Alturas is a city in and the county seat of Modoc County, California, United States. The population was 2,827 at the 2010 census.Alturas is located on the Pit River, east of the center of Modoc County, at an elevation of 4370 feet. As the county seat, the town is a home to regional government offices, including a California Highway Patrol office and a state Department of Motor Vehicles office.