Latitude: 40.678056
Longitude: -122.37
Lake Level Above Sea Level: 810 ft (246 m)
Counties: Shasta County

Information: Shasta Lake started out as a town named Central Valley, which came about with the construction of Shasta Dam in 1938. Project City was built at the intersection of Highway 99 and Shasta Dam Boulevard, a larger Central Valley further down the road, and Summit City on Lake Blvd. The workers at Shasta Dam built these towns because provisions were running low and working conditions were getting harsher. Later on, Central Valley became the commercial hub of workers on Shasta Dam. Toyon School in Summit City was the first elementary school to open in the Central Valley area (it recently closed and is now home to Mountain Lakes High School). As Central Valley was in fact larger than Redding at the time, chaos began to brew over building. When oil production slowed down in the 70s (about 15 years after Redding surpassed Central Valley in population), the city's growth slowed down as well. The population figures in 1980 were Central Valley at 3,424, Project City at 1,659, and Summit City at 1,139. Talks of Incorporation spread in 1993 and incorporation became a reality on July 2, 1993 when 60% of the communities' people voted for incorporation. A new McDonald's, Burger King inside the Chevron station, and several gas stations and a few motels encompass the area of the Shasta Dam Hwy and Interstate 5 interchange. These were all built around 2000 and several more fast food outlets and motels are planned for this interchange. Taco Bell might buy out a locally-owned fast food taqueria. Other companies such as Jack in the Box, Carl's Jr, Wendy's, Denny's, Best Western, Motel 6, and Super 8 have been interested in this area. Starbucks recently opened up, right next to Rite Aid. The business landscape will be similar to other locations on I-5 in the San Joaquin Foothills, such as Kettleman City or Santa Nella.