Redding, California

Before European settlers came to the area, it was inhabited by a tribe of Native Americans called the Wintu. At their height, the Wintu had as many as 239 villages in the Shasta County area.[9]

Although Europeans had been to California as early as 1542, when Juan Cabrillo sailed to what is now the San Diego Bay, the indigenous Indians were probably the only inhabitants of far Northern California region until Russian fur trappers came through the area in 1815.

The first European settlement in the area was established in 1844 by Pierson B. Reading, an early California pioneer who received a Rancho Buena Ventura Mexican land grant for 26,632 acres (10,778 ha) that is now covered by Redding and Cottonwood, California. At the time, it was the northernmost nonnative settlement in California.

During the Gold Rush, 49ers found gold to the north on Rock, Middle and Salt creeks, near Shasta, California, and to the south along Oregon and Olney creeks but the area that is now Redding was poor placer gold ground and called Poverty Flats. In 1868 the first land agent for the Central Pacific Railroad, a former Sacramento politician named Benjamin B. Redding, bought property in Poverty Flats on behalf of the railroad for a northern terminus, which the tracks reached in 1872. In the process of building the terminus, the railroad also built the town of Redding which was officially incorporated on October 4, 1887. In 1888, Redding won the county seat from Shasta.[10]

In the early twentieth century the town's economic growth was spurred by the significant copper and iron mineral extraction industry nearby. However, the mining industry eventually declined, causing the economy and population to falter by 1920. It recovered in the thirties as the economy boomed due to the construction of Shasta Dam to the northwest. The building of the dam, which was completed in 1945, caused Redding's population to nearly double, also spurring the growth and development of other towns in the area.[11]

Redding continued to grow steadily in the 1950s due to the region's growing lumber industry and tourism brought about by the newly completed dam. The constructions of Whiskeytown and Keswick dams also helped boost the economy by bringing new workers to the area. Interstate 5 was built during the sixties and seventies, which added to development and tourism in the region.

Growth in Redding during the '60s and '70s was also caused by annexation of an area east of the Sacramento River made up of the unincorporated community of Enterprise. Enterprise residents voted to support the annexation primarily to acquire less expensive electricity via Redding's municipal utility, which receives power from the dam.

During the 1970s, the lumber industry suffered from decline. Lumber mills in the area closed down and heavily impacted the Redding area. Things later picked up, due to a retail and housing boom in the late-1980s that continued until the mid-1990s.

In 2017, the city adopted a new flag after holding a redesign contest.[12]

In late July 2018, the Carr Fire in Shasta County seriously impacted the Redding area with the destruction of at least 1,100[13] buildings, with several thousand more threatened, 38,000 people instructed to evacuate and 6 deaths.[14]

Redding is located at 40°34′36″N 122°22′13″W (40.576606, −122.370325).[15] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 61.2 square miles (159 square kilometers). 59.6 square miles (154 km²) of it is land, and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) of it (2.50%) is beneath water.

Redding is located at the very northwestern end of the Central Valley, which transitions into the Cascade foothills. The city is surrounded by mountains to the north, east, and west and fertile farm land to the south. Outermost parts of the city are part of the Cascade foothills, whereas southern and central areas are in the Sacramento Valley.

The elevation in Redding is 495 feet (151 meters) on average, whereas anywhere to the north, east, or west of downtown ranges between 550 feet (170 m) and 800 feet (240 m) feet. Southern portions range between 400 feet (120 m) and 500 feet (150 m).

The Shasta Dam on the Sacramento River provides a considerable level of flood protection for Redding. The dam is capable of controlling flows up to 79,000 cubic feet (7,300 cubic meters) per second. The flow rate exceeded this threshold in both 1970 and 1974.[16]

Soils in and around town are composed mostly of clay or gravelly loam texture, with red or brown mineral horizons. They are slightly or moderately acidic in their natural state.[17]

• Redwood Estates
• Los Robles Estates
• Mountain Shadows Mobile Home Estates
• Twin View Terrace Mobile Home Park
• Redding Lakeside Mobile Homes Estates
• Starlight Mobile Home Estates

There are several rare and endangered species in Redding and its immediate vicinity. The Redding Redevelopment Plan EIR notes the California State listed endangered species, slender Orcutt grass (Orcuttia tenuis), occurs in eastern Redding near the municipal airport, where vernal pools are known to exist. This endemic grass is a Federal Candidate for listing and is endangered throughout its range, confined to several populations, and seriously threatened by agriculture, overgrazing, and residential development. Vernal pools provide the preferred habitat for this plant, which the California Native Plant Society considers a rare and endangered species. These same vernal pools also support federally protected species such as the federally threatened vernal pool fairy shrimp (Branchinecta lynchi).

