Redding

With its natural beauty, abundance of recreational opportunities, and excellent quality of life, Redding successfully combines the ambiance of a small town with the amenities of a large city. The outdoor lifestyle, affordable housing and remarkably low crime rates attract many people from the larger urban areas, creating both a diversified culture and a growing center of commerce and industry.

Redding has become a favorite location for conventions for hosting groups from all over the nation, offering a number of large hotels equipped with convention facilities and a state-of-the-art Convention Center. Local accommodations range from modest, for those on a tight budget, to luxurious suites. There are also numerous RV parks, cabins, houseboat rentals and a wide selection of public and private campgrounds. Recreational visitors can enjoy outdoor activities to suit every taste, including fishing and boating on the Sacramento River as it winds through town.

Once visitors experience Redding, they return again and again. Maps, information packets, dining and hotel guides are available at the Greater Redding Chamber of Commerce, located just off Highway 44 on Auditorium Drive. For more information, call (530) 225-4433.

Location & Quality of Life
Redding is located in Northern California, just south of Shasta Lake, nestled between the Cascades and the Trinity Alps. Its central location on I-5 in Shasta County has made it the nationally recognized marketplace of northern California, serving the adjacent counties of Tehama, Trinity and Siskiyou.

Shasta County's metropolitan area has the distinction of being a modern business community comfortably located in the midst of the finest recreational area in California. Residents and visitors enjoy excellent shopping, the latest in cultural and educational facilities, and a wide variety of outdoor leisure-time activities.

The Redding Metro area is the regional center of Northern California for health and legal services, retail shopping and employment. Its location at the junction of I-5 and highways 299 and 44 make Redding the gateway to the Cascade and Trinity Alps recreation areas. Shasta Dam and Shasta Lake, with 350 miles of shoreline, provide the area's abundant water supply and inexpensive electrical power. The Sacramento River meanders nine miles through the middle of town, beginning just outside the City below Shasta Dam. This stretch of river is one of the finest trout-fishing waters in the Western United States.

The Redding and Shasta County area has been selected by The Searchers, a nationally renowned data research company, as one of the best places in the country to retire. The quality of life, clean air, low crime rate and affordability of housing are just a few of the 70-plus sets of criteria used in its determination. Also noted are a vast array of recreational opportunities, excellent medical facilities, and social activities that would enhance anyone's retirement plans.

Climate
Climatologists describe the climate in the Redding area as Mediterranean, with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Average high temperatures during July and August frequently exceed 90 degrees but drop to the low 50's in winter. Annual rainfall averages 33 inches, most of which falls between November and March.

Business
Economic Development & Business Environment
The outdoor lifestyle and air quality of the metropolitan Redding area have attracted many highly skilled people from larger urban areas, creating a choice labor force. Both Money Magazine and Expansion Management Magazine have recognized the Shasta County metro area for its quality business environment.

Redding's overall job growth in a five year period was more than double the national average (19.9 percent compared with 8.7 percent). The increase in the number of businesses in the city is almost triple the national average (38.8 percent compared with 13 percent) for the same period.

Favorable zoning laws and the availability of low-cost electricity in Redding give many industries a competitive advantage. Redding also offers an extremely successful Down-Payment Assistance Program to aid first-time homebuyers. Affordable commercial and residential real estate, low-cost skilled labor and a low crime rate also contribute to Redding's rapid growth.

Redding's outstanding new Civic Center allows city services to be accessed from one location, and its new Permit Center provides one-stop customer service to the community. The city has also embarked on an aggressive industrial recruitment program to bring in manufacturing jobs that help make a community strong.

Business Expansion
One of the key components of the Shasta County's business retention plan is to acknowledge and cater to small businesses, particularly those that help create a diverse economy with industrial linkages between local manufacturers. The Redding City Council has developed a number of local incentives for industrial development and businesses that create new jobs.