Red Bluff, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids City of Red Bluff
City
Cone & Kimball Plaza clocktower, known as the "Center of the City"
Motto(s):  "A Great Place To Live"
Location in California (left) and Tehama County (right)
Red Bluff, California Location in the United States Show map of the United States Red Bluff, California Location in California Show map of California
Country	United States
State	California
County	Tehama
Incorporated	March 31, 1876
Area
• City	7.67 sq mi (19.88 km2)
• Land	7.56 sq mi (19.58 km2)
• Water	0.11 sq mi (0.30 km2)  1.48%
Elevation	305 ft (93 m)
Population  (2020)
• City	14,710
• Density	1,917.9/sq mi (739.9/km2)
• Urban	18,434
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP code	96080
Area code	530
FIPS code	06-59892
GNIS feature IDs	277581, 2411527

Red Bluff is a city in Tehama County, California, United States. It is also the county seat, which means it's where the main government offices for the county are located. In 2020, about 14,710 people lived there. This was a small increase from the 14,076 people counted in 2010.

The city is located about 131 miles (211 km) north of Sacramento. It is also about 31 miles (50 km) south of Redding. The major highway Interstate 5 goes right through Red Bluff. The city sits on the banks of the upper Sacramento River. Red Bluff is at the very northern end of California’s Central Valley. This valley is a huge farming area that stretches south for 400 miles (640 km) to Bakersfield.

Red Bluff was first called Leodocia. Then, in 1853, its name changed to Covertsburg. It finally got its current name, Red Bluff, in 1854. The city became important in the mid-1800s. It was a key stopping point for miners traveling to the gold fields in Trinity County. Later, it was a temporary end point for the Southern Pacific Railroad as it expanded north.

Exploring Red Bluff's Location

Red Bluff is on the northern edge of the Sacramento Valley. It is the third largest city in the Shasta Cascade region. The city is about 30 miles (48 km) south of Redding. It is also about 40 miles (64 km) northwest of Chico. Sacramento is about 125 miles (201 km) to the north.

The city covers a total area of about 7.7 square miles (20 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 7.6 square miles (19.7 square kilometers), is land. The remaining 0.1 square miles (0.26 square kilometers) is water. This means that about 1.48% of the city's total area is water.

A Look Back at Red Bluff's History

The area where Red Bluff is now was originally home to the Nomlaki and Southern Yana Native American groups. Sadly, many of the native people in this area likely died in the early 1830s. This was due to diseases like malaria and smallpox brought by trappers. White settlers started arriving in the 1840s.

European explorers first visited the Red Bluff area in 1821. This was during an expedition led by Luís Antonio Argüello. Later, in 1828, Jedediah Smith passed through the area on his way to Oregon. In 1843, Peter Lassen and John Bidwell came to the area.

The first house in what is now Red Bluff was an adobe building. It was built in late 1849 by John Myers. He ran it as a hotel for a short time. In 1850, Sashel Woods and Charles L. Wilson started planning a town called Leodocia. It was known by this name and Covertsburg until 1854. That's when maps started showing the community as Red Bluffs.

In 1851, Captain Ellbridge G. Reed built a hotel near Reeds Creek. This hotel was very successful for many years. Because Red Bluff was at the end of the Sacramento River where boats could travel, it grew quickly. It became a major stopping point for miners. They would transfer goods and supplies here. The city's growth slowed down when mining activity decreased. However, it grew again in the early 1870s when the railroad arrived.

In 1854, Red Bluff had about 1,000 people. By 1860, its population had doubled. When Tehama County was officially formed in 1856, there was a debate about where the county seat should be. Some wanted it in Tehama. But in March 1857, Red Bluff was chosen as the county seat. The city of Red Bluff officially became an incorporated city in 1876.

Understanding Red Bluff's Climate

Red Bluff has a Mediterranean climate. This means it has cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers. On average, there are about 100 days each year when the temperature reaches 90°F (32°C) or higher. There are also about 21 days each year when the temperature drops to 32°F (0°C) or lower.

The highest temperature ever recorded in Red Bluff was 121°F (49°C) on August 7, 1981. The lowest temperature ever recorded was 17°F (-8°C) on January 9, 1937. The city gets about 23.21 inches (58.95 cm) of rain each year. Rain falls on an average of 71 days. The wettest year was 1983, with 52.98 inches (134.6 cm) of rain. The driest year was 1976, with only 7.20 inches (18.3 cm) of rain.

Red Bluff's Population Over Time

Population in 2010

In 2010, Red Bluff had a population of 14,076 people. This means there were about 1,833 people living in each square mile. Most of the people, about 80.7%, were White. About 3.1% were Native American, and 1.3% were Asian. People of Hispanic or Latino background made up about 21.6% of the population.

Most people (96.9%) lived in regular homes. There were 5,376 households in the city. About 37.8% of these households had children under 18 living in them. The average household had about 2.54 people. The average family had about 3.11 people.

The median age in Red Bluff was 32.2 years old. This means half the people were younger than 32.2 and half were older. About 28.1% of the population was under 18 years old. About 13.3% of the population was 65 years or older.

Population in 2000

In 2000, Red Bluff had 13,147 people living in 5,109 households. The population density was about 1,768 people per square mile. The racial makeup was similar to 2010, with about 86.7% White. About 2.2% were Native American, and 1.6% were Asian. Hispanic or Latino people made up 13.7% of the population.

About 36.2% of households had children under 18. The average household size was 2.47 people. The average family size was 3.07 people. The median age was 34 years. About 28.7% of the population was under 18. About 14.7% were 65 or older.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,029. The median family income was $32,799. About 21.1% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 29.6% of those under 18.

Major Employers in Red Bluff

Knowing who the biggest employers are can tell us a lot about a city's economy. Here are the top 10 employers in Red Bluff, based on a 2022 report:

Local News and Information

If you want to know what's happening in Red Bluff, here are some places to find news:

• Red Bluff Daily News: This is the local newspaper for the city.
• The Redding Record Searchlight: This newspaper publishes a weekly section called Tehama Today. It's specifically for Red Bluff residents and comes with the Sunday edition.

Famous People from Red Bluff

Many interesting people have connections to Red Bluff. Here are a few:

• Clancy Barone: A coach for professional football teams in the National Football League (NFL).
• Mary Brown: She was the wife of John Brown, a famous abolitionist. Mary and her family lived in Red Bluff from 1864 to 1870. Her house is now a state historic landmark.
• Chuck Cecil: A former safety in the NFL.
• Michael Chiarello: A well-known chef.
• Jim Davis: A Major League Baseball pitcher. In 1956, he made history by getting four strikeouts in one inning.
• Shane Drake: An award-winning director of music videos.
• Clair Engle: A former United States Senator, known as "The Pride of Red Bluff."
• Jesse Freitas Sr.: An American football player.
• Al Geiberger: A professional golfer who won the PGA Championship in 1966. He was born in Red Bluff.
• Gale Gilbert: An NFL quarterback.
• Margaret Glaspy: A singer-songwriter.
• Leo Gorcey: A stage and movie actor.
• Marv Grissom: A Major League Baseball player.
• Jim Hanks: A voice and character actor, and the brother of actor Tom Hanks.
• William B. Ide: He was involved in the Bear Flag Revolt and became the President of the short-lived California Republic.
• Roy Joiner: A Major League Baseball pitcher from the 1930s.
• Bill Redell: A former college quarterback and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
• Swede Risberg: A baseball player who was banned from the sport after the Black Sox Scandal. He died in Red Bluff.
• Robert Shaw: A famous choral conductor.
• Rob Henderson: A political commentator and author.

See also

In Spanish: Red Bluff para niños