Redding has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa), with very hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Winter (October–April) provides the most precipitation of any season in Redding—the weather tends to be either rainy or foggy and at times, snow occurs. While summers are mostly hot and dry, thunderstorms are not uncommon. The average daily maximum temperature in July stays near 100 °F (37.8 °C). The highest official recorded temperature in Redding was 118 °F (48 °C) on July 20, 1988, recorded at the nearby Redding Municipal Airport and the most recent of three occasions, however some residents say they recall a high temperature of 121 in the summer of 1981 and even just recently, 126 in the summer of 2020.[18] Redding has an average possible sunshine of 88%, the second-highest percentage (after Yuma, Arizona) of any US city.[19]

Redding occasionally receives snow, though it has received as much as 23 inches (58 centimeters) of snow in a single storm, occurring on December 4–7, 1909 and December 22–24, 1968, including 16 in (41 cm) on December 23, 1968, the most in any calendar day on record.[18] It rarely gets sleet or freezing rain. Frost occurs commonly in December through February, less often in March or November. In spring, rain is common. The city is located near the foothills of the Cascade and Klamath mountain ranges and it therefore gets much more rain than most places in the Sacramento Valley; temperature differentials between land and sea cause moist air from the latter to flow over the southern Sacramento valley during the summer months, producing intense heat in Redding. The direction of this winds switches from the north and east in the summer, as hot, high-pressure air flows from land to sea, making the area very dry. Tornadoes are extremely rare; flooding occurs only around the area near the Sacramento River. The coldest temperature recorded in Redding was 16 °F (−9 °C) on January 17, 2012 and December 9, 2009.[18]

• Wood product manufacturing
• Crop Production
• Non-metallic mineral product manufacturing
• Computer and electronic product manufacturing
• Food manufacturing

According to the City's 2016 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[24] the top employers in Redding are:

Market Center rendering

New Shasta County Courthouse rendering

The premier project is the Market Center, led by K2 Development Company in partnership with the City of Redding, Shasta Regional Transportation Agency, and the State of California Housing and Community Development Agency. The Dicker's Building in the old Downtown Mall was razed and will be replaced with a mixed-use building with 82 apartments above restaurant and retail space. In addition, the Market Street Promenade was removed so that Market Street will again extend through the core of the city. The first residential tenants began moving into Market Center in December 2020.

The Block 7 Project, by K2 in partnership with The McConnell Foundation, will build a mixed-use project containing 99 housing units and small business spaces on 1.75 acres in the central business district, together with new streets, a pedestrian alley, bikeways, and open space.[25]

A new county courthouse with six aboveground stories and a basement level will be built across from the old courthouse, replacing the old courthouse and annex and three court facilities and providing space for a new judgeship.[26]

In the California State Legislature, Redding is in the 1st Senate District, represented by Republican Brian Dahle,[27] and the 1st Assembly District, represented by Republican Megan Dahle.[28]

In the United States House of Representatives, Redding is in California's 1st congressional district, represented by Republican Doug LaMalfa.[29]

The city council is composed of Mayor Erin Resner, Vice Mayor Kristen Schreder, Julie Winter, Michael Dacquisto, and Mark Mezzano.[30][31] The city manager is Barry Tippin.[32]

Redding is a general law city operating under the council-manager form of government.[31]

• Sculpture park at City Hall
• Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay, by Santiago Calatrava
• Santiago Calatrava sculpture, at Domke Plaza[33]
• Shasta Historical Society

• Carnegie Library
• Cascade Theatre
• Hotel Lorenz
• Pilgrim Congregational Church
• Sundial Bridge

