Redding, California

Redding from space, April 1994

Redding is the county seat of Shasta County, California, USA, located on the Sacramento River and on Interstate 5 south of Lake Shasta. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 80,865.

Geography

Redding is located at 40°34'36" North, 122°22'13" West (40.576606, -122.370325)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 154.4 km² (59.6 mi²). 151.4 km² (58.4 mi²) of it is land and 3.1 km² (1.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.01% water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 80,865 people, 32,103 households, and 20,995 families residing in the city. The population density is 534.3/km² (1,383.8/mi²). There are 33,802 housing units at an average density of 223.3/km² (578.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 88.70% White, 1.05% African American, 2.23% Native American, 2.95% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 1.64% from other races, and 3.32% from two or more races. 5.43% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 32,103 households out of which 31.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% are married couples living together, 13.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% are non-families. 27.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.44 and the average family size is 2.97.

In the city the population is spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 87.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $34,194, and the median income for a family is $41,164. Males have a median income of $35,985 versus $24,652 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,207. 15.6% of the population and 11.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 21.2% of those under the age of 18 and 7.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

History, places of interest, and recent events

Redding was founded by miners during the nineteenth century. It was originally not a very prosperous town, and was known as Poverty Flats. Named for railroad man Benjamin B. Redding, the town was rechristened Reading in 1874, honoring founder Pierson B. Reading. The railroad, however, would not recognize the change, and the original Redding was restored in 1880.

During the twentieth century, Redding's main industry was lumber, but this is no longer the case. Currently, Redding's two current biggest industries are the medical and legal industries.

Redding has two hospitals, Mercy Catholic Hospital and Shasta Regional Medical Center, formerly Redding Medical Center. While it was owned by Tenet Healthcare, Redding Medical Center was the subject of a scandal in 2003 when two doctors were accused of performing unneeded cardiac procedures on people. In 2004 Redding Medical Center came under new ownership, and was renamed.

In 2004, the Sundial Bridge, which was designed by notable Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and took several years to build, was finished. Some residents of the community did not want the bridge to be built, but supporters hope that the bridge will improve the economy, particularly the tourist industry. The Turtle Bay Exploration Park is a new arboretum and botanical park overlooking the bridge.

The majority of Redding's population is Christian and though most of its residents used to be members of the Democratic Party, Redding has become much more conservative recently, and now a majority of residents support the Republican Party. Redding has two public high schools, Shasta High School and Enterprise High School, as well as several middle schools, over a dozen elementary schools and several religious and other private schools. Redding also has two small colleges, Shasta College, a public two-year college, and Simpson University, a 4-year Christian college.

Redding is also important as the largest city in the northern Sacramento Valley and the largest city on the 470-mile stretch of Interstate 5 between Sacramento, California and Eugene, Oregon Both Redding and its neighbor to the south, Red Bluff, are popular with tourists who use the cities as bases to explore Lassen Volcanic National Park, Lake Shasta, and other natural attractions.

Trivia

The town of Redding is featured in CRPG Fallout 2.