Ferndale, CA Real Estate — Homes For Sale in Ferndale, CA

Ferndale, California, is a quaint Victorian village on the north coast of California, in Humboldt County. Settled in the 1850s, its roots were in the dairy industry, which remains an important aspect of its current economy. Ferndale's elevation is 50 feet, and it has a population of about 1372 people (2010 census), living within one square mile of city limits. Due to its coastal proximity (Centerville beach is only 5 miles out of town), the weather is mild all year long. Ferndale, sometimes also referred to as "Cream City", is known for well-preserved Victorian store-fronts on main street and homes throughout the community, which are also known as "Butterfat Palaces," due to their construction wherein considerable wealth was generated in the dairy industry. Many of these buildings date from the 1880s. The entire town is registered as California Historical Landmark #883. The Humboldt County Fair has been held every August since 1896 at the county fairgrounds on the edge of Ferndale, and feature the only horse-racing events in the county along with the standard fare of agricultural, pastoral and artistic contests, carnival games, carnival amusement rides, and commercial or non-profit booths. Each March since 1977, runners have taken to the streets of Ferndale and surrounding Eel River Bottoms for the Foggy Bottom Milk Run. Races are held in 2 miles (3.2 km), 4 miles (6.4 km), and 10 miles (16 km) distances. Each May since 1969, Ferndale is the finish line of the annual Kinetic sculpture race. The race began in Ferndale when Hobart Brown was challenged to race his odd-looking five-wheeled bike down Main Street on Mother's Day, 1969 by local sculptor Jack Mays. less