South Lake Tahoe is the most populous city in El Dorado County, California, United States, in the Sierra Nevada. As its name suggests, the city is located on the southern shore of Lake Tahoe.The city's population was 21,403 at the 2010 census, down from 23,609 at the 2000 census. The city extends about 5mi west-southwest along U.S. Route 50, also known as Lake Tahoe Boulevard. The east end of the city, on the California-Nevada state line right next to the town of Stateline, Nevada, is mainly geared towards tourism, with T-shirt shops, restaurants, hotels, and Heavenly Mountain Resort with the Nevada casinos just across the state line in Stateline. The western end of town is mainly residential, and clusters around "The Y", the X-shaped intersection of US 50, State Route 89, and the continuation of Lake Tahoe Boulevard after it loses its federal highway designation.GeographyAccording to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.6sqmi, of which 10.2sqmi is land and 6.4sqmi, or 38.80%, is water. Its elevation is about 6237ft above sea level.Demographics2010The 2010 United States Census reported that South Lake Tahoe had a population of 21,403. The population density was 1,289.1 people per square mile (497.7/km²). The racial makeup of South Lake Tahoe was 15,733 (73.5%) White, 182 (0.9%) African American, 232 (1.1%) Native American, 1,186 (5.5%) Asian, 39 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 3,230 (15.1%) from other races, and 801 (3.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6,665 persons (31.1%).