El Dorado County is located in the central part of the state, bordering Nevada. The county is named after the mythical city of gold, El Dorado, and is almost entirely mountainous. The county was officially established in 1850, and its economy has long been based on mining, forestry, and tourism. The county is home to several state and national parks, including the El Dorado National Forest and the Desolation Wilderness. Some of the county's landmarks include the historic Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, where gold was first discovered in California in 1848 sparking the Gold Rush, and the iconic South Lake Tahoe, a popular destination for skiing, hiking, and other outdoor activities.
As of 2021, the population of El Dorado County was estimated to be around 190,000. The county is home to a diverse array of communities, including the county seat of Placerville and the tourist destination of South Lake Tahoe.
While commercial cannabis is legal in El Dorado, the county has little to no active cultivation, with retail making up the vast majority of the local industry. This makes sense due to the severe alpine climate and tourism based economy, which makes it more profitable to import product for sale rather than grow in-county.