• Cascade Theatre
• Riverfront Amphitheater
• Old City Hall
• Redding Civic Auditorium[34]

• Riverfront Playhouse
• Axiom Repertory Theater

• Shasta College

• National University
• Shasta Bible College and Graduate School
• Simpson University
• Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry (unaccredited)

• Shasta High School
• Enterprise High School
• Foothill High School
• Pioneer High School
• University prep school

• Freedom High School
• University Preparatory School
• North State Independence High School
• Redding Christian High School
• Liberty Christian High School

• Monarch Learning Center
• Stellar Charter School
• Phoenix Charter Academy
• Redding Collegiate Academy
• Redding School of the Arts
• Rocky Point Charter School
• Shasta Charter Academy

• Bethel Christian School [35]
• Mt. Calvary Lutheran School
• Redding Adventist Academy

• Redding Institute of Technology
• Shasta School of Cosmetology
• CloudWise Academy

• Redding Record Searchlight
• After Five
• Enjoy Magazine: Northern California Living

• Interstate 5 runs through the east central portion of Redding.
• CA 299, formerly U.S. 299, runs through the western, central, and northeastern parts of the city.
• CA 44 runs through the middle and eastern part of town. Its western terminus is at Market Street (California 273) in downtown Redding.
• CA 273, formerly the Interstate 5 Business Route and also formerly U.S. 99, runs through the city.

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Redding station, operating its Coast Starlight daily in both directions between Seattle, Washington, and Los Angeles, California VA Portland, Oregon; Sacramento, California; Oakland, California; San Jose, California; Santa Barbara, California and all Intermediate station stops. Amtrak California also provides Thruway Motorcoach service to Stockton or Sacramento for connections to the San Joaquins, which serve the San Francisco Bay Area, San Joaquin Valley and the Los Angeles area via bus connections.

Redding provides a city bus transportation system called RABA (Redding Area Bus Authority). RABA provides routes throughout the city of Redding and also provides transportation throughout Redding's suburbs. Transportation is also available by RABA to Burney, by Sage Stage to Alturas and by Trinity Transit to Weaverville.[39] Redding is also served by the intercity bus companies Greyhound and Fronteras del Norte.[40]

Shasta Regional Transit Agency is developing a weekday commuter bus from Redding to the Sacramento Valley Station.[41]

Air transportation for the Redding area is provided by two general aviation airports. Redding Municipal Airport, located south of Redding, has scheduled flights from SkyWest (United Express). The smaller Benton Airpark is located on the western side of Redding.

• Ashley Parker Angel – recording artist and actor
• David de Berry – theater composer and actor
• Shane Drake – music video director
• Francesca Eastwood – actor
• Rich Eisen – sportscaster
• Kathleen Kennedy – film producer

• Matthew Kennedy – author
• Tom Meyer (Bible Memory Man) – professor, speaker, and autho

• Kevin Rose – Internet entrepreneur

• Cory Asbury – contemporary Christian singer
• Duffy Bishop – electric blues singer and songwriter
• Randy Miller – drummer of The Myriad
• Craig Padilla – ambient electronic musician and film score composer
• Roy Rogers – guitarist

• Rick Bosetti – professional baseball player
• Greg Cadaret – MLB player
• Mel Hein – football player, 1938 MVP, NFL Hall of Fame inductee
• Paul Howard – former NFL player
• Eddie Machen – heavyweight boxer
• Buck Martinez – professional MLB player, manager, broadcaster
• Matt Nichols – Canadian Football League player
• Ryan O'Callaghan – NFL football player
• Bill Plummer – MLB player, coach and manager
• Megan Rapinoe – professional soccer player, Olympic gold medalist
• Ricky Ray – football player in the Canadian Football League
• Lynne Roberts – college basketball coach
• D. J. Seeley – basketball player in Israeli Premier League and Euroleague
• Jason Sehorn – former NFL player
• John Strohmayer – former MLB player and high school coach

• Raymond Jacobs – US Marine, said to be in photo of first flag raised on Iwo Jima
• Brian Sandoval – 29th governor of Nevada

• Sam Butcher – artist, Precious Moments, Inc.
• Jeffery Dangl – plant immunologist
• Ruggles brothers – stagecoach robbers

Emily Q