Cemeteries in Humboldt County (County)

Humboldt County, established in 1853, lies along California’s rugged northern coastline and is named after the Humboldt Bay, itself named for German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt.

The region was originally home to Native peoples including the Wiyot, Yurok, Hupa, and Karuk, who lived along rivers and forests for thousands of years. Spanish and Russian explorers skirted the coast in the 18th and early 19th centuries, but it was not until the 1850s that significant Anglo-American settlement began following the discovery of Humboldt Bay. The area was briefly part of Trinity County before becoming its own jurisdiction. Logging and commercial fishing, alongside farming and ranching, drove early economic development. Immigrants from Ireland, Italy, Portugal, China, and Scandinavia contributed to the area’s growth. The coastal city of Eureka became the county seat and economic center.

Cemeteries such as Ocean View Cemetery in Eureka and Greenwood Cemetery in Arcata have served Humboldt County residents since the 19th century.