Editing Darwin, California

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Darwin
|settlement_type          = [[Census-designated place]]
|image_skyline            = Darwin, California.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Darwin, California
|image_seal               = 
|image_map                = Inyo_County_California_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Darwin_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250x200px
|map_caption              = Location in [[Inyo County, California|Inyo County]] and the state of [[California]]
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             = 
|pushpin_map              = USA
|pushpin_map_caption      = Location in the United States
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = {{USA}}
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = {{flag|California}}
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in California|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Inyo County, California|Inyo]]
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|established_date         =

<!-- Area------------------>
|area_magnitude           = 
| unit_pref               = Imperial
| area_footnotes          = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_06.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 30, 2021}}</ref>
| area_total_sq_mi        = 1.34
| area_land_sq_mi         = 1.34
| area_water_sq_mi        = 0.00
| area_total_km2          = 3.48
| area_land_km2           = 3.48
| area_water_km2          = 0.00
| area_water_percent      = 0
| area_note               =

|elevation_ft             = 4846
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 36
|population_metro         = 
|population_density_km2   = 10.33
|population_density_sq_mi = 26.77
|timezone                 = [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific (PST)]]
|utc_offset               = -8
|coordinates              = {{coord|36|16|08|N|117|35|20|W|region:US-CA|display=inline,title}}
|timezone_DST             = PDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -7
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 93522
|area_code_type           = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area codes]]
|area_code                = [[Area codes 442 and 760|442/760]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 06-18030
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2408642<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2408642}}</ref>
|footnotes                = 
|website                  = 
}}
[[File:Darwincalifornia.jpg|thumb|Downtown Darwin in 2003]]
[[File:Another look at Darwin While Driving into Town.jpg|thumb|Darwin in 2020]]

'''Darwin''' is an [[unincorporated area|unincorporated mining community]] and [[Census-designated place]] in [[Inyo County, California]], United States. It is located {{convert|22|mi|km|0}} southeast of [[Keeler, California|Keeler]].<ref name=CGN>{{California's Geographic Names|1158}}</ref> The population was 43 at the 2010 census, down from 54 at the 2000 census.

==History==
The town is named after [[Darwin French]] (1822–1902), a local rancher, miner, and explorer.

According to Erwin Gudde, French of Fort Tejon was with a party of prospectors in the area during the fall of 1850.  French also led a party into [[Death Valley]] in 1860 to search for the mythical Gunsight Lode via the local wash, lending his first name to the wash, canyon, and future town.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gudde|first1=Erwin G.|title=California place names : the origin and etymology of current geographical names|date=1998|publisher=University of California Press|location=Berkeley|isbn=0520213165|page=[https://archive.org/details/californiaplacen00gudd/page/102 102]|edition=4th ed., rev. and enl.|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/californiaplacen00gudd/page/102}}</ref>

Silver and lead discovery at the place led to the founding of a settlement in 1874.<ref name=CGN /><ref>{{cite book |first=Robert P. |last=Palazzo |title=Darwin, California |year=1996}}</ref> A post office opened in 1875, closed for a time in 1902, and remains open.<ref>{{cite book |first=Robert P. |last=Palazzo |title=Inyo County Post Offices and Postmasters 1866-1966 |year=2005}}</ref> The town prospered when Eichbaum Toll Road opened in 1926, opening Death Valley from the west.  When Death Valley became a National Monument in 1933, it was decided to buy the toll road to allow free access to the new park.  In 1937, a new cutoff bypassed Darwin, isolating the town.<ref>{{cite news |first=Fitzhugh L. |last=Minnigerodee |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1937/10/24/archives/road-joins-extremes-highway-to-death-valley-links-high-and-low.html |title=Road Joins 'Extremes' |date=October 24, 1937 |page=8}}</ref>

The town was the subject of a 2011 documentary film [[Darwin (2011 film)|''Darwin'']]. In April 2012, [[BBC News]] featured a video of local residents describing their wishes to replace [[dial-up Internet access]] with [[broadband]].<ref>{{Cite news
| title = Darwin, the town trapped by dial-up internet
| work = BBC News
| access-date = 2012-04-03
| date = 2012-04-02
| url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-17569954
}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the CDP has a total area of {{convert|1.3|sqmi|km2}}, all of it land. The census definition of the area was created by the Census Bureau for statistical purposes and may not precisely correspond to local understanding of the area with the same name.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|2000= 54
|2010= 43
|2020= 36
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2016}}</ref>
}}
For statistical purposes, the [[United States Census Bureau]] has defined Darwin as a [[census-designated place]] (CDP).

The [[2020 United States census]] reported that Darwin had a population of 36. The population density was {{convert|26.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of Darwin was 34 (94%) [[non-Hispanic white]] and 2 (6%) [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]].<ref name=DP1>{{cite web |title=Darwin CDP, California; DP1: Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics - 2020 Census of Population and Housing |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDP2020.DP1?g=1600000US0618030 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=May 19, 2025}}</ref>

The whole population lived in households. There were 24 households, out of which 4 (17%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 8 (33%) were married-couple households, 6 (25%) had a female householder with no partner present, and 10 (42%) had a male householder with no partner present. 11 households (45.8%) were one person, and 6 (25.0%) were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 1.5.<ref name=DP1/> There were 10 [[family (U.S. Census)|families]] (41.7% of all households).<ref>{{cite web |title=Darwin CDP, California; P16: Household Type - 2020 Census of Population and Housing |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDHC2020.P16?g=1600000US0618030 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=May 19, 2025}}</ref>

The age distribution was 0 people (0%) under the age of 18, 1 person (3%) aged 18 to 24, 6 people (17%) aged 25 to 44, 18 people (50%) aged 45 to 64, and 11 people (31%) who were 65{{nbsp}}years of age or older. The median age was 61.5{{nbsp}}years. There were 25 males and 11 females.<ref name=DP1/>

There were 46 housing units at an average density of {{convert|34.2|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}, of which 24 (52%) were occupied. Of these, 14 (58%) were owner-occupied, and 10 (42%) were occupied by renters.<ref name=DP1/>

==Government==
In the [[California State Legislature|state legislature]], Darwin is in {{Representative|casd|8|fmt=sdistrict}},<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://senate.ca.gov/senators |title=Senators |access-date=April 11, 2013 |publisher=State of California}}</ref> and {{Representative|caad|26|fmt=adistrict}}.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://assembly.ca.gov/assemblymembers |title=Members Assembly |access-date=April 11, 2013 |publisher=State of California}}</ref>

Federally, Darwin is in {{Representative|cacd|8|fmt=district}}.<ref>{{Cite GovTrack|CA|8|access-date=April 11, 2013}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Darwin Falls]]
*[[Darwin Falls Wilderness]]
*[[Darwin Hills]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{Commons category|Darwin, California}} 
* Palazzo, Robert P. ''Darwin, California'', Lake Grove, OR: Western Places, 1996. The history of the boom and bust of this mining town from 1874 to 1878.
* Palazzo, Robert P.  "Post Offices and Postmasters of Inyo County, California 1866-1966", Fernley, NV: MacDonald, 2005.

{{Inyo County, California}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:1875 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in California]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in Inyo County, California]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1875]]
[[Category:Populated places in the Mojave Desert]]
[[Category:Mining communities in California]]