1720Education
The high school is located at 1720 M Street in Arcata, and is part of the Northern Humboldt Union High School District.
1850Government
Arcata was first founded in 1850 as Union, was officially established in 1858, and was renamed Arcata in 1860.
1852Architecture
The Union town post office opened in 1852, and the town changed its name to Arcata in 1860.
1854Architecture
In 1854, the Union Wharf and Plank Walk Company built redwood plank and rails 2.7 miles (4.3 km) out into the deeper water of Arcata Bay, providing Arcata with a deep-water seap...
1860Crime
In a coordinated 1860 massacre, significant numbers of Wiyot people were killed by white settlers at several locations in and around Humboldt Bay, including the center of their ...
1886History
In 1886, concern over the growing number of unassimilated immigrants led Arcata to expel its Chinese population and enact the following resolution: "We, the citizens of
Arcata a...
1950Infrastructure
The population of the city of Arcata was 3,729 during its peak 1950, when lumber was exported throughout the country and abroad.
1955History
After the bust in 1955, the population of Arcata in 1960 was 5,235.
1971History
The Northcoast Environmental Center, located in Arcata, has published Econews as a monthly journal since 1971.
1977Government
Moonstone Mountaineering, founded out of a van at Moonstone Beach in 1977, was a major innovator in down sleeping bags, waterproof gear, and fleece before being bought and close...
1979Culture
Yakima Racks, a major car racks and bike accessories company, was headquartered in Arcata from 1979 to 2005, when the company moved to Oregon.
1986History
The North Country Fair Samba Parade has been a community favorite since 1986.
1989Infrastructure
In August 1989, the voters of Arcata passed the Nuclear Weapons Free Zone Act, prohibiting work on nuclear weapons, and the storage or transportation of nuclear weapons within t...
1991Government
Wing Inflatables, founded in Arcata in 1991, manufactures polyurethane Inflatables boats used by riverboat tours, as well Navy SEALs, Coast Guard, NOAA, and NASA.
1998Government
In 1998 the Arcata Community Forest was the first municipal forest certified in the U.S.
2000History
=== 2000 Census data ===
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,651 people, 7,051 households, and 2,813 families residing in the city.
2002History
As of 2002, there were 8,210 employed persons living in Arcata and an unemployment rate of 7.2%.
2008Government
In the 2008 United States presidential election, Republican candidate John McCain received less than 10% of the popular vote in many Arcata precincts, while in those same precin...
2010Civil Rights
On March 17, 2010, the Arcata city council voted for final passage of an unlawful-panhandling ordinance (Ordinance No.
2012Education
The primary public high school is Arcata High School, with a total population of 827 for the 2012–2013 school year.
2013History
The Arcata Eye was a former weekly newspaper covering Arcata and Blue Lake until it merged with the McKinleyville Press newspaper in 2013 to become the Mad River Union.
2018Infrastructure
In February 2018, the Arcata City Council voted to remove the statue from the Plaza, a decision supported in November 2018 when a referendum to block the statue's removal was de...
2019History
In 2019, the citizens of Arcata were of a median age of 26.4 and a median annual income of $35,506.
2022Culture
In November 2022, the voters of Arcata passed a Measure M, which would have compelled the city to fly an Earth Flag above that of the United States, but this was ruled unlawful ...