Loyalton

History

Loyalton began as a settlement named "Smith's Neck". The name was changed to Loyalton with the onset of the Civil War, expressing the popular sentiment in the area favoring the Union. The first settlers to the area were largely Swiss and Italian immigrants who established farms in the Sierra Valley starting in the late 1850s. Sawmills were also established to process timber from the nearby mountains. The production of timber and farms goods found a market among the miners in both California and Nevada. By 1901, the Boca & Loyalton Railroad arrived. The "City of Loyalton" was incorporated that same year.

Geography

Loyalton is located at (39.676558, -120.243157). Elevation above mean sea level for the area was listed as roughly . The city is located along California State Route 49, the Gold Country Highway. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Brewer's Blackbird

  Euphagus cyanocephalus (Wagler, 1829) · Aves
  3,464
• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  3,422
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  3,418
• Western Meadowlark

  Sturnella neglecta Audubon, 1844 · Aves
  2,928
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,528
• Sandhill crane

  Grus canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,405
• Cliff Swallow

  Petrochelidon pyrrhonota (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  2,322
• Yellow-headed Blackbird

  Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus (Bonaparte, 1826) · Aves
  2,304

Most recent

• M 2.77 — 2026-09-23
  1 km WNW of Sun Valley, Nevada
• M 2.56 — 2026-07-24
  8 km NE of Lake Davis, CA
• M 3.01 — 2026-06-27
  4 km WSW of Johnsville, CA
• M 3.2 — 2026-06-14
  2 km ESE of Prattville, CA
• M 2.57 — 2026-06-01
  11 km NE of Susanville, CA
• M 3.34 — 2026-05-22
  9 km NNE of Truckee, CA