Town guide

Dorrington, California

Dorrington is a community in Alpine County, California, home to about 406 people across 4.1 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 95223.

Homes sold for a median of $289 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.

Population40699 per sq mi
Median home value$478,600Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$289Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking38%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Dorrington

1 ZIP code, 1 shared with neighboring towns

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Dorrington. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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Around Dorrington

Distances

Nearest major airportSacramento International Airport (SMF)76 miles away
Closer regional airportStockton Metropolitan Airport (SCK)60 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Stockton, CA61 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Los Angeles, CA314 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Dorrington; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Dorrington

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Dorrington had 519 residents in the 2020 census, down 29% since 2000.

It’s the 1259th largest of 1,563 towns in California by population.

Alpine County grew from 509 residents in 1900 to 1,204 in 2020.

Dorrington population by census2000: 727, 2010: 609, 2020: 519727200060920105192020

Alpine County, 1900–2020

Alpine County population, 1900 to 20201900: 509, 1910: 309, 1920: 243, 1930: 241, 1940: 323, 1950: 241, 1960: 397, 1970: 484, 1980: 1,097, 1990: 1,113, 2000: 1,208, 2010: 1,175, 2020: 1,2041K’00’100K’20’300K’40’500K’60’701K’80’901K’00’101K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 81°F in summer, and winter lows average 30°F. About 55.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 105 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near DorringtonJan: high 45°F, low 30°F, 10.6 in; Feb: high 46°F, low 30°F, 9.8 in; Mar: high 49°F, low 32°F, 8.5 in; Apr: high 54°F, low 35°F, 4.6 in; May: high 63°F, low 42°F, 2.8 in; Jun: high 73°F, low 49°F, 1 in; Jul: high 81°F, low 56°F, 0.1 in; Aug: high 80°F, low 55°F, 0.1 in; Sep: high 74°F, low 51°F, 0.4 in; Oct: high 64°F, low 43°F, 2.9 in; Nov: high 52°F, low 34°F, 5.2 in; Dec: high 44°F, low 30°F, 9.7 in45°30°Jan10.646°30°Feb9.849°32°Mar8.554°35°Apr4.663°42°May2.873°49°Jun1.081°56°Jul0.180°55°Aug0.174°51°Sep0.464°43°Oct2.952°34°Nov5.244°30°Dec9.7Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Calaveras Big Trees, CA weather station (3 miles away).

Jobs in Alpine County

587 jobs at 46 businesses in Alpine County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Alpine CountyArts, entertainment and recreation: 364 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 75 jobs; Construction: 28 jobs; Health care and social assistance: 27 jobs; Retail trade: 26 jobs; Real estate and rentals: 19 jobs; Administrative and support: 7 jobs; Other services: 7 jobsArts, entertainment and recreation 62% Hotels and restaurants 13% Construction 5% Health care and social assistance 5% Retail trade 4% Real estate and rentals 3% Administrative and support 1% Other services 1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

17 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Dorrington.

Nearest hospitals

  • Mark Twain Medical CenterCritical access hospital · no emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · San Andreas23.1 miles
  • Adventist Health SonoraGeneral hospital · no emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Sonora23.5 miles
  • Sutter Amador HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Jackson27.1 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors3
Dentists4
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants3
Mental health providers4
Physical and occupational therapists1
Chiropractors2
Pharmacies1

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.

Places in and around Dorrington

Libraries

  • Arnold Branch Library5.5 mi

Museums

  • Calaveras Big Trees State Park Visitor Center3.0 mi
  • Sierra Nevada Logging Museum5.1 mi

Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.

Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.

Schools in Dorrington

Public schools here are run by Alpine County Unified, Vallecito Union. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (2)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Bear Valley ElementaryBear ValleyK–86Public16.6 mi
Hazel Fischer ElementaryArnoldK–5172Public5.1 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Where Dorrington is

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Towns near Dorrington

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Shares ZIP codes with Arnold and Bear Valley (Alpine County).

Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.