Whitethorn (formerly Thorn) is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, California, United States. It is located 9.5 mi southwest of Garberville, at an elevation of 1024 feet, with a population of 817. Whitethorn shares a ZIP Code, 95589, with Shelter Cove, California. It is located along California's Lost Coast.

Overview

The Thorn post office opened in 1888, closed in 1923, reopened in 1951, and changed its name to Whitethorn in 1961. The Whitethorn post office is located near Thorn Junction on the road between Shelter Cove and Whitethorn. Some remote areas in northern Mendocino County are also served by this post office and thus have Whitethorn addresses. Whitethorn Elementary School (grades K–7) is located in Whitethorn and is part of the Southern Humboldt Unified School District. Students from the Whitethorn area attend South Fork High School in Miranda. Whale Gulch Elementary (grades K–8) and Whale Gulch High School are about 3 mi southeast of Whitethorn. They have Whitethorn addresses, but are located in Mendocino County and are part of the Leggett Valley Unified School District. About 1.5 mi south of central Whitethorn is Redwoods Monastery, a community of Cistercian nuns. The ZIP Code is 95589. The community is inside area code 707.

Climate

Whitethorn has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csb) that is characterized by warm (but not hot) and dry summers, and mild to chilly, rainy and/or snowy winters. In Whitethorn's case, the climate is moderated by the proximity to the Pacific Ocean with small temperature variations on average throughout the year, which results in comfortable year-round temperatures.

Politics

In the state legislature, Whitethorn is in, and. Federally, Whitethorn is in.