In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · United States
Anderson
Skip as a base: Anderson is a 1-night I-5 stop or a half-day from Redding — river park, outlets, then move on.
Anderson is a small Shasta County city of about 10,000 people, 10 miles south of Redding on Interstate 5. It has one real sight (Anderson River Park on the Sacramento River), a factory-outlet strip and a handful of motels. Almost nobody needs more than one night here; most travellers use it as a cheaper bed than Redding while driving I-5 between Sacramento and Oregon.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (38 °C (100 °F)+ afternoons), Dec–Feb (rain, occasional snow nearby)Jul–Aug (100 °F (38 °C)+ afternoons), Dec–Feb (rain, occasional snow nearby)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $60–100 excl. bed · Mid $100–170 excl. bed · High $170+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Anderson Police (non-emergency) 530-378-6600 · Caltrans road conditions 800-427-7623
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–6 |
| Diner breakfast | $10–18 |
| Burrito or taco plate | $10–16 |
| Sit-down dinner, one person | $18–35 |
| Draught beer at a sports bar | $6–9 |
| Gasoline, per gallon | $4–5 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $10–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- RDD · Redding Regional
- About 15 min north by car; small airport, few daily flights — check schedules.
- SMF · Sacramento International
- About 2.5 h south by car on I-5; the practical gateway for most trips.
Typical fares
- RABA Anderson Express, Redding to Anderson
- about $2 one way, roughly 30 min (check)
- Taxi or rideshare, Anderson to Redding
- about $25–40
- Gas, Anderson to Sacramento on I-5
- about 150 miles, roughly $25–35 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
A car is effectively required: sights, food and motels sit 2–4 km (1.2–2.5 mi) apart along Highway 273 and I-5, and pavements are patchy. RABA's Anderson Express bus links downtown Redding (Gate 9, Downtown Transit Center) with the Anderson outlets, but it is a commuter service with limited daily runs — check the timetable before relying on it.A car is effectively required: sights, food and motels sit 1.2–2.5 mi (2–4 km) apart along Highway 273 and I-5, and pavements are patchy. RABA's Anderson Express bus links downtown Redding (Gate 9, Downtown Transit Center) with the Anderson outlets, but it is a commuter service with limited daily runs — check the timetable before relying on it.
See and do
Known for
- Anderson River Park
- Factory outlets shopping
- Shasta Highlands Renaissance and Celtic Faire
- I-5 stopover between Redding and Sacramento
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Redding | I-5 south, about 15 min by car; RABA Anderson Express from the outlets | 20–30 min |
| Shasta Lake | I-5 north then Shasta Dam Boulevard, about 35 min by car | About 45 min |
| Cottonwood | I-5 south, about 15 min by car | About 20 min |
| Burney | CA-299 east via Redding, about 1 h 15 min by car | 1.5 h |
| Lakehead | I-5 north, about 45 min by car | About 1 h |
| French Gulch | CA-299 west then French Gulch Road, about 50 min by car | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Factory Outlets Drive
- Motel cluster right off I-5 at the south end; walk to the outlets, easiest for one night with a car.
- Gateway Drive / Balls Ferry Road
- North-end motels and the main supermarket strip; 5–10 min drive to the river park.
- Riverside Place
- Riverside hotel east of the centre; quiet, needs a car for everything.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the interstate on-ramp? | Where is the interstate on-ramp? |
| Is this the road to Redding? | Is this the road to Redding? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Is the park open today? | Is the park open today? |
| How far is it? | How far is it? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Summer afternoons regularly pass 38 °C: do the river park before 10:00 or after 18:00.
- Highway 273 has frequent roadworks and slow industrial traffic; I-5 is faster if you are not stopping.
- Smoke from regional wildfires can hit air quality in Jul–Sep: check AQI before outdoor plans.
- Cell coverage is fine in town but drops on river and back-road routes.
Anderson is a quiet small city and violent crime is rare; the practical risks are summer heat, wildfire smoke, deer on I-5 at dusk and long unlit stretches along Highway 273 after dark.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Anderson yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Anderson River Park
- Factory outlets shopping
- Shasta Highlands Renaissance and Celtic Faire
- I-5 stopover between Redding and Sacramento
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Anderson (California), revision 4903901 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4903901
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Anderson
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Anderson Police (non-emergency)530-378-6600
- Caltrans road conditions800-427-7623
No consulates in Anderson; nearest consulates-general are in San Francisco. Check your own country's list before travelling.
US tipping: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% for taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/anderson-california). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.