Weed is a city in Siskiyou County, California, United States. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a total population of 2,862, down from 2,967 in 2010. There are several unincorporated communities adjacent to, or just outside of Weed, including Edgewood, Carrick, and Lake Shastina. These communities generally have mailing addresses that use Weed or its ZIP Code. Weed is about northwest of Mount Shasta, a prominent northern California landmark, and the second tallest volcano in the Cascade Range.
Weed's city motto is "Weed like to welcome you". Weed has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names.
History
The city of Weed derives its name from the founder of the local lumber mill and pioneer Abner Weed, who discovered that the area's strong winds were helpful in drying lumber. In 1897, Abner Weed bought the Siskiyou Lumber and Mercantile Mill and of land in what is now the city of Weed, for $400."Weed Now and Then" http://www.snowcrest.net/whm/Weed1.html
Boles Fire On September 15, 2014, the Boles Fire spread through Weed, driven by 40-mph winds. The fire started behind the Boles Creek Apartments in the central part of Weed at approximately 1:30 p.m., and within four hours quickly spread to over . Evacuations were immediately ordered, and a shelter was first set up at College of the Siskiyous, but as fire headed towards the college, the evacuation center was relocated first to the Siskiyou Golden Fairgrounds in Yreka, then to Yreka and Mount Shasta High Schools, then to the armory in Mt. Shasta.
Over 200 structures were damaged or destroyed, including two churches, the elementary school, high school, and Roseburg mill. The schools and mill sustained only minimal damage to outbuildings. About 7,678 Pacific Power customers in both Weed and Mt. Shasta lost power as a result of the fire.* 75 Structures Damaged by Boles Fire , Shanda Hurst, KDRV NewsWatch 12 website, September 15, 2014 Boles Fire threatening over 1,000 homes, Nate Houser, KRCR-TV website, September 15, 2014
Beaughan Spring
The city of Weed gets its water from the Beaughan Spring, with the water being piped directly to homes.
In September 2016, The New York Times reported that French billionaire Pierre Papillaud demanded that Weed give up its Beaughan Spring spring water source so that Papillaud's bottle water company could have more water to sell. Disconnecting from Beaughan Spring would leave Weed without public water. In March 2021, it was reported that the parties involved had reached a compromise which will allow Weed to continue to have access to water from Beaughan Spring in perpetuity.
Mill Fire
In early September 2022, the Mill Fire started in or near Weed, burning down the Lincoln Heights neighborhood.
Geography Weed is off Interstate 5, south of the California–Oregon border. The next large settlement to the north on I-5 is Yreka; to the south is the city of Mount Shasta. U.S. Route 97 runs to the northeast and Klamath Falls, Oregon.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which 0.11% is water. The closest cities with a population greater than 50,000 are Redding (69 miles south) and Medford, Oregon (91 miles north).
Climate Weed has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Csb according to the Köppen climate classification system), featuring cool, wet winters with occasional snowfall, and hot, dry summers. Its average annual precipitation is . Its USDA hardiness zone is 7b.
Transportation Weed is at the intersection of Interstate 5 and U.S. Route 97. Interstate 5 is the primary north–south transportation corridor for the west coast of the United States running from the Mexico–US border to the Canada–US border. U.S. Route 97 is a major north-south U.S. highway continuing from Weed in a northeasterly direction toward Klamath Falls, Oregon, thence through Oregon and Washington to the Canada–US border. California State Route 265 also runs through the city of Weed, locally known as North Weed Boulevard. Only two blocks long, it is the second-shortest state highway in California.
Weed is served by Siskiyou County's public transportation bus lines, Siskiyou Transit and General Express, commonly called "The STAGE".
The closest airports for commercial air travel are Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport and Redding Municipal Airport. The Weed Airport serves general aviation and as a base of operations for search and rescue operations on Mount Shasta. Corporate visitors or geological researchers typically use this facility.
Amtrak trains pass through Weed, but do not stop there. The Amtrak bus/shuttle has one stop in South Weed. The nearest depot for Amtrak train travel is in Dunsmuir, approximately to the south.
Greyhound Bus Lines has a bus station, with both north and southbound buses making stops.
Economy
From its founding in 1901, to as late as the 1980s, Weed was home to a thriving lumber industry. Roseburg Forest Products (plywood), International Paper Company, Morgan Products Ltd. (wooden door manufacturing), and J.H. Baxter (wood treatment) were all based in Weed. The historic industrial area at the northeast corner of Weed has been plagued with environmental concerns and clean-up efforts as a result of chemicals used for wood treatment, as well as chemical residue from glue used in the door factory.
Although historically reliant on logging, wood processing and forest-related products, Weed's economy has become more reliant on tourism as a source of economic activity. Weed's microbrewery, Mt. Shasta Brewing Company, relies on tourists for 92 percent of its business, according to co-owner Vaune Dillman.
Weed is part of the Shasta Valley Enterprise Zone which provides tax breaks, fee reductions, and permit fast-tracking for employers locating in the area.
