.7 | Oct avg record high F = 75.9 | Nov avg record high F = 64.9 | Dec avg record high F = 55.8 | year avg record high F = 89.7 | Jan avg record low F = -1.3 | Feb avg record low F = 1.7 | Mar avg record low F = 6.5 | Apr avg record low F = 16.4 | May avg record low F = 23.9 | Jun avg record low F = 28.4 | Jul avg record low F = 33.8 | Aug avg record low F = 31.9 | Sep avg record low F = 27.0 | Oct avg record low F = 18.9 | Nov avg record low F = 7.7 | Dec avg record low F = -0.9 | year avg record low F = -7.5 | Jan record low F = −21 | Feb record low F = −29 | Mar record low F = −10 | Apr record low F = −1 | May record low F = 7 | Jun record low F = 21 | Jul record low F = 25 | Aug record low F = 24 | Sep record low F = 19 | Oct record low F = 9 | Nov record low F = −9 | Dec record low F = −29 | year record low F = |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230814010319/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00093230&format=pdf |archive-date = August 14, 2023

References

References

1. (February 12, 2011). "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". [[United States Census Bureau]].
2. "City Council {{!}} South Lake Tahoe, CA – Official Website".
3. {{Cite GovTrack. CA. 3
4. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
5. {{Cite GNIS. 1659822. South Lake Tahoe
6. "South Lake Tahoe (city) QuickFacts". [[United States Census Bureau]].
7. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov.
8. "South Lake Tahoe city, California; DP1: Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics - 2020 Census of Population and Housing".
9. "South Lake Tahoe city, California; P16: Household Type - 2020 Census of Population and Housing".
10. "South Lake Tahoe city, California; DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics - 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates Comparison Profiles".
11. "South Lake Tahoe city, California; CP02: Comparative Social Characteristics in the United States - 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates Comparison Profiles".
12. Geography Division. (December 18, 2020). "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: El Dorado County, CA". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
13. "Campus Maps – Lake Tahoe Unified School District".
14. Ferchland, William. (September 7, 2005). "South Shore students head back to school".
15. "Earn Your Associate's Degree – LTCC".
16. "Tahoe Hockey Academy set to bring new model to Western U.S. - California Rubber".
17. "South Lake Tahoe, CA – Official Website – City Council".
18. {{California's Geographic Names. 559
19. "Frank Sinatra, Jr., Kidnapping".
20. True Crime: Unsolved Crimes {{ISBN. 0-7835-0012-2 p. 43
21. "Harvey's Casino Bomb".
22. (May 20, 1987). "Archives".
23. (July 4, 2000). "Death Penalty Upheld for Tahoe Man / He killed 2 women, raped 2 teens in 1987".
24. (2019-03-11). "Death Row Tracking System - Condemned Inmate List (Secure)". California department of corrections and rehabilitation - Division of adult operations.
25. (December 2024). "News Radio 590 KLBJ".
26. (June 25, 2007). "Lake Tahoe Fire-Angora Fire". Blog at WordPress.com..
27. (2007-06-28). "South Lake Tahoe fire now 70 percent contained".
28. "Gov. Schwarzenegger Commits California to Comprehensive Review of Lake Tahoe Area Land Management".
29. Lagos, Marisa. (July 2, 2007). "South Lake Tahoe fire fully contained". The San Francisco Chronicle.
30. "Route 20C".
31. (27 August 2024). "City confirms negotiating terms for transit JPA".
32. "Expanded holiday transit services in South Lake Tahoe".