Red Bluff is a city in and the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of
Tehama County, California, United States.
Its population was 14,710 at the 2020 census, up from 14,076 at the
2010 census.
It is located north of
Sacramento
Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...
, south of
Redding, and it is bisected by
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels thro ...
. Red Bluff is situated on the banks of the upper
Sacramento River. Located in the northernmost part of
California’s Central Valley, the city marks the northern end of a vast contiguously cultivated area that extends all the way to
Bakersfield, to the south. Mildly rugged terrain, used as rangeland, separates Red Bluff from the next crop areas to the north in
Cottonwood.
It was originally known as Leodocia, but was renamed to Covertsburg in 1853, then its current name in 1854. Located at the head of navigation on the Sacramento River, the town flourished in the mid- to late 19th century as a landing point for miners heading to the
Trinity County gold fields and later as a temporary terminus for the
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials) was an American Railroad classes#Class I, Class I Rail transport, railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was oper ...
's northward expansion.
Geography
Red Bluff is on the northern edge of the
Sacramento Valley, and is the third=largest city in the
Shasta Cascade
The Shasta Cascade region of California is located in the northeastern and north-central sections of the state bordering Oregon and Nevada, including far northern parts of the Central Valley (California), Central Valley and the Sierra Nevada mou ...
region. It is about south of Redding, northwest of
Chico, and north of Sacramento.
The city is located at (40.176640, -122.237951).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of . of it is land and (1.48%) of it is covered by water.
History
In the early 19th century, the
Siskiyou Trail was the main north-south path connecting Northern California and Southern Oregon first used by the Native Americans and later fur trappers and hunters. The first European to settle the northern Sacramento Valley in what was then
Alta California
Alta California (, ), also known as Nueva California () among other names, was a province of New Spain formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but was made a separat ...
was
Peter Lassen, who in 1844 was granted the
Rancho Bosquejo tract from the Mexican government near present-day
Vina, about southeast of Red Bluff. There, he proposed to establish a town, but his attempts were thwarted when the
California Gold Rush
The California gold rush (1848–1855) began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California from the rest of the U ...
stole the focus of the settlers he had gathered in
Missouri
Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
. Regardless, the publicity from his colonization efforts attracted new settlers to the valley. In the late 1840s, riverboat traffic began expanding northward along the Sacramento River. Lassen's initial attempt to navigate to his ranch in 1849 had failed, but the following year, a riverboat managed to make the arduous journey from
Sacramento
Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...
in 5 months before ultimately being sunk. The discovery of gold near
Yreka, California, in 1851 brought a new rush northward and settlers soon flooded the area, looking for the quickest route to the gold fields. A site on the Sacramento River just north of Reeds Creek was determined to be the river's navigable head, and a small community soon sprung up around the important landing. First known as Leodocia then Covertsburg, by the time a post office was established on October 17, 1853 residents had settled on the name Red Bluff, in recognition of the titular geographical features once prominent along the banks of the Sacramento River. The first postmaster was Samuel Bishop.
Tehama County was created in 1856 and Red Bluff was chosen as the seat of the new county. By 1859, the first permanent courthouse was constructed.
As early as 1854, committees were brought together at Red Bluff to plan a railroad route connecting California to southern Oregon through the Siskyou Mountains via Nobles Pass. The railroad finally reached Red Bluff in 1872, and for a few years, it was the terminus, increasing the town's wealth greatly. In the 1880s, White supremacists in Red Bluff began an
ethnic-cleansing campaign against the Chinese residents. In February 1886, thousands of Whites in the "Anti-Coolie League" marched on Chinatown and went from house to house, ordering the occupants to leave within 10 days. Later that year, after the Chinese population had been expelled, the Chinatown was burned.
Growth slowed by the late 1880s, when the railroad was continued north towards Redding, but riverboat commerce continued well into the 20th century. Mining was largely replaced by agriculture, and Red Bluff remained a vital shipping point by rail and eventually highway.
On June 27, 2020, a local
Walmart
Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...
distribution center was the site of a workplace shooting, in which one employee was killed and another four were wounded. The shooter, identified as a former employee, was then killed by responding police officers.
Climate
Red Bluff has a
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
: ''Csa'') with cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers. An average of 100.1 days annually have highs of or higher and an average of 21.5 days with lows of or lower. The record highest temperature was on August 7, 1981, and the record lowest temperature was on January 9, 1937. Annual precipitation averages with measurable precipitation falling on an average of 71 days. The wettest "rain year" was from July 1994 to June 1995 with and the driest from July 1975 to June 1976 with . The most rainfall in one month was in January 1995 and the most rainfall in 24 hours was on January 8, 1995. The most snowfall in one month was in January 1937. On February 24, 2023, Red Bluff received a rare of snowfall.
Demographics
2020
The
2020 United States census reported that Red Bluff had a population of 14,710. The population density was . The racial makeup of Red Bluff was 69.6%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 1.1%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 3.8%
Native American, 1.6%
Asian, 0.3%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 11.6% from
other races, and 12.2% from two or more races.
Hispanic or Latino of any race were 24.5% of the population.
The census reported that 97.7% of the population lived in households, 1.1% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 1.2% were institutionalized.
[
There were 5,755 households, out of which 33.8% included children under the age of 18, 33.3% were married-couple households, 10.2% were cohabiting couple households, 35.6% had a female householder with no partner present, and 20.9% had a male householder with no partner present. 31.2% of households were one person, and 14.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.5.][ There were 3,488 families (60.6% of all households).
