Map of Calpella CDP

Calpella (Pomo: Kalpela, meaning “Mussel bearer”) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Mendocino County, California, United States. It is located on the Russian River, 6 miles (10 km) north of Ukiah. It is situated within the Ukiah Valley, at the intersection of U.S. Route 101 and State Route 20. The population was 799 at the 2020 census, up from 679 in 2010. The small town is the site of the Mendocino Redwood Company mill and offices, which controls ten percent of the private land in the county.

Calpella CDP overview:
Name:	Calpella CDP
LSAD Code:	57
LSAD Description:	CDP (suffix)
State:	California
County:	Mendocino County
Elevation:	682 ft (208 m)
Total Area:	2.57 sq mi (6.7 km²)
Land Area:	2.55 sq mi (6.6 km²)
Water Area:	0.03 sq mi (0.08 km²) 0.93%
Total Population:	799
Population Density:	313.58/sq mi (121.07/km²)
ZIP code:	95418
Area code:	707
FIPS code:	0609990

Online Interactive Map

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Calpella online map. Source: Basemap layers from Google Map, Open Street Map (OSM), Arcgisonline, Wmflabs. Boundary Data from Database of Global Administrative Areas.

Calpella location map. Where is Calpella CDP?

Calpella location on the U.S. Map. Where is Calpella CDP. — Calpella location on the U.S. Map.

Calpella location on the California map. Where is Calpella CDP. — Location of Calpella in California.

History

Col. C.H. Veeder and James Pettus, Veeder’s son-in-law, founded the town in 1858. It is named after Kalpela, the chief of the nearby Pomo village of Chomchadila. His name comes from Northern Pomo khál phíila, meaning “carrying mussels down”.

For a time, it rivaled Ukiah in importance.

The Calpella post office opened in 1860, closed in 1868, reopened in 1872, was discontinued for a time, and moved in 1920.

Calpella Road Map

Calpella city Satellite Map

Geography

Calpella is in southeastern Mendocino County, 6 miles (10 km) north of Ukiah, the county seat, 16 miles (26 km) south of Willits, and 29 miles (47 km) northwest of Lakeport. According to the United States Census Bureau, the Calpella CDP covers an area of 2.6 square miles (6.7 km), 99.07% of it land and 0.93% of it water. The Russian River flows north-to-south through the center of the community, and the CDP extends eastward to the west shore of Lake Mendocino, a reservoir on the East Fork of the Russian River. U.S. Route 101 passes through the western portion of the CDP, and California State Route 20 forms the CDP’s northern edge.

Climate

This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F (22.0 °C). According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Calpella has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated “Csb” on climate maps.