Welcome to Blue Lake

About Blue Lake

The City of Blue Lake is located in the Mad River Valley 300 miles north of San Francisco in Humboldt County, California. Due to the construction of a levee, the Mad River no longer floods the adjacent lowlands so the “Lake” in Blue Lake has been reduced to a seasonal pond of 1 acre or so in size.

Though founded years earlier, the city itself was incorporated in 1910 and has a current estimated population of 1135 living in an area of around .6 square miles. The city has a small downtown business district as well as an industrial park, but most residents are employed outside of town, primarily in the nearby cities of Arcata and Eureka.

The city does offer a small café, bar, bed & breakfast inn, and spa with overnight accommodations. In addition, there is a well-maintained park with modern children’s play area. The city can be considered a gateway to the Mad River Fish Hatchery just 2 miles southwest of town.