The age distribution was 26.1% under the age of 18, 9.2% aged 18 to 24, 26.2% aged 25 to 44, 21.5% aged 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 35.3years. For every 100 females, there were 92.3 males.][
There were 6,114 housing units at an average density of , of which 5,755 (94.1%) were occupied. Of these, 43.1% were owner-occupied, and 56.9% were occupied by renters.][
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 6.5% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 87.3% spoke only English at home, 11.1% spoke Spanish, 0.2% spoke other ]Indo-European languages
The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the northern Indian subcontinent, most of Europe, and the Iranian plateau with additional native branches found in regions such as Sri Lanka, the Maldives, parts of Central Asia (e. ...
, 1.3% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 0.1% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 86.6% were high school graduates and 12.9% had a bachelor's degree.
The median household income in 2023 was $50,216, and the per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
was $40,159. About 15.4% of families and 17.6% of the population were below the poverty line.
2010
At the 2010 census, Red Bluff had a population of 14,076. The population density was . The racial makeup of Red Bluff was 11,366 (80.7%) White, 128 (0.9%) African American, 438 (3.1%) Native American, 187 (1.3%) Asian, 16 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 1,168 (8.3%) from other races, and 773 (5.5%) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 3,037 persons (21.6%). The census reported that 13,637 people (96.9% of the population) lived in households, 150 (1.1%) lived in noninstitutionalized group quarters, and 289 (2.1%) were institutionalized.
Of the 5,376 households, 2,033 (37.8%) had children under 18 living in them, 1,969 (36.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,022 (19.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 404 (7.5%) had a male householder with no wife present, 537 (10.0%) were unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 27 (0.5%) were same-sex married couples or partnerships. Also, 1,629 households (30.3%) were one person, and 678 (12.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.54. There were 3,395 families (63.2% of households); the average family size was 3.11.
The age distribution was 3,950 people (28.1%) under 18, 1,534 people (10.9%) were 18 to 24, 3,561 people (25.3%) were 25 to 44, 3,157 people (22.4%) were 45 to 64, and 1,874 people (13.3%) were 65 or older. The median age was 32.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.
The 5,872 housing units had an average density of 764.9/square mile, of the occupied units 2,277 (42.4%) were owner-occupied and 3,099 (57.6%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.3%. 5,652 people (40.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 7,985 people (56.7%) lived in rental housing units.
Top employers
According to the city's 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, these are the top 10 employers:
Events
* In late 1984, Colleen Stan was found to have been kept as a sex slave in a Red Bluff home since 1977, without anyone outside her abductors’ household knowing.
* On November 19, 2002, Andrew Mickel shot and killed Officer David Mobilio of the Red Bluff Police Department in an attempt to make a political statement against "corporate irresponsibility" and the government's "police-state tactics".
Newspapers
*
Red Bluff Daily News
'
* The '' Redding Record Searchlight'' publishes a weekly publication called "Tehama Today" for Red Bluff residents. It is included in the Sunday editions of the ''Record Searchlight''.
Notable people
* Clancy Barone, offensive line coach for the National Football League (NFL)
* Mary Brown, widow of John Brown the Abolitionist, and her family lived in Red Bluff from 1864 until 1870. Her house at 135 Main Street, built for her by the citizens of Red Bluff, is a state historic landmark. When Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Schuyler Colfax
Schuyler Colfax Jr. ( ; March 23, 1823January 13, 1885) was an American journalist, businessman, and politician who served as the 17th vice president of the United States from 1869 to 1873, and prior to that as the 25th Speaker of the United Sta ...
passed through Red Bluff in 1865, Mary Brown and her daughters were the only persons mentioned.
* Chuck Cecil, former NFL safety
* Michael Chiarello, celebrity chef
* Jim Davis was a Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher for the Giants, Cubs, and Cardinals. In 1956, he became the first pitcher in 40 years to record four strikeouts in a single inning.
* Shane Drake, award-winning music video director
* Clair Engle, former United States Senator, was known as "the Pride of Red Bluff"
* Jesse Freitas Sr., American football player.
* Al Geiberger, 1966 PGA Championship winner, was born here.
* Gale Gilbert, NFL quarterback
* Margaret Glaspy, singer-songwriter
* Leo Gorcey
Leo Bernard Gorcey (June 3, 1917– June 2, 1969) was an American stage and film actor, famous for portraying the leader of a group of street-wise city toughs known variously as the Dead End Kids, East Side Kids, the East Side Kids, and as adults ...
, stage and movie actor
* Marv Grissom, MLB player
* Jim Hanks, voice and character actor (brother of Tom Hanks)
* William B. Ide, who joined the Bear Flag Revolt
The California Republic, or Bear Flag Republic, was an List of historical unrecognized states#Americas, unrecognized breakaway state from Second Federal Republic of Mexico, Mexico, that existed from June 14, 1846 to July 9, 1846. It milita ...
and was named president of the California Republic
* Roy Joiner, MLB pitcher of 1930s
* Bill Redell, former Occidental College quarterback and College Football Hall of Fame member
* Swede Risberg, baseball player banned after Black Sox Scandal, died in Red Bluff
* Robert Shaw, choral conductor
* Rob Henderson, political commentor and author
References
External links
*
*
Red Bluff Union High School
Red Bluff Police Department
{{authority control
1876 establishments in California
Cities in Tehama County, California
County seats in California
Geography of the Sacramento Valley
Incorporated cities and towns in California
Populated places established in 1876
Populated places on the Sacramento River
Shasta Cascade