As of 2007, the largest employers in Weed were:
College of the Siskiyous (100–249 employees) Roseburg Forest Products (100–249 employees) Crystal Geyser CG Roxane (25–99 employees) Weed Union Elementary School District (25–99 employees)
As a small community with few retail outlets, taxable sales within the city are somewhat limited, totaling $89 million in 2012.
In the November 2014 general election, the voters of Weed passed Measure J, which raised the city's sales and use tax rate by 0.25 percent.
Education
Primary education in Weed is conducted at Weed Elementary School (K-8th grade). Butteville Elementary School (K-8th grade) is just outside the city of Weed, in the hamlet of Edgewood, and has an enrollment similar to Weed Elementary.
Secondary-level students are educated at Weed High School (grades 9–12), part of the Siskiyou Union High School District. The school is known for its picturesque campus and diverse student body.
The College of the Siskiyous, located in Weed, provides a steady source of employment for faculty and staff, a source of visitors for the local economy, and offers a two-year junior college education with various associate degree and vocational certificate programs.
Recreation and tourism Visitors use Weed as a base to engage in trout fishing in the nearby Klamath,Siskiyou County information site accessed February 21, 2008. Sacramento and McCloud Rivers, or come to see and climb Mount Shasta, Castle Crags or the Trinity Alps.Outdoor recreational activities in area accessed February 24, 2008. Visitors also engage in nearby skiing (both alpine and cross-country) and biking, or hike to the waterfalls, streams and lakes in the area, including nearby Mossbrae Falls, Lake Siskiyou, Castle Lake and Shasta Lake.
The town's name, being the same as a slang term for cannabis, has caused it to gain a small notoriety. Many shops have popped up around town selling shirts and other trinkets that say "I Love Weed, California". Weed has struggled with sign theft, particularly with a sign that listed which way to turn for College of the Siskiyous or to downtown Weed, which simply listed "COLLEGE" with an arrow in one direction, and "WEED" with an arrow pointing the opposite direction. In 2025, it was reported that Caltrans changed the sign.
Recreation facilities and parks
Weed is near Castle Crags State Park, Lava Beds National Monument, and Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge. In addition to these state and federal parks, there are numerous local recreation opportunities.
The Lake Shastina Golf Resort offers an 18-hole golf course, and a 9-hole Scottish links course in a scenic setting. Local parks managed by the Weed Parks and Recreation District include: Lincoln Park (renamed Charles Byrd Community Park in 2004) which is an park with restrooms, a playground, basketball courts, and is the home to the Weed Skatepark; as well as Bel Air Park, adjacent to College of the Siskiyous and home of the community swimming pool. Weed is on the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway, and is a short distance from the Pacific Crest Trail. Nearby Mount Shasta Ski Park offers alpine and Nordic skiing in winter, as well as summertime mountain biking, rock climbing, and a concert series. The same wind that prompted the founding of Weed, as it was used to dry wood products, makes nearby Lake Shastina a popular destination for short-board windsurfing.Trip Advisor, "In the Shadow of Shasta" http://www.tripadvisor.com/GoListDetail-i3009-In_the_Shadow_of_Shasta.html The Deer Mountain Snowmobile Park, is northeast of Weed on US Highway 97 and offers of groomed trails.
Historic sites and museums
The Weed Historic Lumber Town Museum is a small, seasonal, local museum in the heart of Weed. It features sawmill machinery and artifacts from Weed's early days The Veterans' Living Memorial Sculpture Garden is northeast of Weed on US Highway 97, and consists of steel sculptures and other memorials honoring the service of U.S. veterans.
Demographics
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Weed had a population of 2,862 and a population density of . The median age was 35.7 years. The age distribution was 20.6% under the age of 18, 14.8% aged 18 to 24, 24.9% aged 25 to 44, 23.8% aged 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 102.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.8 males age 18 and over.
The census reported that 94.3% of the population lived in households, 5.7% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 1,131 households, out of which 30.4% included children under the age of 18, 32.5% were married-couple households, 11.6% were cohabiting couple households, 31.9% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present, and 24.0% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. 30.2% of households were one person, and 12.3% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.39. There were 673 families (59.5% of all households).
There were 1,281 housing units at an average density of , of which 1,131 (88.3%) were occupied. Of these, 45.9% were owner-occupied, and 54.1% were occupied by renters. 11.7% of housing units were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.5%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 1,825 63.8% Black or African American 173 6.0% American Indian and Alaska Native 68 2.4% Asian 158 5.5% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 3 0.1% Some other race 219 7.7% Two or more races 416 14.5% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 550 19.2%
2010 census The 2010 United States census reported that Weed had a population of 2,967. The population density was . The racial makeup of Weed was 2,221 (74.9 percent) white, 206 (6.9 percent) African-American, 70 (2.4 percent) Native American, 121 (4.1 percent) Asian, 27 (0.9 percent) Pacific Islander, 132 (4.4 percent) from other races, and 190 (6.4 percent) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 475 persons (16.0 percent).