Upwind Report

Glyphosate use in Orange County, California

Reported farm glyphosate use in Orange County, California was 6.0 pounds per square mile of county land in 2019, lower than 73% of US counties.

Map of Orange County, California and nearby counties, coloring each county's cropland by estimated farm glyphosate use per square mile of county land in 2019 reported use. Darker colors mean more use.

2019 numbers

Per square mile of county land6.0lb
US
2,258th of 3,060
California
33rd of 56
Per square mile of cropland69lb

Ranks are by use per square mile of county land, on the 2019 high estimate, among US counties with a value. Counties with the same value share a rank.

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A picture of Orange County against the US county median, with the source, to post or send.

Since 2000

Down from 16 in 2000 to 6.0 in 2019. Pounds per square mile of county land, high estimate.

Every year's numbers
Glyphosate per square mile of county land by year, in pounds
YearLowHigh
20001616
20011414
20021414
20031313
20041212
20051616
20061414
20072020
20081818
20091818
20101414
20111111
20128.78.7
20131111
20145.75.7
20151717
20169.89.8
20171616
20188.78.7
20196.06.0
See Orange County on the map

About these numbers

The main number is the county's estimated farm glyphosate use for the year divided by all of its land, water left out. A county with a little farmland can use a lot per square mile of cropland and still have far less in total than a county with more farmland, so the whole-county number is the one the map colors, ranks and compares.

These are county estimates, not records. They don't show which fields were sprayed or how much any one field got.

California's numbers are the state's own reported use, which USGS uses in place of an estimate, so the low and high numbers are the same.

Per square mile of cropland is the same total spread evenly over the county's cropland only, so it's higher than the whole-county number wherever only part of Orange County, California is farmland.

Numbers are in pounds per square mile. The source gives kilograms per square kilometer, and 1 kg per km² is about 5.7 pounds per square mile.

Source: Hengl & Brungard from USGS county estimates, 2000–2019 (CC BY 4.0). Land area: US Census Bureau, 2020.

This page shows estimated farm use only. It says nothing about health and is not medical advice.