Felton, California
Felton is a community of 4,093 people in Santa Cruz County, California.
Why visit Felton
Townapedia lists 12 museums and landmarks, 28 parks and trails, 17 places to eat, 18 places to stay and 8 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include University of California, Santa Cruz, Felton Covered Bridge, Hiram D. Scott House and Felton Covered Bridge Park.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 90°F; December lows average 37°F.
Weather in Felton
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Felton
Felton is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. The population was 4,489 as of 2020 census and according to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 4.6 square miles (12 km2), all of it land.
From the Wikipedia article Felton, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do8
University of California, Santa Cruz
School · 3.5 mi
Public University of California campus in Santa Cruz
Museums and landmarks12
Felton Covered Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Historic bridge in California, USA
Hiram D. Scott House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.6 mi
House in Scotts Valley, California
California Powder Works Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
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Bigfoot Discovery Museum
Museum · 0.5 mi
Museum in Felton, California, USA
Diversion Dam
Monument and historic site · 2.2 mi
This was built to divert water from the river to the Powder Mill at Powder Flat (to create explosive). It is abandoned and ruined
San Lorenzo Valley Museum, Faye G. Bellardi Gallery
Museum · 1.0 mi
6299 Gushee Street, Felton
Parks, trails and playgrounds28
16 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes17
Heartwood Coffee Bar
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.5 mi
The Heartwood Coffee Bar is Mount Hermon Christian Camp and Conference Center's coffee shop, but is open to the public.
Mo-Th 06:30-20:00; Fr 06:30-18:00; Sa 06:30-12:00; Su 16:30-18:30
I Wok Bistro
Restaurant · Chinese · 0.8 mi
6112 Highway 9, Felton
Mo-Su 11:00-21:00
Sushi San
Restaurant · Japanese · 1.2 mi
6231 Mount Hermon Road
16:00-21:00
Mountain Roasting Company
Cafe · 1.1 mi
6263 Graham Hill Road
04:00-16:00
Round Table Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.1 mi
6267 Graham Hill Road
Felton Donuts and Pastries
Bakery · 1.1 mi
6259 Graham Hill Road
5 more on the map.
History
Felton is part of the traditional territory of the Sayant, an Awaswas-speaking group considered part of the Ohlone people. Most of the Sayant were sent to Mission Santa Cruz and the area of the San Lorenzo Valley remained unpopulated except for occasional travelers. In 1833, Rancho Zayante was established at the confluence of the San Lorenzo River and Zayante Creek and granted to Joaquín Buelna. The rancho subsequently passed to Francisco Moss in 1839, then Joseph L. Majors on April 22, 1841. Majors acquired it on behalf of Isaac Graham, who operated a lumber mill on the property.
In the aftermath of California statehood in 1850, the California Gold Rush expanded outward, eventually reaching the San Lorenzo Valley. Gold was struck along western tributaries of the San Lorenzo River such as Gold Gulch. These miners, combined with lumbermen and their families, began a community known in early days as "San Lorenzo." After Graham died in 1863, his lawyer Edward Stanly oversaw the subdivision of his estate. In 1868, he hired Horace Gushee to subdivide the property and Frederick A. Hihn to promote it. Gushee was a director of the failed San Lorenzo Railroad scheme and planned to make the community into the terminus for the railroad. In 1868, he or Stanly named the town Felton, probably after former Oakland mayor John B. Felton, who may have been an investor.
From the History section of Felton, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay18
Churches and places of worship4
Felton Presbyterian Church
Church · Presbyterian · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
6299 Graham Hill Road, Felton
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries33
Alternative Family Education
School · 5.5 mi
840 North Branciforte Ave., Santa Cruz
California Connections Academy Monterey Bay
School · 2.9 mi
108 Whispering Pines Dr. Ste. 115, Scotts Valley
Costanoa Continuation High
School · 5.5 mi
840 North Branciforte Ave., Santa Cruz
Healthcare3
Map of Felton
131 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 65°F | 37°F | 10.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 67°F | 39°F | 9.7 in | 0.1 in |
| Mar | 71°F | 40°F | 7.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 75°F | 42°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 80°F | 46°F | 1.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 86°F | 49°F | 0.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 51°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 90°F | 51°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 89°F | 49°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 83°F | 44°F | 2.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 71°F | 40°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 64°F | 37°F | 10.4 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Ben Lomond #4 (3 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Santa Cruz County has had 22 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2024-04-13: Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2023-04-03: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2023-03-10: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-14: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-09: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2020-08-22: Wildfires (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Watsonville Municipal Airport (WVI) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 17 miles away.
- Ben Lomond 3 mi north, about 4 min by car
- Bonny Doon 3 mi west, about 5 min by car
- Scotts Valley 4 mi east, about 6 min by car
- Santa Cruz 5 mi southeast, about 8 min by car
- Brookdale 5 mi north, about 8 min by car
- Live Oak 7 mi southeast, about 11 min by car
- Boulder Creek 7 mi north, about 11 min by car
- Twin Lakes 7 mi southeast, about 12 min by car
- Soquel 8 mi east, about 13 min by car
- Capitola 8 mi southeast, about 13 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Forme rchurch in Felton, Mrwrite, Public domain
- Felton, California covered bridge, W Nowicki, CC BY-SA 3.0
- MASONIC PARK COVERED BRIDGE, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA, JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bigfoot discovery museum in Felton! D (27292772073), Elizabeth K. Joseph from San Francisco, United States, CC BY 2.0
- UCSC & Santa Cruz Aerial view, Doc Searls from Santa Barbara, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
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